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If the physician clearly perceives what is to be cured in diseases, that is to say, in every individual case of disease (knowledge of disease, indication), if he clearly perceives what is curative in medicines, that is to say, in each individual medicine (knowledge of medicinal powers), and if he knows how to adapt, according to clearly defined principles, what is curative in medicines to what he has discovered to be undoubtedly morbid in the patient, so that the recovery must ensue-to adapt it, as well in respect to the suitability of the medicine most appropriate according to its mode of action to the case before him (choice of the remedy, the medicine indicated), as also in respect to the exact mode of preparation and quantity of it required (proper dose), and the proper period for repeating the dose;-if, finally, he knows the obstacles to recovery in each case and is aware how to remove them, so that the restoration may be permanent: then he understands how to treat judiciously and rationally, and he is a true practitioner of the healing art.
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There are two ways to get the knowledge of disease.
DISEASE IN GENERAL
Where one needs to understand about how disease occurs under different circumstances. He needs to understand classification of disease. This can only be achieved if a person has a thorough study of analogy (study of organs, or human body), physiology (study of normal functioning of body), pathology (study of abnormal functions and structures) forensic medicine toxicology (understanding effects of poison) preventive and social medicine (understanding epidemiology communicable diseases) subject of internal medicine, gynaecology obstetrics of surgery.s will give us the full strata of the disease including diagnosis and prognosis, enabling us to understand what is curable in each case of disease.
CASE TAKING
In each individual, case of disease (patient) one needs to develop the skill of case taking in its proper detail. This helps us to individualize the patient and focus on specific needs of that personality
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One needs to understand
THE CONCEPT OF MEDICINE
In this, one should focus on understanding what principles / law by which the medicine is capable of relieving or curing the patient. In other words physician should be sure of the properties of the individual medicine. This can be achieved by (a) drug proving.
Drug proving is a process of eliciting the pathogenetic power
(disease producing) of a substance thereby determining its therapeutic (disease curing) utility and (b) materia medica
KNOWLEDGE OF APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICINE TO KNOWLEDGE OF DISEASE
After taking the case in detail the physician is expected to find a remedy for the sick individual, from his repertory of medicines.
He should also understand the proper quantity and repetition of medicine. Judging the susceptibility of a person can do this.
The obstacles to recovery / cure are usually due to maintaining cause
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A habitual smoker suffering from chronic bronchitis will continue to suffer as long his smoking continues. So smoking becomes a maintaining cause for his disease. When smoking is stopped the maintaining cause is removed and this removes the obstruction towards cure.
Other possible obstacles could be improper intake of medicine, antidoting the medicine by other drugs / substances not maintaining proper diet regimen.
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