CCH Patient Assessment & Treatment Planning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of Hahnemann's three fundamental causes of chronic disease (chronic miasms) is associated with fixed, hard pathology such as warts, fibroids, and thickening tissues?
- Psora
- Sycosis (Correct answer)
- Syphilis
- Tubercular
Correct answer: Sycosis
Sycosis is associated with excess and over-production — overgrowth of tissue, warts, condylomata, and fixed, proliferative pathology.
Question 2: During intake, a patient describes symptoms that are always worse from 1–3 AM and better from warm drinks. Which element of case-taking does this illustrate?
- Concomitants
- Time modalities and thermal modalities (Correct answer)
- Causation (never-well-since)
- Mental generals
Correct answer: Time modalities and thermal modalities
Time of aggravation (1–3 AM) and thermal modality (better warm drinks) are specific modalities that narrow the simillimum selection.
Question 3: A patient says she has 'never been well since' a severe bout of mononucleosis at age 16. In homeopathic case analysis, this is classified as:
- A maintaining cause requiring lifestyle counseling
- A never-well-since (NWS) causation that often indicates a nosode or related remedy (Correct answer)
- A common symptom of viral illness
- An exciting cause requiring immediate acute treatment
Correct answer: A never-well-since (NWS) causation that often indicates a nosode or related remedy
Never-well-since causation is a specific etiological clue pointing toward a remedy that covers that particular acute illness or its nosode (e.g., Mononucleinum or Glandular fever nosode).
Question 4: When a patient's remedy picture is unclear and the homeopath is considering two closely related remedies, the BEST approach is to:
- Prescribe both remedies alternating daily
- Take a more detailed case focusing on differentiating symptoms between the two remedies (Correct answer)
- Give the lower potency of each remedy to see which works
- Wait six months before prescribing
Correct answer: Take a more detailed case focusing on differentiating symptoms between the two remedies
When two remedies are close, targeted questioning about differentiating keynotes narrows the choice without mixing remedies, which is contrary to classical principles.
Question 5: In the context of patient assessment, 'obstacles to cure' most commonly include all of the following EXCEPT:
- Maintaining causes such as poor diet or toxic environment
- A constitutional remedy prescribed in a high potency (Correct answer)
- Suppressive allopathic medications still in use
- Unhealthy relationships producing constant emotional stress
Correct answer: A constitutional remedy prescribed in a high potency
A properly indicated constitutional remedy in an appropriate potency is part of the solution, not an obstacle; maintaining causes and suppressives are true obstacles.
Question 6: Which rubric category would a homeopath primarily consult in the repertory when a patient reports that her complaints always begin after emotional grief?
- Generals — weather
- Mind — ailments from grief (Correct answer)
- Generalities — suppressed eruptions
- Particulars — chest pain
Correct answer: Mind — ailments from grief
Emotional causation such as grief falls under Mind rubrics — 'ailments from' — because it reflects the mental/emotional triggering of physical symptoms.
Question 7: A patient scores high on both Arsenicum and Phosphorus in repertorization. The key differentiating factor in choosing between them is most likely:
- Both remedies are identical in action and either can be prescribed
- Arsenicum's restlessness with anxiety and chilliness versus Phosphorus's open, sociable disposition with desire for company (Correct answer)
- Arsenicum is for acute cases only and Phosphorus for chronic
- Phosphorus is always prescribed before Arsenicum in miasmatic sequencing
Correct answer: Arsenicum's restlessness with anxiety and chilliness versus Phosphorus's open, sociable disposition with desire for company
Arsenicum is chilly, anxious, and restless with fear of death and need for reassurance, while Phosphorus is warm, extroverted, and desires company and sympathy.
CCH Patient Assessment & Treatment Planning 4
Which of Hahnemann's three fundamental causes of chronic disease (chronic miasms) is associated with fixed, hard pathology such as warts, fibroids, and thickening tissues?