Bell’s Diarrhoea –

Author & Full Name

• Author: Dr. James B. Bell
• Full Name of Repertory: The Homoeopathic Therapeutics of Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Cholera, Cholera Morbus, Cholera Infantum & all other loose evacuations of the bowels.

Introduction & Editions

• Basic Structure: Contains 3 parts

1. Part I – The remedies & their indications
2. Part II – Repertory
3. Part III – Therapeutics

• Editions

1. 1st edition (1869) – Based on 10 years of practical experience of authors. – Printed with the help of Dr. H. N. Guernsey.

2. 2nd edition (1881) – Edited by Dr. T. C. Lord who talked of 4 losses of medicines:

1. Thoroughly proved & repeatedly verified
2. Well proved but lack of clinical confirmation
3. Possess only fragmentary & imperfect pathogenesis

3. 3rd edition (1888) – Many more derived surely indications. – Many 1st & new remedies were added.

4. 4th edition (1896) – The medicines whose indications had been omitted or of less importance have been omitted (e.g., Cactus, Laphamia, Collins, etc.). – Medicines that have been added: Urtica acid, Crotalus, Angustura, Carbolic acid & Valeriana.

Plan & Construction

• Book divided into 2 main Parts Part I – Each remedy is described under: – Stool – Agg – Amel – Before stool – During stool – After stool – Concurrent symptoms

Part II – – Pathological causes – Character of stools – Conditions of stools & accompanying symptoms – Agg – Amel – General accompaniment

• Typograph (Grading) – Bold (Italics) – 4 marks – Italics – 3 marks – Roman – 2 marks – (Roman) – 1 mark

• No. of remedies in repertory – 141

Scope

• The repertory is a complete work as it mentions both symptoms of bowel + general state of patient.
• Accompanying symptoms before, during & after are well elaborated.
• Many easy for reference work.
• Pathological causes are guidelines according to the book.
• Helps in meeting GI complaints for children.

Limitations

• Very less no. of remedies are mentioned.
• Relationship of remedies is given at only few places.
• Newly proved remedies were not added.
• Stools has not included medicines whose proving is indefinite.

Additional Keypoints Added for Completeness

• Bell’s Diarrhoea is a concise clinical repertory focused exclusively on bowel complaints, making it quick for bedside use in acute diarrhoeal diseases.
• Strong emphasis on concomitant symptoms and modalities helps in precise differentiation in gastrointestinal cases.
• Though limited in remedy count, it remains valuable for classical indications derived from clinical experience rather than just provings.