My 10 days of hell at a Lahore public hospital

(HIRA NAFEES SHAH)

At around 4pm, an epileptic patient having a seizure is wheeled into the female emergency ward of a public hospital in Lahore. One after the other, the hospital's doctors come in to inspect her, putting her on endless drips, but nothing manages to subdue her body's violent convulsions.

The fits come at an interval of two minutes each. The patient is my cousin.

My cousin needed a neurologist. The ward's doctors were doing everything they could, but there was no specialist on hand to prescribe the right combination of medicines for her deteriorating condition.

Our emergency occurred over the long December 24-27 weekend. When we asked to see the hospital's neuro-specialist, we were told that he would only be available after the holidays, not even for emergencies before then.

The junior doctors at the hospital added candidly: "We're not even allowed to call the professor."

Thus began my cousin's longest, most excruciating wait for decent medical treatment as we, her family, helplessly watched her in pain.

While we waited, my cousin's feet were put in casts because her nerves had become stressed during the seizures — a condition known as foot-drop.

In the interval, I called up every doctor friend of mine, who could somehow help me reach this seemingly omnipotent specialist. I couldn't help but wonder that if we — a privileged middle-class family — were experiencing such a hellish time at this hospital, what fate must befall the less privileged of the country who seek aid here?

Read: My baby would be alive if it wasn't for medical negligence

To be fair, the medicines were available at a fairly inexpensive cost and the general physicians did take a round in the wards every few hours.

But what disturbed me was not only that the head neurologist was on leave, but that there was no replacement in case of emergencies. In fact, with the absence of this neurologist, the entire department itself was under lock and key for four whole days.

Nobody cared about the neurology patient because nobody was expecting a neurology patient.

The general physicians at the emergency ward had managed to bring my cousin's condition considerably under control by the time the work week started. When the holidays drew to a close, the specialist still could not find the time to pay my cousin a visit; he sent a junior doctor instead.

Too little, too late.

When the concerned doctors did finally get to my cousin, they recommended an MRI. Due to an acute shortage of many crucial machines at the hospital, we had to take her to a private clinic which was an ordeal all on its own because there were not enough stretchers or ambulances.

Ward horrors

During the length of my cousin's stay, I was baffled at the number of patients pouring in everyday into a hospital that was scarcely equipped to deal with them. The nurses had to often place two patients on the same bed in many wards of the unit, because they did not have enough beds.

The beds that they did have were lacking stands to hang the drips or blood bottles; the hospital staff would hook the drips up by tying them to nails on the wall.

The walls were dirty, hygiene was poor and cats were free to roam and pounce on the patients' food.

There was no privacy either, shades had to be frequently brought in and all male relatives of all other patients had to leave, if any one patient had to use the bedpan.

The male ward was worse; the sick and suffering milling out of it into the hallway on stretchers.

See: Excellent healthcare is being provided in Pakistan, but...

Despite my experience, many doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital were also responsive but it was apparent how overworked they were. It was due to their efforts that my cousin’s fits stopped and we were able to take her home, even if we couldn't see the neuro-specialist the entire 10 days that we were there.

When I look back at the incident, I am reminded how difficult it is to watch someone you love suffer in sickness. I am also reminded of all the suffering patients entering that hospital, hoping for some relief but finding none.

Are we then just left to fend for ourselves?

It certainly appears so. I don't recall any politicians visiting any public hospitals of late. In fact, the most populated province in the country doesn’t even have a Health Minister.

It's worth asking then who will ensure that specialists at a public hospital in Pakistan actually take out time to visit patients instead of focusing on their private practice?

Also, who will ensure that bureaucratic red-tape is minimised at the public hospitals so that people have access to speedy health facilities?

And while the prime minister of the country has the luxury and the resources to travel to London to deal with his own health issues, do the people of Pakistan not deserve a comparative level of treatment at home?

Initiatives like the Prime Minister’s Healthcare Programme are merely temporary, stop-gap arrangements which do little in addressing our massively ailing healthcare system.

Some people in Pakistan will die simply because there is an absent doctor or an unavailable dialysis machine.

How can we then even begin to justify the shameful 0.9 per cent of Pakistan's GDP spent on health against the astronomical 20pc amount spent on defence?

Courtesy: http://www.dawn.com/news/1264563/my-10-days-of-hell-at-a-lahore-public-hospital

Hira Nafees Shah is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Homeopathic Treatment of Ganglion Cyst on Wrist - A Case of Causticum

A ganglion cyst is a benign (not cancerous) swelling or growth or tumor. It is also named as a Bible Cyst. Usually these occur in women of age 20 to 40 years age. Ganglion cysts rarely occurs in children younger than ten years age.

These are most common lumps or mass in the hands. Generally they occur on back of the hand but can also develop on the palm side of wrist or at the joint of the wrist. When growth in on the back side of wrist then it is more prominent and looks awkward. Inside the cyst is a clear, colourless, sticky, thick, sticky, jellylike material. Cysts may feel spongy or firm but it depends on its size.

The cause and reason of ganglion cyst is unknown. There are few theories which provide the details of its growth.

Most ganglion are not painful but some degree of pain is witnessed when it is pressed. Otherwise these are without any symptom except the appearance issue.

A Case Treated by Homeopathic Remedy Causticum

A lady - age 34 years - was having a Ganglion Cyst on back of her Wrist. In the start it was small and not painful either. With the passage of time, it increased (photos enclosed) and was looking very awkward when writing or working. She is a teacher in a prominent school so it was a serious problem though not much painful or irritating. No other symptoms were found except some problem in the sound - vocal cord. She contacted me for a homeopathic treatment. As she belonged to another city so case history was taken on phone and photos were observed.

Keeping in view the totally of patient, Causticum was prescribed in February 2016. It disturbed the sound further for few days. She was asked to wait. Gradually sound and vocal card related issue got better. Her overall health improved as well but the Ganglion Cyst remained as it was. She was advised to wait as it may take some time.

Yesterday, she sent her feedback along with photographs. The Cyst is almost disappeared.

Lets have a look on photograph and feedback.

==============
This is how a properly selected Homeopathic remedy addresses the health problems - A proper and gentle cure without any side affects.

Please feel free to contact if need a homeopathic treatment for you or your family.
Hussain Kaisrani is a Chief Consultant at Bahria Homeopathic Clinic Safari Villas, Bahria Town Lahore and could be contacted through email or phone for an appointment.
kaisrani@gmail.com ; 03002000210
www.kaisrani.com
fb.com/bahria.homeopathy

اَٹھانوے فیصد ڈاکٹر طبی غلطیاں کرتے ہیں: تحقیق

ایک حالیہ تحقیق کے مطابق تحقیق میں شامل 98.5 فیصد ڈاکٹروں نے اس بات کا اعتراف کیا ہے کہ ان سے کسی نہ کسی قسم کی طبی غلطی سرزد ہوئی ہے۔

پاکستان جرنل آف میڈیکل سائنسز کے حالیہ شمارے میں شائع ہونے والی تحقیق کے مطابق لاہور کے ایک ہسپتال میں ریزیڈنٹ ڈاکٹروں میں سے 98.5 فیصد نے کہا کہ ان سے کسی نہ کسی قسم کی طبی غلطیاں سرزد ہوئی ہیں جن میں سے 19 فیصد سنگین نوعیت کی تھیں۔

73 فیصد ڈاکٹروں نے غلطیاں اپنے سینیئر ڈاکٹروں کو تو رپورٹ کیں لیکن صرف 11 فیصد کیسوں میں مریضوں کو ان غلطیوں کے بارے میں آگاہ کیا گیا۔

یہ تحقیق چلڈرن ہاسپیٹل اور انسٹیٹیوٹ آف چائلڈ ہیلتھ لاہور میں کی گئی اور اس میں 130 ڈاکٹروں نے حصہ لیا۔

تحقیق میں شامل ڈاکٹر عطیہ باری نے بی بی سی سے بات کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ اس تحقیق میں یہ جزو شامل نہیں تھا کہ یہ غلطیاں کس قسم کی تھیں اور ان کے کیا اثرات مرتب ہوئے۔ تاہم انھوں نے کہا کہ دوسروں ملکوں کے اعداد و شمار کی بنیاد پر اندازہ لگایا جا سکتا ہے کہ پاکستان میں بھی طبی غلطیوں کے سنگین نتائج برآمد ہوتے ہیں۔

گذشتہ ماہ برٹش جرنل آف میڈیسن میں شائع ہونے والے ایک مطالعے میں تخمینہ لگایا گیا تھا کہ امریکہ میں دل کی بیماریوں اور سرطان کے بعد ہلاکتوں کی تیسری بڑی وجہ طبی غلطیاں ہیں اور ان کی وجہ سے ہر سال ڈھائی لاکھ سے زیادہ لوگ موت کے منھ میں چلے جاتے ہیں۔

امریکہ میں طبی غلطیوں کو ایک ’وبا‘ کہا گیا ہے اور کئی ادارے اس کے سدِباب کے لیے کام کر رہے ہیں۔ تاہم پاکستان میں صورتِ حال کہیں بدتر ہے۔

ڈاکٹر عطیہ باری کے بقول نہ تو پاکستان میں ایسی غلطیوں کا کہیں کوئی ریکارڈ رکھا جاتا ہے اور نہ ہی اس سے قبل اس موضوع پر کبھی کسی قسم کی تحقیق کی گئی ہے۔ البتہ ان کا ارادہ ہے کہ وہ اپنی تحقیق کا دائرہ بڑھا کر مستقبل میں اس موضوع پر مزید کام کریں۔

مضر طبی غلطیاں کئی قسم کی ہو سکتی ہیں۔ ان میں ڈاکٹر کی کم علمی سے لے کر اس پر کام کا بوجھ تک کئی قسم کے عناصر شامل ہیں۔ حالیہ تحقیق میں 65 فیصد ڈاکٹروں نے کہا کہ ان کی غلطی کی بڑی وجہ تھکاوٹ تھی۔

ایک اور چیز جو ’مرے پر سو درّے‘ کا کام کرتی ہے، وہ میڈیکل سٹوروں عملہ ہوتا ہے، جو معاملے کی سنگینی کو کئی گنا بڑھا دیتا ہے۔ بجائے اس کے کہ وہ ڈاکٹر سے رابطہ کر کے نسخے کی غلطی کو ٹھیک کرنے کی کوشش کریں، الٹا وہ اپنی تربیت اور تعلیم کی کمی کی وجہ مزید غلطیاں کر دیتے ہیں، جن کا نتیجہ مریض کو بھگتنا پڑتا ہے۔

چند روز قبل کراچی میں ایک تحقیق کی گئی تھی جس میں یہ معلوم ہوا کہ ڈاکٹروں کی جانب سے طبی نسخوں میں مخففات کا بےمحابا استعمال بھی اغلاط کا باعث بنتا ہے۔

پوسٹ گریجویٹ جرنل میں شائع ہونے والے اس مطالعے میں یہ نتیجہ اخذ کیا گیا تھا کہ زیرِ تربیت ڈاکٹر عام طبی مخفف تک سمجھنے سے قاصر رہتے ہیں۔ یاد رہے کہ 2014 میں پشاور میں ہونے والی ایک تحقیق سے ظاہر ہوا تھا کہ حیرت انگیز طور پر تحقیق میں شامل ڈاکٹروں کا لکھا ہوا کوئی ایک نسخہ بھی بین الاقوامیطبی معیار کے تقاضے پورے نہیں کرتا۔

اس تحقیق سے یہ بات سامنے آئی تھی کہ طبی قواعد کے برعکس ڈاکٹر 89 فیصد نسخوں پر اپنا نام نہیں لکھتے، 78 فیصد نسخوں پر مرض کی کوئی تشخیص نہیں لکھی ہوتی جب کہ 58 فیصد نسخے اتنے بدخط ہوتے ہیں کہ انھیں پڑھنا انتہائی مشکل ہوتا ہے۔

Courtesy: BBC Urdu

The role and concept of Maisms in Homeopathic treatment

Over the years, we have found the most helpful and comprehensive model for understanding chronic disease comes from the principle of “miasm”. Developed over 200 years ago, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the father of Homeopathy, referred to these patterns of chronic conditions as miasms meaning “ghost of an illness”. He used this term because he felt most chronic conditions were inherited from our parents, grandparents, and sometimes even further back in our family history.

He published his findings in the Organon of Medicine in 1810. Hahnemann discovered three miasms ... syphilis, gonorrhea (sycotic), and psora. Psora means "itch". Many skin and heart problems are related to this miasm.

Syphilis and gonorrhea are well known venereal diseases which produce a host of mental, emotional, and physical problems. We have also identified four additional miasms. They are tuberculosis, cancer, polio, and yama.

Miasms tend to linger through the family line regardless of the medical or herbal treatments. For example, if one of your ancestors had TB, they were treated with the medicine of choice for their time. This treated the TB but the miasm remained and was passed on to their children. One or more of the children and grandchildren may have then experienced some or all of the symptoms of the TB miasm as they grew older, such as, early arthritis, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, and craving for alcohol. The miasm's ability to be passed on to the next generation is why entire families have hereditary predispositions to various physical and emotional disorders.

Miasms do not normally produce the same, identical conditions of the original disease when it was acquired by our ancestor. However, each miasm has an unmistakable influence on the health and vitality of your mind and body as it tends to drain and deplete the vital force over time. As Hahnemann concluded, they can warp the body's vital force in such a profound way as to create the most debilitating conditions of schizophrenia or rheumatoid arthritis to the mildest hay fever and headaches.

There are seven miasms. They are cancer, syphilis, sycotic, TB, polio, psora, and yama. Fortunately, these influences are purified with the Homeopathic Treatment. In fact, removing these miasms from the physiology creates a very powerful and strengthening influence on your mind and body allowing you to enjoy greater happiness, health, and energy.

In the following pages of our website, we discuss the various symptoms contained within each miasm. We hope you will find this section helpful in determining your miasm type.

“And this disease of which I speak, this syphilis, will pass away and die out, but later it will be born again and be seen again by our descendants just as in bygone ages we must believe it was observed by our ancestors.” - Girolamo Fracastoro, Physician (1484-1553)

THE PSORA MISAM

Psora means "itch" so many skin problems are related to this miasm. It can produce dry, scaly, cracking, itchy skin, or on the other hand, excessively moist or oily skin. It commonly produces excessive sweating especially when you are working outside or doing physical chores. In fact, "hot flashes" are associated with this miasm.

Psora can make you feel tired and breathless. For example, when raking the yard or walking upstairs, you may feel like you have to rest and catch your breath. During these times of exertion, you may notice excessive sweating. Your body may feel heavy and lethargic. 

Psora is the miasm responsible for most heart disorders, high blood pressure, and in some cases, asthma. People with strong psora miasms may notice some tightness and discomfort in the chest with heart palpitations. Diabetes and other blood sugar imbalances are associated with the psora miasm so you may have a craving for sweets. 

Emotionally, you can feel timid, low spirited, irritable, sad, or anxious. Sometimes you may feel "bottled up inside" as though you can't fully express yourself. It's as though you live in a self-imposed prison from which you cannot escape and this creates anger. You can also enjoy thinking about the past in a nostalgic way such as old relationships or early childhood.

And lastly, you may worry about money. Your business may be successful and booming with plenty of money in the bank, however, psora makes one worry and even dream about losing it. The cancer miasm can create the financial hardship, however, psora may simply create the worry. Other symptoms of the psora miasm include:  

  

nausea  •  eczema  •  headaches  •  allergies & hay fever

sensitive to cold & drafts  •  colitis  •  bronchitis 

roaring/ringing in ears  •  rosacea  •  muscle spasms

guilt  •  anxiety  •  fear of criticism

stubborn  •  independent  •  afraid to take chances inhibited  •  acid reflux

THE CANCER MISAM

The cancer miasm has two sides emotionally. On one side, you can feel low-spirited and hopeless. It can make you feel like your conditions will never improve. This can sometimes trigger anxiety and even fear especially regarding one's health. You can feel overwhelmed, irritable, a victim of circumstances, and overly serious. You can also be critical or sensitive to criticism.

On the other side, there is a sort of martyr or manic aspect, that is, you can find yourself taking care of everyone but yourself. You can suddenly feel a burst of energy and clean the house, cabinets, and yes, even the garage. Sometimes this part of the cancer miasm allows you no rest until you catch up on old business such as paperwork or mountains of chores that have accumulated for some time.

On the physical side, you may notice more tiredness, achiness, and headaches. Commonly, pains are more predominant with the cancer miasm, that is, sometimes the body simply hurts more. It has an affinity for the digestive tract so there may be stomach or elimination problems such as chronic constipation. The cancer miasm also has a special craving for ice cream and chocolate!

People with strong cancer miasms have "poverty consciousness". They worry about money as there is never enough of it. They seem to just make it from one paycheck to the next. Other symptoms of the cancer miasm include: 

   

All types of cancers  •  stroke  •  chronic fatigue syndrome

whooping cough  •  obesity  •  confusion  •  dull

excessive sense of duty  •  sinus & allergy problems

swollen lymph glands  •  cysts & tumors  •  chronic cough

panic attacks  •  fear  •  low back pain  •  agoraphobia

low self-esteem  •  mononucleosis  •  migraine headaches

heart palpitations •  insomnia

THE TB MIASM

In Vedic literature, TB is called “Maha•raja•yakshma” which means “King of Disease”. It was considered to be the first, original disease that plagued mankind.

Probably the most common symptom people feel with the TB miasm is the exhaustion. It can be difficult getting out of bed in the mornings and you may get sleepy during the day and feel like catnapping. However, at night the mental symptoms may spring to life so you may find it difficult to sleep. At this time there may be some nervousness and restlessness. TB is very changeable so one minute you may feel tired or even angry and the next minute restless and ready to go. You can also feel very creative but unable to follow through with projects.

Since TB has an affinity for the chest and lungs, there may be some coughing as asthma and other chest congestions are related to this miasm. TB also has many types of neuralgias especially in the head so you may notice wandering head pains or headaches. It contributes to the various symptoms of arthritis so you may notice some soreness or stiffness in the joints.

Mentally, there may be some irritability or depression. Sometimes the depression is a hopelessness with despair of recovery. Again though, TB is changeable so these symptoms usually don't last for long. An interesting quality of TB is that you can be very opinionated. That is, if someone asks you about astronomy, you may not know anything about the subject but suddenly you have an opinion. And you don't even care if it is correct or not! Also, TB enjoys swearing. "Why that” is not an uncommon emotion that can flash out during TB. Other symptoms of the TB miasm include:
  

epilepsy  •  kidney failure  •  psoriasis  

craving for alcohol

craving for smoked meats  •   easily bored  •  phobias

changeable moods  •  excessive hunger  •  weight loss desire to travel  •  fear of animals  •  insanity

  aversion to work  •  pneumonia  •  deafness

THE SYPHILIS MIASM

Syphilis is the most destructive of all the miasms. It contributes to rapid weight loss and the deteriorating conditions of bone loss. Osteoarthritis is associated with this miasm. Anytime we see a degenerative or deformed condition of any of the body's tissues, any bone and blood diseases (hemophilia) or infections, syphilis is involved. Another classic example of its destructive nature is the AIDS virus which is born from this miasm.

Like a couple of the other miasms, syphilis has two sides. On one side, you can feel very happy, enthusiastic, and you can maintain your energy and get many projects done. On the other side, you may feel irritable, insecure, over-stressed, or sad. We've had clients tell us watching a TV commercial is enough to trigger their sadness. You may experience anxiety about your health. Hypochondria is not uncommon with this miasm. Some forms of obsessive behavior, such as anorexia or excessive jealousy, are related to the syphilis miasm. People with a strong syphilis miasm are hard on themselves, suspicious, and judgmental toward others with a quick temper.

Physically, you may tire easily with some achiness in the joints. Or you may experience nervousness, restlessness, and agitation. Since syphilis has an affinity for the bones, teeth, and blood, you may feel some sensitivity or nerve pain in one or more of the teeth. This miasm is responsible for early dental cavities in children and gum loss in adults. People frequently complain that they are hypersensitive to environmental factors such as loud noises or the smell of perfume and paint. Other symptoms of the syphilis miasm include:
  

sore throat  •  ulcers (mouth & stomach)  •  asthma

eye problems  • dizziness  •  hepatitis  •  impatience

fear of insanity  •  paranoia

fear of losing control  •  violence on being opposed schizophrenia  • eczema & rashes

arthritis  •  craving for alcohol  •  laryngitis 

rapid heart beat 

ovarian disorders  •  shingles  •  seizures

loss of appetite  •  chronic diarrhea

THE POLIO MIASM

Of all the miasms, we were most surprised when we discovered this one. We have found it to be responsible for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Cerebral Palsy, Lyme Disease, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Autism, and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The overlapping symptoms of these diseases, that is, the stiffness, contraction of muscles, paralysis, trembling, restlessness, and forgetfulness, are also the chief symptoms of the polio miasm.

This miasm produces low back pain, hip pain, upper back and shoulder pain with neck stiffness, stiffness in the legs and hands, and this is sometimes accompanied with headache. Like the cancer miasm, polio has an affinity for the digestive tract so there may be some stomach aches. The upsets may include constipation with bouts of diarrhea. It also has an affinity for the sinuses so you may notice some sneezing with a runny nose.

Emotionally, the polio miasm can produce cycles of manic-depression. On some days you may feel absolutely fantastic and then very suddenly you may feel deeply depressed and hopeless about your recovery. The cycle of manic-depression may last for a few hours or a few days. During the manic phase one may get very animated and excited about future projects while talking incessantly.

Because of its impact on memory, we have found that some learning disabilities are associated with the polio miasm. For example, one may spend hours studying for an exam, however, when the time for the test is at hand, everything is forgotten. Sometimes it is difficult to remember where you put the car keys, your wallet or purse, or even remember the telephone number of your closest friend! Other symptoms of the polio miasm include: 

ear infection in children  •  flu  •  fatigue

spacey and daydreaming

difficult to engage in activity  • intolerant with people

sad  •  irritable  •  anxiety
aloof and detached feeling  •  short of breath

  clumsiness  •  accident prone

When Dr. Samuel Hahnemann discovered three of the seven miasms 200 years ago, he observed that many people who had infectious gonorrhea also developed small warts all over their body. So he named this miasm "sycotic" meaning "fig wart". Though pronounced the same as "psychotic", it is not related to nor does it mean the same as this word.

This is the main miasm responsible for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Tourette Syndrome, fibromyalgia, herpes, impotence, and sterility problems. Because of this miasm's ability to create arthritis, you may notice some muscle stiffness with swelling of the joints, particularly the hands and ankles. It may give rise to some shortness of breath, stitching pains in the chest, or even upset stomach. Sometimes there is weakness while walking and you may feel lightheaded or faint.

Sycotic produces a skeptical, non-believer style of thinking. People with strong sycotic miasms are very hard to convince, for example, that a new medicine or a different viewpoint may be beneficial for them or that their life will ever improve. They are often sullen, irritable, and fixed in their ideas. It also shares a manic-depression quality that is similarly found in the polio miasm. For instance, for a couple of days you may feel on top of the world, and later, a deep depression may follow. The sycotic depression carries with it a tiredness bordering on  exhaustion and collapse. Other symptoms of the sycotic miasm include:

forgetfulness  •  dullness  •  talkativeness  •  manipulative

suspicious (paranoid)  •  anger  •  fear of dark  •  rebellious

panic attacks  •  nausea  •  headaches  •  sore throats

runny nose  •  canker sores in mouth  •   nose bleeds

chronic diarrhea  •  stuttering  •  bipolar disorders

overeating  •  chronic lateness  •  alcoholism   

drug abuse

obsessive behaviors  •  violence  •  emphysema

compulsiveness

Definition and Measure of Health by George Vithoulkas

The following is a full and exact copy of Chapter 5: Definition and Measure of Health contained in A New Model for Health and Disease.by Prof. George Vithoulkas

• The Definition of Health for the Physical Body

• The Definition of Health on the Emotional Plane

• The Definition of Health on the Mental-Spiritual Level

The Measure of Health

The first task of a science that claims its primary aim is to restore health should be to define what "health" is, what the target or goal of treatment is, and in what direction the patient should be guided during his treatment.

One should also define the parameters for measuring health. This should be defined so that anybody can easily ascertain whether an individual under treatment is progressing toward health or is actually regressing toward a deeper state of imbalance.

I doubt whether any medical graduate could provide these definitions; I also doubt that medical students are taught to recognize an ideal state of health or to identify the parameters that measure it.

When the pain is gone, when the inflammation has subsided, when a bothersome symptom has disappeared, when the pathology is no longer evident, the patient usually is pronounced cured. Yet there may be long-term disturbances caused by the treatment, especially in deeper or more subtle parts of the human organism such as the immune or hormonal systems or, even worse, in the mental or emotional planes, that are not taken into consideration. A treatment therefore should have a beneficial effect simultaneously on all these levels in order to claim that it is the right kind of treatment.

Treating the whole person, which is now accepted on a rhetorical level by everyone, should be more than a theoretical dictum; it should be an applied reality.

I hope to clearly show in this treatise that such an objective is almost impossible to attain through treatment with allopathic drugs, and that only through some form of alternative medicine practiced correctly, such as Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Osteopathy, Naturopathy, etc., can the potential for such a goal be realized.

Disease, whether expressed through pain, discomfort or weakness, always tends to restrict the individual. Its opposite, health, gives a sense of freedom. This is the reason why in the definition that follows I have used the word "freedom" as a key word.

I also give a separate definition of health for each of the three planes since I know that an individual can be sick on one level while on another level he may appear completely healthy. For example, a schizophrenic that is deeply disturbed in his mental- emotional plane appears to be extremely healthy in his physical body. It is a well-established fact that severely mentally ill patients almost never get sick with physical ailments, even under the most adverse conditions, while others that suffer from physical ailments can be very healthy in their emotional and mental spheres.

As we have already stated, every pain, discomfort, uneasiness, distress or weakness of the physical body results in a limitation of freedom and a feeling of bondage to the pain or discomfort. The individual necessarily directs all his attention to the pain, to the exclusion of everything else, and of course loses his general sense of well-being. It is for this reason that health on the physical plane can be defined as follows: Health is freedom from pain in the physical body, having attained a state of well-being.

On the emotional plane, that which enslaves the individual and absorbs all his attention is excessive passion - passion in the broadest sense and not with only a sensual connotation.

Excessive, inordinate passion for anything shows a degree of imbalance within the emotional plane. For instance, when an overwhelming erotic passion for another person reaches a point where murdering this person is contemplated because of jealousy, we definitely have a disease state rather than a love state. Passion for a cause, even a lofty one, that brings the individual to the point where he contemplates destructive actions against others is definitely a diseased state rather than justified ideal- ism. A healthy state of the emotions never goes so far as to bring New Model For Health about destruction, but rather tries to follow the "golden mean" of the ancient Greeks.

Fanatical and dogmatic attitudes that divorce themselves from logic and understanding show a degree of unhealthy emotional involvement that usually results in some type of catastrophe, either for the individual or for others. Passionately loving somebody may mean that the degree of attachment is so great that if the love is not reciprocated, the individual may commit some kind of crime (homicide or suicide).

We too often mistake our emotional needs and insecurities for real love and affection. The latter two presuppose giving without reservation. It is emotional attachment that constantly makes demands of others under the pretense of giving. Certainly the opposite of passion - apathy - is no more desirable. Apathy is an extremely unhealthy emotional state, very much akin to the idea of death. What is desirable is a state of serenity and calm that is dynamic and creative, not passive, indifferent or destructive - a state where love and positive emotions prevail, as opposed to hatred and other negative emotions.

In order to justify their origin and destiny, human beings have to transcend their animal nature, and have to make conscious efforts to evolve, not so much in their physical body as in their mental and emotional spheres.

I believe that it is clear now that passion comes from weakness rather than strength on the emotional plane. Thus the definition for this plane should be: Health on the emotional plane is freedom from passion, having as a result a dynamic state of serenity and calm.

To give a concise definition of health on the mental-spiritual plane is a rather difficult task because one must identify the most important mental-spiritual qualities, which if disturbed may seriously injure the mental equilibrium.

After much deliberation I have come to the conclusion that peace of mind can be drastically affected by egotism, selfishness and acquisitiveness. The more egotistical and selfish an individual is, the greater his potential for mental derangement.

It is a known fact that a person who is very egotistical can be quite upset when his authority, knowledge or attainments are challenged. A humble man with the same attainments will hardly react to the unjust criticism of others, and will actually see the positive side of the criticism and correct his course of action accordingly. The same "shocks" that can set off an egotist and destroy him can leave a humble man almost unaffected.

An egotistical industrialist who fails in his business and loses his factory cares more about the opinion that others now have of him than the fate of the families, including his own, that will have no means to support themselves. It is his ego that has been hurt. Even if he has plenty to live on without the factory, he will feel miserable after the failure and is bound to develop a host of symptoms because of his "false" and selfish grief.

In a similar way, acquisitiveness could become the core of mental disturbance. Can you imagine how an avaricious man might react to the loss of his physical wealth and the deep symptomatology that could result?

Hardly anyone today is totally free from the feelings of egotism, selfishness and acquisitiveness.

It is also a fact that the person engrossed in his own ego can neither see objectively nor perceive the truth. He thinks he always knows everything and knows it better than anyone else. Humanity has suffered great disasters because of such atti- tudes. Looking back in history we frequently recognize this quality and label it insanity.

We speak about the insanity of Hitler, Idi Amin Dada, even of the captain in charge of the Titanic whose arrogance cost the lives of hundreds. In our own way, every one of us is dealing with similar issues on a smaller scale. This "disease" called egotism and selfishness seems to be universal. That is why we are so likely to admire and worship the saints; we believe that they actually managed to subdue their egotism and sacrifice their own lives for the sake of others. We worship them as "superior" human beings because their accomplishment seems beyond our comprehension. Although rare, this "saint-like" attitude is the healthiest to possess; in such a state true peace of mind and happiness is achieved.

It is peculiar, though, that this state of health can only be achieved through conscious efforts of the individual, while the state of health of the physical body is a birthright.

There is a natural legacy and an inherent urge for human beings to evolve into people of "Love and Wisdom." Only then A New Model For Health and Disease will there be hope for the human race. Not until we start seeing the issue in all of its dimensions will there be hope for a better state of health.

This imbalance we feel on the mental-spiritual plane is perhaps the most challenging and complicated issue we have to face. Nobody is exempt from this imbalance, though there are different degrees. The greater an individual's egotism and selfishness, the greater are his possibilities for a mental breakdown.

We can therefore define mental health as: Freedom from selfishness in the mental sphere, having as a result total unification with Truth.

So now we summarize the whole definition of Health: Health is freedom from pain in the physical body, a state of well being; freedom from passion on the emotional plane, resulting in a dynamic state of serenity and calm; and freedom from selfishness in the mental sphere, having as a result total unification with Truth. A truly healthy individual should therefore combine both divine qualities of Love and Wisdom.

It is obvious that such a state of health is an ideal and that nobody can possess it in its entirety; but the definition points to an ideal Model of health toward which therapeutic treatments should aspire. The more a patient under treatment approaches this state, the healthier he becomes; and the more he moves away from it, the less healthy he becomes.

It is obvious at this point that we need some parameters to measure health.

Some questions are required of us. For example: If we cure somebody of asthma and as a consequence he develops a heart condition, how do we know that this new state of health is better or worse than his previous condition? If we treat a patient with a cardiac condition and he improves, but after a certain period of time he develops a phobic state or an anxiety neurosis, can we say that the treatment benefited the patient?

We shall see that in order for a treatment to be successful it has to push the disorder's center of gravity more and more to the peripheral, the skin being the final avenue of expression, leaving the deepest parts of the human being - his mental and emotional levels - intact.

As I have said, the issue of determining an individual's exact degree of health is a complicated task requiring much research and involving a number of parameters before precise answers are possible. But as a general rule of thumb, we can say that a good parameter for measuring the health of an individual is the degree to which he is free to create. Anybody who is basically healthy will seek to create rather than destroy. By creativity, as I have stated previously, I mean all those actions that promote the interests and good of oneself and others. To the degree that one commits destructive acts toward either himself or others, the degree to which he is diseased is apparent.