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SUSCEPTIBILITY, 

REACTION 

AND 

IMMUNITY


Dr. Riswana A
PG Scholar
Department of Organon of Medicine
 SUSCEPTIBILITY
○ The general quality or capability of the living
organism of receiving impressions
○ The power to react to stimuli.
○ Susceptibility is one of the fundamental attributes
of life.
○ Upon it depends all functioning, all vital
processes, physiological and pathological.
○ Digestion, assimilation, nutrition, repair,
secretion, excretion, metabolism and catabolism,
as well as all disease processes arising from
infection or contagion depend upon We power of
the organism to react to specific stimuli.
○ The cure and alleviation of diseases depend upon
the same power of the organism to react to the
impression of the curative remedy.
 Homoeo
Healthy
pathic
person
proving
 disappe
arance
of the
sympto
Sick ms and
person restorat
ion of
the
 lowered
susceptibility

inactive or acting
improperly

administration of
the curative
remedy

reaction of the
organism

SUSCEPTIBILI
TY

homœopathic
aggravation
 LAW OF
MUTUAL
ACTION

LAW OF
SIMILIA
 Action and reaction in the
medical and physiological
sense takes place only in the
living organism, and that it
depends upon that
fundamental quality and
attribute of life which we call
susceptibility.
THE DEGREE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY
○ the kind and degree of reaction to medicines
depends upon the degree of susceptibility of the
patient.
○ the kind and degree of susceptibility, in any
particular case or patient, depends largely upon
how the case is handled by the physician; for it is
in his power to modify susceptibility.
○ this power to modify susceptibility is the basis of
the art of the physician
○ cure consists simply in satisfying the morbid
susceptibility of the organism and putting an end
to the influx of disease-producing causes.
HOW TO MODIFY SUSCEPTIBILITY ?
○ To accomplish this he must know that
susceptibility implies and includes affinity,
attraction, desire, hunger, need
○ These all exist and express themselves normally
as states and conditions in every living being
○ That they may become morbid and perverted and
so cause disease, suffering and death.
○ He knows also that susceptibility implies the
existence of the wherewithal to satisfy
susceptibility; to supply need, hunger, desire,
affinity, attraction
○ He knows how and where to find the necessary
modifying agents.
○ The living organism is much more susceptible to
homogeneous or similar stimuli than to
heterogeneous or dissimilar stimuli.
○ Organism and organs select elements most
similar to their own elements. 
○ It is in satisfying the morbid susceptibility which
constitutes disease.
○ As hunger demands food, so disease demands
medicine.
○ But the demand is always consistent with the
universal law.
○ It is for the symptomatically similar medicine,
because that is the only thing that really satisfies
the susceptibility.
SYMTOMATICAL
LY SIMILAR
MEDICINE

STATISFIES
SUSCEPTIBILIT
Y
○ The degree of susceptibility to each depending
upon the degree of symptom similarity
○ The highest degree of susceptibility exists toward
the most similar - the simillimum, or equal.
WAYS OF CURE HAPPENING
HOMOEOPATHICALLY
○ by either of two methods
1. by giving several more or less similar medicines
in succession
2. by giving one exactly similar medicine--the
similimum or equal.
BUNGLER VS EXPERT
○ The bungler may "zig zag" his patient along
through a protracted illness and finally get him
well.
○ An expert would cure him by the straight route
with a single remedy in half the time.
DOSE & DEGREE OF
SUSCEPTIBILITY
○ The sick organism being so much more
susceptible to the similar medicine than the well
organism, it follows that the size or quantity of
the dose depends also upon the degree of
susceptibility of the patient.
○ A dose that would produce no perceptible effect
upon a well person may cause a dangerous or
distressing aggravation in a sick person.
STATES OF SUSCEPTIBILITY
○ Susceptibility as a state may be
1. increased
2. diminished
3. destroyed.
Either of these is a morbid state which must be
considered therapeutically from the standpoint of
the individual patient. 
○  "Susceptibility in organism, mental or bodily, is
equivalent to state.
○  State involves the attitude of organizations to
internal causes and to external circumstances.
○ It is all the resource of defense or the way of
yielding.
○ The taking on of states is be history of human life.
○ Pathology is the account of the taking on of
diseased states, or of definite forms of disease,
mental or bodily.
REMEDIAL OR TOXIC ???
○ a state of normal susceptibility to remedial as
well as toxic agencies, which it is the duty of the
physician to conserve and utilize.
○ No agent or procedure should be used as a
therapeutic measure which has the power to,
diminish, break down or destroy the normal
susceptibility or reactibility of the organism,
because that is one of the most valuable medical
assets we possess.
○ Without it all our efforts to cure are in vain.
○ To use agents in such a manner or in such a form
or quantity as to diminish, impair or destroy the
power of the organism to react to stimuli, is to
align ourselves with the forces of death and
disintegration. 
The point to be kept in mind is to recognize and
conserve normal susceptibility in all our dealings
with the sick and to do nothing to impair it. 
○  Many substances are used medically in such
form, in such doses, by such methods and upon
such principles as to be distinctly depressive or
destructive of normal reactivity.
○ They are forced upon or into the suffering
organism empirically without regard to nature's
laws.
○ So far as their effect upon disease is concerned
they are in no wise curative, but only palliative or
suppressive and the ultimate result, if it be not
death, is to leave the patient in a worse state than
he was before.
○ Existing disease symptoms are transformed into
the symptoms of an artificial drug disease.
○ The organism is overwhelmed by a more powerful
enemy which invades its territory, takes violent
possession and sets up its own kingdom.
IMMUNITY
○ The effort to produce passive immunity against
the various infections by means of sera may fail in
spite of the destruction of all the bacteria present
in the body, by reason of the endotoxins thrown
out in the process of bacteriolysis resulting from
the serum injections.
○ The action of endotoxins of all kinds is similar:
there is a reduction of temperature but an active
degeneration of the organs –a status
infectiosus. Thus sterile death is produced where
cultures from the organs and tissues show that
the bacteria in question have all been
destroyed; but the animal dies.
○ An animal whose serum is normally bacteriolytic
may, on immunization, lose this power; the
bacteria living in the serum, but not
producing symptoms.
○      "It seems therefore that the. effort must be
made in the future to enable the tissue and the
bacteria to live together in peace rather than to
produce a state where the serum is destructive to
the bacteria."
EFFECT OF ANTI-BIOTICS AND ANTI-SEPTICS


○      In the case of total destruction of the

susceptibility death followed.
○ The use of antiseptics in the treatment of disease,
or surgically (in the field of operation), is another
means of impairing or destroying normal
susceptibility.
○ Inflammation and fever are not evils per se. 
○ They are merely the signs of normal reaction and
resistance to an irritant or poison by which nature
protects herself.
○ They are not enemies to be resisted, but friends
and allies to be co-operated with in the
destruction of a common enemy.
 
○  Inflammation and fever mean simply greater
vital activity, more rapid circulation, respiration
and oxygenation, more rapid and thorough
elimination of waste or toxic substances, and the
concurrent formation of natural antitoxins and
antibodies by means of which recovery is brought
about.
 
○ Pain, inflammation and fever are not the real
disease nor the real object of treatment.
○ To view them as such leads logically and
inevitably to mere palliation or suppression of
symptoms, than which there are no greater
medical evils.
○ It is based upon a false and illogical
interpretation of the phenomena of disease which
mistakes results for causes.
STIMULANTS 

AND 

DEPRESSANTS
○ Stimulants :
A substance that acts to increase physiological or
nervous activity in the body.
Something that promotes activity, interest or
enthusiasm.
○ Depressant
A pharmacological substance which decreases
neuronal or physiological activity.
○ Alcohol, the typical and perhaps most commonly
used stimulant, adds nothing to the physiological
forces of the body.
○ It takes of what might be called the "reserve fund"
of organic force and uses it up a little faster than
nature would otherwise permit.
○ We know the power of alcohol to harden and
shrivel and devitalize organic tissues.
○ W e are aware of its inhibiting effect upon the
sensory nerves, by which it makes its victim
insensible to the impressions of heat, cold and
pain.
 All these things define the nature and measure
of power of alcohol to decrease or destroy
normal susceptibility.
○  Less only in proportion to the amount used is its
influence to lessen susceptibility when used as a
stimulant in disease.
 Action Stimula
and tion and
reaction depressi
are on are
equal equal
and and
○   This is not to say that there is no place for
physiological drug stimulants in the healing art,
but only to point out that the place which they
legitimately fill is an exceedingly small one and
rarely met.
○  Certain rare cases of typhoid fever, diphtheria,
and perhaps a few other similar conditions, may
be benefited by very small doses of pure brandy
and tided over a crisis by that means when they
might otherwise die.
○ The amount of stimulant necessary to accomplish
that end is extremely small.
○ More than the necessary amount will assuredly
hasten death, because the margin of strength is so
small the least waste by overuse may prove fatal.
○   If there is any condition
which would seem to demand
the use of mild, of
the very mildest and most
delicate, means, this is one.
○ The condition of shock, or of extreme exhaustion,
is no occasion for heroic doses or strenuous
measure, but rather for the greatest gentleness
and most refined doses.
➢ Let the patient inhale camphor, or vinegar, or
ammonia (very carefully) if only these domestic
remedies are at hand.
➢ give him two or three-drop doses of brandy in a
teaspoonful of water; if that is at hand.
○ Teaspoonful doses of hot black coffee may be
useful.
○ But as soon as possible, give our potentiated
Arnica, Arsenicum, Nux vomica, Veratrum
or Carbo veg. Or whatever other remedy may be
indicated by the etiology and symptoms of the
case.
○ The results will be infinitely better than the
results of the strenuous method.
DEFICIENT REACTION OR DIMINISHED
SUSCEPTIBILITY
○ May exist in a case or appear during treatment
and constitute a condition requiring special
treatment.
○ This is especially true in the treatment of chronic
diseases, where improvement ceases and well
selected remedies do not seem to act.
○ Under such circumstances it may sometimes be
necessary to give a due of what is called an

intercurrent
"

remedy."
○ Bœnninghausen mentions as appropriate in such
cases: Carbo veg., Lauroc., Mosch., Op., Sulph. To
these may be added the typical nosodes: Medorr.,
Psor., Pyrog., Tuberc., Syphil.,. and also Thuja.
○ The choice of any particular one of these remedies
must be governed by the history and symptoms.
EXCESSIVE REACTION OR IRRITABILITY
○A condition sometimes met
where the patient seems to suffer
an aggravation from every
remedy, without corresponding
improvement.
○ There is a state of general
hypersensitiveness.
○ Bœnninghausen recommends Asar., Cham., Coff.,
China, Ign., Nux v., Puls., Teuc. and Valer.

○   Aggravation after Mercury requires Hep. or Nit.

ac.
Therapeutic suggestion is of
use in all such cases, to calm,
and soothe terrified or excited
patients. But in these, as in
all other cases, the case and
remedy must be carefully
individualized.
○ The cure or successful treatment of disease
depends not only upon conserving and utilizing
the natural susceptibility of the living organism,
but on properly adjusting both remedy and dose to
the needs of the organism so that susceptibility
shall be satisfied, normal reaction induced and
equilibrium or health restored.
LAW OF THE LEAST PLUS

“The quantity of action

necessary to effect any
change in nature is the least
possible”
SPURIOUS IMMUNITY

Spurious :
False , not authentic, not genuine
SPURIOUS IMMUNITY
○ Inoculation of crude, pathological products like
animal sera and vaccines confers only a spurious
immunity through impairment or destruction of
normal susceptibility.
○ It results in the contamination or poisoning of the
entire organism, sets up a morbid condition
instead of a healthy one and leads to physical
degeneration. 
The homœopathic remedy, correctly chosen upon
indications afforded by the anamnesis and
symptoms of the disease as manifested in the
individual and the community, and administered
in infinitesimal doses, per oram, satisfies the
morbid susceptibility, supplies the need of the
organism and confers a true immunity by
promoting health, which is the true object to be
gained.
THANK YOU !!!