Homoeopathic medicines can cure chilblains
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, December 15
Winters bring with it chillburn or the itching chilblains which cause swelling and itching of fingers and toes in the season. The disease, if not treated properly and timely, could even take the form of an ulcer. Already skin OPDs of various hospitals have started witnessing many such patients daily.

Dr Deepinder Singh, Associate Professor, Lord Mahavira Homoeopathic Medical College, said that homoeopathic system of medicine had the cure of the disease. “Although homoeopathic medicines are selected on the basis of symptomatology and by individualising every patient, some of the commonly used medicines work as a remedy for chilblains”, said Dr Deepinder Singh.

He said susceptible persons when acted upon by moderate degree of cold, develop constriction of the blood vessels carrying pure blood (arteries) and dilation of capillaries. Hence blood flow is greatly slowed and haemoglobin becomes completely deoxygenated. Edema too, results due to loss of fluids from dilated capillaries.

“The fingers and toes become dusky red and cold. When they are exposed to damp and cold, itching, tenderness and burning sensation develops. If not treated properly, the swelling develops and at times ulcerate also”, said Dr Deepinder Singh.

Though medication is required immediately but main emphasis should be given to improve general health by the intake of proper nutrition. Hands and feet must be kept warm with gloves and woollen stockings. Sudden change of temperature like exposing body parts to cold and then warming of body near fire, act badly on the malady.

“Agaricus, pulsatilla and petrolium are some of the commonly used medicines in homoeopathic system of medicine for patients suffering from chilblains. The patients suffer intensely from cold and chilblains are terribly painful when hands or feet are cold. The patients are prescribed petrolium when he/she has chapped hands and feet and the itching is generally at night. The patients get “terrified”, when they get warm, pulsatilla is the medicine used to cure such chilblain patients”, said Dr Deepinder Singh.

People with poor peripheral circulation and sometimes with poor general health are the victims. It is more common among women than men because females are more exposed to water, said Dr Deepinder Singh.

City doc delivers lecture at Asia Pacific conference
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 15
Dr Tejinder Singh, Professor of paediatrics and Dean UG studies at CMC Ludhiana, returned after delivering a guest house at Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference in Singapore last week. Dr Singh was invited to share his expertise on distance learning in Asian Prospective. Leading medical educationists from the USA, the UK, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Denmark participated in the conference. There were three delegates from India.

The major focus of Dr Tejinder Singh’s presentation was to bring out the difference in distance learning between developed and developing countries. In the developed world, distance learning is synonymous with Internet and web-based learning. However, if it were to adopt that model, a large segment of the population will be left out.

The developing nation as have therefore to be more ingenious in choosing the delivery mode which will have greater penetration, at the same time not compromise on the educational value of the material. Print and CD-based material will, therefore, be better suited in our situations. Dr Singh also demonstrated the CD-based learning materials developed by him.

The pedagogic utility of these materials was widely appreciated.

For Dr Tejinder Singh who holds a masters degree in distance education, this was the fifth occasion to share his expertise with the international academic community in the field of distance education in medical subjects.

Admn warns encroachers
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 15
Might is right is coming true with, the warning of local administrator to remove all encroachments from within the town by December 15, 2003, the date fixed for the purpose and thousands of the shopkeepers have removed their sheds already. Though some of the people appreciate the step taken by Mr Gurmeet Singh, SDM, the others have flayed the proposed action for the removal of platforms built in front of the shops for which the local administration has already given a call to either demolish the same themselves or the local administration itself will get it done.

Recalling the past experiences the shopkeepers are of the view that neither the local administration nor the municipal council has ever tried to provide proper roads or the drainage system for years and the demolition of platforms was a futile exercise as the same would result in negative steps being taken for removal of encroachments as they d o not expect any proper drainage system to be provided even in the near future except for causing trouble to the business community.