What Is Deflected Current In Homeopathy? – H.A. Roberts

In his book “The Principles and Art of Cure by Homoeopathy,” H.A. Roberts talks about something called “The Deflected Current.” Imagine you’re trying to fix a problem using a remedy, but it doesn’t work as expected. Roberts helps us understand that in such situations, we need to look for obstacles that might be blocking the cure.

Roberts is curious about two main things:

1. Why doesn’t the remedy always work well, even when it’s the right one?
2. Why do our remedies fail sometimes?

After doing a lot of research, he gives us some clues about where to find and fix these obstacles.

These obstacles are split into three groups:

1. Obstacles from the patient’s side (things related to the person getting treated)
2. Obstacles from the physician’s side (things related to the doctor giving the remedy)
3. Obstacles from the remedial side (things related to the remedy itself)

Let’s explore each of these in simple terms:

1. Obstacles from the Patient’s Side: The cure can face hurdles due to issues from the patient’s end. This is further categorized into six subtypes.
   1. Pathological Condition of the Disease:
      • Advanced diseases with severe pathology may not be curable. In such cases, focusing on symptom relief might be more realistic than aiming for a complete cure.
   2. Presence of Mechanical Obstruction in the Body:
      • Sometimes, non-pathological foreign bodies in orifices can create reflex symptoms, hindering the action of the remedy. Removing these obstructions is crucial for the cure to take effect.
      Example: Persistent earache or coryza in children who inserted foreign objects in their ears or nose. Medicine should only be administered after removing the object.
   3. Psychic Trauma and Emotional Stress:
      • Stress, anxiety, and emotional issues can deflect the action of the curative remedy. Identifying and addressing hidden traumas is essential, and proper consolation may help.
   4. Over-Usage of Drugs by the Patient:
      • Misuse of sedatives, narcotics, and analgesics, along with frequent use of other substances like antidepressants and cosmetics, can impede the curative process.
      Example: Overusing lipstick prevented the cure of persistent cough in a case treated with “Coccus cacti.”
   5. The Problem of Diet:
      • Excessive consumption of soft drinks, junk foods, and stimulants with chemical contents may slow down the action of the homoeopathic remedy.
   6. Lack of Proper Physical Exercise:
      • Sedentary lifestyles with little physical activity can be an obstacle to cure. Mild to moderate exercise improves vitality, enhancing the effectiveness of homoeopathic medicines.
2. Obstacles from the Physician’s Side: When the physician fails in duty or knowledge, obstacles can arise. This is further divided into three subtypes.
   1. Selecting the Similimum Alone is Not Sufficient:
      • Mistakes in selecting a similar remedy, choosing the proper potency, or repeating doses can become obstacles to cure.
   2. The Physician Himself May Get Carried Away by the Patient’s Narration:
      • Physicians should remain neutral and not get emotionally involved in the patient’s narrative. Concentrating on peculiar and uncommon symptoms is crucial for an accurate remedy selection.
   3. Prescribing Solely Based on Keynote Symptoms:
      • Relying only on keynote symptoms might alleviate immediate issues but could interfere with the overall totality of the patient, acting as an obstacle to cure.
3. Obstacles from the Remedial Side: These obstacles are related to the remedy itself.
   1. Lack of Genuine Medicine:
      • The quality of the medicine, including its source, dynamization, and dispensing, is crucial. Any lapses in these processes can hinder the cure.
   2. Poor Drug Proving:
      • Drug proving, essential for constructing materia medica, relies on dedicated and trustworthy provers. If proving is not conducted accurately, achieving a cure becomes challenging.

Understanding these obstacles helps in navigating and improving the homoeopathic cure process.