Value of Thermals Hot and Chilly

Definition : Gibson Miller defines general thermal modality as the effect of different temperature upon the patient as a whole. ( Gibsons Symptom Alone their value and selection Page 13 ) Hot and Chilly Patients or Warm and Cold Patients : A patient is considered hot or chilly on the fact whether he is predominantly aggravated by heat or cold. ( Kents Repertory, Dr. Gibson Millers Hot and Cold remedies Page XXX ) Rubric for Hot and Chilly Patients. So, the rubric for Chilly Patient is Generalities; cold; agg. and that for Hot Patient is Generalities; warmth; agg. Many consider some other rubrics like heat vital lack of and tendency to take cold easily etc as rubrics for chilly patient. I like to quote Gibson Miller himself to confirm what is wrong and what is right. Another frequent source of error is the tendency to mistake any undue readiness to perspire as an indication that heat aggravates. On the other hand, many confuse an undue tendency to catch cold, with aggravation from cold, but when we have eliminated these errors and find the patient markedly aggravated as a whole by heat or cold, we are greatly aided in our choice of remedy. (Gibsons Symptom Alone their value and selection Page 13 ) Questions asked or Points considered to derive the thermal modality in a case. The thermal modality cannot be elicited with a single direct question. Many Generals and regionals are to be considered to confirm whether the patient is Hot or Chilly. Some points considered in terms of rubrics are 1. Sensation: Generalities; heat Generalities; coldness. Generalities; heat; vital, lack of 2. Weather Generalities; weather; warm, sultry; agg.

Generalities; weather; windy, stormy; during; warm Generalities; weather; cold, dry Generalities; weather; cold, wet, damp.

3. Season Generalities; summer; agg. Generalities; winter; agg. Generalities; weather; damp, rainy, wet; agg. 4. Clothing Generalities; clothing; intolerance of, loosening amel. Generalities; clothing; desires warm Generalities; undressing; agg. 5. Covering Generalities; covering; agg. or intolerance of Generalities; uncovering; desires Generalities; uncovering; agg. Generalities; uncovering; aversion 6. Fanning Generalities; fanning, fanned; amel. Generalities; fanning, fanned; desire to be Generalities; fanning, fanned; agg. 7. Air Generalities; air; cold; amel. Generalities; air; open; amel. Generalities; air; cold; agg. Generalities; air; open; agg. 8. Heat Generalities; heated, warmed, hot, becoming; agg.

Generalities; heated, warmed, hot, becoming; amel. 9. Application Generalities; applications; warm; agg. Generalities; applications; cold; amel. Generalities; applications; cold; agg. Generalities; applications; warm; amel. 10.Desires - internal Generalities; food and drinks; cold; drinks,water; desires Generalities; food and drinks; cold; food; desires Generalities; food and drinks; warm; drinks,water; desires Generalities; food and drinks; warm; food; desires

11.General Agg - Internal Generalities; food and drinks; warm; food; agg. Generalities; food and drinks; warm; drinks, water; agg. Generalities; food and drinks; cold; food; agg. Generalities; food and drinks; cold; drinks, water; agg. 12.Bathing Generalities; bathing, washing; agg.; hot Generalities; bathing, washing; amel.; cold Generalities; bathing, washing; agg.; cold Generalities; bathing, washing; amel.; warm 12.Regional thermal modalities. ( Many many more points can be listed from the repertory. )

If more points are towards warm, then the patient is HOT and if more points are towards cold, then he is CHILLY. That means

Chilly patient : Generalities; cold; agg. and Hot Patient : Generalities; warmth; agg. are two SYNTHESIZED GENERAL SYMPTOMS. It is called a synthesized general because, we decide whether the patient is hot or chilly based on many other generals and regionals. Ie., it is synthesized from many other generals/regionals. Value of General Thermal Modality After elaborate case taking, thorough evaluation and repertorisation, many consider the thermal factor to choose the remedy for prescription and a few take the risk of filtering the medicines based on the general thermal modality initially itself. The thermal factor itself is a SINGLE GENERAL SYMPTOM like all the other generals, and it is less valuable than the other confirmed generals in the case because it is a SYNTHESIZED GENERAL SYMPTOM. In Gibson Millers list there are 111 chilly remedies, 48 hot remedies and 4 ambi-thermic remedies. But now the list has grown up to 664, 542 and 66 in Complete repertory. Rubrics with that much number of medicines ( 664 & 542 ) cannot be counted as a characteristic symptom. They are to be considered as COMMON SYMPTOMS !! So, it is better not to waste our valuable time in synthesizing a common symptom. Clinical Application Filtering the repertorial result on the basis of such a common symptom is an absurdity. If one is so sure that he should consider thermals, then the better way is to take either of these two rubrics (Generalities; warmth; agg and Generalities; cold; agg.) which correspond to hot and chilly for repertorisation. Then, how else can we use the thermal part ? The different general/regional modalities considered in the synthesis of the general thermal modality ( 11 points listed above ) can be considered individually as rubrics for repertorisation, provided they are distinct and confirmed.

REFERENCE : 1. Gibsons Symptom Alone their value and selection : IBPS . 2. Complete Repertory : Roger van Znadvoort. 3. A Synopsis of Homoeopathic Philosophy. : R Gibson Miller. M.D & J.T.Kent M.D B.Jain

Publishers, Reprint edition 1995. 4. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica : J.T Kent