For the classical homeopath, there are two types of prescribing. While treating chronic disease most homeopaths take thorough and exhaustive cases to gather all the information there is to know about the history, present condition and family susceptibilities or genetics of the patient. Then a careful matching process occurs where the prescriber finds the one remedy that matches the entire symptom picture of the patient. This is done for chronic ailments and for constitutional care. The other kind of prescribing that is done is acute care where the gathering of information is as quick and efficient as possible to quickly relieve the patient suffering of an epidemic acute disease. One of the way the homeopath gathers the information to treat the yearly human condition of Influenza is by sorting out what is the genus epidemicus which is done by gathering the symptoms of 10 or more patients suffering from the same strain of influenza and then identifies the most commonly seen symptoms that year.  They then study the collective case and come up with the one to three remedies which most likely will be indicated for most patients that year. This saves time and suffering for the patient and is highly effective. One can also use the genus epidemicus to as a preventative or prophylaxis for those not infected who are tending to, or surrounded by those who have succumbed to the present acute epidemic of flu.

During the 1918-1919 flu epidemic 500,000,000 (five hundred million) people were infected with flu, worldwide with 20 million to 50 million deaths worldwide and maybe more. There were 675,000 American fatalities during that flu season. More US soldiers died in the 1918 flu than the number of casualties in WW1 battle. In the past 3 decades, there have been between some 3,000- to 49,000 flu-related deaths annually depending on the particular virulence that year and by which means the patients were treated.

During the late 1800s and the early 1900s we in this country had the privilege of many well staffed and well prepared homeopathic hospitals. There were excellently trained homeopath and some patients, fortunately, were under their care during the Spanish flu epidemic. While their allopathic colleagues found their patients dying at a rate of 28% to 50% some homeopaths lost no patients and it is well documented that the ones that did lose patients lost them at a rate of 1% and 3%. There were entire factories and businesses under homeopathic care and fortunate were they to be treated homeopathically at that time.

I would like now to introduce several remedies that have proven to be the genus epidemicus for this flu year 2018-2019 since, it is not over yet. If there should be someone in your life, including yourself, in need of help during this time.

Gelsemium

This was the most common remedy needed during the 1918 Spanish Flu. this is the one most homeopaths look at first for their clients/patients. There are chills notably up and down the spine. The eyelids are heavy and drooping as if they cannot keep their eyes open. Great languor. with a terrible headache. As with most flus there is fever.

Phosphoric Acid

This year if Gelsemium does not work this is a close runner up using similar symptoms. The common idea in this remedy is debility, mental and physical. This can come on through the loss of fluids through diarrhea and vomiting and the patient is much worse for exertion. The mental attitude is indifferent with settled despair.

Arum Triphyllum

Acridity is a key note of this remedy so the discharges are acrid causing rawness and even sores under the nose from the nasal discharge. The nose is completely stopped up and the throat is very sore. There can be quivering of the upper eyelids; especially the left.

These are just three remedies that have been useful this flu season. Written by Krista Connolly, Classical Homeopath.