Belladonna in labour

This 20 year primi (first time pregnant woman) came to the hospital in labour.
She has not been very regular about the anti natal treatment.
She came to the hospital at about 9.30 p.m. and was complaining of pain and a reddish discharge per vagina. On vaginal examination which she allowed with great difficulty as it was painful it was found that the os of the cervix was 2 finger dilated and the head had fixed. She was advised admission for further management as she was obviously in labour.
By 10 p.m. I could hear shouting and shrieking from the ward and I rushed to find it was this patient, the pains intensified and she was shifted to the labour room for a re-examination. She did not allow the vaginal examination. However it was noted that she was having intense labour pains and was not willing to lie on the labour table, she started shouting and shrieking with pain, and calling her attendant ladies (about 8-10 of them) in a loud voice saying please do something, I can't bear this. Moments later she was rolling on the floor as the pain became more intense. She was behaving like a mad women, shouting screaming and rolling on the floor, then getting up and running to the door wanting to go out, so much so that the attendants had to hold her, and we had to close the main gate of the hospital. It was a real scene with this woman now rolling on the floor in the waiting area of the hospital surrounded by 4-5 women each trying to pacify her and the remaining party outside the main gate assuring her don’t worry this doctor will help you. Then she started vomiting.


Analysis
This whole case the patient presented at the energy level and I was just observing the whole phenomenon.

What this case highlights for me is aphorism 210 & 211 of organon:
Those who were patient when well often become obstinate, violent, hasty, or even intolerant and capricious, or impatient or desponding when ill; those formerly chaste and modest often become lascivious and shameless. A clear-headed person not infrequently becomes obtuse of intellect, while one ordinarily weak-minded becomes more prudent and thoughtful; and a man slow to make up his mind sometimes acquires great presence of mind and quickness of resolve, etc. and in all cases of disease we are called on to cure the state of the patient's disposition is to be particularly noted, along with the totality of the symptoms, if we would trace and accurate picture of the disease, in order to be able therefrom to treat it homeopathically with success.
This holds good to such an extent, that the state of the disposition of the patient often chiefly determines the selection of the homeopathic remedy, as being a decidedly characteristic symptom which can least of all remain concealed from the accurately observing physician.
The whole picture pointed out to a state that was violent, sudden and spasmodic.
The pains were so intense that the patient was rolling on the floor and wanting to escape this led to the prescription of Belladona: Solanaceae , acute miasm.


Follow-up:
After one dose of Belladonna 10m (I should have given her a dose in 50m but I did not have it at that time) within 5 minutes the patient was very quiet and relaxed. 10 minutes after she was much relaxed, walked back to the ward, allowed vaginal examination which revealed that the dilatation had increased to 5 centimeters.

She was given another dose of Belladonna 10M for the dilatation to progress.

At 10:55 p.m. she delivered a healthy baby boy.


Abhay Tawalkar
mihika1@vsnl.com