CHAPTER XI THE CHIEF COMPLAINT AND THE AUXILIARY

CHAPTER XI THE CHIEF COMPLAINT AND THE AUXILIARY SYMPTOMS IN THEIR RELATION TO THE CASE

two separate parts chief complaint The young physician places much dependence upon this part of the case; it is close to his training along diagnostic lines. The older prescriber The chief complaint is often a pathological state, or an approach toward a pathological state, in the functional sphere.

The chief complaint, or the leading symptoms, may be defineas those symptoms for which there is clear pathological foundation; or the symptoms that are most prominent and clearly recognizable; or the symptoms which first attract the attention of the patient or physician; or which cause the most suffering; or which indicate definitely the seat and nature of the morbid process; which form the "warp of the fabric, " as it has been expressed.

The auxiliary or concomitant symptom or group of symptoms seldom has any definite relationship to the leading symptoms from the standpoint of theoretical pathology; these are the symptoms which the pathologist would exclude as accidental and meaningless, this group of auxiliary or concomitant symptoms which limit the choice of the simillimum

the concomitant group of symptoms which, taken in conjunction with the major group of symptoms, makes possible the definite selection of the remedy by greatly reducing the number of remedies chief complaint ovarian pain alternating symptom groups, keynote prescribing

must take into consideration the chief complaints, those of which the patient most often complains, plus the peculiar characteristics of the patient.

If we can find a remedy that has the "more striking, particular, unusual and peculiar (characteristic) signs and symptoms of the case" and in addition covers the chief complaint as well, we may consider ourselves as having a sound basis for the prescription of the simillimum.