Page 16 - Winter 21-22

Modalities – the
veterinarian’s key to successful
prescriptions – Wendy Jensen, USA
Excerpts from a presentation first published in the Winter 2019 edition of the Journal of The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy
I want to start by talking about the job I had as a high- school student in the 70’s. This veterinary practice had no outdoor runs, so I had to walk each dog outside on the grass behind the strip mall, encouraging them to do their business there instead of in their kennels. Since I was the kennel cleaner as well as the dog walker, I learned quickly to watch each patient’s cues. One dog would wait for his walk, then sniff every single leaf blade before he was ready to go; a second wouldn’t hesitate to poop in her kennel the second she finished her dinner, but never before; then a third dog only agreed to come outside at all if he was loved up and cuddled for a bit before the leash was attached. The more I learned about each patient the easier my job became. What was I studying? Their modalities!
What are Modalities?
Modalities affect the expression of the symptom. They are the situations and circumstances that cause, maintain, aggravate or conversely ameliorate symptoms. The patient, as a whole, may also have modalities, called general modalities. As Dhawale states, modalities are “...the circumstances of occurrence, aggravation and amelioration of any abnormal sensation reported by the patient.” [p. 66] Situations that affect your patient’s well- being might include the time of day, waking from or just falling asleep, the weather, company, exercise, meal time,
touch, discipline, restraint, music, oestrus, eating or drinking, fasting, nursing or pregnancy, and many many others.
Modalities affect the patient in two ways: aggravation and amelioration. Aggravation looks like this: What makes him anxious, fearful, trembling, what makes him bark uncontrollably, when might he bite or scratch, what worsens his symptoms? Aggravation can also refer to the situation that brought on the symptom in the first place. Amelioration looks like this: When is she most energetic, what does she get most excited about, what blisses her out, what helps her feel better if she’s sick? Don’t always assume that if one modality aggravates, its reverse ameliorates. For example, a horse might love sultry hot days, doing his best work then, but the veterinarian cannot then assume that he will be aggravated in the cold. The vital force is not a thinking, rational entity. Look for specific instances for verification, rather than making a guess, no matt er how educated.
Cases
Chirp:13-month-old neutered male cat
Symptoms: Trouble breathing, noticeable chest movements, a rapid rate “like a pulsing,” coughing, following guardian around “like a little pup.” Normally he sleeps next to the client and likes to give head butts.
Do you see the modality here? After combing through his health records, collecting all his symptoms, quizzing the client to fill out the description of every symptom, I selected rubrics and repertorized. The top-most homeopathic medicine was Phosphorus. From Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases [CD]: “He is apprehensive when alone, and may demonstrate great anxiety and irritability on being alone. His breath is very short, especially after every fit of coughing. His chest feels very tight, and the breath is very short.” A good match!
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