MUMPS AND HOMOEOPATHY: A SHORT CASE SERIES

Gyandas G Wadhwani MD (Hom)

Chief Medical Officer (H), Directorate of Ayush (Homoeopathic Wing), Govt of National
Capital Territory of Delhi, India. Email: drgyanwadhwani@yahoo.co.in

Summary
Delhi Government Homoeopathic Dispensary Aali Village, a primary health
centre, witnessed a sporadic surge in cases of mumpsduring the months of May
and June 2015. Their cases were recorded carefully and are shared as a short
case series.
Keywords
Mumps, homoeopathy
Introduction
During the months of May and June 2015 Delhi Government Homoeopathic
Dispensary Aali Village, a primary health centre, was visited by 10 patients who
were suffering with Mumps. This was unprecedented as in the previous few
months the dispensary hadnt recorded any case of mumps. This sporadic surge
in cases was recorded carefully and their data recorded as a short case series.
Mumps
Mumps, which got its name from an Old English word meaning grimace, is an
acute, self-limited, systemic viral illness characterized by the swelling of one or
more of the salivary glands, typically the parotid glands. Mumps occurs
worldwide with humans as the only known natural hosts. The illness is caused by
the RNA virus, Rubulavirus. Rubulavirus is within the genus Paramyxovirus and
is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae.(1)
Mumps is first described in the writings of the ancient Greek physician
Hippocrates, dating to 5th century B.C.E. He described the symptoms of the
disease, namely the swelling of the face and the throat, as well as the swelling of
the testicles that affects some men who develop the illness. The epidemics/
outbreaks occurred worldwide, often in close quarters, such as unorganised
living sectors, prisons, military barracks, ships at sea and boarding schools,. In
World War I, mumps was the leading cause of French troops missing active duty.
It wasn't until 1934 when Drs. Johnson and Goodpasture proved that the mumps
was caused by a virus, which the doctors isolated from saliva samples.(2)
The transmission mode is person to person via respiratory droplets and saliva,
direct contact, or fomites. The presence of maternal antibodies typically protects
infants younger than 1 year from the disease. Infections can be a symptomatic
in 20-30% of persons. Of those with symptomatic infection, adults tend to be
more severely affected when compared to children. Lifelong immunity usually
follows clinical or subclinical mumps infection, although second infections have
been documented.
Mumps usually has an incubation period of 16-18 days, after which, prodromal
symptoms (such as low-grade fever, malaise, myalgias, headache, and anorexia)
occur lasting for 3-5 days.After this most common presentation is parotitis,

caused by the direct viral infection of the ductal epithelium and presents with
localized gland inflammation. Other reported sites of infection are the central
nervous system (CNS), eyes, pancreas, kidneys, testes, ovaries, and joints.
Parotid swelling can last for 10 days. Serologically, this inflammatory process can
be confirmed with an elevated salivary amylase (s-amylase) level.
Study setting
Aali Village is a rural area in the National Capital Territory of Delhi with a
population of over 100,000 people, mostly migrants from various states of India,
consisting of skilled labor and working class of low socio-economic group with
poor literacy rate and their families. For them, each day of illness costs dearly on
their meager sources of income as well as job opportunity/ availability. The
DGHDAV has been providing primary health care services in the area since 1999
and its popularity can be deduced from the fact that it is visited by nearly than
24000 patients annually.
The PHC functions with a basic staff of a single doctor, pharmacist and nursing
orderly.
Due to poor financial status and absence of any government supported
pathological laboratories nearby, serological/ radiological correlation cannot be
conducted regularly.
Homoeopathic remedy selection and posology
Dorothy Shepherd and Eileen Nauman have compiled some clinical tips for the
students and practitioners in cases of epidemics or such conditions. (3,4)
Since the patient turnout is high, the diagnosis and remedy selection is on the
basis of objective signs (pathognomonic of disease or remedy) or accurate
recording of the precisely described complaints. Since their tone and
mannerisms are usually matter-of-fact and non-indulgent, nailing the diagnosis
and selecting the remedy becomes comparatively simpler.
The Delhi Government homoeopathic dispensaries are adequately supplied with
centesimal potencies, which were prescribed to all the patients diagnosed with
Mumps.

The short case series

S.no

Name,
Regn no,
Age/ Sex

Address

Presenting
complaints

Associated
complaints

Generals

Mind &
disposition

Prescription

Follow up
1

Follow up
2

Follow
up 3

Result

Sanju
Devi,
143,
35/F

Gali no
6,
Aaliviha
r

High fever
102-103F
since 3
days;
Painful &
swollen
parotids
Left to
Right;

Nausea
after milk

Thirst
increased
; freqeunt
small
quantity

Anxious

13-6-15 Rx
Phosphorus
30 tds for 3
days

16-6-15
No fever
from 2nd
day of
medicine;
Pain also
better;
swelling
persists
Rx
Phosphor
us 200
tds for 2
days

18-6-15
No pain
or
swelling;
no other
complaint
s Rx Sac
lac 30 tds
for 2 days

20-6-15
No
complai
nts Rx
Sacl lac
30 bd
for 2
days

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

Roopa,
247, 12/
Fc

Gali no
6,
Aaliviha
r

Painful
swelling of
parotids
since 2
days Left
to Right;
Weakness;
low grade
fever
around
99F

13-6-15 Rx
Phytolacca
30 tds for 3
days

16-6-15
No pain;
swelling
decrease
d by 75
%; No
weakness
Rx Sac
lac 30 tds
for 2 days

18-6-15
No pain
or
swelling
Rx Sac
lac 30 tds
for 2 days

Appetite
decrease
d;

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

Krishna,
577,
8/Mc

Gali no
6,
Aaliviha
r

Painful
swelling of
left parotid
since 2
days with
high fever
around
102F

Nanak
Chand,
2419,
52/M

Saperag
ali,
aalivihar

Painful
swelling of
parotids
since 3
days Left
to Right;
Weakness;
Fever
around
100-101F

Chilliness

No
appetite;
Thirst
increased
;
Perspirati
on
profuse
without
reduction
of fever

Dullness

26-5-15 Rx
Merc bin iod
30 tds for 2
days

30-5-15
No fever
since
yesterday
morning;
pain
absent
since
morning;
swelling
decrease
d by 50%
Rx Sac
lac 30 tds
for 3 days

2-6-15
No
swelling
Rx Sac
lac 30 tds
for 2 days

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

No
appetite
or thirst;
difficult
articulatio
n

Painful
anxious
expression

23-5-15
RsParotidinu
m 200, 3
doses 12
hourly
followed by
Sacl lac 30
tds for 2
days

26-5-15
Fever
came
down on
2nd day
with
profuse
perspirati
ondrenching
bedsheet
s and
profuse
salivation
; can talk
and che
easily
now; pain
and
swelling
decrease
d
markedly
Rx Sac
lac 200

30-5-15
No pain
or
swelling;
salivation
has
decrease
d, since
yesterday
;
generally
active; Rs
Sac lac
200 tds
for 2 days

Quick
response
to nosode
with
verificatio
n of
symptom
mentione
d in
materiam
edica of
nosodes
i.e.
(increase
d)
salivation

tds for 2
days
5

Arti Devi,
2461,
28/F

Gali no
7,
Aaliviha
r

Painful
swelling of
b/l parotids
since
yesterday;
fever 101102F
since day
before
yesterday

Chilliness;
Pregnancy,
LMP 5-1014

No
appetite;
Thirst
present,
however,
swallowin
g is
painful

Anxious
and fearful
about
impact on
pregnancy
as has
suffered
miscarriage
twice
before

26-5-15 Rx
Aconite 200
3 hourly for
2 days

30-5-15
No fever
today; No
pain and
swelling
is better
by 50%;
swallowin
g and
articulatio
n is
normal
Rx Sac
lac 200
qid for 2
days

2-6-15
No
complaint
s Rx Sac
lac 200
tds for 2
days

Quick
response
to
remedy;
She
delivered
a healthy
child on
11-7-15
at
home.The
child and
mother
still visit
the
dispensar
y when
unwell

Mehak,
2732,
6/Fc

Gali no
3,
Aaliviha
r

Fever 100102F
since 2
days;
headache
since 3
days;
painful
swelling of
parotids
since last
evening
Left> Right

Loose
stools since
yesterday

No
appetite
or thirst

Weeping
with pain
and during
fever;
wanst
mother to
apply cool
water on
forehead,
face and
neck

13-6-15 Rx
Pulsatilla
200 tid for 3
days

16-6-15
No fever
and
diarrhoea
after a
day of
medicine;
swelling
and pain
also
absent Rx
Sac lac
200 tds
for 2 days

18-6-15
No
complaint
s Rx Sacl
lac 200
bd for 2
days

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

Shyam,
1436,
21/M

MadanP
urKhada
r

Fever (not
measured)
since 3
days; woke
up with
painful
swelling of
left parotid
previous
morning
and today
morning
saw right
parotid had
also
swollen

COPD

Not able
to chew
with pain;
Increased
thirst,
wants
cold
water;
sleep is
disturbed
as pain
wakes
him up as
soon as
he falls
asleep

19-5-15
RsLachesis
200, 3
doses, one
daily

21-5-15
Slept
better
last two
nights;
pain and
fever
nearly
gone;
swelling
right has
gone and
left has
reduced
by 50%
Rx Sac
lac 200, 3
doses,
one daily

23-5-15
All ok.
Wants to
know if
he can
restart
smoking
today!!
Rx Sac
lac 200 2
doses,
one daily

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

Roshan,
617,
8/Mc

Aaligaon

101-103F
fever with
chilliness
since 4
days; left
earache
since 3
days; b/l
parotids
painfully
swollen
since
yesterday

Vitiligo

Only able
to drink
milk (3-4
times)
since last
4 days;
refuses
even
chocolate
s, which
he loved
previousl
y

Weepiness

18-6-15
RsRhustox
200, 3
doses, 12
hourly along
with Sac lac
200 tds for 2
days

20-6-15
No fever
or
chilliness
since
yesterday
morning;
sweating
profusely
most of
the time;
thirst
increased
; no
earache
since
morning
today;
the
parotids
are
swollen
but non
tender Rs
Sac lac
1000 tds
for 3 days

25-6-15
Swelling
b/l
parotids
80%
gone;
some
itching in
b/l axilla
Rx Sac
lac 1000
tds for 2
days

27-6-15
All ok
now Rx
Sac lac
10M,
one
dose

Swelling
and
tendernes
s of
parotids
decreased
slowly;
fever,
chilliness
and
earache
disappear
ed in 24
hours of
homoeop
athic
medicine

10

Maya,
1017,
10/Fc

Aali
mod

Painful
swelling of
right
parotid
yesterday
and left
today;
fever 101102F
since day
before
yesterday

MohdSho
aib, 559,
20/M

Gali no
7,
Aaliviha
r

Fever 101102F
since 3
days with
hot head,
cheeks and
parotids,
palms and
soles;
headache
since 4
days;
painful
swelling of
parotids
since last
evening
Left> Right

Weakness

No
appetite;
Thirst
increased
; tongue
flabby
with
imprints

7-5-15 Rx
Merc proto
iod 30 tds
for 2 days

9-5-15
No fever
today; No
pain and
swelling
of right is
better by
50% and
left by 70
%;
swallowin
g and
articulatio
n is
normal
Rx Sac
lac 200
tds for 2
days

12-5-15
20%
swelling
of right
parotid;
no other
complaint
Rx Sac
lac 200
tds for 2
days

No
appetite
or thirst;
not
passed
stool
since 4
days;
refuses
sponging
in fever
as feels
cold;
however
wants
cooler on

16-5-15 Rx
Sulphur 200
tds for 3
days

19-5-15
No fever
and
headache
after a
day of
medicine;
swelling
and pain
also 90%
better Rx
Sac lac
200 tds
for 2 days

21-6-15
No
complaint
s Rx Sacl
lac 200
bd for 2
days

14-5-15
All ok.

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

Quick
response
to
homoeop
athic
remedy

Discussion and conclusion

The synthesis treasury edition 2009V enlists nearly 91 and 47 different remedies
under the respective rubrics for parotitis and mumps. It is indeed a blessing to
state that other than our countrynowhere else in the world do we have this
opportunity to verify the effects of homoeopathic medicines in such acute
inflammatory conditions and share experiences, as our government provides us
opportunity for providing licensed primary health care services with
homoeopathy.
The previous generation of homoeopathic physicians faithfully recorded data of
all the patients seen. This has been passed on to us as a legacy. The need of the
hour is to do the same diligently and share the results with our less privileged
counterparts/ colleagues across the globe. Who knows our documentation and
experiences may propel induction of homoeopathic primary health care services
worldwide.
References
1. http://reference.medscape.com/article/966678-overviewas accessed on
2-10-15
2. http://www.ehow.com/about_5470973_history-mumps.htmlas
accessed
on 2-10-15
3. Shepherd D. Homoeopathy in epidemic diseases. The C.W. Daniel
Company Ltd., England; 2010; pp 58-64
4. Nauman E. Homeopathy for epidemics: Homeopathy in times of crises.
Light Technology Publishing, USA; 2004; pp 127-131