Dog’s milk converted into homoeopathic form becomes a
purely clean remedy. One must not hesitate to use it Initially, Dr. Reisig and Dr. Bayards, on proving, found
the extreme usefulness of this medicine. After their death, Dr. Dyer pursued
their course. After him, Dr. Kent took over the use of this medicine, which he
used successfully on a vast array of diseases. Its most prominent feature is mental anguish and mental confusion.
The nerves become extremely excitable. It is in the nature of dogs that they
jump around imaginary objects and start barking. Probably, that is the background
of storywriters’ claims that the dogs can see ghosts and spirits. The
above-mentioned doctors did not have any background of this sort of knowledge.
However, when the homoeopathic potency was prepared from this milk, it was
found on proving that a person given Lac Caninum starts seeing imaginary things
(hallucinations) and feels as if those things will jump over him and endanger
him. This is in the nature of the dog and through the supply of her milk, the
human mind and the nervous system can be made to express certain illnesses. If such ailments already exist, the
homoeopathic form of the canine milk has the capability to cure them.
This medicine has significant mental symptoms. It also
affects the glands. It takes care of the enlarged
glands. When the glands become inflamed, the overlying skin becomes
shiny but unattractive and tense. Lac Caninum cures such wounds.In Lac Caninum, the skin
is extremely sensitive, more prominent in women as a result of which they keep their fingers spread
apart. If by chance, one finger happens to touch the other, they scream.
Even the lightest touch of a cloth is unbearable. This kind of
hypersensitivity is also found in Lachesis. Sometimes, these two medicines can
be used in the place of the other. Another factor common to both
Lachesis and Lac Caninum is that their feelings become very sharp and
they are scared of even imaginary things. In spite of these
commonalities, there are definite differences between the two. A patient
of Lac Caninum cannot be left alone, while the patient of Lachesis likes solitude.
The ailments of Lachesis get aggravated after sleep and move from the left to
the right.
Mental
and psychological symptoms: A prominent feature of Lac Caninum is
that while walking the patient feels as if he is floating in the air. He
believes that whatever he is saying is a total lie and considers himself to be
a liar. One specific symptom of a Lac Caninum patient is that he believes that
the nose he has on his face belongs to somebody else, or that his body is not
his own, or as if somebody else is talking instead of himself. Lac Caninum is also useful in the treatment of joint pains.
The fleeting muscle pains migrate from one place to another like a quick jump-over.
The pains are less in cold weather. A beneficial response to cold is also seen
in Ledum and Pulsatilla. Pulsatilla is of a hot nature while Ledum is not.
However, joint pains belonging to both respond very well to cold application to
the extent that the patient would like to put ice in the water to make it
colder and then dip his feet. Joint pains associated with Ledum begin in the
lower part of the body and then migrate upwards.
In Lac Caninum, there is extreme sensitivity to light and
noise. While reading, vision becomes slightly blurred. Sounds appear to be
coming from a far off distance. Nearby sounds also feel as if they are moving away.
This condition is specific to Lac Caninum.
Lac Caninum is one of the best remedies for Diphtheria, especially when associated with
the pain migrating from one tonsil to the other and then to the first one again
and so on. Diphtheria used to be a very common disease and its treatment was
also very difficult. But now, preventive vaccination has enabled us to overcome
this disease. In third world countries, however the sickness still persists. It
is a very dangerous disease, associated with greyish deposits in the throat, which
become thicker layer over layer with deposits of more material, so much so that
it can block the air passage. There is great difficulty in breathing, while
eating and drinking becomes almost impossible.
Diphtherinum has been prepared from the toxic matter of Diphtheria.
It should first be given in potency 200 and then gradually
increased. For further details, please
refer to the chapter on Diphtherinum. If Diphtheria is associated with the
jumping of the discomfort from one side to the other and then back to the first
side again, Lac Caninum would be the most optimal treatment. Sometimes, even if
Diphtheria has been cured, the patient is left with permanent paralysis of the muscles for swallowing.
Lac Caninum is very useful in the treatment of this condition. In case somebody
develops a heart problem after a cold or Diphtheria, Spigelia should be used
first. It controls the sickness there and then. Some patients become unable to
swallow due to the paralysis at the throat of the muscles for swallowing. In children,
a similar condition can develop due to the weakness of the muscles rather than
paralysis of the muscles. In this condition, Lac Caninum is very useful. Its
beneficial effect however, is only on the paralysed muscles, and not on muscles
weakened due to some other condition.
Lac Caninum is also related to many diseases of women.
There is pain over the uterus and both ovaries. Once the menstrual blood flows freely,
most of the gynaecological troubles of the patient get better. In this respect,
it is different from Cimicifuga in which as the menstrual bleeding flows
freely, the ailments become aggravated. Lac Caninum is useful in the treatment
of those ailments that persist throughout the month but disappear at the onset
of menstrual bleeding. The throat trouble starts with the onset of the period
and disappears at the end of it. This is a typical
sign of Lac Caninum that must be kept in mind. In all the systems of medical treatments
other than homoeopathy, such symptoms are not given much weight, but are
considered imaginary and useless. However, in the field of homoeopathy, these
odd symptoms do point to one homoeopathic remedy or another. Therefore, it is necessary to remember them.
For example, irritation of the throat, starting before the onset of the periods
is a sign of Magnesia Carb. This throat condition will not automatically get
better on the cessation of the periods. Instead, it will have to be treated separately.
The close relationship of the trouble of the throat and the periods is a
special feature of Lac Caninum. In Calcarea Carb, like Cimicifuga, the ailments
become worse at the onset of the free flow of the period. However, in Calcarea
Carb, the ailment is related to the throat itself. It does not originate from
the affliction of internal organs.
In the case of Lac Caninum, the menstrual blood contains
big clots as if containing the shreds of the lining of the uterus, like
Kreosotum. Menstruation starts rather early and is plentiful. There
is soreness over the mammary glands before menstruation or during lactation. They get inflamed. To stop lactation for any reason,
Pulsatilla and Lac Caninum combined, are very useful because in this respect,
they are similar to each other.