Clinical Utility of Roberts’ 'Sensations as if....'

FULL NAME OF THE BOOK : 'sensations as if --------' A Repertory of Subjective Symptoms.

AUTHOR : Herbert Alfred Roberts, M.D.

Type of repertory : Puritan (Concordance) Repertory.

DATE OF PUBLICATION : January 10, 1937 .

PLACE OF PUBLICATION : Derby , Connecticut , USA .

SOURCE : Three major works viz. Dr. Constantine Hering's Guinding Symptom, Dr. John Henry Clarke's Dictionary of symptoms and Dr. Henry Charles Allen's Handbook of Symptoms. Dr. Roberts took frequent references from Dr. Timothy Field Allen's Encyclopædia & Dr. Anshutz's New, Old & Forgotten Remedies.

NEED OF THE REPERTORY : After working for over THREE YEARS vigorously and scanning countless pages, Dr. Roberts was doubtful as "------- many symptoms that properly belong here are missing. Errors must have crept into others, for careful checking of some obvious errors reveals mistakes in transcribing at some point in the assembling. For all these mistakes we must plead the frailty of human ability to turn out perfect work. Lack of time prevented checking back to its source every symptom after the transcription was completed, but wherever possible, outstanding inequalities have been carried back to the materia medica and proper corrections made. Some of the sources of the information themselves have suffered from typographical errors, as comparisons have demonstrated; perhaps the most notable of these sources of errors were the repertories already extant, and in particular Allen's General Symptom Register".

The BIGGEST Chapter is HEAD - containing 66 pages and the SMALLEST Chapter is SLEEP AND DREAMS - containing (ONLY) 01 page.

Medicines : The List of the Remedies has been given after chapter General. Dr. Roberts had not graded the drugs , probably because, Dr. Roberts tried to give a clue by this special repertory in those cases where we fail to find out the Similimum from the General Repertories.

The TOTAL NUMBER OF DRUGS are 736; but there are some misprints - e.g.

(a) Verb. ----- Verbascum [double print].

(b) Ictod. ----- Ictodes fetida / Pothos fetidus [double print].

MERITS AND ADAPTABILITY : This Repertory enlists different types of sensations

Sensations : -There are certain general distinguishable characters of sensations; called Attributes ofSensations. These are ----

QUALITY - There are generic differences among sensations.

INTENSITY - Sensations of same quality may differ in intensity. They vary from very weak to very intense.

DURATION OF PROTENSITY - Every sensation has a sensible duration. Duration is also called Protensive Magnitude. Sensations alike in quality and intensity may differ in duration.

EXTENSITY - Also called Extensiveness, Voluminousness, Diffusion, Spread-outness. All Psychologists admitted that sensations have extensity, especially of Visual and Tactual sensations.

LOCAL CHARACTER - Also known as Local Signature or Local Colouring. Dr. Lotze discovered it. This is due to the particular locality of sense-organs stimulated while extensity is due to the extent or area of the sensitive surface stimulated.

These FIVE characters of Sensations are unique and irreducible attributes of sensation and varies from individual to individual. There is a very fine line between what the Psychiatrist judge to be Mental Health and what they call Mental Illness. There is a continuous gradation of mental degeneration starting from selfishness & possessiveness to different types of sensational perception and ultimately leads to the INSANITY. There are THREE indispensable QUALITIES that should accompany the different functions of the mind; they are Clarity, Rationality, Coherence & Logical sequence, Creative service for good of the others, as well as, for the good of oneself. Among these, the THIRD one has got prime importance. Any alteration among these leads to origination of different sensual disturbance. It is this quality of creative service which appears to be the least understood in the modern Allopaths.

SENSATIONS are of three kinds ------

ORGANIC SENSATION - Some of them are not localized. They are vital feeling; e.g. Sensation of comfort or discomfort. They are produced by general condition of the organism as a whole. Some of them are vaguely localized; e.g. Headache, Hunger, Thirst, etc. The Organic Sensations have following characters ----

[a] They have NO special sense organ.

[b] They are produced by external stimuli.

[c] They are produced by changes in the internal organs.

[d] They are due to alteration of various physiological conditions of various viscera.

[e] They have a high degree of emotive value .

SPECIAL SENSATION - These are produced by stimulation of special sense-organ and by special kind of external stimuli. It has got following characters -------

[a] They are clearly distinguishable from one another.

[b] They re capable of localization.

[c] They are referred to definite points of space on the body or in the external world.

[d] They have great cognitive value.

MOTOR / KINESTHETIC SENSATION - These are produced by the changes in the organs of movement viz. Muscles, Tendons & Joints.

'SENSATIONS AS IF -------' is a subjective symptom and it has got immense importance in our Homeopathy. According to Dr. H. A. Roberts, "In fact, not only was psora considered the mother of all diseases, but it might well have been considered as the source of all subjective symptoms, especially those described by the patients 'sensation as if ----'. In classifying those constitutional diseases which have not run a course through so many centuries, that is, the venereal classifications, it has been noted that their action has been swifter; and while at times more destructive, the subjective symptoms have been present in the degree in which psora has been present in the system".

Psora mainly creates disturbance in the sensations and functions. Due to its hypersensitivity & hyper-reactivity nature, Psora is also called "the Sensitizing Miasm". Master Hahnemann says in his Organon of Medicine in § 80, ' ----- the psora, the only real fundamental cause and producer of all the others numerous, I may say innumerable, forms of disease, which, under the names of nervous debility, hysteria, hypochondriasis, mania, melancholia, imbecility, madness, epilepsy and convulsions of all sorts, ---- defects of the senses and pains of thousand kinds, &c., figure in systematic works on pathology as peculiar, independent diseases ".

According to Dr. J. N. Kanjilal, "The mind is hypersensitive and hyperactive to slightest stimuli, both endogenous and exogenous, but produces nothing. Full of ideas but no tendency to materialize any of them. A psoric subject may be called 'A STERILE PHILOSOPHER'. According to Dr. Harimohan Choudhury, "Psoric patients have weakness of memory; but full of imaginations, emotions and sensations --- without any object basis".

So, from the Homeopthic view-point - both in respect of mental sphere and miasmatic angle, 'sensations as if ----' has got a prime importance on prescribing.

The highest and most important level through which the human being functions is Mental and Spiritual level. Generally we can say, "The mental plane of an individual is that which registers changes in understanding and consciousness". It is the most crucial level. It is on the mental level that an individual thinks, criticizes, compares, calculates, communicates, etc. Disturbance of these functions in turn constitute SUBJECTIVE SENSATIONS.

DEMERITS : There are also some errors in the repertory .

Not Complete: As the book is limited to different types of sensations and lacks general rubrics one cannot resort to it for repertorisation. In some chapters for some General rubrics, Dr. Roberts had suggested to see the GENERAL REPERTORIES - e.g.

[01] Chapter EYE AND VISION - Color, Illusions of, and Color-Blindness.

[02] Chapter EYE AND VISION - Dim, Veil, VISION, OBSCURED, etc.

[03] Chapter EYE AND VISION ­ - Vision - sparks.

[04] Chapter EAR AND HEARING - Ringing.

[05] Chapter EAR AND HEARING - Roaring.

[06] Chapter EAR AND HEARING - Stopped.

[07] Chapter MOUTH, TONGUE, TASTE, TEETH, GUMS - Bitter taste.

[08] Chapter MOUTH, TONGUE, TASTE, TEETH, GUMS - Insipid.

[09] Chapter MOUTH, TONGUE, TASTE, TEETH, GUMS - Taste-sour.

[10] Chapter MOUTH, TONGUE, TASTE, TEETH, GUMS - Taste-sweet.

[11] Chapter GENERALS - Bruised.

[12] Chapter GENERALS - Burning.

[13] Chapter GENERALS - Constriction.

At the beginning of the Chapter SKIN Dr. Roberts instructed "FOR SKIN SYMPTOMS see also INDIVIDUAL PARTS".

UTILITY OF REPERTORY : For studying the utility of Robert's I undertook 30 cases: Acute cases were 11 [ 36.67%] and Chronic were 19 [ 63.33%] in my study. All the age groups and both the sexes were considered. Each case was observed for a period of 6 months - except the cases which were Acute and a definite period of suffering. During the period, it was observed that 83.3333 % cases were CURED and 16.6667% IMPROVED. It has been observed that the cases which had peculiar, uncommon sensations - which was the characteristic symptom of the patient, as well as, the medicine [after repertorization] - can be cured with the 'sensations as if ----'. Among the 30 cases - 18 (60%) cases were Cross-Repertorized with Kent 's Repertory, 07 (23.33%) cases with BTPB and 05 (16.67%) cases with BBCR. The general repertory chosen for the cross-repertorization, was based on the adaptability of the case - as -----

01. The cases with more GENERAL SYMPTOMS were first repertorized by Kent 's Repertory.

02. The cases COMPLETE SYMPTOMS - BTPB was the repertory of choice.

03. For the cases with PATHOLOGICAL GENERALS ---- BBCR was chosen.

The cases after Repertorization, were treated with Centesimal Potentized Medicine. The Potency and Repetition of the selected medicine was on - Seat of the disease, Nature of the disease - Transient/Acute or Persistent/Chronic and Condition of the patient. Repetition was done ----

• When the disappeared symptoms re-appeared.
• When the action of the medicine (duration of action) got exhausted.

Repetition of the same or higher potency depended upon the Intensity of the symptoms, re-appeared; Re-appearance of the symptom with more intensity --- successive higher potency was employed. As Dr. Hahnemann has directed us in §281 of His Organon of Medicine, ". . . .. But if in the later days traces of the former morbid symptoms should show themselves, they are remnants of the original disease not wholly extinguished, which must be treated with renewed higher potencies of the remedy . . . ."

Comparision of Repertories by Dr(s) Kent , Benninghausen, Boger & Roberts : -

CONCLUSION : -

As we all know, "No Repertory is Complete one" ----- so, Dr. H. A. Roberts" 'sensations As If -----" is also not an exception. It also has got some disadvantages. But due to few disadvantages - we could not ignore its several advantages. "Homoepathy is the latest and refined method of treating patients economically and non-violently . . . .. . . .". The above quotation is the view of M. K. GANDHI, THE FATHER OF THE NATION, regarding Homeopathy.

To treat the patients in the refined way, non-violently and to be a ". . . .. true practitioner of the healing art" - it is my plea to my respected Seniors, Colleagues and Junior Homeopaths, just go through the Roberts" 'sensations as if ----' and use it in clinical practice. Until and unless YOU use it - you cannot find out its utility. After using, YOU can justify its clinical importance and utility by own.

Sources: -

• Allen, H. C. - Keynote and Characteristics with Comparisons with some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica with Nosodes .
• Bæher, B. - The Science of Therapeutics - According to the Principles of Homeopathy [vol. I & II].
• Boger, C. M. - Benninghausen's Characteristic Materia Medica and Repertory with Word Index .
• Hahneman, Samuel - Organon of Medicine [5 th & 6 th edition.].
• Kent, J. T. - Repertory of Homeopathic Materia Medica and A Word Index.
• Kishore, J. - Evolution of Homeopathic Repertories and Repertorization .
• Kehler, G. - The Handbook of Homeopathy --- Its Principles and Practice.
• Patel, R. P. - The Art of Case Taking and Practical Repertorization in Homeopathy.
• Rawat, P. S. - Select Your Dose and Potency.
• Roberts, H. A. - 'sensations as if ----'A Repertory of Subjective Symptoms .
• Roberts, H. A. - The Principles and Art of Cure by Homeopathy.
• Sinha, J. - A Manual Of Psychology .
• Tarafdar, D. - Repertory Explained.
• Tiwari, S. - Essentials of Repertorization .
• Vannier Léon - Homeopathy Human Midicine.
• Vithoulkas G. - The Essence of Materia Medica .
• Vithoulkas G. - The Science of Homeopathy .