BACK  DROP

Compared with the situation existing about 40 or 45 years ago:

The number of homœopathic medical colleges in the country have grown much – almost all the growths have been in the Private Sector, as if Govts. Have abdicated!

Consequently hundreds and hundreds homœopathic medical diplomates and graduates have come out of these colleges.

All the State Governments and Central Government have recognized Homœopathy and provide medical reimbursement facilities, clinics etc.

About 50 years age only few homœopathic books were printed in India and almost all the important basic text books like Hering’s Guiding Symptoms could not be obtained for any amount.  Kent’s Repertory which is adorning the table of every homœopath now, was available only in the American edition.  A sea-change came when M/s. B. Jain publishers began to bring out in India these great classics at cost which even an economically poor homœopath could afford.  Now the market is flooded with even the rarest of the homœopathic classics.

The journal ‘Homœopathic Heritage’ had been publishing during the Editorship of  Dr. S.P. KOPPIKAR, many of the articles by the stalwarts from the old journals and therefore the journal is ‘popular’ with the homœopaths.

Homœopathic pharmacies have proliferated, some with foreign collaboration.  Now the Pharmaceutical manufacturers, esp. with regard to ‘combinations’ and ‘specifics’ have a boom time indeed.

We see name-boards of hom. Practitioners in almost all important towns and parts of Madras.

This encouraging picture is on one side.

And on the other side:

A first class journal, the HAHNEMANNIAN GLEANINGS, which began in 1933 closed down its publication in 1986 for want of original articles!  How has this come about despite the great increase in the number of qualified homœopaths? The National Journal of Homœopathy, Mumbai which was providing sumptuous material now appears much famished! The other journal Indian Journal of Homœopathic Medicine edited of Dr. Praful Barvalia is also not seen!  In the USA we had a very good journal titled SIMILLIMUM which has wound up after about 20 years of existence! There was another journal – New England Journal of Homœopathywith Paul Herscu which also was of high standard but after about 9 year, it too wound up!  We do not know of any journal of all-India standard now.  There are few which sell within a small circle.

Is it not a paradox?  While number of homœopaths are increasing the journals are decreasing!

I have personally observed and have also received letters from friends, that a good number of the homœopaths prescribe allopathic drugs!  Why? In fact in the State of Maharastra there is a big effort to obtain ‘legal’ approval for such prescriptions! (And a member of the Central Council of Homœopathy has been promising then that he could obtain it!)  Many homœopaths prescribe multiple homœopathic(?) and bio-chemic drugs?  There are prescription which contain 15-16 and even 20 and above in one.  Why are they not able to stick to the basic homœopathic law of a single drug at a time?  When, after about 5 years of Study, the homœopath feels baffled when it comes to actual practice, how can he/she who has not been through allopathic pharmacology, prescribe allopathic medicines?  Is it not dangerous?

Some homœopaths speak and practice mixture of more than one remedy in one prescription and ‘claim’ success(!),  What is this ‘hybrid Homœopathy’? 

While the publishers have brought out most of the old masters these have been printed as they were over 100 years ago or more (with the printing errors, errata et. intact), although much of Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Chemistry have progressed a lot.  No one has made any move to revise any of the text books. Why?  Are there no ‘scientists’ and/or ‘intellectuals’ in the Homœopathy profession?

With a good number of such obsolete terms and nomenclatures in these books which are used in the Government Colleges, how are the students taught?

There are many ‘associations’, ‘societies’ etc. in the name of Homœopathy and many exist in one place like rival trade unions in industries; almost all these organizations were  holding so-called monthly or such periodical ‘clinical’ meetings which were poorly attended and each association was a compartment without any inter-action with the other groups - - - some indeed fought with the other.  Most of these ‘clinical’ meetings were insipid with talks on obsolete or rare conditions.  Some of the monthly meetings of these associations were nothing but ‘homœopathic study courses’ (I do not criticize that) only and not real professional discussions.  (Of late even these associations have dwindled down!)

A good number of the young graduates have not even been introduced to the great homœopaths like DUNHAM and many have not read Boenninghausen’s Lesser Writings and almost all have never even seen Hahnemann’s Lesser Writings!  The colleges seem to have never taught these. Many students have not seen the Materia Medica Pura!

Why has it not occurred to even a small number of some of the really talented young homœopathic graduates to open a ‘homœopathic nursing home’ or ‘homœopathic G & O service’ or a ‘trauma care’ centre in any of the Towns?  Of course we do not encourage the corporate sector in this regard.

Why Homœopathy is not even considered by the Government in community medicine and social medicine?  In the immunization programmes? What do the homœopaths do towards this?

What has the Central Council for Homœopathy been doing?  We hear nothing except very serious corruption charges and the like.  And the CCRH has been trying to stimulate ‘allopathic’ methods of ‘research’ which do not in any way help homœotherapeutics.  We in T.N. are not aware of even a single act of the T.N. Homœopathy Council ever since its inception?

DO THE HOMŒOPATHS REALISE THAT THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY IS LINKED DIRECTLY WITH THE PROGRESS OF HOMŒOPATHY?  There are Nursing Homes and Hospitals where homœopathic physicians are employed as frontline doctors.  They remains so for years and slowly pick up allopathic methodologies and prescription of drug!

THE DIAGNOSIS:  What is ailing Homœopathy and homœopaths, at least in so far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, appears to be poor homœopathic medical education standards:  The students who come out do not seem to have confidence that they will succeed.  Most of them look up with anguish for government jobs fearing that they will not be able to compete with the dominant system and make a reasonable living.  The homœo-pharmacies keep on turning out patent non-homœopathic combinations and attempt to woo the profession. Many of the homœopaths work for low salaries in allopathic hospitals.  Many work in BPOs, Medical transcriptions, e-printing etc; anything other than homœopathic medical practice!

THE REMEDY:  Homœopathic education and practical therapeutics of appropriate standard should be imparted by way of ‘refresher’ courses, lectures on Materia Medica, Repertory, Case taking, careful study of the Organon, awareness of the progress in all the sciences in general, clinical methods, financial support by way of ‘stipend’ to deserving young homœopathic physicians for a specified period to study ‘practice’ under senior, experienced homœopaths, study of history of medicine vis-a-vis homœopathic medicine to appreciate Homœopathy properly, eradicate polypharmacy and unhomœopathic methods in the name of Homœopathy.

A ‘forum’ for above-mentioned studies has to be organized without further delay which will be independent and of highest quality.  The sole aim of such a ‘forum’ would be promotion of Homœopathy in all its genuineness and thereby train genuine and competent homœopaths who will be able to justifiably hold their head high amongst the general medical profession.

It has therefore been considered appropriate to create such a ‘forum’.  A ‘Trust’ may be created for this purpose with a ‘nucleus’ fund.  The ‘Trust’ will also accept donations without any strings attached.

The ‘Trust’ will be devoted chiefly and solely to Homœopathy without of course ignoring the general medical and other sciences.  The ‘Trust’ will not show any partiality as between the ‘self-studied’ homœopaths, diploma holder, graduates or post-graduates, etc.  It will concern itself only with the talent, aptitude and sincerity and will devote itself exclusively to the science of Homœopathy (and allied sciences) and will also keep itself totally free from every kind of politics.

Think over.

April 2012.