Clubbing is a physical sign, seen as knotting at the end of fingers and loss of normal nail curvature.
There are various causes of clubbing of fingers, commonest of which are enumerated below:
- Cyanotic Congenital heart diseases
- Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE)
- Lung abscess
- Bronchiectasis
- Empyema
- Bronchial CA
- Inflammatory bowel diseases- ulcerative colitis/ crohn’s disease
- Some cancers
Lauroceracus can either be curative (when chosen on basis of characteristics or peculiarities) or palliative (if given purely on a pathological basis in those with anatomical defects.) in the above conditions. Let us now discuss these conditions and symptoms that indicate the remedy pathologically in these diseases.
- Children born with cyanotic heart disease (blue babies (Boger synoptic key)), often show signs of distress and cynosis on exertion. Their skin may have a bluish discolouration. Clubbing of fingers is a well-known sign in such patients (Toe and finger nails become knotty. Clubbing of fingers (Boericke materia medica))
- Apart from clubbing SBE may present with neurological symptoms such as seizures and twitching also present in lauroceracus symptomatology. (Convulsive twitching. Epileptic convulsions, with foam from the clenched mouth ( BBCR)
- Bronchiectasis/ lung absecss – (Cough, with copious, jelly-like, or bloody expectoration (Boericke materia medica))
- I could not find any overt symptoms (pathologically) of inflammatory bowel diseases in Lauroceracus, though it could come as remedy in individualization of the case.
- Lauroceracus is known to have some cancers in its pathologically and may be helpful in these conditions if clubbing of fingers is found to be an associated symptom.
Complete repertory states two other medicines in clubbing of fingers viz cal iod and beryllium. In Cal Iod the suppurative pathology could probably explain the clubbing. I do not know much about beryllium as medicine, so would refrain from commenting on it.
Knowledge of disease helps us in diagnosis, prognosis, management, and its prevention. It is not possible to always cure a disease due to a variety of factors. Though we generally use characteristics and individualistic features for the selection of remedy, knowledge of pathology (of both disease and medicine) also helps in remedy selection in such cases.
References
- Boericke materia medica
- Boger synptic key
- Boger Boenninghausen materia medica and repertory.
- French diagnostic index
- Harrison’s principles of internal medicine
Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/