Elsevier

Homeopathy

Volume 93, Issue 1, January 2004, Pages 17-20
Homeopathy

ORIGINAL PAPER
Evaluation of a homeopathic complex in the clinical management of udder diseases of riverine buffaloes

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.homp.2003.11.007Get rights and content

Abstract

We report an uncontrolled observational study of the treatment of udder diseases of buffalo, using a homeopathic complex medicine. Mastitis is an economically important disease of buffaloes. In India economic losses due to mastitis are estimated at US$526 million annually. Conventional veterinary treatment relies on costly antibiotics; cure rate is only 60% in field conditions with a problem of milk residues. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a homeopathic complex in the management of clinical udder health problems of riverine buffaloes. Cases of subclinical mastitis were excluded from the study. A total of 102 mastitic quarters (fibrosed—40, nonfibrosed—62) and five cases each of blood in milk and udder oedema in lactating buffaloes were treated with a homeopathic complex consisting of Phytolacca 200c, Calcarea fluorica 200c, Silicea 30c, Belladona 30c, Bryonia 30c, Arnica 30c, Conium 30c and Ipecacuanha 30c. The diagnosis of udder diseases and recovery criterion was based on physical examination of udder and milk and CMT/WST score. Bacteriological analysis and somatic cell count were not performed.

Treatment was 80 and 96.72% effective in cases of fibrotic mastitis and nonfibrosed mastitis respectively. Recovery period was 21–42 days (fibrosed) and 4–15 days (nonfibrosed). Udder oedema and blood in milk responded favourably in 2–5 days. Cost of treatment was US$ 0.07 per day. The homeopathic complex medicine may be effective and economical in the management of udder health problems of buffaloes. Definitive conclusions are premature due to the limited number of observations and lack of control group.

Introduction

Buffaloes are the preferred dairy animal in rural India, contributing over 50% of the total milk production in the country. Unhygienic and unscientific milking practices and hot-humid environmental conditions predispose them to mastitis. Prevalence of clinical mastitis in buffaloes has been estimated at 12.2% in Gujarat state of India.1 The loss of US$ 8.80 per buffalo per lactation due to mastitis speaks of its tremendous economic losses due to reduced milk production without considering the cost of disease management.2 In India, total annual losses due to mastitis (clinical and subclinical) in buffaloes has been estimated at US$526 million.3 Despite antibiotic and supportive (antioxidant, vaccination and other practices) therapies adopted in developed countries, the prevalence of mastitis has not been reduced adequately. Antibiotic therapy is not only costly, but also poses residue problems in milk adversely affecting human health.4 Cure rate with antibiotics is approximately 60% in field conditions. When β-lactamase producing organisms are implicated cure rate becomes poorer still.5 Treatment failure with available allopathic drugs in fibrosed quarters also poses challenges to veterinarians. Therefore, the search for cost-effective complementary and alternative treatment approaches for management of mastitis is being pursued throughout world. Homeopathy has gained the reputation of an effective alternative therapy in veterinary practice in Europe.6 Preliminary trials with individual homeopathic medicines have also shown encouraging results in the management of bovine mastitis in India.7 Combination medicines have been introduced in homeopathy for safe and quick recovery.8, 9, 10 Recently, promising results with a homeopathic combination remedy in the management of udder affections (fibrosed/nonfibrosed mastitis, and udder oedema) have been reported in dairy cows.11 However, such studies are lacking in the management of udder diseases in buffaloes. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a homeopathic complex medicine in the management of udder diseases of buffaloes.

Section snippets

Animals

Lactating buffaloes (Murrah, and its crossbreds) with diseased udders, of private owners in and around Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh State, India, formed the material for this study. A total of 102 mastitic quarters (fibrosed 40, and nonfibrosed 62) of 44 buffaloes, five cases of blood in milk and five cases of udder oedema in buffaloes persisting for at least 2 weeks were included in the study. Cases of subclinical mastitis were not included.

Drugs

A homeopathic complex medicine marketed as Healwell VT-6

Fibrosed quarters

Of the 40 fibrosed quarters, 32 cured completely with an average duration of 25.5 days (range 21–42 days).

Nonfibrosed quarters

A total of 62 quarters were treated, 60 of these were cured completely with an average duration of 5.77 days: a recovery rate of 96.72%.

Udder oedema and blood in milk

All the five cases of udder oedema were cured within an average duration of 3.4 days (range 2–4 days). Average recovery period in cases of blood in milk was 4.0 days (range 3–5 days) (see Table 1).

Discussion

The results show an encouraging response in the management of udder health problems: fibrosed or nonfibrosed mastitis, udder oedema and blood in milk in lactating buffaloes. The use of homeopathic single medicines in the management of mastitic dairy cows has previously been reported by a number of workers with variable results from various parts of the world.7, 11, 12, 13 The use of complex medicines has been suggested for safe and quick recovery.9, 10 This approach to homeopathic medicine is

Acknowledgements

The support of Sintex International Limited, Kalol, N. Gujarat (India) in the form of supplying homeopathic combination remedy is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are grateful to Dr Shivag Swaminarayan, Head, Health Care Division, Sintex International Ltd., Kalol, North Gujarat, India, for his keen interest in the trial.

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