Below are the symptoms that could be gleaned from the Internet, medical journals and papers and other sources. Bear in mind two important points. The case descriptions of S.A.R.S. symptoms are just barely sufficient to do an homeopathic analysis of the epidemic; however it was very difficult to obtain even these bare-bones symptoms of S.A.R.S. as Allopaths don't pay attention to or accurately report disease symptoms, even in medical journals and scientific papers. In future epidemics it would be very well advised to have Homeopaths attending cases in hospitals, even if just for observation. Faster and accurate remedy selection for epidemics would be the result. And microbes are not immune to the effects of Homeopathic Medicine, so as drug resistant strains of illnesses appear more and more, Homeopathy may be better suited to address them than Allopathy.

Medicine should not be a monopoly but a cooperative effort between disciplines for the good of public health. No one medical discipline has all the answers to all situations. Practitioners of all major medical disciplines should be in attendance in hospitals during times such as these. Competition makes about as much sense in medicine as profiteering. If one school of medicine can do little more than give vague promises of the start of Human vaccine trails in about a year, then they should not be exclusively in charge of the research for and description of an epidemic.

Special arrangements applicable to epidemics should make it possible for Homeopaths, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Herbalists and other practitioners to observe patients for the purpose of research for the quickest and most effective treatments. This would result in greater choices to deal with epidemics, slowing the transmission rate and preventing deaths, hopefully. Therefore, all of the information I am presenting and analyzing in this paper is from secondary sources. Nevertheless, despite the difficulties of conducting homeopathic research in an epidemic today, I think Homeopathy can offer some help with this disease.

The other point about the symptoms of S.A.R.S. is that no one patient exhibits all of the symptoms. These are all of the symptoms that patients experienced put together. This is the method of analysis recommended by Samuel Hahnemann, M.D. in his Organon for epidemic diseases (see aphorisms 100-103). The symptoms common to at least 50% of cases if S.A.R.S. listed below are placed in italics. This only means that they are the more prominent symptoms of the epidemic but the symptoms that occured less frequently are just as important to the total picture of S.A.R.S.

• Sudden, high fever over 38 degrees Celsius.
• Chills and/or rigors.
• Hypothermia.
• Perspiration.
• Confusion.
• Non-productive, dry cough.
• Rhinitis.
• Cough with sputum production.
• Dyspnea; labored, rapid respiration; difficulty breathing.
• Myalgia; pains in the muscles.
• Malaise; generalized discomfort, uneasiness. Lassitude.
• Fatigue.
• Confusion.
• Chest x-ray shows evidence of congestion and swelling of the air spaces in the lungs, some with an effusion of fluid in the lungs. Pneumonia; inflammation of the lungs.
• Headache, sometime severe, usually at the onset of illness.
• Tachycardia; rapid heart beat.
• Bradycardia; slowed heart rate.
• Chest pain.
• Dizziness; light-headedness.
• Sore throat.
• Eyes burning during fever.
• Nausea. Intense, horrible nausea.
• Loss of appetite. Aversion to food.
• Thirstlessness. Aversion to drink.
• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Involuntary stool. Incontinence.
• Rash. Exanthema on torso with fever.
• Edema of the lungs. Lungs swell with accumulation of fluid in lungs.
• Paralysis of the lungs. Respiratory failure and death by asphyxia.
• Failure of organs other than the lungs: heart, liver et c.
• Lymphopenia or Lymphocytopenia (possibly from use of corticosteriods).
• Myelodysplastic syndrome complications; impaired bone marrow blood cell production (also possibly iatrogenic as above).

The disease seems to be a mixture of classic influenza or flu symptoms and exanthemic fevers with a tendency to severe pneumonia complications with congestion and failure of organs in the worst cases. Most patients don't develop the pneumonia and experience only a severe bout of flu, but for those who are elderly, have compromised immunity or pre-existing diseases, the epidemic disease can worsen and develop into pneumonia with a tendency to organ paralysis and failure. It has been called atypical pneumonia or flumonia.

All patients have come into close contact with others who have been infected by the epidemic. Highly infectious vector and contagious through the air, which is typical of pneumonia and exanthemic fevers. The virus can remain viable outside the body for about 24 hours and can be transmitted by touching contaminated objects and then a mucous membrane. More people die every year from more typical influenza strains, not to mention even the horrible malarial pestilence in Africa and other underdeveloped countries which claim many thousands of lives annually, but S.A.R.S. has captured the attention of the world with its virulence and high fatality rate, especially in older patients coupled with the fact that it exists now in the developed world. At the time of writing this the S.A.R.S. epidemic seems to be tapering off since the quarantine programs thankfully seem to be working and this is easing the tendency to hysterical panic worldwide. But I present this paper nonetheless in hopes that it will be useful for cases that do occur now or in the future.

S.A.R.S. originated in Guandong Province of China where poor sanitation, close proximity between animals and humans and sub-tropical weather conditions are theorized to have facilitated the mutation of this coronavirus strain. The virus is believed to be a hybrid of a common cold type coronavirus and a paramyxovirus which causes more severe diseases such as mumps and measles or possibly a virulent parainfluenza virus strain. All these viruses tend to mutate and combine easily. There is already tons of similar information on the Internet about S.A.R.S. so I won't rehash it. You can read more by following the links below.

Unfortunately no Homeopaths seem to have attended to the cases from which medical papers were written about S.A.R.S. No modalities at all were reported from any of the papers I read. This is an important feature of cases and that information just does not exist in the medical papers written about S.A.R.S. or on the Internet. Mostly there is theorizing, virus classification, vector graphs, reports of numbers of new cases and laboratory test results. Few useful homeopathic symptoms exist in any one location which made this a long a laborious research project. I think Dave Marash's comment on the Nightline Special Report on S.A.R.S. of April 21st, 2003 was completely apt, "If doctors knew more about the people who have S.A.R.S. than the disease itself, the world would be a safer place!" Spot on. As a result, there is barely enough clinical information available to patch together an image of S.A.R.S. that would allow a generalized repertorization and remedy selection. The only way to prove or disprove the accuracy of the remedy selection for the genus epidemicus of S.A.R.S. is to administer it to stricken patients.

Also keep in mind that many S.A.R.S. patients who have "recovered" are suffering relapses, chronic sequelae and other complications. This is more of an "ailments from" repertory rubric category, which could be classified as a Generality, but who is quibbling about minor details? For those symptoms that are not iatrogenically caused, the Genus epidemicus of S.A.R.S. could be given after the illness I think to assist full recuperation and prevent chronic effects and relapses. For those who have been given homeopathic medicines for the disease and recovered but relapsed, this points to the remedy not being completely homeopathic to the case and therefore not similar or accurate enough. There are many remedies that can help but the Genus epidemicus will go to the center of the disease and completely route it out, including any tendency to chronic effects. Supplemental and complimentary remedies may be needed in certain cases. Also not everyone may require the remedy that is effective in most other cases. So, take the individual case without automatic remedy selection to see which remedy is indicated for that individual. Homeopathy must always be individualized, even in epidemics. One remedy may be more commonly needed but that does not mean that it is the only medicine for the epidemic disease. Remember Hahnemann chose three remedies in the cholera epidemic of Europe, not one. So though I may focus on one remedy, this may only represent an aspect of the total picture of the disease. Or it could prove to be ineffective or it could prove to be the central remedy of the epidemic disease. As I've stated before, clinical use of the remedy is the only way to find out.

We have to take rubrics that have the major, deadliest symptoms of the S.A.R.S. epidemic; namely, pneumonia of a congestive type and paralysis or failure of the lungs (and other organs). Remedies that don't have this affinity or the ability to create theses symptoms (a proving) or cure them (homeopathic use) will not be considered as a remedy that will be useful in S.A.R.S. either prophylactically or therapeutically.

So, let's start with the paralysis or failure of the lungs. From my Phoenix Repertory(Dr. J.P.S. Bakshi) we can start the repertorization process with this rubric:

ACON., Ars., aur., Bell., Bry., cham., CHIN., IP., nux v., op., PHOS., SAMB., spong., sulph., VERAT. V.

And we'll combine this rubric with the congestive pneumonia rubric so as not to leave out any useful remedies for consideration :

Acon., aesc., bell., bry., Ferr. P., Iod., sang., Verat. V.

Now we need to take the general influenza rubric, since S.A.R.S. has the general characteristics of flu or la grippe but with the complications of lung inflammation, infiltration, congestion and organ failure.

Acon., arn., Ars., ars. i., bac., bad., bamb. a., bapt., bell., bry., camph., capp., carc., Caust., chel, chin., cimic., eucal., EUP. PER., ferr. p., gels., indol., ip., lycps., MERC., nat. n., nat. s., NUX V., oci. s., oxyg., ozone., phos., phyt., puls., Pyrog., ran. g., Rhus T., rumx., sabad., sang., sarcol. ac., sars.(this is the homeopathic medicine Sarsaparilla, not S.A.R.S.), sil., spig., squill., stann., stict., still., verat. v., zirc.

Not to miss any remedies, we'll combine it with the influenza rubric in the fever section of the repertory.

Acon., aesc., ant. ar., ant. i., ant. t., arn., Ars. I., ars. s. r., Ars., asc. t., Bapt., Bell., Brom., Bry., calc., camph., canch., Carb. ac., card. m., caust., Chin. S., chin., cupr. ar., cycl., dros., Dulc., ery. a., Eucal., Eup. Per., euph., euphr., ferr. p., Gels., glon., glyc., gymn., iod., ip., kali bi., kali c., kali i., kali s., lach., lob. c., Lob. P., lyc., merc., Nat. Sal., Nux V., Phos., phyt., podo., psor., puls., pyrog., Rhus T., rumex., Sabad., sal. ac., sang., Sanguin. N., sarcol. ac., seneg., silphu., spig., spong., Stict., Sulph., trio., verat.

To be safe and more sure of effectively choosing correct remedies to be tried as both Oral Homeopathic Vaccines and as Therapeutic Homeopathic Medicines in actual cases of the disease, I think it best not to take anymore rubrics than these four. Actually they combine to two rubrics. One for pneumonia with tendency to congestive states and paralysis, the other is the combined influenza rubric. This is because of the paltry symptom observation and reports to the global medical community by practitioners in Asia, Canada, the United States and elsewhere. Without the key symptoms which would have been picked up and communicated about S.A.R.S. cases had Homeopaths been present, you would tend to be going out onto limbs that give way if you go beyond repertorizing the key and only the most important symptoms of the epidemic. If keynote, unusual and characteristic symptoms had been reported in S.A.R.S. cases in stead of basic generic symptoms, this process would have been much easier to complete and useful remedies suggested much sooner.

After these two combined rubrics are crossed, the remedies that come through so far, without further additions from the Complete Repertory are (presented without gradations or stress) :

Acon., Ars., Aesc., Bell., Bry., Chin., Iod., Ip., Ferr. P., Nux V., Phos., Sang., Spong., Sulph., and The Veratrums.

The Veratrum album in the fever, influenza rubric is from the Boericke Repertory and Materia Medica and the Veratrum viride in the generalities, influenza rubric is from Boenninghausen/Boger Repertory. Since we have one of each type of Veratrum, we'll consider them both. Also fair game in basic simple repertorization like this is consideration of combinations of remedies in the list (as compounds) or very closely related remedies to those listed in this rather small list of remedies. So the next step is just going through several materia medicas one at a time and read and compare the symptoms of all the remedies in the list to those of S.A.R.S.

But before I analyze the above 15 remedies, I wanted to see how the Cara Professional 1.4 homeopathic software (Miccant, Ltd. David Witko and John Stevenson) would help me select a possible Genus epidemicus remedy for S.A.R.S. With this repertorization I wanted to take what I observe to be the essence or core symptoms of the epidemic disease. First, it is basically an influenza type of disease with complications. It is classified as atypical pneumonia in those severe cases that progress to the third stage and require ventilation, but I view this pneumonia as a complication of influenza and not a true pneumonia disease per se since most cases only suffer a severe flu and recover from it without complications. So I will create an influenza rubric. Second, this disease's most dangerous aspect is this complication of the lungs which is most accurately classified as pulmonary edema from my perception. Edema is a swelling and accumulation of fluids in tissues. This is what happens in S.A.R.S. and can become the cause of death by asphyxia, as the lungs swell and fill with fluid to the point of paralysis of the lungs and an inability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. So the second rubric will be related to pulmonary edema. Third, despite that influenza strains are generally contagious, this one is highly infectious. This is a characteristic that must be taken into consideration in the repertorization.

So what we are describing with these three combination rubrics that will be described shortly is a highly infectious strain of influenza with pulmonary edema. The influenza rubric was created from several subrubrics: Boericke, influenza; Phatak, influenza; Murphy, diseases, influenza; Murphy, diseases, convalescence, ailments during or since influenza; Murphy, constitution, weak, after influenza; Murphy, fever, influenza; Murphy, fever, ailments from; Murphy, fever, influenza, stomach; Murphy, headache, with influenza; Complete, extremities, pain, during influenza; Complete, generals, influenza; Complete, generals, influenza, weakness after and Boenninghausen, complaints, influenza. These were combined into one rubric with 137 remedies, not graded by stress and including all remedies even if only listed once.

Next we'll list the pulmonary edema rubrics, which are far fewer. Believe it or not, these are all the rubrics I found ( non of these rubrics, I might mention, came from the so-called Complete Repertory. This is a perfect illustration of the total lack of "completeness" of homeopathic repertories no matter how cleverly named. Repertories are never complete. They are constantly evolving.) : Clark, clinical, lungs, edema; Phatak, chest and lungs, edema, pulmonary and Boenninghausen, chest, edema of lungs. These 3 rubrics combine to create a short rubric of only 22 remedies.

Lastly, we list the infectious/contagious rubrics that can be found. Again quite few. Boenninghausen, fever, pathological types, infectious, la grippe ( this is the identical rubric listed in my humble Phoenix Repertory under Fever, infectious); and the large rubric is in the Complete, themes, infectious. 12 from the first and 85 from the larger rubric makes 97 remedies in this rubric.

So we cross the three combination rubrics and come down to these 8 remedies (equal stress):

Antimonium tartaricum, Arsenicum album, Kali carbonicum, Lachesis, Mercurius, Sulphur, Tuberculinum and Veratrums.

Not to increase the chances of omitting remedies that may be the similimum, we won't repertorize and eliminate any more remedies. We've taken the three most important rubrics and have a small final list of only 8 remedies. So we can analyze these 8 remedies (plus the former group of remedies gathered by repertorization from the Phoenix Repertory by hand) one at a time, comparing various materia medicas to see if these remedies match S.A.R.S. cases generally, specifically and essentially.

With the information about further organ congestion and failure coming out from fatalities, we have to take a few key rubrics to make sure the selected remedy has the ability to reverse these tendencies also. Searching Cara Professional 1.4 I have crossed these three rubrics into one: Complete, chest, paralysis, general, heart (30); Combined Synthesis, chest, paralysis, heart(26); Complete, abdomen, congestion, liver(85). After combined into one rubric of 108 remedies, I looked to see which of the above final 8 remedies were listed there. They were all there. Of the first remedy list of 15 remedies from hand repertorization, Ip., Ferr. p., Phos. and Spong. were not present and were eliminated.

After exhaustive comparative analysis of the remaining remedies in various materia medicas, there is only one remedy that stands out very strongly in its similarity to S.A.R.S. Click here to continue to the:

• Medline Plus, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007192.htm
• Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca
• New England Journal of Medicine http://www.nejm.org/
• S.A.R.S. Watch http://www.sarswatch.org/
• Paul-Ehrlich-Society of Germany http://www.p-e-g.de/
• CIDRAP, University of Minnesota http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/index.html
• Vad's Corner, S.A.R.S. http://www.vadscorner.com/sars.html
• World Health Organization http://www.who.int/csr/sars/en/
• Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/