Objectives: The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of homoeopathic treatment on patient distress, sociodemographic factors and outcomes in patients with gout. Materials and Methods: This was an observational study conducted using secondary data from hospital records, pathological reports, patient prescription sheet and the sociodemographic data from computerised records in Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital. Results: A total of 150 patients (94 men and 56 women) were included in the study. Gout was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and laboratory reports. All patients were prescribed homoeopathic medicines along with dietary management. The patients were prescribed Lycopodium (n=22, 14.67%), Colchicum (n=17, 11.38%), Natrum sulph (n=18, 12%) and nitric acid (n=14, 9.38%) on the basis of totality and symptoms and individualisation. Improvement was assessed in four different categories: Marked, moderate, mild and no improvement. The patients improved clinically as well as pathologically. Uric acid (UA) reduction was marked in 26 (17.33%) patients, moderate in 67 (44.67%) patients and mild in 25 (16.67%) patients. Almost 125 (83.33%) among the 150 reported reduction in physical discomfort and have been doing well after treatment. Conclusion: This study showed that homoeopathic treatment is very effective in reducing clinical symptoms and serum UA levels in subjects having gout.

A small outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus infection in a continuing-care geriatric ward during the period December 1982 to March 1983 is reported. It demonstrates that respiratory syncytial virus infection can cause serious lower respiratory tract infection even in patients without any previous history of chest disease.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of homeopathic medicine in the treatment of various types of warts. Material and Methods: In each case, medicine was selected after taking the detailed case history and performing analysis, evaluation, and repertorization using Kent’s Repertory. The similimum was selected after Materia medica differentiation. A single medicine was prescribed per the law of homeopathy. Two doses of the selected medicine were administrated followed by placebo as per law of minimum. During the follow-up, there was no change in the potency. Results: The first and second cases were of filiform wart. They were treated with Hepar sulph and Arsenicum alb, respectively. The third case was of verruca vulgaris wart, which was treated with Natrum muriaticum. The fourth case was of a cutaneous horny wart that was also treated with Natrum muriaticum. All four cases were cured within 40–45 days with no adverse effects. Conclusion: The well-chosen homeopathic remedy was very effective in all four cases in this series; the patients reported reduction of symptoms along with improved general well-being. Individualized homeopathic treatment plays a very important role in such cases. Further, study is suggested for evaluating a larger spectrum of remedies in treating cases of warts.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing and remitting inflammatory skin disease that can have a significant impact on quality of life. During the last four decades, a rising trend in AD has been observed in India. Homeopathic medicines are claimed to be beneficial in AD; however, convincing research evidence has been lacking. We compared the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) against placebos in the treatment of AD. Methods In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 6 months' duration (n = 60), adult patients were randomized to receive either IHMs (n = 30) or identical-looking placebos (n = 30). All participants received concomitant conventional care, which included the application of olive oil and maintaining local hygiene. The primary outcome measure was disease severity using the Patient-Oriented Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (PO-SCORAD) scale; secondary outcomes were the Atopic Dermatitis Burden Scale for Adults (ADBSA) and Dermatological Life Quality Index (DLQI) – all were measured at baseline and every month, up to 6 months. Group differences were calculated on the intention-to-treat sample. Results After 6 months of intervention, inter-group differences became statistically significant on PO-SCORAD, the primary outcome (−18.1; 95% confidence interval, −24.0 to −12.2), favoring IHMs against placebos (F 1, 52 = 14.735; p <0.001; two-way repeated measures analysis of variance). Inter-group differences for the secondary outcomes favored homeopathy, but were overall statistically non-significant (ADBSA: F 1, 52 = 0.019; p = 0.891; DLQI: F 1, 52 = 0.692; p = 0.409). Conclusion IHMs performed significantly better than placebos in reducing the severity of AD in adults, though the medicines had no overall significant impact on AD burden or DLQI.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with increased burden and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, there is no available Bengali questionnaire assessing the same. Purpose: We aimed to develop the Bengali version of the questionnaire and examine its cross-cultural adaptability considering linguistic equivalence. Methods: A multicentric, mixed methods, cross-sectional study was conducted through the consecutive sampling at the outpatients of three homeopathy hospitals in West Bengal. The Bengali version of the questionnaire was produced by standardized forward-backward translations. Psychometric analysis was run to examine its factor structure, validity, and reliability. Reliability was examined using internal consistency (n = 230). Construct validity was examined by the exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 115) using the principal component analysis (PCA; varimax rotation). Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 115) was performed to verify the model fit. Results: The internal consistency (Cronbach's α =0.876 (95% confidence interval 0.851–0.898)), test-retest reliability and concurrent validity – all were within the acceptable limits. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO = 0.793) and Bartlett's test of sphericity (Chi-square: 1038.981 at 153° of freedom, P < 0.001) both suggested adequacy of the sample. In factor analysis using varimax, all the items loaded above the prespecified value of 0.4 and identified five components, explaining 68.3% of the variation. The goodness-of-fit of the 5-components model in CFA was also acceptable (comparative fit index = 0.858, Tucker Lewis index = 0.823, root mean square error of approximation = 0.102, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.188). Conclusion: The Bengali version of the questionnaire consisting of 18 items and framed within five components appeared to be a valid and reliable instrument measuring disease burden and HRQoL in adults suffering from AD.