Synonyms: - Barrenness. Infecundity.

Definition: - The term implies incapability for conception. Sterility or failure to reproduce must be distinguished from frigidity, which denotes the failure to perform sexual act or performing imperfectly.

Mechanism of Conception: - Male sperms are injected into the vagina during sexual intercourse. At the same very time alkaline fluid is secreted from the vaginal walls. The sperms are capable to move up the womb and fallopian tubes to fertilize the ova or female egg when this fluid is present.

Two factors are important in ensuring a normal secretion of this fluid: -
(1) Adequacy of nerve supply to the vaginal duct.  Inadequacy of the nerve supply to the vaginal duct disables some women for conception.

(2) The fluid flowing from the vaginal walls must be alkaline. Otherwise sperms will be destroyed in the acidic fluid present in the vaginal canal and womb.

ETIOLOGY: - Sterility may be either congenital or acquired. That is, it may be due to congenital anatomical malformation of reproductive organs or genitals in the female, or it may arise from an accident or from subsequent disease.  However, the causes of sterility are not usually classified according to whether they are congenital or acquired, but rather as to the method by which they produce sterility.

Dr. Thomas tabulates the special causes of sterility as follows: -

Causes of preventing the semen into the uterus:

       Absence of the uterus or vagina; Obturator hymen; Vaginismus; occlusion of cervical canal; conical shape of cervix; cervical enderometritis; polypi or fibroids; displacements and very small internum.

Causes preventing the production of health ovule: -

       Chronic ovarities; cystic disease of both the ovaries; Cellulitis or peritonitis and absence of ovaries.

Causes preventing of ovule into the uterus: -

       Stricture or obliteration of fallopian tubes; Absence of fallopian tubes; detachments and displacements of fallopian tubes.

Causes of destroying vitality of semen or preventing fixation of impregnated ovum: -

        Corporeal or cervical endometritis; memberanous dysmenorrhoe; menorrhagia or metrorrhagia; abnormal growths and chronic metritis.

Sterility  may also be due to physical weakness, anemia, chlorosis, emaciation, corpulence, leucorrhoea, etc.

Psychological causes: - Emotional stress; Anxiety and anxiety reaction; Fear; Tension and mental depression.

         Incompatibility of temperament. Frigidity and Erotism.

Incompatibility: For reasons unknown to us there seems to be an incompatibility between some men and women. That is the only way to explain the well-known fact, that a marriage may remain sterile when the same woman or man has children in other marriages before or after-wards. A classical example is the cases of Napoleon and Empress Josephine.

Corpulence is another condition leading to relative sterility. The diminished function of endocrine glands resulting in obesity and in sterility.

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT: - Homeopathy according Dr. Samuel Hahnemann cures only the curable diseases that the flesh is heir to. The congenital malformations of anatomy or acquired due to accidents are out of the purview of homeopathic treatment.

The secondary causes of sterility acquired due to disease or psychological factors fall within the purview of homeopathic treatment of sterility.

Homeopathic treatment in sterility is no different from other cases of diseases. Homeopathy treats the man/woman in disease and not vice versa. Hahnemann advises us to base the selection of the remedy upon the totality of the symptoms presented by the patient, as they are the outwardly reflected image of the internal and invisible disease. He further advises us that the choice of the remedy should depend almost entirely upon the symptoms, to the practical exclusion of pathology.

(The homeopathic physician must use the modern techniques of radiological and hematological diagnosis in order to ascertain the actual pathology of the disease so that he may know to what extent is the patient sick).

 Dr. James Tyler Kent stepping in the footsteps of the Master says that it is urged by many that diagnosis and pathology must be carefully studied in order to know how to prescribe for the disease. Dr Kent says that he also joins the appeal but he would put in a different way. He would urge that all become acquainted with diagnosis and pathology in order not to prescribe for the disease.

Prognosis: - The prognosis under homeopathic treatment in sterility due to functional disorders and psychological causes is very good if prescribed for the patient, and in patients with moderate pathological states is also good but in grave conditions of pathology the prognosis is to be guarded. Dr Kent says that as long as the vital force in the patient is good and the patient presents guiding symptoms for the indicated remedy prognosis is good. However if the pathology is too advanced and has masked the guiding symptoms the prognosis may not be favourable.

REMEDIES: -

STERILITY: The principal remedies are: - Aletris farinose; AURUM MET; Baryta Mur; BORAX; Calacarea Carb; Ferrum Met; Ferrum Phos; Graphites;Iod; Kalium Bromatum; medorrhinum; NATRUM CARB; NATRUM MUR; Origanum Maj; Ovinium (Oophorinum); Platinum; Pituitaria glandula anterior; Pulsatilla;Sabina; SEPIA;SULPHUR; Syphilinum; Zincum Met.

Infantilism; genital: Baryta Carb; Calcarea Phos; Ovininum.

Atrophy ovaries: - Baryta Mur; Carboneum Sulph; Conium Mac; IODIUM; Orchitinum; Ovininum.

Atrophy of mammae and ovaries: - Iodium.

Discharge of mucus after an embrace, with: - Natrum Carb.

Leucorrhoea with: Borax;  Kreosotum; Natrum Carb; Natrum Phos; natrum muriaticum; natrium Phosphricum; Sulphur.

 Acid from: - Natrum Phos.

Menses: - from profuse: BORAX; Calcare Carb; Mercurius; Natrum Mur; Phosphorus; Sulphur

     Early, and too: - Calcarea Carb; Natrum Mur; Phosphorus;  Sulphur.

     Late, or too: - Phosphorus.

     During:

               Aggravation:

              Convulsions, during, with: Kalium Carb

      Suppressed: agnus castus; Ammonium Carb; Conium Mac.

      Scanty: Ammonium Carb.

      Non-retention of semen: natrum carb.

     Ovarian Atony from: eupatorium purp.

     Retention of placent: secale cor.

     Sexual desire:

              Without: agnus castus.

          Excessive from: Calc Carb; Conium Mac;Kali- Brom; lachesis; Phosphorus; Platinum, stramonium.

              Uterine torpor from: Gossypium Herbaceum.

              Weakness from: mercurious; silicea.

PSYCHOLOGICAL: Self reproaching with sterility:ignatia amara; pulsatilla.

NOTE: - The above list is not exhaustive and moreover the above symptoms only denote the pathology or ultimates or the results of the disease. The above remedies are useful only if they correspond with general symptoms of the patient. The above remedies must agree with the constitutional symptoms of the patient, otherwise failure will be the result.

REFERENCES: -

http://www.google.co.in/search.female sterility

A Text Book of Gynecology by Dr. A.C. Cowperthwaite, MD, PH D, LL D.

Organon of Medicineby Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, MD

Chronic Disease by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, MD

Homeopathic Philosophy  by Dr. James Tyler Kent, AM, MD

Homeopathy in Women Diseases by Dr. Wilhelm Karo, MD

Synthesis 9.1 Repertory  by Dr. F. Schroyens

Complete Repertory by Dr. Roger van Zandwoort

The Phoenix Repertory by Dr. JPS Bakshi