SUPPRESSION

The word “suppression” is derived from a Latin word “supprimere”, which
means “to press down forcibly”. Suppression is the process of forcibly removing
the present disease manifestations by any means other than fixed principles at
the cost of a new disease. Suppression diverts the disease manifestation from
least important organs to the most important organs. It is in the reverse order of
the Hering’s law of cure, hence it is harmful. Examples of suppression:

1. Skin eruptions when suppressed may develop into asthma in later years.
2. Foul foot sweat when suppressed may develop into the neuralgic
   headache.
3. Otitis replacing facial neuralgia etc.
   

Importance of Suppression
As a result of suppression the disease is diverted into other part of the body.
This is totally against the Hering’s law of cure. Suppression is not a good
condition.
Homeopathy believes in psychosomatic causes of disease. Suppression of
emotions is responsible for all sorts of ailments like psychotic, psychoneurotic
and psychosomatic problems of today. By identifying the emotional side of
totality and the nurture of suppression, the homeopathic physician can select a
similimum remedy. H.A.Roberts says, “the one thing we should always bear in
mind and should hold as our aim is to allow the vital force to express itself in its
own chosen way when it is deranged”. “The administration of physiological
medicine at such times changes the whole picture, suppressing one symptom
after another until there is no expression of the true condition of the patient. The
immediate effect of this method of treatment is suppression”.

Types of Suppression
Suppression can be of two types:

1. Natural suppression
2. Artificial suppression

Natural suppression
It is a type of suppression caused by natural external factors that suppress the
normal functions of vital force and the body.

Example: Menstruation checked by extreme cold bathing, lochia stopped
after catching cold etc.

H.A.Roberts says “conditions like shell shock, fright, fear excessive joy,
intense unsatisfied longing for mate or offspring, unrequited love, grief from loss
of family and friends, business apprehension and worries, disappointed
ambitions, extreme fatigue or exhaustion etc., we often see cases where the
suppressing emotions not only affect profoundly the single individual, but extend
their influence to the next generation through the effect on a nursing mother”.

In the “Chronic diseases” Hahnemann says that the primary manifestations
of Psora i.e. skin eruptions can sometimes be suppressed by natural
environmental causes. So, the primary manifestations of Psora can change either
into latent Psora or in to secondary manifestations even by environmental
changes like exposure to extreme cold or extreme heat etc. Emotional factors of
the patient can also play a major role in such suppression. When a homeopathic
doctor is dealing with such naturally suppressed cases, the similimum must
cover both the cause of suppression and the totality.

Artificial suppression
This is the type of suppression that is caused by artificial means. It might be
of various types:

1. Artificial suppression by external application.
2. Artificial suppression by harmful internal treatments.
3. Artificial suppression of natural secretions of the body.
4. Artificial suppression by surgical removal of disturbing organs.

Artificial suppression by external application:
This type of suppression is frequently seen in our day to day practice. The
skin manifestations of eczema are suppressed by external applications like
ointments, liniments etc by allopathic physicians. When the miasm is robbed of
its external manifestations, it is forced to take the inward direction. By such
treatments, cure is not possible as the miasm is not eradicated from the body.
The prolonged suppression prove dangerous to the patient. The symptoms take
inward direction and nervous and psychoneurotic manifestations may result.
Such treatment, if continued for a long period, it becomes impossible to cure the
patient.
Example:

1. When the primary manifestations of the Psora, Syphilis and Sycosis are removed by external treatments of allopathy, the nature develops secondary manifestations of each miasm under different nosological names.
2. Suppression of eczema by powerful local ointments for a prolonged time, may develop into asthmatic manifestations.

Artificial suppression by harmful internal treatments:
The prolonged and continued usage of the harmful allopathic medicines
drive the symptoms to the deepest and the vital organs of the body. The natural
development of the disease process gets diverted to the other parts of the body.
This happens because the powerful chemicals that are used as the medicines
weaken the vital force. Hahnemann in § 75 comments, “these inroads on human
health effected by allopathic non-healing art are of all chronic diseases the most
deplorable, the most incurable”.

Dr. H. A. Roberts also says “The present indiscriminate use of salicylates
and coal tar derivatives in rheumatic and allied states invariably sends the
trouble to the central organs, especially to the heart”.

Artificial suppression of natural secretions of the body:
Another type of suppression is artificial suppression of the natural secretions
of the body. Example:

1. Suppression of perspiration by the medicinal powders.
2. Suppression of menstruation by hormonal derivatives.

The metabolic end products are secreted through proper channels in the
body like the elimination of perspiration through the skin. But in the name of
civilization when we try to suppress them by the artificial methods, this process
suppresses the elimination of metabolic end products through the natural
channels. The body tries to eliminate these products through other possible
channels. This change disturbs the harmony of the organism, leading to
constitutional defects.

Artificial suppression by surgical removal of disturbing organs:
In conditions like tonsillitis and sinusitis etc, the vital force is expressing its
suffering through its selected organs. As we know, these symptoms of
inflammation are the outwardly reflected picture of the internally deranged vital
force. By surgical section of tonsils and draining of the sinuses, we are only
dealing with the end products of the diseases and not with the cause. This form
of suppression is most common in the modern days. Removing the disturbed
organs by surgical means suppresses the expressions of vital force. Removing
the pathological end product is not the rational treatment. Only the homeopathic
physician is equipped to deal with the condition of suppression. The harmony of
the health can be restored only by the process of curing and never by palliation
or suppression.

Treatment of Suppressed Cases

1. Case taking is the source to identify any form of suppression in the
   patient’s life. The enquiry into the past and the treatment history will
   aid the physician to identify any sort of suppression in the case.
2. The physician with his knowledge of pathology, surgery and allied
   subjects can easily judge whether the present condition of the patient
   is curable or not.
3. The curable cases can be treated with the curative similimum remedy.
   In doing so both, the present symptoms and the symptoms that were
   present at the time of suppression have to be considered.
4. Appearance of the old suppressed symptoms is a good sign in the
   follow up. It indicates that the administered remedy is correct.
5. No medicine should be administered during the period of homeopathic
   aggravation. Kent’s “wait and watch” approach might prove curative
   in the future.
6. After the end of aggravation, even if symptoms persist:
   • Either the same remedy can be repeated in different potency, if
     symptoms still indicate the same remedy.
   • Or a fresh case taking can be done and the most appropriate remedy to
     the existing symptoms can be administered This procedure has to be
     repeated till the improvement of the patient occurs.
     

Hence, suppression is a crime against the human economy where instead of
curing the patient, more harm is done by diverting the curative process of the
disease symptom. Here, the simple curable disease present in the least important
organ is forced to develop into the dangerous disease, affecting the vital organs
of the body. “Suppression and palliation of disease, is the removal of external
symptoms of the disease by external, mechanical, chemical or topical treatment;
or by means of powerful drugs, given internally in massive doses which have a
direct physiological or toxic effect but no true therapeutic or curative effect”-
says Stuart Close.