PREFACE

The most complete records of provings and clinical symptoms available in print are TF Allen's The Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica ( 12 volumes ) published first in 1874 and 1879 respectively. Later Dr. JH Clarke published A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica ( 3 volumes ) in 1900


Then on there is a yawning gap and no comparable records of provings and clinical symptoms came up because of many reasons, until Dr. O A Julian brought out his Materia Medica of New Homoeopathic Remedies ( 1971 ) in French which was later translated into English. There is also of course a publication of New Provings by James Stephenson prior to Julian's. Even now, we do not have a complete record of the provings being carried out in different parts of the world, published sporadically and lying scattered in journals. Then need for compilation of all hitherto available reliable symptoms into one place is uite obvious.


During my re-reading of some of the old records of books and journals I came across additional material of value in respect of four remedies by Clarke and one by Hahnemann himself, which to the best of my knowledge have not so far been published in book form. Dr. Clarke had collected this material subsequent to the publication of his Dictionary and published them in the "Homoeopathich World"; which were reprinted in the "Homoeopathic Recorder". These are


1. Antimonium tartaricum

2. Antimonium sulphuratum aureum

3. Antimonium oxydatum

4. Antimonium natrum lacticum


To these four by Dr. Clarke is added "Some Notes on Badiaga and Therapeutic Hits" of Hahnemann as 5th.


Attentive study of these would reveal the valuable gems in them, useful in day-to-day practice. The therapeutic range of Ant-t., has become so wide, not just the 'rattlings', 'asphyxia', but Jaundice, Kala azar, sunstroke etc. It is also interesting that while Dr. H A Roberts and Dr. James Ward have included some symptoms in their 'Sensations As If', not all of the symptoms seem to have been included In the Synthetic Repertory I have not found some of the symptoms; for example "MIND, Despairs, of recovery", "Unusual wild gaiety, towards evening"; both of which Clarke has given in italics; also "child clings to nurse and calls for help with cough".


With regards to Hahnemann's observations and his Notes on Badiaga need anyone say that they are pure gold ?


K.S. SRINIVASAN

December 1989