QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

1

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN

HOMEOPATHY

CONTINUING HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL EDUCATION

SERVICES

QUARTERLY HOMEOPATHIC DIGEST

VOL. XXV, 2008

Lead me from Untruth to Truth

Lead me from Darkness to Light

Lead me from Death to Immortality

Adyaya I Brahmana 3 Mantra 28

(This service is only for private circulation. Part I of the journal lists the Current

literature in Homeopathy drawn from the well-known homeopathic journals published

world-over - India, England, Germany, France, Belgium, Brazil, USA, etc., discipline-

wise, with brief abstracts/extracts. Readers may refer to the original articles for detailed

study. The full names and addresses of the journals covered by this compilation are

given at the end.)

Compilation, translation, publication by

Dr.K.S.Srinivasan,

1253, 66th Street,

Korattur,

Chennai - 600 080, India.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

2

CONTINUING HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL EDUCATION SERVICES

QUARTERLY HOMEOPATHIC DIGEST

VOL. XXV, 1 & 2 2008

Part I Current Literature Listing

______________________________________________________________________________________

Part I of the journal lists the current literature in Homeopathy drawn from the well-known homeopathic

journals published world-over - India, England, Germany, France, Brazil, USA, etc., - discipline-wise, with

brief abstracts/extracts. Readers may refer to the original articles for detailed study. The full names and

addresses of the journals covered by this compilation are given at the end of Part I. Part II contains selected

essays/articles/extracts, while Part III carries original articles for this journal, Book Reviews, etc.

______________________________________________________________________________

I. PHILOSOPHY

1. The Search for True Natural Disease

BICKLEY Anthony

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

The author has expressed unhappiness at the

mutual criticisms of Homeopathy Practitioners

among themselves, as ‘classical’, ‘modern’, etc.

In this connection he discusses ‘true natural

disease’ and ‘indisposition’. (ref. §78 Organon.)

The conclusion is that we should put aside our

differences long enough to recognize the quality of

both old and new methodologies and that progress

should not require the casting out of all the good

that previously existed. He further pleads that since

Homeopathy is about finding the similarities and

not difference, we should rather look for

similarities in our methods rather than accentuating

the differences.

2. The Shadow of Homeopathy

An Analysis of the Current Situation in

Homeopathy from a Jungian Perspective

CICCHETTI, Jane

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

This article discusses the importance of

understanding Jung’s concept of the shadow both

for homeopathic practice and the profession of

Homeopathy as a whole. Much of the difficulty

that HAHNEMANN had with public acceptance of

Homeopathy is continuing to this day due to

attitudes that remain in the group collective

unconscious of the profession. Methods to make

these attitudes conscious are suggested in order to

prevent unconscious repetition of behaviour that

sabotages the acceptance of Homeopathy in the

world today.

C.G. JUNG introduced the term shadow to

deal with suppressed qualities. Working with this

subject as homeopaths deepens our understanding

of the structure of problems and of healing

processes in our patients and in ourselves.

--------------------------------------------------------------

II. MATERIA MEDICA

1. Semiotics and Simillimum: Prescribing

without a Proving: A Case of Rio Grande Wild

Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia)

BROWN Doug (AH. 12/2006)

“Semiotics is concerned with everything that

can be taken as a Sign” (Umberto ECO, 1976).

Doug BROWN says that “while Provings

constitute a foundational cornerstone of

Homeopathy, the limitation of our proven remedies

are that the seemingly indicated remedies fail to act

or continue to hold”. Also that “Signs point

towards a substance which makes sense of the case

at the deepest possible level but for which there is

no Proving and often no extant remedy.”

A Case that stalled: 55 year-old woman with

intense pain and a confusing story of drug abuse

and emotional turmoil. For an year Morphinum had

helped her and then it didn’t. Now, the ‘theme’ is:

issue of survival, multiple sensations, extensive

inter-personal conflict with a sense of victimhood

and a need to dominate. She experiences pain as

being driven out of life before she is ready to go.

Feels trapped and vulnerable. Awareness of

egotism and negativity within herself. Yearns for

freedom and escape.

The movement out of her body is upwards.

These features indicate animal aspects [There is so

much more of ‘animal’ in everyone of us, indeed =

KSS] of the case and especially avian, i.e. bird

remedy. The patient’s case did not fit into any of

the known Bird Provings. The important feature of

Wild vs Domestication and used for food pointed

out either chicken or Turkey.

200

th

Potency of Rio Grande Wild Turkey’s

feather was given on 19.8.2004. She continued

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

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improving; repeated four times over a period of 15

months due to relapse and subsequently two doses

of M. She continues to do well and feel a sense of

forward movement in her healing process. [Where

is “Homeopathy” in this kind of reasoning?

HAHNEMANN said that the o n l y way of

knowing what is ‘medicinal’ in a substance is the

Proving on healthy humans. Thus was

Homeopathy born. Now there are several

scholars amongst us who are not only one-up but

seem to be many-ups over good old

HAHNEMANN. Melanie GRIMES the Editor

of AH would like to us not to complain but tolerate

with these ‘speculation’, even ‘wild speculations’ in

the garb of Homeopathy! Yet those of us who

still consider that the Science founded by

HAHNEMANN and nurtured by

BENNINGHAUSEN, HERING, LIPPE, etc.,

alone is the Homeopathy abide so. = KSS]

2. Lac Cameli Dromedari: Camel’s milk: a

Proving

MUSHTAGH Saeid, BUCKLE Laura &

MASRGARITIS John

(SIM. XX/2007)

The milk obtained from a domestic camel in

Cairo was frozen and transported to Canada and

then to Hahnemann’s Labs Pharmacy, San Rafael,

California where it was de-frozen and potentised to

12c and 30c. This Proving was according to the

methodology given by Jeremy SHERR in his book.

The Symptoms are given in the ‘Schema’ form.

3. HAHNEMANNS Arzneimittellehre in

neuem Licht (HAHNEMANN’s

Materia Medica in new light)

LUCAE Christian und WISCHNER

Matthias (ZKH. 51, 1/2007)

More than 200 years after the publication of

HAHNEMANN’s first Materia Medica the

Collected Materia Medica (Gesamte

Arzneimittellehre) appears as a first complete

compendium of all Provings of HAHNEMANN. In

this article all the new aspects of the Collected

Materia Medica are presented in an overview.

The evolution and sources of HAHNEMANN’s

Materia Medica are discussed by combining 17

remedies appearing in both, the Materia Medica

Pura as well as the Chronic Diseases, new issues

on HAHNEMANN’s presentation of symptoms

have become evident. Finally, the implications of

HAHNEMANN’s original works is emphasized.

Although several Provings have been done

after HAHNEMANN and many Materia Medicas

have been published almost all of them could only

be considered as complementaries, extensions, etc.

but none of them could or would displace the

original work of HAHNEMANN. They are as

much relevant today as they were two centuries

before.

4. Microcystis aeruginosa – Proving of Blue

Green Algae

GRIMES, Melanie J. (AH. 12/2006)

This is the most common toxic

Cyanobacterium in fresh water. They produce two

main groups of toxins namely Neurotoxins and

Peptide Hepatotoxins.

The themes of the proving symptoms are

given; symptoms which were cured during

Provings are also listed. (This report of the

‘Proving’ is somewhat haphazard. How many men

and women? How many hours/days etc. after

which the symptoms (each one) appeared? Without

putting it up to the Profession with full Proving data

and obtaining cured cases, the author has given

’rubrics’! Anyway, this is the way in which so

many ‘Provings’ have been carried out in the

modern days by the preachers of ‘innovations’. =

KSS]

5. Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort)

Mother and child Reunion

LUCAS Joy (AH. 12/2006)

Leonurus cardiaca was proved in 2006 as it

had little or no proving at all. Its common names

are ‘mother wort’ and ‘lions heart’. The reasons for

this are explained.

Leonurine is its active alkaloid. There were

many references to mother/child relationships in the

Provings. Another word which came up often was

‘wicked’. This relates directly to both mischievous

and yet protective nature of this remedy. A story

based on the Provings is given.

The ‘full proving’ data can be downloaded at

www.homeopathicmateriamedica.com

www.homeopathicmateriamedica.blogspot .com

6. Acer cercinatum: A proving and cured cases.

OLSEN, Steve (AJHM. 99, 3/2006).

Acer cercinatum, The Vine maple, was proved

on nine people, five of whom produced symptoms.

the proving was not double blind. The provers

were instructed to take three doses per day until

symptoms began, or upto nine doses. 30c potency

was used. The central themes which emerged were:

disgust about being too overweight, jealousy,

insecurity and perfectionism.

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A keynote of the remedy is that although these

patients maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet and

appear healthy they feel inferior, regard themselves

with disgust and feel self-conscious about being fat.

The proving symptoms Materia Medica and

Repertory additions are given. Three cases helped

by this remedy based on these themes are given.

7. Homeopathic Meaning

A Chapter from Carbon: Organic and

Hydrocarbon Remedies in Homeopathy

MORRISON, Roger

(AJHM. 99, 3/2006)

This is a re-printing of “Homeopathic

Meaning,” a chapter in Dr. Roger MORRISON’s

new book Carbon. In this chapter Dr. MORRISON

reviews the principal characteristics his study

uncovered of the various groupings of hydrocarbon

remedies.

8. Alnus rubra – the Red Alder:

A proving and cured cases

OLSEN, Steve (AJHM. 99, 4/2006)

This article consists of Chapter 5 of the book,

Arbor Medica: Four new Hahnemannian Provings

with cases.

The central themes are Generosity and

Forsaken feelings. Keynotes are: worse from

change of weather, strong thirst, bruises easily; dry,

inflamed skin; burning pains and sensitivity to

perfumes.

The proving symptoms and five cases treated

on the basis of above themes and keynotes are

given.

Remedy comparisons and Repertory additions

are given.

9. What Substances Should We be Proving:

Some Thoughts on Gaps in Literature and in

the Substances hitherto Chosen for Provings

KATIRAI Foad, (AJHM. 99, 4/2006)

This paper looks at gaps in the homeopathic

proving literature and the criteria by which

homeopaths have, hitherto, chosen what substances

to prove. A series of criteria are suggested which

are rooted in the place substances occupy in

relation to humans and human homeostasis – i.e.,

what we are made of, what we eat, what we wear,

what we have added artificially to our environs and

what exists naturally in our environs. These

considerations can form a basis for determining

what provings should be conducted next.

10. Alcoholus, Hydrocyanic acid

Excerpted from Dr. MORRISON’s new book

Carbon

MORRISON, Roger

(AJHM. 99, 4, 2006)

Alcoholus: The central themes which include:

isolation, aloneness, numbness or ecstatic states

alternating with despair or fear, intoxicated

sensations, distance from others, passivity,

dishonesty/lying, the need to feel heard or cared

for.

Hydrocyanic acid: The key components of

which include: collapse, fear betrayal, desire for

company, distress during cardiac symptoms,

confusion, aggression, cyanosis, spasms, tetany.

11. Enallagma carunculatum

A proving of Tula Bluet Dragonfly

GRIMES, Melanie J.

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

This proving was conducted in 2002 with 25

provers. The remedy themes are given and

additions to the Repertory are given.

Remedy picture indicates possible use in

Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and Dyslexia. [A

remedy qualifies to be added to the Repertory only

after repeated verifications. In recent times every

‘new’ remedy ‘proving’ comes with a case or cases

and a list of “additions” to the Repertory. This way

our Repertory will become voluminous like the

Encyclopaedia Brittanica but perhaps unreliable =

KSS]

--------------------------------------------------------------

III. THERAPEUTICS

1. The Shadow of PTSD in Chronic Diseases – a

Case

SHANNON, Tim (SIM. XX/2007)

A 35 year-old, thin. African American, referred

by his adopted mother. Much abused in foster

homes. Presented with lack of concentration.

Dwelling in the past. Frequent headaches > much

after treatment by Chiropractor Claustrophobia.

Weeping from depression almost daily. Occasional

outbursts of anger. Isolating himself. Nail biting

daily.

Nightshades are useful for patients with

difficulty integrating their ‘dark side’ with their

daily life.

Stramonium M from 29.12.2004 to 18.7.2005 –

repeated four times in this period and patient

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

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improved. [20 pages has been used up for this case;

a verbatim report – probably recorded; a simple

case is made to appear as if too complicated by

bringing in ‘themes’, etc. = KSS]

2. Psychiatric Medications and Homeopathy: A

journey Through Bi-Polar Disorder

SMITH Jennifer; FARRAR K.

(SIM. XX/2007)

45 year-old white male with Bi-Polar II

Disorder with Panic Disorder. Recurrent suicidal

depression alternating with Hypomania. His sexual

function and desires affected by drugs. No stability.

Hopeless. Exhausted. Fear of failure. Feels

attacked. Talks in terms of percentages.

He needed a remedy from Mineral Kingdom.

Cuprum metallicum 200 in July 2004.

Aug. 2004: overall fatigue is better. Still episodes

of feeling attacked. No control over it. Heart races.

Cuprum arsenicum 6c q.d. and p.r.n. with

‘episodes’,

Sept. 2004: only one episode. No depression.

Significant change in energy. No anxiety/panic.

Continue the medication.

Nov. 2004: Feeling stable. Doing well overall.

Underlying anxiety due to the Psychiatrist’s

warning about homeopathic medicines,

Cuprum arsenicum 200

Dec. 2004: Feels good. SL.

Cuprum arsenicum 200 one dose every three

months and eleven months later a dose of 1M.

Dec. 2005: Energy is fine. Slowly reduced his

psychiatric medication.

Aug. 2006: only on 25mg. of Seroquel.

Periodically repeats Cuprum arsenicum M.

Cuprum arsenicum was selected on the basis of

feeling of being attacked in paroxysms, of Cuprum

metallicum and restlessness and anxiety of

Arsenicum. [While it is a fact that the patient has

been almost restored, can we say that he has been

‘cured’; how far are we in synthesizing artificially

the qualities of two remedies? Will it not lead to

any number of combinations? How did the

psychiatric disorder arise? The cause? Why is it

that there was no ‘exteriorization’ in the form of

any skin eruption? So many questions arise. =

KSS]

3. The Divided Face: Cuprum Case

SMITH, Jennifer (SIM. XX/2007)

A 70 year-old man with pain in left side of face

and head for the past 20 years. It feels like a

divider and in the centre of the forehead. Perspires

on one side and not the other. Does not like heights

and flying in air-planes. The pain feels like a

cramp and tightness. Described pain as like a metal

which expands when it is hot and contracts when

cold. History of severe leg cramps. Cuprum

metallicum M.

He was also given another dose of the same

remedy to be taken if there is a relapse. Two

months later: much better. Divided leg feeling

gone. Seven months later. Relapse but now on the

left. The one powder earlier given was taken and

there was prompt relief. [The author says that

Cuprum came into his mind when the patient

explained his pain as when a metal expands and

contracts. He explains that he used Rajan

SANKARAN’s teaching. There are no dates, and so

we do not know of the follow-up period. In a

chronic case of 20 years standing, should we not

wait for two years at least before reporting it as a

cure, (as advised by von BOENNINGHAUSEN in

his ‘last work’) and more so because there seems to

be no homeopathic aggravation, nor any skin

manifestation, etc. If BOENNINGHAUSEN,

HERING, KENT, LIPPE etc. are all irrelevant and

there is no ‘last appearing symptom’, a miasm and

no ‘order’ in the disappearance – although there

certainly is an order in the development - of the

disease, what is left of Homeopathy? = KSS]

4. Die Anamnese bei Adoleszenten (The

Anamnesis in Adoloscents)

HEÉ Hansjörg (ZKH. 51,1/2007)

Discussions on treatment of adolescents are

scarce in the homeopathic literature. A study was

undertaken in Germany recently. It revealed that

adolescents as against children and grown-ups, do

not benefit much from a prolonged treatment. The

present study in this article is to provide ideas of

what is different in the adolescents; of what is

occurring while taking the case of an adolescent.

Often the youngsters do not wish to identify them-

selves as sick and they do not give out all their

symptoms and in fact most of them do not know

what exactly is bothering them. The Homeopath

too would feel un-sure and his/her patience may

wear off. This article attempts to discuss these and

suggest as to how to solve this and obtain full case

and select the most suitable remedy.

Some probable questions (not a prescribed

one) that may bring about indications:

“Has there been a change in the relationship

between you and parents?”

“What could your parents do so that you are quite

happy? What would you wish of an ideal mother,

an ideal father?”

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“What are the typical sentences of father, mother?”

“What limitations are necessary? Whom would you

do without?”

“What wishes, expectations and fears are there in

connection with the important limitations?”

“Is it possible to improve some or the other?”

“How would a perfect day seem?”

:When are you happiest?”

“When in your life so far have you been most

unlucky? Have you thought of ending life?”

“What are the main feelings you have during the

day?”

“Do you have the feeling, that people take you as

you would like to be?”

“Do you feel that other people understand you?

How do others value you?”

“Do you have the feeling you do wrong”?

“Where do you hold yourself?”

“How do you think of your later life?”

“Do you have an idea what one could move?”

5. Homöopathie in der stationären

Psychiatrie) (Homeopathy in

Psychiatric patients in Hospital)

ROHRER Anton (ZKH. 51,1/2007)

Whereas psychiatric out-patients who are

dispensed only medicines, there are those who need

hospitalization, care, needs, medicines and other

suitable measures. Also the ‘chronic disease’ must

also be removed. A good characteristic symptom

can be taken for selection of the remedy, even if it

is “pathognomonical”, or it is a known adverse

symptom from orthodox medicine.

A case is presented and it is explained with the

help of the Therapeutic Pocket Book suitable

remedy is found for the case with depression,

alcohol abuse and attempt to suicide.

6. Eine Beobachtung zum §216 Organon

(An observation on § 216 of the

Organon)

BÜNDNER Martin (ZKH. 51, 1/2007)

§ 216 explains that a so-called physical

complaint may sometimes become even life-

threatening, may by the rapidly increasing mental

disturbances become a so-called delusion, a kind of

melancholy, or a raving; thereby the physical

symptoms recede. Thus it becomes a ‘one-sided’

disease, similar to a local disorder. This is a

difficult-to-understand Aphorism. This observation

seems to have been made by HAHNEMANN much

earlier, 1810 as may be seen from the Organon I

edition. We have not come across much written

about this Aphorism. Is it so that in these days we

have not observed such a disease course? Or is it

that the modern medicine is now capable of so

treating these conditions that a deflection of a

disease is no more noticeable, or possibly that we

have not been not thoroughly?

A case is reported in which there was Digitalis-

intoxication leading to hallucinations; this mental

state came on after a life-threatening

Bradyarrhythmia was relieved. The mental as

well as the physical complaints were relieved with

appropriate homeopathic remedies.

7. Staphisagria bei Depression

(Staphysagria in Depression)

HINDERER Rolf (ZKH. 51, 1/2007)

This case has been analysed and worked

according to C.M.BOGER. First BOGER’s method

is briefly explained. A man, 34 year-old, with

severe exhaustion of over six weeks; he felt that

this rises from his brain. He has been experiencing

these phases since 10 years from time to time but

now it has been persisting for over six weeks.

From the symptom-totality of the patient and

the history of the family, first the Generals are

extracted with which a basic repertorisation is

carried out, followed by a complementary repertori-

sation of the peculiarities.

8. Thuja, Sykose und Impfung – Causa und

Effekt (Thuja, Sycosis and Vaccination (Cause

and Effect)

REIS Stefan (NAH. 2, 1/2007)

A wider view in Homeopathy is that Sycosis

as detailed by HAHNEMANN is identical to the

affections following vaccination and even that

vaccinations may trigger sycotic illnesses.

Therefore sometimes Thuja is prescribed routinely

for all sequelae of vaccination. This is a

misunderstanding.

The author says that ‘cause’ is a fundamental

criteria for remedy selection comes from allopathic

indication-standards. This is debated with the

example of prescription of Thuja for sequelae of

Vaccinations.

In any case, most of the ‘cause’ rubrics in our

repertories are of clinical nature and therefore must

be evaluated so.

9. Heilungs- und Sequelae symptome bei der

homöopathischen Arzneiwahl (Curative and

sequelae symptoms in the selection of

homeopathic remedy)

RABE Steffen (NAH. 2, 1/2007)

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The author takes up the study of a case with

symptoms which arose supposedly as a

consequence of curative action of the homeopathic

remedy. He takes up an article in the ZKH,

4/2005.

First the source of knowledge of the curative

remedies, viz., the Materia Medica is discussed,

then the place for the ‘sequel’ symptoms and then

the place for the curative symptoms; These

considerations are with reference to

HAHNEMANN, BOENNINGHAUSEN, JAHR,

HERING. Interesting discussion.

9. Ein Fall von bedrohlicher

Hämangiomatose (A Case of a life-

threatening Hæmangioma)

WESTHOFEN Heike (NAH. 2, 1/2007)

This is a case of an infant, four months old,

very seriously ill, with Hæmangiomatosis.

The child has neonatal Hæmangioma in the

corners of the mouth, on the cheeks, throat,

umbilicus; on the lips and in the buccal mucous

membranes small and large Hæmangioma are

present. The actually life-threatening lesions are a

sub-glottical-circular haemangiomas scattered,

which lead to a Trachea stenosis, with inspirator-

ial Stridor which could be heard; these were

becoming worse. Recently the child has been

developing Cyanosis of the lips and cyanotic eye-

rings, generalized dyspnoea. The child has been in

the hospital and had to be intubated, narcotized

since she could not by herself breath because of the

haemangiomas. And her life was under threat due

to this. She is on Cortison without much help. A

colleague treated her homeopathically with

Spongia, Fluoric acid, Sambucus niger in low

potencies because of the acute state without

perceptible improvement. The case came into the

author’s hands.

The author discusses in detail information and

data we have studied in JAHR,

BOENNINGHAUSEN, HERING, GUERNSEY,

with regard to the treatment of such life-threatening

ailments.

10. Practical Miasmatic Prescribing

BANERJEA Subrata Kumar

(AH. 12/2006)

The knowledge of Miasms is helpful in the

following ways:

1. Anti-miasmatic remedy opens up cases where

symptoms are scarce and in cases with conjoint or

contaminated pictures due to various physical,

emotional or iatrogenic suppressions.

2. In the absence of any recognizable Totality, to

select on the basis of psychic essence, nature and

character of the individual. This is capable of

surfacing suppressed Miasm.

3. To evaluate the necessity of a change in the plan

of treatment or change of remedy.

4. To evaluate the homeopathic prognosis of the

case.

5. To clear up the susceptibility to get infection

and thereby strengthening the constitution.

Key-words and criteriae for the “Four Great

Miasms” are given.

11. Responses to the Simillimum

EVANS Gwyneth (AH. 12/2006)

The cases presented illustrate an unexpected

reaction and changes in the inner being of the

woman. She quotes § 9 and writes that assisting the

person to a state where they can focus on the higher

purposes of existence is the most important and

satisfactory one.

Case 1: A woman who had immigrated to New

Zealand and was having trouble in settling down.

A remedy was given to cure her homesickness.

Three weeks later, she felt much clearer and

stronger; had rediscovered the unity within herself.

Case 2: A woman in early thirties with problems of

dealing with issues arising from sexual abuse in

childhood with a sense of powerlessness

Stramonium M. Immediately after the remedy, she

dreamed of a situation in which she was helpless

and unable to get away from a person who terrified

her. Two weeks later she dreamt of a situation

where the group was not listening and supporting

her. She decided that she did not need that situation

and was strong enough to leave and find a better

workspace.

This illustrates the change at a deep level shown

through dreams.

Case 3: A woman with recent ectopic pregnancy

and wanting to become pregnant. Unresolved

issues of Incest. Recent history of violent

relationship and current boy-friend treating badly.

She works as an agency temporary worker. After

second day in any workplace everyone would stop

talking to her. She would feel uncomfortable and

dislike it and would not go back. Hated herself and

suicidal feelings. Lac caninum 200. Two weeks

later, now job and people valued her. They enjoyed

her company work. She had spoken to all her

family about the abuse in childhood and was able to

cope with tat. She looked like a different person.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

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Case 4: Young woman with respiratory and sleep

problems. History of self-abuse with alcohol and

drugs and sexual abuse during childhood. Suicidal

thoughts, humiliated and self-disgust. She is in the

process of recovery. Each remedy making her deal

with another chunk of memories and issues from

past. After Lac caninum M she told “for the first

time my life, I feel the 5 foot 10 inches that I am”.

12. Benzinum: How Color preference

and a recurrent dream led to an unusal

remedy

KUNTOSCH, Marcus & WELTE, U.

(AH. 12/2006)

Since birth, 4 year-old girl has slept too much.

She is very weak and recurrent dreams of children

getting burnt with fire. Has very big blue eyes,

wide open as if staring with astonishment. Mother

had a shock during the pregnancy.

The Gynaecologist during a genetic screening

found abnormal signs and wanted to abort. From

that moment mother was sure that she was carrying

a disabled child. Though further tests were

negative caesarean due to mal-position. Baby

needed Oxygen and was too weak to drink. Her

color preferences were lemon yellow, red and

violet.

After Opium M, sleep reduced. No other

changes even after Gels., Hepar and Phos.

After re-evaluation with color preferences

indicated Petroleum, a highly inflammable kind of

petrol was reasoned out. Benzinum C 30;

continuous improvement. Weakness went away in

three weeks. Frightful dreams and epistonus never

returned.

13. A Case of Chronic Psoriasis

PANCHAL, M. & PANCHAL, P

(AH. 12/2006)

55-year-old male with extensive Psoriasis.

Severe itching with silvery scales since 15 years.

Allopathic and Ayurvedic Medicines improved his

condition.

Dreams of religious places and flying. Earlier

liked sweets. Domineering, movement of tongue,

side to side. Frown, vertical and horizontal .

Lycopodium 200 on 4 Aug. 1993. Two weeks

later, no change. No change in psoriatic lesion.

Itching slightly better. No change mentally.

Retaking the case in September. Afraid of

being in dark, of ghosts, wants to cling on in fear.

Delusion alone in wilderness. Stramonium M.

Two weeks later, itching much reduced; calm

and relaxed. No dreams.

Two months later - lesions getting smoother

and less itch. No change in size. Helpless feeling.

Stramonium M

Further two months later – No significant

change. Stramonium XM.

Two more months later: patches started

clearing up from scalp, elbows, scapular and sacral

region. Anger and helpless feeling also reduced.

In the next three years, a dose each of the XM,

50M, and CM. 90% of Psoriasis gone. No longer

afraid of darkness. [Are the authors convinced that

Stramonium was the Simillimum? Of course the

fears have gone. And 10% of the Psoriasis

remains; we cannot say that the Psoriasis will not

relapse. What is the purpose of reporting a not-yet-

cured case? = KSS]

14. It isn’t just about the Remedy

BICKLET Anthony (AH. 12/2006)

A successful prescription for the patient has to

have several elements, all individualized to that

patient, apart from the indicated remedy.

Various aspects of selection of potency and

quantity of dose and its repetition are discussed.

15. A Case of adolescent Self-harm

SHANNON Tim (AH. 12/2006)

A 17 year-old girl seeking help for de-pression,

anxiety, mood swings, low self-esteem, feels

isolated at school and tendency to self-harm.

Various potencies of Palladium for 3 months which

appeared to help for a time only.

Dreams of terrible, violent things. Mostly

wears black color. Left sided head ache often.

Hatred of being weak in front of others. Self-

harming is to release the stress or anger. Elaps Q2.

A month later not so many self harm urges;

emotionally better. It seems self harm impulses

have been replaced by just feeling empty. For next

8 months on Elaps. A dose of XM helped for three

weeks and crashed again. On 4.4.2005 Agkistrodon

piscivorous M (Water moccasin) was given because

of emptiness, morbid and violent images.

Over the next seven weeks improved. Agki-p.

30 aq.sol. 4 drops once a week. A year later overall

well.

The theme of this medicine and themes of

reptiles are given.

The author goes on in speculation and says “In

my experience you will often see pathology with

speech or the throat. In a way, snake patients are

often not so connected with their hearts. They are

often more identified with being intellectual. This

may explain somewhat why they often have

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9

difficulty in speaking from their heart, and thus

they develop pathology in their throat, with

swallowing, speaking, etc. I have successfully used

the above themes and observations in many cases.

It has helped me to locate many snake patients

including young children which I wouldn’t have

seen before. I have also been able to use these

themes to help patients who needed snakes which

are unproven. [Bold letters mine. So here we

have again “modern”, “innovative” Homeopathy.

You can prescribe unknown medicines! Is it not

‘criminal’ to use medicines about which you

have no complete knowledge? Is it not legally

punishable? Homeopathy practitioners must

beware of these really dangerous trends which will

land them in criminal proceedings. You have the

‘defence’ in the case of the proven, clinically well-

known homeopathic remedies. You have the

support of the stalwarts. But an unproven, hitherto

unknown substance, and whose curative action is

only assumed, speculated, imagined, what have you

to say in defence. The Editor should be aware of

these and not publish such misleading articles =

KSS]

16. Inflammatory and Irritable Bowel

GAHLES Nancy (AH. 12/2006)

Signs and symptoms of Inflammatory and

Irritable Bowel Disease are given and illustrated

with three cases.

Case 1: Molly, adolescent with IBS, which

incapacitated her socially, unable to attend school,

use school bus. Severe nausea every morning,

severe stomach pain and an immediate need to

access the bath room. Pains would bring tears,

scream and vomiting and fatigue. Panic attacks at

night. Afraid of being alone at night.

Domineering. Need for perfection in everything;

obsessive thoughts. Anticipatory anxiety.

Pulsatilla. Five days later she was functioning

without any problem. In the next eleven months,

only once repetition.

Case 2: Cindy. 11 years with Crohn’s disease since

her fourth grade. Frequent stools, preceded by pain

in right lower quadrant of abdomen. Nausea;

waking at night with pain and bloody diarrhoea.

She needs attention and wants to be comforted.

Worrying everyday about something. Needs

company. Going away from home and parents is

the most troublesome factor.

Tonsils and Adenoids removed in the second grade

and has had strep throat twelve times. Argentum

nitricum did not help her. Her father was very strict

with her. Carcinosin 200. She is more at ease.

Does not worry, enjoys normal social life.

Case 3: Lily, 50 years, with unresolved fear of

confrontation since childhood. Her father was

extremely controlling. Severe pre-menstrual

problems since adolescence, chronic constipation

with hard stool and rectal bleeding. Recent onset of

serious pain in intestines with bloody diarrhoea.

Diagnosed as Diverticulitis and hiatal hernia. This

was precipitated by a stressful situation at

workplace where she felt uselss and powerless.

Much anxious and nervous while dealing with

boss’s wife. Lycopodium LM 1. Five weeks later,

no anxiety, no pains before periods. Constipation

and rectal bleeding gone. Not feeling the ‘stress’ at

work. Three months later symptom-free. Major

changes had taken place in all her relationships.

Had recurrence of Mastitis and some PMS which

cleared with a dose of Lycopodium 200.

17. Progress with PC remedies

CHAPPELL Peter and JORDAN Pattie

(AH. 12/2006)

Peter CHAPPELL has been working in Africa

in such severe diseases as AIDS, Malaria and he

has prepared his own medicines also in his own

way and he has found them of great value in

treating these epidemics wrecking the lives of

people especially the poor. These remedies are

called PC remedies.

PC remedies are created by reverse engineering

the totality and essence of symptoms into a single

remedy. The exact process is ‘proprietor’s secret’.

PC 1 is for AIDS. PC Malaria is the fastest

verified cure for Malaria. Remedies for many

chronic diseases were prepared and used

successfully.

His intuitive realization was that all chronic

diseases are the outcrop of epidemic diseases.

Coined terms CEEDS – Chronic Effect of Epidemic

Diseases and CEETS – Chronic Effects of

Traumas. (These terms appear to replace the

homeopathic term ‘Miasm” coined by old

HAHNEMANN! PC is ‘one-up’ on the old Master

= KSS)

These provide a clue to treat each level and

these new remedies treat issues in sequence and

disentangle and improves clarity and much better

results in restoring health.

Website:vitalremedies.com gives details about

this. Other sites:

peterchappelhom@yahoo.co.uk

free videophone via Skype:stanlake.

18. Too much Fun in the Sun

SONG, James G. (HT. 26, 4/2006)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

10

After much exposure to heat of Sun, the

author’s son, was shivering with red face. Heavy

breathing, skin hot and sweaty and was trembling.

Felt hot and cold; stinking breath. Mercurius

relieved his problem.

For Sun burns: Arnica, Cantharis, Causticum,

Urtica urens, Hypericum, Calendula.

19. Knee Pain! Homeopathy or Surgery?

TOROK Leonard J. (HT. 26, 4/2006)

In injuries and Surgeries of knee, homeopathic

remedies help decrease the discomfort and recovery

time as well as improve the end results.

When you block pain perception without

correcting the underlying cause of the pain an

accelerated destruction of the joint surfaces will

result. This accounts for the rebound phenomenon,

and increasing dosages over time.

The most severe, disabling pain of knee

associated with acute inflammation is relieved with

Rhus toxicodendron, Ruta or Bryonia.

The pain associated with chronic Arthritis is

more grumbling or aching. This requires a deep-

acting constitutional remedy. With that, symptoms

will decrease and the remedy will be needed less

frequently, as healing occurs over time.

Many cases of gouty Arthritis are under-

diagnosed and Urtica urens 6c startlingly improves

them.

The other ‘adjuncts’ which he uses, not

contradictory to Homeopathy are Acupuncture,

gentle exercises, Prolotherapy (injection of a

dextrose solution into the joint, causing localized

inflammation, thereby stimulating the tissue to

repair itself), and Glucosamin and Chondroitin

(both in the sulphated form for best results).

Case: 75 year-old lady with painful Arthritis of

both knees. Left knee was replaced by surgery.

Seven years later, severe problem with the right

knee. X-rays showed big spurs all around the joint

and no cartilage. Based on knee pains worse with

the slightest motion and her grumbling nature,

Bryonia 6c once a day for a month. A month later,

she had lost 10 lbs. Able to walk as much as she

wanted. The knee still had big spurs and stiffness

but the swelling and tenderness were reduced. No

pain at all after three months. She is now 90 and

continues to do well on daily doses of Bryonia 6c.

20. When Muscles, Bones, and Joints go

out of Whack

ROTHENBERG Amy

(HT. 26, 4/2006)

Any musculo-skeletal complaint needs to be

seen in the context of the whole patient. A simple

review of systems to see if anything has changed

since the injury or illness.

Case 1: Annette, a woman in her 70s has done well

over the past decade with the constitutional remedy

Lycopodium for the treatment of IBS. She

complained of arthritic hands, and pain and

stiffness in her wrists. Review of systems and her

physical Generals were same as ever. Just because

her arthritis symptoms were new, it did not

necessarily mean that she needed a new remedy.

Case 2: 40 year-old Renee, complained of Plantar

fasciitis, an incapacitating pain in the bottom of left

heel. Other problems like inflamed cold sores and

sinus infections each winter. Sensitive, loyal,

caring and pre-menstrual migraines which sent her

to dark quiet bedroom.

Natrum muriaticum 200 resolved her problems

over the course of few months.

Case 3: 45 year-old Jerry was successfully treated

for chronic Prostatitis. Developed back pain which

made him unable to walk upright. Worse on trying

to move and taking a deep breath. Became

impatient and thirsty. One dose of Bryonia 200

improved him and within two days back was

normal.

People who need certain constitutional

remedies tend to develop acute illnesses that

respond to related remedies.

21. Hurricane Katrina and the many Faces of

Ignatia

SEBASTIAN Irene (HT. 26, 4/2006)

After the flood, there was tremendous amount

of suffering in the general population. The most

commonly needed remedy has been Ignatia amara.

The grief was either due to death of a loved one or

the loss of a relationship but it may also be caused

by the loss of a house, possessions, money, a job or

a life’s work. Five cases helped by Ignatia are

cited.

22. Katrina’s Havoc, A full House and

Homeopathic Healing

BARKER Danni K. (HT. 26,4/2006)

A family affected by Katrina is helped by

Ignatia 30 to deal with their grief and Aconite 30

for those complaining of fear and sleeplessness.

74 year-old Grandpa with severe diabetes with

horrific open wounds on legs.

Aggressive debriding or digging out the

wounds, applying ointments, etc. did not help.

Puffy eyes, yellow complexion and deteriorating

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11

eye-sight. Each wound was about the size of a

silver dollar. Bone was exposed. Calendula 30 c

twice a day for three days. Grandpa’s legs were

numb. Calendula tincture was applied to the

wounds and covered with gauze. Next day his

wounds were seeping yellow mucous. He slept

well and felt good (he hadn’t felt well in years).

His eyes started to drain pus and bruises around

them, for 5 days. He recalled being struck in the

eyes while boxing 50 years ago.

With each passing day, his legs started to

acquire a healthy, pink color and wounds looked

better.

About three weeks later, he experienced severe

retching and vomiting that lasted all day. He

recalled that as an infant he had a similar problem.

A year later, his legs are almost completely

healed. Insulin requirements have improved. His

eyesight improved. [This case is an eye-opener.

Calendula 30 worked in such depth that it brought

even 20 year-old trauma sequelae as well as an

affection that he suffered as an infant! How can we

delimit a particular remedy as deep-acting and

some as not deep-acting when Calendula 30 (not a

‘high’ potency, mind you!) could dig in so much

and throw out the disease and restore a 74 year-old?

We respect all the remedies; if it is ‘homeopathic’

to the patient, then it will do all that can ever be

done by any one! In this case the old symptom

surfaced and there has been clear reversal and true

cure. Good. = KSS]

23. Your Tender Feet

KORNFIELD Robert

(HT. 26, 4/2006)

The commonest foot problems encountered in

Practice are Plantar Fasciitis, Morton’s Neuroma

and Bursitis.

Plantar Fasciitis manifests as a sharp pain on

the bottom of foot near the heel. Pain and

inflammation worse in the morning or after a long

rest.

Rhus toxicodendron or Bryonia are usually

indicated and stretching exercises and support to

arch of foot.

Morton’s Neuroma manifests as pain, burning,

numbness or tingling, usually on the ball of the foot

between the third and fourth toes - mostly due to

high heels or tight shoes.

Hypericum helps when there is numbness and

tingling, Bryonia when the foot is worse from

motion, Apis when there is stinging pain and

swelling, Pulsatilla when the foot is relieved by

removal of the shoe.

Bursitis is due to the inflammation of bursal

sac in the ball of the foot – due to high arch or flat

foot or from high heeled shoes.

Apis, Arnica, Belladonna, Bryonia or Rhus

toxicodendron may be useful.

24. Help for Athletes with Ankle Injuries

SUBOTNIC Steven I.(HT. 26,4/2006)

21 year-old Mike, with painful, swollen and

bruised ankle. Arnica XM. Next day swelling and

bruising reduced considerably, He did not want

his ankle to be touched; worse with the least touch

or motion, Better with tight bandaging.

Bryonia M and Bryonia 9 c b.d. Four days later

able to move the ankle. Now the complaint was

stiffness, soreness and some numbness. Preferred

warm applications. Worried that he might never

get well. Ruta graveolens 200 and Ruta 9 c b.d. for

4 - 5 days. Two weeks later, still some stiffness

and lameness. As the patient was eager to get back

to sports activities immediately, finally an injection

of a “homeopathic” combination (several, almost

all vulneraries!) and then one dose of Calcarea

phosphoricum to prevent injury of foot and ankle.

[Everything was going on well with Homeopathy

and then comes this sudden ‘nausea’, a

“homeopathic” injection! (How can a combination

be ever called as “homoeopathic”? The learned

author has fallen! = KSS]

Case 2 : Melanie, middle class woman, presented

with pain and stiffness in the back of her ankle to

heel cord. Swelling over the tendo-achilles and a

gritty sensation between the tendon and its sheath

which indicates Tendinitis. Stiff-ness not

improved by motion: Causticum 30 and 9 c twice a

day for a week. Three weeks later, the

improvement stopped and started worsening.

Causticum 200. Topical Ointments to massage the

area and advised to get walking shoes with a firmer

counter to hold her heel in place. No more tendon

problem.

25. Family’s move on to Sailboat inspires Self-

Sufficiency

One mother’s story of converting to

Homeopathy

GORDON, Katya (HT. 26, 5/2006)

Two year old, Cedar was coughing like she’d

never stop. She started coughing while eating,

reading, even going to potty. Rhus tox 30 and from

30 seconds later, no cough at all.

Later that winter Cedar had ‘cold’. Stuffed up,

chapping lips profuse nasal drip and cough. Rhus

tox did not help. Phosphorus 30. Over the next

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12

two hours, her cough gradually disappeared and

fever started. Phosphorus 200, 2 doses brought her

back to normalcy.

26. Living Free in a prickly, painful World

Homeopathy helps kids with sensory

Processing Disorder (SPD)

LUEPKER, Lan (HT. 26, 5/2006)

SPD is a neurological condition that interferes

with the brain’s processing of information received

through the five senses. SPD may also affect the

sense of balance and movement children with SPD

may be either oversensitive or under-responsive to

sensory information. SPD can accompany Autism,

Cerebral palsy Dyspraxia and Dyslexia.

Homeopathic remedy creates a situation of

dynamic balance that enables a child with SPD to

more easily process sensations and to adapt itself to

the environment.

Lily, a five-year-old girl with great sensitivity

to touch, noise and heat. Marked tendency to strike

or bite when she perceived a threat. Frightful

dreams. Dilated pupils, Chronic Sinus congestion,

sensitivity to sunlight and history of high fevers.

Belladonna XM. Six weeks later, she was not

biting or becoming agitated as earlier. Less

stubborn. Sensory issues are better. Four months

later relapse mild. Over the 2 years 4 doses of

Belladonna M improved her.

27. Spider bites!

LOCKWOOD, Amy E.

(HT. 26, 5/2006)

Very young, aged or immuno-compromised

victims often have more serious reactions to Spider

bites.

28. Adventure in the Rain Forest Sleeping with

Spiders

KEARNS, Clifford (HT. 26, 5/2006)

The author’s son was bitten by a Spider in the

Costa Rican rain forest during sleep. the scrotum

was swollen, the tissues were bruised. It was

neither cold nor hot. Cold applications felt better.

Itching was intense. Worse from motion and

jarring. Ledum 30 dissolved in water, every 30

minutes. After two hours, he felt good. Dose

frequency was decreased. Next day swelling had

decreased significantly.

29. The Spider bite and the Neophyte

BOYER, Nancy (HT. 26, 5/2006)

8 year-old boy was bitten on left thigh by a

Spider. For three days only a slightly raised, itchy

red papule was there. Fourth day he was tired and

irritable and the area of the bite was getting bigger

and nasty. The bite site was a raised black pustule,

with three inches of redness radiating around it

temperature was 100º F. The area was cold, despite

the marked redness. Ledum 200. five hours later

woke up with black pus draining on to the sheets.

Two hours later, new scale opened and additional

black pus drained from the site. He was reassured.

Within 48 hrs, red patch decreased in size,

discharge became white and bloody and healed. 8

months later, has a quarter-inch dimple at the bite

site.

30. A Spider from down under Treating fire with

fire: Spider bites respond to Spider remedy

GRAY, Alastair (HT. 26, 5/2006)

J.T. KENT wrote that the best homeopathic

remedy for a Spider bite is Arsenicum.

White-tailed Spider’s bite causes redness and

burning pain at the bite site, followed by swelling

and itchiness. Blisters may develop. A near-

painless bite can progress to painful blistering and

inflammation, followed by blue-back ulcerations.

Occasionally local tissue necrosis with a deep

rolled ulcer.

Four cases of white-tailed Spider bite

(Lampona cylindrata) treated by Lampona

cylindrata 30 are given. This remedy is prepared

from that Spider itself. (Author himself confesses

that this is Isopathy).

A proving of this remedy was conducted in the

year 2000. The themes and symptoms are given

follows:

• Visual disturbances; “I feel like I am

hallucinating.”

• Feelings of being long and squashed.

• Sensitivity to all water, noise, music, smells.

Sounds seemed so loud, increased,

exaggerated, and intensified. Senses more

acute. “Any noise makes me irritable.”

• Feeling confused, lost, and disoriented. Vague,

spaced-out feeling; light-headed. Time seems

to be running slow.

• Hectic and frantic. Stressed.

• Tired. Exhausted. Exhaustion and headache.

• Poor concentration.

• Feelings of being isolated.

• The desire to kill. Compulsion to steal.

Defiant, naughty.

• People in the trial were better from walking,

from cleaning, and from activity.

• Some feelings of being anti-social.

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13

• Fear that “some one is doing voodoo on me.”

• Feelings of suicide if ignored by others.

• Head symptoms: Tension from above the

forehead. Intense boring pain in right temple.

Tension and heaviness over left eye.

Background headache with congested feeling

in head. Very heavy feeling in left temple.

Stabbing pain on the left side of head. Band

around head. Sharp pain that feels as if it is

pinched.

• Eye symptoms: Eyes are burning. Shooting

pain in the right eye.

• Mouth symptoms: Metallic, bitter, or

disgusting taste in the mouth. tongue feels as if

it is burning.

• Digestive symptoms: Stomach cramps.

Nausea, bloating, diarrhea.

• Chest symptoms: Heart palpitations with

sinking feelings in the chest. “My heart felt

like someone had grabbed it like an orange and

let go and then grabbed it again.”

• “My body feels so tired, limp, and heavy.”

General symptoms of numbness.

• Difficulty sleeping.

• A crawling sensation in the nostrils.

31. College bound

ROTHENBERG, Amy

(HT. 26, 5/2006)

The author writes about the first-aid remedy kit

+ essential natural medicine for children when they

are away at college.

32. How Jake Beat Exam Exhaustion

CASTRO, Miranda (HT. 26, 5/2006)

18-year-old Jake was exhausted with heavy

load of courses at school. Kali phosphoricum 6c,

helped for a while. Even after a week of eating

well and rest, his exhaustion did not improve.

Twitchy legs were disturbing him very much, when

he was sitting down and on going to sleep. bursting

headache. Eyes felt strained – sore and gritty.

Zincum metallicum 30 every two hours and then

next day twice daily for a day or two.

Next day he felt more tired than ever, but

headache gone as well as twitchy legs. Within a

couple of days, Jake felt his energy and good

moods return.

33. Take the stress out of School

Remedies for Anxiety, Mental Strain and Burn

out

LOCKWOOD, Amy. (HT. 26, 5/2006)

Indications are given for Argentum nitricum

and Gelsemium to over come the anticipation and

indications for Kali phosphoricum, Phosphoric

acid, Picricum acidum and Zincum metallicum to

help when the mental strain is too much.

Aethusa cynapium when there is inability to

fix the attention or think.

34. The Itch that Won’t Go Away!

ULLMAN, Robert & REICHENBERG

ULLMAN, Judyth

(AJHM. 99, 3/2006)

A nine-year-old boy with recurrent fungal

infections and also behavioral and attitudinal issues.

Quick to anger, easily frustrated and prone to

distractibility. Fascinated by bugs. Tends to get

mosquito bites really easily. By using the “free

association” technique the theme of poking is

elicited. He exhibited attractiveness indicating

animal kingdom and the feeling of being tiny

indicating insect medicines. Culex musca

200, 1M 2 doses each and 10M was all that he

required over a period of sixteen months.

35. Homeopathy Extreme

TREUHERZ, Francis

(AJHM. 99, 3/2006)

By providing an interesting array of anecdotal

tales of personally treated acute and emergency

conditions with Homeopathy, TREUHERZ

illustrates the profound efficacy of Homeopathy in

“extreme” situations.

A person had eaten something and his throat

was closing up, could not speak, could not breathe

well and becoming worse rapidly. Apis 30 relieved

within 30 minutes.

Swelling of body after wasp sting. With Apis

30 recovered rapidly.

A woman appeared out of sea and collapsed on

sand. Arnica was given. She came round and

explained she sat on a quantity of jelly fish and so

blotchy rash on buttocks. Medusa 30. patient

recovered quickly.

Ficus religiosa, stopped the bleeding like

turning off a tap in a person who came to his house

through the glass front door having omitted to open

it first.

Acute episode of Thrombocytopenia – blood

loss was helped immediately by Crotalus horridus.

Latrodectans mactans brought back a man into

consciousness after heart attack.

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14

Ustilago maydis stopped bleeding in less than

one hour in a woman who had been bleeding for 3

weeks.

A toddler with a severe burn in her hand.

Arnica and then Causticum for pain. Her hand was

taped inside a bag filled with bactericidal ointment.

Predictably the wound went septic and during a

high Fever, Pyrogen did the trick. The bag was

removed; external and internal Calendula saved her

from the need for skin grafts.

Patient with Barber’s itch and terrible Spinal

pain after an accident. Hypericum cured.

A perianal Fistula, worse after surgery. Full of

pus. Impotency. Silica released him from his

symptoms and the next operation was cancelled.

An immigrant male patient underwent surgery

thrice for an abscess at the base of spine with

another surgery pending. After Silica and

Tuberculinum he was restored to health.

A patient was coughing blood. He was gay,

HIV + and had chronic Liver disease. Pain left lobe

of liver. Cardus marianus Q.

A small boy with whooping cough, little

sleepy, clutched at his parents. Antimonium

tartaricum produced fast recovery.

A longer serious case.

A patient felt unwell ‘in his tummy’ for a

week. apparently well indicated remedies failed.

Lower abdomen carried on becoming more painful.

∆ burst lower bowel, Septicaemia, Peritonitis. He

was admitted and prescribed IV Metronidazole and

surgery. Patient refused surgery and medication.

The hospital doctors’ reaction was to invoke the

mental health legislation, to detain him against his

will. The patient escaped from hospital and went

home. Took Pyrogenium high potency few doses.

Recovery was helped by careful eating. After

China 200, recovery was rapid. A month later, the

doctors told the diagnosis must have been incorrect.

(The patient was Francis TREUHERZ)

In March 2002, TREUHERZ, had sudden

agonizing pain in back lasted for about 2-3 hrs.

screaming with pain. A colleague suggested

Calcarea carbonica 30 every 15 minutes.

Hospitalized. Pain left as suddenly as it had came.

Then urine was passed into a glass bottle and with

naked eye pieces of stone could be seen.

Calcarea renalis 30 once a day for next 3

months. A cyst in the eyelid of 25 years, became

inflamed. Every year it would fill up with pus, and

after Staphysagria it would burst and drain, but

small hard lump remained.

The eyelid was swollen, painful and red. Apis

30, every four hours, relieved a little. Opthalmic

surgeon, slit the undersurface and popped out some

fragments of stone. Healed with Euphrasia Q and

Staphysagria 200.

Some months later, calcified arthritic nodules

on knuckles had become smaller and no longer

painful.

Mother, in late seventies, had surgery twice

within a short span involving hip. she declined

rapidly. She was in despair. She is thrifty and has

fear of poverty. Psorinum 1M. Felt better and

recovery was sustained.

Father, in early 80s, had an intractable

troublesome cough which was helped by

homeopathic remedy and then relapsed. Company

made him anxious and exacerbated cough. Ambra

grisea. He recovered.

36. A case of Herpes Zoster

NOSSAMAN, Nicholas

(AJHM. 99, 3/2006)

59 year-old Professor with Ulcerative Colitis,

Sclerosing Cholangitis and Interstitial lung disease,

presented with Shingles on his left thorax since 3

days. Pain and number of sores gradually increase.

Pain was worse near spine and ‘needle like’.

Worse at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. Felt tight in his back

and worse from slight touch. Better by lying on

painless side and with heat. Agonizing pain.

Clusters of vesicles along T-5 Dermatome.

Arsenicum album 10M and then in water hourly

while awake. Next day worser. Agg. deep

breathing Amel. by pressure. Agonising pain in

one spot in his back, near his spine. He described it

as a “fist size”, a “grabbing” and burning sensation

aggravated by breathing. Blisters worse from

touch. Zincum metallicum 1M, dry on tongue and

in water every hour over the next 8 hours. Two

days later, Zincum 1M, 3 doses in 90 minutes.

Better. Six hours later worse. Repeated Zincum

1M. 24 hours later, much less pain, 2/3

rds

of sores

crusted. 2 weeks later, pain in residual lesions

formication. Rhus tox. 1M and Mezereum did not

help. Again Zincum 1M. No pain but itching. 6

weeks later Mezereum 30, relieved.

37. A case of chronic Renal Failure

POTDAR, Swapna

(CCR. 14, 3/2007)

73 year-old man of short, thin, built with

yellowish complexion. Pale and withered.

Professor of languages and had composed many

poems but stopped now. Diabetic since 20 years,

Hypertension since 15 years. Both detected on

routine medical check up and had no symptoms as

such. Since few weeks nausea and aversion for

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

15

food. On examination Urea and Creatinine levels

were high. Urea – 220mg/dl; Creatinine 3.9µ/dl.

Renal Doppler suggested diffuse parenchymal

disease. Passes about one liter of Urine per day.

Man of few words. Indifference he had large

collection of books which he donated to a library.

Miasmatic analysis – Psora and Tubercular miasm

initially and Syphilitic miasm now.

The theme of ‘Retention’ is arrived at with his

vast collection of books, reserved nature. This and

his past tryst with verse brought to mind Natrum

and the radical Chloride. So one dose of 2 pellets

of Natrum muriaticum 6x on 12.6.03. [Which

“Proving” or Materia Medica gives these symptoms

and how aunthentic are they? There are several

larger book collectors, stamp collectors etc.; there

are several wealthy people who ‘collect’ money.

Are they all ‘Natrum’? = KSS].

17.7.03: Urea – 136mg/dl; Creatinine – 3.15µ/dl.

He felt more energetic. Felt more interest. SL.

29.9.03: Urea – 166mg/dl; Creatine – 3.9µ/dl. Had

Vertigo. More irritated. He always wanted to

travel. He wanted all the restrictions off. Deep

yellow coated tongue. Natrum phos. 12X.

2 months later, Urea – 97 mg/dl; creatinine

2.2µ/dl.

He needed only half the initial dose of

allopathic medicines.

Lastly Nat. sulph. 30x once and Nux vomica 30

once. He went on well for next 3 years and then

died of Cardiac arrest at 76 year age.

38. A case of Lymphangioma

DEY, M. (CCR. 14, 3/2007)

3 months old baby with painless, soft swelling

on right side of neck. Observed from 3

rd

day of

birth. Gradually growing.

29.11.06 Thuja 200/2 doses.

13.12.06 No change.

Mother having Otorrhoea and feeding

the baby. Thuja 200/2 doses for her.

3.1.07 No change

7.4.07 No trace of the lump.

Otorrhoea of mother also improved

treatment discontinued.

[A straight, simply presented case. Good. But why

two doses? What justification! = KSS]

39. Pediatric cases

RUPNAWAR V., Vinayak

(CCR. 14, 3/2007)

1. Necrotising Enterocolitis

35 week old baby with Necrotising

Enterocolitis with poor prognosis. Hot head and

cold limbs, ecchymotic patches on flexor aspect,

dark bloody offensive stool, vomiting of brownish

red blood and distension of abdomen with

tenderness. Arnica 30, frequent repetition.

Responded within 2 days, all complaints

disappeared within 10-15 days. [Was Arnica 30

continued for the entire 10-15 days? In case

Reports there should be no vagueness; what is

‘frequent repetition’? Every hour or still less, or 2

hrs. etc.; as far as possible the cases may not be

‘anecdotal’. = KSS]

2. Ascaris Lumbricoides

3½-year-old male child admitted for pain

abdomen and constipation since 10 days. USG -

suggestive of large number of Ascaris lumbricoides

worms in small intestine. After Anti helminthic

tablet and enema – only one worm passed out.

White spots on cheeks and hands abdominal

distention and tenderness. Grinding of teeth.

strains to pass stools. Cina 200, o.d. for 4 days.

Teucrium 200 4 doses, 4 hrly the next day. Passed

stools with worms and sticky mucus. No

distension. Passed many worms and mucus the

next day and then no complaint.

3. Haemorrhagic disease of the new born.

Four-day-old baby with severe bleeding for

around four hours was crying a lot, had

haematemesis. 6 episodes of vomiting and 2

bloody motions. Cold extremities, white, pale skin;

already received 50cc blood. Phosphorus 30/2

drops. Within 3 hours normal stools.

40. Case of Interstitial Lung Disease

MISTRY D.E. (CCR. 14, 3/2007)

Mrs. ST. 73, with Hypertension since 15 years

and cough since 15 months. Dry cough with sticky

expectoration, > lying on sides. Pain right shoulder

since 8 days. CT Scan – s/o Interstitial Lung

Disease.

Hysterectomy at 38 years, Cataract operated at

58 years. Grief with the death of daughter, husband

and sister. Rubrics – Anger on contradiction, Grief,

Fastidious, Fear – water, company – desire, Greedy

– avarice, Anxiety about family. Breathing

difficulty after exertion.

Puls. –19/8, Lyc. 19/8.

19.6.04.1 Aspidosperma 6c q.i.d. to be

continued lifelong

19.10.04 Cough better by 90% with better

shoulder movements.

Breathlessness better by 90%. 3

doses of Lycopodium 30.

12.11.04 ESR – 95mm/hr. Bacillinum 30.

Lycopodium 30 monthly once.

19.4.05 Crataegus Q, 5 drops tds

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

16

12.7.05 Lycopodium 200.

22.11.05 Metallic bridges of teeth were

replaced by ceramic one

4.5.06 Lycopodium 200

Died in sleep on 10.1.07.

41. A case of Nephrotic Syndrome

MISTRY, D.E. (CCR. 14, 3/2007)

Ms. SMS 14 years diagnosed as Nephrotic

Syndrome. Irregular menses. since menarche

intermittent bout of nausea and vomiting, scanty

urine, swelling in face and lower limbs. calm,

quite, consolation > while weeping. Urine –

Albumin +++

Over a period of 1½ years Pulsatilla 6c,

Berberis vulgaris Q, Equisitum Q, Apocynum Q,

Apis 30, 200, M, Thuja 30, 200, M. relieved her

and the lab findings were normal.

Chelidonium 30 tds for yellowish discoloration

of sclera, enlarged and tender liver.

42. Cocculus indicus cases

MANN, A.S. (CCR. 14, 3/2007)

Ten cases of Cocculus indicus treated by

Dr.A.S.MANN, based on Dr.M.L. SEHGAL’s

method are given. In all the cases one symptom

prominent was that the patient was mild, never

showed anger, does not want to displease anyone

etc.

43. Rhus tox, Pulsatilla and Belladonna

SINGH, Neelam Avatar

(CCR. 14, 3/2007)

SV, 40 years, chemist, inco-ordination of knee

while walking. Unable to walk fast or stand long.

H/o fall, 12 years ago. MRI – Erosive changes of

subarticular cyst close to tibial spine. Problem

recurs once in a while. Fear of suffering again.

Fear he may also suffer depression like his father.

Rhus tox M. 4 months later. No problem on

standing long or walking long.

Uterine Fibroid – Pulsatilla.

39 year-old-lady with Fibroid uterus since

2004. Excessive bleeding during menses; frequent

Headache in the morning and frequent urination.

Anxiety for everything. Weeps easily and

consolation makes her better. Heel pain > by

continued motion. Calcarea carb. in various

potencies did not help. Fear of being neglected and

being alone. Pulsatilla 30, one dose and then in

next 6 months upto 1M. USG. No Fibroid.

Belladonna case

42 years, woman, with leucorrhoea, pain and

heaviness in lower abdomen. Erosion Cervix. Lot

of anxiety, but only to know what is wrong with

USG. Based on laughing, frivolous and light

desire. Belladonna 30, one dose. Much better after

a week.

44. Renal Cure

MEHER, Subash (CCR. 14, 3/2007)

10 year-old boy; Oedema and Hypertension;

USG; Urine Albumin +., Urea 38, RBCs 9-10 hpf;

pus cells 2-3 hpf; Acute Nephritis. Took herbal

medicines and was free from problems for an year

and a half. Then Mumps; Urine Alb. +++. Blood

Urea: 64 – allopathic medicine. Parents unwilling

to do Biopsy. So opted for Homeopathy.

2.7.2004: Puffiness of face, nausea, poor appetite,

poor thirst, pain tendo-achilles. Pulsatilla 30 on

first day, next day Thuja 200c, from next day

Ferrum phos 6x. For intervening fever, etc. Aconite

30; continued with Pulsatilla 30,200. as on

25.1.2008: still under care of Dr.MEHER; Doing

well.

45. Fertility success using Homeopathy and the

Vannier Method.

LALOR Liz (HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

Infertility is becoming an ever-increasing

problem in modern-day society. This fertility

programme uses homeopathic treatment based on

the Leon Vannier system, using lesional and

drainage remedies to clear toxicity of pathways.

The method was devised to treat women before or

after they had tried In Vitro Fertilisation

Programmes [IVF] with the belief that

Homeopathy should be tried first for infertility, not

second, as a detox from the IVF hormonal drugs.

This programme has been a statistical success –

since writing the article there are now 44 babies

from 54 women with infertility problems.

Fertility Programme

H/o PCOD or of miscarriage – one dose of

Syphilinum 200 or Carcinosin 200 based on the

individual miasmatic history. Folliculinum 200 on

day 10 of menstrual cycle – as a drainage remedy to

stimulate ovulation.

Thuja 200 or Medoirrhinum 200 on Day 14 –

as a miasmatic remedy.

e.g. Thuja 200 if menses were scanty or patient

with ovarian polyp. Medorrhinum if the mucus

were compromised by candida also from Oral

Contraceptive Pills (OCP).

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

17

Natrum muriaticum 200 one dose/week to

improve the poor quality mucus membrane of

vagina.

Borax 30 one dose/day in morning. It helps

estradiol absorb.

Sepia 6c 1 dose 1 day at night to deal with

suppression of sexual energy from the OCP.

Pulsatilla 30 1 dose/day in the morning – if

there was a h/o miscarriage.

Herbal support and nutritional support is also

included in the programme. Counselling and Diet

are also included.

46. Haliaeethus leucocephalus The North

American Bald Eagle

A case of Multiple Sclerosis. COFFEY, Shiva;

SCHADDE, Anne

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

22-year-old male, presented with extreme

weakness, face droopy by the left corner of the

mouth. Long hairs oily and dirty. Eyes bright and

energetic. Urine and bowel incontinence, losing

vision in left eye, loss of control on the right side of

body. Lumbar pain, skin, breaks out in red, small

pimples. Worse with excessive exercise. He feels

‘wounded’. Fear of Spiders. Desire to jump from

heights. “I feel like a feather in the wind’.

The search in the Reference Works showed

Haliaeethus leucocephalus. A dose of 30c.

3 months later: Gained weight, firm hand

shake. No incontinence. No

droop.

2 months later: Sensation as if hands are

burned. Tightness of skin.

Haliaeethus 200.

2 months later: ‘Unclear’ emotionally. Feels

coming back of physical

symptoms: Haliaeethus LM 1

daily

3 days later: <. Stop remedy.

3 days later: Still worse Haliaeethus 200.

7 days later: Felt stronger. Sounded

positive.

Mental state of floating cured.

No relapse afterwards.

[The reasoning given for the choice of the

remedy: The patient said that he felt like “a feather

in the wind”. And Prover No.20 in Jeremy

SHERR’s Provings had said “My hair felt like

feathers in the Wind”; and the authors seem to fit

the remedy to the patient. That the patient

improved is there. But there is nothing that I can

learn from these case reports. I have to learn to

fantasise. What if a patient had told that he felt like

“a straw in the wind”. = KSS].

47. I want to be at the Top of the Food chain

A case of Galeocerdo cuvier hepar-Tiger-

shark liver

SHARFSTEIN, Catherine

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

38 Year-old, male, air-conditioning mechanic.

With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in 1996. Had

bone marrow transplant and suffered reaction to it.

Bronchiolitis. Air trapping. Weakness of legs and

back. Worries about dying. Dreams about dying

and shark. He explains the shark as a symbol of

power and longevity. I want to be the Shark.

The feelings of being at mercy of employees,

being abused, of being very competitive leads to

animal kingdom. The words used “Watergate” and

“tailspin” indicates a animal related to water and it

has a tail. The dream of Shark gave the remedy on

a platter.

Galeocerda LM 3. Patient expectorated lot of

phlegm from his lungs. He takes a teaspoon when

needed, about once in 5-7 days.

Follow up: Gained 8 pounds. Able to run

without getting winded. Relying on employees less

and less. No more disturbing dreams. He has

expanded his business. Occasionally takes

Galeocerdo 200. [Every practitioner swears by

HAHNEMANN. In these novel methodologies the

doctor keeps on putting questions and in a way

corners the patient. In this case the patient said at

last that he felt that he was being held down. “May

be I want to be a shark” he says. And so the shark

remedy! Where are you? Father HAHNEMANN?

You went to great risks and exposed your family

members and friends by experimenting drugs on

them. You collected so much data carefully. You

laid down. Your observations that the last

appearing symptom will be the first to go, that the

peculiar, rare symptoms is the key to the remedy

that there is a miasm at the base of all chronic

diseases; that there should exteriorization of the

internal disease, etc. but see, how much more

intelligent we are. For us it is so simple that if a

patient said that he felt like feather in the wind, we

give him a feather remedy; if he dreams of Shark

we give him a remedy made from the Shark and so

on. Bye to your Organon, Materia Medica etc.

and also those of your followers like HERING,

BOENNINGHAUSEN, etc. = KSS]

48. Using Acute Intercurrent or Intermediate

Remedies in Chronic Diseases

SCHEPPER Luc De

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

18

Modern homeopaths no longer understand

how to use an acute intercurrent remedy. Many

homeopaths always try to find one “constitutional”

remedy that goes throughout the chronic case

history, and apply this one remedy no matter what

disease state arises. This article explains why this

strategy rarely works. The author discusses when

and where to use acute intercurrent remedies and

how they are essential for the chronic treatment.

Knowledge of HAHNEMANN’s teachings is in

these matters the only guide!

This article is an excerpt from the book

“Achieving and Maintaining The Simillimum:

Strategic case Management for successful

Homeopathic Prescribing.”

49. Diamond Immersion, Depression and Suicide

Part 1 of a 3-Part series

TUMMINELLO, Peter

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

Diamond immersion is a homeopathic

preparation by immersing a whole Diamond crystal

in water and potentising that water.

Case: 40 year-old mother of 4 children. 10 years

of homeopathic treatment from various

practitioners with consistent results. Pain in right

back medial to her scapula. Worse at night,

blocked sinuses on waking. Yellow mucus from

nose. Desires spicy food, craving for white

chocolate. Unhappy and joyless for no reason.

Bleeding heavily during periods since 2 years.

Diamond immersion 200 daily for 3 days.

8 weeks later: Physically and mentally well. No

depressive mood. Not touched white Chocolate.

Desire for spicy food disappeared.

Blocked Sinuses cleared immediately. Heavy

bleeding never returned. Neck pain cured. To take

Diamond immersion as required.

Ten weeks later: Repeated twice during black days.

20 weeks later: No relapse.

Case: 45 year-old lady, divorced and remarried.

Feels as though she has lost her child. Feels lonely,

inept and low confidence. Irritable. No control

over self. Hands are swollen, feels trapped. Hates

herself. Has a sleep problem. Wakes up tired.

Eats two blocks of Chocolate/day. Violent dreams.

Diamond immersion 30, daily for 3 days.

The feeling of grief is gone. Sense of failure is

also gone. Confidence returns. Sleep normal.

Desire for chocolate disappeared.

50. A pathological case of Varicose Ulcer

SHETYE, Prasad & KHARIWALA, Falguni

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

52 year-old female with painful Varicose Ulcer

on right leg. Non-healing ulcer after an injury since

1990. < by first motion, change of position; severe

burning. Itching around the ulcer. Hysterectomy at

39 years. Had bleeding Piles. Cervical

Spondylosis with pain right side of body.

quarrelsome, jealous, selfish, censorious. Hasty

speech. Lachesis 200 in June ’98. She started

feeling better. Her ulcer started healing and shrank

in size. In May 2000 her past problem of bleeding

Piles recurred and subsided in a week. Medicine

was repeated infrequently in deviated doses. By

November 2000 her ulcer had healed completely.

[Why is this article titled as “A pathological case of

Varicose Ulcer”? A Varicose Ulcer is a pathology

of course. There is no ‘Psychological Varicose

Ulcer’ = KSS]

51. Baryta in Intelligent Adults

TREE, Jenni (HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

Wendy, aged 60, with Bronchiectasis and

Aspergillosis for forty years; coughs blood. Thick,

green, foul tasting phlegm. Allergies to fish.

Eczema with skin cracks on hands, hang nails. Her

mental symptoms are analysed and Baryta

arsenicosa is arrived at and 200

th

potency in

plussed doses until LM1 could be obtained. A

pleasing result in the 2 years follow-up.

[Repertorisation of 20 rubrics(!) gave Baryta

carbonica (in the mental state) and Arsenicum (in

the physical state. So Baryta Arsenicosa was

given! A synthetic remedy = KSS].

Case 2: Audrey, 72 years, with Osteo and

Inflammatory Arthritis in knees, Spine, wrists and

neck for fifteen years. Arthroscopies b/l.

Unsuccessful replacement of knee joint in 1996.

Emotional stress and depression. Sharp pain in

knee, worse when flexed. Better pressure bandage.

Wrists are agonisingly painful. Fear to be alone,

Psoriasis in my ears. Husband left nine years ago.

Misses him. Need of support. Affection of glands,

tonsillitis, TB, colitis and constipation in the past.

Baryta carbonica LM 1 one drop t.d.s.

Three weeks later: Much better. No pain in knee.

Walking better Baryta

carbonica LM 2.

Two months later: Cervical Spondylitis

completely gone. Wrist

still painful. LM 3 & LM

4.

Two months later: Knees lot better. Not

sleeping well. Anxious

about her daughter’s

health. Baryta arsenicosa

200.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

19

Two months later: Sleep improved. Baryta

arsenicosa LM 2-6. over a

year. X-rays revealed

improvement in Osteo and

inflammatory Arthritis.

She now told her birth had

been terrible. Her mother

was small, the patient was

big and tore the mother.

She was in bed for 3

months. Staphysagria.

Six moths later: Everything is fine.

52. Kreosotum, an Adult Male

Case with 12 year follow-up

SCHEEPERS, Léon

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

Eric, born 1954, with dryness of skin on back

of hands since 1991. Itching more in the evening.

Backache since 1980. Restless mind and sensitive

to all influences. Fear of failure; of high places.

Lot of plans. Divorced in 1986. Fear of pain,

injections. Desires alcohol, sweets and salt.

Earning money is important. Impatient. Likes

grandeur. Sulphur 200.

6 weeks later: Eczema completely gone.

Placebo.

8 weeks later: No change. Herpes on lips.

Indecision over trifles. Unable to

satisfy himself. Caries teeth since

childhood. Kresotum 200.

8 months later: Eruption again since a week.

Kreosotum 200.

6 months later: Kresotum 200.

4 months later: Fear of failure, Insecurity and

Anticipation. Dysenteric co 200.

Over the next years remedy repeated as and

when required. An intercurrent dose of

Carcinosinum adeno mammae 200 was also given.

A fairly long, well-documented article.

53. Night watching

A renewed view of Lost Homeopathic

Vocabulary

GRIMES, Melanie

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

The author calls for a review of the remedies

under the rubric “night watching”

The original meaning of the rubric “Night

watching” in the 19

th

Century and before is waking

in the middle of sleep for 1-2 hours; in those days

one went to sleep early and after few hours woke

up and remained so far an hour so and then went

back to sleep. Thus the first sleep and second sleep

between the first and second sleep is night

watching.

Merely keeping awake for long is not night

watching. We must study the Proving and source

Materia Medica relating to the remedies in the

rubric.

54. LM or Q Potencies

Review of Their Use Over a Fifteen – year

Period

U.C.ADLER, A.T.CESAR, M.S., ADLER, A,

ALVES, E.N. GAROZZO, W.M.P.

GALHARDI, A.E. PADULA, I.C. SOUZA,

BRAZIL

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

São Paulo, July 1989: Five homeopathic

doctor colleagues initiated a revision of

Hahnemann’s work. The sixth edition of Organon

was used as a systematic structural base to which

principles that were in concurrence from Materia

Medica Pura, Chronic Diseases and Lesser

Writings were added. This standardization soon

reached the Pharmacy, in a permanent search for

the best-quality LM preparations. Jundiaí, 2003:

after fifteen years of clinical and pharmaceutical

development, a multidisciplinary team of

collaborators launched the first course in

Specialization of Homeopathy offered by a

Medical School in the State of Sao Paulo, the

Jundiaí Faculty of Medicine where Hahnemann’s

most perfected method has been shown to be an

effective and safe therapeutic method, simple to

apply and teach, due to its easily comprehensible

principles.

Case by Mariostela S. ADLER.

Female born in 1992 with generalized Eczema

with unbearable pruritus since 1997. Scratches

until bleeding without relief at night. Since 1998

fortnightly Asthma crisis. Wakes up with

nightmares. Screams, weepy, depressed phases.

From April 2001 and March 2003 the patient was

treated with forty potencies of Sulphur from LM1

to 40 receiving on a daily basis one drop.

No signs of cutaneous pruritus, pain, burning

or flaking. The warts on soles disappeared.

55. Can you hear what I cannot tell you?

Accompanying children in crisis with

Homeopathy

SCHULZ, Elisabeth

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

20

The child’s soul is confronted early in life

through difficult family situations and divorces

with abandonment, fear, helplessness, anger and

sadness. Aethusa cyanapium, Antimonium

tartaricum, Cicuta virosa and Bufo rana are

important remedies to support children in such

crises.

The article is very interesting, and comes from

a well and experienced practitioner who has been

working for over 32 years with sick children.

56. My Black Inside

A case of Falco Peregrinus Disciplinatus

LEFEVRE, Bert (HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

This case is an example of Rajan

SANKARAN’s new way of case taking, where the

level of the vital sensation is explored to find the

similimum.

14 year-old Iris, with Bulimia and post

prandial vomiting (Name: Level 1). Inflicted

injuries on herself with burning cigarettes and even

cut her hand (facts: Level 2).

Others say she must watch her weight. This

‘hurts her; she feels sad if she does not vomit.

(emotion: Level 3). Sadness is felt as if stuck in a

cage (delusion: Level 4). It is a gripping feeling

(sensation: Level 5).

Dreams of herself being ugly, disgusting and

felt forsaken. Recurrent dream with a crushing

feeling totally black.

Animal kingdom and Leprosy Miasm. Falco

peregrinus disciplinatus 200.

2 weeks later, black feeling and dark sensation

completely gone. After a month – feels good. No

vomiting.

In the next one year, a dose of 200, and two of

M when there was relapse.

[I have no access to the ‘Proving’ (if already

proved) of Falcon peregrinus. As I suspected there

is ‘signature’ in this remedy selection. The author

says at the end: for a long time I had been brooding

over this case and was looking for an animal

remedy that strongly had the feeling of being forced

and at the same time had a strong urge for freedom.

The black cape that came over the head of the

Falcon made me think of the falcon and then the

picture became complete.

Is it not the nature of all creatures to want to be

free and not wanting to be forced? But man

enslaves all creatures and force them to work for

him. And every one of these creatures would like

to run away to freedom. Unfortunately man ‘trains’

these creatures to submit. Even the falcon which

sails thro’ the skies high and freely has been trained

to come to its owner/trainer = KSS.]

58. Chorioretinitis

POTDAR, Swapna

(CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

51 year-old, male with blurring of vision of left

eye inspite of correct spectacles. Orbital

sonography revealed post-inflammatory chorio-

retinal thickening with floating bands in the

posterior vitreous chamber.

Diphtheria at 5 years of age. Quarrelsome.

Impulsive. Hair splitting analysis of everything.

‘wild’ face and wild talk. Calcarea phos. CM on

8.11.2004. 15 days later he was looking calmer,

more ‘tame’. He was able to see clearly even in

dim light.

Orbital Sonography, a month later showed

significant improvement in chorio-retinal swelling

with regression of floating bands.

59. A case of Hepatoblastoma

MISTRY, D.E. (CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

Male child, DAB, 10 months old, brought with

massive abdominal swelling. Recurrent cough and

fever since 6 months. Flatulent problem from the

age of one month.

USG and Biopsy revealed Hepatoblastoma.

Less appetite, thermally hot, prefers to sleep on

right side. Bellis perennis 12 b.d. for 8 days. Then

Chelidonium Q; Antimonium tartaricum for rattling

cough; Baig’s Nosode No.1 as the distension

increased.

Then Chelidonium 200 in morning and Natrum

sulphuricum 200 at night. Then Baig’s Nosode

No.1 & Chelidonium Q. Two months later, child

was active. No complaints. Sadness in his eyes.

Ignatia 200. Four days later, child passed away in

sleep. It was an incurable case from the beginning.

60. Febrile convulsion

CHITALE, Neeta

(CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

ST, 3½ year-old-male child with maculo

papular eruptions with itching and fits of anger and

obstinacy since 29.7.2004. He was given Calcarea

ost.30, 200 with intercurrent doses of Tuberculinum

and Sulphur.

On 5.7.2006 pain abdomen before stools with

sticky, semisolid offensive stools since 10 days.

Merc. sol.30, 2 doses. On 12.7.2006 relapse. Merc.

sol. 30, 4 doses b.d. Relapse again from 15.7.2006.

Merc. sol. 200 on 19.7.2006. Febrile convulsions.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

21

Belladonna did not help. Opium 200 brought him

out of deep sleep within two minutes. But fever

persisted and he was again sleeping. Opium 1M.

In the evening trembling of extremities during

fever. Cuprum metallicum 200. Next morning,

looked fresh, fever came down. Ferrum phos. 6x

and Mag. phos. 6x for 3 days.

61. A case of Breast Cancer

MISTRY, D.E. (CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

56 year-old lady with three surgeries for Ca.

breast and six cycles of Chemotherapy and 28

sittings of Radiotherapy. Several homeopathic

remedies were given as indicated over a period of

two years which relieved her until she passed away.

62. Cases of Gluten Allergy and some other cured

cases.

SINGH, Neelam Avtar

(CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

1. Girl aged 23 years with Gluten Allergy. Since

childhood intake of wheat results in severe

stomachache with nausea, vomiting and loose

motions. No > from any treatment so far. She is

depressed. Much anger. Worry about future

because of this. Avaricious. Wants to be alone.

Natrum carbonicum 30 was given. Her mother told

that during her pregnancy, father was wrongly

convicted and she felt as if she had no place in

society.

15 days later: felt better. Placebo. A month

later was told to have Chapathi and had no

problem. Natrum carb. 200. Even after 8 months

no problem with daily intake of wheat.

2. Girl aged 8 years with Gluten Allergy since 1½

years of age. Pain abdomen with loss of appetite

and loose stool. Face becomes pale and eyes sunken

and complexion becomes black. She is intelligent,

mischievous, fear of dark, fear of being alone and

fear of noises. Very sensitive and lot of sympathy

towards suffering people. Desires ice cold things

and shares her things. Phosphorus 30. In the next

5 months, gradual intake of wheat did not < and is

able to tolerate well.

63. A case of Prostate Cancer

DEY, M. (CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

Mr. D.S., 70 years with frequent, ineffectual

but urgent urge for urine. Worse night. Burning

anus for an hour after stool. Stool 2-3 times daily.

Adenocarcinoma of prostate. Ichthyosis from early

life. Lies on left side. Chilly. Worse in rainy

season. Vaccinosis.

Thuja occidentalis 0/1. As there was

improvement, he was given 0/3, 0/5, & 0/7. No

further changes. Sabal serulata Q 5 drops tds x 7

days. Better. Then Thuja 0/9, 0/11, 0/13, 0/15,

0/17, 0/19 & 0/21. After this the patient is well

with no complaints. In spite of repeated urging to

undergo a Biopsy again to confirm the cure of the

Adenocarcinoma, the patient refuses to undergo

since he is ‘well’.

64. A cure for Diabetes?

MEHANDALE, Bal

(CCR. 1 &2/2007)

69 year-old MEHANDALE, is Diabetic since

30 years. By-pass surgery 10 years ago. Blocks in

all arteries of lower limbs. Glaucoma with very

poor vision. He being an avid reader of

Homeopathy books, took one dose of

Pancreatinum 30. Sugar level came down by 25

points. He replaced his evening Insulin with 2

doses of Pan. 30 and next day his fasting sugar

levels were normal. So he is continuing that. After

a week of medicine, sugar levels are normal in the

next one week. He had similar results with his

close acquaintances.

He requests this study be conducted by

Homeopathic Colleges or Hospitals.

65. Cases of Chronic Renal Failure

SHINDE Prakash (CCR. 1 & 2/2007)

Dr. SHINDE has reported five cases of

Chronic Renal Failures treated with one or 3-4

doses. One homeopathic medicine, and patient is

on the mood to recovery; follow-up of few months

are given. Good work.

--------------------------------------------------------------

IV. REPERTORY

1. Clemens von Bönninghausens

“Systematisch-alphabetisches Repertorium”

(Clemens von BÖNNINGHAUSENs

“Systematic-Alphabetical Repertory”

PLATE UWE (NAH. 2,1 & 2/2007)

Clemens von BENNINGHAUSEN worked

out the first Repertory which systematised the

understanding of the symptoms, categorized and

graded them. So far neither the structure of the

Repertory nor the significance of the ‘grade’ has

been understood. Its wrong interpretation, as it

until today is – as partly characterizing – “value”-

Grade lead to think right from 1833 as a broadening

simplification of the homeopathic methodology

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

22

removed from the study of Materia Medica and

the sure selection of a remedy.

The first part of this article is - as noted from the

correspondence between Samuel HAHNEMANN

and BÖNNINGHAUSEN - regarding the history of

origin of the Repertory and the second part

discusses the misunderstanding until now of the

structure and rationale of this work.

2. The First Repertory

Bönninghausen’s Model for our Profession

DIMITRIADIS George

(AJHM. 99, 4/2006)

The form of the Repertory as we know it for

the most part has its antecedents in

Bönninghausen’s Systematic Alphabetic

Repertory of Homeopathic Medicines. Our own

research in this area has provided some insight into

the process of repertography developed by

BÖNNINGHAUSEN, and the ramifications on our

modern-day reportorial derivatives whose lineage is

traced to this original work.

3. The Reliability of Our Repertory

WINSTON Julian

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

WINSTON refers to the rubric ‘Crawling’,

under Larynx and Trachea – p.747 of Kent’s

Repertory. The remedies in bold are Conium

maculatum, Kali carbonicum and Natrum

muriaticum. The sources for these remedies are

searched for in the Provings.

For Conium, the symptom is in Hahnemann’s

Chronic Diseases, Symptom No.530. The word

‘kribbeln’ is wrongly translated as ‘tingling’,

instead of crawling.

For Kali carbonicum, the source is traced to

Chronic Diseases, Symptom No.962.

For Natrum muriaticum the reference is from

Chronic Diseases. Again the word is mistranslated

as tingles instead of ‘crawling’.

There is discrepancy in the grading of Natrum

muriaticum in the first 3 editions of Kent’s

Repertory.

The accuracy of Kent’s evaluation and the

translation of Chronic Diseases is called into

question based on the above facts.

[How many among us study the Repertory vis-a-vis

Materia Medica Provings, in this manner? It would

certainly enrich us, if we study so. We will then

know the grain and the tare = KSS]

--------------------------------------------------------------

V. VETERINARY

1. Clinical Management of Idiopathic Epilepsy in

Dogs with Homeopathic

Belladonna 200 c: a Case Series

VARSHNEY, J.P.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 1/2007)

Epilepsy is an important neurological disorder

in dogs. Belladonna 200c was evaluated in 10 dogs

with idiopathic Epilepsy. During the seizure phase,

3-4 drops of Belladona 200 were administered

orally at 15 min. intervals until considerable

reduction in seizure activity, then four times daily.

Four dogs with head shaking syndrome in addition

to seizures were given Cocculus 6c, 3-4 drops

orally weekly for 3 months in addition. Numbers

of fits reduced to 2-3 during first weeks post-

therapy and then became occasional in next 2

weeks. With continuation of Belladonna therapy,

no fits within 15-25 days of cessation of therapy.

Belladonna therapy was resumed and seizure

control was again achieved. Owners were advised

to continue the therapy at least twice daily until

there were no fits for 2-3 months. Liver specific

enzymes were monitored, no abnormalities were

observed.

2. Homeopathic Treatment for Infertility in a

Prize Nellore Bull

LOBREIRO, J.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 1/2007)

Treatments for infertility in Bulls are not

described in homeopathic literature. A few

treatments, such as changing the Protein content of

the diet, giving extra minerals, etc., have been

proposed. This case report describes homeopathic

treatment for Infertility in a prize bull. A Nellore

bull, considered infertile for three years, was treated

with homeopathic Pulsatilla nigricans 200 cH.

Decreased total sperm defects, increased sperm

motility and a very impressive increased number of

doses of semen produced were observed. The bull

relapsed after treatment was withdrawn, but again

responded when it was resumed. Since only one

animal was observed one cannot assume that the

observed changes were due only to this treatment.

Further studies may establish the real benefits of a

homeopathic medicine in bull infertility.

3.

Clinical Management of Babesiosis in Dogs

with homeopathic Crotalus horridus 200 c.

CHAUDHURI,S., & VARSHNEY JP.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96,2/2007)

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23

Homeopathic Crotalus horridus 200c was

evaluated in 13 clinical cases of Babesiosis in dogs,

compared with another 20 clinical cases treated

with Diminazine. Babbesiosis is an important

tropical tick-borne haemoprotozoan disease in dogs

clinically manifested by Anorexia, Dehydration,

Temperature, Dullness/ Depression,

Diarrhoea/Constipation, pale mucosa,

Hepatomegaly, vomiting/nausea, Splenomegaly,

distended abdomen/Ascites, yellow-colored Urine,

emaciation/weight-loss, and ocular discharge. The

diagnosis of Babesiosis was based on cytological

evidence of Babesia gibsoni in freshly prepared

blood smears. The dogs were treated with oral

Crotalus horridus 200 c, 4 pills four times daily for

14 days (n = 13) or Diminazine aceturate 5 mg/kg

single intramuscularly dose (n = 20) All the dogs

were administered 5% Dextrose normal saline at 60

ml/kg intra-venously for 4 days.

Initial clinical scores were similar in both

groups and showed similar progressive

improvement with the two treatments over 14 days.

Parasitaemia also improved in both groups, but

haematological values showed no change.

No untoward reactions were observed. It

appears that Crotalus horridus is as effective in

causing clinical recovery in moderate cases of

Canine Babesiosis caused by Babesia gibsoni as the

standard drug Diminazine. Large scale randomized

trials are indicated for more conclusive results.

[Always at the end is the rub. The results say that

the homeopathic potency 200 of Crotalus horridus

has cured Babesiosis. All that is required for a

homeopathic physician is to administer the

medicine in more cases of this disease if it occurs.

Collect the cases and see; why a “large-scale

randomized trials”? Foisting a method which is not

well-suited for homeopathic research is improper.

Homeopathy should not let it be judged by

allopathic or other so-called “scientific” standards.

If it is not taken for what it actually is, let it be so.

Still Homeopathy will continue to cure, and that’s

all that matters. = KSS]

4. Management of Gastroenteritis in Pups: A

Comparative Clinical Study

VARSHNEY, J.P. (AJHM. 99, 4/2006)

Gastroenteritis is a common clinical entity in

pups. In poorly managed, unvaccinated pups it is a

common clinical manifestation of canine Parvo or

Distemper virus infection. The present study was

conducted to assess the efficacy of Arsenicum

album 30c as a complementary and alternative

medicine in the management of Viral

Gastroenteritis in pups.

Twenty pups, aged two to four months,

brought to Referral Veterinary Polyclinic of the

Institute with clinical manifestations of vomiting

just after eating or drinking, anorexia, loose, watery

feces mixed with mucus and/or blood, dehydration,

cold extremities, almost normal/slightly subnormal

rectal temperature (98.8 to 101degrees F), dullness,

weakness, prostration, and no detectable cardiac

changes, were included in the study.

Epidemiological considerations – clinical signs of

vomiting and loose, watery feces with or without

mucus and/or blood, marked leukopenia due to

lymphopenia – were suggestive of Canine Viral

Gastroenteritis.

The pups were divided into two groups

consisting of ten pups in each group. Pups of

Group A were treated with Ringer’s lactate (60ml

per Kg body weight, I.V., b.i.d. for 3 days) and

Arsenicum album 30c at the dose rate of 4 pills PO

at thirty minute intervals x 2 and then q.i.d. for 3

days). Pups of Group B were treated with Ringer’s

lactate (60ml/per kg body weight, I.V., b.i.d. for 3

days), Ondansetron (0.5-1.0 mg per kg body

weight, IV first dose, then PO, b.i.d. for 3 days), a

suspension of Metronidazole (100mg per 5ml) and

Furazolidone (25mg per 5ml) at half to one

teaspoonful PO, t.i.d. for 3 days) and Cefotaxime

(30mg/kg body weight 1M t.i.d. for 3 days).

Clinical response and recovery rate (Group A

80.0%, Group B 80.0%) in both the groups was

comparable. Total cost of treatment in Group A

was lower (Rs.35 to 40) than that of Group B

(Rs.275 to 280).

From the preliminary clinical trial it appears

that Arsenicum album was cost-effective as a

complementary and alternative approach in the

management of Gastroenteritis in pups.

5. A case of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a

Dog

OBANDO, Jacqueline Sehn

(HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005)

Hank, 17 months old Labrador Retriever with

chronic loose, watery stools, halitosis, offensive

flatus, pica, poor appetite and emaciated body

condition .

From 9.4.02, his medications were tapered and

stopped on 19.4.02 and put on gluten-free diet. In

10 days energy levels improved and gained weight

Mercurius vivus 30 on 22.4.02.

30.4.02: Flatulence gone, breath much better, stools

are much firmer and are large.

25.5.02: From 10/5, scratching around his neck.

Large flaky dandruff and shedding lot of hair.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

24

Appetite is great. Stools remain formed. Add new

elements to diet.

No further improvement. Sulphur 200.

18.6.02: Lycopodium 1M.

8.7.02: Itching subsided, hair grown back. No

diarrhoea.

21.8.02: Diarrhoea since 4 days. Lycopodium 1M.

13.1.03: Watery spurting diarrhoea. Lycopodium

10M.

4.4.03: Diarrhoea after Pasta. Lycopodium 50M.

29.11.03: He continues to do well.

7. Veterinary cases

MISTRY, D.E. (CCR. 14, 1 & 2/2007)

1. Dog Rocky, 3 years with gross hair fall,

nates with redness and itching on that part small

wound in that part. Sulphur 200. Wound healed

and itching less.

2. Softy, female dog, 8 years with vomiting

once and blood-stained stool thrice, after eating

chicken liver. Drinks ice cold water. Reduced

appetite. Affectionate. Phosphorus 200. Alright

within 24 hours.

3. A cow from one farm was transported to

another farm in vehicle and since then refused its

usual feed. On the surmise of travel trauma Arnica

1M and the cow started to eat.

4. Two cows had fever, reduced appetite.

Ferrum phos.30 4 doses. A week later Gelsemium

30 for some weakness remaining.

5. A cow, 3 year-old was becoming weak and

emaciated since a month. Violent, aggressive. Nux

vomica 200, 3 doses 12 hourly. Started eating

better than before and at times aggressive. Nux

vomica M one dose and reports said that the cow

has calmed down.

6. 5 year-old female dog became ill after

eating too many bones on a party day. Offensive

vomitus. Antibiotics precipitated diarrhoea. Lasted

3 weeks Dog became skin and bones, not thirsty.

Nux vom. 1M. Vomiting and Diarrhoea stopped

within 24 hours. 7 days later, still thirstless and hot

and suspicious. Apis 200 4 doses. Completely

recovered.

--------------------------------------------------------------

VI. RESEARCH

1. Prover Susceptibility and the Ascending

Dose

MUELLER Manfred (AH. 12/2006)

“Did randomized, placebo-controlled trials

disprove the homeopathic Proving Hypothesis?”

Over the past decades scientists and medical

researchers have used sophisticated research

methodologies in order to prove or disprove the

efficacy of Homeopathy. In applying modern

quantitative methodology to the testing of

potentized remedies, these researches have

sacrificed several vital aspects of the original

Proving protocol that negatively affected the

outcome of their investigations. They fail to take

into consideration (a) the susceptibility of the

provers (b) the need to increase the dose

systematically until symptoms develop.

The author reviews the premise and results of

nine pathogenetic trials and concludes that the

sophistication of the methodology used in

investigating alternative systems is sometimes

greater than the investigator’s grasp of the subject

matter they set out to examine. [We have the LIGA

representing the international community of

homeopaths. This body should write clearly to

such journals as the Lancet which publish ‘hate’

articles instead of scientific articles, that they are

incompetent to judge Homeopathy and that they

alone are not the keepers of the health of the

people. They should separate their professional

money-earning interests with what is truly scientific

facts. The idea of hegemony over medical

methodology should not be accepted,

Unfortunately, many of the leaders in Homeopathy

suffer from inferiority complex and behave sub-

servient and attempt to satisfy bending backwards.

Homeopathy is unique and has to be accepted so

both by the ‘Hegemony medicine’ and homeopaths

themselves. It is high time this is done. Reader,

what do you say = KSS]

2. A Double-blind Study on the

Comparative Efficacy of Influenza

Vaccination and Influenzinum 7 cH.

FROST Crolyn, RAZLOG,

TORLINE & DEROUKAKIS

(AH. 12/2006)

The aim of this randomized, double-blind

Study was to determine the efficacy of the

Influenza Vaccine compared with homeopathic

remedy Influenzinum 7 cH, as Prophylaxis, in

reducing the occurrence and severity of symptoms

of Influenza. The study also compared the adverse

reactions in each group.

The results indicated that Influenzinum was

equally effective as the Influenza vaccine in the

prevention of Influenza.

[What about the ‘cost effectiveness’; also the

homeopathic Influenzinum has more applications

than merely as a preventive of Influenza. = KSS]

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

25

3. A Systematic Review of the

Quality of Homeopathic Pathogenetic

Trials published from 1945 to 1995

DANTAS, F., FISHER, P.,

WIELAND, F., RASTOGI D.P.,

TEIXEIRA, H., KOSTER, D.,

JANSEN, J.P., EIZAYAGA, J.,

ALVAREZ, MEP., MARIM, M.,

BELON, P., and WEEKS, LLL.

(HOMEOPTHY, 96, 1/2007)

Background: The quality of information

gathered from homeopathic pathogenetic trials

(HPTs), also known as ‘Provings’, is fundamental

to Homeopathy. We systematically reviewed HPTs

published in six languages (English, German,

Spanish, French, Portuguese and Dutch) from 1945

to 1995, to asses their quality in terms of the

validity of the information they provide.

Methods: The literature was comprehensively

searched; only published reports of HPTs were

included. Information was extracted by two

reviewers per trial using a Form with 87 items.

Information on: medicines, volunteers, ethical

aspects, blinding, randomization, use of placebo,

adverse effects, assessments, presentation of data

by an index including indicators of internal and

external validity, personal judgment and comments

of reviewers for each study.

Results: 156 HPTs on 143 medicines, involving

2815 volunteers, produced 20,538 pathogenetic

effects (median 6.5 per volunteer). There was wide

variation in methods and results. Sample size

(median 15, range 1-103) and trial duration (mean

34 days) were very variable. Most studies had

design flaws, particularly absence of proper

randomization, blinding, placebo control and

criteria for analysis of outcomes. Mean

methodological score was 5.6 (range 4-17). More

symptoms were reported from HPTs of poor quality

than from better ones. In 56% of trials volunteers

took placebo. Pathogenetic effects were claimed in

98% of publications. On an average about 84% of

volunteers receiving active treatment developed

symptoms. The quality of reports was in general

poor, and much important information was not

available.

Conclusions: The HPTs were generally of low

methodological quality. There is a high incidence

of pathogenetic effects in publications and

volunteers but this could be attributable to design

flaws. Homeopathic medicines, tested in HPTs,

appear safe. The central question of whether

homeopathic medicines in high dilutions can

provoke effects in healthy volunteers has not yet

been definitively answered, because of

methodological weaknesses of the reports.

Improvement of the method and reporting of results

of HPTs are required.

References: References to all included RCTs are

available on-line at: www.sciencedirect.com/homp

4. Homeopathic Arnica montana post-

tonsillectomy analgesia: a randomized placebo

control trial

ROBERTSON, A., SURYA NARAYANAN,

R. & BANERJEE, A.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96,1/2007)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of

homeopathic Arnica in reducing the morbidity

following tonsillectomy.

Methods: Randomised double blind, placebo-

controlled trial at a tertiary referral centre. 190

patients over the age of 18 undergoing

tonsillectomy were randomized into intervention

and control groups receiving either Arnica 30 c or

identical placebo, 2 tablets 6 times in the first post-

operative day and then 2 tablets twice a day for the

next 7 days. The primary outcome measure was the

change in pain scores (visual analogue scale)

recorded by the patient on a questionnaire over 14

days post-operatively; Secondary outcome

measures were: analgesia consumption, visits to the

GP or hospital, antibiotic usage, the day on which

their swallowing returned to normal and the day on

which they returned to work.

Results: 111 (58.4%) completed questionnaires

were available for analysis. The Arnica group had

a significantly larger drop in pain score from day 1

to day 14 (28.3) compared to the placebo group

(28.3) with p <0.05. The two groups did not differ

significantly on analgesic consumption or any of

the other secondary outcome measures (number of

post-operative visits to GP, use of antibiotics and

secondary haemorrhage readmissions).

Conclusion: The results of this trial suggest that

Arnica montana given after tonsillectomy provides

a small, but statistically significant, decrease in pain

scores compared to placebo. [‘Researches’ of this

type have been endless, especially in the British

Homeopathy, hunting for statistics – evidences – to

satisfy the ‘scientific’ medical world particularly

the ‘Allopathy’. It would be much more valuable if

only a fraction of the time, money, efforts spent on

these types verifications, in better educating our

profession with regard to the actual bedside

application of remedies and see the happy results

which most of us, the Practitioners of

Homeopathy, enjoy everyday. = KSS]

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

26

5. The use of Homeopathic Combination

Remedy for Dengue Fever Symptoms:

A Pilot RCT in Honduras

JACOBS, J., FERNANDEZ, E.A.,

MERIZALDE, B., AVIA-MONTES

G.A., and CROTHERS, D.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96,1/2007)

A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized

trial of a homeopathic combination medication for

Dengue fever was carried out in municipal health

clinics in Honduras. Sixty patients who meet the

case definition of Dengue (Fever plus two ancillary

symptoms) were randomized to receive the

homeopathic medication or placebo for one week,

along with standard conventional analgesic

treatment for Dengue [Why the conventional

treatment too along with the homeopathic? =

KSS]. The results showed no difference in

outcomes between the two groups, including the

number of days of Fever and pain as well as

analgesic use and complication rates. Only three

subjects had laboratory confirmed Dengue. An

interesting sinusoidal curve in reported pain scores

was seen in the Verum group that might suggest

that this combination homeopathic remedy is

effective for the symptoms that are characteristic of

Dengue fever. [Experiment of this kind are neither

“scientific” nor “homeopathic” and also of no

value to either; it could only say what should not be

done. The experience of many colleagues here

showed that Homeopathy alone without any other

analgesic produced good results = KSS]

6. Outcomes from Homeopathic prescribing in

Veterinary Practice: a Prospective, research-

targeted, Pilot Study

MATHIE, R.T., HANSEN, L.,

ELLIOTT, M.F. AND HOARE, J.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 1/2007)

Background: Targeted research development in

Veterinary Homeopathy is properly informed by

the systematic collection and analysis of relevant

clinical data obtained by its practitioners. We

organized a pilot data collection study, in which 8

Faculty of Homeopathy veterinarians collected

practice-based clinical and outcomes data over a 6-

month period.

Methods: A specifically designed Excel

spreadsheet enabled recording of consecutive

clinical appointments under the following headings:

date; identity of patient and owner (anonymised);

age, sex and species of patient; medical condition/

complaint treated; whether confirmed diagnosis,

chronic or acute, new or follow-case; owner-

assessed outcome (7 point Likert Scale: -3 to +3)

compared with first appointment; homeopathic

medicine/s prescribed; other medication/s for the

condition/complaint. Spreadsheets were submitted

monthly by e-mail to the project organizers for data

checking synthesis and analysis.

Results: Practitioners submitted data regularly and

punctually, and most data cells were completed.

767 individual patients were treated (547 dogs, 155

cats, 50 horses, 5 rabbits, 4 guinea-pigs, 2 birds, 2

goats, 1 cow, and 1 tortoise). Outcome from two or

more homeopathic appointments per patient

condition was obtained in 539 cases (79.8%

showing improvement, 6.1% deterioration, 11.7%

no change; outcome not recorded in 24% of follow-

ups). Strongly positive outcomes (scores of +2 or

+3) were achieved in: Arthritis and Epilepsy in

dogs and, in smaller numbers, in Atopic Dermatitis,

Gingivitis and Hyperthyroidism in cats.

Conclusions: Systematic recording of data by

veterinarians in clinical practice is feasible and

capable of informing future research in Veterinary

Homeopathy. A refined version of the spreadsheet

can be used in larger-scale research-targeted

veterinary data collection.

7. Randomised Controlled Trials of

Homeopathy in Hyperactive children:

Treatment Procedure leads to an

unconventional study design – Experience

with open-label homeopathic treatment

preceding the Swiss ADHD placebo-

controlled, Randomized, double-blind, cross-

over Trial

FREI, H., EVERTS, R., von AMMON, K.,

KAUFMANN, F., WALTHER, D., SHMITS

Hsu, S-F., COLLENBERG, M., STEINLIN,

M., LIM, C. and THURNEYSEN, A.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96,1/2007)

Background: Treatment of patients with Attention

Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with

Homeopathy is difficult. The Swiss randomized,

placebo-controlled, cross-over trial in ADHD

patients (Swiss ADHD trial) was designed with an

open-label screening phase prior to the randomized

controlled phase. During the screening phase, the

response of each child to successive homeopathic

medications was observed until the optimal

medication was identified. Only children who

reached a predefined level of improvement

participated in the randomized, cross-over phase.

Although the randomized phase revealed a

significant beneficial effect of Homeopathy, the

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

27

cross-over caused a strong carryover effect

diminishing the apparent difference between

placebo and Verum treatment.

Methods: This retrospective analysis explores the

screening phase data with respect to the risk of

failure to demonstrate a specific effect of a

randomized controlled trial (RCT) with

randomization at the start of the treatment.

Results: During the screening phase, 84% (70/83)

of the children responded to treatment and reached

eligibility for the randomized trial after a median

time of 5 months (range 1-18), with a median of

three different medications (range 1-9). Thirteen

children (16%) did not reach eligibility. Five

months after treatment start, the difference to

Conners Global Index (CGI) rating between

responders and non-responders became highly

significant (p = 0.0006). Improvement in the CGI

was much greater following the identification of the

optimal medication than in the preceding sub-

optimal treatment period (p<0.0001).

Conclusions: Because of the necessity of

identifying an optimal medication before response

to treatment can be expected, randomization at the

start of treatment in an RCT of Homeopathy in

ADHD children has a high risk of failure to

demonstrate a specific treatment effect, if the

observation time is shorter than 12 months. [Dr.

FREI and his colleagues have published several

articles before this too on ADHD. They have a

structured approach to this problem. With

BOENNINGHAUSEN’s Therapeutic Pocket

Book they have been able to get excellent results.

Their approach has been published in a book (in

German, first edition in 2005) which has already

gone into a second edition (2007). = KSS]

8. In vivo Study of the anti-inflammatory

effect of Rhus toxicodendron

dos SANTOS, AL., PERAZZO, FF.,

CARDOSO,LGV., CARVALHO, JCT.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

Background: Homeopathic Rhus toxicodendron

(Rhus tox.) is used in various inflammatory

conditions. We screened its effect compared to

succussed Ethanol controls and appropriate active

controls.

Method: We initially experimented with Rhus tox

6, 12, 30 and 200 cH, using Carrageenan-induced

Paw Oedema in rats. The 6 cH dilution appeared

most effective and was used in subsequent assays.

We used pre-treatment and single treatment

regimes in Wistar rats, and mice.

Results We found significant reductions compared

to control in Carrageenan-induced Paw Oedema,

Vascular permeability, writhing induced by intra-

peritoneal acetic acid and stress-induced gastric

lesions.

Conclusions: Rhus tox in homeopathic dilution

appears to interfere with inflammatory processes

involving Histamine, Prostaglandins and other

inflammatory mediators. [It is important that we

use the right word ‘potency’ and not ‘dilution’. In

this article it should be ‘homeopathic potency’. A

dilution has no power in it to cure but a potency is

quite powerful. = KSS]

9. Hypothesis: Do Homeopathic Medicines exert

their action in humans and animals via the

Vomeronasal System?

McGUIGAN, M.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96,2/2007)

There is significant debate on the nature of the

active therapeutic ingredient in homeopathic

medicines and whether the effect of homeopathic

medicines is exerted locally. This paper accepts

that there is an active therapeutic ingredient in

homeopathic medicines that acts

pharmacologically in the body and proposes a

possible receptor site.

The Vomeronasal organ (Jacobson’s organ) is

the receptor site to the detection of non-odorant

molecules, e.g. Pheromones, in reptiles, amphibians

and mammals. The organ forms the main part of a

chemo-receptor system known as the Vomeronasal

system. This paper proposes that it is this system

that constitutes the receptor for homeopathic

medicines in both animal and human subjects.

10. Bayesian Homeopathy: talking normal again

RUTTEN, ALB.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

Homeopathy has a communication problem:

important homeopathic concepts are not

understood by conventional colleagues.

Homeopathic terminology seems to be

comprehensible only after practical experience of

Homeopathy. The main problem lies in different

handling of diagnosis. In conventional Medicine

diagnosis is the starting point for randomized

controlled trials to determine the effect of

treatment. In Homeopathy diagnosis is combined

with other symptoms and personal traits of the

patient to guide treatment and predict response.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

28

Broadening our scope to include diagnostic as well

as treatment research opens the possibility of multi-

factorial reasoning. Adopting Bayesian

methodology opens the possibility of investigating

Homeopathy in everyday practice and of

describing some aspects of Homeopathy in

conventional terms. [This article must be read with

earlier articles in this Journal regarding ‘likelihood

ratio’. = KSS]

11. Homeopathy and Epidemics –

Possible Approaches – What History

Can teach us

ROTTLER Gaby (AH. 12/2006)

The author discusses about the effective role of

Homeopathy in the Epidemics of the past and

suggests ways to find out the Genus Epidemicus.

A national/international homeopathic network

for Epidemic Diseases should be established to

collect cases and symptoms in new Epidemics. It

should distribute experiences from different parts of

the world, perhaps even be able to give the

recommendations to homeopathic practitioners

based upon the characteristic totality of symptoms

as seen in an Epidemic.

12. Reporting Data on Homeopathic

Treatments (RedHot): a Supplement to

CONSORT

DEAN, ME., COULTER, MK., FISHER, P.,

JOBST, K., &

WALSH, H.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96,1/2007)

When Homeopathy is tested in clinical trials,

understanding and appraisal is likely to be

improved if published reports contain details of

prescribing strategies and treatments. An

international Delphi panel was convened to develop

consensus guidelines for reporting homeopathic

methods and treatments. The panel agreed 28

treatment- and provider-specific items that

supplement the Consolidated Standards of

Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement items 2, 3,

4 and 19. The authors recommend these for

adoption by authors and journals when reporting

trials of Homeopathy.

13. Outcomes from homeopathic

prescribing in Dental Practice: a

prospective, research-targeted Pilot Study

MATHIE, P.T. and FARRER, S.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

Background and Aims: A base for targeted

research development in dental Homeopathy can

be found on systematic collection and analysis of

relevant data obtained by dentists in clinical

practice. With these longer-term aims in mind, we

conducted a pilot data collection study, in which 14

homeopathic dentists collected clinical and

outcome data over a six-month period in their

Practice setting.

Methods: A specifically designed Excel

spreadsheet enabled recording of consecutive dental

appointments under the following main headings:

date; patient identity (anonymised), age and gender;

dental condition/complaint treated; whether chronic

or acute, new or follow-up case; patient-assessed

outcome (7-point Likert Scale: -3 to +3) compared

with first appointment; homeopathic medicine/s

prescribed; whether any other medication/s being

taken for the condition. Spreadsheets were

submitted monthly via e-mail to the project co-

ordinator for data synthesis and analysis.

Results: Practitioners typically submitted data

regularly and punctually, and most data cells were

completed as required, enabling substantial data

analysis. The mean age of patients was 46.2 years.

A total of 726 individual patient conditions were

treated overall. There was opportunity to follow-up

496 individual cases (positive outcome in 90.1%;

negative in 1.8%; no change in 7.9%; outcome

recorded in 0.2%). Sixty-four of these 496 patients

reported their outcome assessment before the end of

the homeopathic appointment. Strongly positive

outcomes (scores of +2 or +3) were achieved most

notably in the frequently treated conditions of

Pericoronitis, Periodontal infection, reversible

Pulpitis, Sensitive cementum, and Toothache with

decay.

Conclusions: This multi-practitioner Pilot study

has indicated that systematic recording of Practice

data in Dental Homeopathy is both feasible and

capable of informing future research. A refined

version of the Spreadsheet can be employed in

larger-scale research-targeted data collection in the

Dental Practice setting.

14. Individualized Homeopathic Treatment of

Trigeminal Neuralgia: an observational Study

MOJAVER, Y.N., MOSAVI, F.,

MAZAHERINEZHAD,A. SHAHRDAR,A.,

& NABSGAEE,K.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

Objective: To evaluate individualized Classical

Homeopathy in the treatment of Idiopathic

Trigeminal Neuralgia (ITN)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

29

Method: 15 patients with physician-confirmed

Trigeminal Neuralgia were treated with

Homeopathy. Patients received individualized

homeopathic medicines as oral liquid 30c once per

month and were followed-up at the end of first,

second, third and fourth month. Visual Analogue

Scale (VAS) was used for the evaluation of pain

intensity and descriptive criteria were used for

evaluation of attack frequency.

Result: All 15 patients completed treatment. The

results for both the reduction of pain intensity and

attack frequency were statistically significant

(P<0.001) during the four-month evaluation. We

observed overall reductions of more than 60% in

pain intensity using homeopathic treatment.

Conclusion: The results suggest that homeopathic

treatment is an effective and safe method in the

treatment of ITN. [I am happy to read this

‘conclusion’ because generally the ‘results’ of

almost all the ‘researches’ that have appeared in the

BHJ and later Homeopathy would very cautiously

concede that there is good scope for further

researches; rarely is it admitted that Homeopathy

was found effective and that it works. = KSS]

15. The Vital Sensation of the Minerals:

reducing uncertainty in Homeopathic

Prescribing

THOMPSON, EA., GERAGHTY, J.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

The authors ‘illustrate’ the “vital sensation” of

mineral-based homeopathic medicines as revealed

by an interview style based on a synthesis of the

Bombay method and Scholten’s understanding

derived from the Periodic Table. The ‘Bombay

method’, described by Rajan SANKARAN (the

‘Bombay method’ is in fact, an invention of Rajan

SANKARAN), builds on homeopathic teaching

giving a structure to guide the gathering and

synthesizing homeopathic data. The concept of

‘levels’ gives a route to the deepest reflection of the

vital disturbance, the vital sensation. Moving

through the levels of fact, symptom, emotion,

delusion and finally vital sensation provides

valuable prescribing information. These aspects are

discussed in conjunction with the ‘Kingdoms’:

Plant, Mineral and Animal, focusing on the Mineral

kingdom. By synthesizing information relating to

the concepts of vital sensation and kingdom we can

reduce uncertainty in homeopathic prescribing.

The authors aver that they have found that the

‘Bombay method’ illuminated their Practice and

when synthesized with more traditional

information, it had improved their results

significantly.

16. Can Homeopathy learn something from

Psycho-analysis?

HOOTEGEM, Henk Van

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

This paper attempts to demonstrate how some

insights from Psychoanalysis can be useful in

homeopathic treatment. Three concepts are

discussed:

(1) The working alliance: comparing Medical

alliance with a Psycho- Dynamic alliance.

(2) The dream-function: serious somatic

disorders can be the result of a blocked dream

function, the restoration of the capacity to

dream may lead to the disapperance of these

disorders, Homeopathy can help in this

Process

.

(3) The transgenerational influence: some

traumatic, concealed events from the lives of

ancestors can influence their descendants.

These concepts are illustrated with the case of a 23

year-old woman with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

17. A Qualitative Study to Determine the Efficacy

of the Homeopathic Similimum in the

treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome

KOMAR Tania, PECK, K.S. J.R.TORLINE,

J.R., DEROUKAKIS Marilena

(AJHM. 99, 3/2006)

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is defined as

the cyclical occurrence of physical and

psychological symptoms in the luteal phase of the

menstrual cycle. It is characterized by irritability,

mood swings, anxiety and depression, breast

tenderness, breast swelling and weight gain. The

study aimed to determine the efficacy of the

homeopathic simillimum in the treatment of PMS.

Eleven participants were recruited and nine

completed the study. They participated in five

homeopathic consultations over a period of four

months. The researcher determined each

participant’s individual homeopathic remedy by

evaluating their unique symptoms. During each

cycle participants were required to score their daily

symptoms on a PMS chart, the results of which

were analyzed using the one-way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA).

Breast tenderness was ameliorated in the first

month of treatment, while irritability, depression,

breast swelling, abdominal bloating and food

cravings improved in the second month of

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

30

treatment. In the third month of treatment, the

similimum was significantly effective in treating

anxiety. The results of this study demonstrate that

the homeopathic similimum is one method of

investigating homeopathic treatment in PMS.

--------------------------------------------------------------

VII. HISTORY

1. Blick in Geschichte

(A Look into History)

REIS Stefan (NAH. 2,1/2007)

I. Joseph von ZLATAROVICH was born on 9

April 1807, in Agram (today’s Zagreb). He

graduated as Doctor in Vienna and married a sister

of a homeopath WURMB and thus turned to

Homeopathy. He entered into the Provers’ Union

of Vienna and between 1834 and 1848 took part in

almost all the Provings. He did not hesitate to take

the doses for long time large doses. A Proving of

Bryonia (on humans and animals) appeared in 1847

under his authorship in the Austrian Journal for

Homeopathy (Vol.3, No.1) . “Much of the

symptoms in our Proving were in agreement with

HAHNEMANN’s Materia Medica. . . . . some

took Bryonia alba and some Bryonia dioica; there

was not much difference in the action unlike the

different Aconite”.

Because he was a homeopath he lost his

Professorship. He then went to Zagreb, then Triest

and lastly to Graz in 1861 where he died in 1874.

II. Paul WOLF (1795 – 1857): WOLF’s

“Eighteen Propositions for Friends and Enemies of

Homeopathy . . . . “with some annotation from

Friedrich Jakob RUMMEL was published in 1837

in Ernst STAPF’s Archiv. The ideas were

discussed in the meeting of the Central Union of

German Homeopathic Physicians in Magdeburg in

1836 and accepted by the delegates. It was accepted

in this Meeting that high potency use was not an

essential point in Homeopathy.

WOLF had an extensive Practice which

included “princely” and “crowned” persons. He

passed away on 2 January 1857.

2. Zur Geschichte der Homöopathie und

Alternativer Heilweisen (History of

Homeopathy and Alternative Medicine)

DROSS Fritz & RUISINGER Maria

(Med GG. 25/2006)

This article is about history of Homeopathy in

Franconia (Northern Bavaria). The research for this

paper was initiated by an Erlangen exhibition

project on the history of Homeopathy on the

occasion of the 250

th

anniversary of Samuel

HAHNEMANN’s birth in 2005. The founder of

Homeopathic Medicine received his Doctor of

Medicine degree at the University of Erlangen in

1779. As HAHNEMANN spent only four months

in Erlangen, homeopathic physicians, patients and

apothecaries in the region from HAHNEMANN’s

time until today were investigated. The aim was to

provide a concise survey of the general problems in

the history of Homeopathy derived from regional

cases which could be illustrated by objects suitable

for an exhibition. Thus, the article is not only about

the history of Homeopathy in Northern Bavaria

(Franconia), but also about a shift in the use of

media and about doing science the other round,

viz., by starting at the presentation and ending with

the sources. The outcome of the project was that

most of the crucial topics of the history of

Homeopathy could be covered on a micro-historic

scale: Trials, Pharmacy, Hospital, Patients,

University, National Socialism.

3

.

Medical Heresy Struggles for the right of

“Otherness”: Homeopathy in the USSR

KOTOK Alexander

(Med GG. 25/2006)

Homeopathy in Russia was least mentioned in

the World History of Homeopathy, until recently.

A genuine reason may be that one who attempted to

do this was confronted by obstacles. The half-

legal status of Homeopathy in the Soviet Union,

the permanent threat of either being banned from

the practicing or abolishing it, punishment, etc., all

led to a lack of trust-worthy sources and proofs.

The motive for this article is only to write the

history of Homeopathy in the Soviet Union. A

complicated system of alternative relation-ships

between medical “heretics” is perceived. The

existence of such a System in a totalitarian State is

impossible because the right to be “different” is not

there.

After the reforms in 1980 by GORBACHEV,

much of totalitarian order faded. And soon

Homeopathy began to be revived. Since 1991

Homeopathy is recognized in the Soviet Union. It

is the innate strength in Homeopathy, that although

it was almost completely destroyed due to political

events during 1914 – 1920 and further, it grew

again. Today, the number of those doctors,

licensed after finishing courses in Homeopathy in

the post-Soviet Union countries, exceeds 17,000.

This is a first Study and further will follow.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

31

--------------------------------------------------------------

VIII. GENERAL

1. What is the Tradition?

TESSLER Neil (SIM. XX/2007)

[In the SIM. XIX/2006, the ‘I Part’ of the

Interview which Neil TESSLER had with Jeremy

SHERR was published. In the QHD, XXIV,

3&4/2007 a brief Abstract was given of this

‘Interview’. The clear ideas of Jeremy SHERR was

like a flow of fresh clear stream while many of us

were feeling suffocated in the polluted waters

swirling about in the ‘homoeopathic’ waters. It

would be interesting to read the verbatim report of

the ‘interview’. In Part II of the ‘Interview’, the

views of Paul HERSCU is discussed. In his book

published recently – two volumes – HERSCU

criticizes Jeremy SHERR with regard to ‘Proving

methodologies’. Our ‘source’ Materia Medicas,

still, notwith-standing several new ones containing

reams of ‘themes’, ‘dreams’, etc., are those of

Samuel HAHNEMANN and his faithful followers

like BOENNINGHAUSEN, HERING, and such

other stalwarts who stood firm on the ground laid

by the Master. Surely that methodology has not

become useless for someone to draw-up separate

methodology and for someone or the other come up

criticizing it and putting up his/her own method! =

KSS]. There are several interesting points on

which SHERR gives his reply to HERSCU’s

criticism. The book is about Provings and therefore

the criticisms and response also relate to that.

Individual susceptibility is not essential to develop

symptoms in a Proving as explained in § 31 and 32.

Proving by definition is never a Simillimum (as

HERSCU opines). Proving makes healthy people

sick, not sick people healthy. There are two

reasons that Provings are stronger dissimilars.

First, a stronger dissimilar artificial disease can be

created by controlling the dose. Second, Group

Provings are similar to epidemic, which are

dissimilar every time. Provings on a well

integrated group amplifies the Proving. The

symptoms to be included or not has been described

on the basis of the Organon and other historical

sources. Choosing symptoms according to one’s

perception of the remedy is simply prejudiced and

unacceptable. There is much more to a Proving

than symptoms directly related to toxicology.

Doubtful symptoms are included only after much

careful stages of elimination. § 138 is quoted. The

old Provings are full of fleeting and momentary

sensations and emotions of single provers, which

later have become Key-notes. By Proving on many

constitutions you get the whole array of totality. It

is also true that many of the symptoms will come

from deeper unseen layers of the Provers and do not

belong to their uppermost. All of Nature’s chest

can be used for Provings. It is good to prove

remedies big and small. There is much diversity in

Homeopathy today, so we should respect our

differences while being able to discuss them

openly.

Jeremy SHERR ended the Interview with a

story: There was a long-standing Jewish

community in which everyone was arguing:

“Should we say the main prayer standing up or

should we say it sitting down?” They quarrelled

and fought over the issue for years. It nearly came

to violence and was threatening to tear the

community apart. Finally, they decided to go and

ask the old Rabbi to establish once and for all what

the tradition was. So they went to the Rabbi, who

was on his deathbed, and they asked: “Dear Rabbi,

you have been our guide for many years. Please

tell us the tradition.

“The Rabbi agreed to tell them.

“Immediately one group rushes forward and says

“Please, Rabbi, tell them the tradition to stand up

while we pray. That was always the tradition.”

The Rabbi groans “No, that’s not the tradition.”

Then the other rushes forward and says: “That’s

right Rabbi. Please, tell them that sitting down was

always the tradition! Tell them!

But the Rabbi, who can barely speak, mumbles,

“No, that’s not the tradition either.”

Both groups were confused and implored the

Rabbi, “Please Rabbi, we can’t go on like this,

we’re killing each other. The community is

breaking apart.”

And the Rabbi replied, ‘THAT’S the tradition!”

2. The Enterpreneural Secrets of a

Thriving Homceopathic Practice

MASLAN Allison (AH. 12/20006)

The author discusses about Homeopathy, the

business or Homeopath, the Enterpreneur. The six

qualities required are:

1.Knowledge and Experience

2.Self-confidence and decisiveness

3.Developing and maintaining long-term

patient

4.Marketing

5.Focus and commitment

6.Finance

3. Patients treated by Homeopaths registered

with the Society of Homeopaths: a Pilot

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

32

Study RELTON,C., CHATFIELD,K.

PARTINGTON,H., FOULKES, I.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007).

Background: There is little information on the

types of symptoms for which patients request

homeopathic treatment from Society of

Homeopaths (SoH) in the UK.

Objective: A preliminary study to gain information

about characteristics of patients requesting

treatment from SoH professional (non-medically

qualified) homeopaths – including symptoms and

general well-being.

Results: 37 homeopaths returned data on 482

patients covering 1419 consultations over a 2 year

period. Patients were mostly female and

predominantly aged 40 – 59.

Conclusions: As well as obtaining preliminary data

about these patients, this study has also resulted in

greater knowledge of audit and research methods in

the profession. The results of this preliminary

descriptive study will inform a future, larger

prospective controlled observational study.

--------------------------------------------------------------

IX. BOOKS

1. Tobacco. An exploration of its Nature

through the Prism of Homeopathy, Richard

PITT. Lalibela Publishing 1199 Sanchez St.,

San Francisco, CA. 94114. $ 20. 209 pages.

(SIM. XX/2007)

“Richard PITT’s terrific book focuses on

Tobacco, but it is not always the Tabacum that we

know, lest there be confusion.

Nicotiana tabacum is an important facet of the

story, but the homeopathic prism is particularly

focused on Nicotiana rustica, which not only

contains four times the Nicotine, but also contains

the mildly hallucinogenic driver Harmaline, a

monoamine oxidase inhibitor that potentiates the

more potent tryptamine hallucinogens and, of

course, inhibits the breakdown of seratonin. There

is a terrifically interesting journey through the

history, politics and psychology of Tobacco. The

last half of the book is given over to the details of

the Proving. . . In any case, it is a fine read and

may turn out to be a valuable addition to the

modern Proving records.”

2. Experience of Medicine – I. Three

Homeopathic Provings from the Students of the

Nature Care College, Sydney, Australia.

Coordinated and compiled by Alastair C,

GRAY. Pb. Publ. 70 Metres and Nature Care

College. $ 38. (SIM. XX/2007): “The Provings in

this Volume are Chironex fleckerii (Box Jelly fish),

Oampona cyclindrata (White Tailed Spider) and

Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig).

“The methodology employed in the completion

of these Provings is Hahnemannian and essentially

follows the guidelines laid out in Jeremy SHERR’s

Book on methodologies.

Three versions of each Proving are given. First

Proving document solely consists of the Primary

Symptoms only of the Provers that cannot under

any criteria be questioned.

The second document includes totality of the

first but also vastly more information, which

provides context for many of the symptoms, fills

out the Proving and gives a feel for it, a flavour of

it.

The third gives a brief chronology which

highlights the experiences of the first few days of

the major Provers …”

3. Monera. Kingdom Bacteria & Viruses,

Spectrum Materia Medica Vol. I, Frans

VERMEULEN, Emryss Publishers, Hardcover

800 pages. $81.75 (SIM. XX/2007) : . . . . Frans

VERMEULEN’s Monera is another fascinating

and consummate work of scholarship from one of

the most valuable modern compilers of Materia

Medica and general source materials. This volume

is somewhat similar in structure to MORRISSON’s

Carbon volume, . . . . The Foreword is a

comprehensive discussion of issues pertaining to

classification generally and bacterial species in

Homeopathy specifically. . . . .

The Volume is organized according to Genera and

then Species. Available Materia Medica is given,

as well as cases. Many bacterial remedies are

known to us as common Nosodes such as

Medorrhinum, Syphilinum, Tuberculinum and

various tubercular species as well as

Hydrophobinum, Pertussinum, Hippozaenum,

Malandrinum, Vaccinum, Variolinum, etc. Many

of these are discussed in depth and breadth.

New remedies such as AIDS, Botulinum,

Johneinum are also given thorough treatment …”

4. Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook,

Alan V. SCHMUKLER. US $ 16.95. Pb. 352

pages. Llewellyn Publishers. (SIM. XX/2007): “.

. . . The usual introductory materials, the next 210

pages are an alphabetical list of conditions,

followed by common remedies and their

indications. The health conditions discussed are

wide ranging. Headings such as Gun shot wounds,

Hanta and Ebola virus, Gangrene . . . . . . and a

wide variety of emotional states, stand out among

the usual range of more common conditions.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

33

Following this there is a special section devoted to

specific organ systems and common remedies

associated with them. There is also a section

devoted to Pregnancy and Childbirth. . . . . Plenty of

First Aid information as well as “homeopathic

vaccination” related information is offered. . . . . a

worthy addition to the home-care library and

maybe of some value to practitioners as well.”

5. Homöopathie bei psychischen

Erkrankungen, (Homeopathic in Psychic

Diseases) Claudia de LAPORTE; Stuttgart:

Karl F. Haug: 2006. 312 S., geb. Є 49,95. Review

Stefan BRENNER. (German). (ZKH. 51, 1/2007):

“…The book fills up a large gap in homeopathic

literature. How Homeopathy and Psycho-therapy

can complement each other in total is explained. . . .

. Particularly valuable are the number of cases from

actual practice. . . . . There are several important

and interesting aspects in the treatment of the

psychiatric patients homeopathically.”

6. Miasms as Practical Tools: A Homeopathic

Approach to Chronic Disease, by John SAXTON,

Beaconsfield Publishers Ltd., Beaconsfield, Bucks,

UK, 2006. £15, ISBN: 0-906584-58-2. Review

David LILLEY (HOMEOPATHY, 96, 1/2007):

“This is a slim book with a hefty content. When I

read a book from which I can profit, I have pencil

in hand and I underline the sections that are of

particular importance to me. In the case of this new

book on the Chronic Miasms, I could have

underlined almost the entire text; such is the

richness of its material. Every paragraph is

pregnant with observation and information; to lapse

in concentrations for a moment is to miss some

important point or nuance. Nonetheless, it is

written with clarity and read with ease.

“This book is a welcome, modern presentation

of miasmatic theory and practice, lifting both from

the sphere of contention and controversy to the

central position they deserve in case and remedy

analysis, strategy of therapy, case management, and

interpretation of response. The concept of Miasms

is presented as a practical therapeutic tool with

which to enhance prescribing skills. . . . . . . . . The

author gives an overview of how the concept of

Miasms arose and how it has developed from

HAHNEMANN’s original thinking to the more

philosophical interpretations of today. Excellent

pictures of the three primary, chronic miasmatic

states – Psora, Sycosis, and Syphilis – are provided,

with discussion and case histories, and, to refresh

our memories, concise clinical pictures of the five

miasmatic Nosodes with the addition of

Schirrinum, and useful information regarding the

miasmatic relationships of the Bowel Nosodes. . . .

The reader is encouraged to take hold of the

theories and facts presented, and to use and

develop them further in a clinical context. . . . . . . .

This is an important book. It is refreshing to revisit

the theory of the Miasms under the guidance of a

seasoned homeopath with modern insight and

interpretation. . . . I highly recommend this book to

the homeopathic profession as essential reading. . .

It is another fine feather in the Beaconsfield

publishing cap.”

7. Should I be Tested for Cancer? May be Not

and Here’s Why, H.Gilbert WELCH, University

of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles,

California. ISBN: 0-520-23976-8. 2004.

8”X10”X0.3”; 224 PAGES; HARDBACK; $49.95

US. Review Timothy FIOR. (AJHM. 99, 4/2006)

Dr. WELCH presents the downside of Cancer

screening in an easily and accessible and practical

manner.

Tests can be wrong, people are made to worry

unnecessarily, some are treated unnecessarily and

some are even harmed by treatment.

This book is meant for a symptomatic people

who are considering Cancer testing.

He suggests there should be more research

about Cancer screening that looks at all the risks

and benefits and looks at overall mortality. He

concludes by recommending each patient to

introspect to develop their own strategy for

assessing the risks and benefits of Cancer screening

to make an informed decision about screening.

--------------------------------------------------------------

X. NEWS & NOTES

I. Dispelling Myths about Homeopathic

Practice, Todd ROWE and Iris BELL: The

American Medical College of Homeopathy,

Deptt. of Research conducted a National

Homeopathic Practitioner Survey to study the

nature of the current homeopathic Profession which

will help to assess its strengths and weaknesses.

All homeopathic organizations in the United

States participated and also 1200 individual

participants. The number of homeopaths is

roughly estimated.

Level. No. of Practitioners

5 2200 Min.500 hrs. study

4 6350 100-250 hrs. training

3 32,500 30-60 hrs. course

2 288,000 Week-end courses

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

34

1 12,120,000 Support and appreciate

Homeopathy.

The average homeopathic Practitioner

respondent had 682 hours of undergraduate

education, 382 hours of clinical training and 320

hours of apprenticeship. On an average 121 hours

per year of continuing education study. Only 30%

were certified. 57% are unlicensed. (SIM.

XX/2007)

II. Seminar by M. MANGIALAVORI: Panic,

August 24, 2006: Report by Michael GLASS

(SIM. XX/2007): “During the 1980s, I was much

taken by James Tyler KENT. To me, he seemed

the last of Homoeopathy’s giants, that is, until I met

Massimo MANGIALAVORI, one of the new giants

of our current homeopathic renaissance . . . .

groupings are incredibly helpful, . . . . if one

understands, for example, the Loganaceae to which

Nux vomica and Ignatia belong, one can first

discern general group characteristics in a case, and

then hone in on the correct member of the group.”

[HAHNEMANN took great pains to explain that

the knowledge of what a medicine can cure be

known o n l y by proving it on the healthy and in

no other way. We cannot follow half way

HAHNEMANN and the other half or quarter

SANKARAN or SCHOLTEN or

MANGIALAVORI.= KSS]

At the start of the Seminar the word Panic was

explored. The individual has no insight in the

causation. He explains the causation of panic as

repressed instinctual forces breaking free and

causing somatic symptoms.

Case 1: 37 year-old woman with severe auto-

immune disease with multi-system symptoms:

Collagen degeneration of veins, arthritic hip

destruction and chronic Phlebitis. Capillary

disorder with burning pains, neurological pains,

ovarian cysts, breast nodules. Herpes with burning

pains. Full blown panic disorder when her husband

left.

Totally dependent on husband. Even after

separation she would call him to ask his advice.

First attack came when she was thinking about her

failed marriage.

Her dependency and immaturity led to Sea

animals (!= KSS). The repertorisation of numbness

of lower limbs, Herpes on limbs, cramping,

respiration difficult with drinking led to Limulufs.

Limulus Q 1. There was rapid relief of burning

pains, but in 10 days aggravation. The patient was

told to stop the remedy, but panic symptoms soon

reappeared. Advised to resume the remedy 2-3

times a week – with good results.

Some features common to Limulus cases are

given.

In an earlier Interview (SIM. XIX, 2006)

recalls his earlier experiences – his first years with

Homeopathy: ”What was interesting was that

coming back from the first trip to the border of the

Amazon jungle, I met a homeopath who had

moved from the Bogotá where he was a very

famous doctor, to the jungle, in order to treat the

Indians for free. He was very intelligent and

spiritual person, a person who really touched my

heart. He was born in Europe, and later studied

Homeopathy in Germany, then he moved back to

Colombia. I had long talk with him and found that

many of his ideas were a modern translation of

what I had started to see with the Indians. It was

the idea of the anima of all substances. ….. I saw in

these people (the Indians in the Amazon) that they

were seeking one remedy to treat the person. Not a

combination. Different preparations brought out

different energies in the same plant. You could

chew, cook, eat or just pray to the spirit of the pat

to come to you. They look at the entire structure of

the person, how much this person is in balance with

his life, with the world, with his environment.

According to how much he is not in tune with his

system (which includes his whole world), they

consider this a less or more severe pathology. If the

pathology is more severe, it is not sufficient to boil

the plant, you have to pray also. It was interesting

to me that in some way it sounded pretty close to

Homeopathy, in a much more way, in a positivistic

way, in a way that at the end, if you think of what

happened at the time of HAHNEMANN, it was the

beginning of positivism (a philosophical doctrine

according to which sense perceptions are the only

admissible basis of human knowledge and precise

thought – editors). . . . HAHNEMANN had a very

good alchemical background. No one could have

been so good at Chemistry at this time without that

knowledge. I think evidence that HAHNEMANN

had this knowledge is also found in the ability to

make remedies such as Hepar sulph. which is a

clear alchemical preparation. What was great about

his brilliant mind was his ability to translate

something as sophisticated as a difficult chemical

preparation into something a doctor could use, just

by taking the mother tincture and potentizing the

remedy.” “……… Another was to move away from

the idea that the most important source of

information was the Proving. I don’t believe this at

all.” [This is a ridiculous assertion to say the least.

H o m e o p a t h y i s b a s e d o n l y o n

P r o v I n g s. When someone says that he

doesn’t “believe in this at all” then he has no right

to call oneself as a Homeopath.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

35

MANGIALAVORI takes pain to explain this; it is

all words of no consequence, so better I leave them;

interested persons may read it. = KSS]. “When is a

Keynote, really a Keynote? More often it is a Key-

note of a number of remedies.” [There are always

only a limited number of such remedies, and one

can differentiate and select; if ‘several’ remedies

have the same ‘Keynote’, then it is not a Keynote.

Von BOENNINGHAUSEN called it ‘genius’ of the

remedy. = KSS]. The doctor says that now-a-days

we do something more sophisticated unlike the

older great names. [Let us honestly ask ourselves

whether really we are doing better than our

forefathers HERING, BOENNINGHAUSEN,

KENT, DUNHAM, etc. Is sophistry a mark of

right doing? = KSS]

III. Jan SCHOLTEN San Francisco Seminar,

October 2006. Report by Elena CECHETTO (SIM.

XX/2007): “Learning from Jan SCHOLTEN is like

taking a trip to an unknown land. … The three-day

Seminar had new Provings, new remedies and more

insights into his classification system. The

impressions of patients were discussed openly with

the participants. The series and the stage of the

patient indicates the remedy. The stage is where

the problem is or what they do with it. The series

how they handle it.

Case: A young man wanted to be a world

champion fighter. Dreams of fighting. His goals

are to have a girl-friend and lot of money. His

fighting is about self-control. Lanthanides are

about the self. He is young and left side of periodic

table. Stage 6 has to do something dangerous.

Stage 6 of Lanthanides is Neodymium.

IV.

International Network for the History of

Homeopathy (INHH) – (a Network under the

auspices of the European Association of the

History of Medicine and Health) Conference:

The Conference is organized by the Institut für

Geschichte der Medizin der Robert Bosch

Stiftung, Stuttgart. The aim of the Conference is to

collect further evidence about homeopathic

hospital in history and to bring local and scattered

experiences from different parts of the globe into a

productive dialogue.

The Institution of the hospital plays a crucial

role in the history of modern medicine as the “birth

place” of clinical research, the medical gaze, the

medical profession and as a specific setting for

caring and curing.

The hospital was a benchmark for public

recognition as a medical system both in the medical

world as well as to the wider public.

Samuel HAHNEMANN was committed to the

idea of establishing a hospital in Leipzig.

Homeopaths partially succeeded in integrating

their healing methods into hospitals in many

countries. Homeopaths succeeded in establishing

their own institutions in Munich, Madrid,

Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Benares during the

19

th

Century and in Stuttgart, India and Sri Lanka

in the 20

th

Century.

V. The Zeitschrift für klassische Homöopathie

entered its 51

st

year in 2007. A homeopathic

journal surviving beyond 50 years is a long time.

The journal began as ‘Zeitschrift für Klassische

Homöopathie und Arzneimittel-potenzierung’ in

1957 as a journal devoted to Hahnemannian

Homeopathy. In those days in Germany there was

no practice as such of the so-called ‘classical

Homeopathy’ and it was mostly low-potency

promotion. Such Homeopathy was ‘scientific’!

There was no repertorisation and based on clinical

indications. The influence of Dr. Pierre SCHMIDT

of Switzerland who taught KENT’s Repertory and

classical Homeopathy, began to draw several able

Practitioners in Germany too. This soon grew into

a larger group and now they are quite a number and

perhaps the so-called ‘scientific’ school has gone

down. [Of course the Allgemeine

homöopathische Zeitung (AHZ) was founded in

1832 and is still continuing – more than 175 years!

We also have the British Homeopathic Journal –

now titled Homeopathy – is also more or less as

much old as the AHZ; and then the Journal of the

American Institute of Homeopathy – since

recent years titled as the American Journal of

Homeopathic Medicine (AJHM). There are

several journals which have survived or still

surviving in their 20

th

or a little later lives, but none

touching 50. Sorry to comment, most of the

journals are poor in every way while the world-over

Homeopathy has seen ‘grand revival’ and the

number of practitioners including the non-medical

homeopaths has increased manifold! There is a

classical journal from Switzerland in French

language titled Cahier de Groupement

Hahnemannien du Dr.Pierre Schmidt (CGH) of

which Dr. Jacques BAUR a student of Dr. Pierre

SCHMIDT like Dr. Will KLUNKER, was the

Editor; this journal was a monthly and was of high

quality. Unfortunatley, both Dr. KLUNKER and

Dr. BAUR, are no more with us. The CGH has,

after the passing away of Dr. Jacques BAUR

become a ‘quarterly’! I was getting a copy of the

CGH regularly as long as Dr. BAUR was alive and

then it stopped and the new Editorial group did not

reply my letters either. Thus I have lost touch with

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

36

the French journal. The National Center for

Homeopathy, USA has been bringing out a

monthly journal of high quality, Homeopathy

Today with Julian WINSTON as its Editor.

Unfortunately for the Homeopathic World Julian

passed away. Since then this journal has become

bi-monthly! In so far as India is concerned the

quality of the journals are wanting. How do you

feel, dear Reader? In Seminars and other Meetings

we speak sky-high of the great healing powers of

Homeopathy and feel very upset and angry when

the dominant School jeer at us and keep demanding

‘evidence’. Yet we do not have high quality

journals with a large number of subscribers,

contributors, etc.

The very few journals world-over which are

maintaining quality should survive and grow. =

KSS, QHD.]

VI. Das “Symptomen-Lexikon der Materia

Medica” in der täglichen Praxis (The

Symptomen-Lexicon of the Materia in daily

Practice): a Seminar Report by Thomas MICKLER

(German) (NAH,2,1/2007): On the 25 and 26

November 2006 a Seminar was held in Mülheim by

the Dynamis School in which the Homeopath

Michael KOHL presented “The Work with the

Symptomen-Lexikon in the daily Practice”. A pre-

condition was that the participants must have

studied the book “Hahnemanns Working Method

with the Symptomen-Lexikon” (“Hahnemanns

Arbeitsweise mit dem Symptomen-Lexikon”).

Michael KOHL said that his success increased

tremendously after he began to apply the

Symptomen-Lexikon (SL) in his Practice. He said

that there are two different ways to find the remedy,

namely either alone with the SL or with a selection

with the Therapeutic Pocket Book (TPB) of

Clemens von BOENNINGHAUSEN. After we

obtain a pool of remedies with the help of the TPB

the end differentiation may be made with the SL.

KOHL presented cases in which he applied the SL.

It was not possible with this one-day Seminar

to probe well into the SL

VII. Community Building (Melanie GRIMES,

Editorial, AH/2006): The Editor, American

Homeopath (an annual Journal published by the

North American Society of Homeopaths) writes

appealing to the Profession to limit the

conversations wherein we complain, criticize other

colleagues. To grow, our attention should be

directed outward. As patients who have been

treated by different homeopaths adopting different

strategies, methodologies based on new ideas,

innovations, etc., are all getting better and move

freely, there must be some kernel truth in what the

others are doing. So, build a “supportive

community”, she says. [People treated by fine

doctors of Allopathy also are walking about

happily; so do those treated by several other

medical schools. We have seen several cures from

‘faith healers’ too. We do not quarrel with any of

these. In the name of ‘innovation’ in Homeopathy

all strange practices dumped by HAHNEMANN

are re-introduced; are we to let in those who say

that there is no need for Provings? Should we

quietly accept everything and anything called by

anyone as Homeopathy? Or should we re-define

Homeopathy? = KSS]

VIII. The President of the North American

Society of Homeopaths, Manfred MUELLER,

writes (Editorial, AH/2006) of the propaganda by

many that Homeopathy is a fraud, etc. [It is

surprising that still there are persons claiming to be

‘scientific‘ who do not care to read carefully the

methodologies in Homeopathy and then actually

experiment it as it should be. Mere theoretic

lambastings and caviling are not evidences. = KSS]

The critiques also propagate that there are “toxic

ingredients” in the homeopathic medicines!

[Statement like these are peaks of ignorance.

Nothing can be more preposterous! Recently when

Bob WOOLMER, the famous Cricketeer, was

found dead it was reported in some newspapers

that he had been poisoned by ‘Aconitum poison’

and one Newspaper put a screaming headline that

Homeopathy is using this “deadly” drug across the

counter! A rejoinder sent to the Newspaper was

not published. So where are we? The days of

inquisitions are not over. = KSS]

Manfred MUELLER writes that he had been

Stuttgart, Germany “years ago” to find ‘definitive’

answers to some questions. One such question was

the word “attenuation” whereas the correct term

should be “dilution” which is what the Organon

meant. MUELLER feels that KENT’s direction to

go higher and higher in potentisation was due to

this ‘faulty’ understanding.

MUELLER visited late Dr. Georg von

KELLER, considered the best homeopath then.

Dr. von KELLER admonished that all the defect

was due to not bothering to read the literature, the

basic literature from the old masters. Study the

History (of Homeopathy); study the Organon, the

Chronic Diseases preferably in German; go to the

source, the originals. “In order to stand up for the

safety of Homeopathy, we need to guard its

integrity.” [Amen. This answers Melanie

GRIMES’ Editorial = KSS]

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

37

IX. Multitasking: An Interview with Jeremy

SHERR by WARKOV, Denise Straiges (AH.

12/2006): Jeremy SHERR discusses about some of

his ongoing homeopathic projects:

Dynamic Case Taker: is a Software tool designed

to make the whole process of case-taking, Analysis

and synthesis easier and more effective.

Characteristic symptoms are grouped according to

common themes and synthesized into one central

idea to understand what needs to be cured.

The Software structures the thinking and

organizes the information, index cases, compare

consultations side by side, underline, access

symptoms easily and locates elusive case. [So

Jeremy SHERR works in my body and brain; it is

not mine = KSS]

Another project is Repertory of Mental

affinities – where each rubric contains all the

remedies pertaining to particular subject.

Another project is working on a book of cases

cured with the Dynamis proving remedies. With

each remedy a list of confirmed and cured

symptoms are constructed.

One of his main desires is to treat and research

AIDS in Africa using classical homeopathic

techniques. Desires to make a water-tight academic

study which can be used to convince the powers

that be of the usefulness of Homeopathy in this

terrible pandemic. Also discusses about treating

epidemics. [All good aims; we wish him best =

KSS]

Proving database on www.provings.com has

been redone and registering new Provings daily.

Full texts can be read online. Trying to centralize

the Proving data, to ease the many problems of

Proving, new concepts are worked out and to be

published in the new edition of “The

Methodology”.

X. Homeopathy in South Africa, by Dr.

Marilena DEROUKAKIS (AH.12/2006): Courses

in South Africa can presently be taken through the

two Universities, leading the award of a Masters

Degree in Homeopathy (known a Masters in

Technologiae). The degree allows to register with

the Allied Health Professional Council and with the

Board of Healthcare Funders which allows

reimbursement.

Training consists of a five-year full time

course, followed by one year internship.

Homeopaths are also required to have a license in

order to dispense and compound their medicines.

Homeopathy is carving its share of the

healthcare market. Statistics about various aspects

of practice are given. [Unfortunately there is much

of complex medicine prescription by these licensed

Practitioners in South Africa and it would be in the

interest of all if that is nipped in the bud itself =

KSS]

XI. Homeopathic Medicines: Safe, Accessible,

Legal: J.BORNEMANN writes (HT. 26, 4/2006):

Since 1938, homeopathic medications have been

classified as ‘drugs’ by the Food, Drug and

Cosmetics Act. The Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia

Convention of the US (HPCUS) assures that

homeopathic medications are safe and legal in the

US. In 1978, HPCUS, produced compendium of

Homeo therapeutics, which comprised a listing of

all of the known homeopathic drugs at the time

with their references in the literature. In 1990,

compliance Policy Guide was implemented.

www.HPCUS.com

XII. Health-food supplements and nutritional

value may become more difficult and too much

costly in the US and Canada and even in some

European countries since they are likely to become

‘prescription’ items and can be purchased only with

prescription by a doctor; thus it will become several

times costlier, and would also take them away from

homeopaths. It is also written that “powerful

political figures have introduced or sponsored

legislation that would regulate dietary supplements

of all kinds……Integrative doctors and other

medical professionals who use or recommend

natural products are also under attack, with

licensing boards do not like the idea of competition

in medicine. Integrative medicine and supplements

are even under assault at the United Nations and the

World Health Organisation. (Front Inner Cover,

HT. 26, 4/2006)

XIII. Homeopathic Educators Exchange Ideas,

PITT RICHARD (HT. 26, 6/2006): North

American Network of Homeopathic Educators

(NANHC) held their second annual conference in

Marin Headlands, just north of San Francisco in 28-

30, April 2006. www.homeopathyeducation.org

website was created where all educational

institutions can post details about their programmes

and link to their websites. This site is used as

“Library of Ideas, Resources and Teaching Tools.

XIV. Delving into the Mysteries of Water,

MATTHEWS Robert (HT. 26, 4/2006): In an

article “The Quantum Elixir”, in the New Scientist

April 8, 2006, Rustum ROY, a Materials scientist at

Pennsylvania State University says water may have

a “memory” through an effect known as epitaxy:

using the atomic structure of one compound as a

template to induce the same structure in others.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

38

Shock waves generated by succussions can cause

localized pressures inside the water to reach over

10,000 atmospheres, which may trigger

fundamental changes in the properties of the water

molecules.

XIV.

Homeopathy in Knee Surgery (HT. 26,

4/2006): Dr. Leonard J. TOROK writes: “I have

often used a simple and reliable plan for patients

having knee surgery or following knee injury that

greatly speeded the recovery process. Most of my

surgical patients arrived unaware of Homeopathy,

but they quickly learned to appreciate the benefits

of this plan. I recommend using Arnica montana

30c, one dose the evening before surgery and one

dose in the morning on the day surgery. Following

injury or surgery take one dose of Arnica

immediately and repeat at 20-min. intervals.

Liberally repeat the dose as needed to control pain

and swelling at first, and then lengthen the time

interval between doses as symptoms subside.

Using a similar protocol, in a study at

Wadsworth Rittman Hospital in Wadsworth,

Ohio, we were able to demonstrate a reduction in

the blood loss following total knee replacement

surgery from an average of 800 cc without

homeopathic remedies to less than 200 cc with the

use of Arnica following knee replacement. The

study focused on blood loss (recycled for reinfusion

back to the patient), but similar improvements were

noted in a decrease in the amount of post-operative

narcotics required, and patients were more easily

able to participate in a post-operative physical

therapy programme.

XVI. Angustura vera: By way of introduction, the

author describes a clinical case: a 47-year-old man

who was overworked and depressed. Several

medicines were tried (Nux vomica, Natrum

muriaticum, Medorrhinum), without great benefit

until Angustura vera was prescribed and

completely transformed his life. The symptoms

leading to the prescription were an irresistible

desire for coffee and a strong feeling of bitterness.

The other main symptoms of this medicine are

then recalled: unexpressed hypersensitivity and

irritability, with an appearance of excitement and

gaiety; vertigo on crossing a stream; cramp-like

pains in the muscles, especially: masseters,

abdomen, thighs and calves; trauma to the

periosteum; feeling as if the uterus were beating

against the right ovary and the right hip; chilly;

feeling as if the heart were swollen, with fear of

dying, worse lying on left side; fear of falling

asleep. (Cahiers du Groupement Hahnemannien

2006;l 4:236-238 in Homeopathy, 96, 1/2007)

XVII. Ammonium muriaticum by Bruno

STAQUET: Three clinical cases illustrate the use of

this medicine; a case of Sciatica worse sitting, a

case of forearm pain also worse sitting, and a

woman with digestive symptoms who was

overprotected by her mother.

The Materia Medica of this medicine is then

summarized: melancholy, desire to cry but cannot;

antipathy to certain persons; nose obstructed or

with acrid watery discharge; sore throat, burning

hoarseness; menses too early, flow more at night;

diarrhoea during menses; icy coldness between

shoulders; backache or sciatica when sitting,

constriction of hamstring tendons. Several unusual

dreams are described; being lost in forest, falling

into water, being bitten by a horse. (Cahiers du

Groupement Hahnemannien 2006; 4;239-245 in

Homeopathy, 96, 2/2007).

XVIII. The Zincum child and its peculiarities,

Micheline DELTOMBE: The author, who is a

Paediatrician, describes the peculiar symptoms of

children who respond to Zincum; they are very

nervous, very sensitive, slow to understand and to

answer. They are exhausted but are constantly on

the move or fidgeting either with their whole body,

or only their legs. They cannot concentrate, are

inattentive, moody, unruly, disobedient, and they

provoke their schoolmates. They repeat everything

said to them, have headaches when overtaxed at

school. They are worse from retrocession of

eruptions from sweating, from emotions. They pick

their noses, have diarrhoea and involuntary

urination when sneezing, coughing or walking.

They grasp their genitals whilst coughing and may

have Hoarseness, Asthma, and Diarrhoea.

Two clinical cases end this article: A 5-year-old

girl, who developed neurological symptoms after

Measles without a rash, and a 3-year-old boy with

Epilepsy and restless legs during sleep.

(L’Homéopathie Européene 2006, 4;6-8 in

Homeopathy, 96,1/2007)

XIX. Clinical Cases according to the methods of

Sankaran: Opuntia vulgaris: by Ingrid van de Vel:

A clinical case is described: a woman with varicose

veins and dyspareunia. The main feeling was: she

tried to not be shrunken and constricted, then

accepted it. A second clinical case is quoted from

Dr. Jayesh SHAH: a man who had migraine and

stress; he always had his hands clasped, felt as if

locked in a room, in a small box and tried to come

out; he was between hope and hopelessness. The

constriction feeling relates to the Cactaceae, the

alteration between hope and hopelessness belongs

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

39

to the ringworm miasm; the medicine is therefore

Opuntia vulgaris.

Then, Van de Vel quotes Materia Medica of

this Medicine, from T.F. ALLEN and J.H.

CLARKE: two species were proved. Opuntia

vulgaris and Opuntia alba spina. The main

symptoms are alternately praying and swearing;

feeling as if head transfixed with a lance; bites

inside of cheek on chewing; nausea extending from

stomach down into bowels, with sensation as if

diarrhoea would set in; urgency of urination;

oppression of chest; pain in muscles of neck, first

left, then right side; very chilly, cold feet; dreams of

women. (La Revue Belge d’Homoeopathie

2006:2:80-112, in Homeopathy, 96, 1/2007)

XX. Homeopathy, 96, 1/2007 carries a very

important article about ‘Homeopathic

Pathogenetic Trials’ (HPT) [see Abstract in the

Research section of this QHD = KSS]. This is a

review of 156 HPTs in six languages, which

reviews and criticizes the methodology used in

HPTs. The authors discuss the rationale for

selection of substances to be tested in HPTs. It has

been rightly said that HPT is the ‘Pillar of

Homeopathy’. It is very important that all serious

(and sincere) Homeopathy Practitioners should

study this in detail and give their views.

XXI. ‘Guest Editorial’ by Tom WHITMARSH, in

HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007 writes about the

several ‘methods’ of homeopathic remedy choice

for example, the classical, the SCHOLTEN, the

SANKARAN, the SEHGAL, etc. How could a

homeopath become good in all these? “We should

not neglect basic homeopathic theory and skills at

our peril and “if the whole process of giving a

remedy is to be reduced to simple formulae, we risk

losing the human inter-action of the homeopathic

consultation, which seems to be an essential part of

our healing work.” [The claim by the different

‘sects’ – in Homeopathy – that theirs is the best

and claim ‘cures’ is, to say the least, amusing.

Rarely is follow-up of 3 or 4 years in any of the

cases is given. Each one is a ‘guru’. In this, the

one ‘guru’ from whom Homeopathy originated is

ignored; his rules of importance to symptoms is

thrown out, ranking of symptoms is also not there,

the ‘direction of cure’ has never been verified, so

on and on we can point out. And one question to

all these ‘neo gurus’ – honestly do you believe that

you cure with your method, in the sense of totally

eradicating the disease with its roots, better? And

do you think that the Homeopathy of

HAHNEMANN was poorer in its success rates? =

KSS]

XXII. (In HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007): The

author says that in ‘Modern Dentistry’ the catch-

word is “minimum intervention and applying a

natural approach to general dental practice”. In the

early 1990s the British Homeopathic Dental

Association was formed. The Association helped

develop a Dental Diploma Programme from the

Faculty of Homeopathy, and the first examination

was held in October 1994. The Faculty has now an

Intermediate course in Dental Homeopathy.

Interest in Dental Homeopathy and membership is

growing in the UK. Homeopathy is a useful

adjunct to conventional dentistry and may be used

effectively in the place of orthodox treatments

which may have unpleasant side effects. However,

in the past 25 years a few articles have been

published on dental Homeopathy. In the current

issue of HOMEOPATHY there are two articles.

XXIII. Secale cornutum: A Special Issue of

L’Homéopathie Européenne is devoted to Secale

cornutum. In three articles, M.TORK, P.COLIN

and C.DUMONT describe its chemical and

toxicological peroperties. Afterwards, C.SOYEZ

recall the main symptoms described in the Materia

Medica; great restlessness, sarcasm and contempt,

indifference to everything, shameless, very hot yet

the skin feels cold when touched, burning heat,

dark discharges, green pus (boils, leucorrhoea),

pustular eruptions, atherosclerosis, intermittent

claudication, Raynaud’s disease, passive bleeding

with dark, non-coagulable or mixed with dark clots

of blood. (L’Homéopathie Européenne 2006 6:

in the HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

XXIV. Aranea diadema and Aranea ixobola, A.

FLOUR: The Materia Medica of these two medicines

is described very fully. Aranea diadema is well-

known, with its peculiar symptoms: solitary and

restless persons, with distorted sense of time

(problems with appointments), or with deep

despondency and longing for death; sensation as if

bones are made of ice, marked sensitivity to cold and

damp, sensation of enlargement or numbness of parts,

nerve pains (electric shocks), exact periodicity.

The second part of the article describes a

pathogenetic trial of Aranea ixobola. The main

symptoms are restlessness (like other spiders), no

periodicity, euphoria followed by depression,

insolence, dreams of the death of his wife,

sensitivity to cold and damp, feeling of general

coldness, night sweat, digestive troubles

ameliorated by stretching. (Revue Belge

d’Homoeopathie 2006; 1: in HOMEOPATHY,

96, 2/2007)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

40

XXV. A Case of Ptelea: A.FANCIOLA.: A 40

year-old woman suffered from constipation,

Sciatica and Insomnia. She felt humiliated because

of a family episode which remained taboo for a

long time. Ptelea trifoliata was prescribed and

alleviated all the symptoms. Ptelea is indisposed to

mental or physical exertion, is confused, or has an

unusual energy with disposition to hurry. There are

digestive symptoms including burning or griping or

weight in the epigastric region, even after a

moderate meal, liver pains, constipation or

diarrhoea, and pain in limbs. We might also

encounter frontal headache or asthma

According to the author, Ptelea could suit patients

who feel humiliated or misunderstood, because of a

personal or family past, and who need to start a new

life.

XXVI. Carbo animalis: a case series, by M.

M.GUILLAUME-CARRIE: A 60-year-old woman

had a complex medical history and her life was a

long story of misfortunes. Her main feeling was

she sacrificed herself to her family for nothing.

Eleven other clinical cases responding to Carbo

animalis showed serious pathologies (Hepatitis,

Pancreatitis, Cardiomyopathies, Hypertension,

Cancers, Sclerodermas). All the patients had

suffered neglect or were abused during their

childhood, but, however, were nostalgic for their

past. They are compassionate and neglect

themselves. The basic feature of this medicine is

sacrifice. (Les Echos du Centre Ligeois

d’Homéopathis 2006: 116; in HOMEOPATHY,

96, 2/2007).

XXVII. Can Homeopathic Treatment slow

Prostate Cancer Growth? JONAS

WB.,GADDIPATI, JP., RAJESH KUMAR NV., et

al.: Background: Homeopathy is a

complementary Medicine [We do not agree that

Homeopathy is a “complementary” Medicine.

Long ago Carrol DUNHAM has rightly titled it as

The Science of Therapeutics; perhaps the authors

who are not homeopaths give this

“complementary” state condescendingly! = KSS],

widely used around the world. Despite extensive

use of Homeopathy for Cancer and other serious

conditions with reported success, clinical and

laboratory research has been equivocal, and no

rigorous research has been done on Cancer. In

1999, the US National Cancer Institute evaluated

the effects of homeopathic treatment of Cancer

from a clinic in India and has released a request for

protocols to conduct further research into this

treatment. Therefore, the authors conducted a

series of carefully controlled laboratory studies

evaluating the effects of commonly used

homeopathic remedies in cell and animal models

of Prostate Cancer.

Study Design: One hundred male Copenhagen rats

were randomly assigned to either treatment or

control groups after inoculation with Prostate tumor

cells.

Methods: Prostate Tumor cells DU-145, LNCaP,

and MAT-LyLu were exposed to five homeopathic

remedies. Male Copenhagen rats were injected

with MAT-LyLu cells and exposed to the same

homeopathic remedies for 5 weeks. In vitro

outcomes included Tumor Cell viability and

apoptosis gene expression. In vivo outcomes

included Tumor incidence, volume, weight, total

mortality, proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

(PCNA) expression, apoptotic cell death (terminal

deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated d-uridine

triphosphate nick end labeling), and gene

expression (rAPO-multiprobe).

Results: There were no effects on Cell viability or

gene expression in three Prostate Cell lines with

any remedies at any exposure time. There was a

23% reduction in Tumor incidence (P<0.0001), and

for animals with Tumors, there was a 38%

reduction in Tumor volume in Homeopathy-treated

animals versus controls (P<0.02). At time of

killing, experimental animals with Tumors had a

13% lower average Tumor weight (P<0.05).

Tumors in these treated animals showed a 19%

increase in apoptotic Cell death (P<0.05) and

reduced PCNA-positive Cells.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that selected

homeopathic remedies for the present study have

no direct Cellular anti- cancer effects but appear to

significantly slow the progression of cancer and

reduce cancer incidence and mortality in

Copenhagen rats injected with MAT-LyLu Prostate

Cancer Cells. (Integrative Cancer Therapies

2005; 5: in HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)[We

may therefore use the homeopathic remedies with

greater success in Prostate Cancer of the

Copenhagen rats! Great. = KSS]

XXVIII. Homeopathic medicines do not alter

growth and Gene expression in Prostate and

Breast cancer cells in vitro:

R.L.THANGAPAZHAM, JP GADDIPATI, NV

RAJESHKUMAR, et al.:

Background: Homeopathy is an alternative

medical system practiced in all parts of the World.

Although several theories are proposed to explain

the mechanisms of action, none are scientifically

verified. In this study, the authors investigate the

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

41

effect of selected homeopathic remedies, often

used to treat Prostate and Breast Cancer.

Materials and Methods: The authors investigated

the effect of the homeopathic medicines Conium

maculatum, Sabal serrulata, Thuja occidentalis,

Asterias, Phytolacca, and Carconisin on Prostate

and Breast Cancer Cell (DU-145, LNCaP, MAT-

LyLu, MDA-MB-231) growth and on Gene

expression that regulates Apoptosis, using MTT

and multi-probe ribonuclease protection assay.

Results: None of the homeopathic remedies tested

in different potencies produced significant

inhibitory or growth-promoting activity in either

Prostate or Breast Cancer Cells. Also, Gene

expression studies by ribonuclease protection assay

produced no significant changes in mRNA levels of

bax, bel-2, bel-x, caspase-1, caspase-2, caspase-3.

Fas, or FasL after treatment with homeopathic

medicines.

Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the

highly diluted homeopathic remedies used by

homeopathic practitioners for Cancer show no

measurable effects on Cell growth or Gene

expression. (Integrative Cancer Therapies 2006;

5 in HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

XXIX. Effects of homeopathic preparations on

human Prostate Cancer Growth in cellular and

animal models: BW Mac LAUGHLIN, B.

GUTSMUTHS, E. PRETNER, et al: The use of

dietary supplements for various ailments enjoys

unprecedented popularity. As part of this trend,

Sabal serrulata (Saw Palmetto) constitutes the

complementary treatment of choice with regard to

Prostate health. In Homeopathy, Sabal serrulata is

commonly prescribed for Prostate problems ranging

from benign prostatic Hyperplasia to Prostate

Cancer. [In several cases of Prostate complaints,

Sabal serrulata is not prescribed. There is no

“common” medicine for such pathologies. May be

some remedies come up more often, that’s all. =

KSS] The authors’ work assessed the anti-

proliferative effects of homeopathic preparations

of Sabal serrulata, Thuja occidentalis, and Conium

maculatum, in vivo, on nude mouse xenografts, and

in vitro, on PC-3, and DU-145 human Prostate

Cancer as well as MDA-MB-231 human Breast

Cancer cell lines. Treatment with Sabal serrulata

in vitro resulted in a 33% decrease of PC-3 cell

proliferation at 72 h and a 23% reduction of DU-

145 cell proliferation at 24 h (P<0.01). The

difference in reduction is likely due to the specific

doubling time of each cell line. No effect was

observed on MDA-MB-231 human Breast Cancer

cells. Thuja occidentalis and Conium maculatum

did not have any effect on human Prostate Cancer

cell proliferation. In vivo, Prostate Tumor

Xenograft size was significantly reduced in Sabal

serrulata-treated mice compared to untreated

controls (P= 0.012). No effect was observed on

Breast Tumor growth. Our study clearly

demonstrates a biologic response to homeopathic

treatment as manifested by cell proliferation and

Tumor growth. This biologic effect was: (i)

significantly stronger to Sabal serrulata than to

controls and (ii) specific to human Prostate Cancer.

Sabal serrulata should thus be further investigated

as a specific homeopathic remedy for Prostate

pathology. (Integrative Cancer Therapies,

2006;5. in HOMEOPTHY, 96, 2/2007). [Fellow

homeopaths are requested to carefully read the

three ‘researches’ given above, and see whether any

of them have any worthwhile result at all with

regard to homeopathic Therapeutics. One gives

partially unfavorable, one totally unfavorable and

another also somewhat favorable! In so far as the

partially favorable ones are concerned James

RANDI may declare them as fraud! You may do

similar experiments for another 100 years and you

will get only such insipid results. Money in

millions are spent in the name of ‘research’ for

these foregone results. This money could be spent

for millions of malnourished, hungry children

whose pictures we see in the News papers. At least

experienced homeopaths should make it clear to

these ‘researchers’ that Homeopathy researches

requires first of all that they read the Organon and

Chronic Diseases, u n d e r s t a n d , discuss with

senior homeopaths (who do not routinely prescribe

Sabal serrulata for Prostate, Digitalis for Heart,

etc.) and then design the ‘research’. All the

researches so far are used only as sticks mostly to

beat Homeopathy with. The Integrative Cancer

Therapies must be advised appropriately. = KSS]

XXX. Models for the Study of Whole Systems,

IR. BELL, M.KOITHAN: This article summarizes

a network and complex systems science model for

research on whole systems of complementary and

alternative medicine (CAM) such as Homeopathy

and traditional Chinese medicine. The holistic

concepts of networks and nonlinear dynamical

complex systems are well matched to the global

and interactive perspectives of whole systems of

CAM, whereas the reductionistic science model is

well matched to the isolated local organ, cell, and

molecular mechanistic perspectives of

pharmaceutically based biomedicine. Whole

systems of CAM are not drugs with specific

actions. The diagnostic and thera-peutic

approaches of whole systems of CAM produce

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

42

effects that involve global and patterned shifts

across multiple sub-systems of the person as a

whole. For Homeopathy, several characteristics of

complex systems, including the probabilistic nature

of attractor patterns, variable sensitivity of complex

systems to initial conditions, and emergent

behaviors in the evolution of a system in its full

environmental context over time, could help

account for the mixed basic science and controlled

clinical trial research findings, in contrast with the

consistently positive outcomes of observational

studies in the literature. Application of theories and

methods from complex systems and network

science can open a new era of advances in

understanding factors that lead to good versus poor

individual global outcome patterns and to rational

triage of patients to one type of care over another.

The growing reliance on complex systems thinking

and Systems Biology for Cancer research affords a

unique opportunity to bridge between the CAM and

conventional medical worlds with some common

language and conceptual models. (from Integrative

Cancer Therapies 2006; 5. in HOMEOPATHY,

96, 2/2007)

XXXI. Homeopathic Arnica Therapy in patients

receiving Knee Surgery: Results of three

randomized double-blind trials, B.

BRINKHAUSA, JM WILMENSB, R.LÜDTKEC,

J.HENGERB, CM WITTA, SN.WILLICH

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007): Objectives: We

investigated the effectiveness of homeopathic

Arnica montana on post-operative swelling and

pain after Arthroscopy (ART), artificial knee joint

implantation (AKJ), and cruciate ligament

reconstruction (CLR)

Design: Three randomized, placebo-controlled,

double-blind, sequential clinical trials.

Setting: Single primary care unit specialized in

arthroscopic knee surgery.

Participants: Patients suffering from a knee

disease that necessitated arthroscopic surgery.

Interventions: Prior to surgery, patients were given

1 x 5 globules of the homeopathic dilution 30 x (a

homeopathic dilution of 1:1030) of Arnica or

Placebo. Following surgery, 3 x 5 globules were

administered daily.

Primary outcome measures: The primary

outcome parameter was difference in knee

circumference, defined as the ratio of

circumference on day 1 (ART) or day 2 (CLR and

AKJ) after surgery to baseline circumference.

Results: A total of 227 patients were enrolled in the

ART (33% female, mean age 43.2 years), 35 in the

AKJ (71 % female, 67.0 years), and 57 in the CLR

trial (26% female; 33.4 years). The percentage of

change in knee circumference was similar between

the treatment groups for ART (group difference =

-0.25%, 95% CI: -0.85 to 0.41, P = 0.204) and

AKJ ( = 1.68%, -4.24 to 0.77, P = 0,184) and

showed homeopathic Arnica to have a beneficial

effect compared to placebo in CLR ( = -1.80%, -

3.30 to –0.30, P = 0.019).

Conclusions: In all three trials, patients receiving

homeopathic Arnica showed a trend towards less

postoperative swelling compared to patients

receiving Placebo. However, a significant

difference in favour of homeopathic Arnica was

only found in the CLR trial. (Complementary

Therapies in Medicine 2006; 14: in

HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

XXXII. Homeopathic and Herbal Prescribing in

General Practice in Scotland: S. ROSS, CR

SIMPSON, JS McLAY: Aims: To investigate the

current levels of homeopathic and herbal

prescribing in Scottish General Practice.

Methods: Prescribing of homeopathic and herbal

remedies in Primary care was assessed in 669

patients for the year 2003 – 2004, using

computerized prescribing data retrieved from 323

General Practices in Scotland.

Results: Forty-nine percent of practices prescribed

homeopathic and 32% herbal remedies. A total of

193 homeopathic and 17 herbal remedies were

prescribed, with 5% of practices accounting for

46% of patients and 50% of remedies. Four

thousand one hundred and sixty patients (22/1000

registered patients) were prescribed at least one

homeopathic remedy during the study period, with

the highest prevalence to children under 12 months

of age (95/1000 children of that age). Children

under the age of 16 made up to 16% of the

population prescribed homeopathic remedies

(22/1000 registered patients of that age). Three

hundred and sixty-one patients (0.2/1000 registered

patients) were prescribed at least one herbal remedy

during the study period, 44 of whom were children

<16 years old. Patients prescribed a homeopathic

or herbal remedy were also prescribed a median of

four and five conventional medicines, respectively.

Of patients prescribed an oral herbal remedy, 4%

were also concomitantly prescribed a conventional

medicine with which a drug-herb interaction has

been documented.

Conclusions: Our study reports that a substantial

number of Scottish General Practitioners prescribe

homeopathic and herbal remedies, with an

approximate doubling in the number of children

prescribed homeopathic remedies. The level of

homeopathic and herbal prescribing raises

questions about homeopathic/herbal provision in

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

43

the National Health Service and should prompt

critical review. (Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol. 2006;62: in

HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

XXXIII. Homeopathic Medical Practice: long

term results of a cohort study with 3981 patients.

WITT, CM., LÜDTKE, R., BAUR,

R.,WILLICH, SN.

Background: On the range of diagnoses, course of

treatment, and long-term outcome in patients who

chose to receive homeopathic medical treatment

very little is known. We investigated homeopathic

practice in an industrialized country under everyday

condition.

Methods: In a prospective, multicentre cohort

study with 103 primary care practices with

additional specialization in Homeopathy in

Germany and Switzerland, data from all patients

(age > 1 year) consulting the physician for the first

time were observed. The main outcome measures

were: patient and physician assessments (numeric

rating scales from 0 to 10) and quality of life at

baseline and after 3, 12 and 24 months.

Results: A total of 3981 patients were studied

including 2851 adults (29% men, mean age 42.5 ±

13.1 years; 71% women, 29.9 ± 12.4 years) and

1130 children (52% boys, 6.5 ± 3.9 years; 48%

girls, 7.0 ± 4.3 years). Ninety-seven percent of all

diagnoses were chronic with an average duration of

8.8 ± 8 years. The most frequent diagnoses were

Allergic Rhinitis in men, headache in women, and

Atopic Dermatitis in children. Disease severity

decreased significantly (P<0.001) between baseline

and 24 months (adults from 6.2 ± 1.7 to 3.0 ± 2.2;

children from 6.1 ± 1.9 to 2.2 ± 1.0). Physicians’

assessments yielded similar results. For adults and

young children, major improvements were

observed for quality of life, whereas no changes

were seen in adolescents. Younger age and more

severe disease at baseline were factors predictive of

better therapeutic success.

Conclusion: Disease severity and quality of life

demonstrated marked and sustained improvements

following homeopathic treatment period. Our

findings indicate that homeopathic medical therapy

may play a beneficial role in the long-term care of

patients with chronic diseases. (BMC Public

Health 2005; 5. in HOMEOPATHY, 96, 2/2007)

XXXIV. Homeopathic Certification: Defining

Our Profession. BELLO, Lia. (HT. 26, 5/2006)

Since its inception in 1991, the Council for

Homeopathic Certification (CHC) has created a

national standard that evaluates homeopathic and

health science skills at a level appropriate for

practice. The candidates must have a minimum of

500hrs each of theoretical and clinical training.

XXXV. New Teaching Tool for Pharmacists.

BORNEMAN, lll, John A. (HT. 26, 5/2006)

The finest teaching tool for pharmacists who

want to learn about Homeopathy has been printed

by – none other than the American Pharmacists

Association (AphA). The fifteenth edition of the

‘Handbook of Non prescription Drugs, An

Interactive Approach to self care (2006)’, includes a

chapter entitled “Homeopathic Medicines” which

treats Homeopathy with great respect and

consideration.

XXXVI. Homeopathy in the News. Jennifer

WARNER. (HT. 26, 5/2006). More than one in

four hospitals now offer ‘complementary and

alternative’ therapies including Homeopathy,

according to a new survey of nearly 1,400 US

hospitals.

XXXVII. Researcher, homeopath, creative

thinker … maverick: Interview of Iris BELL by

BOYER, Nancy (HT. 26, 5/2006).

Iris BELL has been a researcher in

complementary and alternative medicine for 30

years. After a personal experience in mid – 90’s,

she felt how homeopathic remedies can positively

affect the Vital Force. Now she is attempting the

study of dynamics of cure at the whole person

level. She believes that there will be observable,

parallel changes both at the person level and at the

various other lower levels – all the way down to the

genetic and molecular levels. Correlating healing

with patterns of gene activation and expression is

possible.

Using the ambulatory monitoring technology,

objective physiological markers like Pulse, Blood

Pressure, Sleep, Physical activity, Body

temperature can be measured on a round the clock

basis which will document the patterns of

biological rhythms and time – of – day effects of

homeopathic treatment. She proposes the use of

non-linear dynamical complex systems science

(which includes Chaos theory and Network theory)

to actually document the processes of healing. The

funding remains a problem. Network of

homeopaths are needed to observe and

demonstrate these patterns of healing. Once

practice-based Network comes together, the

longitudinal studies at multiple offices across the

country will be possible and can look at cost

effectiveness and long term health outcomes. The

applied research would focus on maintaining health

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

44

through “constitutional” homeopathic treatment, to

potentially shift the dynamics away from the

lesions before they appear in critical organs. The

main outcomes would include lower cost, less work

absenteeism, and higher quality of life.

She is confident as different researchers have

arrived at these convergent ideas as well as other

health sciences are also embracing Systems theory

and Network theory.

System biologists and leaders in human

Genome projects are beginning to write about

individualization of treatment within their own

frame work, the biochemistry of the person. These

health researchers may be conceptually ready to

meet the homeopathic research community on the

common ground of systems biology research.

We need to synthesize the concepts and

practices of Homeopathy with cutting-edge

systems research.

XXXVIII. Hahnemann Monument Restoration

Project. Twelfth Report (April 20

th

, 2006).

CHASE, Sandra M. (AJHM. 99, 3/2006).

Senior conservator Judy JACOB made a ten

minute presentation about her completed work on

the repair of the mosaic arch of the Hahnemann

monument Washington D.C., in the Conference,

Spotlight on National Park Resources sponsored by

National Park Service.

Photographs of the monument and its various

sections are given.

The bronze statue has been cleaned thoroughly

and waxed. Lead T’s are inserted to prevent water

damage in the joints at the top of the monument.

Restoration still on.

XXXIX. “To improve the standard of

Homeopathy in the U.S., our energy should go

towards legislation, education and research. One of

the purposes of the AIH Journal is to provide

education. We need to correct our scientific

mistakes, some of them of historical proportions.

Our ancestors didn’t believe in the need to prove

that Homeopathy was effective according to the

scientific standards. It is sad even pathetic, that we

went from 15,000 homeopathic physicians before

the end of the 19

th

Century to a few hundred now.

We still need more fundamental and validated

research. We need to get Homeopathy upto date,

not only scientifically but politically.” (President’s

Message, Bernardo A. MERIZALDE, M.D.,

AJHM. 99, 4/2006).

XL. School of Homeopathy, POTDAR, Swapna

(CCR. 14, 3/2007)

School of Homeopathy, in Devon, England

by Misha NORLAND has been training students

since 26 years. It has its centres in Canada, USA

and Australia. Their courses can be accessed from

any part of the world. They maintain a continuous

process of review and development of the teaching

material and assessing the progress of the students.

The school holds regular online chat room sessions

discussing various topics.

www.homeopathyschool.com

www.alternative-training.com

XLI. This day that age. From the pages of The

Hindu dated 20 July 1935. Homeopaths’

Convention in the U.S.A.

The following piece is an extract from the

latest number of “Our American Letter”, dispatched

from Iowa City on June 20

th

:

“Last week, some 750 followers of the system

of medicine put together by HAHNEMANN met in

New York. They gathered together at the American

Institute of Homeopathy’s eighty-first Convention.

It was shortly before the nineteenth century ended,

that HAHNEMANN’s system of Homeopathy had

reached a peak in the United States. At that time

twenty-two Colleges of Homeopathy turned out

annually graduates by the hundreds in that system

of medicine and curing. Hospitals practicing the

system treated tens of thousands of patients.

“But the popularity of Homeopathy in this

country has since dwindled considerably. At

present one can count Homeopathy Schools in

America on just two fingers! There is New York’s

own Homeopathic Medical College, and, in

Philadaelphia, there is the Hahnemann Medical

College. Only 39 of America’s 6,613 hospitals

now practise Homeopathy. For the 12,000

Homeopathy doctors sprinkled among the U.S.A.’s

156,000 doctors, little remains of the original

homeopath. Of course there is reverence for the

founder of the system - Samuel Christian Friedrich

Samuel HAHNEMANN, to give him his full name.

But even the Homeopathy doctors, as they are

called, do not practise Homeopathy purely. They

cannot practise the system without taking licences

from the Government. And, in order to get the

licence, they must have undergone the courses

prescribed for all students of Allopathy, in addition

to their own four specialized courses.

“Recently Dr. Morris FISHBEIN, the editor of

the prestigious “American Medical Association

Journal”, attacked the system of Homeopathy

mercilessly, and called Homeopathy doctors

nothing but quacks. Whether Homeopathy is

science-quackery or not, there is no doubt that to all

homeopaths Dr. FISHBEIN now is Enemy No. 1.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

45

Those with absolute faith in Homeopathy also

regard him as something worse – Public Enemy

No. 1. At the meetings of the Homeopaths’

Annual Convention last week some scientific

papers were delivered. ….”

XXXLII. The search for Paradise.

A seminar with Alize TIMMERMAN,

Tiburon, U.S.A., November 2002. reported by

Diana KEHLMANN (HL. 18, 3 & 4/2005).

Analytical Psychology by Carl JUNG and his

model for the evolution of consciousness has

helped Alize in understanding a group of patients

who wish to retrieve or recreate an idealized Eden–

like state. They resist dealing with psychological

challenges and spiritual conflicts that are necessary

for normal development. She believes Psoric

miasm has changed since Hahnemann’s time and

expressing itself as “the helping miasm”.

Three cases treated with this understanding are

presented. They received Zincum phosphoricum

arrived by the analysis with Jan SCHOLTEN’s

psychological map of the periodic table; Psorinum

and Lac humanum.

XXXLIII. HAHNEMANN has spoken of treatment

of natural diseases which evidently meant that

diseases caused by wrong lifestyle, wrong food

habits, etc., do not come under Therapeutics. What

can be done for malnutrition, poverty, etc., which

are man-made and not ‘natural’? Unfortunately, in

the present-day world we have to reckon mostly

with diseases due to environmental pollution,

immoderate and improper eating, etc., which tend

to cause Diabetes, Hypertension, Renal diseases,

Cancers, etc. In several western countries Obesity

due to over-eating, junk-food eating because of

economic prosperity (this ‘prosperity’ is by keeping

others in ‘poverty’). The poor countries suffer from

decades of continued ethnic wars and horrifying

killings (remember Cambodia, Sudan, Senegal, Sri

Lanka, etc.). It is the height of ‘insensitivity (or is

it due to arrogance?) that the G8 leaders discussed

food shortage and spiralling prices and starvation in

the developing world “in an eight course, 19-dish

dinner prepared by 25 chefs”. This after “an

earlier emergency lunch measures – four courses

washed down with Chateau-Grillet 2005” (The

Hindu, Chennai, Wednesday, 9

th

July 2008). [The

Newspaper Report rightly recalls the French

Revolution fame, Marie ANTOINETTE. We

refuse to learn from History and repeat the same

mistakes despite centuries of so-called

emancipation, struggles of equality, and “social

progress”. Man has not changed at all! Poverty,

Hunger shall not be let go and aggrandizement,

enslavery, armed suppressions shall prevail.

Consumerism and Globalisation will ensure these.

Surely a Mahatma GANDHI would never have

attended such a dinner meet.

Homeopathy clearly demonstrates that a l i t t l e

g o e s a l o n g w a y. It also demonstrates that

without depleting resources, or money, healthy

living is possible. Consumerism, Power-

mongering, etc. are all pathologies really which

Homeopathy can with its remedies cure. = KSS]

XXXLIV. “Although several studies showed

that Vaccination had any link with Autism, yet

parents are not convinced.” However several

studies have shown that vaccinations are linked to

Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder and

Hyperactivity. But the dominant Medicine does not

accept it.

In the US, the Government has conceded that

vaccine with Autism, and the Government has

agreed to pay for her care. This is a “long overdue

government recognition that vaccinations can cause

Autism”. This decision of the Government gives

people significant reason to be cautious about

vaccinating their children.”

The story of Hannah is that when Hannah was

19 months old and developing normally, she

received in 2000 five shots against nine infectious

diseases. Two days later, she developed a fever,

cried inconsolably and refused to walk. Over the

next seven months she spiraled downward, and on

2001 she was given a diagnosis of Autism.

[Extract from Deccan Chronicle, Sunday 9 March

2008, p.10.]

XXXLV. The connection between sacrifice and

Cancer (The Hindu, Madras, 15 August 1982

)

The psychic state may also play a part in the

contraction of Cancer. This is the conclusion

drawn from research into these correlations which

has been stepped up in recent times. An

examination of women with suspected breast

Cancer carried out by Heidelberg University

Gyanecological Hospital seems to reinforce these

findings. The latter point to the fact that persons

who are easily hurt or ready to make sacrifices are

apparently more exposed to processes which

encourage Cancer than others are. They seem less

capable of expressing aggression, tend to be

strongly devoted to their family and are inclined to

neglect illness symptoms.

In this study undertaken by Dr.Volker Hermes,

166 women with suspected Breast Cancer (but prior

to final clarification through tissue analysis) were

examined by means of a personal questionnaire

containing 344 separate aspects of social attitudes.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

46

In addition the women were asked about their

sexual and partner relationships as well as on

matters of educational style. Unlike earlier

investigations which did not take place until the

medical diagnosis of Breast Cancer had been

concluded, this examination (at a time when the

uncertainty in regard to the final diagnosis was the

same for all concerned) precluded the possibility of

the personal features established being the result of

stress through the serious illness.

Although – as the Medical Tribune reports –

the 34 women who were subsequently diagnosed as

having Breast Cancer were on an average, ten years

older, highly noteworthy findings emerged because

of the very conspicuous differences between the

two groups of women according to the personality

analysis. Not only were clearly differing attitudes

to be found in nine of the 25 examined personality

scales, the style of the answers was also different.

Whereas the women with a negative diagnosis

acted in a pronounced emotional manner, the cancer

patients tried to solve their problems rationally –

German Research service.

====================================

LIST OF JOURNALS

Full addresses of the Journals covered by this

Quarterly Homeopathic Digest are given below:

--------------------------------------------------------------

1. AH: : The Journal of the North American

Society of Homeopaths, 1122 East Pike Street,

#1122, Seattle, WA 98122, USA.

2. AHZ: Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung,

Karl F. Haug Verlag, Hüthig GmbH, im

Weiher 10, 69121, HEIDELBERG,

GERMANY.

3. AJHM: American Journal of Homeopathic

Medicine, 801 N.Fairfax Street, Suite 306,

Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.

4. CCR: Homeopathic Clinical Case Recorder,

Dr. Subhash Meher, Near Hotel Chanakya,

Anandrishiji Marg, Burudgaon Road,

AHMEDNAGAR-414001.

6. HL: Homeopathic Links, Homeopathic

Research & Charities, F/s, Saraswat Colony,

Linking Road, Santacruz (W), MUMBAI – 400

054.

7. HOMEOPATHY: Formerly British

Homeopathic Journal (BHJ), Homeopathy,

Faculty of Homeopathy, 29 Park Street West,

Luton, Bedfordshire, LU13BE, UK.

8. HT: Homeopathy Today, National Center for

Homeopathy, 801, North Fairfax Street, Suite

306, ALEXANDRIA, VA. 22314, USA.

9. NAH: Neues Archiv fuer

Homeopathik,KWIBUS-Verlag,

Hardenbergstr.2, D-45472 Muelheim an der

Ruhr, Germany.

10. SIM: Simillimum, The Journal of the

Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic

Physicians, P.O. Box 8341, Covington, WA

98042, USA.

11. ZKH: Zeitschrift für Klassische Homöopathie,

Karl F. Haug Verlag, Hüthig GmbH, Im

Weiher 10, D-69121 HEIDELBERG,

GERMANY.

====================================

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

47

PART II

(This Section contains abstracts/extracts from selected articles; even the entire article in some case)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. MENTAL SYMPTOMS: ANALOGICAL

GROUPING

Ademar Valadares FONSECA

(BHJ. Vol.81, Jan. 1992)

Abstract: The author has made a systematic study

of the repertory’s mental symptoms, proposing a

new organization of rubrics and sub-rubrics based

on its analogical ordering, in order to help

homeopathic medicine in the search for and in the

differential diagnosis of symptoms.

The author concludes that analytical study of

mental symptoms is of great value both in the

repertorial study of consulting room cases as well

as in semiological understanding of problems for

effective use of the repertory.

KEY WORDS: Repertory, Mind symptoms,

Modalities, Thematic grouping, analogical guide.

________

Introduction-background: In 1985 homeopathic

physician Dr. Flora DABBAH visited Rio de

Janerio as Guest Speaker at the Escola Kentiana

Homeopathic Course. At that time Dr. DABBAH

had been studying the MIND chapter of the

homeopathic repertory, and her lectures were

centered on “The Characteristic Mental Symptom”.

Her purpose was to research in greater depth

matters involving repertorizations using mental

symptoms, the need for a systematic study of this

section becoming fairly evident. On that occasion

Dr. DABBAH told us that she and her colleague

NORA CARAN had almost completed their project

to publish a ‘Repertory of Modalities’ of mental

symptoms. Unfortunately, we have not as yet had

access to this study, except through the publication

of certain chapters in the Actas del Instituto de

Alotos Estudios Homeopathicos James Tyler

Kent, as mentioned in the bibliography to this

report.

From 1988 onward Grupo de Estudos

Homeopaticos James Tyler Kent, sponsor of the

Curso de Homeopathia da Escola Kentiana do

Rio de Janeiro, has been carrying out research

projects in basic Homeopathy teaching areas –

semiology and philosophy – as part of course

activities. This project falls within this context.

Since early 1988, under the direct supervision

of Hylton Sarcinelli LUZ, MD, General Co-

ordinator of the Course at this time, we have been

carrying out tests and experimenting with

methodologies leading to achievement of objectives

already set by Dr. DABBAH.

We concluded that clinical use of the

Repertory of Mental Symptoms has been

hindered by the manner in which it is structured in

alphabetical order. Even though the authors did

some cross referencing, the physician feels the lack

of distribution of symptoms that facilitates

comparison with others analogous in meaning. We

therefore put forward the idea of this project, whose

main objective is the analogical grouping of the

rubrics and sub-rubrics of psychic symptoms in the

Repertory, in order to facilitate search and

differential diagnosis among the various mental

symptoms that exist.

Objectives

General objective: To group together Mind

symptoms in the homeopathic repertory in such a

way as to optimize repertorization and allow

semiological study of mental symptoms.

Specific objectives: To group together repertory

rubrics according to their significance, facilitating

consultation and offering options in the choice of

symptoms.

To group together symptoms on the basis of

common modalities, forming a ‘Repertory

Modalities’, in order to facilitate the search for the

characteristic mental symptom.

To group together the ‘delusions’ sub-rubrics

from the repertory according to their meaning,

facilitating specific consultation for this symptom.

To clarify the significance of mental

symptoms, highlighting the differences between

very similar types, in order to optimize choice of

the symptom that best represents the experience

lived through by the patient.

Methodology

The methodology of this project is based on the

rearrangement of symptoms and their modalities,

breaking up the structure based exclusively on

alphabetical order.

We can divide the mental symptoms in the

Repertory into two major groups: thematic

symptoms and circumstantial modalities.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

48

Thematic symptoms are those that we can

group under the same headings. If this is a rubric, it

has one or more meanings intrinsic to itself. If it is

a sub-rubric, it alters the meaning (theme) of the

main rubric totally or partially, endowing the

symptoms it represents with its own characteristic

meaning. The theme is therefore the meaning(s)

that a symptom carries with it, the final purpose of

our observations in clinical practice regarding the

symptoms that we are seeking to repertorize.

Examples of thematic rubrics are:

ANXIETY/CONFIDENCE, Want of Self;

HELPLESSNESS, feeling of; FORSAKEN,

feeling. Examples of thematic sub-rubrics are:

ANXIETY, conscience as if guilty of a crime;

CONTEMPTUOUS, self of; FEAR: accidents; etc.

Circumstantial modalities are those which

objectively indicate the circumstance which

triggers, improves or aggravates a certain symptom.

As Dr. Flora DABBAH has already said, they are

fundamental in homeopathic practice precisely

because they allow individualization based on an

objective consideration of the symptom. Examples

of circumstantial modalities are:

FORGETFULNESS, headache, during; ANXIETY,

menses, before; ANXIETY, bed, in.

The methodology that we are following in this

study started out from the idea that grouping of

thematic rubrics and sub-rubrics by their meaning

as well as classifying circumstantial modalities

according to the type of circumstance that generates

the symptom would be a principle coherent with the

practical and semiological needs of the study of the

mental repertory.

We thus divide this study into three sections:

Section 1 is related to the study of

CIRCUMSTANTIAL MODALITIES which, as a

general rule, do not modify the meaning of the

main rubric. The purposes of this study are:

To facilitate access to the symptom when we

know the modality that characterizes it;

To allow differential diagnosis among rubrics

that share the same repertory modality.

Circumstantial modalities were classified into

eleven groups, by their general predominant

character, and sub-grouped according to the

specific characteristics of each group. (See the

examples given under Results.)

In the sub-groups, the modalities were

distributed in logical order, not always

alphabetically, according to the similarity between

their meanings. Thus, all modalities that suggest

the appearance of symptoms, e.g. prior to sleep,

will be together (SLEEP, before/SLEEP, followed

by/SLEEP, on going to, etc.).

Underneath each modality are all the rubrics

that form part of it, in alphabetical order.

Example: SLEEP, before

- anxiety

- delusions, images

- excitement

- fancies, laughable

- etc.

Section 1 is supplemented by a cluster of

modalities that were grouped together under the

description of the main rubric as being ‘as if’

feelings, or as being analogous to concrete

situations (e.g. DULLNESS, as if drunken).

Finally, this section covers alternating

symptoms that have been grouped together in the

following manner: all modalities that are alternated

were listed in alphabetical order, followed by all the

symptoms that alternate with them in any part of

the Repertory. We thus present the alternating

items in inverse order to that presented in

BARTHEL’s and KENT’s Repertory. In the

example below we originally found:

ANGER, alternating, sadness.

CHEERFUL, alternating, sadness, etc.

In our work, one would find:

SADNESS, Anger/Cheerful/Eccentricity/

Ecstasy/Elated/Euphoria/ Irritability, etc.

Section 2 specifically studies the rubric

DELUSIONS. The thematic grouping of this rubric

takes on its own characteristics owing to the

peculiarities of this symptom. This is why a

separate study was a methodological option,

respecting its hierarchical importance and its

specific characteristics.

Section 3 studies thematic symptoms (rubrics and

sub-rubrics), grouping them according to their

meanings (themes). We decided to carry this

grouping out from the Generals to the Particulars,

starting with more general meanings and

progressing to the more specific. This section is

thus divided into three major groups:

Group 1:symptoms in relation to one’s own self;

Group 2:symptoms in relation to others;

Group 3:symptoms in relation to the

surroundings.

Within each group various sub-groups and sub-

subgroups were formed, seeking to decipher the

intrinsic meanings of symptoms. A number of

these were obviously placed in more than one

group and even in more than a single section.

Results:

The practical use of this new proposal for the

organization of rubrics is based on the idea that the

observation of patients’ mental symptoms takes

place from two different standpoints:

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

49

- The main themes identified in the

patient’s discourse (observation of a

predominantly subjective nature);

- The circumstances that modalize the symptoms

(observation of a predominantly objective

nature).

In the former case we should resort to the

groupings in section 3; in the latter, to those in

section 1.

Section 2 is organized in such a way as to help

the search of illusions based on the analysis of their

inner structure, regardless of any subjective

connotation they might have.

We will set forth a few examples concerning

the practical use that each section would have:

Section 1: Let us imagine a situation in which we

can clearly see the triggering circumstance of a

mental symptom whose definition is not very clear;

a patient who presents a symptom ‘after eating’.

Eating is in this case a triggering circumstance. We

could then look up in section 1, Chapter 5 (the

chapter concerning the modality concerning

physiology), Group 1 – eating – where we would

find, classified according to their similarities, all the

circumstantial modalities related to the act of

eating, followed by all the rubrics shared by it in

the homeopathic repertory.

Section 2: Let us suppose that a patient reports the

sensation that his body is too large. Regardless of

considerations concerning the possible meanings

contained in such a sensation, we could search for it

through the structure and logic Section 2.

The logic of this section asks us to try to define

the illusion according to its six Chapters: does it

concern the person himself (Chapter 1)? Does it

concern someone else (Chapter 2)? Does it concern

the environment (Chapter 3)? Is the illusion

specially derived from one of the five senses

(Chapter 4)? Is it only a certain kind of illusion or

a concomitance (Chapter 5) or is it a frightening

illusion (Chapter 6)? In the proposed example, it is

an illusion concerning the person himself (Chapter

1). He feels as if his body were too large.

After defining the Chapter, we must then

define the group. In Chapter 1 there are four main

groups: where one is (G1); how one is, how one

feels (G2); what is going to happen to one (G3);

what one is doing (G4). Evidently the sensation is

related to Group 2.

In Group 2 there are three options: Concerning

the person himself (2.1), concerning others (2.2),

concerning the environment (2.3). Since, in the

example, the patient claims that he feels large, and

not larger than someone else, we have opted for

Group 2.1.

Group 2.1 then presents two subdivisions:

regarding one’s own body (2.1.1) and regarding

one’s self-concept (2.1.2). We select Group 2.1.1,

which leads us to four options:

Identity (2.1.1.1), Anatomy (2.1.1.2), functioning

(2.1.1.3) and others (2.1.1.4).

Finally, the sub-division Anatomy contains

three further sub-divisions: enlargement,

diminishing, and change in quality. Specifically the

sought Group is 2.1.1.2.1. It is an illusion about the

person himself how he feels about himself and his

body, the anatomy of that body, a sensation of

enlargement.

The work would allow the assessment of all

illusions that shared the sensation of anatomical

growth of one’s own body.

Section 3: Let us suppose that, based on

observation, we have concluded that a certain

patient has as his main theme the question of

‘material security’. We could then resort to Section

3, once we have a theme (S3), concerning the

person himself (Chapter 1) and his material security

(Group 3). In this Group we will find three sub-

groups: 3.1 hypersensitivity concerning material

goods and business; 3.2 attitude – an endeavour to

have more; 3.3. symptoms that suggest detachment,

unconcern, indifference to material possessions.

We can define more clearly what we are

searching for in our patients (together with our

patients), we will have listed the rubrics that share

this theme, which will permit a differential

diagnosis within very similar cases and broader

certainty in our reportorial work.

We present below partial results, the General

Index for each Section, giving just a few indications

of the content of each group.

Semiologic Guide to the mental symptoms

Section 1. Repertory of Modalities

Chapter 1. Times

Group 1 Daytime

Group 2 Morning

Group 3 Forenoon

Group 4 Noon

Group 5 Afternoon

Group 6 Evening

Group 7 Night

Group 8 Midnight

Group 9 Day and night

Group 10 Other times

Chapter 2. Environmental conditions

Group 1 Temperature

1.1 Bed, warmth

1.2 Warmth

1.3 Cold

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Group 2 Humidity, rain storm

Humidity

Rain, storm, fair weather (clear)

Group 3 Open air, closed space, crowded

space

3.1 Open air, walking open air

3.2 Closed space, crowded space

(room, house, tunnel, (crowd)

Group 4 Moon, moonlight, sun, twilight

Group 5 Light, brightness, darkness

Group 6 Others (water, odours)

Chapter 3. Motions

Group 1 Movements of whole body:

moving oneself; Walking,

dancing, ascending steps;

thinking about the movement,

tossing about in bed; walking in

circles.

1.1 Unspecified motions

1.2 Dancing

1.3 Ascending stairs

1.4 Walking

1.5 Turning

Group 2 Movements of parts of the body

(head, arm)

Group 3 Passive movements

Chapter 4. Positions

Group 1 Position of a part of the body

causing or accompanying mental

symptoms (eyes and arms)

Group 2 Position of the whole body

2.1 Rising and standing up. It is included here

the modality ‘rising’ from bed, after

waking up in the morning

2.2 In bed

2.3 Lying down (in various positions)

2.4 Sitting; kneeling

2.5 Stooping

2.6 Stretching the body

Chapter 5. Physiology

Group 1 Eating

1.1 Eating in general and digestion

1.2 Meals

1.3 What is eaten

1.4 When hungry, when fasting, anorexia

Group 2 Drinking

2.1 The act of drinking. Thirst. Drunkenness

2.2 What is drunk

Group 3 Menses, pregnancy and the like

3.1 Menses

3.2 Physiological periods related to menses

3.3 Pregnancy, delivery; puerperium

3.4 Leucorrhoea; prolapse

Group 4 Sleep. Rest

4.1 Before sleeping

4.2 Sleepiness

4.3 During sleep and rest

4.4 Brief sleep

4.5 After sleeping

4.6 Being awakened

4.7 Sleepless

4.8 Dreaming

4.9 Others

Group 5 Excretion

5.1 Perspiration

5.2 Stool

5.3 Eructation (belching) and flatus

5.4 Urine

5.5 Others, suppression of excretions and

discharges; loss of fluids

Group 6 Sex

6.1 The sexual act (coitus)

6.2 Sexual excesses

6.3 Sexual excitement; sexual desire

6.4 Masturbation; pollutions

6.5 Sexual abstinence; suppression of desire

6.6 Impotence

Group 7 Breathing; sighing

Group 8 Dentition

Chapter 6. Clinical entities; body signs

or symptoms

Group 1. Clinical entities; as modalities of mental

symptom

1.1 Neurological

1.2 Psychiatric; toxic

1.3 Traumatic

1.4 Infectious; parastic

1.5 Urological

1.6 Cardiovascular

1.7 Endocrine

1.8 Others

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Group 2 Body signs and symptoms which

accompany or cause mental

symptoms

2.1 Fever and temperature

2.2 Painful sensations

2.2.1 In general

2.2.2 Localized

2.3 Associated with the nervous system;

involuntary movements

2.3.1 Convulsions and the like

2.3.2 Muscular spasms

2.3.3 Tremors and restlessness

2.3.4 Vertigo and fainting

2.3.5 Coma and fainting

2.3.6 Paralysis; ocular signs and symptoms

2.3.7 Illusions, hallucinations and delusions

2.3.8 Others

2.4 On the skin

2.4.1 Discoloration

2.4.2 Sensitivity

2.4.3 Eruptions

2.5 Digestive and located in the abdomen

2.5.1 Nausea and vomiting

2.5.2 Signs and symptoms located in the

abdomen

2.6 Cardiovascular and located about the

heart

2.6.1 Cardiac symptoms and pulse

2.6.2 Congestion

2.6.3 Blood loss

2.6.4 Haemorrhoids

2.7 Respiratory and located in the thorax

2.7.1 Cough

2.7.2 Suffocation, asphyxia, congestion,

pressure, constriction, stitches

2.7.3 Coryza, sneezes

2.8 Other: exhaustion, heaviness, weakness eyes

effort; alternating physical and mental symptoms

Chapter 7. Occupations, activities

Group 1 Intellectual activities

1.1 Mental exertion (unspecified)

1.2 Concentration studying; calculation; reading,

writing

Group 2 Activities related to work and business

2.1 Work

2.3 Business

Group 3 Manual and physical activities

3.1 Manual activities

3.1 Physical activities

Group 4 Lack of activity or occupation

Chapter 8. Related to others

Group 1 Punishment, reproaches

Group 2 Listening to others/taking to

others/speaking

2.1 Speaking

2.2 When being spoken to

2.3 Conversation

2.4 Other people’s talk

Group 3 Being disturbed or contradicted

3.1 Contradicted

3.2 Disturbed

Group 4 Company; touch; careless; consolation

4.1 Touch

4.2 Consolation

4.3 Company, approach of others

Group 5 Modalities related to love

relationships: disappointments,

jealousy

Group 6 Insults and offences

Chapter 9. Modalities related to

Emotions and the like

Group 1 Associated with sadness

1.1 Weeping and the like

1.2 Sadness

Group 2 Associated with joy

2.1 The feeling

2.2 Laughter

Group 3 Associated with anger; anger; rage; ill-

humour; irritability; impatience

Group 4 Excitement; emotions in general

Group 5 Associated with fear; anguish,

anxiety, cares, fright, fear

Chapter 10 Causes

Group 1 Trifling causes

Group 2 Causes associated with hearing

2.1 In general

2.1.1 Music

2.1.2 Noises

2.2 Hearing negative facts

2.3 Other

Group 3 Causes related to hygiene

Group 4 Causes related to dressing

Group 5 Intoxications

Group 6 Cases in which the sub-rubric is

something caused by the rubric

6.1 Walking, moving, jumping, positions, etc.

6.2 Related to bed and to lying down

Chapter 11. Modalities – age, sex, pathological

groups, Physiognomy, modes of

occurrence and periodicity

Group 1 Age

1.1 Children

1.2 Youngsters

1.3 Old people

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Group 2 Sex

Group 3 Pathological groups

Group 4 Other (physiognomy and

according to the type of

transmission)

Group 5 Mode of occurrence and

periodicity

5.1 Mode of occurrence

5.2 Periodicity

Chapter 12. In this Chapter we find the sub-

rubrics which describe the ‘as

if’ sensation, or analogy with

some real circumstances

Group 1 ‘As if’ symptoms

Chapter 13. Alternating Symptoms

Group 1 Actual alternances

Group 2 Alternances depending on the

time

Group 3 Alternances, using the expression

‘followed by’

Group 4 Other

Section 2. Study of Delusions

Chapter 1. Related to self

Group 1 Where one is

1.1 Localization in space

1.1.1 Related to death

1.1.2 Related to guilt

1.1.3 Related to loneliness

1.1.4 Related to space sensations

1.1.5 Related to home

1.1.6 Related to frightening place

1.1.7 Related to the place where one is

1.2 Related to time

Group 2 How one is, how one feels

2.1 Towards one’s own self

2.1.1 About one’s body

2.1.1.1 Identity

2.1.1.1.1 Related to the unity/totality of one’s

body

2.1.1.1.2 Related to the unity/totality of one’s

body

2.1.1.1.3 Identity itself

2.1.1.2 Body anatomy

2.1.1.2.1 Sensations of enlargement (size, weight,

number)

2.1.1.2.2 Sensations of diminishing (size, weight,

number)

2.1.1.2.3 Concerning the quality, state, position,

composition

2.1.1.2.3 A State

2.1.1.2.3 B Position

2.1.1.2.4 C Composition

2.1.1.3 Body functioning

2.1.1.3.1 Physiology

2.1.1.3.2 Pathology, health, disease

2.1.1.4 Other sensations about one’s body

2.1.2 Concerning one’s own concept

2.1.2.1 Positive concept

2.1.2.1.1 Positive concept for commanding

2.1.2.1.2 Maintains, a relationship with divinity,

immortality, power, wisdom, purity

2.1.2.1.3 Distinction,; one is part of a caste

(lineage); feeling of superiority

2.1.2.2 Negative concept

2.1.2.2.1 Concerning capacity

2.1.2.2.2 Concerning virtue

2.1.2.2.3 Concerning one’s destiny as a being

(what one is)

2.1.1.3 Identities (the identities one assumes)

2.1.1.4 Feeling of being under domination/of

having one’s will dominated

2.2 How one is, how one feels, in relation to

others

2.2.1 Feels as if he is not liked by others,

forsaken, loneliness

2.2.2 Feels as if he pursued. Distrusts others

2.2.2.1 Feeling of being attacked, murdered,

people represent a risk to his integrity

2.2.2.2 Feeling that people are his enemies that

they are conspiring against him, that

they are pursuing him, spying him; they

are against him and they will hurt him

2.2.2.3 Suspects that people think ill of him

2.2.2.4 Suspects that he will be betrayed

2.2.3 Feels accused, attacked, insulted, criticized

2.2.3.1 Accused

2.2.3.2 Attacked, insulted

2.2.3.3 Criticized, despised, depreciated

2.2.4 Feels aggressive or strange towards people

2.2.5 Physical relationship with people

(enchantment, presence, absence)

2.2.5.1 Enchantment

2.2.5.2 Absence; relates to absent people; imagine

inexistent relationships

2.2.6 Feels superior

2.2.7 How one feels about one’s surrounding

2.3.1 The surroundings seem dangerous,

frightening

2.3.2 Altered relationship with surroundings

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Group 3 What will happen to him. What is

happening

3.1 What happens to his body

3.2 Misfortune

3.3 Related to money

3.4 He is to blame for what happens to

him (punishment)

Group 4 What he must (and what he must not)

do.

What he has done. What he wants to

do.

4.1 In relation to work

4.2 In relation to the wrong things he did,

does or will do

4.3 In relation what he must do

4.4 In relation what he tries to do

4.5 What he is doing

Chapter 2. In relation to other people

Group 1 Where they are (time, space, in

relation to himself)

Group 2 What they are like. Who they are

2.1 Negative impression of people

2.2 People have the appearance of

something else (of animals,

plants,etc.)

2.3 Positive impression

Group 3 What will happen to them; what is

happening; what has already

happened

Group 4 What they are doing

Chapter 1 In relation to surroundings

Group 1 What it is like

1.1 Altered in its dimensions

1.2 Altered in its properties or capabilities

(movements of objects on the room)

1.3 Altered in its qualities (except its

dimensions) (Seems beautiful,

strange, dirty, dead or disorganized –

Different from what it is in real life)

1.4 Other alterations

Group 2 What will happen to it

Chapter 4. In relation to the senses

Group 1 Visual

1.1 Animals

1.2 Sees figures, images

1.3 Sees persons

1.4 Concerning the

Surroundings/objects

1.5 Religious

1.6 Money

1.7 In General

Group 2 In relation to the senses: auditory

2.1 Hears other persons speaking

2.2 Hears noises

2.3 Music

2.4 General

Group 2 Olfactory

Group 3 Tactile

Group 4 Gustatory

Group 5 Other

Chapter 5. Concomitant. Types of delusions

Group 1 Concomitant

Group 2 Types of delusions

Chapter 6. Frightful delusions

Group 1 Supernatural

Group 2 Natural

2.1 Animals

2.2 Facts; events

Section 3. Analogical groups

Chapter 1. In relation to one’s own self

Group 1 Symptoms concerning the future. What

is to become of him, what is going to

happen to him. Related feelings,

attitudes, states, and specific

susceptibilities.

1.1 Symptoms that indicate worries or fears

in general

1.1.1 Worries or fear about the future

1.1.2 Worries or fear about a

misfortune or danger

1.1.3 Non-specific worries or fear

1.2 States of restlessness, agitation,

anguish, anxiety, fear and horror

1.2.1 States of anxiety or anguish

1.2.2 States of overpowering fear. Frightened

1.2.3 States of agitation and restlessness

1.3 Symptoms that indicate worries or fear

in a more specific form

Oversensitiveness in relation to events

(real or imaginary, causing worries, fear

or a strong impression. Impressionable

mind)

1.3.1 Concerning facts he is told about

1.3.2 Concerning what he sees

1.3.3 Concerning what he thinks or imagines

(events he thinks or imagines)

1.3.4 Concerning day to day events and

activities

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1.3.5 The place where he is or where he is

going; the possibility of suffering a

physical damage if he goes to certain

places

1.3.6 Sensitivity to unusual situations or facts

that may suggest physical damage

1.3.7 Concerning sudden events

1.4 Cautious attitude

1.5 Negligent, defiant attitude

1.6 Hopeful

1.7 Discouraged

1.8 Foresees the future

Delusions related to the themes of group 1

Group 2 Health

2.1. Clinical entities

2.2. Worries about health

2.2.1 Generic worries about health

2.2.1.1 Anxiety and fear

2.2.1.2 Thoughts

2.2.1.3 Discontented

2.2.1.4 Sadness

2.2.1.5 Scepticism and despair

2.2.1.6 Hope

2.2.1.7 Sensitivity to pain

2.2.1.8 Imaginations

2.2.1.9 The talk, the speech

2.2.2 Specific worries about a certain

disease or symptom

2.2.3 Specific worries about mental

health

2.2.4 Specific worries about medical

treatments and remedies

Events that he supposes may

cause damage to his health

2.3 Feigning health problems;

imaginary health problems

2.4 Negligence in relation to health.

Denies his disease. Refuses

treatment

Delusions related to the themes of group 2

Group 3 In relation to material security

3.1 Symptoms that indicate over-sensitivity in

relation to material goods and business

3.2 Attitude. Tries to gather more

3.3 Symptoms that suggest detachment or

indifference in relation to material goods/riches

Delusions related to themes of group 3

Group 4 Concerning death

4.1 The idea of death causes him fear

4.2 The idea of death causes him joy, clam,

indifference. Longing for dying

4.3 Prediction, sensation and thoughts about

death

Delusions related to the themes of group 4

Group 5 Discontent. Non-acceptance

5.1 Non-acceptance of the external reality.

Sensitive to the external reality

5.2 Attitudes that can indicate the desire of

transformation or defiance

5.2.1 Rebellion. Revolt

5.2.2 Irritability; bad-mood; impatience

5.2.3 Critical. Complaining

5.2.4 Desire for changes

5.3 Negative attitude, of acceptance

5.3.1 Quitting life

5.3.2 Pessimistic discontent

5.3.2.1 Pessimism

5.3.2.2 Lamenting

5.3.3 Sadness. Sorrow. Melancholy

5.4 Physical discomfort

Group 6 Guilt; religiosity; mysticism

6.1. Guilt

6.1.1 Types of guilt

6.1.1.1 Guilt in relation to past acts, real or

imaginary

6.1.1.2 Guilt in relation to future acts that one is

afraid to commit

6.1.2 Guilt associated with discontent with one’s

self

6.1.3 Attitudes of guilt atonement. Penance.

Good deeds

6.1.4 Fear with possible guilt connotation.

Punishment

6.2 Religiosity. Mysticism

6.2.1 About salvation

6.2.2 Religious fanaticism (excesses of

religiosity explicit in the own rubric)

6.2.3 Attitudes related to religious practices

(attitudes that can be considered as

‘normal’)

6.2.4 Feelings of comfort with religious

connotations

6.2.5 Lack of religiosity as a symptom

6.2.6 Mysticism, the supernatural

Delusions related to the themes of group 6

Group 7 Self-destruction

7.1 Suicide. Suicidal disposition

7.2 Physical self-aggressions (direct)

7.3 Indirect self-aggression

Delusions related to the themes of group 7

Group 8 Activities; commitments; responsibilities

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8.1 Enterprising activity; industriousness;

haste

8.1.1 Industriousness. Occupation

8.1.2 Haste

8.1.3 Speaks or thinks about his job

8.1.4 Agg. when unoccupied

8.2 Inactivity. Aversion to work. Fear of

working. Aversion to responsibilities.

Slowness.

8.2.1 Inactivity

8.2.2 Aversion to work and responsibilities

8.2.3 Fear of work

8.3. Responsibility

8.3.1 Serious, earnest disposition. Responsible,

silent, calm

8.3.2 Responsible towards work and duty

8.3.3 Demanding. Wearisome

8.4 Irresponsibility

8.4.1 Irresponsible attitude in general,

heedlessness

8.4.2 Irresponsible in work or in business

Delusions related to the themes of group 8

Group 9 The self-concept and self-image; feelings,

attitudes and susceptibilities that

indicate one’s self-concept

9.1 Oversensitive about himself and his position

9.1.1 Oversensitive. Easily offended

9.1.2 Over-sensitive about his social position

9.2 Positive self-concept; self-esteem, self-

centredness egotism

9.3 Attitudes or behaviours that demonstrate a

positive concept of one’s self-assertiveness

9.3.1 Assertion through will. Intolerant to

contradiction; dictatorial persevering;

obstinate; prejudiced; disobedient

9.3.2 Assertion through power. Ambition

9.3.3 Behaviours indicating self-confidence

9.3.4 Assertion through appearances. Appear to

be or have more (exhibitionism)

9.3.5 Self-confidence. Does not want to show

weakness

9.4 Over-sensitive about real situations that can

shake his self-concept

9.5 Want of self-confidence. Depreciation

9.5.1 The feeling of lacking value

9.5.2 Dissatisfaction with one’s self

9.5.2.1 Self-depreciation

9.5.2.2 Concerning his condition or his social

position

9.5.3 failure

9.5.4 Lack of courage, determination, decision

9.5.4.1 Lack of decision

9.5.4.2 Lack of courage, determination. Necessity

of being supported by others. Difficulty in

asserting himself. Problems in facing

difficulties, lack of determination in itself

9.5.5 Timidity. Symptoms of timidity, shame,

insecurity, fear of being brought to shame,

etc.

Delusions related on the themes of group 9

Group10 Violent, aggressive and

destructive behaviour

10.1 Aggressive in speech

10.2 Aggressive. Destructive in acts

and gestures

10.2.1 Aggressive in acts and gesture

10.2.2 Threatening acts and gesture

10.3 Aggressive in thoughts and desire

10.4 Aggressive mood. Aggressive

dispositions

10.5 Talks about violence

Delusions related to themes of group 10

Group 11 Strange and peculiar behaviour,

attitudes and facts

11.1 Sounds

11.1.1 Common sounds

11.1.1.1 What is said (or not). Contents.

Language

11.1.1.2 How one talks (the way one talks, the

intensity of it)

11.1.1.2.1 Quickly or excitedly

11.1.1.2.2 Loudly

11.1.1.2.3 Low slowly, gently

11.1.1.2.4 Talks a lot, talks too much

11.1.1.2.5 Talks in a confused way

11.1.1.2.6 Other

11.1.1.3 To whom one speaks

11.1.1.4 Shrieking

11.1.1.5 Crying

11.1.1.6 Singing. Whistle

11.1.2 Uncommon sounds

11.2 Movements of the whole body

11.2.1 Crawling, rolling

11.2.2 Dancing. Jumping

11.2.3 Walking; running; wandering; moving

11.3 Movements of parts of the body

11.3.1 Moving the hands

11.3.2 Moving the head or parts of it

11.3.3 Moving the limbs (except hands)

11.3.4 Gestures ‘as if’

11.3.5 General classification of the gestures

11.4 Attitudes concerning objects or

natural elements

11.5 Facial expressions (including looking)

11.6 Dressing

11.7 Hygienic habits

11.8 Physiologic habits

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11.9 Specially strange or marginal

behaviour

11.10 Childish, ridiculous behaviour

11.11 Confused or insane behaviour

11.11.1 Escape

11.11.2 Confuse

11.11.3 Strange or insane acts

11.12 Positions of the body

11.13 Thoughts

Delusions related to themes of group 11

Group 12 Socially condemned behaviour

12.1 Deceitful, dishonest, feigned,

malicious, disobedient

12.2 Cruel

12.3 Intrigueur, gossip, slanderous

Delusions related to the themes group 12

Group 13 Introspective, isolated behaviour;

autistic like

13.1 Absorbed in his own thoughts.

Absent-minded, dreamy

13.2 Indifferent to the eternal world

13.3 Desire to be alone. Aversion to being

disturbed

13.4 Quiet, silent disposition

Group 14 Pleasure, displeasure, desires.

Joy, good humour. Laughter. Plays,

amusements. Extroversion,

Loquacity.

Displeasure; incapacity to feel

pleasure, to laugh or play. Desires

14.1 Pleasure

14.1.1 Joy, euphoria, good humour, vivacity,

contentment, state or behaviour that

shows it

14.1.2 Laughter and the like

14.1.3 Plays, amusements

14.1.4 Verbal jesting. Irony, sarcasm, jokes,

etc.

14.1.5 Extroversion, Loquacity

14.2 Displeasure. Incapacity to feel

pleasure, to laugh, to play

14.3 Desires

14.3.1 Capricious. Full of desire

14.3.2 Desire for repose and tranquility

14.3.3 Desire for amusement, new things,

excitement, turmoil

14.3.4 Desire for physical or mental

activities

14.3.5 Desire for movements

14.3.6 Others

Group 15 Intellect

Pathologies of the intellect

Negative intellectual capacity

15.2.1 Difficulty in reading

15.2.3 Difficulty in oral expression. To

speak, to answer and understand for

answering

15.2.4 Difficulty in intellectual work,

reasoning and calculation

15.2.5 Difficulty in thinking

15.2.6 Difficulty in moving

15.2.7 Difficulty in concentrating

15.2.8 Problems with perception. Disturbed

perception of reality

15.2.9 Problems with memory

15.2.10 Consciousness level and general

mental activity

15.3 Positive intellectual capacity

15.3.1 General

(corresponding to items of S3, C1,

G15, 2.1 to S3, C1, G15, 2.9)

15.3.2 Consciousness level and general

mental activity

Delusions related to the themes of group 15

Group 16 Identity; will

16.1 Identity

16.2 Will

16.2.1 Inconsistent will

16.2.2 Contradictory actions. Contradicting

one’s will

16.2.3 Involuntary actions, attitudes and

thoughts

Delusions related to the themes of group 16

Group 17 Sexuality

17.1 Sexuality provoking mental symptoms

17.2 Diminished sexuality

17.3 Thoughts, feelings and behaviours of

exacerbation and alteration of

sexuality

17.3.1 Related to dressing

17.3.2 Other

Group 18 Past

Delusions related to the themes of group 18

Chapter 2. In relation to others

Group 1 Symptoms that indicate want of

affection or lack of protection

1.1 Affectionate and mild attitude

1.2 Fraternal social attitude

1.3 Lascivious approach

1.4 Submissive attitude

1.5 Sensation of being apart from people.

Loss of affection or confidence

1.6 Necessity of being admired or

recognized

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1.7 Necessity to be protected, caressed

1.7.1 Desire for company, agg. when alone

1.7.2 Seeks a physical contact; protection

1.7.3 Seeks to talk to people. Consolation.

Compassion

1.8 Problems with the (objective) loss of

people or the threat of a loss

1.8.1 Jealousy

1.8.2 Love disappointment

1.8.3 Circumstance that suggest separation;

quarrels, sensations, attitudes

Delusions related to the themes of group 1

Group 2 Rough, aggressive attitude; aversion to

company

2.1 Aggressivity

2.1.1 Aggressive by means of words

2.1.2 Aggressive by means of acts

2.1.3 Aggressive by means of thoughts,

desires and sentiments

2.1.4 Cruelty

2.2 Aversion to people

2.3 Feels disturbed by the interference of

others

2.4 Introspection; aversion to company;

disturbed by other people’s presence

2.5 Lack of interest in people. Forgets

them. Does not recognize them

2.6 Envy

2.7 Disturbed by conversation. Does not

want to talk

2.8 Avoids or is not interested in being

touched, caressed and loved

2.9 In relation to relatives and friends

Delusions related to the themes of group 2

Group 3 Sarcastic, haughty, provocative

attitude

3.1 Critical towards people. Intolerant

3.2 Sarcastic towards others

3.3 Defiant. Provocative

3.4 Superiority

Delusions related to the themes of group 3

Group 4 Fear of people

4.1 Fear from insecurity about what

people might do against him

4.1.1. Symptoms that indicate fear, in

general, of people

4.1.2 Fear that people might do

something against him

4.1.3 Sensation of being pursued.

Suspicion

4.2 Fear from insecurity about himself.

Intimidation by others. Timidity

4.2.Symptoms where his image is exposed and his

value questioned

4.2.2 Fearful of the approach of people.

Touch; company; sex

4.2.3 Intimidated by confrontation with

people. When he speaks, debates,

when he is spoken to, when he is

interrupted

4.2.4 Intimidated by the public

4.2.5 Intimidated by strangers

4.2.6 In relation to absent persons

(supposedly intimidation by

their presence)

Delusions related to the themes of group 4

Group 5 Symptoms relate to the feeling of being

disrespected and its consequences

5.1 Criticized, reprimanded

5.2 Offended

5.2.1 When the oversensitivity to offences

is the symptom

5.2.2 Past offences

5.2.3 Consolation as an offence

5.3 Contradicted, checked

5.4 Disappointed

Delusions related to the themes of group 5

Group 6 Worries about other people

Delusions related to the themes of group 6

Chapter 3. in relation to surroundings

Group 1 Colours, lights; darkness

Group 2 Home, bedroom

Delusions related to the themes of group 2

Group 3 Bed

Delusions related to the themes of group 3

Group 4 Perception of the surroundings

(including localization in space)

Delusions related to the themes of group 4

Group 5 Objects

Delusions related to the themes of group 5

Group 6 Animals

Delusions related to the themes of group 6

Group 7 The components of nature: fresh air;

coldness; lightning; rain; water; wind;

fire; heat; moonlight

Delusions related to the themes of group 7

Conclusion: The objectives described at the

beginning were achieved, with the exception of

clarification of the meaning of the symptoms and

differences between them (differential diagnosis).

This objective is being pursued, as the project

mentioned in the Introduction of this report remains

active. We decided to publish the General Index

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58

first and then release the complete contents of this

task in the form of a book entitled ‘Semiological

Guide To The Homeopathic’s Mental Symptoms’

with the full content of the work, so that we may

receive contributions to this task, as Herculean as it

is necessary, clarifying and differentiating the

meanings of mental rubrics and sub-rubrics of the

homeopathic repertory.

In our experience, such study of the mental

symptoms has been of much use both in the

reportorial study of consulting room cases as well

as in the semiological understanding of problems

for the effective use of the repertory. Logical

distribution of the rubrics according to our efforts,

aimed at a thematic understanding of patients’

symptoms, facilitates the search for symptoms and

increases accuracy in the choice thereof, as all

similar types are grouped together, allowing

comparative study of the rubrics which in

repertories could be applied to the theme of the

suffering of the patient.

On the other hand, advanced study of the

thematic groups and circumstantial modalities

allows a consistent semiological approach to the

repertory, seeking enhancement of the art of

questioning, based on its real content, although with

the reservation that the repertory will always be an

unfinished book, subject to corrections and

additions as demanded by experience and

experimentation.

Bibliography:

BARTHEL H. Synthetic Repertory:

Psychic and General Symptoms of the

Homeopathic Materia Medica. Vol. 1,

Psychic Symptoms, 2

nd

Edition.

DABBAH F. O Sintoma Caracteristico.

Lecture given in Rio de JANERIRO in

December 1981, published by the Groupo

de Estudos Homeopaticos James T. Kent.

DABBAH F. E1 Capitulo Mente: Ese

Desconocido. Actas del Instituto

Internacional de Altos Estudios

Homeopaticos James Tyler Kent, 2; March

1987, No.5.

DABBAH F. Sintomas Mentales

Caracteristicos. Actas del Instituto

Internacional de Altos Estudios

Homeopaticos James Tyler Kent, 2; March

1987, No.5.

DABBAH F. CARAN, N. Repertorio de

Modalidades Mentales, Introduction. Actas

del Instituto Internacional de Altos

Estudios Homeopathicos James Tyler

Kent, 2; march 1987, No.5.

DABBAH F. CARAN, N. Capitulo 10,

Funciones – Themes: Sleep, Actas del

Instituto Internacional de Altos Estudios

Homeopaticos James Tyler Kent, 2;

March 1987, No.5.

DABBAH F. CARAN, N. Repertorio de

Modalidades Mentales. Actas del Instituto

Internacional de Altos Estudios

Homeopaticos James Tyler Kent, Theme:

Eating, Drinking, June 1988, No.6

DABBAH F. CARAN, N. Repertorio de

Modalidades Mentales, Theme: Sweating,

Breathing, Smoking, Evacuating, Urinating,

Menstruation, Coitus. Actas del Instituto

Internacional de Altos Estudios

Homeopaticos James Tyler Kent, March

1989, No.7.

--------------------------------------------------------------

2. Hydrocyanic acid

Roger MORRISON

(AJHM. 99, 4/2006)

(Excerpted from Dr. MORRISON’s new book

Carbon)

Abstract: Dr. MORRISON presents the Materia

Medica of Hydrocyanic acid, the key components

of which include: collapse, fear, betrayal, desire for

company, distress during cardiac symptoms,

confusion, aggression, cyanosis, spasms, tetany.

Hydrogen cyanide was discovered in 1782 by

Scheele, who extracted this compound from the

dye, Prussian Blue. (Thus the relationship with

blue produced the name “cyanic” from the Greek

“kyanos” which means simply, “blue”. From this

same root, we have the word cyanosis). At room

temperature, Hydrogen cyanide is a colorless,

highly volatile liquid which boils at 26º Celsius

(79º Fahrenheit). While it has many useful

chemical properties, hydrogen cyanide is one of the

most dangerous substances known to man. It

inhibits cellular metabolism by poisoning

cytochrome oxidase and other metabolic pathways.

Sixty-nine percent of all hydrogen cyanide

produced is used industrially in the preparation of

acrylonitrile and acrylic fibres, synthetic rubber and

plastics. Cyanides are also employed as fumigants

(nine percent of all produced), in case hardening of

iron and steel, and in electroplating. These

innocent uses belie its truly infamous history and its

less savory present-day employment.

Mining

Vast amounts of Cyanide are used annually in

mining operations. A typical mine will use twenty

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59

tons of cyanide monthly – thousands of tons over

the life of a mine. The hazard of bringing the

cyanide to the mining site alone is very

considerable and indeed trucking and rail accidents

have occurred. The mines use cyanide to extract

the precious metals. Cyanide binds selectively with

silver, gold and copper and helps to extract them

from ores. The cyanide is then cleaved from the

precious metal and the residue solution is dumped –

usually into depleted mine shafts. From the mine

shafts, the cyanide often finds its way into ground

waters. Alternatively, the residue is held in

reservoirs – the number of large scale leaks into

streams and then rivers in the past decades is in the

hundreds (utterly destroying habitats). Cyanide is

also a powerful solvent that breaks down heavy

metals – such as mercury, cadmium, chromium and

lead – that end up in the reservoirs or shafts. Mixes

of cyanide with other metals and chemicals can be

just as toxic as cyanide itself, but they are not

routinely monitored or carefully regulated. About

thirteen percent of all cyanides produced are used

for gold extraction.

Natural History

Hydrogen cyanide is found naturally in bitter

almonds, the kernels of apricots, cherries and

plums, in peach-flower, nectarine and laurocerasus

leaves (Laurocerasus is one of our most famous

remedies for cyanosis), in the bark of the cherry-

laurel, in sudan grass and sorgum. The poison was

used in essence of bitter almonds” and “cherry -

laurel water” since Egyptian times. It is reported

that the Egyptian priests used it to poison initiates

who had divulged occult secrets. Thus its use for

murder extends back into antiquity.

Agent for Murder

Hydrogen cyanide is sometimes listed as a

chemical warfare agent though there are only

unconfirmed reports that hydrogen cyanide was

used by Iraq in the war against Iran and against the

Kurds in northern Iraq during the 1980s. It is of

little value as a chemical warfare agent because of

its great volatility; that is, it evaporates too rapidly.

Hydracyanic acid was initially used as a fumigant,

killing insects and rodents. By placing the articles

requiring fumigation in closed chambers and

inserting the volatized gas into the chamber,

vermicide was completed.

In the 1920s, searching for a more humane

method of executing condemned criminals,

hydrogen cyanide or “gas chambers” were created.

It is the usual method for carrying out execution in

five states, notably California. The most important

route of poisoning is through inhalation (though

gaseous and liquid hydrogen cyanide, as well as

cyanide salts in solution, can also be taken up

through the skin). The initial symptoms are

restlessness and increased Respiratory rate,

Giddiness, Headache, Palpitations and Respiratory

difficulty. These are later followed by vomiting, a

variety of convulsive symptoms, respiratory failure

and unconsciousness. If the poisoning occurs

rapidly with extremely high concentrations in the

air, there is no time for symptoms to develop and

exposed persons may collapse suddenly and die.

Contrary to the hopes of the inventors of this

system, death is apparently neither rapid nor

painless. A review of 113 execution records at

California’s San Quentin prison showed an average

time to unconsciousness was reached after nearly

four minutes of asphyxia, agonizing spasms and

chest pains. Major motor seizures (which indicate

unconsciousness) are rarely described in these

records. Medical observers note “gasping,”

“grimacing,” “twitching,” “writhing,” and “violent

head movements” frequently. Howard Brodie,

veteran journalist for Life Magazine described the

execution of Aaron Mitchell in 1967: “As the gas

hit him, his head immediately fell to his chest.

Then his head came up and he looked directly into

the window. For nearly seven minutes he sat up that

way, with his chest heaving, saliva bubbling

between his lips. He tucked his thumbs into his

fists, and finally his head fell again. I believe he

was aware many minutes. He appeared to be in

great anguish ..” (The official time for

consciousness from Aaron Mitchell’s record was

five minutes). California’s first gas-chamber victim

(as lip-read by a reporter for the San Francisco

Chronicle, December 10, 1938) pronounced with

his last words: “Too slow.”

From here the history of hydrogen cyanide

brings us to perhaps the lowest moment of human

moral history – the Nazi concentration camps.

Hans Stark, a registrar of new arrivals, Auschwitz,

describes the procedure: “At another, later gassing

– also in autumn 1941 – Grabner ordered me to

pour Zyklon B in to the opening because only one

medical orderly had shown up. During a gassing,

Zyklon B had to be poured through both openings

of the gas-chamber room at the same time. This

gassing was also a transport of 200-250 Jews, once

again men, women and children. As the Zyklon B

– as already mentioned – was in granular form, it

trickled down over the people as it was being

poured in. they then started to cry out terribly for

they now knew what was happening to them. I did

not look through the opening because it had to be

closed as soon as the Zyklon B had been poured in.

After a few minutes there was silence. After some

time had passed, it may have been ten to fifteen

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60

minutes, the gas chamber was opened. The dead

lay higgledy-piggledy all over the place. It was

dreadful sight.” Of the estimated six million deaths

during the holocaust probably less than one third

were due to hydrogen cyanide. Researching these

statistics is a seriously depressing activity.

Toxicity

The lowest concentrations of cyanide gas (20-

40 ppm) produce dysphoria and panic, nausea or

vomiting, vertigo, headache, tachypnea and

tachycardia. A few prisoners appear to stop

breathing and slump the head forward in the first

thirty seconds – the “apoplectic form” of cyanide

poisoning. Most exhibit signs of global

dysautonomia, with hyperventilation, alkalosis with

tetany, salivation, retching and incapacitation; the

heart rate may drop to the point that the individual

“dims out” in the first one to two minutes,

sometimes to recover in a state of asphyxiation.

Richard TRAYSTMAN, M.D., Professor of

Anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins Medical School,

has written: “During this time (several minutes of

hypoxia), a person will remain conscious and

immediately may suffer extreme pain throughout

his arms, shoulders, back and chest. The sensation

may be similar to pain felt by a person during a

massive heart attack. In some, the tetany is

probably painful as carpal-pedal spasms were noted

in the records. To this must be added the well-

documented terror associated with asphyxiation.”

Cardiac arrhythmias are frequent. Although

technically flawed, the Masson execution EKG is

consistent with other reports of the cardiac effects

of cyanide; anticipatory tachycardia is fleeting

followed by bradycardia. By inference from

comments on other standard report forms,

bradycardia may be quite profound and rapid [15

seconds – 2 minutes], but is sometimes transient.

Arrhythmias, heightened T waves, loss of P waves

and decreased myocardial contractility are apparent.

Electromechanical dissociation may have occurred

in the two most recent cases accounting for the fact

that when the EKG monitor rather than a

stethoscope was used to determine death, survival

was apparently lengthened by several minutes.

The most important toxic effect of hydrogen

cyanide is by inhibiting the metal-containing

enzymes. One such enzyme is cytochromoxidase,

containing iron. This enzyme system is responsible

for the energy-providing processes in the cell where

oxygen is utilized, i.e., cell respiration. When cell

respiration ceases, it is no longer possible to

maintain normal cell functions, which can lead to

cell mortality.

Common Name: Hydrogen cyanide. Prussic

acid. Zyklon-B. Ittner’s acid.

Scientific Name: Hydrocyanic acid

CAS: 74-90-8 EINECS: 200-821-6

MW: 27.03 MP:-13.4º BP: 25.6º

VP: 400@10º SG:.699 (liquid)

Formula: HCN.

Structure: This compound is a single carbon atom

triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom with a single

hydrogen atom occupying the final carbon bonding

site. The nitrile (cyanide) ion acts in almost every

way like a halogen. In fact, it has been called the

“false halogen.” Thus we can relate the cyanide

salts to the other halogens.

Group: Nitrile (cyanides).

Proving: Proved first by Jorg (also written Joerg) in

1825. This proving (and all the subsequent twenty

or more other provings) was made by ingesting or

inhaling the unpotentized substance. A recent

proving of Hydrocyanic acid was made in Brazil by

Rogerio Rodriguez of the Sociedade Caúcha de

Homeopatia, in potentized form. Some of the new

symptoms appear in the Millenium edition of the

Complete Repertory.

Abbreviation : Hydr-ac.

Homeopathic Picture

Hydrocyanic acid has been used most

extensively in cardiac conditions. SCHMIDT

recommended it in angina, cardiopulmonary

collapse and cyanosis. These characteristics are

well documented in the toxicity noted in the

introductory paragraphs. Also notable use has been

made of the remedy in Convulsions, Tetany,

Respiratory infections, Pertussis and Cholera.

D.COLLINS of New Zealand has presented a

fascinating case of a woman with debilitating

weakness who was cured with Hydrocyanic acid.

A startling aspect of the case centered around the

woman’s firm conviction that she had been a

Jewish victim of the Nazi gas chambers. COLLINS

noted that it is not necessary to believe in past-life

memories to make use of the patient’s imagery

relating to cyanide gas in prescribing.

As mentioned above, nitriles are identical to

the halogens (the cyanide ion is termed the “false

halogen”) in their actions chemically. Thus we can

suppose that the halogen theme of betrayal will be

reflected in the nitrile group. Here the betrayal is

closest to the Iodine feeling of being stabbed in the

back; that is, the betrayal is of a life and death

nature. The Cyanide group brings with it the

feeling of murder, betrayal and tremendous fear.

The first compensation is to cling to those around

him. If this proves ineffective, or if the perceived

threat comes from those near to him, he combats

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61

the threat with anger and abusiveness, biting,

struggling and violence. If this is ineffective, he

gives in, loses hope, loses touch with reality or

becomes suicidal.

Though the patient may act rather cheerful, the

mental state of Hydrocyanic acid is centered upon

fear. SCHMIDT called it “a great frightener, fear

of everything.” A type of agoraphobia is seen.

Expecially famous is the fear of cars approaching

him on the street – even though he knows logically

that the vehicle is far away, he must run across the

street. There is fear of death, dreams of dead

bodies, fear of houses collapsing upon him and fear

to go to sleep. The patient feels a strong sense of

imminent threat. The threat causes a strong desire

for company and a fear to be left alone. Thus the

patient falls into a relieving fantasy that he is with

friends – he reaches out to them and calls them by

name.

Especially noted during angina or heart

symptoms, there is great distress or even anguish.

The patient may shriek out in pain and fear. With

this apprehension may also be the typical organic

chemical confusion. When this is extreme, the

patient is lost and disoriented. There can be

difficulty of thinking and absent-mindedness,

forgetting of appointments. To understand the state

we can reflect upon the consciousness of a

condemned prisoner, strapped in a chair, left alone

in a dismal room, knowing that death is seconds

away. He may call out for help, weep violently,

rant or bite at those confining him.

Mental

Fear of death.

Fear of approaching cars. Fear to fall asleep.

Delusion he is surrounded by his friends.

General

Cyanosis is the hallmark of the remedy.

Great weakness or faintness. Sudden attacks of

weakness. Collapse.

Complete anesthesia.

Coldness; aggravation from cold and amelioration

warm applications.

Convulsions: In children. During sleep. From

injuries. In Uremia.

Hysterical convulsions.

Eyes turned upward and to the right side during

convulsion.

Tetanus. Tetanic spasms.

Ailments from shock or injury, Sunstroke.

Head

Vertigo and falling.

Face and lips cyanotic. Or flushed, red face.

Puffy or bloated face.

Jaw clenched and painful. Bruxism.

Froth from mouth or excessive salivation.

Paralysis or protrusion of tongue – especially in

brain affections (Pladijs)

Cherry red coloration mucus membranes. (toxic

symptom = t)

Eyes

Paralysis of eyelids; half-open lids.

Pupils dilated and at times poorly reactive to light.

Transient blindness.

Hemianopsia. (toxic symptom)

Optic atrophy (Leber’s type). (t)

Throat

Unable to hold up head; head feels too heavy.

Goiter (emphasizing the relationship to other

halogens). (t)

Gastrointestinal

Cramping or neuralgic pains in stomach.

Better: Heat.

Vomiting of food at onset of convulsion.

Gurgling of liquids as they roll down the

esophagus.

Cramping in abdomen.

Worse: Before stool. While eating. (Ronhaar)

Respiration

Rapid or gasping respiration.

Asthma. Respiratory arrest.

Dry, irritating, tickling cough.

Pertussis.

Constriction in the throat. Scraping of mucus in

larynx.

Extremities

Opisthotonus.

Clenching of thumbs (Cuprum).

Hyper-reflexia. (t)

Painful spasms of the hands of feet. Twitching.

Paralysis beginning in lower extremities and

moving upward

Hemiplegia. (t)

Numbness or other paresthesias of extremities. (1)

Clinical

Angina. Anxiety. Arrhythmia. Asthma. Cerebral

vascular accidents. Cholera. Chronic fatigue

syndrome. Congestive heart failure.

Convulsions. Gastritis. Head trauma.

Headache. Pertussis. Phobia. Vertigo.

Miasm: Possibly Syphilitic

Cases

M. CASH

A farmer, aged 45, had sunstroke three years

ago, since which he can bear no thought or worry:

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

62

“a feeling as if cloud were going over the brain.”

“Face red and bloated; eyes nearly closed, and

cannot bear the light: congestion of conjunctivae

heavy and sleepy all day. Abdomen full and

flatulent after meals. [cured] after twelve days

treatment by Hydrocyanic acid 3x.

Stonham

H.C.F., aged 73, had Rheumatic Fever many

years ago, and much worry and anxiety from

business losses in late middle life. He consulted me

in January, 1899, for attacks of angina, which

would come from excitement or anger, or from

sitting or standing in cold air, and involved the

cardiac region and back, the pain sometimes

extending down the left arm. The pain came on

gradually, attained a maximum, when it was like a

hot iron going through him, and then subsided.

Relief was obtained from simply standing still in an

upright position and lying down. The heart was

enlarged; apex beat a little outside the nipple line.

A faint systolic murmur at apex. Loud systolic and

diastolic murmurs over base and second right costal

cartilage; a water-hammer pulse and visible

pulsation in the carotids, especially on the right

side, where the artery was thickened and dilated.

Cuprum arsenicosum 6x given night and morning

completely cured the attacks of pain, and he went

on very well for three years till the winter of 1901 –

2, when he began to be more breathless, being often

obliged to stop in the middle of anything he was

doing, and I was sent for to see him on January 19.

The heart was beating very irregularly, there was

slight edema of the feet, the breathing not much

embarrassed when I saw him, though attacks of

dyspnoea were complained of, but unaccompanied

by pain, and the bases of the lungs were clear. I

ordered Cuprum arsenicosum 6x. On January 20

he felt better.

January 21, I was sent for urgently, as the

patient was thought to be much worse. He was

found sitting upright in a chair rather cyanosed and

gasping for breath. The breathing was then, and for

several following days, of an exaggerated Cheyne-

Stokes’ character. There would be an interval of

from 20 – 30 seconds, in which no respiratory

movement could be observed, and in which the

patient would begin to doze; he would then

suddenly woke up with a sense of impending

suffocation, each breath becoming more and more

struggling and gasping till all the accessory muscles

of inspiration were brought into play their fullest

extent, the eyes staring the patient often rising to

the standing position, supported by his nurses, and

then the violence of the respiratory efforts would

gradually subside till they again became

imperceptible and ceased altogether for another 20

to 30 seconds. This kind of respiration continued

day and night and prevented him from getting any

sleep beyond the few seconds between the

respiratory exacerbations, when he dropped off

from sheer exhaustion. He was given hypodermic

injections of strychnine of 1/100 gr. Every three

hours.

January 22. Not better. A specimen of urine

taken was found to contain a large quantity of

albumen, but the proportion of urea (viz., 3%) was

good, and the total quantity of urine equaled about

20 ounces in the 24 hours. The injections of

strychnine were continued, though they had only a

temporary effect for a short time following each

injection. The character of the breathing remained

the same and no sleep had been obtained through

the night. pulse was very irregular and at times

flickering. I thought he would not live through the

night. Liquid nourishment taken frequently in

small quantities.

At midnight of January 23-24, I was sent for

and found him apparently in extremis. The pulse

could scarcely be felt. The breathing continued of

the same character, but not quite so violent as

strength was giving out.

January 24. The next morning he was much

the same as on the previous day before the collapse

in the night. It seemed impossible that he could

hold out much longer. The feet and legs were very

edematous, the urine high-coloured, albuminous,

but of about the same quantity and still containing

plenty of urea; there was ptosis of the left upper

eyelid. Liquid nourishment taken by teaspoonfuls

frequently. Remembering the powerful influence

Hydrocyanic acid has on the respiratory functions, I

decided to try its effect, and he was given

Hydrocyanic acid 2x m iv. Every hour. Oxygen

continued.

January 25. A little better. Some short

snatches of sleep had been procured, and the

breathing was not so distressing. It was during

periods of diminution in the violence of the

respiratory paroxysms that the sleep had been

obtained, but the character of the breathing

persisted during sleep.

January 26. A good deal better. Pulse

improved. Breathing not so distressing. Again

some short sleeps. Urine when examined found not

to contain any albumen and the quantity a little

increased. Taking food better. Continue

Hydrocyanic acid 2x.

January 27. Breathing improving and more

sleep, but not more than half an hour at the time.

Woke from his last sleep very cyanosed and with

feeble pulse. A single hypodermic injection of

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

63

Lachesis 30 given. Continue Hydrocyanic acid 2x.

m.iv. every hour.

January 28. Much better. The breathing much

more natural. The tongue which had been dry and

much furred was clearing and he began to take

bread and butter. Continue Hydrocyanic acid 2x.

He continued to improve in every way and to

gain strength so that at the end of a month he could

get out of bed and amuse himself with reading. He

has good nights and a good appetite. [Patient also

received Strophanthus and Strychninum arsenicum

during the convalescence. RM]

Payne

A case of Hysteria

The patient, a lady of 23 years, had been ill a

long time, the attacks lasting as long as nine

months, and had endured a severe surgical

operation, under the supposition that she was

laboring under pressure upon the brain from

exostosis under the right frontal protuberance. The

doctor at last found her lying in an apparently

unconscious state, the limbs and jaws rigid, the

forearms bent on the arms, which were pressed

firmly against the sides; the eyes fixed and drawn

somewhat upward and to the right; the eyeballs

slightly sensitive to touch; a constant succession of

tears were rolling down the cheeks; the beats of the

heart were very irregular and feeble. She would

occasionally utter a groan or sigh, and press her

hand forcibly over the region of the heart, as if

suffering pain there; at these times the limbs would

become more relaxed, and she would frequently

raise herself in bed and gaze vacantly about the

room for a minute; then, if not restrained, she

would throw herself forcibly upon the pillow again,

or filing herself from one side of the bed to the

other. Her husband was frequently obliged to

exercise great force to prevent her from injuring

herself; if any means were used to extend the

contracted arms, or to open the clenched teeth, she

would exert greater force to prevent it. This lasted

some 24 hours, and then tonic contractions ceased.

She now became very busy in packing and folding

her bed clothes, and placing them under her head or

elsewhere about the bed, at the same time guarding

them with watchful eyes, allowing no one to touch

or take them. If this were attempted, she would

strike with her full strength. She seemed to notice

no person in the room, unless they interfered with

her plans, but if any one entered the door, she

would seize a pillow or anything within reach and

throw it forcibly at the intruder. At other times, she

would fix her eyes on a particular spot on the wall,

or on a picture, or follow an imaginary figure or

object with her eyes, as if watching its motions.

She was frequently talking, laughing loudly, or

scolding vehemently; she would imagine herself

surrounded by many friends, shaking hands with

them, and calling them by name, as they appeared

before her. She asked no questions and would

return no answers. During this time which lasted

four days before relief was given, she took no

nourishment voluntarily, and only such as could be

put into her mouth, after forcibly prying open the

clenched teeth. The pressing of the hand over the

heart, and the repeated groans while doing so, led

me to think she was suffering sharp pains, probably

of a stitching character, in that locality. The

irregularity and feebleness of the heart’s action

drew my attention to Hydrocyanic acid, which was

given in the 30

th

potency with the most favorable

results.

[Comment: The marked suspicion and striking at

those who attempted to touch her demonstrates the

sensation that anyone could betray or attack her.

The destructiveness indicates the Syphilitic Miasm.

RM]

D.COLLINS

Female, 43 years.

The patient and her husband came together into

my practice room, and upon seeing her I assumed

that she was the patient, as she looked so very ill.

She had very short, sparse hair, like someone

whose hair is growing back after Chemotherapy.

She wore dark glasses, as the light was too bright

for her eyes. She was thin and pale, with bluish lips

and icy cold bluish hands. But it turned out that she

was not the patient after all – she had simply come

to accompany her husband. Still, she launched into

her story when she saw my mistake, saying that

everyone seemed to assume that she was dying,

from the way she looked. She was already under

homeopathic treatment elsewhere, but was making

no progress. She had been very ill all her life, had

been to multiple specialists, who could not help her

either, and had finally told her that they thought she

was just a hypochondriac. She was personally

convinced that her problems stemmed from a past

life, and she wanted to visit my husband, a past-life

regression therapist.

Under regression (a light form of trance, not

hypnosis), she experienced several different lives.

It was during the second session that the source of

her present problems was tracked down, the first

session often being one in which the client

establishes a feeling of safety with the therapist.

She experienced herself as a “he”, a six year-old

Polish boy named Jarich. “He” found himself in a

train, all jammed in with other people in terrible

distress and discomfort. Going back in time he was

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64

at the family home, where his parents were engaged

in heated discussions about whether or not to flee,

and to where. They were rounded up and pushed

into a train with uncertain destiny. On

disembarking from the train he was momentarily

blinded by very bright lights, especially

disorienting after all the time in the darkness. He

lost his parents in the chaos, only clinging to his

teddy bear. He was hustled along in a group, and

finally told to undress to take a shower. Many

naked people were jammed together into a large

room, and then they started to scream and to tumble

down on top of him. Being shorter than most, he

was one of the last to breathe in the deadly fumes of

the gas, Zyclon B (cyanide). He died in terror and

pain.

The healing part of the session comes not

merely by reliving the trauma, but by being able to

understand it in its context in order to be able to

release it. The person is encouraged to round off

any unfinished business on earth, and is then free to

go to a place of “oversight,” from where he can

gain understanding and healing. “He” realized that

he had been a Jewish boy, dying in the gas

chambers of Auschwitz during the Holocaust.

When asked if this short life had any connection

with the complaints of our patient in this life, the

answer came: “the gas, the gas,” the gas (Zyclon

B) turned out to be already available as a

homeopathic remedy, Hydrocyanic acid.

One dose of this remedy in C30 potency

brought about dramatic changes in the woman. She

started to gain weight, which had previously been

impossible. Her hair began to grow back, and soon

she had a full head of hair, as well as a great

increase in energy. She used to be so exhausted

that she could do little more than the daily chores

around the house, needing frequent rests. Even

short trips in the car would leave her drained. We

made a list of the many complaints that she had had

throughout her life and watched them gradually

decrease in the course of continued treatment.

“I have been sick my whole life. I’ve had

breathing problems, Asthma, and a blocked nose.

My digestion didn’t work at all, I had a nervous,

over-reactive stomach. I am allergic to almost any

kind of food – it is easier to ask me what I can’t eat.

My esophagus has always been too narrow and has

always caused problems with swallowing. Almost

anything I eat makes me bloated sometimes even

drinking plain water does the same thing. At four

years of age my tonsils were removed, as they were

always swollen and infected, but I was still sick. At

seven years I had a kidney inflammation with

blood in my urine. After that it became difficult for

me to concentrate and to learn at school. I’ve had a

lot of very high fevers, but I never wanted to stay in

bed; I was too restless. My ears were always

cracking, making a rushing sound and I couldn’t

hear properly. I felt like I always had the ‘flu’. I

got a very enlarged gland on the right side of my

neck. my eyes were always sore and itchy and

irritated, with sticky mucus. My thyroid got

swollen and lumpy. On the right side of my neck

one artery is thick and swollen, making it difficult

to turn my head properly. I seem to be allergic to

all sorts of chemical things, like the smell of

turpentine, paint fumes, or gas smells. I can sniff

out the tiniest gas leak long before anybody else

notices it.

“I was sent to a health farm for sick children,

but my parents didn’t tell me before hand. They

just brought me there and left me, and I felt so

abandoned.

“As a child I used to play ‘concentration camp’

even though I didn’t know the word. I would dress

my doll in as many layers of clothing as possible, to

make sure that ‘she’ would be ready to flee, able to

survive even the worst times. I used to dream about

being in a place full of soldiers, and singing songs

to make them like me. I get ‘flash-backs’ about

being pushed up against the bare, stinking buttocks

of people, and being disgusted by the smell. I have

always had a ‘thing’ with the Jewish people and the

Hebrew language. (Even though there are very few

Jews in her part of Holland and she herself is

Protestant.) It is as though I would be able to

understand the language if I could just hear it a bit

better. Every year on Memorial Day in Holland

(May 5

th

), I make a special commemoration. My

parents don’t do this, for them it is just a vacation.

But I have always wanted it to be a day of silence

and respect. My parents don’t understand my

fascination with the second World War – I have

always wanted to read everything about it. If I was

well enough and had the money, I would go on

vacation to Israel, not for the fun, but because I

need to be there.”

Slowly but surely her complaints began to

ease. Her eyes (diagnosed as M. SJOGREN),

began to produce tears, and became less irritated

and crusty. She could gradually eat more and more

different foods without suffering the consequences

of palpitations and indigestion. Her breathing

became easier, her nose unblocked. Her hair

continued to grow. She felt that she was becoming

psychologically more stable, able to undertake

more now that she had more energy. She had

enough energy to finally make her trip to Israel, and

said that it was like “coming home” to be around so

many Jews. She was good at monitoring her own

needs, and knew when to ask for another dose –

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65

when her back became tense, as though she would

bend over backwards (opisthotonus). At these

times her circulation would slow down as well, and

she would have a hot head and icy cold feet, and

low Blood pressure. During these times she was

also especially sensitive to the smell of any gas – it

would make her nauseous.

At a certain point there seemed to be a need for

Ignatia instead of Hydracyanic acid. She was

weepy and depressed, saying “I feel like I always

want to call out to my mother, and she isn’t there. I

feel like a small child who is abandoned.” This was

possibly triggered by the fact that I was moving

from Holland to New Zealand. It could have

inadvertently been re-stimulating her feelings of

abandonment as a child in this lifetime, away from

home in the health farm for children. This feeling

in turn echoes back to the extreme abandonment of

the little Jarich, wrenched from his parents in the

concentration camp. Ignatia helped her through

this feeling, although on looking back I wonder if

Hydrocyania acid might have done the same thing.

It is interesting to note (for those who claim that

any “collapse remedy” like Arsenicum album or

Carbo vegetabilis would have worked), that she

had previously been treated with Arsenicum and

many other such remedies, to no avail at all.

[Comment: The image of a disoriented, abandoned,

isolated and terrified child points toward an organic

compound. The emaciation, exhaustion and the

chemical sensitivity also reinforce this conclusion.

The images of brutality, intentional extermination,

difficulty swallowing and the respiratory troubles

with blueness all point toward the syphilitic miasm

and toward a cyanide remedy. RM]

=====================================

3. Some Clinical Aspects of Aesculus

hippocastanum

Dr. Harvey FARRINGTON

(The Homeopathic Recorder, Vol. XLVI,

No.1)

If the physician clearly perceives what is to be

cured in each individual case of disease, and what

is curative in each individual medicine, and if he

knows how to adapt what is curative to what is

undoubtedly morbid, according to clearly defined

principles, then he understands how to treat

judiciously and rationally, and he is a true

practitioner of the healing art. These few lines

taken from the third paragraph of the Organon

present the essentials of correct homeopathic

prescribing. Unfortunately, they are ignored by the

majority of those who claim to be loyal members of

the homeopathic school or are given an

interpretation so liberal, that they would appear to

admit of any system of treatment that appeals to the

mind of the prescriber. Thus have arisen keynote

and pathological prescribing, indifferent results,

and the necessity for resorting to unhomeopathic

methods.

Aesculus hippocastanum furnishes us with an

excellent confirmation of this. A brief study of its

pathogenesis will reveal a wide range of action and

many clear-cut characteristics. Yet, to the routinist,

it usually spells hæmorrhoids. He may have read

somewhere that people used to carry a horse-

chestnut in the pocket as a cure for rheumatism, but

would not think of prescribing it for that disease

unless there was an accompanying portal stasis. To

give Aesculus in neuritis would seem to him a

waste of time. But here is a typical case:

Mrs. A.E., Æt. 52, light complexioned, rather

stout, cheerful and vivacious. For two weeks she

had been suffering with an intense neuritis of the

right shoulder and arm which felt full and heavy.

Shooting pains of great severity, started from the

spine, passed to the point of the shoulder, and

followed the course of the circumflex down along

the radial nerve into the thumb and adjacent fingers.

There was numbness of the hand which increased

with the severity of the pains, especially acute in

the tip of the thumb. Worse from motion and cold,

better from applied heat. Always worse from

emotion and excitement.

On August 19, 1929, she received one dose of

Aesculus hipp. 45M. Relief was almost immediate

and in less than a week she was almost entirely free

from pain, but the numbness and heaviness

persisted. On October 17

th

she reported aching and

bruised soreness in the forearm, numbness of the tip

of the thumb, caused, apparently, by apprehension

over sickness in the family.

She has been afflicted for years with Psoriasis

which is now improving rapidly under Petroleum.

It will be noted that this patient was not

despondent and irritable, which is the usual mental

state of the Aesculus subject, nor did she have piles

or venous plethora in the slightest degree. She was

unaffected in general, by either heat or cold. The

sense of fullness, the heaviness of the suffering

parts and the shooting pains and numbness were the

guiding features.

Authorities on homeopathic therapeutics tell

us that Aesculus is useful only in functional heart

ailments. Here again we must revert to

Hahnemann’s axiomatic paragraph: “If the

physician clearly perceives what is to be cured in

diseases.” To restrict the prescriber to either

functional or pathological conditions is to limit the

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

66

range of remedies he has at his command and to

cause him to miss the simillimum in a large

percentage of cases. Doubtless this is the reason

that the horse-chestnut is not considered as a heart

remedy.

Mrs. IRENE A., 68 years of age, dark

complexioned, obese and flabby. A long life of

grief and anxiety resulted in heart disease.

Diagnosis: mitral regurgitation.

Despondent, apprehensive, somewhat petulant

but not irritable.

Flushes of heat in the face, with anxiety.

Pulse regular but soft and rapid, increased by

slight exertion.

Palpitation and dyspnea < on walking,

climbing stairs and eating, > by belching;

accompanied by anxiety and flushes, often driving

her out of bed at night.

Shifting pains, especially in the Cardiac region,

left ear, temple and the knees.

Numbness and tingling in the forearm and hand

on the side lain on, with full feeling, > letting the

part hand down.

< morning, walking, from cold air.

> warm weather.

Craves acids; bowels slightly constipated, but

no hæmorrhoids.

February 13, 1927, she received a dose of the

remedy in the CM potency with marked relief of all

symptoms. The same potency was repeated on

June 22 and July 20. she improved in general

health until the following January when the

symptoms changed somewhat, a distinct

aggravation after sleep was added and Lachesis was

given. A complete cure could not be expected in a

case of this character and no doubt other remedies

will be required in the future, but were the patient

here now she would testify to the comfort the

Aesculus gave her.

One more case completes the group I have

culled from my records. Mrs. L.V.R., æt. 60, had

been a patient of mine for over twenty-five years.

She was always bright, cheerful and energetic. But,

after her house burned down and her business of

corset making declined, she became despondent,

indifferent and lazy, neglected her family of seven

children, continually made mistakes in fitting

corsets and even neglected her own personal

cleanliness and attire. Her husband made a small

salary but it was sufficient for a modest living. She

refused medical treatment, saying that it could do

no good. Finally her husband persuaded her to

come to the office. She presented the following

symptoms and conditions:

Rheumatism for years.

Bruised soreness all over, but more marked in

the cardiac region and down the whole right side.

Numbness of the side lain on.

Sensation of fullness in the region of the heart,

alternating with a feeling of emptiness, the latter

worse at night, and relieved by eating. Heart seems

to stop, then start with a thump; pulse 64.

Fullness in the right side of the head and face.

Palpitation on slight exertion, lying on the left

side and after a full meal.

Stopped feeling in the right ear; noise as of a

waterfall. This troubled her more than the more

serious symptoms. metallic taste in the mouth.

October 23, 1929, Aesculus hipp. 10M.

At her next visit, February 4, 1930, she

reported great improvement and noted with great

satisfaction, that the ear had entirely cleared up.

But as the heart symptoms were beginning to

return, she was given another dose of Aesculus, this

time in the 45M. It was repeated in the CM on

April 10

th

. Soreness, numbness, strange full

feelings, palpitation and all symptoms referable to

the heart had entirely vanished by June 2

nd

. This

was indeed gratifying to both patient and doctor,

but the change in mental state, her increased

energy, and the return of her old neatness in

personal appearance and interest in the wonted

activities of her life, showed a deep and radical

action of Aesculus.

CHICAGO, ILL.

Discussion

Chairman J. HUTCHINSON: It is most

helpful and gratifying to have new things brought

out as to the authentic values of remedies, and I

think this paper is a good example of that. Will you

discuss it?

Dr. A.H. GRIMMER: I think perhaps there is

one phase of this paper that we ought to be thankful

for and that is the point the doctor stressed about

Aesculus covering a greater ground than what it is

so commonly used for, hæmorrhoids. The doctor

has shown how we should study our remedies, in

relation to the patient, regardless of pathological

conditions. And while it is true that remedies do

have affinity for certain organs, parts, and tissues,

still I want to thank the doctor for bringing that

point to the fore.

Dr. D. MACFARLAN: What the doctor just

said is interesting. We have certain predilections

for certain remedies. I know my father, who knew

Dr. LIPPE very well, said he was fond of Silica. he

used Silica very often. Dr.BOGER probably uses

Phosphorus too often. And I think probably I use

Sulphur too often. But I think we all have special

predilections.

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67

Dr. C.M. BOGER: I want to confirm what has

just been said. The reason for it is that we get used

to using certain tools, we get to be a little more

proficient with that particular tool and we use it

more than others. That is all.

Dr. C.A. DIXON: I wonder if the same

thought occurs to others that this paper brings to

me. Sometimes I start in at the office at two o’clock

in the afternoon and the first case say, offhand, is a

Nux or Calcarea case. Before the day is over I

have prescribed that three or five or ten times. It

seems as though everything I see is Calcarea or

whatever it is that I prescribed for the first case. Is

it psychological, or what is the reason for it? I

noticed, as Dr. FARRINGTON read those papers

and dated them, that last fall he was especially

interested in Aesculus.

CHAIRMAN J. HUTCHINSON: Dr.

FARRINGTON ought to be allowed to answer that,

but before he does I should like to say that I think at

times the same weather, even in different localities,

brings out in patients the need of the same remedy.

I find sometimes of a winter day when there are

indications of a scourge of grippe that patients (I

may not know of those patients) from the environs

come in, and although one may be from Mount

Vernon and another from New York they seem to

require the same remedy. And then I know that the

grippe is coming, or whatever it may be.

Personally, I think that temperature and weather

have an enormous effect on our patients’

complaints, and on their complaining, and those

conditions help us select a remedy. I am not so

sure when we prescribe Calcarea carb. six times in

a morning but what it is a similar remedy, at least.

Dr.T.G. SLOAN: In my Rockville practice,

when I am in doubt about a remedy, I always give

Sulphur and nine times out of ten it is the right

remedy. I don’t know why but it has worked out

that way for years.

Dr. A. PULFORD: We find that certain cases

will come in on certain days that require the same

drug. We have tried to figure it out and have come

to the conclusion that it is coincidental, rather than

accidental. But we have found that it does happen

quite frequently.

CHAIRMAN J. HUTCHINSON: My reading

is rusty, but it seems to me that HAHNEMANN

made a good many weather Miasms. Didn’t he?

Dr. A. PULFORD: He did.

Dr. C.L. OLDS: That simply means dynamic

influence, I suppose.

CHAIRMAN J. HUTCHINSON: Dynamic is a

big word.

Dr. H.A. ROBERTS: We are not prescribing

irrationally when we prescribe the same remedy

several times a day. Why is it, in actual practice,

that when we strike one case of Appendicitis we

will strike two or three within forty eight hours?

The same thing is true with Pneumonia. You run

into one case and you will get some more. Why

should it also apply to the application of the

remedies that are called for? They necessarily fall

into the same channel because they are caused by

the same atmospheric and climatic conditions.

Dr. G. ROYAL: There are several reasons

why I enjoyed this paper very much indeed. First,

because it is the first time that I have ever listened

to the writer read a paper; in fact, that is the first

time I have ever met him. I knew his father pretty

well. The second reason is because of the manner

in which he grouped his symptoms, which was very

good. The third reason and perhaps the least

important is because it gave me a great deal of

satisfaction. He uses the word diagnosis again and

again. He uses the word neuritis, which is nothing

more than pathology. He talks about hæmorrhoids.

That was very, very satisfying to me because he

was talking in a language which I understood.

Here is what I think about diagnosis. A patient

comes to you to make a diagnosis, which I say is

essential to the selection of the remedy, that is,

before you have taken your remedy. It is a part of

the totality of symptoms, because to me it indicates

the tissue that is affected and the manner in which

that tissue is affected. Then I have that on which to

build my grouping. This is what he has done in this

paper and so I say I have enjoyed it very much.

Dr. C.M. BOGER: Dr. ROYAL has opened up

something here. It is quite the custom to deride

diagnosis at some of our meetings, but all who do

so should read Hahnemann’s Preface to the

Pathogenesis of Colocynth in the Materia Medica

Pura, and see what he says there about the minor

symptoms. I am not going to talk a whole lot about

what he says there because you can read it yourself.

But, he distinctly intimates that the minor

symptoms must be in the picture. That brings up

the other end of the subject and that is the thing that

I discussed with Dr. ROYAL last night. we have in

every proving the reaction of the system to the

potency from the highest down to the lowest, and

then the gradient all the way down to the lowest

potency and down into the toxic effects. You will

find that even in the Chronic Diseases.

You will find in acute diseases like Pneumonia

and Typhoid, and so on, that the provings of the

potencies exhibit the symptoms which come in as

concomitants in acute disease. If you come down

the scale to the mother tincture and then to

poisoning effects you will find the toxic effects

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

68

from the medicine and the toxæmia in the disease.

Did you ever think of that?

The toxæmia of the disease is the basis upon

which the allopath makes his diagnosis mostly, not

entirely. He takes into consideration the toxic effect

of the disease and from that draws his diagnosis.

So we should not deride these men too much

who base their prescription on the toxic phase of

the disease.

In talking with the doctor last night I asked

what was the first indication which led us to

prescribe Merc. cyan. in Diphtheria. It was a toxic

case, right here in the city of New York, where the

patient died and a post mortem showed a membrane

on the velum palati. That was the first thing that

drew us to the use of cyanide of mercury. And we

know now that that is one of our main remedies in

Diphtheria.

Take Arsenicum. The toxic symptoms of

Arsenicum are the toxæmic symptoms which you

see in Diphtheria and Typhoid fever, for instance.

That is the way it is in every disease.

So that a knowledge of toxicological effects is

quite helpful in finding the remedy, especially

when you are up against a very acute disease. In

other words, you must bring in everything. You

can’t limit yourselves to high or low potencies. If

you take a high potency and make a toxicological

effect it is purely coincidental and occurs only once

in a while, such as in the case LIPPE pointed out

the thirst of Arsenicum. That symptom occurs

frequently in toxic effect of Arsenicum, rarely from

a potency.

Dr. G. ROYAL: May I have just a second

more? I know it is against the rules but I want to

emphasize one point. Dr BOGER said if you give a

high potency and get a toxicological symptom, that

is purely coincidental. I want to say to you if you

get a toxicological symptom and can find a remedy

that has produced it, I am just as sure that you are

going to get rid of that symptom by giving it in the

potency that produced it.

Dr. C.M. BOGER: Sure, that is true.

Dr. D. MACFARLAN: What I believe is

important is to get reliable symptoms. when an

ophthalmologist wants to operate on a case of

cataract he injects homatropine sulphate and he gets

a dilatation of the pupil. He gets it not once out of

a hundred times but one hundred times out of a

hundred. That is the beauty of making provings;

you know what you are doing and you get it first-

hand. Then there is an intimacy between yourself

and the man who makes the proving. I made a

proving of China on a man once. In my

relationship with him I talked to him every day,

while I was making this proving; he gave me an

indelible proving as to what China would produce,

which I never would have gotten from reading

HAHNEMANN, because there is a personal touch

in making the proving that you never can get

otherwise.

And you prescribe so fast. Dr. GRIGGS makes

provings. I used to work with him in the hospital.

We would often prescribe for thirty-five cases in an

hour or two.

I remember a case, for instance, that Dr.

GRIGGS had, and the cure that he made. The case

had been treated by an old homeopathic doctor, a

fine old fellow, but he only used three and four x’s.

He didn’t believe in high potencies and hadn’t

made any Provings.

The case was a child. It was a very bad skin

case, the worst Eczema I ever saw. He had a new

colour salve on about twice a week, but he was

always sick. Dr. GRIGGS prescribed for it and in a

month the child had a beautiful complexion.

That is the way you can get those results: from

making Provings. I don’t see how anyone can

practise Homeopathy unless he makes Provings.

My father had no confidence at all in anyone who

didn’t make Provings.

Dr. C.M. BOGER: As an addendum to what

I said a little while ago I want to point this out;

some months ago a neighbour of mine came to me

after having been to many physicians with no relief

at all. he had this symptom, an uneven contraction

of the muscles of the abdomen. The abdomen was

growing into little hillocks, as it were, all over.

The rest of the symptoms were rather

nondescript. And on the strength of that symptom I

gave him Plumbum, but I made a mistake. In a

short time he came back and said that he wasn’t any

better. In the meanwhile I had looked up his case a

little more in my spare time-and it is a good

practice when you have spare time to look up old

cases that are not getting well-and I found that

symptom as a toxicological symptom under

Arsenic. I gave him a dose of Arsenic and now that

man is getting well.

CHAIRMAN J. HUTCHINSON: We will

return to Aesculus and I will ask Dr.

FARRINGTON to close.

Dr. H. FARRINGTON: I want to thank you

for your kindly remarks. Though you did not

discuss Aesculus directly it is of no particular

moment because I think the points that have been

brought out are interesting and useful.

I want to especially thank Dr. ROYAL for

what he has said because I think that many of his

contentions are really true. We are perfectly

justified in using a diagnosis in helping us select

our remedies. All that we ask is this: that we do not

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

69

make it the principal thing unless it is (and that is a

matter of individual judgment) because our

provings have not been made on diagnosis and

whatever we know about remedies that will cure

certain diseases has been obtained only by clinical

experience.

Pathology is also important but we must be

careful also not to make this the principal thing as I

tried to point out in the beginning of my paper. I

wanted to say that a remedy is useful practically

only in a certain, pathological condition, and to

limit the use of that remedy. As the doctor

suggested, pathology may be important and often

is, when it is of a peculiar nature and different from

pathologies in similar cases or similar diseases.

For instance, you will note that provings in the

potencies will often show pathology that is exactly

the same as the chemical or even the escharotic

action of a drug. Kali bichromicum will produce

round, punched-out Ulcers. Arsenicum will

produce flat, shallow Ulcers. Argentum nitricum

will produce ulcers that go no deeper than the

surface of the mucous membrane and so on.

We do not know all there is to know about our

Materia Medica and I brought these cases forward

because I thought that they were unusual and

contained certain things that were not to be found in

the Materia Medica. I might have taken the time to

point out those things that are not to be found in the

books but I have left this to you, and Aesculus is

not used as often as it should be.

I have passed over numerous cases of

Follicular Tonsillitis, mentioning diagnosis and

sore throats and colds that cannot be given any

special name which Aesculus will cure promptly

and completely. I have passed over many other

conditions such as lumbago, hæmorrhoids (which I

merely mentioned); Rheumatism I did not

emphasize but it is a useful remedy of course in that

connection.

Whenever I get a case that is peculiar and has

unusual symptoms, sometimes apparently trivial, I

dig around in the unusual remedies and sometimes

get great enlightenment.

Several years ago a woman came to me from

Pittsburgh. She had been under the care of two

different homeopathic physicians. Each one of

them had insulted her almost as she claimed by

telling her that she was neurasthenic; there was

nothing the matter with her. She had a long range

of most striking and I might say “high falutin”

complaints. A careful study showed they were all

contained under the remedy Agaricus, and that

cured her, made a new woman out of her.

I think that is all I have to say, except in regard

to favourite remedies. In that connection I would

just like to say that when you find you are

prescribing a remedy too often get busy and study

it.

--------------------------------------------------------------

4. The perennial challenge of anomalies at the

frontiers of science

(BHJ. Vol. 83, 3/1994)

BEVERLY RUBIK, Ph.D.

Introduction

Scholars have documented the resistance to

novel scientific discovery by various groups, such

as economic and religious groups. However, there

has been less attention given to the resistance of the

scientific community itself to challenging scientific

discoveries.

1

Nonetheless, we find it in the history,

philosophy, and sociology of science and especially

in the writings of scientists who have personally

suffered obstacles due to this resistance. The

scientific community believes that it deals with

novel controversial discoveries in a rational

manner, yet this is rarely the case.

The history of science, medicine and

technology is full of rejections of novel discoveries

that seemed anomalous in their time.

Contemporary scientists laughed when BENJAMIN

FRANKLIN proposed that lightning was a form of

electricity. SEMMELWEISS, a Viennese physician

who documented that washing one’s hands before

obstetrical assistance would prevent childbed fever,

was scorned and rejected by his contemporaries.

William CROOKES, the noted British Scientist and

member of the Royal Society who discovered the

element thallium, was bitterly attacked by his

scientific colleagues for his research in

parapsychology. Lord KELVIN said that X-rays

were a hoax. HELMHOLTZ, who was not a

physicist, but a physician who formulated the

theory of energy conservation and who was

opposed by the physicists of his time, noted how

the ‘greatest benefactors of mankind usually do not

obtain a full reward during their lifetime’.

2

LISTER warned medical students against blindness

to new ideas in science, such as he had encountered

against his own theory of antisepsis. Long after

their time, many of these scientists whose ideas

were rejected were regarded as formative thinkers

who made significant contributions or even

launched new scientific paradigms.

The scientific paradigm

In 1962 Thomas KUHN published a seminal

work. the Structure of Scientific Revolutions,

3

which addresses the manner in which science

advances. KUHN’s main thesis is that science is

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

70

not a slowly growing body of knowledge

approaching a true description of the world.

Instead, science is characterized by periods of quiet

research activity leading to a crisis, which may last

for years to decades. During this transition period,

scientific problems appear that cannot be reconciled

with current theory, may occur. Such anomalies

are critical to progress in science. In fact, each new

major advance in science starts with an anomaly

that is unacceptable at first.

4

Therefore, anomalies

are valuable because they inspire new ways of

thinking. Conventional scientists attempt to explain

the anomalies within the framework of the

dominant paradigm, while a smaller, usually

younger group of scientists develop an alternative

paradigm. The crisis is resolved by a dramatic

change of perspective, a paradigm shift. A struggle

typically ensues that may result in the overthrow of

the old paradigm. After the triumph of the new

paradigm, the old paradigm eventually disappears

in a time frame necessary to provide stability and

confidence in the new paradigm. What was an

anomaly earlier now becomes the expected result.

Textbooks are rewritten in such a way that they

even disguise the very existence of the revolution

that generated them. Eventually, new research

uncovers problems with the new paradigm. Then

the process repeats itself.

KUHN noted how unconsciously ingrained the

dominant paradigm is. He wrote: ‘Scientists often

work from text book models acquired through

education and through subsequent exposure to the

literature without accepting a community

paradigm.’

5

They work to fit their data into the

ruling paradigm. The usual peer review process in

science provides an adequate forum for evaluating

new ideas and discoveries, but this is only true if

those ideas and discoveries do not challenge the

paradigm. As was mentioned previously, those

considered incomprehensible or too challenging to

current scientific understanding are typically

rejected. Michael POLANYI, in defending this

conservative nature of science, wrote: “There must

be at all times a predominantly accepted scientific

view of the nature of things, in the light of which

research is jointly conducted by members of the

scientific community. Any evidence which

contradicts this view has to be disregarded, even if

it cannot be accounted for, in the hope that it will

eventually turn out to be false and irrelevant.’

6

Although the neglect of other possible conceptual

categories is not malicious in intent, it can become

malicious in effect because the dominant paradigm

discourages, and is intolerant of, competitors. That

is, scientists prefer their work to appear as an

integral, growing body of knowledge under the

auspices of a single paradigm. Perhaps this is

because scientists are encouraged to demonstrate

what they know rather than to raise truly novel

questions that challenge what they think they know.

KUHN recognized an ‘essential tension’ within

science because it must preserve its accumulated

knowledge by acting cautiously and conservatively

and on the other hand remain an open system ready

to take in novel, potentially revolutionary data and

concepts.

7

This balance is maintained in a number

of ways. In the first place, science places the

burden of proof on those who claim to discover

scientific anomalies or otherwise make

revolutionary scientific claims. Secondly, the proof

must be commensurate with the claim; that is,

extraordinary claims require stronger than usual

proof. (This relates to the principle of parsimony in

science in which the simplest adequate theory is the

most acceptable.)

It is interesting to note that KUHN believes

that science generally progresses in a positive

direction,

8

but that some paradigm shifts have

reversed concepts such that aspects of an even older

paradigm may return in the form of new input,

reshaping old models.

9

It is a common conviction

that the world is progressing in one direction

scientifically and socially, but as KUHN points out,

very often the clock is turned back with new

scientific developments. For example, Relativity

and Quantum Theory, two of the most significant

scientific paradigm shifts in the 20

th

century, both

turned back the clock in certain ways. The

gravitational aspects of Einstein’s General

Relativity reflects back to Newton’s predecessors,

and Quantum Mechanics has reversed some of the

methodological prohibitions that had occurred in

the earlier chemical revolution. Needless to say,

the reshaping of older views into a new paradigm

would have significance for Homeopathy and low

dose bio-effects. Many scientists today have the

attitude that these phenomena from an era predating

modern Molecular Biology have been overthrown,

or that at best they represent a placebo effect.

These scientists are victims of historicism who

refuse to accept anything from an earlier time as

bearing any modicum of truth.

Scientific anomalies

According to science sociologist Marcello

TRUZZI, an anomaly is something that

- actually occurs (that is, something both

perceived and validated);

- not explained by some accepted scientific

theory;

- is perceived to be something which is in need

of explanation;

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

71

- contradicts what we might expect from

applying our accepted scientific models.

… I would suggest that the anomaly’s lack of

fit with accepted theory is the necessary element

common to any real anomaly. It is a fact in search

of an explanation.

10

In the field of anomalistic observations, or

anomalistics,

11

that is, enquiry into anomalies and

their role in science, there are different types of

scientific anomalies, at least in retrospect. There

are those that are recognized in their time by the

scientific mainstream and become the subject of

legitimate research activity, and those that go

ignored by the mainstream because they are

apparently too threatening. Many of the latter come

from the ‘frontier sciences,’ that is, whole areas of

scientific enquiry that have not yet been

incorporated into conventional science. These

areas are ignored or even considered irrelevant by

the mainstream, in some cases, because they are

often residues of older systems of knowledge that

have been denounced as pseudo-science, as, for

example, Parapsychology and Astrology.

The history of science shows that the most

challenging anomalies, those that seriously

challenge the dominant paradigm, are ignored by

the scientific mainstream until they are explained,

and only then are they recognized in retrospect.

The term retro-recognition has been given to this

type of recognition which is given only after there

is a compelling explanation for the anomaly.

12

Such

anomalies make the scientific community

uncomfortable, as it likes to think of science as an

integral body of knowledge that is nearly complete.

These unexplained facts are either ignored, reduced

in importance, or merely accepted as ‘givens.’

Several factors are behind this attitude, such as the

sheer intellectual difficulty of recognizing

anomalies, the tendency to ignore a problem that

cannot be easily solved, and the conservatism of

science. But there is something more. The

recognition of what were once anomalies under an

older paradigm only after they are reconciled with a

new paradigm clearly shows that the scientific

community is unable to live with ambiguity and

cognitive dissonance (psychological inconsistency).

However, frontier scientists whose work challenges

the paradigm appear to be of a different

psychological makeup, with a higher tolerance for

ambiguity and cognitive dissonance. It is

interesting to note that such tolerance correlates

highly with creativity scores in psychological

testing.

13

Furthermore, frontier scientists may be

working from dimensions other than rationality and

logic, for KUHN has written, ‘The man who

embraces a [new] paradigm at an early stage must

often do it in defiance of the evidence. … A

decision of that kind can only be made on faith.’

14

The role of scepticism

Indeed, it is rare to find scientists who are true

skeptics, that is, without prejudice, open, and

tolerant of uncertainty. It is unfortunate that the

term ‘sceptic’ is being used by many who are

disbelievers or debunkers whose aim is to remove

the anomaly, rather than true nonbelievers.

10

This

appears to be particularly the case for organized so-

called skeptics groups such as the Committee for

the Scientific Investigation of claims of the

Paranormal (CSICOP), which sponsors unusual

critiques and other activities to discredit anomalous

scientific claims, undermining the usual processes

of replication attempts and peer review. In some

cases this has involved members outside of the

scientific community such as professional

magicians in a process analogous to inquisitors for

a dogmatic church.

15

Unfortunately, this has the

effect of creating fear among those who would have

an interest in trying to replicate the anomaly,

thereby blocking real scientific inquiry.

Where there are anomalies and frontier areas of

science that seriously challenge the paradigm, the

scientific community is often polarized into two

categories; believers and disbelievers. Although

the scientific community may consist largely of

disbelievers, sometimes the frontier scientists or

proponents of an anomaly act as ‘true believers.’ In

some cases there are societies of ‘true believers’

centred around maverick scientific claims that do

not welcome open dialogue. In my opinion, they

are no better than some of the mainstream scientists

they criticize. Sometimes the discoverer of a

challenging fact overstates his claims, jumping to

conclusions about the importance of his discovery

without adequate data. On the other hand, the

‘essential tension’ of the scientific process renders

it very difficult to find the right balance in reporting

anomalous claims. If the discoverer understates his

claim, it may go ignored; if he stresses its

revolutionary character, it may gather more

attention and resources for further study. From my

own work aiming to facilitate new research and

greater open-mindedness in frontier areas of

science. I find that it is difficult to stand firm on

the fine line that separates the believers from the

disbelievers. In my opinion this is the best

viewpoint to encourage an attitude of non-belief

that stimulates new questions and further

experimentation. Apparently this viewpoint is not

well understood or liked by most, as I am often

accused of being ‘the enemy’ of one group or the

other. However, openness and a healthy level of

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

72

skepticism are crucial in order to avoid pathological

science.

The power of new questions and approaches in

science

Scientists must approach Nature by asking

questions of her, and it is impossible to pose a

question without some expectation or anticipation.

Clearly, from the analysis of KUHN and numerous

other scientific historians and sociologists, science

is not context-independent. Scientific objectivity

does not reside in theory-free perception. It lies in

the flexibility to reject a cherished theory when an

anticipated observation cannot be confirmed, and a

contrary event or fact is perceived instead.

Scientists may say that they see the data with their

own eyes, but in fact, they see it through their

brains. They cannot bypass this central focus and

filter full of biases, products of both evolution and

society. It is very difficult to ‘see’ scientifically

beyond the context of theory or expectations.

As an example, consider the following. Before

Darwinism, the paradigm that preceded

evolutionary theory was natural theology, in which

each creature was considered to be perfectly

adapted to its environment and designed for full

functionality. While natural theology dominated,

no one noticed that some organisms were less well

adapted to their environment. Natural theology

would not permit such questions. Ducks with

webbed feet that could not swim, birds with wings

that could not fly, and bats with eyes that could not

see, went unnoticed. DARWIN asked new

questions and noticed that some animals were less

well adapted for their environment. He explained

these anomalies on the basis of natural selection, an

ongoing evolutionary process. The point here is to

show the power of asking new questions that take

us outside the present scientific theory or paradigm.

These offer the possibility of a breakthrough to a

new way of seeing nature. As physicist Werner

HEISENBERG noted, ‘What we observe is not

nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of

questioning.’

Another historical example of this goes back to

microscopy of the 17

th

and 18

th

centuries. The great

microscopist Van LEEUWENHOEK and his

contemporaries claimed they saw minute forms of

complete babies inside sperm under the

microscope. Their observations were shaped by the

2000-year-old idea that women contributed nothing

to conception but the womb as an incubator. In this

case, too, preconceived ideas determined what was

scientifically observed.

In another historical example involving

microscopy, different methodological approaches

of observation based on different philosophies led

to a scientific debate. In the 1940s the

bacteriologist Adrianus PIJPER maintained that

bacterial flagella are not true motor organs, but are

essentially insignificant, being merely cell wall by-

products of bacterial motility.

16

From his

observations of live bacteria under the dark-field

microscope, he claimed that he saw small changes

in the body forms of the bacteria, a slight

undulating motion, which he proposed as a theory

of bacterial motility. As it turned out, his view was

unpopular because he was far outnumbered by

those who fixed and stained dead bacteria for light

microscopy or electron microscopy, which was

newly introduced at that time. The majority of

scientists then claimed that flagella were indeed the

organelles of motility and showed evidence via

microphotography of sites of flagellar attachment to

the cell body. PIJPER rejected these physical

approaches, emphasizing that studies on the living

state itself were critical to understanding cellular

motility, and that the approaches using dead cells

might yield arte-facts. This lead to an ongoing

debate, as both schools refused to ‘see’ any

evidence beyond their own viewpoints. In the end,

PIJPER lost the debate. His refusal to acknowledge

the ‘superiority’ of the electron microscope was

held against him by the scientific majority.

Beyond the specifics of this historical debate,

the latter case is important for us to consider

because it reveals the perennial struggle between

the naturalist and the mechanist in Biology. It

shows how naturalists’ observations of living

systems were replaced by a modern Biology tightly

linked to physico-chemical reductionism as new

powerful, expensive, prestigious, technological

tools came into being. These new physical methods

require an often insensitive manipulation of

organisms that distorts or even kills them in order

to study them. The naturalists’ approach came to

be regarded as old-fashioned and even reminiscent

of vitalism by the new biologists, who were led by

several physicists-turned-biologists in the 1940s

and 1950s. These were the people who ushered in a

new scientific era, the revolution that became the

dominant paradigm of Molecular Biology and

biotechnology in recent decades.

Resistance of scientists to new discoveries

Studies on the psychology of science suggest

that scientists have a resistance to acknowledging

data that contradict their own hypothesis.

6

In one

study on falsifiability, a simple experiment was set

up to compare the performance of a group of

scientists and a group of clergymen. A false

hypothesis was given to all the participants. The

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

73

means was provided for them to test the hypothesis,

which they did not know was false. The results

showed that most of the scientists refused to declare

the hypothesis false, clinging to it longer despite the

lack of evidence. The clergymen, however, more

frequently recognized that the hypothesis was false.

This and other studies show that scientists are at

least as dogmatic, authoritarian, and irrational as

non-scientists in resisting unexpected findings.

The historical examples cited earlier illustrate

only a few reasons why resistance to novel

discoveries in the scientific community occurs.

Analysis of many other examples shows numerous

ways in which scientists resist discoveries that are

old paradigm breaking and new paradigm making.

One of these mentioned earlier is the loathing of

ambiguity. Most scientists prefer to elaborate what

they think they know than rather focus on what they

do not know; perhaps this is simply human nature.

Along with that is fear of novelty. New discoveries

require restructuring older ideas and ways of doing

science. Change, whether it is personal, social, or

intellectual, is difficult and may even cause a

lifetime of work to become unimportant and

obsolete. Related to this is the fact that older

scientists have a tendency to resist the novel work

of the younger. Innovative ‘outsiders’ may also be

rejected by the ‘insiders,’ especially if the new

discovery comes from outside the field, as in the

case of cold fusion.

17

There is also a faithfulness to

old models, reflecting a belief in scientific concepts

or simply conservatism. When Thomas YOUNG

proposed a wave theory of light, the scientific

community remained faithful to the older

corpuscular theory for some time. This tendency

sometimes reveals a dogmatism or scientism. Paul

FEYERABEND accuses contemporary science of

being a ‘church’ in which scientists play a role that

is in many respects similar to the role bishops and

cardinals played not too long ago.

18

Another mode

of resistance, also illustrated by the example cited

earlier of van LEEUWENHOEK and his

colleagues, is blindness due to preconceptions. It is

extraordinarily difficult to ‘see’ what may lie

beyond one’s paradigm, which delimits all

questions posed of nature and ways of perceiving

her. Anomalies without ‘causes’ or an adequate

explanatory model are rejected because they do not

fit neatly into the body of science. If an anomalous

claim pertains to an area reminiscent of mysticism,

religion, older paradigms that have been

overthrown, or pseudo-science, this may be

grounds for rejection by those who feel threatened

by these associations. Occasionally conflicting

personal religious ideas may be another reason for

rejection. That was the case for both GALILEO

and COPERNICUS, and it also appears to be a

factor in the debate between creationists and

evolutionists. Scientists evaluating an anomalous

finding sometimes take into account the relative

professional standing of the discoverer as well as

the number of prestigious followers of the new

claim, and these are primarily political concerns.

Concerned about their reputation, scientists are

reluctant to take the lead in helping to advance a

new claim. In relation to this, publications about

the new scientific claim in other than the most

prestigious peer-reviewed journals are taken less

seriously and may be grounds for rejection or

simply neglect. Finally, and perhaps most

important to contemporary science, it is true that

where substantial funding is involved, patronage to

those ideas endorsed and funded to the exclusion of

others is overwhelming.

Today, because of large economic interests in

science, biomedicine, and technology, and the

increasing overlap between academia and industry,

the resistance to new discoveries or ideas that

challenge the dominant paradigm goes well beyond

ideological concerns. Challenging ideas can be

seen as threatening to big business interests,

including the interests of industries waging war

against Cancer or AIDS. Anyone who is a

proponent of ideas that threaten large-scale

economic interests can expect even harsher

backlash from the scientific community, which in

mainstream biology and medicine, is now closely

linked to pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms.

Surely that is one of the most significant reasons for

rejection of novelty in biology and medicine today.

Moreover, the many different fields of biology with

their varied orientations to life that existed before

big business science are presently extinct, at least in

the US.

It is simply taboo to offer a serious challenge to

the dominant paradigm, and those who propose

such maverick ideas or findings suffer

extraordinary obstacles. Similar to the acceptance

of novel discoveries, the obstacles are especially

severe for those whose work threatens big

economic interests that are now coupled to

mainstream science.

Obstacles faced by scientists who challenge the

paradigm

There are a number of serious, even

extraordinary obstacles that scientists presently face

as proponents of paradigm-challenging discoveries

or where their reputation becomes associated with

research on unconventional topics. These obstacles

are not characteristic of a particular culture; they

appear worldwide. These are:

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74

- difficulty in obtaining funding, as there are

simply no usual sources

-

difficulty in publishing, and there is no real peer

review

-

loss of camaraderie (colleagues fear a loss of

reputation by association with a scientist who is

deemed an outcast)

-

loss of reputation in the scientific community

regardless of one’s stature

-

obstacles to promotion, retention, and tenure

-

possible critical backlash from the scientific

community

-

possible loss of employment and future

employment opportunities.

The pursuit of research in frontier science areas

such as Homeopathy and extremely high dilution

bio-effects, novel medical therapies or diagnostics,

new energy technologies, and consciousness studies

– research in any area that challenges the dominant

paradigm – presents extraordinary hardships for

scientists. Merely expressing an interest in these

can affect one’s reputation as a serious member of

the scientific community. Whether one is a post-

doctoral researcher, a junior professor, a member of

a distinguished national academy of science, or a

Nobel laureate, essentially the same obstacles

remain. For those who have seemingly overcome

these hurdles, publication of challenging scientific

results may bring about unforeseen backlash in the

form of discrediting the discoverer or the claim

without really disproving it, prohibiting it from

being tested by others. Moreover, this may prevent

consideration of similar challenging claims in the

scientific literature, textbooks, and education. The

proponent of the anomalous claim is thus isolated

from further debate and interaction with rest of the

scientific community.

Many people associate such repressiveness

with earlier times, but there are living examples

today. One illustrious example – a case where big

economic interests in biotechnology and medical

testing are threatened is that of Peter DUESBERG,

Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of

California at Berkeley. His work identifying the

first oncogene to cause Cancer and also decoding

the first retrovirus genes earned him an outstanding

international reputation as a Molecular Biologist

and Virologist. However, because of his recent

criticism of the oncogene theory of Cancer and

especially his criticism of HIV as the cause of

AIDS, he has essentially been silenced by the

scientific community. No one will debate his

arguments either in writing or in person.

DUESBERG is unable to publish in prestigious

peer-reviewed journals, not even the Proceedings

of the US National Academy of Science, despite

his stature as a member of the National Academy,

because they rewrote the rules especially to prevent

him from publishing. He lost his annual $300,000

Special Investigator Grant from the US National

Institutes of Health, which was expressly for the

purpose of asking novel questions, and as a result,

his students and technicians have had to leave.

DUESBERG has been excommunicated from the

scientific community. Needless to say, the review

panel who refused to renew his grant included

scientists who earn their living from the theories

that DUESBERG is undermining, and many others

in the mainstream also earn their living from these

theories.

Strategies toward progress in the frontier

sciences

With all those obstacles and resistances, how

can we help to facilitate rational, objective criticism

and fair peer review of anomalous claims? What

strategies can we implement to bring progress to a

frontier science area such as Homeopathy and low

dose bio-effects?

-We must recognize that there is no single critical

experiment that can prove an anomaly. This is

ridiculous from the scientific viewpoint, as the

history and philosophy of science has shown that

there is no such thing as a critical experiment.

- More empirical studies need to be undertaken by

more researchers, and we need to work together

at least to provide peer review of each others’

work, if not outright collaboration. All too often,

the work of pioneering frontier scientists

represents isolated, individual efforts. By

contrast, most quality science involves

collaborative efforts. It is important to build on

one another’s work. Just as cooperative or

collective phenomena in nature have unusual

stability, there is also a strength in collective

scientific efforts that is harder to dismiss.

- An interdisciplinary approach to anomalies is

absolutely necessary, because we do not know

ultimately where an anomaly will fit. In the case

of Homeopathy or high dilution bio-effects,

interdisciplinary group collaboration with

experiments performed in tandem on the same

high dilution would be worth while, because for

the first time it would reveal physical, chemical,

and biological information about a single

preparation. This could develop into an

international task force, a global cooperation, to

address the problem.

- We must produce well-designed experiments

that are well communicated in the scientific

literature, which will presumably continue to

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75

demonstrate the effect in a wide variety of

biological systems.

- We must show replication of

phenomena, especially by skeptics.

- We must also discover and document where

no such anomalous effects are observed, so that

the boundary conditions of the effect are clear.

- Conceptual work toward achieving a

theoretical explanation for the effect is crucial for

its recognition.

- We must keep communication flowing between

those working in the field who don’t agree on the

details. A diversity of opinions is extremely

important because it drives the formation of new

questions. Good science requires good and

effective criticism. Furthermore, failures in

communication from splinter groups in frontier

areas of science only weaken the case, as their

presence makes a statement to the scientific

community that there is weakness or irrational

behaviour associated with the anomaly.

- One of our best strategies would be to serve as

mentors and inspire younger scientists to conduct

research in novel areas of science. For one, it is

most likely that presently established scientists

will have to retire before a paradigm shift is

completed, and most of them will not change

their viewpoint. As physicist Max PLANCK

sadly noted, ‘… A new scientific theory does not

triumph by convincing its opponents and making

them see the light, but rather because its

opponents eventually die, and a new generation

grows up that is familiar with it.’

19

Niels BOHR

put it somewhat differently: ‘Science advances -

funeral by funeral.’

- Retired scientists, who have less to lose in terms

of their reputation or funding, are occasionally

more open to new ideas or discoveries.

Moreover, they may still wield political power in

the scientific community. Therefore,

communications with or other involvement of

retired colleagues may be a viable strategy.

- Another strategy that may be used to advance

scientific recognition of a challenging anomaly is

to identify and align with social, political, or

economic interests that would very much like this

particular piece of scientific unorthodoxy to be

true, or at least to be highly interested in

resolving the issue. When Robert O.BECKER,

medical researcher in bio-electromagnetics, had

the unorthodox idea in the 1970s that

electromagnetic fields from power lines might be

a health risk, he found no sympathetic ears in the

scientific community or the electric power

industry. However, he communicated the issue

clearly in his popular writings and launched a

public campaign in which the people demanded

unbiased research to test his ideas. Within less

than two decades, substantial US government

funds became available for this purpose.

- Another approach related to this strategy is to

develop a successful application for the anomaly

that will bypass the scientific community

altogether. Once the application is adopted,

scientists will be naturally drawn to the

fundamental discovery underlying it.

- Finally, we should attempt to foster true

skepticism - neither denial nor disbelief, but a

balanced state of openness. The best way to do

this is by personal example, by maintaining a

level of healthy skepticism ourselves, with an

emphasis on further questions. This is crucial to

keeping science an open system inquiry.

Role of Homeopathy and low dose bio-effects in

the future of science

The observations of low dose biological effects

challenge the dominant paradigm of mechanical

reductionism, of viewing life as a collection of bio

molecules responding to molecular stimuli. The

enhanced potency of very low doses as in

Homeopathy appears to challenge molecular

theory, one of the pillars of modern chemistry. On

the other hand, it may demonstrate that something

else is occurring at these very low doses that does

not involve molecules.

Biological effects of low doses have been

demonstrated in a growing number of studies

world-wide, and we are now in the midst of a

paradigm struggle. As KUHN predicts, an

intellectual and emotional battle is occurring: there

have been nasty editorials, tenure battles, debates

and arguments, splinter groups, the rejection of

papers, frequent denial on the part of the scientific

community, and many questions that have been

raised for further research. From a historical

perspective, the accretion of anomalies or numbers

of anomalous observations in themselves are not

enough to product a paradigm shift. Further effort

is required. Conceptual work toward new theories

and a paradigm what would reconcile them is

critical to their recognition by the scientific

community. No one other than the proponents of

the anomalies will accomplish this. It remains for

us, the frontier scientists, to design the theories,

elaborate the new paradigm, and show how they

explain our anomalies.

One of the best examples of a conceptual

revolution is found in a 19

th

- century

science fiction classic: E.A. ABBOTT’s Flatland.

20

The inhabitants of Flatland live on a two-

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76

dimensional surface and have no concept of our

third dimension. When a sphere visits Flatland, he

is perceived as an anomaly: a circle that first grows

bigger and then smaller. The sphere then lifts the

leader of Flatland into the third dimension where he

can see his whole world. This novel perspective

not only clears up the anomaly, but offers a new

perspective for everything. We need a similar

major conceptual breakthrough for Homeopathy

and low dose bio-effects. When it occurs, it may

reframe our ideas of matter, energy, life, and

information in a radically new perspective.

Presently the greatest challenge to those

working on Homeopathy or low dose bio-effects is

to develop a proper theoretical context for their

observations. We need a theory of very high

dilutions in the context of the organism. This

would enable us to form testable questions that

move the research from an accumulation of

anomalous observations to a sequence of facts that

fit together like pieces of a puzzle. It is becoming

more apparent that molecular theory offers nothing

but conceptual limitations for this field of inquiry,

and that an alternative that goes beyond it must be

sought. Moreover, I anticipate that a breakthrough

toward a radically new view of chemistry is in the

making, and it is long overdue. Quantum chemist

H. PRIMAS, wrote:

The richness of chemical

phenomena renders it impossible to

discuss them exhaustively from a

single point of view. The

molecular view is just one of these

views and has no privileged status.

… While the molecular theory fell

on fertile ground, the further

development of a theory of

chemical substances was deprived

of intellectual incentive. Even

today, chemical thermodynamics

and chemical kinetics are still in a

rudimentary state of development

achieved at the turn of the century.

… The molecular idea flourished

and degenerated into a dogma,

requiring unqualified faith.

21

He also wrote, ‘Our vision of the world will be

severely limited if we restrict ourselves to the

molecular view. Molecular theories describe some

aspects of matter, but it is not wise to think that

they give us a description of reality “as it is”. If

questions of a different kind can be asked, nature

will then respond in a new language.’

As to the future of science, research on

Homeopathy and other low dose bio-effects offers

the gift of new questions to the greater scientific

community - not only for Homeopathy and

solution chemistry, but for the entire theory of

condensed matter with ramifications for Biology,

Chemistry, and Physics. Chipping away at the

molecular dogma and raising uncertainty about

what scientists thought was bedrock truth should be

seen as healthy for science. As physicist Louis de

BROGLIE warned us, ‘The advances of science

have always been frustrated by the tyrannical

influences of certain preconceived notions that

were turned into unassailable dogmas, and for that

reason scientists must periodically re-examine their

basic principles.’ Research on Homeopathy and

low dose bio-effects may lead to a revision or a

refinement of molecular theory, or it may show that

something other than molecular theory is involved

at these low doses.

There is theoretical work in physics toward a

new theory of matter that may hold promise for

application to Homeopathy and low dose bio-

effects. Del GIUDICE

22

and PREPARATA

23

propose a novel theory of condensed matter based

on quantum electrodynamics in which collective or

cooperative phenomena are critical to its structure

and properties. They show that conventional

molecular theory works well for gases, but falls

short in explaining the phenomena of liquids and

solids. A system of molecules kept together by

purely static forces becomes dynamically unstable

beyond a certain density threshold. Therefore the

system enters a lower energy configuration where

molecules oscillate in tune with a self-produced

coherent electromagnetic field. The energy gain is

proportional to the particle density, and then matter

is forced to condense. The theory predicts the

appearance of coherence domains in solids and

liquids such as water. Because the living cell and

its structural subcomponents have dimensions of

the same order of size of the calculated coherence

domains in liquid water, it is expected that

electrodynamic coherence may be relevant to the

living state, in terms of enhanced stability and

novel energy and information transactions. Such

novel energy and information transactions, if they

exist, may be relevant to Homeopathy.

The results of many low dose experiments

suggest new features of matter such as information

that may be conveyed by more subtle properties of

matter than molecules. It comes as no surprise that

living systems which are well known to involve

many levels of order and different types of

informational exchange, appear to be sensitive to

what may be ‘informational’ properties of very

high dilutions of bioactive substances. Experiments

from another frontier area of Biology suggest that

there may be subtle non-chemical bio-

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

77

informational transfer in cellular systems.

24, 25

Still

other experiments suggest that the zero point

energy of the quantum vacuum may be involved in

subtle informational transfer in biology.

26

Perhaps

an appropriate explanation for low dose bio-effects

awaits us in a bio-physics that is yet to be invented.

Whereas conventional science maintains that

biological information is stored and transferred via

biomolecular structures such as DNA, there is

some indication that more subtle informational

signals may elicit biological effects. In bio-

electromagnetics there are many observations that

extremely low-level non-ionizing electromagnetic

fields whose energy content is below the physical

thermal noise limit can produce biological effects,

sometimes robust. There is no agreed molecular

mechanism for these effects. It has been postulated

by some that they may act on the organism in such

a way that they affect the organism’s endogenous

electromagnetic field, which may be bio-

regulatory. That is, they act at the level of the

whole organism to provide bio-information or

disrupt it rather than at the level of energy or power

intensity directed to molecular receptors.

Furthermore, it is possible that several other

phenomena that elicit biological effects, such as

very high dilutions, Homeopathy, Healer

treatments, Acupuncture and other types of ‘energy

medicine’, may mediate their effects by means of

coherent excitations, forms of electromagnetic bio-

information that might intereact primarily with the

organism’s endogenous fields. Endogenous

electromagnetic fields, which are properties of the

entire organism rather than of specific

biomolecules, may be involved in self-regulation of

the whole organism, and sensitive to a variety of

subtle informational signals from the environment.

These speculations not only challenge the concept

of molecular mechanisms, but also the dogma that

mechanical reductionism is the fundamental

principle underlying the living state. However,

much work needs to be done to develop these

speculations into testable hypotheses and theories.

There are a number of other attacks on the

mechanistic view of life which those working on

Homeopathy or low dose bio-effects should be

aware of. Richard STROHMAN, a leading

molecular biologist and Professor Emeritus at the

University of California, has recently presented

some serious challenges to the genetic paradigm.

He argues that the information for cellular activity

is not in the individual genes, but is holistically

located.

27

In his view, biological research is

presently lacking this integral programme. The

creativity of the organism, which is perhaps life’s

most salient feature, involves the interplay of the

integral design and function of the organism with

its environment. STROHMAN raises the argument

for an epigenetic rather than a genetic view of life,

whereby environmental interactions produce

hereditable changes. This means that interaction

between the organism and its environment is non-

linear, with the temporal sequence of events

determining the complexity that unfolds even in the

simplest organism. Of course, it is much easier to

ask questions within the mechanistic reductionist

framework by studying the fragments of a dead

organism. It is much more difficult to study the

interaction of genetic and environmental factors in

a living organism and develop a science of life at

this level. However, most biologists fail to see the

limitations of their paradigm and the importance of

aiming for this larger context.

There is a popular anecdote based on a Sufi

story of a drunk who lost his keys somewhere in a

dark street and was groping for them only under

the street lamp. Asked where he lost them, he

replied that he didn’t know, but he was looking

there because the light was good. Similarly, the

dominant paradigm of mechanical reductionism

has prevailed because the biology community has

asked only the questions where the ‘light is good,’

and the results are clear-cut and reproducible.

Biologists explore, for the most part, those

dynamic possibilities for life only where organisms

‘obey’ the paradigm.

They have missed the enormous creative

potential of life in its subtle interactions and

interrelationships. Furthermore, the genetic

approach has not permitted ‘other’ questions to be

addressed, which, in fact, challenge the

conventional approach and the dominant paradigm.

Moreover, there is a terrible confusion in

contemporary biology between the ontology of life,

its epistemology, and the methodology. That is,

the methodology used (mechanical reductionism)

has frequently been equated with life itself or the

model of how it functions. This is particularly true

in the US where higher education in science does

not typically include course work in the history or

philosophy of science.

The whole organism may be a biological

fundamental that cannot be reduced to its parts: the

whole may be self-governing by virtue of its long-

range electromagnetic fields that are the

summation of many electrically charged

component species and their interactions. This is

reminiscent of the words of Claude BERNARD,

‘The Vital Force directs phenomena that it does not

produce; the physical agents produce phenomena

that they do not direct.’

28

In 1839, when

BERNARD wrote this statement, the ‘Vital Force’

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78

was taken to mean a metaphysical concept beyond

the scope of science. However, the ‘Vital Force’

may indeed be a property of the whole organism, a

time-varying electromagnetic field summation of

all the electrically charged molecular events

occurring within it. Subtle biological effects may

be mediated through this subtle informational

network at the level of the whole.

Conclusions

The dominant paradigm of mechanical

reductionism that shaped science for the past few

centuries but was overthrown by developments in

modern physics earlier this century, still governs

modern biology and medicine. Mechanical

reductionism, which was developed for the

inanimate physical world, determines the scope of

questions that can be posed for living organisms,

and conventional biology is the collection of theory

and results based on those questions. However,

frontier scientists are exploring other features of

life by asking new questions that go beyond the

dominant paradigm. Their questions come from

various frontier areas of science and medicine such

as epigenetic heredity, bio-electromagnetics,

Homeopathy, and low dose bio-effects. The

results of their investigations, which may be

regarded as individual anomalies by the

mainstream, may be taken together as evidence for

the need of a bigger paradigm to accommodate

them. Biology, it appears, may be entering a crisis.

Not only do these ‘anomalies’ challenge our

present view of life, but collectively they point to

the necessity for a holistic view of life to

complement the reductionist view. Whereas

conventional science maintains that biological

information is stored and transferred via bio-

molecular structures such as DNA, the anomalies

show that other informational signals not stored in

chemical structures may elicit biological effects by

possibly altering the subtle informational signals

involved in biological regulation of the whole

organism.

Major changes in science have never been

brought about by isolated experimental findings,

but by collective evidence. Thus, it is crucial for

scientists who dare to venture into tributaries of the

mainstream or into uncharted terrain to come

together to enter into dialogue and share their data,

to find that what may seem as isolated anomalies

fit together to form the rudiments of an emerging

paradigm. It is important to look at the problems

of our science and the gaps in our knowledge. We

must continually ask new questions and never be

satisfied with the old ones, nor with the answers

that have come to pass. Scientists must continually

be motivated by the ‘mother’ of all questions: what

facets of nature remain undiscovered because what

we consider to be theoretical certainties prevent the

posing of new challenging questions?

References and notes

1. Barber B. Resistance by scientists to scientific

discovery. Science 1961; 134: 596-602.

2. MURRAY RH. Science and Scientists in the

Nineteenth Century, London: Sheldon Press

1825.

3. KUHN TS. The Structure of Scientific

Revolutions. 2

nd

edition. Chicago: University

of Chicago Press 1970.

4. In this regard, it is interesting to note that in

Chinese, the character for ‘crisis’ also means

‘opportunity.’

5. KUHN, loc. Cit. p.46

6. TRUZZI M. Reflections on the reception of

unconventional claims in science. Frontier

Perspectives 1 1990; Fall/Winter 1990: 13-25.

7. KUHN TS. The Essential Tension. Chicago:

University of Chicago Press 1977.

8. KUHN. The Structure of Scientific

Revolutions. P.205.

9. Ibid. p.109.

10. TRUZZI M. Zetetic ruminations on

skepticism and anomalies in science. Zetetic

Scholar 1990; 12, 7-20.

11. WESCOTT RW. Introducing anomalisties: a

new field of interdisciplinary study. Kronos

1930: 5: 36-50.

12. LIGHTMAN A. Gingerich O. When do

anomalies begin? Science 1991: 255: 690-95.

13. BARRON F. The disposition toward

originality. In: C.W. TAYLOR and F.

BARRON (eds) Scientific Creativity; Its

Recognition and Development 139-52. New

York: Wiley 1963.

14. KUHN. The Structure of Scientific

Revolutions. P.158.

15. MADDOX J, RANDI J., STEWART WW.

‘High dilution’ experiments a delusion.

Nature: 334: 287-90.

16. STRICK J (unpublished paper). Adrianus

Pijper and the debate over bacterial flagella:

morphology and electron microscopy in

bacteriology, 1946-1956. Presented 1 April

1994 at Joint Atlantic Seminar for the History

of Biology at MIT.

17. The Princeton Plasma Fusion physicists said of

cold fusion, when it was first announced.

‘What would you do if you were working to

develop a propeller airplane that did not yet fly

and somebody else from outside the field

suddenly invented a rocket ship?’

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79

(MALLOVE E. 1993: personal

communication.)

18. FEYERABEND P. Comments by Paul

FEYERABEND. Zetetic Scholar 1980: 6:

52-54.

19. KUHN. The Structure of Scientific

Revolutions. P.151.

20. ABBOTT EA. Flatland. New York: Harper

and Row 1963.

21. PRIMAS H. Chemistry and complementarity.

Chimia 1982: 36: 293-300.

22. DEL GIUDICE E. PREPARATA G.

Superradiance: Towards an understanding of

the ground states of QED in condensed matter.

In: T.D. CLARK et al. (eds) Macroscopic

Quantum Phenomena p.167. Singapore:

World Scientific 1991.

23. PREPARATA G. Coherence in QCD and

QED. In: T. Bressani et al. (eds) Problems

and Ideas of Modern Physics p.3. Singapore:

World Scientific 1992.

24. KAZACHEEV VP. SHURIN SP et al. Distant

intercellular interactions in a system of two

tissue cultures. Psychoenergetic Syst. 1976;

1: 14-42.

25. KIRKIN AF. Non-chemical distant

interactions between cells in culture.

Biofizika 1981: 26, 839-43.

26. REID BL. On the nature of growth and new

growth based on experiments designed to

reveal a structure and function for laboratory

space. Medical Hypotheses 1989; 29: 105-

27.

27. STROHMAN R. Ancient genomes, wise

bodies, unhealthy people: limits of a genetic

paradigm in biology and medicine.

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 1993:

37: 112-45.

28. BERNARD, C. Des Liquides de

l’organisme. Tome III. Paris: Bailliere 1839.

--------------------------------------------------------------

ON SCIENTIFIC TRUTH

Answers to questions

of a Japanese scholar,

Published in

Gelegentliches, 1929,

which appeared in a

limited edition on the

occasion of Einstein’s

fiftieth birthday.

I. It is difficult even to attach a

precise meaning to the term

“scientific truth.” Thus the

meaning of the word “truth”

varies according to whether we

deal with a fact of experience, a

mathematical proposition, or a

scientific theory. “Religious

truth” conveys nothing clear to

me at all.

II.

Scientific research can reduce

superstition by encouraging

people to think and view things

in terms of cause and effect.

Certain it is that a conviction,

akin to religious feeling, of the

rationality or intelligibility of

the world lies behind all

scientific work of a higher

order.

III.

This firm belief, a belief bound

up with deep feeling, in a

superior mind that reveals itself

in the world of experience,

represents my conception of

God. In common parlance this

may be described as

“pantheistic” (Spinoza).

IV.

Denominational traditions I can

only consider historically and

psychologically; they have no

other significance for me.

(From Ideas and Opinions by Albert

EINSTEIN)

================================

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

80

PART III

(While Part II features articles from other journals, Part III contains the editor’s own contribution and other

original articles.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOKSHELF

1. SAMUEL HAHNEMANN – His Life and

Memory, by Fernando Dario FRMCOIS-FLORES,

B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd., New Delhi 110055. I

Edn. 2007: There have been several

biographies of Samuel HAHNEMANN, the

founder of the Science of Therapeutics,

Homeopathy, in several languages. My

knowledge is limited to English and German

biographies; I believe I have all of the biographies

in these two languages and every one of them has

given added information on HAHNEMANN,

adding to his glory. There are several papers of

HAHNEMANN in the History of Medicine,

Robert Bosch Foundation, including several

letters from and to HAHNEMANN which when

scrutinized closely will reveal other facets of the

Master. I feel that many colleagues have taken

“unhomeopathic” or “half-homeopathic” Practice

because they had not read in detail the life of the

Founder of Homeopathy – the severe trials,

tribulations and privations he had to endure to

establish Homeopathy. Although there were,

before HAHNEMANN, great personalities like

HIPPOCRATES, and later Albrecht von HALLER,

STAHL, PARACELSUS who did experiments to

find out the symptoms produced by susbstances and

had the idea of applying that knowledge in

Therapeutics, it was only HAHNEMANN who put

all: – the investigation of substances on the healthy,

the recording of the Symptoms and Signs, the case-

taking methodology, the hierarchy of the

Symptoms, the importance of the mental state, the

method of preparation of the medicine and his

greatest discovery the like of which no other

scientist has done so far, - the diminution of the

drug transcending the molecule, the serial

succussion, - organizing all these into a complete

discipline (none of these can be removed without

making the whole fall down), gave it to us. To this

extent HAHNEMANN alone deserves full credit

and attempting to run down his discoveries by

saying that before him some had already given the

Law of Similars is not correct history. Give due

credit. We learn from this book that it was not only

KLOCKENBRING who was treated for his mental

illness, but HAHNEMANN treated Johann Karl

WETZEL of Hamburg also.

How did HAHNEMANN react to the

vilifications? Here is what the Master himself has

said in a letter to STAPF “In my situation, I do not

lack persecutors who have been sent to me by the

Lord from up there, in order to purify my heart.

But I will vanquish with my silence and through

continuous healings that call their attention, with

medication that is free of odor and taste and that

normally help permanently and without producing

fatigue. Besides I realize that I have got all the

necessary and, additionally, I have the secure

feeling of peace of having made unhappy

individuals happy.”

Some modern writers have written that

HAHNEMANN was intolerant of criticisms. These

persons do not know the abuses hurled at

HAHNEMANN, the names that they called him,

etc. Yet very tolerant he was and only sometimes

he gave them back. For instance he advises STAPF

“Do not get so restless, now that they are shooting

so many big bullets against us. They will not reach

us; besides they are so light and cannot do us any

harm since we are honest, and much less will they

harm the good cause, because that what is all right

is alright, and alright it remains. . . . . . That what is

real cannot be sealed as a lie, even if the writer has

the counseling of some famous Professor, or a

counselor who has a lot of studies . . . . I laugh at all

this, and our cause advances forward unhindered.”

There are one or two errors. In p.57 it is said

that SCHWARZENBERG died in the year 1813; it

was 1820.

There are 125 beautiful colour pictures; of

almost all the places where HAHNEMANN lived.

For the first time, I am seeing some pictures of

some book shelves of the von Brückenthal Library,

some pages from two/three books, also a

commemorative plaque announcing that

HAHNEMANN was there during 1777 – 1779.

The author has based his work on a hitherto

not -well-known-source – a 150 pages illustrated

booklet by Richard HAEHL in connection with the

150

th

birth anniversary of Samuel HAHNEMANN

(1905), in custody of the Robert Bosch Institute,

Stuttgart. The repeated study of this book has

given me great joy.

Well-printed, paperback, with very few

printing errors. Do purchase and read it.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Online Tool Helps Instructors Develop

Anatomy Teaching Materials

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

82

Thieme Publishers today announced the launch

of the “Thieme Teaching assistant: Anatomy”

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more than 2,000 illustrations from the new

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The presentation tool allows for the smooth

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option of either turning the individual leader lines

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Once customized, each image is easily exported as

a Power Point slide, a PDF file or a stand alone

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--------------------------------------------------------------

O L D Q U A R R I E S

Man makes an end of darkness

when he pierces to the uttermost depths

the black and lightless rock….

Man attacks its flinty sides,

upturning mountains by their roots,

driving tunnels through the rock,

on the watch for anything precious.

He explores the sources of rivers,

and brings to daylight secrets that were

hidden.

But tell me, where does wisdom come

from?

Where is understanding to be found?

- J O B 28 : 3, 9 – 12

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

83

CONTINUING HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL EDUCATION SERVICES

QUARTERLY HOMEOPATHIC DIGEST

VOL. XXV, 3 & 4, 2008

Part I Current Literature Listing

____________________________________________________________________

Part I of the journal lists the current literature in Homeopathy drawn from the well-known homeopathic

journals published world-over - India, England, Germany, France, Brazil, USA, etc., - discipline-wise, with

brief abstracts/extracts. Readers may refer to the original articles for detailed study. The full names and

addresses of the journals covered by this compilation are given at the end of Part I. Part II contains selected

essays/articles/extracts, while Part III carries original articles for this journal, Book Reviews, etc.

______________________________________________________________________________

I. PHILOSOPHY

1. Psychosomatik und Homöopathie

(Psychosomatism and Homeopathy)

WHITMONT Ronald D. (AHZ. 252, 1/2007)

The difference between Allopathic Medicine

and Holistic Medicine is discussed. Allopathic

Medicine considers the chronic diseases as

incurable and therefore only symptomatic or

palliative treatments are applied. This method

simply sweeps the dirt under the carpet.

Homeopathy on the contrary considers the

emotional and physical aspects as a Totality.

Homeopathy cannot therefore be integrated in

anyway into allopathic frame, or into any other

‘alternative’ medical discipline.

With a practical case the author demonstrates

the above mentioned. The case is a Mixed

Connective Tissue Disorder, in a 49 year-old

female.

2. Pros zur Psora – 50 Jahre Miasmen in der

ZKH

(Pros to Psora – 50 years Miasms in the ZKH)

GENNEPER Thomas (ZKH, 51, S1/2007)

Over the past 50 years the Miasms have been,

as expected, discussed in the pages of the ZKH by

several authors, particularly the sense and purpose

of the Miasms. HAHNEMANN’s original concept

linked a pathological and phenomenological aspect.

Later on the ‘modern’ concept departed from

HAHNEMANN and went much far from him. In

the ZKH in the past 20 years particularly the

phenomenological viewpoint was predominant.

The all too speculative ideas are analysed critically.

3. “Die erkennbare Leibes-Beschaffenheit” –

Anmerkungen zu Paragraph des Organon

(The perceptible Constitution” – Observations

to Paragraph 5 of the Organon)

REIS Stefan (NAH.7 2, 4/2007)

The Organon cannot be judged by studying its

Paragraphs as independent or isolated but only with

regard to each other. There have always been such

expositions [paragraph 211 to witness as approval

of the ‘Sehgal- method’ = KSS]. The §5 is shown

to be of no more value than to indicate the choice

of the homeopathic therapeutic method and kind of

introduction to the intervention by Homeopathy.

4. The unprejudiced observer: Suicide and the

Miasms

BIRCH, Kate (AH. 13/2007)

Suicide is among the more profoundly difficult

events to reconcile. There are many life situations

that can lead someone towards suicidal thoughts.

Miasmatic influences will steer these individuals

either towards seeking help, or not. Individual

response to stress is dependant upon the Miasm.

The miasmatic aspects are discussed and also

about the remedies that are likely to be indicated.

Homeopathic remedies indicated for specific

ætiologies can make a tremendous impact on

suicidal thoughts and help the individual regain the

equilibrium necessary to expand the possibilities in

choices they have, including that to stay alive.

Aurum metallicum, Antimonium crudum,

Camphor, Anhalonium are discussed.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

82

5. The Itch Miasm

DIMITRIADIS, George (AJHM. 100, 2/2007)

DIMITRIADIS, writes that Hahnemann’s

Psora has been misunderstood as ‘Scabies’

eruptions due to mistranslation, which in fact is itch

eruptions. The primary itch eruptions which

HAHNEMANN pointed out were Herpes, Tinea

capitis, and Tetter. Instead of itch eruptions it has

been translated as Scabies eruptions.

According to HAHNEMANN, the real basic

eruption was known to him by

1. An itching vesicular eruption which compels

the patient to rub violently enough to open up

the vesicles and infect surroundings.

2. The peculiar sweet-bitter itching which began

with a voluptuous itch (sweet) compelling the

patient to rub and resulting in a long continued

burning (bitter) sensation.

These form the determinants of psoricity of the

primary disease.

The author says that we should therefore

exclude Eczema, Psoriasis, milk crust etc. from

primary itch eruptions.

[If Eczema, Psoriasis etc. which have been

observed as ‘chronic’ are to be excluded from

‘Psoric’ diathesis, where will we include these

chronic complaints in which Miasms = KSS]

DIMITRIADIS says that KÜNZLI,

DUDGEON, William BOERICKE all have

wrongly included ‘Scabies’ in HAHNEMANN’s

itch Miasm.

It is probable, that the Universal, ubiquitous

nature attributed to the Psoric Miasm by

HAHNEMANN is not an accurate assessment; and

there is no doubt that such universality was

postulated on an inadequate data base.

[HAHNEMANN has said that he was collecting

data, observations, cases etc. for over 12 years and

after considering a large number of these, he came

to his conclusion. How can we say, “insufficient

database” = KSS].

Today we know that non-infectious (sterile)

vesicular eruptions can occur and such history

should not be taken as infection with itch Miasm.

6. Hardening of the categories: Taxonomy in

Homeopathy

SHEPPERD, Joel (AJHM. 100, 2/2007)

The homeopathic medicines are divided into

categories determined by sciences of Zoology,

Botany or Mineralogy. Though this seems to excite

the speakers and audience, there are numerous

significant limitations when these traditional

scientific categories are applied to homeopathic

Materia Medica.

LINNAEU’s system of classification of plants

based on genus and species and of animals based on

the number of auricles, ventricles color of its blood

and thermal state.

This led men to judge wholes on the basis of

parts, to assemble arbitrary groups and to divide

nature at points where she was individible.

Morphological characteristics are abstractions and

are a view of the plant through a particular

conceptual lens. This is one reason why different

scientists studying the same taxon describe

different characters.

Abstraction is an attempt to leave out many of

the concrete details of the subject by creating a

simpler figure whose structure is still roughly

analogous to the original. That is why abstractions

cause trouble in Homeopathy. It is the concrete

symptoms that we want in Homeopathy, not

stereotypes or archetypes.

Even in classification based on Darwin’s

evolutionary history small number of common ‘pet’

characteristics are emphasized and minor

characteristics that contradicted them are ignored.

By applying this in Homeopathy, common

characteristics are emphasized and unique

symptoms are ignored.

All classification schemes are hypotheses. As

we learn more we may rearrange groups. The

division of life into kingdoms continues to shift,

evolve and produce uncertainty.

How can a homeopathic physician say that

each kingdom’s remedies has a different

pathology? No such static agreement exists about

kingdoms in mainstream science. Homeopaths

cannot claim such a generality.

There are no consensus for the concept of

species. There are 7 to 22 concepts which differ

from each other. This points out the uncertainty of

categories and they do not lead to reliable

information about homeopathic remedies.

Animalism of animals and the planthood of

plants concern biologists, but have no relevance to

how the derived substance reacts homeopathically.

The classification to understand the common

symptoms, pathology among a group is against our

discipline which trains to see the unique and

individual.

HAHNEMANN specifically and in detail

discusses the classification of remedies in his

“Essay on a new principle for ascertaining the

curative powers of drugs.”

He cites many examples of opposite or at least

very different powers, in one and the same family

of plants and in different parts of the same plant.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

83

The form and function of living organisms

cannot be a reliable indicator for medicinal use: “In

all ages the mania for simplification has been the

chief stalking horse of system manufactures of the

first rank.”

The reasons against any classifications are

explicitly explained in § 119 & § 120.

7. Examining the Analytical Approach

WANS BROUGH, Charles (HL.19, 1/2006)

The ongoing debate between the ‘classicists’

and the ‘neo-classicists’ within Homeopathy can

be approached by actively examining models in

‘cognitive psychology’ that were designed to

understand how ‘experts’ make decisions within the

confines of a normal working day. In other words,

how ‘experienced homeopaths’ under the pressures

of a normal working day faced with inadequate or

ambiguous information were able to find ‘the

correct remedy’. The article discusses what

qualifies ‘expertise’ and the essential problems that

‘analyzing a case’ presents when faced with years

of expertise.

[‘Expertise’ depends upon the individual

homeopath’s mastery of the Materia Medica and

personal clinical experience. One develops one’s

own expertise; it cannot be transposed on another

compromising with so-called ‘innovations’ and

what are considered ‘mode’ or ‘vogue’ which go

against the basic structure, is an escape route for

those who would like everything ‘made easy’. This

in the light of experience of several years. = KSS].

--------------------------------------------------------------

II. MATERIA MEDICA

1. Proving of Stangeria eriopus, Natal grass

cycad

GRIMES, Melanie (SIM. XX, 2007)

Stangeria eriopus, one of the first seedplants

on earth, it is a Gymnosperm. Proving was

conducted in a double blind pure Hahnemannian

manner. 14 provers on three continents, from five

nations. Only mental, dreams and generals are

given. For full information:

usahomeopath@aol.com [Why call

HAHNEMANN to witness what is un-

hahnemannian? Only mental, dreams & generally

is not hahnemannian = KSS.]

2. The Insect remedies

FRASER, Peter (SIM. XX, 2007)

The insects are the largest and most diverse

group within the animal kingdom. The author has

attempted to elicit and classify the common features

of Insect remedies.

Industrious. Tendency to irritate. Fastidious in

personal relationship. Restless. Benevolence.

Irresolution. Physical exhaustion with mental

energy and alertness. Laziness, ennui and lack of

motivation. Desire to be seen, to be looked at and

to be recognised. Hair loss. Alopecia. Duality.

Tremendous sensitivity. Promiscuity and sexual

dreams. A feeling of shame and being despised.

Sense of vulnerability. Canine or ravenous

appetite. Burning pains. Worse for heat and better

for cold air. Swelling and constriction in the throat.

[All about insects in general. There are poisonous

ones and there are quite harmless ones. Knowing

something about insects in general (and there are

thousands of insects) is not knowing a remedy, a

proving. Pages and pages of writing does not add

one was bit to the knowledge of Materia Medica =

KSS].

3. Toxopneustes pileolus (Toxop.)

HILDERANDT Jörg (AHZ. 252, 2/2007)

Proving of the poisonous Sea urchin

(Toxopneustes pileolus). The remedy was prepared

from a part of the fresh animal taken from the

shores of Bohol (Philippines), potentized to C 30

and C 200. 14 healthy Provers (8 Women, 6 Men)

between 21 and 49 years age provided Symptoms.

Selected Symptoms are presented in the Head to

Foot Schema and compared with cured symptoms.

For one Prover the remedy was her Simile. A

patient’s case is presented in which antinuclear

antibody levels could be normalized.

4. Arzneimittelprüfung von Gallae turcicae

(Drug proving of Gallae turcicae)

BLEUL Gerhard (AHZ. 252, 2/2007)

Two hither-to unproved medicines were taken

up for a double-blind Proving in four groups. The

results of one of these, Gallae turcicae are

reported. Gallae turcicae is Oak apple, which is a

hard ball of 11-25 mm. diameter. The young Oak

wasp, Andricus gallae-tinctoriae lays egg on the

tender leaf-bud of Quercus infectoria. After 5-6

months the young insect comes out and flies off.

The whole Gall is used for the preparation of the

tincture and then potencies are run up.

5. Aurum phosphoricum (Theorie und Praxis)

Aurum phosphoricum (Theory and Practice)

TREBIN Ernst (AHZ. 252, 2/2007)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

84

Complete salts (all-inclusive) give, according

to the author’s experience, better results in the

treatment of chronic-miasmatic diseases than single

elements, perhaps because they respond to several

Miasms. These remedies are chosen not only in

relation to the individual symptoms but also in

consideration of the miasmatic base. It is well-

known that Gold and its salts are used to treat

syphilitic Miasm. Aurum phos., a nearly unknown

mineral from old stock, whose effects are only

construct from its components, has proved to be a

very successful remedy. A case illustrates the

treatment as also the application of the theory of

Miasms in actual practice.

6. Verifikation und klinisches Symptom in 50

Jahren ZKH

Verification and clinical Symptom in 50 years

of ZKH

GENNEPER Thomas (ZKH, 51, S1/2007)

This article is a recapitulatory analysis of topic

“verification” and “clinical symptom”

considerations are made concerning the relevance

in homeopathic practice and the further activity of

the journal “Zeitschrift für Klassische

Homöopathie“ is within this context. As

counterpart for verification, the author suggests

“falsification”.

[The reliability of the Materia Medica is

fundamental to the day to day practice of

Homeopathy. With a vast treasury of ‘symptoms’,

where correctness of each Symptom is equally

important, the need to ensure an error-free source

of verification cannot be over-emphasized. Due to

various reasons, mostly due to the enormity of the

printed words that have carefully been gone

through, the translation from the source language to

others – mainly German to English, several errors

have crept in. It is up to the members of the

Profession to make it their daily work in the

course of the comparison of the patient’s

Symptoms with those of the Materia Medica to

locate these errors. This is not difficult if most of

the regular Homeopathy Practitioners make it their

duty. Unfortunately with the recent trend to

depend only upon the Repertory without recourse

to verification of the Materia Medica, and the

prescription of the hitherto non-existant medicine,

for example, speculate and prescribe Lac equinum

because the patient dreamt horses – there are

several such prescriptions in ‘world-wide’ journal

like the Homeopathic Links – the question of a

carefully carried out Proving and a Materia

Medica based o n i t does not arise. Thus it is

all a game of one’s imagination not answerable to

anyone’s scrutiny. = KSS]

7. Aurum muriaticum natronatum – Four Case

Reports

SEVAR Raymond

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

Four cases treated with Aurum muriaticum

natronatum are presented using the patients’ own

words; two cases of Fibromyoma of Uterus and

Thyroid disorders, and two of Eczema and

Depression with suicidal ideation after disappointed

romantic love. The case analysis and management

are discussed and distilled into the Materia Medica

of Aurum muriaticum natronatum with the creation

of a heuristic.

8. Gavia Immer: A Modern Proving in the

Making (Common Loon Feather)

HUENECKE, Jason – Aeric (AH. 13/2007)

This article offers an insight into the

preparation and organization of a “modern”

proving. The author discusses about his feelings

and dreams while he was preparing the medicine

and also while proving. The dream themes from

the provings have been given. The proving was

done with 25 provers and 25 supervisors double

blind format. The full ‘Proving’ data is expected to

be published in a future issue of The American

Homeopath. [Unless the full ‘Proving’ is published

as also the source from which we can get the

potentised remedy so that we can verify the Proving

Symptoms clinically, this article is of no purpose =

KSS]

9. A lightness of Spirit, the Ova Branta

Canadensis Proving

(Canadian Goose Egg)

SCHURDEVIN, Kathy (AH. 13/2007)

The egg was processed by Eric

SOMMERMAN and medicine was processed by

Michael Quinn at Hahnemann Pharmacy.

The Proving was double blind.

The physical symptoms, mental symptoms,

Fears, Delusions, Visions and Dreams are given.

[There are no details what the ‘processing’ of the

eggs were, what potencies were used for the

Proving; how many Provers and how long the

Proving and the symptoms lasted, etc. In cases of

Goose and such ‘birds’ the Provings earlier were

done from the feather, for example the ‘Gavia

immat’. In this case of Branta Canadensis why the

egg and not the feather? = KSS].

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

85

10. Spirostachys africanus Sond. : The Tambootie

Tree: A Proving and cured cases

OLSEN, Steven (AJHM. 100, 1/2007)

The Proving of African sandalwood brought

out the central themes of Loss in purpose of life,

indifference to life, a loss of sensory perception;

especially for vision, taste and hearing.

Cases cured on the basis of above themes are

given.

The Materia Medica, Remedy comparisons

and Repertory additions are given.

11. Homeopathic Proving of Titanium

metallicum

SPADA, M.F., ARENA, G., NOCIFORA, R.,

MATERA, M.

(HL. 19, 1/2006)

Materials and Methods: For an extensive

description of the methodology of this Proving and

the preparation of the remedy please contact the

authors.

The substance Titanium metallicum was

supplied by the pharmaceutical company Carlo

Erba Italia and potentised by the homeopathic

company IMO in Trezzano rosa (MI).

Trial protocol

The Proving was blinded. Eight volunteers

received Verum in a 30CH, eight in a 200K and

eight received Placebo.

Mind

In four subjects who took 200 K (071), very

clear mental symptoms were noted. Prover 010

(G.R.) experienced a panic attack in a closed

environment (N.S.), from the 10

th

to the 13

th

day, a

symptom that was noted once again in a parking lot

(claustrophobia), with a sense of oppression in the

chest, suffocation, and great agitation. Prover 017

(G.P.) noted a marked irritability in the morning,

from the 7

th

to the 10

th

day, and restlessness

accompanied by tension in the solar plexus, without

any plausible reason, and a crowding of thoughts

regarding unimportant situations (O.S.). Prover

020 (E.D.C.) noted a physical, and especially a

mental, improvement after the menstrual cycle,

which continued for at least one week. She wrote:

“I feel more serene in facing daily problems, with a

greater self-control and assurance”. This symptom

was also noted in the following cycle. Prover 021

(G.A.), noted from the 10

th

to the 14

th

day a

decrease in the hurry and anxiety which

characterized his nature, with a kind of mental

peace, he wrote, “I had the feeling of being less

hard in various attitudes, specially with my wife

and with those who were closer to me”, this

sensation remained for at least twenty days after

discontinuing administration of the remedy (O.S.),

and this was also associated with an improvement

in remembering the names of people. We may

observe that mental symptoms were noted only the

case of 200K.

Eyesight and Vertigo

Most of the provers, ten out of sixteen, who

took 30 CH and 200 K experienced problems

focusing on objects, and had a feeling of

disorientation. Some wrote that they had the

feeling of being on a boat. The symptom was

associated with eyesight disorders and

disorientation. Two provers, after discontinuation

of the remedy, experienced the same disorders

when started taking the remedy again.

Head

From the 10

th

to the 12

th

day, Prover 017 (G.P.)

reported very severe left frontal Cephalalgea which

then disappeared on the 16

th

day. Prover 010 (P.R.)

reported moderate cephalea in the front part of the

head, from the 8

th

to the 12

th

day. Prover 020

(E.D.C.) pointed out frontal Cephalalgea, more

towards the left, from the 4

th

to the 8

th

day, with a

state of mental confusion (O.S.).

Mouth

Prover 002 (L.G.) complained of a bitter taste

in the mouth from the 7

th

to the 12

th

day, and

dryness of the mucosae with a burning sensation

and the desire for refreshing drinks such as

lemonade or fresh water. Prover 008 (P.G.)

suffered from Aphthae in the mouth from the 6

th

to

the 12

th

day, with a severe burning pain, which

disappeared and appeared newly in different areasof

the mouth. The most common location was on the

mucosa of the upper lip, to the left (N.S.).

Furthermore, prover 018 (T.T.) reported burning

Aphthae during the entire research study, which

healed and formed again on the mucosa of the

mouth, particularly localized on the tip of the

tongue.

Back

Four provers reported marked pain in the

Cervical region, with irradiation of the pain to the

Occipital area, and heaviness in the whole head

from the 10

th

to the 14

th

day (O.S.)

Abdomen and rectum

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86

About eleven provers out of sixteen noted

marked abdominal disorders, such as diffused

abdominal swelling, Diarrhoea with liquid stools,

especially after meals, even though particularly

irritating foodstuffs had not been taken (002 [L.G.],

010 [P.G.] 013 [R.G.], etc.). Two subjects reported

haemorrhoidal symptoms with bright red blood in

the stools.

Extremities (upper and lower limbs)

Almost all the provers, those who took 30 CH

and those who took 200 K, described a sense of

marked heaviness in the lower and upper limbs,

with tiredness that limited their daily actions, often

associated with articular pain, especially in the hips

and the left glenohumeral joint. For example,

prover 006 (R.N.) wrote that from the 5

th

to the 9

th

day she felt her arms and legs heavy, as if they

were of stone, with a feeling of swelling, even if in

the physical check everything appeared normal; she

further described a marked heaviness in the left

ankle and right hand (4

th

finger) (N.S.). Prover 013

(R.G.) reported that between the 7

th

and the 14

th

day

he had a feeling of heat, heaviness in the feet and

restlessness at night when he went to bed.

Male genital apparatus

Three male provers, two taking 200 K, 017

(G.P) and 021 (G.A.) and one taking 30 CH, 007

(M.S.), reported decreased libido and premature

ejaculation, noted on more than one occasion. Two

of them had experienced decreased libido only

rarely in their life, but the more serious aspect was

the premature ejaculation which they had never had

previously (N.S.); this symptom disappeared only

one month after discontinuing the remedy. Prover

021 (G.A.) stated that premature ejaculation

improved in the two months following

administration of the remedy (C.S.), while the other

two subjects confirmed that the symptoms of

decreased libido and precocious ejaculation were

noted for at least 40 days after administration of the

remedy.

Skin

Prover 003 (A.A.) reported that one week after

administration of remedy 30 CH he experienced a

rash with itchy wheals (Urticaria) which started in

the evening after sunset, accompanied by swelling

in the concerned location, migrating, accompanied

by much itching, and soothed with cold water.

Diarrhoea, 2-4 bowel movements a day, relieved

the itching symptom. The symptom was present for

four days.

Two other provers, 008 (G.P.) and 011 (A.F.),

noted diffused itching towards the end of the

research study (from the 12

th

to the 15

th

day).

Sleep

Two provers, who took 200 K, 006 (R.N.) and

010 (P.R.), reported agitated sleep with restless

dreams, from the 7

th

to the 9

th

day, which according

to both was not attributable to specific causes.

12. Leycesteria Formosa

A proving of the Himalayan Honeysuckle

SEVAR, Raymond (HL. 19, 1/2006 )

A single blind homeopathic proving of

Leycesteria formosa (the Himalayan Honeysuckle)

in 30 CH potency using 7 provers yielded 62

symptoms with concordance of symptoms between

provers. The pattern of symptoms correlates well

with symptoms of other members of the

Caprifolaciae plant family.

The outstanding symptoms were of:

• Sensations as if stomach expanded like a

balloon

• Sensations as if stomach is rippling with waves

passing from stomach to pelvis, worse lying on

back and better lying on abdomen.

• Return of pain in sites of previous fractures and

joint/spine injuries

• Rapid healing of current injuries

• Changes in menstrual flow, length of cycle and

pain

• Watery diarrhoea.

13. An insight into Taxonomy

A companion to SANKARAN’s “An insight

into Plants”

SCHILLER, Julia (HL. 19, 2/2006)

This article provides an overview of Plant

Taxonomy with other analysis and commentary to

enable readers to make better use of the information

in Rajan SANKARAN’s ‘Insight into Plants’,

published in 2002. SANKARAN has made a

convincing case that the taxon called the family is

relevant from the homeopathic perspective since

patients needing plant remedies from the same

family share common sensations. Most of

SANKARAN’s groupings are supported by

contemporary botanical classification, but five of

the groupings are problematic from the taxonomic

viewpoint, probably because he has relied on

outdated sources to draw them together. His

Conifers, Violales, Hamamelidae, Magnolianae,

and Liliflorae groupings, which are composed of

plants sharing higher taxa in common than the

botanical family, are shown to have overlap,

potentially premature generalization and/or other

problems. Continued work is encouraged to

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

87

address these shortcomings. [Where is Taxonomy

in Homeopathy? HAHNEMANN has given

several examples pointing out the ‘family’

knowledge does not lead to the right selection of

‘homeopathic’ remedy = KSS].

14. The toxic Effects of the African Pitocine

Leucas capensis in ‘relation to the Law of

Similars

MOILOA Robert (HL. 19, 2/2006)

In South Africa traditional healers have used

the roots of Kgaba, Leucas capensis, in pregnant

women and cases of maternal toxicity due to

overdosage have been reported. Based on the

principle that ‘like cures like’ a proving was

conducted to unravel the homeopathic picture of

this plant. The results are discussed in this article

together with a differential diagnosis with other

remedies for pregnancy-related pathology.

15. Pestinum

A remedy for future Plague?

STEFANEK Josef & STEFANKOVA Jozefina

(HL. 19, 2/2006)

The authors present a proving of Pestinum, a

Nosode of the plague. A short overview of history

and pathophysiology of the disease is included.

Main symptoms at a physical level are quite similar

to the symptoms of the disease. At the mental level

there are fear of unknown, feelings of surprise,

unreality and isolation.

16. Clarity and Intoxication

The Proving of Amethyst

SEIDENECK Barbara (HL. 19, 2/2006)

Five different groups of students of the

Homeopathy School of Colorado proved this

remedy over a period of five years. A strong

resemblance to the substance was evident in dreams

of caves, crowded rooms, levels of high and low,

up and down and openings with light. Mental

themes relating to the substance include extreme

clarity, a feeling of being drunk, and excessive

mental energy. The list of physical symptoms is

substantial; the proving showed Amethyst’s strong

affinity for head pains, female symptoms and nerve

involvement of the extremities.

17. Psorinum

MORRELL, Peter (HH. 30, 11/2005)

[This article is very interesting. The author opens

the article stating that he has been working on this

for over three years and also spent lot of time

collecting fresh data. He further says that there are

many original observations about Psorinum in this

article = KSS].

The article also considers the Psora theory.

Peter MORRELL himself had Scabies in 1971

along with 5 other members of his family. “Since

then I have watched with fascination, not only the

unfolding of myriad illnesses and symptoms within

the members of the family and their offspring, but I

have also seen the profound and curative effects of

Psorinum as a remedy. Psorinum is a very full

remedy, with a very large symptomatology, much

larger than is indicated in any Materia Medica. It

could prove to be as vast as to include all the

antipsoric medicines within its “sphere of action.”

Many symptoms have been linked to history of

Scabies.

Peter MORRELL says that the Hebrew BIBLE

has no concept of original sin, a later Christian

concept. Tsorat, a general word in Hebrews which

meant trouble, also groove or stigma, is

transliterated to Psora, meaning Scabies in Greek.

[The article is short and thought-provoking. It is

interesting to observe, in this context, the article by

George DIMITRIADIS in the American Journal of

Homeopathic Medicine, Vol.100, No.2/2007 titled

“The Itch Miasm” wherein he concludes that Psora

has been ‘misunderstood’ as ‘Scabies’ eruptions

due to mistranslation! (Abstract in p.82 of this

QHD) I would rather invoke HAHNEMANN’s

spirit and seek his clarification! = KSS].

--------------------------------------------------------------

III. THERAPEUTICS

1. Ode to cold

Folklore or Fact: Can exposure to cold cause

illness?

LOCKWOOD, Amy E. (HT. 26, 6/2006)

Based on 200 years of clinical experience

applying the homeopathic method of treatment,

homeopaths are likely to agree that exposure to

cold and other environmental factors can contribute

to lowering a person’s resistance to illness.

The indications for Aconite, Hepar sulphuris

calcareum, Nux vomica for ailments due to cold,

dry weather and wind and of Rhus toxicodendron,

Arsenicum album and Dulcamara in cold, damp

weather are given.

2. When winter Hats “Aren’t cool”

Remember this remedy

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

88

SHALTS, Edward (HT. 26, 6/2006)

On a cold November morning, the author’s

daughter removed her hat during the stroll. Around

11 p.m., she felt very scared and was shaking with

chills. High fever and was increasingly frightened,

anxious and restless. Aconite 30c. She calmed

down in five minutes and slept in another ten

minutes. She recovered completely next morning.

3. Wrap up those Babies

ROTHENBERG, Amy (HT. 26, 6/2006)

Leslie, 18 months, with low grade Fever and

flushing of face. Crying and in bad mood. She was

treated with Calcarea carbonica for colic and sleep

problems in the first year.

A day before she was taken on a bike ride.

During the first part of the ride, sweat on her head.

Then exposure to wind on damp head for an hour.

Hot head with cold extremities, large wide – open

pupils.

Belladonna 30. Slept off immediately and had

woken up back to her perky self.

4. Sensitive to Drafts? Wear a scarf on that Bike!

Or visit a homeopath to treat this susceptibility

COWARD Steven (HT. 26, 6/2006)

Karl, 35, with headache and stiff neck since he

moved over to U.S. The pains were worse in the

evening and when he lay down. Pain centered in

sub occipital area. Pains from cold drafts on neck

would alleviate. Sweat during sleep. Raw itchy

skin between toes. Easily tired. Silica 200. For the

first two days, his neck became more stiff and from

third day great relief. In the next few months,

repeated few more doses and he became completely

well (except for the itching in between toes!)

5. It’s more serious than just “cold feet”.

Homeopathic help for Raynaud’s Disease.

SUBOTNICK, Seven I. (HT. 26, 6/2006)

Frances, a middle aged school teacher with

coldness of toes in Fall and Winter. First they turn

white and cold, then blue and numb and finally turn

red, prickly, hot and painful. The toes were

beginning to ulcerate. Secale 30. Within 2 weeks

her symptoms had resolved without any other

medical intervention. Relapse after 2 years

subsided with Secale 200.

Indications for Aconite, Secale, Sulphur and

Sulphuric acid are given.

Three other cases which responded to their

constitutional remedies are reported.

6. Will Bird Flu Spread Its Wings?

Homeopathic help for Flu Season.

MEDHURST, Robert (HT. 26, 62006)

Nux vomica appears to be the most strongly

indicated Genus Epidemicus remedy for Bird Flu.

Other remedies are Aconite, Anas barbariae,

Baptisia, Bryonia, Camphor, Eupatorium,

Gelsemium, and Rhus tox.

Anas barbariae and Influenzium can prevent it.

China, Phosphoric acid and Tuberculinum

aviaire helps in recovery after infection.

7. Never Thin Enough

Eating Disorders and Homeopathic Treatment

MASLAN, Allison (HT. 26, 6/2006)

An eating disorder reflects an extreme

obsession with body image and food. Then they

struggle with the emotional and physical

repercussions that follow. These patients need a lot

of reassurance and support.

Case: Nancy 59, suffered from eating disorders

since the age of nine. High anxiety and acid –

alkaline imbalance with burning pains in stomach.

Cravings for fatty food. 102 pounds.

Wanted to do things perfect. Erratic. Fear of

dying. Anal fissures with chronic burning pain.

Nitricum acidum 30. Mood improved immediately

and became hopeful. She felt liberated, joyous and

carefree. A dose of Nitric acid 200. Anal fissures

gone. Nitric acid LM 2 to take as needed and went

on improving. Her weight became 115 lbs. The

potency was slowly raised to LM 6. She remained

well.

8. A Dancer’s Dilemma

Battling Bulimia

ALLEN, Karen (HT. 26, 6/2006)

Cheryse, presented with recurrent vaginal

infections and warts on extremities. Bulimic since

her dreams of becoming a dancer did not

materialize. She vomited atleast once a day. This

created a sense of failure and helplessness about her

life.

Affected by damp weather and Garlic. Thuja

occidentalis 1M.

9. Sweet relief for Shingles

SHALTS, Edward (HT. 27, 1/2007)

Peter was HIV+, had crop of small, pink,

blisters in right lower chest. He consulted and

received antiviral drug and topical cream. No relief

even after a week. The blisters were painful and

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

89

itchy. Hot showers and moving about relieved

pain. Rhus toxicodendron 30. Next day symptoms

subsided significantly. Within 5 days, pain and

itchiness completely gone and rash dried up.

89 year-old lady recovering from a long

Chemotherapy treatment for Cancer had severe

Shingles on the left side of her trunk.

One month of treatment, brought no relief.

Pain from change of weather. Rash painful and

stinging. Ranunculus bulbosus 30 and then 12c

daily for a week. The pain and discomfort quickly

dissipated and rash dried up.

Indications for the use of Ran-b., Rhus-t., Apis-

m.,Ars-alb., Mez. and Iris-v are given.

10. The Lovely Man in the Fedora

A cured case of post-herpetic neuralgia

ROTHENBERG, Amy (HT. 27, 1/2007)

Frank, 90 years suffering with post herpetic

Neuralgia since 3 months. Stabbing, intermitted

with relentless dull ache in left chest. Depressed

and losing interest in life.

Five months earlier, he had lost his beloved

wife of 72 years. One month laer had an heart

attack and severe Pneumonia. Few days later had

Shingles.

Pain worse with motion of arms. Since

Shingles, left sided Headaches. Dry cracking lips.

Natrum muriaticum 200. Two weeks later, no

sharp pains, but dull ache. Headaches gone, lips

healed, sleep and mood improved. Ranunculus

bulbosus 200. Dull aches slowly dissipated.

11. Seeds of change – Nurturing Homeopathy in

clinics and Hospitals

HARRIS, Jill (HT. 27, 1/2007)

Dr. Brian BERMAN, founded the Center for

integrative Medicine at the University of

Maryland School of Medicine in 1991. Since then

many individuals are spearheading efforts to bring

the benefits of Homeopathy into such settings as

medical Schools, Hospials, Clinics and Residential

addiction treatment centres. One such facility is

Southwest Naturopathic Medical Centre

(SNMC) in Arizona.

Case: Life or death decision

After her husband’s eleventh stroke, a woman

confronted the choice of whether or not to continue

his life support. The Internist counselled that all

hope was lost. Homeopath Stephen MESSER was

called and he found the patient was unresponsive

except for a little movement in his fingers. When

he told the patient he was going to leave, the patient

squeezed his hand harder. Phosphorus 200. Next

day signs of improvement. Less than a week later

he was off the respirator. After two months and

eight different homeopathic remedies, he was able

to go home.

It is good news that more future doctors are

being exposed to the potential of Homeopathy

through these hospitals.

In The Center for Complementary Medicine,

Chicago, Dr. Clifford KEARNS provides 5-6 hours

of lectures on Homeopathy to the residents.

In one case, patient chipped her tooth and

assumed swallowing it. X-rays did not reveal it.

On inquiry, it was found out that she had recently

lost her dog and started crying. Ignatia removed

the sensation of tooth struck in throat.

Thirteen year-old Alice was woken up by

Stomach Pain for the second night in row, with

Vomiting, Diarrhoea and increasing pain. A

surgeon opened her abdomen to reveal a jet-black

stomach, half of it dead. Two weeks post-surgery,

cause could not be found out and high fever inspite

of three antibiotics.

The parents requested for help from SNMC

and they observed fever, without chill, heat in face,

stitching pains in abdomen and dry mouth with

thirst for cold water. Aggravation from any

motion.

Bryonia 200, every 2-3 hours. By next

morning temperature dropped significantly. Her

mood improved. Four days later, fever began with

a chill in the chest and descended to legs and her

back and occiput were sweating. Sulphur 200

every 2 hours. After this no fever for few days and

again fever with breathing difficulty and peeling of

fingertips. Thirst for ice cold water steadily

increasing. Phosphorus 200, 4 times a day. Her

fever broke entirely, energy increased and her

improvement was continuous.

A residential addiction treatment center in

Boston requested the Teleosis School of

Homeopathy to train its entire paraprofessional

staff so that Homeopathy could be consistently

available to its clients.

The programme hopes to help to resist a

relapse in their struggle against addictions.

Complementary strategies for Katrina

In New Orleans, Homeopah Karyn

SCHWARZ worked with an M.D. and a Nurse to

treat patients affected by Katrina, using

Complementary Strategies for each patient based

on different kinds of knowledge.

12. Wound finally heals – after 25 years

MOSKOWITZ, Richard (HT. 27, 1/2007)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

90

30 years after a radical mastectomy for Breast

Cancer, a 70-year-old woman sought help to close

an open, draining wound in her chest. Extensive X-

ray treatment resulted in Osteomyelitis of left lower

ribs. In the ensuing 25 years, old wound reopened

several times but recently not healed for over a

year. A fistula, oozing a woody mucopurulent

discharge. Three years, many homeopathic

remedies – including Calc-sulph. and Silica; also

seemingly constitutional like Lycopodium and

Phosphorus; then Radium bromatum and X-ray –

did not help. Gun powder 30, daily for a few

weeks closed the fistula and the scab fell off.

Reopened briefly later, but few doses of Gun

powder 200 healed it.

13. Real Homeopathic “Magic”

Severe liver trouble agonizing Kidney stones

respond to homeopathic treatment

CARPENTER, Bonnie (HT. 27, 1/2007)

Jason, 32, had grossly abnormal liver enzyme

levels for which no cause could be detected. He

was advised Liver transplant. He was angry,

impatient, workaholic – striving for excellence.

Compulsive about his work.

Craved highly spicy food, chilly and desired

warmth. Exhaustion from overwork. Nux vomica

30 once a week for two months. Blood enzyme

levels all came back to normal. He took Nux

vomica 30 monthly once for another two years and

his attitude to life completely changed.

Jaimie, 23 years, with Kidney stones since 14

years of age. Undergone Cystoscopy, Lithotripsy.

Recurring Uric acid stones.

Extreme pain with nausea and fever during the

episode but constant back and Stomach pain.

Painful and heavy menstrual periods

accompanied by hot flashes. She was anxious,

depressed, moody and had panic attacks. Terrified

of Snakes and Spiders. Could not stand Sun,

Jealous and Sarcastic. Lachesis 1M. A week later

pain in stomach and back gone. In next 3 months

frequency of stones decreased.

Lachesis 1M was repeated many times and she

was symptom free for one year. Relapse and one

more repetition cured her.

14. Mumps. It’s Back! And it’s not just for kids

any more

LOCKWOOD, Amy. E. (HT. 27, 2/2007)

The biggest outbreak of Mumps in U.S. was in

2006. Most of the affected were teens and young

adults – inspite of two doses of MMR Vaccine.

The clinical symptoms and the possible

complications are discussed. Epidemics treated

homeopathically are ‘quoted’.

15. Modern Mumps strikes Young Adults

An experienced homeopath tell us what works

TREUHERZ, Francis (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Indications for Mercurius solubilis, Phytolacca

decandra, Aconite, Belladonna and Pulsailla are

given.

In the last eleven years of intensive practice on

an emergency telephone helpline service, by the

author, Jaborandi has been the most useful one for

Mumps. J.H. CLARKE’s description of the

remedy is given. It can be helpful when Mumps

have metastasized to testicles, breasts and

elsewhere.

16. Preventing Mumps - Homeopathically

LOCKWOOD, Amy. E. (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Parotidinum 30 or 200 - J.H. CLARKE

Pilocarpine 6c - Dorothy SHEPERD

Trifolium pratense

& Trifolium repens

3c or 6c - Will TAYLOR

17. A dizzying Disease

ROTHENBERG, Amy (HT. 27, 2/2007)

POLLY was suffering with Mèniére’s disease.

Severe dizziness with loss of balance, nausea and

vomiting. With this illness, her life had become

severely restricted. She had to lie perfectly still wih

her eyes closed during vertigo. Much anxious

about health, sweats easily on exertion and

tendency to constipation. Chilly. Neat freak.

Calcarea carbonica 200, one pellet. Four weks

later; not a single episode of dizziness. Six weeks

later : Easier menstrual cycle. Over the next seven

years, 3 doses of 200 and two doses of 1M. She

never again had a severe bout with the dizziness.

To the amazement of her ENT doctor, Polly’s

hearing returned to normal and the ringing in ears

also stopped.

Indications for Cocculus, Phosphorus, Conium

maculatum and Argentum nitricum are given.

18. The Gift of Homeopathy for Adopted Kids.

REICHENBERG-ULLMAN, Judyth

ULLMAN, Robert (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Adopted children may be more likely to suffer

from inadequate bonding, separation, anxiety,

attachment disorders, malnutrition, chronic disease,

fetal alcohol and drug syndromes, neurological

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

91

problems, ADHD and developmental, learning and

speech delays.

1. JOEY, seven year-old boy, was adopted at 18

months from an Orphanage in China. He liked to

kiss, hug. Involved in two incidents of explorative,

sexuality with younger girls. Diagnosed with

ADHD. Liked music and sensitive to noise.

Sucking his fingers. Intense desire for sweets.

2. LUCY, now 9, removed at age 3, from parents

due to severe abuse and neglect. Possible sexual

abuse. Difficulty with social interactions at school.

Still sucked thumb. Tells lies. Insensitive to pain.

Tendency to sneak candy and sweets.

Both of them had experienced parental

abandonment or neglect before their adoptions.

This led to insecurity, social problems, difficulty

with school performance, thumb and finger sucking

and an inordinate desire for sweets.

- Saccharum officinalis

LUCY experienced improvement in focus,

much less fighting, lying and thumb sucking and a

gradually reduced craving for sweets.

JOEY became less aggressive and hyper.

Focus improved and was able to get along well wih

kids in school. Completely stopped sucking his

fingers. Sugar craving decreased dramatically.

Maintained their improvements over the next

few years.

19. A new home and a New Chance

Bulgarian survives

COWARD, Steven (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Sam, 8 years, was adopted at 5 years from an

orphanage in Bulgaria, by Vicki and Eddie who had

4 children of their own and adopted six children

from other countries.

He was irritable, full of rage, striking at others

over trivial matters. He wet his bed consistently

and used urination and defecation in a malicious

way. Facial tics worse when reprimanded. Fear of

big dogs and being alone. Thrice hospitalised

under Psychiatrist.

Anacardium 200 one dose. His behaviour

improved for several days and then became worse

and had to be admitted in a Psychiatric facility.

Another dose. Within 5 days he was discharged

with dramatic improvement in behaviour. He

apologized when he told something unkind.

Maliciousness virtually gone. Facial tics greatly

diminished. He was discharged from regular

Psychiatric care.

20. The “Stepford Child”

ASPINWALL, Mary (HT. 27, 2/2007)

QUENTIN, an adopted child, had repeated

Kidney infections with pain and crying after

urination. Night fevers, bedwetting and

restlessness. He hates being observed. Can’t bear

anyone touch his toes. Slow to make a decision.

Likes to have his boots laced very tightly. Thuja

200. Within 2-3 weeks, had a nose bleed and broke

out in a lot of itchy spots. [Exteriorization of

disease from a correct medicine. Indication of

curative process. = KSS]. Thereafter his

indecision improved markedly and a month later,

his other symptoms cleared up as well. Repeated

whenever there was relapse.

21. Healing Adoption – Trauma

SHEPARD, Maureen (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Adopted children may have experienced being

unwanted by one or both of their parents and loss

of the deeply satisfying mother-infant bond.

The remedies which can help in this situation

are Anacardium, Gallic acid, Hura, Lac humanum,

Magnesium carbonicum, Magnesium muriaticum,

Natrum muriaticum., Pulsatilla and Saccharum

officinale. Indications are given.

22. Case of Hyperpyrexia: 107º Fahrenheit

PANCHAL, Manish (SIM. XX, 2007)

25 year-old man in 1992 with fever and chills

daily since 10 days. Chills were followed by heat.

No sweat. Severe Head ache during heat and chill.

Bodyache, tiredness and desire to lie down. Pain

and tenderness in right chest due to coughing. No

desire to eat. Thirst increased during fever. Dull

and apathetic. Did not like to be disturbed or

spoken to. Sadness in eyes.

Bryonia 200. Next day, no change. Thirst now

decreased. Chills started at 11 a.m. and lasted till 4

p.m.

Gelsemium1M. Within two hours the fever rose to

107.4ºF. Cold sponging was advised. Gradually the

fever came down to 103.8ºF in three hours and

again rose to 106º. Cold sponging continued and

fever came down. He ate bread. Headache was

only slight and dryness of mouth decreased. Next

few days very mild problems and then became

normal. [The significant point in this case seems to

be the rise of fever to such great heat on 107.4ºF.

Cold sponging is a “contrary” method not

conducive with Homeopathy. Dr. PANCHAL has

drawn an attention to “unknown symptoms of

Gelsemium. Restlessness, active memory, suicidal

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

92

disposition jumping from heights”. These are in

CLARKE and not in other Materia Medica.= KSS].

23. Parkinsonism: Riserpidone and Homeopathy

AMIN, Ruhul (SIM. XX, 2007)

Riserpidone is used in reducing the negative

symptoms of Schizophrenia but the side effects are

more or less same as Parkinsonism.

Dr. Ruhul AMIN potentised this drug and

proved on himself and the symptoms are given.

[What potency was taken and how soon or late the

symptoms developed? Was the Proving drug

repeated? The author say that several “fine

symptoms appeared but were not strong”. The fine

symptoms are not to be ignored = KSS].

He became ambithermal after the proving.

Earlier he was hot.

A patient with Parkinsonism for 15 years was

given potentised Riserpidone. Symptoms of

Hyperkinesias, trembling finger and difficulty in

speech were reduced.

The author concludes: the many crude drugs

have various side effects and can be used to manage

the natural diseases (Symptoms as well as the side

effects) after its homeopathic preparation.

24. Drawing conclusions

MARRS, Iain (SIM. XX, 2007)

Completely blocked sinuses and enlarged

adenoids. Sensitive to criticism. Strong willed.

Obstinate. Angry when refused. Extremes of

emotions of mother during pregnancy and after

delivery. He draws volcanoes a lot.

Through the rubrics “inflammation of sinuses”

and “swelling of glands” and through “themes”

Hekla lava was arrived at. (What about Materia

Medica study in Hekla lava). From the next day

incredible anger reduced. Two weeks later again

Sinus problem. Hekla lava 30. His nose started to

run. No pain legs. Hekla lava 200. X ray Sinus –

No congestion at all. Adenoids shrinking in size.

Over the next two months piles of crap came out of

nose. Relapse 2 months later. Another dose. Over

the next 2 years few more doses. [A long – 17 page

– article. So much of speculation, opinions. In spite

of decades of Practice, I am bewildered at the

reasonings for the selection of Hekla lava. I do not

see any connections with the Organon, Proving or

Materia Medica. What is Homeopathy in this? I

don’t know. It’s another matter that the patient

improved. = KSS].

25. Butterfly, Raven, Wolf

MURRAY, Beth (SIM. XX, 2007)

Three cases are presented in which animal

remedies were chosen based on the feelings of each

remedy through the patient’s own words. [!!!not

based on Provings! What can one learn from

these? To speculate, let one’s imagination take full

flight. Nothing to do with hard facts = KSS].

1. Limenitis brodowii californica - Butterfly

2. Corvus corax principalis - Raven

3. Lac lupinum - Wolf

26. Patients with Hysterical Reactions:

Thoughts on Hysteria with a case by Massimo

MANGIALAVORI

HERON, Krista (SIM. XX, 2007)

Conversion Hysteria is a condition which

presents symptoms that mimic organically based

illness. It is defined as wandering and mutable

symptoms that are more a product of mimesis or

unconscious intention than disease.

Hysterics have disorganised emotions. They

cannot understand and interpret what is important.

Through symptoms they try to capture attention of

others.

Silvano, 60, with variety of chaotic symptoms

with extreme description and needs to hold

attention. Different kinds of pain. Dependency on

others with an intention to make them suffer.

Fruitless restlessness, unable to become

independent, desire to eat little. Desire for fruits

and liquids.

Latrodectans mactans did not help.

Loxosceles reclusa Q/1. Over the next 2-3

years, he improved but was not cured.

27. Case of Hearing Loss

SHARFSTEIN Catherine (SIM. XX, 2007)

Male, 67 years with Hearing loss in right ear.

During sequential questioning, comes up with fear

of poisonous Snakes and talks energetically about

Snakes. Elaps.

[It is not good Omen that a whole journal is

filled with Case reports of this nature. You talk of

horses and lo! The remedy is Lac equinum; of

snakes and it is a snake remedy; about a Spider or

climbing, etc and it is a Spider. And so it goes on!!

Throw away all Provings, Materia Medica, use a

computer so that you feed all the patient’s

symptoms and you get some remedies. Fit a

remedy that fits your imagination, it may be an

unheard of remedy, may be Anaconda! If we raise

our voice against such imaginary Materia Medica

we are besmeared with such words as

Fundamentalist, anti-innovations, etc. etc. Whither

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

93

Homeopathy? = KSS].

28. Psychische Erkrankungen in der

homöopathischen Praxis

(Psychic diseases in the homeopathic

Practice)

De LAPORTE Claudia (AHZ. 252, 1/2007)

Psychic and especially neurotic Symptoms are

cured more by self-acceptance and by the

integration of unloved parts of the personality as

well as by the support of a deep and universal

sensation of security. Many people are able to

perform this process of Healing and getting more

Conscious by themselves. Others need support and

stimulation from the outside. The most frequent

way to give this kind of help nowadays is by

Psychotherapy. But the impulse can also be given

by a classical homeopathic treatment which does

not take away so much of self-responsibility from

the patient. This effect can be enhanced by a

deeper and more psycho-dynamic understanding of

the process of disease and healing from the

Practitioner’s side. The homeopathic remedy as

well as a good technique of case-taking work

together as stimuli to become more aware. The

patient is free to develop his own findings in his

speed.

Three different cases show how the choice of

homeopathic remedy can be sustained by a more

psycho-therapeutic conceptions can be integrated

easily in the normal course of a homeopathic

treatment.

29. Herpes ist ein wenig wie Reue

(Herpes is a little like Remorse)

APPELL Rainer G. (AHZ. 252, 1/2007)

Herpes may give a view on a deep existential

dimension which is shown by two exemplary

episodes. Emphasis is put on the importance of

seduction and remorse and on a holistic way of

consideration.

30. Homöopathie: mehr als nur Placebo

(Homeopathy: more than just a Placebo)

MÖLLINGER Heribert and SCHNEIDER

Rainer

(AHZ. 252, 2/2007)

The results of a Homeopathic Pathogenetic

Trial of two Polychrests, Natrum muriaticum and

Arsenicum album, are presented. It was

randomised, three-armed, placebo-controlled,

double-blind Study differentiates between Verum

and Placebo. The Study claims highly significant

evidence. [As in similar ‘researches’ undertaken

over the decades in which positive results were

obtained, the researchers declare that further

similar researches would be rewarding. And so on

it goes, never ending. In spite of all these, those

with a mind tightly shut against Homeopathy will

never agree. Who needs these ‘researches’, to

satisfy whom? And whose approbation are we

craving for? Or are these just to keep occupied

some interested in laboratory researches? If that

were so, let them have their fun. For us who

actually practice the art we know well the

differences between a placebo response and a

homeopathic medicinal response. = KSS]

31. PC 1 als homöopathische Arznei bei AIDS

(PC 1 as homeopathic medicine in AIDS)

SCHUSTEREDER Klaus (AHZ. 252, 3/2007)

The actual clinical Practice in the Africa against

AIDS shows that treatment with appropriate

Antiviral substances has no chance of healing the

complaints. The reasons for this are several. After

much trials Peter CHAPPEL has found a

substance, a combination drug, which in his

experience and also in the experience of some

others, has been found to be of great benefit. This

remedy has been named as PC 1. In this article the

experience in Central Africa has been discussed.

The socio-cultural background of a disease like

HIV in Africa is examined, the resulting difficulties

in treatment are analysed.

32. “Über die Liebe” – Infektion mit dem

Humanen Papilloma-Virus in der Gynäkologie

(Infection with Human Papilloma Virus in

Gynacology)

ENGELSING Anja Maria (AHZ. 252, 3/2007)

Infections by Human Papilloma Virus, HPV,

are widely spread. In sexually active persons, a

prevalence of 60-70% is assumed. In the West

sexual activity begins at earlier age and also there

are more sexual partners. The Human Papilloma

Virus is transmitted almost always through sexual

activity. The infection is mostly asymptomatic but

can, besides Condylomata, cause Cytometaplasia in

the Cervix uteri up to Cervical Carcinoma. Since

the vaccination was put to market in October 2006

Human Papilloma Virus is a current topic.

The problem can be understood and treated

homeopathically only in the background of the

Sycosis that is being expressed by it.

32. Wesen, Erkennung und homöopathische

Behandlung der Borreliose

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94

(Nature, Diagnosis and Homeopathic

Treatment of Lyme Disease)

ALEX Peter (AHZ. 252, 3/2007)

The nature of Bacteria in general and Borrelia

burgdorferi in particular has been explained.

Examples are given for a possible meaning of

Epidemics on the informational level. From this an

approach was derived for the

analogus/homeopathic treatment of Epidemics in

general and Lyme disease in particular. Various

homeopathic strategies are discussed. An

exhaustive reference is given at the end.

33. Interdisziplinäre Behandlung bei

Rückenschmerzen

(Interdisciplinary Treatment of Back Pains)

EICHLER Roland and ALFEN Florian

(AHZ. 252, 3/2007)

Back Pain is a very common complaint. The

causes are manifold; and important problem is an

insufficiently developed deep dorsal musculature.

Strengthening the muscles seems to be the right

way first. Nevertheless Symptoms often remain in

spite of all appropriate efforts. Here the

homeopathic treatment plays its part in an ideal

way to trace the real causes “behind the causality of

the muscles”, by taking the Totality of Symptoms

and work out the characteristic individuality. A

case is presented to show this. [ Margaret L.

TYLER has said that many headaches could be

cured if a Chiroparactitioner sets the Atlas right. In

respect of back pain, the ‘Alexander technique’

would go a very long way in relieving many people

of this nagging complaint. In fact ‘back pain’ is

pain to the homeopath; the causes are so many and

most of them do not get cured by a medicine, but

needs to be rectified by the sufferer; here, for

example riding a two-wheeler over very bumpy

roads every day will maintain the pain, no matter

what medicine I give. = KSS]

34. 50 Jahre Gemütssymptome in der ZKH

(50 years Mental Symptoms in the ZKH)

WEGENER Andreas (ZKH. 52, S1/2007)

HAHNEMANN gave a high rank to the

‘Mind’ symptoms for the choice of the appropriate

curtative remedy. This may be seen in the several

case reports that have appeared in the ZKH over

the years. There have been discussions in the

articles about the reliability of the interpretations of

the Mind symptoms; also about the remedy

‘pictures’ drawn on the basis of the Mind

symptoms alone. How much of these are right?

These are discussed on the basis of the articles that

appeared in this journal over the past 50 years.

35. Ein Fall von Schizophrenie und seine Heilung

mit Cenchris contortrix

(A Case of Schizophrenia and its cure with

Cenchris contortrix)

CÁMPORA Carlos N. (ZKH. 52, 2/2007)

The author presented several cases in the

LIGA Congress in 2005, as evidence for the action

of the homeopathic medicine. The case presented

here is one out of them.

Although the patient had been previously

treated with conventional Medicine, psychologic

treatment, she showed no improvement. The

author demonstrates that the exposition of the

verbatim expressions of the patient and their

precise translation into reportorial rubric, the

analysis of the case and the approach to the

strategies and the course of treatment, would lead

to a successful result. The author stresses the

importance of high-quality case reports in research

in Homeopathy. [Certainly the case is interesting.

Certainly the journals must insist on high-quality

articles. Most of the cases in the journals appear to

be written only to impress the writer’s ingenuity;

exact dates of the prescriptions are not given; why

some prescribe as in this case of Dr. CÁMPORA, a

high potency, a XM, repeatedly over several

weeks? Why 10 globules every time, and twice a

day? Did not HAHNEMANN say that repetition of

the same potency is to be avoided? Yet, most of us

give the same potency, be it a 30 or 200 or a 10M

even, for several days/weeks! Is there a rule or is it

only on the basis of the individual prescriber’s

experience (which we do respect surely). Several

questions rise? Can homeopathic therapeutics be

‘fixed’ according to the ‘scientific’ laws? Can

anyone of us repeat the result of anyone else among

us? And are we searching for ‘evidence’ for the

action of the homeopathic remedy to answer the

‘critics’ or to ‘streamline’ our methodology? =

KSS]

36. Ignatia, Phosphor, Pulsatilla:

Mammakarzinom mit Knochenmetastasen

(Ignatia, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla: Breast

Carcinoma with Bone metastasis)

HADULLA Michael (ZKH. 52, 2/2007)

This is the case of a young, beautiful and slim

woman with a child. Because of a Breast Cancer

during the pregnancy her breasts, both, were

surgically removed. She was a successful actor,

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

95

was in love with a married man with two children

and became pregnant through him. As a

consequence she suffered threats from the wife,

psychological stresses, fights with the family.

During the pregnancy she had severe back

pains, which many pregnant women colleagues

considered usual during pregnancy, or

psychosomatic. This became clearly worse during

the latter part of the pregancy and ultimately an x-

ray showed the fearful diagnosis of bone

metastasis of bilateral Breast Cancer. As a result

the breasts were removed surgically as also a

healthy child was delivered by a caesarean section.

(Contrary to the postulates of Psychology and

developmental psychology, the child, until date, is

healthy and has developed well.)

The patient consulted me at this stage and said

that the infant was lying quietly like a mouse. Mrs.

M herself could not rise from the bed to go to toilet

because the doctor treating her had said that the

metastasis had spread to the cross section of the

whole vertebrae. Even sitting up was forbidden. In

this situation the patient wept long and spoke of the

troublesome situation in the family. She was given

Ignatia 200.

Days later, because of the bone metastasis she

was given and after consultation of the

homeopathic literature at hand, the constitutional

aspects Phosphorus Q6 daily for some weeks.

With this the patient was clearly comfortable, the

Tumor marker also went down well. Therefore

Morphia was reduced and Tavor stopped.

The subsequent changes indicated Pulsatilla and

it was given in Q6 potency one dose daily.

Parallelly the allopathic drugs were also being

taken. The patient could sit up again and go to

toilet on her own and even go up steps.

An intervening state of much weakness was set

right with Phosphoric acid and later impatience,

anger with Nux vomica.

In November 2001 a new metastasis in the

costal region; Phosphorus and few weeks later

Pulsatilla Q6, Q7 brought her to a better state;

parallelly the allopathic medicines also on.

Several months later, the patient visited me and

she came up the stairs to my office in the first floor,

with her child in her arm! The child appeared to

be a picture-book model of a healthy baby. After

this on 21.9.2006 she rang me up to say that she

was well, her son is now 5 year-old and goes to the

Kindergarten. Whenever she felt unwell she took a

dose of Pulatilla Q6 and she became well. She

jogs, plays sport and goes regularly to Fitness

Studio.

The patient’s spontaneous expression: “The

conventional medicine helped me to stabilise the

physical effects! Homeopathy helped in general to

a better/stable constitution and in particular the

ailments which cannot be overcome by self alone”

(Original citation).

37. Symptom oder Interpretation – ein

Psychiatrischer Fall

(Symptom or Interpretation – a Psychiatric

case)

KLINKENBERG Carl (ZKH. 52, 2/2007)

The case is treated by the Boger-method. A

point which is very important and peculiar to

Homeopathy is pointed out with this case. That is,

that the physician need not and indeed cannot,

know exactly the real cause of the disease. (Refer

to FN to § 12 of the Organon). Symptoms and

interpretations must be differentiated. A case is

presented to demonstrate this.

With another case the choice of symptoms in

frequently recurring paroxysmal diseases is

demonstrated.

38. Die homöopathische Datenermittlung nach

Bönninghausen

(The homeopathic Data collection according

to Benninghausen)

STEINER Urs (ZKH. 52, 2/2007)

This article is very interesting and thought-

provoking. The basis of what HAHNEMANN

called ‘Dynamis’ is for BENNINGHAUSEN the

biologically inseparable networking of all its

symptoms which therefore need to be recorded

separately. The appearance of disease is modified

individually by “modalties”. The identification is

carried out systematically using a ‘hexameter’.

[Readers are urged to read, if one has not, the

relevant article in the book “Lesser Writings of

Boenninghausen” = KSS]. Special attention must

be paid to record complete symptoms; “complete

symptom” consists of at least one ‘general’

symptom (sensation), modality, and location of the

complaint. The most recent symptoms of the

patient weigh more, but most important are the

modalities. Drugs have bi-polar signs and

modalities, which contain contra-indications, and

therefore have to be taken into consideration for the

exclusion or affirmation of the medicine in

question. Every medicine has its ‘Genius’ – an

individual ‘character’ – which is mirrored in the

entirety of its signs and modalities. The ‘genius’

of a medicine has to be found again in the

‘character’ of the disease.

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39. Gemütssymptome unter dem Maß des

Charakteristischen - Silicea ohne die Furcht

vor Nadeln

(Mental Symptoms as criterion as

characteristic - Silicea without the fear of

needles)

MÖLLER Bernhard (NAH. 2, 3/2007)

In five clear steps, this article illustrates how a

case can be worked out and analysed and solved

especially where quite often now the emotional and

mental symptoms seem to dominate and mislead.

It is also shown that the psychic symptoms must

also be only in consideration with the

characteristics of the medicine’s action and the

mental and emotional symptoms are to be used

only to decide the right similar remedy. At the

same time the author points out that with

Benninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book the

case could be worked out to get the same remedy.

In the NAH, 1, 1/2006, Stefan REIS has

clarified how the symptom “fear of needle” entered

the Materia Medica and thence into the Repertory.

[It is a much rewarding work to search for the

source of the symptom and understand the

tendency of the drug so that one may perceive the

‘Genius’ of the remedy = KSS]

40. Ein klinisches Lycopodium-Symptom

(A clinical Lycopodium-Symptom)

MORITZ Jürgen (NAH. 2,3/2007)

With the example of a case the author

highlights the application of a Lycopodium

Symptom, with reference to the 19

th

Century

homeopathic literature. A Symptom is

characteristic and/or peculiar in the context of the

totality of the case. The fan-like motion of the alae

nasi, a characteristic symptom of Lycopodium is

taken up; this Symptom is to be considered in the

context of Pneumonia.

41. A case of Salix nigra

JOHNSON, David A. (AH. 13/2007)

46 year-old female with Asthma, Hypertension

and Depression. While describing her emotions,

she repeatedly used the words swamp and willow.

The search of these words led to the Black Swamp

Willow – Salix nigra. Because of this the remedy

was prescribed inspite of the limited indications in

the text. Over the next 2½ years, she progressed

gradually from LM2 to LM12. [David A.

JOHNSON has followed Rajan SANKARAN’s

method of questioning. The texts indicate this

remedy as having a positive action on the

generative organs of both sexes. Hysteria and

nervousness …. None of the symptoms which the

patient complained of are seen in the text book.

There is no pathogenesis to match the symptoms

of this patient. In spite of the fact that the patient

became better, can this be fitted into Homeopathy?

The prescriber searched ‘Swamp’ and ‘Willow’ in a

computer. For some of us who do not use these

gadgets but still use the God given brain, this is not

possible. Does it mean that we wouldn’t have

found a curative remedy in this case? = KSS].

42. A chronic case of Belladonna

SADOVSKY Valerie (AH. 13/2007)

In this case Belladonna generally considered as

an ‘acute’ remedy, did very well in a ‘chronic’

case.

5 year-old boy brought in for Enuresis and

frequent Epistaxis. Aggressive behaviour towards

his little sister. Bites his dad, no fears except of

dark. Forsaken feeling after the birth of his sister.

Dreams of monsters.

Belladonna M. 6 weeks later – bedwetting

every third day. Epistaxis once. High fever for 4

days, a week after last visit. No scary dreams.

Sweats terribly at night. SL.

2 months later – Not cranky. Since 2 weeks

wetting bed daily. Salivating a lot on his pillow.

Sleeps on knees and belly and snoring loudly. No

Headache and no epistaxis. Comprehension much

better. Belladonna 1M.

6 weeks later: Bedwetting once in 5-7 days.

No sweat during sleep. Not bullying sister. SL. 3

months later: No bedwetting and continues to do

well.

43. A Case of ADHD of Chronic Neck Problems

SHANNON, Tim (AH. 13/2007)

A 58-year-old female sought help for issues of

feeling scattered and purposeless and self criticism,

Intractable neck pain and jaw pains. The patient

began talking about owls and nostalgia of Nature

and environment. The idea of self-consciousness

was expressed like watching a movie of herself.

Bubo virginianus (Bubo-v) aqueous doses.

Over the next three years there was consistent

positive response with few more doses of 30 and

200.

The themes of bird remedies are given and

differentiated with Bubo-v. [Here again is clearly

what is not Homeopathy. There is no relevance to

the Organon, Chronic Diseases, Rules governing

the cure, Materia Medica, Repertory, etc. The

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97

patient spoke of owl and lo! All symptoms fall into

that! In what way is HAHNEMANN or the

Homeopathy he founded relevant in these

practices? I don’t know. Do you, dear Reader? =

KSS].

44. Asthma: Miasmatic Understanding and

Treatment

SHAH Jawahar J (AH. 13/2007)

Asthma can be managed easily only after

understanding the disease. The miasmatic aspects

are discussed and indicated remedies are given. A

Flow Chart of related remedies is presented.

45. An Explosion of Psora: Rocky Mountain

Spotted Fever (RMSF)

HYDE, Rosemary (AH. 13/2007)

The author had a Tick bite for which she took

Ledum 200.

A week later she was down with fever and

all the symptoms of Tick bite. Ledum 200 and 1M

with several doses of Borrelia (Lyme Disease).

Nosode, 30, 200, and 1M. Relief for a short while.

Diagnosed as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

(RMSF). Admitted and was unconscious for 5 days

with Multiple Neuropathies. Arnica 1M for

illusions after injury to head from a fall in hospital.

For her frightened expression, Aconite 1M.

Copious and frequent urination at night

alternating with no urination during the day. Fiery

red tongue. Belladonna 30 and next day a dose of

200 helped the above two problems. Finally Rhus

tox 30 in water dose. One dose each on two

consecutive days. By third day uncertainty of

balance and proprioception disappeared and could

walk without walker. Several symptoms from the

beginning of illness returned briefly and subsided.

46. True colors: A case of Chameleon and

Remedies from the Lizard family

BROWN, Doug (AH. 13/2007)

A 42 year-old FBI agent with Idiopathic

Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). Conventional

medication did not help much. Bedbug bite was a

probable cause. The themes of family, fear of

death, embarrassment and deception emerged and

he told of his Chameleon role. Chameleon 1M.

Relapse 12 days later. Again another dose. A

month later count was 150,000. Better in all

aspects. Chameleon 1M. He continues to do well.

47. Homeopathic Treatment of Acute Gout

CARA, Raakhi; TIKLY, SOLOMON,

DEROUKAKIS (AJHM. 100, 1/2007)

The study focused on the homeopathic Law of

Similars where a single most similar remedy was

chosen according to the unique characteristic

symptoms displayed by each participant suffering

with acute Gout. Participants who complied with

the criteria for Gout of the American College of

Rheumatology were selected.

The Serum Uric Acid (SUA) levels were tested

on Day 1 and Day 6 to assess hyperuricemia.

Treatment efficacy was evaluated on Days 1, 3 and

6 based on daily subjective impression of

participant, objective analysis and comparative

analysis of SUA.

In this study, the homeopathic simillimum

resolved all acute symptoms within 6 days. The

levels of SUA were also reduced.

The remedies indicated were: Benz. ac., Arn.,

Bry., Caust., Rhus-t., Led., Berb-v., Colch.,

Bell.,and Calc. carb.

48. Anacardium: Sins from this and many lives …

LALOR, Liz (AJHM. 100, 1/2007)

35-Year-old female, with weight and diet

issues. Candida. Food allergies. Stomach

bloating. Feeling of being rejected by parents.

Clairvoyant ability to see her crimes of past lives

which led to the guilty feeling. Her true calling was

in her spiritual work and trained with a spiritual

teacher.

Anacardium 30, thrice a week.

2 months later – doing extremely well with her

weight and sugar cravings. Sense

of rejection reduced. Started to

exercise.

The shame about her body and past life was

easing.

Six months later: Setback due to a catastrophic

event. Criticized by her teacher.

So ceased contact with her.

Anacardium 1M.

A month later : Coping well with the situation and

returned to her classes with her

spiritual teacher. 2 more doses of

1M.

This case is from a lecture series in which

LALOR is concentrating on the Delusions of

original sin. In these cases the patients feel they

deserve their disease or emotional pain. The

Delusion rubrics mirror the psycho dynamic crisis

that is both the cause and cure of the patient’s

illness. If we can delve into the original crisis that

created the first delusion, we have the remedy

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98

picture and we have the cure for the crisis of the

person’s existence and subsequent disease.

49. Shaken Baby Syndrome

LALOR, Liz (AJHM. 100, 2/2007)

A 44 year-old woman with overweight,

Diabetes, Kidney function problems, PCOD,

History of Bronchitis and Asthma. Takes cold

easily. Meningitis at 7 years age and feeling of

abandonment as father was away and mother was

sick. So none visited her at Hospital. Could not

speak till 10 years of age. Low energy. Could not

read longer than 30 minutes. Slow in speech and in

responding. Father violently abused mother. They

divorced when she was 13. Currently studying

Theology. Lack of confidence. Baryta carbonica

30 once a day. From 25.4.06.

12.6.06: Normal kidney function test. Lost 5 Kg.

‘Brisk’. Less chilly. Able to read for upto two

hours. Baryta carbonica 30, once a day.

6.10.06: Immune system far better. Better focus.

Assertive.

7.11.06: Cold did not develop. Realized no need

of a protector. Sensitive to noise. From 25.4.06 till

7.11.06 daily one dose of Bar.c. 30. [For nearly

seven months more than 210 days, 210 doses of a

30 potency! Is it not mocking at a potency? Case

Reports of this type teach us what should not be

done. = KSS].

50. A case of Meningeal Inflammation

C SEAK Karin, (AJHM. 100, 2/2007)

CH, 50 year-old woman with high Fever and

Headache since 3 days. She appeared quite

uncomfortable. Meningeal signs mildly positive.

A day before the Headache, accidentally bumped

hard by her partner in neck and shoulder area felt

her “brain had really gotten jostled”. Osteopathic

examination revealed excess of myofascial tension

and diminished amplitude of cranial rhythmic

impulse. Arnica 1M. Within 10 minutes,

significant increase in amplitude cranial of rhythm.

Mild pain relief. Headache relieved by redosing of

Arnica 1M. she recovered fully needing

occasional dose of Arnica 1M and few more

Osteopathic treatment.

51. Why the correct Remedy Doesn’t always work

ROBERTS, Ernest (HL. 19, 1/2006)

The possibilities when a seemingly indicated

remedy no longer acts are discussed.

The levels of health as explained by

VITHOULKAS are referred to and relationship of

remedies explained.

List of Acute-Chronic remedies and the

Remedy Relationship Sequences (triads) are listed.

[If the Correct remedy doesn’t work, it is not

the correct remedy; that’s all to it. Much has

already been said on this subject by many, earlier =

KSS].

52. Cures at the Second Attempt

Three cases of Hyperthyroidism

AMBERGER, Anton (HL. 19, 1/2006)

Case 1: 42 year-old male diagnosed with

Hyperthyroidism, with an excessive irritability for

trifles since 6 months. Teeth grinding at night. He

had lost much weight inspite of eating much.

Trembling of hands. Profuse sweat of palms.

Striking rash on his chest and back. Slept with feet

uncovered. Sleepless after 4 a.m. Desires milk;

shell-fish and oysters aggravated. Felt humiliated

by the accusations of his immediate boss, which

were later proved wrong. Allergic to heat of Sun.

Nat.mur.LM 6 three drops a day.

Six weeks later: Generally better. Hands didn’t

tremble much. Rash got worse. Not so irritable.

Blood analysis however showed no change. Not

sleeping well. Nat. mur.LM 7 three drops daily.

After 4 months: His state remained more or less

unchanged. Mood was more balanced. Ability to

listen to people patiently. Refreshing sleep. Sleep

position changed. Rapid pulse during day and

accelerated breathing at night. Thyroid hormone

levels unchanged. Expressed grave doubts as to

whether homeopathic treatment would really be

able to heal his illness.

His wife described him as an extra-ordinary

ambitious man. He wanted to rise to even more

influential and much better paid position in local

government. His mother told he had nightly

perspiration of head and neck. Repertorisation was

reviewed and Calcium carbonicum LM 6.

A month later – Eccellent general state. He was

calm. Refreshing sleep. Blood hormone levels

were beginning to normalize. Calc-c. LM 7. Two

months later. Fine. Eating less but gaining weight.

Though he was refused promotion, it did not upset

him. Hormone levels were completely normal. In

the next one year Calc. c. Q9, 12 & 15. Allergy to

Sunlight disappeared. Rashes persist. Rashes

vanished during vacation at the Dutch seaside.

Tuberculinum XM, within 2 weeks eruptions

completely dissolved.

In the next 3 years no relapse.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

99

Case 2: Mrs. L, 44, suffering from

Hyperthyroidism since 2 years. During the course

of treatment she developed Rheumatism which

gradually worsened and suppressed with cortisones.

Lapsed into Hypothyroidism due to excessive

dosage. Then took Lach. 30 and Iod.30 daily for a

month and felt worse than ever before.

The illness started during stress due to work

and Christmas preparations. Pressure in throat,

Headache, Dyspnoea on climbing stairs, felt hot,

lost weight despite ravenous appetite. Nose bleeds

in winter. Irregular menses, since the onset of

Hyperthyroidism. Corrected with tincture of Agnus

castus. Pain mammae before periods. Chronic

inflammation of the cervix, level Pap IIId; Sensitive

to odors. Affected by trifles and can’t stand

injustice. Ambitious. Calc. c.LM 1, 2, 3.

Joint pains reappeared. Blood analysis showed

moderate improvement. Headaches disappeared.

Sudden decline at the sixth month of treatment.

Pressure in throat reappeared, extremely irritable.

Thyroxin levels increased. Epistaxis++. 2 new

symptoms. Complete loss of her left eyebrow and

eyelashes and red patches on the exterior of her

throat. Sepia Q1, 3 drops daily.

Within a week relieved of her throat pressure

and menstrual complaint vanished. Ascending

potencies given. While on Q4, hormone levels

normal. During Q8, cervix cells level Pap II.

No relapse thereafter.

Case 3: A woman suffering from Hyperthyroidism

since 1996, consulted on March 2001. constant fast

palpitations, intolerable at night, requiring

additional beta blockers. During sleep extremely

cold perspiration. Internal restlessness. Irritated.

Vertigo with a tendency to fall forward. Flatulence

from milk. Preferred warm food. Lumbar back

pain extend to thighs. Much depressed after the

death of her father. Fear of her close ones

becoming ill. Fear of hospitals. Sensitive and

easily offended. Dryness of all mucous

membranes. Lycopodium Q1 – Q3. Then 1M and

XM. No improvement. Phosphorus, Lachesis and

Sepia did not help.

Inspite of thyroistatic drugs and mounting

doses of beta blockers, palpitations turned into

tachyarrhythmias. Agg. at night and from lying on

left side. Mammae sore before menses. Worse

from stormy weather. Remarkable desire for salt.

Sadness profound. Natrum muriaticum Q1.

Worse. Nat.mur.Q3 to take from the third glass.

After the 2

nd

dose improvement which persisted.

So medicine was stopped. A complete restitution

by May 02.

53. A Trait to the Portrait of Arnica montana

HUTSOL, Larissa & Nicolai

(HL. 19, 1/2006)

41 year-old woman consulted in July 1997

complaining of very frequent burning headaches.

Since 2 years unbearable feeling of the tightening

of muscles in right temple and left cheek.

Constipation and awareness of a foreign body

in rectum. Menstrual cycle disrupted since her

delivery. Would sleep only on a low hard pillow.

A tumor 6 x 7cm x 2 cm thick in right temple and

10 x 8 cm, 5cm thickness on left cheek.

15 years ago, severe blow on head with

bleeding from left ear.

Arnica 200 thrice during the first week and

then once a week.

After 6 weeks, much better, pain in stomach,

nausea and constipation disappeared. No foreign

body sensation in rectum. No tumor on left cheek.

Tumor on right temple three times reduced. Arnica

200 once a week for 4 months. In 7 months, no

tumors. No pains. Normal menstruation.

54. If you help me God will help you

A case of Ficus religiosa

SHUKLA, Chetna (HL. 19, 1/2006)

Mr.D, 50, with muscle cramps in thighs when

sitting long. Hot feeling under the thighs and

painful. Much difficulty while travelling and in

ascending stairs. The conversation revealed that he

was trying to live all the eight qualities of Eight-

Fold path of Buddhism.

Ficus religiosa 30 one dose.

5 days later, bearable pain. Could sit for about

90 mins. While traveling and in sofa for 3 hours.

SL. 5 days later little discomfort.

One year later: Pain gone. No warm feeling in

thighs.

[This case analysis and reasoning is an example of

the modern caricature of Homeopathy. Surely,

trying to live the path of Buddhism is not a

pathology. = KSS].

55. Diamond Immersion, Depression and Suicide

Part Three of a 3 part series

TUMMINELLO, Peter (HL. 19, 1/2006)

A colleague’s mother was dying of Cancer and

struggling. She was scared and was on Morphine

for weeks. 3 doses of Diamond 30K. she died

peacefully, free of all struggling.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

100

A 45 year-old woman struggling with

depression and Aurum not helping. It all started

with a shock when her fiancé revealed his intention

of not having children. In regression visions of

being rejected by mother as she was not a boy.

Post natal depression. Sighing Perfectionist.

Memory of past life – being in a tunnel, high

spiritual ideals, disaster and torture. Mother

committed suicide.

Diamond immersion 200, 3 doses.

Six months later: Depression gone dramatically.

Much focused. Menopausal flushings completely

went away and came back only recently. Also Hay

Fever returned. She had control over emotions.

Dreams of protecting her child. Diamond

immersion M, 3 doses.

5 months later: No complaints. Feeling of having

moved to another state energetically and spiritually.

56. A case of Idiopathic Thrombocytopaenic

purpura (ITP)

SHAH, Neerav (HL. 19, 1/2006)

A 13 year-old boy with ITP for about an year

consulted in Jan. 1993. Undergone steroid therapy

with partial relief and was advised splenectomy.

Purpuric patches. No control over defaecation.

Obstinate. Anger and striking others. Won’t

accept defeat. Lycopodium 1M. No change.

Dreams of being chased by people to kill him.

Deep furrows over his cheeks. Plumbum met. 200

on 25 May 1994. Platelet count rose to

392,000/cmm on June 17, 1994. Plumbum

metallicum 1M on April 4, 1996 as platelet counts

decreased.

From May 25, 1994 to 1998 Platelet counts

were normal.

But still no control over stools.

8 Jan. 1999: Purpuric patches since a week,

Platelet count 12,000 only.

Erbium 30 based on the themes of Lanthanide

series – Feeling of being dominated, dependence

upon authorities and feeling of not powerful enough

to get things done by others.

From the next week, Platelet count gradually

increased and stabilized. He also stopped passing

stools in his clothes. No dreams and his

concentration in studies improved. 25 Nov. 2000:

Again Purpura. Erbium 30c. No problem till Dec.

2002.

57. A clinical study of the Role of Homeopathy in

Cerebral Palsy Syndrome

MOHAN GR (HL. 19, 1/2006)

It is a small beginning to treat the Cerebral

Palsy Syndrome as even the latest homeopathic

articles on its treatment were available neither on

the Internet nor in the journals. In my study, 29

cases of various types of Cerebral Palsy were

treated with homeopathic medicines and gave

good, encouraging results, whereas in other systems

treatment efficacy is very meager except

symptomatic treatment and Physiotherapy. In the

majority of cases, there were few symptoms.

Prescription is based on objective symptoms,

developmental history, and gestures of the affected

children. Even miasmatic evaluation was carried

out. In this study, causes of the various types of

Cerebral Palsy were as follows: 5 premature, 6

neonatal jaundice, 10 birth asphyxia, 9 neonatal

seizure, 2 children were due to consanguinous

marriages, 8 children were due to health problems

in mothers during antenatal period, 1 child birth

trauma (forceps), and in 18 children the cause was

not known. The types of Cerebral Palsy were:

spastic type 14, athetoid 1, ataxic 1, mixed type 13.

The front-line remedies were Calcium

phosphoricum in 48.27%, Arsenicum album in

37.93%, Baryta carbonica in 24.13%, Agaricus in

20.68% and Tuberculinum used in 41.37% of cases.

In a total of 29 cases, 6 cases dropped out at various

stages; in others overall improvement was good. A

comparison was also made with and without

physical exercise.

[This is a useful study. Perhaps other colleges

should also take up this which will really help =

KSS].

58. Collateral Damage – Side effects of

Homeopathic Therapy

AMBERGER, Anton (HL. 19, 2/2006)

Contrary to most opinions Homeopathy is not

a healing method which is completely free of

undesirable side effects. Besides some examples

given in reference to side effects, this article asks

whether homeopathic remedies may cause serious

illnesses. The work of HAHNEMANN and KENT

concerning the issue of side effects is shown.

Possible reasons for side effects are suggested. As

a rule side effects depend on the remedy, its

potency, dose, repetition and status on the one

hand, whereas they also depend on the state of the

patient, being normo-, hypo-, or hyper-reactive and

on the state of his health, whether healthy, slightly

altered, seriously altered or even incurable. It is

intended to stimulate a productive discussion upon

this topic in order to offer the possibility of learning

from one’s mistakes.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

101

The examples given are cases where high

potencies/large no. of diseases were given

injudiciously which HAHNEMANN is against.

59. A Drunk at the Wheel. Is it Dr.JEKYLL or

Mr. HYDE?

PITT, Richard (HL. 19, 2/2006)

The following article makes the case that the

current President of the United States needs the

remedy Alcoholus. It postulates this idea based on

specific behaviour characteristics, character

analysis, personal history and existing knowledge

of the homeopathic remedy, suggesting that to

some extent an accurate homeopathic evaluation

can be made in this way.

Symptoms of Alcoholus: Witty, jesting;

cruelty, hard-hearted, Malicious. Lack of morality,

mistakes in speech, violence, liar.

60. Identifying with Society

A case of Kali carbonicum

MANGIALAVORI, Massimo

(HL. 19, 2/2006)

Woman, 37 years, with depression and

arrhythmias. Started few months after the sudden

death of her father. Prefers sweets. Feeling of

stone in stomach. Slow digestion. Massive doses

of cortisone for Rheumatism of joints. Anxiety in

the region of heart. Feeling of huge rock on chest.

Better in foggy weather and worse in windy.

Aversion to family members. Fear of birds.

Critical. Obstinate. Obese. Kali carbonicum Q1.

Two months later: Less rigid in her expressions.

Anxiety reduced. Bulimic tendency is less.

Kali carbonicum Q3.

3 months later: Lost 10 Kgs. Feeling better.

4 months later: Lost another 20 Kgs.

Further 4 years of follow up. Lost 35 Kgs, is

off antidepressants and no more palpitations and is

doing very well.

61. Metal for strength and protection against

corrosion

A case of Niccolum metallicum

SHAH Priti (HL. 19, 2/2006)

19 year-old boy with Acne Vulgaris with heavy

scar marks. The themes emerged were: Intolerance

of contradiction; feeling that he is always right;

Desire to help and protect weaker sections of

society; Maliciousness; Feeling lonely and dreams

of fights. Niccolum metallicum 200.

He started improving, scar marks reduced and

mental state became normal over a period of 2

years. He was given one dose of 200 and 1M in

that interval.

62. A Chronic case of Eczema

GHOSH Aloke Kr. (HH. 30, 12/2005)

18 year-old girl; chronic Eczema over the right

foot since about three years, and has been under

homeopathic treatment and then allopathic.

Carcinosin 200 on 24 May 2001; then Placebo.

21 Oct. 2001: Natrum muriaticum 200 – two doses

2 March 2002: Calcarea phosphorica 200 – two

doses.

7 April 2002: all skin lesions have disappeared.

12 May 2002: Patient well in every way.

63. The Unit Dose – Some Experience

ADIGE, R.R. (HH. 30, 12/2005)

The author recalls from the past several

complete cures with a single dose. He cites cases

of Margaret TYLER and Gibson MILLER.

64. Acute Respiratory Failure

DATTA, Amiya Kumar (HH. 30, 12/2005)

68 year-old man with breathing difficulty since

10 years. Occasional exacerbation and remission.

10 years ago Pulmonary Tuberculosis, treated

allopathically which gave some palliation. Then

recurrence of respiratory distresses. All antibiotics

and broncho-dilators were refractory. Offensive

sweat. Very weak. Chilly patient. Mentally

depressed. Hopeless of recovery.

Psorinum, Calc-sil., Calc-ph. were prescribed

and patient improved.

[This is a ‘case report’ without dates and not

‘cured’ but symptomatically better. Perhaps the

author should have ‘followed-up’ for some good

length of time. = KSS].

65. Common Diseases of Nose and Preventive

Measures

CHANDRA, R. (NJH. 6, 3/2004)

The common conditions like Epistaxis, Injuries

to Nose, Sneezing, Rhinitis and Ear Infections,

Foreign Body in the nose, have been discussed

briefly.

A ‘Short Repertory for Epistaxis’ is also given.

66. The Reluctant Patient

PARTHASARATHY, V. (NJH. 6, 3/2004)

21 year-old male; Chronic Headache in orbital

and temporal region since 2001, lasting 2-3 hours.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

102

Dull and heavy head. Agg. in cold weather, 10 a.m.

Sun, fasting, aerated drinks, on waking in morning.

Diagnosis: Acute sinusitis with Polyp. Coryza

with dark yellow discharge. Cervical spondylosis.

Irritable, short-tempered, brooding. Fear of

dog, dark, very rude to talk with. Obstinate.

Fastidious. Loves to be in company.

Acute remedy: Bryonia 200

Constitutional: Natrum muriaticum 200

Intercurrent: Tuberculinum bovinum 1M

[This is Dr. Dhawale’s ICR methodology. = KSS]

--------------------------------------------------------------

IV. REPERTORY

1. 50 Jahre Rezeption und Anwendung der

Repertorien in der ZKH

Reception and application of Repertories in 50

years in the ZKH

HOLZAPFEL Klaus (ZKH, 51, S1/2007)

From the earliest volumes of the ZKH,

repertories have been used and their value and

difficulties for the homeopathic practitioner have

been discussed. A survey through the varying

reception of four of the large repertories, together

with a prospect is presented and commented upon

with the aid of quotation from all volumes. [All the

errors pointed out in the ZKH during the years

1982 to present date were translated wherever

required and put in the QHD for the benefit of the

Practitioners so that they may make the corrections

in their personal copies of the Repertory. Only Dr.

R.P. PATEL has used them to bring out his

corrected version of the KENT Repertory.

My personal enquiries revealed that colleagues did

not take the trouble to make these corrections in

their copies of Repertories. Similarly several

corrections in NASH’s ‘Regional Leaders’ were

pointed out in the ZKH and this too I had put in the

QHD with the relevant page numbers in the Indian

Prints of the book. No one seems to have taken

note of it either! The Profession should shake itself

out of its “Rip-van-Winkle”ian slumber. = KSS]

2. ‘Bogus’ Bönninghausen: The fundamental flaw

in “Boger’s Bönninghausen’

DIMITRIADIS, George (AHJM. 100, 1/2007)

The author describes the basic conceptual flaw

in Boger’s attempted integration of

Bönninghausen’s disparate works into a single

volume, Bönninghausen’s characteristics and

Repertory (BBCR) and points out incompatibilities

of grades and discrepancies of construct and of

translation – due to fundamental differences

between the various works of

BÖNNINGHAUSEN. He feels BBCR confuses

and misrepresents both the methods and intentions

of BÖNNINGHAUSEN. [The BBCR has been in

use by several well-known Indian Homeopaths

since several years and they have taught it. May be

there are defects. No Repertory is free from

defects. Ultimately prescription of a medicine is

dependant upon the Practitioners’ comprehension

of the remedy. What is very disturbing is not

‘defects’ pointed out by the learned author, but the

blasphemous word he has used – “Bogus” – which

is indicative of fraud, falsity. Surely BOGER’s

work is not to be labeled so. It tastes very bad and

whatever may be the merits of the argument we are

not inclined to read this article = KSS].

--------------------------------------------------------------

V. PHARMACOLOGY

1. Application of HPTLC in the standardization

of a Homeopathic Mother Tincture of Nux

vomica

SHANBAG & SUNITHA Jayaraman

(AJHM. 100, 2/2007)

In this study, we have chosen HPTLC (High

Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) as a

method of analysis to develop a standard procedure

based on fingerprinting characteristics for the

evaluation of homeopathic formulations. A simple

and accurate HPTLC method has been developed

for the quantification of Brucine, one of the chief

active chemical components of Nux vomica (along

with Strychnine), and the fingerprinting of the in-

house mother tincture of Nux vomica, considered

here to be a standard, with that of different

marketed samples available from manufacturers of

homeopathic medicines in India. This HPTLC

method was quantitatively evaluated in terms of

stability, repeatability, and accuracy.

--------------------------------------------------------------

VI. VETERINARY

1. When wild animals refuse to eat:

Help for wild animals harmed by people

CASEY Shirley J. (HT. 26, 6/2006)

A growing number of licensed and trained wild

life rehabilitators are using Homeopathy as an

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

103

essential tool to treat the physical and emotional

problems of wild animals in their care.

Understanding the natural history of the

species, identifying the potential problem of the

animal and ensuring effective rehabilitation and

care practices, will help a wild animal eat. When

this fails homeopathic intervention can often help.

A Turkey Vulture in trouble

A Turkey Vulture with a gaping wound in its

wing. Veterinarian cleaned and surgically repaired

the fracture. Antibiotics and pain killers were

given. The Vulture refused to eat on her own.

When fed forcefully she regurgitated for the next 3

days. Rapid breathing, seemed frightened and

anxious. Aconite 1M in distilled water and a drop

of it in he bird’s mouth. Few minutes later, she

became calm and ate eagerly and fully recovered.

Rescuer causes problems for baby squirrels

Three juvenile Fox Squirrels were handed to a

rehabilitator, after being improperly fed by cow’s

milk. They were kept in a soft bedding in a small

cage and given Aconite 200 dissolved in water.

Rehydrated with isotonic fluids. One drank

willingly. Other two were not interested in fluids.

On closer examination one had bruises on her

chest and back. Pain when touched. Arnica 200.

Other one had rapid louder and difficult

respiration. Suspected Pneumonia. Phosphorus 30.

an hour later, breathing was normal.

They all ate well. 10 weeks later, they were

released in the wild. [What more ‘evidence’ do you

want? All kinds of animals including squirrels,

vultures restored. Great. = KSS]

2. Gunpowder

Little-known remedy packs a wallop against

wounds

CASEY, Shirley J. (HT. 27, 1/2007)

Gunpowder is of tremendous help in the

treatment of wounds of wild animals and their

rehabilitation, as they get wounded in a variety of

ways.

J.H. CLARKE’s assertion that Gunpowder was

helpful to both obvious existing infections and that

were expected due to the nature of the wound,

created an enthusiasm among Wildlife

Rehabiliators and Veterinarians as there are

increasing concerns about problems related to

antibiotics.

Gunpowder has been used successfully in

hundreds of cases of wounded animals. Few cases

are given.

A Golden Eagle with a few day’s old Gunshot

wound in it’s wing was given Aconite 1M. The

wound was thoroughly cleaned and bandaged and

conventional protocol followed. Arnica 1M to

address the trauma. 6 hours after this Gunpowder

1M. The eagle ate well and improved. The

veterinarians were amazed by the rapidity of

healing.

It took more than a year of care in

rehabilitation for the eagle to molt and new feathers

to grow back and was released back into the wild.

[There are nice photographs of the wound and it

later healing = KSS].

A squirrel’s stubborn abscess

A juvenile Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel

with three deep punctures on shoulder and left leg,

was cleaned and antibiotics given. Two days later

wounds inflamed and swollen. In the next four

days, leg became hard and swollen and painful. By

eighth day serious inspite of antibiotics.

Hepar sulph 30 and Lachesis 200 too did not

help. Gun powder 200. Within eight hours, the

swelling softened and cream colored discharge

started draining. Improvement slowed at 48 hours.

Another dose was repeated and improvement

continued steadily. In four days all signs of

infection gone. In another month released back into

the wild.

Blue Jay with a bone infection

A young Blue jay which was harded over to a

rehabilitator was given Aconite 1M as it appeared

much frightened. Swelling and bruising related to a

fracture of the left leg.

Arnica montana 1M for the pain. Few hours

later, Symphytum 200 to reduce pain from fracture

and accelerate bone healing. In two days the

fracture was healed but an infection in a scratch

wound with swelling. Gunpowder 200, and next

day swelling and inflammation subsided.

Chimney Swift nabbed by a Cat

A Chimney Swift was soaked during a

rainstorm and was grabbed by cat. He was cool,

with shallow breathing and dull eyes – signs of

shock. Aconite 1M. An hour later, he was warm,

strong and alert. As it was grabbed by a cat,

likelihood of punctures. Gun powder 30 as a

prophylactic, within a day normal and after 14 days

released into wild.

Rubrics in which Gun powder is mentioned

and the author’s additions are given.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

104

Cases of three rehabilitators helped by Gun

powder after a bug bite, Squirrel bite and a

laceration are given.

[The late Dr. S.P. KOPPIKAR who practiced until

he was past 93 years age, used to say that in the

first two decades of his practice (preantibiotic era)

Arnica and Gun powder accounted for more than

50% of his earnings. Until ten years ago, we had

occasion to use Gun powder 3x trituration and

rarely 30. It is clear from the cases here, even if

they are animals, that Gun powder in potencies of

200, M are all relevant even today; it must be given

great ranking in Injury remedies = KSS]

3. Baby season for wild Animals

Homeopathy can help orphaned wild life

CASEY, Shirley J. (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Roughly 80% of wild animals delivered to

rehabilitators are orphans i.e. dependent young,

who can’t make it on their own. They may have

bruises, punctures, fractures or infections or may

have been poisoned. They show signs of fright,

shock and dehydration. Using their specialized

knowledge and working closely with veterinarians

rehabilitators strive to reduce the stress and fear of

animals. Some use homeopathic remedies.

Crow falls from nest

A young fledgling Crow with a broken leg was

splinted and wrapped. The Crow had rapid

breathing, tense muscles and wide eyes. Aconite

1M dissolved in water to the bird’s mouth.

Immediately it started breathing normally.

One hour later Arnica 1M. Within few hours,

the Crow was in less pain. Ate only when forced.

Ignatia 200. Within one hour ate willingly but

seemed restless. Ruta 200. Less restless later by

that day. After 2 months released into wild.

The frequently indicated remedies in orphaned

wild life are Aconite, Arnica, Arsenicum album,

Carbo vegetabilis, Ignatia, Natrum muriaticum,

Nux vomica, Phosphorus.

4. Kicking all the way: Sudi the Giraffee

MURRAY, Beth (SIM. XX, 2007)

Ten year-old Giraffe Sudi is lame in her right

leg. She usually stands with legs crossed, she

constantly lifts her forelegs and kicks. At one year

of age, multiple surgeries to correct a contracture of

right rear flexor tendon. Arthritis in distal

phalanges. She is stubborn, defiant and destructive.

Sexual desire increased. Belladonna 200. She was

more lame for 3days, then her lameness completely

ceased for a week and then returned briefly.

Belladonna 200 one dose. No lameness. In the next

few months 4 more doses during relapse and then

no lameness at all.

[This is a beautiful case. The interpretation of the

signs and Case analysis are very good. That

animals who are captives in zoo should be treated

with gentle medicines which is Homeopathy

cannot be stressed. = KSS].

5. Atrial Paroxysmal Tachycardia in Dogs and its

Management with Homeopathic Digitalis -

Two Case Reports

VARSHNET, JP and CHAUDHURI, S.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

Homeopathic Digitalis 6c was evaluated in

two clinical cases of Atrial Paroxysmal

Tachycardia are common cardiac problems in dogs,

and Atrial Paroxysmal Tachycardia is a serious

Cardiac Arrhythmia that may lead to Syncope.

Both adult dogs (Labrador and German Shepherd)

were treated with Digitalis 6c, four drops orally

four times daily for 7 days. Following treatment

with Digitalis 6c heart rate stabilised and

synchronized Atrial and Ventricular electrical

activity was restored in 7 days.

--------------------------------------------------------------

VII. RESEARCH

1. A Study of Like Cures Like: Senecio latifolus

LEWIS, GEORGE, RAZLOG, Radmila

STEWERT,D EROUKAKIS, Marilena

(SIM. XX, 2007)

Senecio latifolius can damage hepatic cells due

the presence of alkaloids known as pyrrolizidines.

The study aimed to assess the effect of

homeopathically–prepared Senecio latifolius on

unpoisoned hepatocytes ( Group C).

Cell pathology was studied by measuring the

viability of cells using the trypan blue method and

by measuring serum transaminase levels of

asparatate, a known indicator of hepatocellular

damage. A time study was conducted at the

following time intervals: 3, 6, 18, 24 and 48 hours.

The potencies utilized were 5X, 10X, 15X and 20.

All data were recorded and statistically using the

two-way ANOVA.

The outcome of the research was to determine

whether homeopathically–prepared potencies of

Senecio latifolius could protect the cells and

enhance self-recovery. The study also indirectly

examined the sinusoidal activity said to exist in

homeopathic potencies.

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The results showed that homeopathic

potencies of the herb did not affect cells that had

not been poisoned. At 24 hours, the cells poisoned

with the mother tincture of the herb showed a

statistically significant effect. At 48 hours, there

was a statistically significant effect on the cells

poisoned with the alkaloid. These results suggest

that homeopathically-prepared herbs have an

affinity for the protection of the cells of the organ

and that mother tincture of the herb causes toxicity.

2. The Memory of Water: an Overview

CHAPLIN Martin F.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

The Memory of Water is a concept by which

the properties of an aqueous preparation are held to

depend on the previous history of the sample.

Although associated with the mechanism of

Homeopathy, this association may mislead. There

is strong evidence concerning many ways in which

the mechanism of this ‘memory’ may come about.

There are also mechanisms by which such solutions

may possess effects on biological systems which

substantially differ from plain water. This paper

examines the evidence. Much research work

remains to be undertaken if these real and

observable facts are to be completely understood.

3. The History of the Memory of Water

THOMAS Yolène

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

‘Homeopathic dilutions’ and ‘Memory of

Water’ are two expressions capable of turning a

peaceful and intelligent person into a violently

irrational one, as Michael SCHIFF points out in the

introduction of his book ‘The Memory of Water’.

The idea of the memory of water arose in the

laboratory of Jacques BENVENISTE in the late

1980s and 29 years later the debate is still ongoing

even though an increasing number of scientists

report they have confirmed the basic results.

This paper first provides a brief historical

overview of the context of the high dilution

experiments then moves on to digital Biology. One

working hypothesis was that molecules can

communicate with each other, exchanging

information without being in physical contact and

that at least some biological functions can be

mimicked by certain energetic modes

characteristics of a given molecule. These

considerations informed exploratory research

which led to the speculation that biological

signalling might be transmissible by electro-

magnetic means. Around 1991, the transfer of

specific molecular signals to sensitive biological

systems was achieved using an amplifier and

electromagnetic coils. In 1995, a more

sophisticated procedure was established in record,

digitize and replay these signals using a multimedia

computer. From a physical and chemical

perspective, these experiments pose a riddle, since

it is not clear what mechanism can sustain such

‘water memory’ of the exposure to molecular

signals. From a biological perspective, the puzzle

is what nature of imprinted effect (water structure)

can impact biological function. Also, the far-

reaching implications of these observations require

numerous and repeated experimental tests to rule

out overlooked artefacts. [But there have been

experiments in other parts of the world. In the light

of past experience right from the inception of

Homeopathy, no experiment is accepted by the

conservative ‘science’. The moment there is a

suspicion that these experiments may be favourable

to Homeopathy, the ‘scientific’ world sits up and

finds all kinds of defects. If ‘Homeopathy’ is

removed from this they may be accepted. This is

the reality and there is no hiding it. = KSS].

Perhaps more important is to have the experiments

repeated by other groups and with other models to

explore the generality of the effect. In conclusion,

we will present some of this emerging independent

experimental work. [There is a beautiful colour

picture of Jacques BENVENISTE, in this article =

KSS]

4. Can Water possibly have a Memory? A

Sceptical view.

TEIXEIRA José

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

Homeopathic medicines are currently used in

medical practice, despite controversy about their

effectiveness. [What controversy? That they are

not effective in removing sicknesses? They do it

in several hundreds of patients every day all over

the world. Verify whether to these people the

homeopathic medicines were effective. It is

immaterial to the ill patient whether they were

effective in the laboratory or not. = KSS]. The

preparation method is based on extremely high

dilutions of many substances in water, far beyond

any detectable level. For this reason, it has been

suggested that water could retain a ‘memory’ of

substances that have been dissolved in it before

successive dilutions. The paper stresses the fact

that this idea is not compatible with our knowledge

of pure water. If an explanation on physical

grounds is to be found, research must focus in other

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

106

aspects of the preparation, such as the presence of

other molecules and dissolved gases.

5. Can Low-temperature Thermoluminescence

cast light on the Nature of Ultra-high

Dilutions?

REY, louis (HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

Low-temperature Thermoluminescence has

been used in attempt to understand the particular

structure of ultra-high dilutions. Samples are

activated by irradiation after freezing at the

temperature of liquid Nitrogen (77 K).

Experimental results show that, in the course of

rewarming, the thermoluminiscent glow is

substantially different between dilutions of

different substances. It is suggested that the

dispersed gas phase might play a role in this

process. The author concludes “ . . .the materials

science perspective provides a possible

translational bridge from the emerging complex

systems/network science models for clinical

responses to homeopathic medicines themselves.

Given the holistic quality of clinical diagnosis and

remedy selection in Homeopathy, the articulation

of holistic (complex network) rather than

reductionistic models for both the clinical healing

process and the nature of homeopathic medicines

is heuristically appealing.”

6. Long-term structural effects in Water:

Autothixotropy of Water and its Hysteresis

VYBIRAL, Bohumil and VORÁČEK

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

We discovered a previously unknown

phenomenon in liquid water, which develops over

time when water is left to stand undisturbed, and

which made precise gravimetric measurement

impossible. We term this property autothixotropy

(weak gel-like behaviour developing spontaneously

over time) and propose a possible explanation.

The results of quantitative measurements,

performed by two different methods, are

presented. We also report the newly discovered

phenomenon of autothixotropy on the degree of

molecular translative freedom. A very important

conclusion is that the presence of very low

concentration of Salt ions, these phenomena do not

occur in deionized water. Salt ions may be the

determinative condition for the occurrence of the

phenomena.

7. The Silica Hypothesis for Homeopathy:

Physical Chemistry

ANICK, David J. and IVES, John A.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

The ‘Silica Hypothesis’ is one of several

frameworks that have been put forward to explain

how homeopathic remedies, which often are

diluted beyond the point where any of the original

substance remains, might still be clinically

effective. We describe here what the Silica

hypothesis says. From a physical Chemistry

viewpoint, we explore three challenges that the

hypothesis would have to meet in order to explain

Homeopathy: thermodynamic stability of a large

number of distinct structures, pattern initiation at

low potencies. We juxtapose current knowledge

about silicates with some of the conventional

wisdom about homeopathic remedies, to see how

well the latter might be a consequence of the

former. We explore variants of the hypothesis

including some speculations about mechanisms.

We outline laboratory experiments that could help

to decide it.

8. The possible Role of active Oxygen in the

memory of Water

VOEIKOV, Vladimir L.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

Phenomena of long-term Memory of Water’

imply that aqueous systems possessing it remain

for a long period after initial perturbation in an out-

of equilibrium state without a constant supply of

energy from the environment. It is argued here that

various initial perturbation initiate development of

a set of chain reactions of active Oxygen species in

Water. Energy, in particular high grade energy of

electronic excitation, released in such reactions can

support non-equilibrium state of an aqueous

system. In principle, such reactions can continue

indefinitely due to specific local structuring of

water with even minute ‘impurities’ that are always

present in it and by continuous supply of Oxygen

amounts due to water splitting. Specific properties

of several real aqueous systems, in particular,

homeopathic potencies in which such processes

could proceed are discussed. The role of coherent

domains in Water in maintenance of active Oxygen

reactions and in emergence of oscillatory modes in

their course is considered.

9. The Octave Potencies Convention: a

mathematical Model of Dilution and

Succussion

ANICK, David J.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

107

Several hypothetical explanations for

Homeopathy posit that remedies contain a

concentration of discrete information-carrying

units, such as water clusters, nano-bubbles, or

silicates. For any such explanation to be

sustainable, dilution must reduce and succession

must restore the concentration of these units.

Succussion can be modelled by a logistic equation,

which leads to mathematical relationships

involving the maximum concentration, the average

growth of information-carrying units per

succussion stroke, the number of succussion

strokes, and the dilution factor (x, c, or LM).

When multiple species of information-carrying

units are present, the fastest-growing species will

eventually dominate, as the potency is increased.

An analogy is explored between iterated cycles

dilution and succussion, in making homeopathic

remedies, and iterated cycles of reseeding and

growth, in bacterial cultures. Drawing on this

analogy, the active ingredients in low and medium

potency remedies may be present at early dilutions

but only gradually come to ‘dominate’, while high

potencies may develop from the occurrence of low-

probability but faster-growing ‘mutations’.

Conclusions from this model include: ‘x’ and ‘c’

potencies are best compared by the amount of

succussion; the minimum number of succussion

strokes needed per cycle is proportional to the

logarithm of the dilution factor; and a plausible

interpretation of why potencies at approximately

regular ratios are traditionally used (the Octave

potencies convention).

10. The ‘Memory of Water’: an almost deciphered

Enigma. Dissipative structures in extremely

dilute Aqueous solutions

ELIA, E., NAPOLI, E., and GERMANO, R.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

In the last decade, we have investigated from

the physicochemical point of view, whether water

prepared by the procedures of homeopathic

medicine (leading inexorably to Systems without

any molecule different from the solvent) results in

water different from the initial water?

The answer, unexpectedly, but strongly

supported by any experimental results is positive.

We used well-established physicochemical

techniques: Flux Calorimetry, Conductometry,

pHmetery and Galvanic cell electrodes potential.

Unexpectedly the physicochemical parameters

evolve in time.

The water solvent exhibits large changes in

measurable physicochemical properties as a

function of its history, the solute previously

dissolved, and time. In particular we found

evidence of two new phenomena, both totally

unpredicted, in homeopathic dilutions: the

presence of a maximum in the measured physico-

chemical parameters vs sample age, and their

dependence on the volume in which the dilution is

stored. These new experimental results strongly

suggest the presence of an extended and ‘ordered’

dynamics involving liquid water molecules.

11. Conspicuous by its absence: the Memory of

Water, macro-entanglement, and the

possibility of Homeopathy

MILGROM, LR.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

In order to fully comprehend its therapeutic

mode of action, Homeopathy might require both

‘local’ bio-molecular mechanisms, such as memory

of Water and non-local’ macro-entanglement, such

as patient-practitioner-remedy (PPR) descriptions.

In this article the application of the Quantum

Theory is discussed.

12. The Nature of the Active Ingredient in Ultra-

molecular Dilution

WEINGÄRTNER Otto

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

This paper discusses the nature of the active

ingredient of homeopathic ultramolecular dilutions

in terms of quantitative Physics.

First, the problem of the nature of an active

ingredient in ultra-molecular dilutions is analysed

leading to the recognition of the necessity of

characterizing the active ingredient as a non-local

quality.

Second, non-locality in Quantum Mechanics,

which is used as a paradigm, is formally presented.

Third, a generalization of Quantum mechanics

is considered, focussing on the consequences of

weakening of the axioms.

The formal treatment leads to the possible

extension of the validity of Quantum theory to

macroscopic or even non-physical systems under

certain circumstances with a while maintaining

non-local behaviour. With respect to the survival

of entanglement in such non-Quantum Systems a

strong relationship between Homeopathy and non-

local behaviour can be envisaged. I describe how

several authors apply this relationship. In

conclusion, the paper reviews how Quantum

Mechanics is closely related to Information Theory

but why weak Quantum Theory and Homeopathy

have not hitherto been related in the same way.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

108

13. The Defining role of Structure (including

Epitaxy) in the plausibility of Homeopathy

LATA RAO Manju, ROY Rustum,

BELL Iris R., HOOVER Richard

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 3/2007)

The key stumbling block to serious

consideration of Homeopathy is the presumed

“implausibility” of biological activity for

homeopathic medicines in which the source of the

material is diluted past Avogadro’s number of

molecules. Such an argument relies heavily on the

assumptions of elementary Chemistry (and

Biochemistry), in which the material composition

of a solution, (dilution factors and ligand-receptor

inter-actions), is the essential consideration.

In contrast, Materials Science focuses on the

three-dimensional complex network structure of the

condensed phase of water itself, rather than the

original solute molecules. The nanoheterogenous

structure of water can be determined by interactive

phenomena such as Epitaxy (the transmission of

structural information from the surface of one

material to another without the transfer of any

matter), temperature-pressure processes during

succession, and formation of colloidal nanobubbles

containing gaseous inclusions of Oxygen, Nitrogen,

Carbon dioxide, and possibly the remedy source

material. Preliminary data obtained using Raman

and Ultra-Violet (UV-VIS) Spectroscopy illustrate

the ability to distinguish two different

homeopathic medicines (Nux vomica and Natrum

muriaticum) from one another to differentiate,

within a given medicine, the 6c, 12c, and 30c

potencies. Materials Science concepts and

experimental tools offer a new approach to

contemporary science, for making significant

advances in the basic science studies of

homeopathic medicines.

14. Classification of Systems and Methods used in

Biological Basic Research on Homeopathy

WIJK, R Van., and ALBRECHT, H.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

The HomBRex Database indexes basic

research on Homeopathy (www.carstens-

stiftung.de/hpombrex. It includes research on

effects of homeopathic preparations in Bioassays

and physico-chemical effects of the homeopathic

preparation process (potentization). At the end of

2006 it contained more than 1100 experiments in

more than 900 original articles, including 1014

biological studies. The types of organisms used as

laboratory “model” organisms in fundamental

homeopathic research include animal, human,

plant, fungi and microbial organisms. Most animal

studies (607) were with rats (209) or mice (171).

Most plant studies (171) were with wheat (52).

The database catalogues whether the experiment

was performed on intact organisms or in organs or

cells, isolated and analysed for changes in

structure, function and sub-cellular composition.

The database might be especially useful to facilitate

a search for experimental models that have been

used in the study of both proving and therapeutic

experiments – ultimately in the research on the

homeopathic Similia principle.

15. Proving and Therapeutic Experiments in the

HomBRex basic Homeopathy Research

Database

WIJK, Van R. and ALBRECHT H.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

The HomBRex Database of basic research

experiments on Homeopathy indexes studies on

biological Systems including animal, human,

plant, fungi and microbial organisms. Its objective

is to index Proving and Therapeutic experiments on

the Similia Principle and the role of dilution and

succession of substances in experimental biologic

Systems. The database was analyzed when it

contained more than 1100 experiments in more

than 900 original articles.

The database provides information on 732

experiments using healthy human, animal and plant

Systems. These experiments were divided into

“ideal” model Proving (475) and prophylactic

(257) categories. It also includes 397 therapeutic

experiments, in which an effect of a substance was

tested in a diseased or disturbed system. A large

number of substances wee used, including high and

low dilutions and potencies – 191 substances in

Proving, 130 in Prophylactic and 112 in

Therapeutic experiments.

In general, basic research in Homeopathy does

not directly investigate the Similia Principle. We

conclude, that from the overwhelming variety in

organisms, diseased states, and substsances, only a

limited number of Biological Systems and States

should be selected to study the Similia Priciple.

16. Systematic Review of Homeopathic

Pathogenetic Trials: an excess of rigour?

SHERR Jeremy and QUIRK Tina

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

109

[In the HOMEOPATHY, 96, 1/2007, thirteen

learned authors, F. DEANTAS et al published an

article titled ‘A Systematic Review of the Quality

of Homeopathic Pathogenetic Trials published

from 1945 to 1995’. (See QHD, XXV, 1 & 2/2008

for the ‘abstract’ of the article). Not unexpectedly

the ‘conclusions’, of the reviewers says “The

Homeopathic Pathogenetic Trials” (HPT) were

generally of low methodological quality. . . . . The

central question of whether homeopathic

medicines in high dilutions can provoke effects in

healthy volunteers has not yet been definitely

answered, because of methodological weaknesses

of the reports. . . . . “ The best proof of validation

of the HPT is for these thirteen authors to join

together and take a high potency and see whether

they produce any change or not! Arm chair debates

are not facts; what is called for in Homeopathy is

personal experience. = KSS]

In this response Jeremy SHERR and Tina

QUIRK say “The authors’ proposition that ‘the

theory of linking symptoms detected in healthy

volunteers to those treated in the sick is wrong’,

flies in the face of everything Homeopathy

represents.” [Perhaps it is right to link the

symptoms produced in laboratory mice and

monkeys to the human sufferings! = KSS].

SHERR and QUIRK further comment “. . . .One of

the most disconcerting conclusions of the authors is

that historical Provings, including Hahnemann’s,

are flawed in methodology, . . . . We find this a

rash conclusion on the part of the authors.”

[HAHNEMANN went through the Prover’s Day

Book carefully and questioned to “the left and

right” to be sure that the symptoms were those

which came on only during the Proving” = KSS]

[It is very important that Homeopaths read the

articles, indeed all the articles in these issues – as

may be see from the ‘abstracts’ provided in 1 to 14

above in this column – and see how much trouble

is taken by the ‘scientists’ to dump Homeopathy,

finding flaw in everything! They ruined Jacques

BENVENISTE. Unfortunately, I do not know

how many of these thirteen authors actually

practice Homeopathy. I urge upon everyone to

carefully read these learned writings and think

and respond. = KSS]

Flavio DANTAS et al, the authors of the

original article under response by Jeremy SHERR

and Tina QUIRK, respond further: DANTAS

refers to an article by Antony CAMPBELL in the

Br. Hom. Jl. 1981 on Lycopodium. [Certainly

CAMPBELL was not quite right; there were other

articles by CAMPBELL, all of them harshly

critical making a regular Homeopathy Practitioner

who gets good results wonder at the conclusions of

CAMPBELL. Of course we agree that there are

several additions to the Repertory which are

doubtful. = KSS]

In another article “We need repetition of

HPTs” by Andrea SIGNORINI (HOMEOPATHY,

96, 4/2007) clarifies his views when he wrote the

Guest Editorial in HOMEOPATHY, 96,1/2007.

In another article “Response: potential non-

local mechanisms make placebo controls in

Pathogenetic Trials difficult”, by H. WALACH

(who was also a contributor to the article in

HOMEOPATHY, 96, 1/2007, along with

DANTAS). WALACH has said “It is a well-

known lore of homeopathic Proving that those in

control groups, relatives, or even the pet dog may

develop Proving Symptoms although they have not

taken the remedy. This lore, although anecdotal

and not scientific evidence at all, is valuable since

it suggest patients that Placebo controls might not

be adequate.” [This ‘lore’ came for the first time,

to the best of my knowledge, only after Dr. Rajan

SANKARAN’s reports. There have been so many

Provings reported in the well-known journals

where no such events have been found.= KSS]

17. Expectations and Effectiveness of Medical

Treatment and Classical Homeopathic

Treatment for Patients with Hypersensitivity

Illnesses – One-year Prospective Study

LAUNSO Laila, HENNINGSEN Inge,

RIEPER Jonas, BRENDER Henriette,

SANDO Finn and HAVENGAARD Anne

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

Objective: To describe and compare

characteristics of adult patients who received

treatment for Hyper-sensitive illnesses by General

Practitioners (GPs) and classical homeopaths

(CHs) over a period of 1 year and examine the

statistical Predictors of self-reported outcomes.

Material and Methods: We conducted a

Survey on 151 Danish adult patients with

Hypersensitivity illnesses, who chose treatment

from one of 13 GPs or one of 10 CHs who

participated in the Project. The treatments were

given as individual packages in the naturalistic

clinical setting. Patients completed questionnaires

at start of treatment. Response rates for the first,

second and third questionnaire were respectively

68%, 98%, 95% for the GP patients and 82%, 98%,

94%, for the CH patients.

Results: Patients seeking CH treatment in this

study are significantly different gender and

education from patients seeking GP treatment. We

did not find significant differences in terms of

occupational training, occupation, sickness absence

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

110

due to hypersensitivity illnesses, diseases other

than hypersensitivity illnesses, symptoms severity

due to hypersensitivity illnesses before treatment

and expectation of the ability of the treatment to

alleviate symptoms.

88% of GP and 21% of CH patients were

continuing treatment after 1 year. Regression

analysis showed that the only significant

independent variables to explain the probability of

obtaining very positive effect or cure for the GPs

and CHs were that the patients were in

‘maintenance treatment’, and had high expectation

before treatment of the ability.

18. Interview with Professor A.R. KHUDA –

Bukhsh MUELLER, Manfred (AH.13/2007)

Prof. Dr. KHUDA-BUKHSH has done the

maximum number of researches to my knowledge

with reference to his articles published over several

years. These are loads of scientific evidence reg.

the potentised drugs. The entire article may be read

in Part II of this QHD.

19. Effect of Low Level Laser Therapy and

Calendula officinalis 3 CH on Wound Healing

in Human Skin Fibroblasts

BRESLER, Annelise, HAWKINS Denise,

RAZLOG Radmila, ABRAHAMSE Heide

(AJHM. 100, 2/2007)

Objective: This study aimed to determine the

effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

and Calendula officinalis 3 CH or a combination of

both treatment modalities on wounded human skin

fibroblasts (HSF) in vitro. Background data:

LLLT is a form of phototherapy, involving the

application of low level monochromatic and

coherent light to injuries and lesions to stimulate

healing. LLLT has been used to examine the

influence of laser radiation on the healing process

of wounds. Calendula preparations are mainly

used for the treatment of wounds as it has anti-

inflammatory, antibacterial and immuno-

stimulating properties.

Methods: Changes in normal and wounded

fibroblast cell morphology were evaluated by light

microscopy. Cellular responses to treatment were

evaluated by assessing the cell viability and

cytotoxicity.

Results: The results demonstrate that Calendula

officinalis 3 CH facilitates wound healing in the

following two respects; it accelerated wound

closure and increased cell viability. Laser

irradiation improved the rate of wound closure in

injured HSF cells in vitro while laser irradiation

followed by Calendula officinalis 3 CH

demonstrated a normalizing effect on wounded

HSF cells.

18. CFS Trial in Leuven with CFS – Pc:

conclusions after one year

VERVARCKE Anne (HL. 19, 2/2006)

When, at a guest lecture in Leuven by Peter

CHAPELL on the treatment of AIDS with PC1, it

appeared nobody was interested in participating in a

trial Anne Vervarcke proposed that Peter design a

remedy for another disease. Using the same

method as he used to design PC1, a remedy was

designed for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This

article discusses the results after a one year follow-

up.

20. Importance of Diagnostic Methods in

establishing pathways of Radical Cure

PARANJPE, A.S. (NJH. 6, 3/2004)

In this paper the author demonstrates how

diagnostic methods are useful as pointers to the

process of understanding pathways of natural cure.

Achieving cure by iterative process of attacking and

removing the toxins from various locations of the

body. [The author is Physicist with the BARC,

Mumbai and has presented severe research papers

in Homeopathic Seminars. Readers interested

must read the full article = KSS]

21. Objective monitoring of Response of

Homeopathic Medicines using Medical

Analyzer: An Abstract

JINDAL, G.D., ANANTHAKRISHNAN, T.S.,

KATARIA, S.K., JAIN RAJESHKUMAR,

SINHA Vineet, NAIK Monsami A.,

DESHPANDE, Alka K. (NJH. 6, 3/2004)

The one major obstacle for acceptance of

Homeopathy by the general, ‘Scientific’ world is

the “non-existence of medicinal substance” in the

higher potencies. This “non-existence of medicinal

substance prohibits the use of robbing energy such

as used in Nuclear Magnetic resonance or Infrared

spectroscopy, for characterizing the homeopathic

preparations” [However Nuclear Magnetic

Resonance (NMP) and ultrasonics to study serial

dilutions and successions, have been carried out

earlier. Please see ‘Modern Instrumentation for the

evaluation of homeopathic drug structure’ by

Rudolph B.SMITH, Jr., M.T. and Garth W.

BOERICKE, in the Journal of the American

Institute of Homeopathy, Vol.59, Nos. 9-10/1966 =

KSS.]

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

111

Biomedical Instrumentation Section of

Electronics Division, Bhaba Atomic Research

Centre has developed an instrument, called Medical

Analyzer, which is used for the assessment of

autonomic nervous system (ANS) of the body.

This system records a number of physiological

parameters such as Heart Rate (HR), respiration

rate (RR), Stroke Volume (SV), Cardiac Output

(CO) and Peripheral Blood Flow (PBF) in the right

and left upper extremity for a duration of

approximately 5 minutes and then analyses the

variations in these parameters thus obtained, gives

an insight into the contribution of sympathetic and

para-sympathetic components of the ANS. Our

pilot study on more than 200 subjects, has shown

that different diseases modify the functioning of

ANS specifically.

Encouraged with the above study, we have

recorded the variability spectrums of HR and PBF

in 10 control subjects, before and after the intake of

Sulphur 1M (8 subjects) and Phosphorus 1M (2

subjects).

--------------------------------------------------------------

VIII. HISTORY

1. Klassische Homöopathie in Deutschland

(Classical Homeopathy in Germany)

DINGES. Martin (ZKH. 51, S1/2007)

The great success of the label “Classical

Homeopathy” does not astound us in the present

time. Looking back at the state of Homeopathy in

Germany until 1950, the later development was not

that evident. In this article that author presents a

reconstruction of the 1950s to 1970s which would

help us understand the development of Classical

Homeopathy and the role of the Journal, the

“Zeitschrift für klassische Homöopathie” in

promoting this. Well-known “Classical

Homeopaths” of Germany are gratefully recalled.

2. Homeopathy in the USA

PITT, Richard (AH. 13/2007)

About ten schools offer 3-4 year part time

programs in Classical Homeopathy, meeting one

weekend a month throughout the year. A couple of

new schools are developing, one in Seattle and the

other in Rhode Island. The main development

recently is the plan to develop a full-time

homeopathic medical school in Arizona. The

standard of education has improved with clinical

experience in the curriculum. Legally, in most U.S.

States, the practice of Homeopathy has an

ambiguous status.

Enacting health freedom laws has had a

significant impact in helping legitimize

Homeopathy. The Council on Homeopathic

Education defines accreditation standards for

homeopathic schools.

3. Homeopathic Education in the UK

WICKS, Linda (AH. 13/2007)

The National Health Service (NHS) in the

UK established in 1948 ensures homeopathic

treatment on a small scale. The Society of

Homeopaths (SH) is the largest professional

organization for homeopaths in Europe. In 2000

House of Lords Select Committee has

recommended an independent Accreditation Board

for Homeopathy and were advised to work

toward establishing degree – level equivalence in

our courses. Student numbers have fallen

considerably over the last two years as the supply

has exceeded the demand in terms of number of

courses available. It is difficult to balance the

regulatory and developmental aspects of the

education department of SH. Homeopaths

involved in education have a great deal to

contribute to each other.

The article does not say anything about the

M.F. (Hom.) courses.

4. The Buried Treasure State

WEIS, Sarah (AH. 13/2007)

There are only three homeopaths practicing in

the entire state of Montana USA including the

author. Montana is the final resting place of James

Tyler KENT. The author made her pilgrimage to

his grave at the Sunnyside Cemetery and visited the

house built by him in Stevensville. “Since my visit,

I have spoken with three Stevensville Historical

Society staff members, none of whom have ever

heard of James Tyler KENT and all of whom were

certainly confused about Homeopathy. Most of

Homeopathy’s history in Montana is six feet under

these days which makes me happy just be alive and

practicing. [America should hold National or

International Meets in this place so that this place

will get its due place in the history of Homeopathy

in the USA and Homeopathy would develop here.

They should visit Koethen and gain experience in

this matter of rejuvenation of Homeopathy = KSS].

5. Hahnemann’s First Provings

MORREL, Peter (AJHM. 100, 1/2007)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

112

Peter MORRELL has made a very interesting

study of HAHNEMANN’s ‘first provings’ which

began with ‘Cinchona’ in 1790. He has also made

a comparative study of those remedies with those

appearing in the ‘Fragmenta viribus ….’, the

MMP and CD.

The tribute at the end of the article is quite

warm “… Hahnemann’s work in the creation of

Homeopathy mostly from observation and

experiment, especially in the Provings of

Medicines, has to be regarded as a truly scientific

enterprise and this renders HAHNEMANN a true

scientist and Homeopathy a true Science”.

--------------------------------------------------------------

IX. GENERAL

1. A woman of courage

on the Road with Faye Allen

MERRON Myrna W. (HT. 27, 1/2007)

Faye ALLEN travelled 3000 miles from

Alaska to attend homeopathic training at Florida.

When she was treated by a Naturopapth, for

Hepatitis C, she got introduced to Homeopathy and

started helping herself, family and friends of her

tribe. Her knowledge of remedies has been

primarily through self-study. She is exploring

options for distance learning. Faye is taking classes

to become an Emergency Medical Technician and

working to expand her knowledge of Homeopathy

and gain credentials as a homeopathic practitioner.

She has dreams of working with a team in

Eyak Medical facility. The tribal council helps her

to attain her goals and to ensure that tribal members

obtain the best possible all round health care.

2. Homeopathy, sustainability, and

Environmental Healing

KREISBERG, Joel (HT. 27, 2/2007)

Preventing illness and protecting our

Environment can and should be mutually inclusive.

To that end, Ecologicallly sustainable Medicine

(ESM) offers a clear agenda by codifying the tools

and resources that lead to economically sustainable

healthcare and environmental healing.

Homeopathy is an excellent form of ESM.

The production of homeopathic medicines

does not create any toxic waste. In ecological

terms, homeopathic remedies never exhaust natural

resources. Remedies meet the criteria for both

renewable and sustainable sources of medicine.

The homeopathic remedies stimulate the

homeostatic healing response that continues for

extended periods.

The homeopathic proving reveals the hidden

nature of medicine, i.e. accessing the inner nature

of the world’s material phenomena.

3. Setting Standards in Homeopathic Practice –

A Pre-audit exploring motivation and

expectation for Patients attending the Bristol

Homeopathic Hospital

THOMPSON, EA., DAHR, J., SUSAN, M.,

& BARRON, S.

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007)

Objective: To set a standard of routine goal setting

with patients within their package of care at the

Bristol Homeopathic Hospital. We hope goal-

setting will improve communication with our

patients and health professional colleagues, focus

outcome and improve targeting of problems. We

therefore explored motivation for and expectation

of hospital attendance from a patient perspective.

Materials and Methods: Questionnaire based

pre-audit survey. The questionnaire was

administered to 110 consecutive patients attending

outpatients and 20 parents of children attending

with Asthma and Eczema to gain understanding of

motivation and expectation and more specific

information for two of the commonest conditions.

Results: Seventy percent of patients had used some

form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

(CAM). 35% had used Homeopathy and only

10% had had specialist homeopathic care, the

majority of use being over the counter. The

majority of patients had been encouraged by their

General Practitioners, themselves and by word of

mouth with family and friends. Few patients cited

the media as a major influence. “Pull” factors such

as “treating the whole person” were given greater

emphasis except for parents of children with

Asthma and Eczema for whom “Push” factors such

as fear of Steroid side effects predominated. In the

main patient expectations were reasonable with the

majority hoping to see improvements in their

conditions. A fifth of patients hoped to reduce

conventional medications.

Conclusions: Patients had used CAM in general

but not Homeopathy in particular.

Encouragement from doctors, self-motivation and

word of mouth most motivated patients to come

and might suggest more direct communication with

General Practitioners would be worthwhile. Being

treated as a whole person was the most significant

motivating factor, with a significant number of

patients wishing to reduce medication. Goal setting

and direct communication with other healthcare

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

113

professionals is essential fo safety, to focus

outcome, and to value the role of Homeopathy in

patient’s Healthcare. As a result we have set a

standard whereby treatment goals are agreed with

patients and communicated by referring Health care

professionals at each outpatient visit. This could be

audited.

4. Vaccine Damage – Prevention and Treatment

with Homeopathy

ISSAC, Golden (AJHM. 2/2007)

Vaccine damage is a real and constantly

present problem in all highly vaccinated

communities. It is under-reported and its

significance is not accepted within the orthodox

health system and even by many CAM

practitioners.

Homeopathy has much to offer. Working

within the Law of Similars, we can offer parents a

safe and comparably effective immunization option

to vaccination. We can help them lessen potential

damage if they decide to vaccinate. We can assist

them with constitutional treatment to promote the

overall health of their child.

--------------------------------------------------------------

XI. BOOKS

1. LAPORTE Cd.: Homöopathie bei

psychischen Erkrankungen (Homeopathy in

Psychic Diseases), Stuttgart: Haug; 2006: 300 S.,

geb., E 49.90 (German) review Rainer G.APPELL

(AHZ. 252,1/2007): “. . We have a book that is

possible of becoming a standard work. . . . . . .

LAPORTE gives a solid base Introduction in the

Psychoanalytical and Psychotherapeutic conceptual

basics, gives the neuro theory clearly and easily

understandably and gives cases. . . . “

2. SCHROERS, FD: Lexikon

deutschsprachiger Homöopathen (Lexicon of

German-speaking Homoeopaths), Stuttgart:

Haug: 2006: 171 S., geb., E 39.95 (German)

review Rainer G. APPELL (AHZ. 252,1/2007): “A

book that I wished for since long. If not a

Lexicon of all important Homoeopaths – a Lexicon

of only the German-speaking exponents. A Who’s

Who, which brings the history alive and helps lay

the texts in order. . . . . It is hoped that soon in the

next revised edition the left-out would be

covered.”

3. GAWLIK, W.: 275 bewährte Indikationen

aus der homöopathischen Praxis. 3., M.

WISCHNER überarbeitete Auflage (275 reliable

indications from homoeopathic Practice, 3

rd

Edition, revised by M.WISCHNER), Stuttgart:

Hippokrates; 2006: 401 S., kart., E 39.90

(German) review Rainer G. APPELL (AHZ.

252,1/2007): “Although the concept of reliable

indications is not the best way of restoring health,

still it seems to be so. It is based on exact

observation and intimate knowledge of the Materia

Medica. . . . . . “

4. DAUBENMERKL, W.: Homöopathie bei

Pferden, Praktische Empfehlungen für die

Behandlung (Homoeopathy for Horses,

Practical instructions for Treatment), Stuttgart:

Wissenschaftliche Verlagsanstalt: 2006: 316 S.,

geb., E 29. (German).

5. GERWECK, G.: Pferde homöopathische

behandeln (Treating Horses Homoeopathically),

Stuttgart: Sonntag: 2006:164 S., geb., E 34.95

(German) review Rainer G. APPELL (AHZ.

252,1/2007): “ . . . . . The books are useful …”

6. PFEIFFER, H., DRESCHER, M., HIRTE, M.

(Hrsg.): Homöopathie in der Kinder-Jugend

medizin (Homoeopathy in Children and Youth

Medicine); München: Elsevier; 2004; 1176 S.,

geb. E 89.95 (German) review Karl-Heinz

GEBHARDT (AHZ. 252, 1/2007): Twenty authors

have taken part in this work. The basics of

Homeopathy including the Miasms and its place in

the General Medicine are discussed. This is

followed by chapters on children diseases. The

Epidemiology, diagnosis and conventional therapy

and then Homeopathy. . . . . .cases are presented to

impress the instructions. A Materia Medica is

given at the end. Under each chapter the important

literature with regard to the discussion in the

foregoing parts are given. . . . . The book can be

recommended.

7. SCHUSTER, B.: Caulophyllum –

Frauenwürzel: Arzneimittelprüfungen, Materia

Medica, Praxisanwendung (Caulophyllum -

Medicinal Proving, Materia Medica, Practical

application) Weilburg: Verlag für

Homöopathie; 2005: 160 S., kart.; E 9.98

(German) review Gerhard BLEUL (AHZ.

252,2/2007): “Until now only one person indeed

who has proved in 1864 Caulophyllum upon

himself, and this medicine belongs of course to

obstetrical practice, established as it is upon the

Indian Folk Medicine and observations in clinical

practice by homeopaths. The gaps in the

knowledge especially the lack of a Proving

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

114

particularly in Females has been filled by

SCHUSTER now. 11 Females and 1 Male proved

Caulophyllum in Q6, C12 or C30. The symptoms

have been thoroughly protocolled. . . . . 480 new

Symptoms have been added to the existing 242. As

in his earlier Provings of Bambus, Cola,

Harpagophytum, SCHUSTER has carefully

prepared a solid ground for better choice of

Caulophyllum . . . . “

8. VAKIL, P.: lehrbuch der homöopathischen

therapie, Band III: Erkrankungen von Hals,

Nase, Ohr und Respirationstrakt: (Text book of

Homeopathic Therapy, Vol III, Ear, Nose,

Throat and Respiration tract) Leer; Grundlagen

und Praxis; 2006; 497 S., kart.; E38. (German)

review G.BLEUL (AHZ. 252, 2/2007): “After his

“Diseases of the Central Nervous Systems” and the

“Diseases of Heart and Circulatory Systems” is

now the 3

rd

Volume in the series of Prakash

VAKIL who passed away 10 years ago. His great

knowledge and complete clinical experience is

evident in every page of this book. . . . .An

astounding work with full details, clear clinical

references, exact characterisation of the disease

state and the remedy; a great help in the daily

Practice.”

9. WELTE, U.: Colors in Homeopathy,

Zweisprachige Ausgabe, (bi-lingual edition);

Kandern: Narayana; 2003; 68 S., Spiralbind, E

58, review Gerhard BLEUL (AHZ. 252, 2/2007):

“That the color liking by a person could lead to a

remedy has been an observation by Dr.

H.V.MÜLLER. Some authors subsequently have

theoretically supported by cases and accepted it. . .

. . This book is the first and a good beginning.”

10. GEBHARDT C., HANSEL J: Glucks fälle?

Erstaunliche Heilungsgeschichten mit

Homöopathie; (Lucky hits? Astounding Reports

of homeopathic Cures), München: Goldmann,

2006: 287 S., Leinen, E18 (German), review

Rainer G.APPELL (AHZ, 252, 3/1007): “. . . .

book which would make the political and medical

functionaries sit up so that more patients could be

treated at less cost . . . “

11. WURSTER, J.: Homöopathische

Behandlung und Heilung von Krebs und

metastasierter Tumore (Homeopathic

Treatment of Cancer and metastasizing

Tumors), Buchendorf: Verlag Peter Irl; 2006:

252 S., geb., E 39. (German) review Rainer G

APPELL (AHZ. 252, 3/2007): “The homepathic

treatment of patients with malignant Tumors has

been detailed in a masterly manner by BURNETT,

SCHLEGEL et al. which lay in the background

because of the progress of Oncology . . . .Jens

WURSTER has in the recent years with Dario

SPINEDI done much work in the treatment of

malignant Cancer patients in the Santa Croce

hospital. He has specialised in this and has

produced this book which consists of his

experience. . . . . . A notable book . . . which would

stimulate further . . . “

12. The Complete Homeopathic Resource for

Common Illnesses, Dennis CHERNIN, North

Atlantic Books: Berkeley, California. USA,

2006. Price $29.95, ISBN:1-55643-608-4. review

by LECKRIDGE (HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007):

“This is a four hundred pages plus book clearly

directed at a general readership. . . . . For $29.95

this is nothing short of remarkable. I could easily

recommend this book as either a family guide type

book or as one (you’ll need other books too!) of

the books which a student of Homeopathy should

buy …..”

13 Monera. Kingdom Bacteria & Viruses.

Spectrum Materia Medica. Volume 1. Frans

VERMEULEN. Emryss bv Publishers: Harlem.

The Netherlands, 2005. Price 44.00, ISBN: 90-

76189-15-3. review by Tom WHITMARSH

(HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007): “This is the first

volume of a bold new Materia Medica. Frans

VERMEULEN, with categorising and cataloguing

zeal, aims to give us an encyclopaedic work,

including all the remedies we know, those we think

we know at least a bit about and those we have

never even heard of. This first volume is

concerned with remedies made from Bacteria and

Viruses and so includes most Nosodes (including

all the Bowel Nosodes). Subsequent books on

non-vascular Plants, Plants, Minerals and

Compounds, Gases, Imponderables and Animals of

air, sea and land will follow in due course. . . . . . . .

It is hard to imagine that anyone but Frans

VERMEULEN could have the vision, the stamina

and the literature-searching resources to undertake

the massive task that is this Materia Medica. . . . . .

All in all though, you will not find such a treasure

trove of homeopathic microbiological material

anywhere else and I strongly recommend this

book.”

15. BIRDS – Homeopathic Remedies from the

Avian Realm, Jonathan SHORE, Judy

SHRIEBMAN and Anneke HOGELAND,

Homeopathy West: Berkeley, California, USA.

2004 Price £39. ISBN 0-975-4763-0-0 reeview by

Julie GERAGHTY (HOMEOPATHY, 96, 4/2007):

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

115

“This is the book serious homeopaths around the

world were waiting for, a reference book dedicated

to the Bird remedies, one of the fastest growing

group of ‘new remedies’ introduced to

Homeopathy over the last decade. . . . . Overall, I

think this is a very helpful book about an

increasingly important group of remedies that are

very much part of our time. …..”

[I am really surprised at the review: “fastest

growing”? What is this classification? Birds,

Insects, Viruses, Bacteria, etc: Are all these really

helpful in our day today practice? = KSS].

14. Easy Homeopathy: The 7 Essential

Remedies You Need for Common Illnesses and

First Aid. Mcgraw HILL, 2005, Softcover, 270

pages, $ 14.95. by Edward SHALTS, MD. DHT,

with Stephanie Gunning ISBN 0-07—145758-5.

Reviewed by KRISTY LAMPE, MA. DIHOM.

This Book is oroganized in 3 parts: “Getting

Started,” “The 7 Remedies” (with a dozen backup

remedies), and an alphabetical list of “Acute

Illnesses and Conditions” (from Allergies to

Wrists).

Part I is required reading for beginners, and a

good refresher for those who have been using

Homeopathy for a while.

Part II has sub-chapters with “Focus Points”

and clever mnemonics for each of the 7 remedies:

• Aconite: Your Homeopathic Emergency

Services Unit

• Arnica: Your Homeopathic Surgeon

• Belladonna: Your Homeopathic Pediatrician

• Chamomilla: Your Homeopathic Babysitter

• Gelsemium: Your Homeopathic Neurogist

• Ignatia: Your Homeopathic Therapist

• Nux vomica: Your Homeopathic

Gastroenterologist

Part III is entitled “Helpful Hints and Easy

Solutions.” In it, Dr. SHALTS lists specific health

conditions alphabetically, and then gives advice on

remedies that are known to help each of these

conditions.

This is a very good book for beginners or as an

addition to your “homeopathic first aid” library.

15. Colors in Homeopathy, Ulrich WELTE,

ISBN:3.921383-90-0. Pages: 68. (review by

Markus KUNTOSCH) (HH. 30, 12/2005): “The

color preference as a reliable and easy-to-obtain

symptom to find the simillimum….. The idea to

use the color preference of a patient in

Homeopathy was first detected by the German

Homeopath Dr.H.V. MÜLLER from Cologne

(1921 – 2001). He had a Conium patient who was

soothed by darkness and gave black as his favorite

color. He could confirm with his other Conium

patients. Through comparing the color preference

of successfully treated cases, he defined about 450

remedies and their corresponding colours in a sort

of color repertory. MÜLLER used a color book for

artists and stamp collector with about 1200 color

varieties. This book is out of print and is no more

available. For the first time Ulrich WELTE, who

closely collaborated with MÜLLER during the last

11 years of his life, presents in this book the color

repertory together with a new color standard and

other valuable tools (color circle, gem collection).

This makes the book a practical tool …. I think that

every homeopath could benefit from this work,

….”

--------------------------------------------------------------

XII. NEWS & NOTES

I. The author, 83 years, traced his recurrent

allergies and hay fever history to his implantation

of dental prosthesis due to an auto accident at 18

years of age – many homeopathic remedies which

were indicated did not help. By the use of remedies

Chamomilla, Phytolacca, Calcarea phos,

Podophylum and Hypericum based on indications

over dentition problems, the virulent attacks

stopped. He opines that dental extractions, root

canals and other extensive dental procedures may

induce a “Constitutional Susceptibility” to Hay

Fever/Allergies. SECKELMANN, J.D. in Letter to

the Editor, HT. 26, 6/2006)

II. Patients protest to save homeopathic

hospital. KENT & SUSSEX COUIRIER (UK)

Sept. 22, 2006 in HT. 26, 6/2006).

Distraught patients are forming a group to save

the Homeopathic Hospital in Tunbridge Wells,

UK, which is threatened with closure due to

National Health Service (NHS) cut backs. The

local NHS primary care trust that manages the

hospital has a deficit of ten million pounds. The

trust Medical director Jonathan COE cited the weak

evidence for homeopathic medicines as the reason

to put homeopathic medicine lower down the list.

[JONATHAN COE himself should take

homeopathic medicine and then think whether

homeopathic medicine should be put lower down

or up above the conventional medicine = KSS]

III. Obituary – Christine LUTHRA, M.D. – 1951

- 2006

Born in Belgium, educated in Philosophy and

Medicine, with far ranging interests and also in

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

116

esoteric fields, Christine LUTHRA was a skilled

physician and homeopath, faithful to the essence of

the old teachings yet ever seeking to expand her

horizons and deepen her knowledge. She was a

dedicated physician, who always put the interests of

her patients well ahead of the purity of any

doctrine. Her very sensitive and empathic nature

became apparent when she was hospitalized with

intestinal obstruction in the aftermath of terrorist

attacks and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. She

overcame the illness but later had an aggressive

cancerous lump in her breast. Her last days were

peaceful and serene.

IV. Check out the all-new NCH Website!

LANSKY, Amy L. (HT. 27, 2/2007). After one

and half years of hard work the website for NCH

www.naionalcenterforhomeopathy.org was

renovated. Many features like NCH services tab,

Articles tab, Homeopathic Resources Tab,

Members forum Tab, Handy searchable databases,

The Remedies and symptom database, cross

indexing and Teaser boxes are found. Many more

additional features like updated chat Software,

Audio and Video content, Blogs and Topic specific

message boards are planned.

V. Pharmaceutical pollution – An emerging

concern. LOCKWOOD, Amy (HT. 27, 22007).

Several thousand tons of medically active

substances used world-wide each year sneak

through sewage treatment plants and sweep out into

rivers with potential environmental consequences.

The Portland Press Herald reported on 6 Nov.

2005 that fish downstream of Denver’s sewage

plant were found to have both male and female sex

organs due to oestrogen spill. Male fish in Potomac

River in Maryland were carrying eggs. Prozac in

waterways linked to smaller frogs.

VI. Opportunity for Experienced Homeopaths.

A Streamlined certification process Richard

PITT (HT. 27, 2/2007).

The Council for Homeopathic Certification

(CHC) has announced a pilot project to facilitate

the certification of experienced homeopaths. The

goal is to evaluate a level of competency and

strengthen the profession.

VII. It changes everything. A brief conversation

with Rajan SANKARAN. TESSLER, Neil (SIM.

XX, 2007)

In a Conversation with Neil TESSLER during

an afternoon break of a seminar in Vancouver,

Rajan SANKARAN opines that understanding of

the Kingdoms and the Systems makes

Homeopathy very interesting, helps to incorporate

the discreet symptoms of Materia Medica and

should be taught in parallel to the traditional

teachings and they complement each other in the

most harmonious way. This would interest students

and give solid grounding of our symptoms and

rubrics. With this approach one goes one step

deeper into the sensations and makes things much

more alive and many small remedies come up in the

analysis.

By experiencing the experience behind the

Sensations one gets certain immunity from

developing physical problems.

VIII. Homeopathy on the Moon. GRIMES

Melanie (SIM. 27, 2/2007).

Homeopaths Dr. Prashanta BANERJEE and

Dr. S. DAS were invited to a symposium on Lunar

settlements by Rutgers University, New Jersey on

June 3 to 8, 2007. This was endorsed by NASA

and organized by the Center for Structures in

Extreme Environment at Rutgers.

The homeopaths made a presentation on the

“possible use of Ultra-diluted medicines for health

problems during lunar missions”.

Allopathy has not been effective on lunar

missions as there are problems related to absorption

and solubility of medicines as there is no gravity. In

lunar settlements, conventional medicines release

toxic by-products, where as homeopathic

medicines are easily absorbed.

Encouraged by the positive response, they

proposed a complete package of medicines to be

administered during pre-flight, on board, lunar

settlement and post flight phases of the trip.

Complete text at: http://cities.expressindia.com/

IX. Richa Christine ELAND is the new chief

Editor of The American Homeopath. (AH.

13/2007).

X. The Nature of Eric SOMMERMANN

An interview with Valerie OHANIAN – by

ELAND, Richa Christine (AH. 13, 2007) .

Eric SOMMERMANN loved nature and was

creative in natural settings since the young age.

After reading EINSTEIN he was convinced that

understanding the universe would be found in

understanding nature. Eric was an avid walker and

he loved the thinking time that walking allowed.

His love of nature, coupled with his passion and

commitment to healing, brought him to

Homeopathy. He already had a Ph.D. in Bio-

chemistry. He studied in the Hahnemann College.

He would spend eighteen hours a day for his study.

He always focused on making connections between

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

117

what he had already studied and any new material

that presented itself to him. He taught students to

observe and was brilliant at prescribing remedies

that have not yet been proved. Eric cultivated his

own ability to be present, to BE with elements of

the natural world and to perceive that element or

mineral or plant in the human being who sat before

him. Together with Valerie OHANIAN he set up

the North Western Academy of Homeopathy

(NAH).

This Issue of The American Homeopath,

No.13/2007 is dedicated to the late Eric

SOMMERMANN.

XI. Eric’s Light: An Interview with Lurie

DACK – CARPENTER, Bonnie (AH. 13/2007).

Eric had a big vision for Homeopathy. He had

the motivation, the Will, and the ability to take

steps to make that vision a reality. His unique

vision was to have Homeopathy be woven into the

very fabric of peoples’ lives. The unique quality of

his Academy is the emphasis on clinical training

and the amount of time students have in the clinic

and also nature walks and perception exercises. He

felt that there were not enough homeopaths or

opportunities for homeopaths to be trained. North

Western Academy of Homeopathy was created to

solve this problem.

XII. The Registered Homeopath. Regulation of

Homeopathy in Ontario. ZIV, Basil (AH.

13/2007).

In the province of Ontario, Canada,

Homeopathy had been regulated in 1869 and

deregulated in 1960. in 2007, the Health System

Improvements Act, concerned with the regulation

of Homeopathy and a number of other health

professions was passed. Non-licensed homeopaths

will have to conform to the regulatory provisions

under the Regulated Health Professions Act

(RHPA). For this Governemt has mandated a

Transitional Council. The article dwells on all the

details.

XIII. John D. Rockfeller, Sr.: A Biography.

ULLMAN, Dana (AH. 13/2007).

This is an excerpt from a soon to be released

book, “The Homeopathic Revolution: Why famous

people and cultural Heroes chose Homeopathy”,

by Dana ULLMANN.

The association of Rockfeller with

Homeopathy is discussed in detail.

XIV. Report: 2006 LIGA (LMHI) 61

st

Congress

Lucerne, Switzerland. HILTNER, Richard

(AJHM.100, 1/2007).

The 61

st

Congress of the Liga Medicorum

Homeopathica Internationalis was held on

October 11-14, 2006 at Lucerne, Switzerland. The

150

th

anniversary of the Swiss Association of

Homeopathic Physicians was also celebrated. (It

has 412 members as on that date) The umbrella

organization for the entire Swiss medical profession

is called the FMH.

The Executive Council Meeting was held on

9

th

October 2006. The Council was called to order

by the President Corrado BRUNO, where the

National Vice-Presidents for each country

presented their reports. In Mexico Dr.ORTEGA’s

National Academy of Hahnemannian Homeopaths

continues certification of Physicians. In Belgium

Michael WASSER-HOVEN is hard at work

promoting “Evidence based Homeopathy”.

Several researches are going on in Germany.

In respect of UK it was told that the Lancet

article had a definite negative effect, but the people

in general know that Homeopathy can be effective.

Therefore the Lancet article was “a cloud passing

over”.

In Austria homeopathic treatment is available

in several hospitals.

In Romania Homeopathy has been legal since

1981. In Bulgaria big changes for Homeopathy

was expected.

In France more physicians are being attacked

by legal and medical authorities because of their

allowing patients to utilize Homeopathy instead of

Chemotherapy for Cancer. Nonetheless

Homeopathy is doing well in France.

In Ecuador Homeopathy has been approved by

the Health Ministry since 1983. The Ecuadorian

Government has even donated a house for the

Ecuadorian Homeopathic Medical Society.

In so far as India is concerned, it is a shining

light in Homeopathy and very deserving of the

admiration it receives. Homeopathy is quite

officially approved with numerous hospitals,

medical Schools and thousands of homeopathic

practitioners.

In Italy there are bureaucratic difficulties about

the legal status.

Regarding Ukraine: it is strange that the

Government of a country with so many

homeopathic Associations, Pharmacies and

numbers of Practitioners still does not recognize

Homeopathy officially.

The over 100 year-old Hahnemann Monument

in Washington D.C., U.S.A. is being restored fully.

There are a number of homeopathic organizations

in the USA.

In Armenia there is steadily rising interest.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

118

Transactions: Dario SPINEDI elaborated on

Anamnesis; Sanjay and Yogesh SEHGAL

presented the importance of understanding the

essence and meaning of what a patient is trying to

say. Two workshops, one on toxicology and other

on the dynamization of a medicine were only in

German. Then a short boat cruise to an IMAX film

on coral reefs.

Urs STEINER, elaborated on the

Bönninghausen method emphasizing Polarity and

Concordants.

Jan SCHOLTEN discussed the themes, Groups

and Families in concepts of Remedies.

Nicolas STEELING is a Dentist, explored

areas of research that may be practical for all

dentists.

Monique ALTENBACH looked at Cantharis

from a variety of angles.

Dietmar PAYRUBER examined the

pathological data to see the more hidden aspects of

a patient’s illness.

Roberto PETRUCCI gave a humorous account

of the possible approaches one takes to discovering

the remedy behind the surface.

Antonella RONCHI talked about posology.

Variety of subjects on Veterinary medicine

including case studies involving emergency

prescriptions with certain restrictions.

Frank NAGER, emphasized a truly holistic

approach to medicine encompassing the four

psychological functions of C.G. JUNG: Thinking,

Feeling, Sensation and Intuition.

Michael von WASSERHOVEN has been

enthusiastically working for Evidence-Based

Homeopathy.

Sunit SHANGLOO gave three cured cases of

fibroids.

Vangelis ZAFIRIOU discovered a series of

characteristic responses to a correct homeopathic

remedy that he felt have been overlooked since the

beginning of Homeopathy. 1. Increased sleep; 2.

Fatigue; 3. Increased appetite; 4. Decreased libido;

5. Decrease in Menstrual Periods. The rationale

behind these responses seems to be a conservation

of energy so that the diseased areas can recover.

RAO, Srinivasulu felt that a variety of medical

disciplines have provided some evidence of a

corelation between emotional and mental

functioning and certain body organs.

There was panel discussion on Research in

Homeopathy and on Veterinary medicine.

XV. Seminar Review

Andre SAINE’s comparative Materia

Medica course by Nick NOSSAMAN. (AJHM.

10, 1/2007)

“Illustrated comparative Materia Medica Pura”

is a series of lectures presented by Andre SAINE.

The first part was from 18

th

to 22

nd

June 2006, held

at Montreal.

The design of the course is based around 24

Key medicines, all Polychrests, four of which were

considered in this session. From those four 62

smaller remedies which have symptoms in common

with the polychrests, but accompanied by

symptoms that are contradictory to keynotes of that

polychrest under consideration.

The individualizing symptoms of each remedy,

besides the symptoms shared by the remedies, will

determine which of the medicines is most similar to

the state of the patient.

The core symptoms of the medicine is referred

to as “fingerprint” of that medicine. The seminar

was intensive with very little digressions, with an

invitation to discipline ourselves to look carefully at

the information from our cases, to make careful

comparison of the pathogenesis of the patient with

the pathogenesis of the medicine and to look deeper

and study the basic Materia Medica if the data

doesn’t seem to fit correctly. cah@videotron.ca

XVI. Homeopathic Medicine and the New York

State office of Professional Medical conduct

(OPMC) WHITMONT, D. Ronald (AJHM. 100,

2/2007).

The role of the office of Professional Medical

Conduct (OPMC) is reviewed in light of its history

and several recent disciplinary actions taken against

New York State physicians practicing Homeopathy

and other Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (CAM) modalities. The author’s personal

experiences with the OPMC are also reviewed and

recommendations made.

XVII. In the HL, 18/2005 Julian WINSTON had

referred to errors in our books – Materia

Medica, Repertory, etc. There are errors in

translation from German to English.

Referring to this article, a correspondent Jurgen

SEIPER of Germany says that it is very essential

that translations are done with great care. He gives

some examples.

[What a word actually ‘means’ to the person

who said it may mean something different to

another. For example the word “Beruf” which

comes from the root “rufen” (to call), in §1 of the

Organon has been translated as “calling”, by one

(WESSELCHOEFT and Wenda BREWSTER) and

“Mission” by another (DUDGEON). There have

been several discussions on words (Envy, Jealousy)

we can cite many such. To dissect these and ‘find’

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

119

a meaning will not be of great help in selecting a

remedy.

[The purpose of ‘Proving’ is to know the

‘tendency’ of a substance to cause some hitherto

not experienced sensation in him/her. The

homeopath has to understand this ‘tendency’ in the

Proving and in the patient. ‘Hair-splitting’ will

cause greater confusion = KSS].

XVIII. Call for introspection and Awakening.

Letters to the Editor, SHAH, Rajesh (HL. 19,

2/2006).

In response to The Lancet Article (August

2005) which suggested that Homeopathy equals

placebo, the author suggests introspection on

another perspective.

1. Research based documentation is the key

means to establish the efficacy of

Homeopathy.

2. The application of homeopathic principles

needs to be scientific rather than speculative.

3. Adequate medical education.

4. Responsible teaching.

The detrimental tendencies that have

penetrated the practice of Homeopathy are: a.

Extended dream-analysis and theorizing; b.

Overstretched mentals; c. Kingdom prototype and

extended doctrine of signature; d. Tele-medication;

e. Prescribing on the basis of past life; f.

Potentising the spirit; g. Paper remedies; h.

Interpretational and delusion based Materia

Medica.

The greatest danger to Homeopathy seems to

be more from within in the form of above

mentioned dubious practices.

[The Homeopathic Links itself is guilty of the

‘detrimental tendencies’ mentioned by Dr. Rajesh

SHAH. Read the case of Dr. Chetna SHAH in HL.

19, 1/2006) = KSS].

XIX. Clinical Training Course in

Homeopathy 2004 with Rajesh & Rupal Shah.

(HL. 19, 2/2006)

A group of ten South African Homeopathic

Students had three weeks course with Dr. Rajesh

SHAH, in The Life force centre, Mumbai.

XX. Eat Less, Stay Healthy (Taken from the

World Science) (S &C. 73, 1-2/2007)

A new study which associated a low-calorie

diet with delayed signs of aging in humans

appeared in the Jan. 17, 2006 issue of the Journal of

the American College of Cardiology. Rather than

try to randomize volunteers to different diets, the

researchers compared 25 people who already had

been following caloric restriction for an average of

six years with 25 similar control subjects with

typical western diet.

Hearts of the people on Caloric restriction

appeared more elastic than those of the control

subjects and several heart disease risk factors and

inflammatory markers were lower.

Calorie restriction is associated with longevity

only when is coupled with optimal nutrition with a

healthful balanced diet with at least 100 percent of

the recommended daily intake of each nutrient,

providing approximately 1,671 plus or minus 294

kilo calories per day.

Overweight and obese people have a low-grade

chronic inflammatory state.

XXI. Smoking during pregnancy may Deform

fingers, toes.

Research Journal Plastic and Reconstructive

Surgery. Jan. 2006 (S & C. 73, 1-2/2007)

Pregnant woman’s cigarette smoking raises the

risk that her new born will have extra

(polydactiyly), webbed (Syndactyly) and

absence/missing (adactyly) of fingers or toes. The

risk is proportional to the number of cigarettes

smoked.

XXI. Brain Scans Betray our Joy in other’s

suffering www.world-science.net. (S & C. 73, 3-

4/2007).

Researchers say they have captured images of

the brain activity that accompanies “Schaden

freude” (Schaden – harm, Freude – joy) – the

satisfaction we feel if someone we dislike suffers.

Both men and women empathize with the pain

of people they perceive as co-operative types. But

among men, at least, the empathy disappears if they

see someone else behaving selfishly. Then, they

may even feel good if the other person receives

physical pain.

XXII. Love and Madness not that different?

www.world-science.net (S & C. 73, 3-4/2007).

People experiencing romantic love have a

chemical profile in their brains similar to that of

people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, noted

the author, Psychologist Lauren SLATER. Both

have low levels of the brain chemical Serotonin.

Thus Love and mental illness may be hard to tell

apart.

Oxytoxin, a chemical thought to be plentiful in

long term couples with warm, comfortable

relationships, is a hormone that promotes feelings

of connection and bonding.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

120

XXIII. Emerging Trends in Dietary

Management of Diseases. Mukherjee AJOY De,

MINAKSHI (S & C. 73, 3-4/2007).

International college of Nutrition, formed in

1999, comprises of Physicians, Dieticians,

Nutritionists, Food Scientists, Biochemists and Post

graduate students, organized a seminar on 27 – 29

th

October 2006.

The seminar defined clinical nutrition cutting

across various clinical disciplines has emerged as a

very important clinical discipline.

The crucial factor is not merely prescribing the

most scientific diet for the patient but its

compliance.

Specialists dealt with topics on Obesity,

Diabetus, Gout, Hepatic Diseases, Renal diseases,

Cardio vascular diseases.

XXIV. The Journal of Alternative and

Complementary Medicine (JACM), Oct. 2005,

“which commemorates the 250

th

anniversary of the

birth of Samuel HAHNEMANN, the founding

father of Homeopathy, makes it very clear that

Homeopathy works and is far from dead.

Presenting very clear evidence from leading

Scientists and Clinicians, JACM shows that there is

something very real going on in Homeopathy

Medicine. … This issue of the JACM, a

MEDLINE, peer reviewed journal published by

Mary Ann LIEBERT/Inc; presents the state–of–

the–Art of Homeopathy, with all the scientific

papers and editorial perspective available free

online at www.libertpuls.com/acm. ...... The issue

includes a seminal paper by Spence et al. entitled

“Homeopathic Treatment for Chronic Disease: A

6-year University Hospital Outpatient

Observational Study, “the largest study of its kind

ever published, which presents the results of the

six-year study involving more than 6,500

consecutive patients in which more than 70%

reported significant positive health changes

associated with homeopathic intervention and

consultation…….” (HH. 30, 12/2005).

XXV. [Note: We use the term ‘Individual’,

‘Totality’, ‘Wholeness’ ‘harmony’, etc. These

words are very important with reference to the

Homeopathic Philosophy. Here is a short

extract from discussion between Renie Weber

and David Bohm – Refer to the book ‘Dialogue

with Scientists and Sages’, by Renie Weber

(1986). = KSS]

RENIE WEBER: What is the relationship between

the wholeness and relatively independent sub-

wholes? Is there any justification for claiming that

I am an individual or is it pure illusion, what the

east calls Maya?

DAVID BOHM: It depends on the level at which

you operate. Clearly the body has a certain

individuality, it’s a relative sub-whole which has

it’s own self-referential order but its also highly

dependent on the environment in order to exist.

Any person has some degree of difference from

another – his own background, ideas, tendencies.

So in a relative sense we have some individuality.

But the question is how deep is it, what is the

ground of it all? … Everybody has got his own

interests and background, and his own special way

of putting everything together, which may have its

value. …. Everybody has some unique potential.

You can’t state what his unique role is because he

has a range of potentials. Given another

circumstance he could probably have carried out

another role, but he has a certain potential that is

different from anybody else’s. While you have a

potential, the energy doesn’t come out from your

predispositions. They must serve the whole. The

energy comes from the whole, from the insight . …

Each person in his being has a particular unique

character and quality, but its whole meaning is to

write with all the others into something greater. …

Individuality is possible only if it unfolds from

wholeness. Ego-centredness is not individuality at

all. Ego-centredness centres on the self-image

which is an illusion and a delusion. Therefore it’s

nothing. In true individuality a true being unfolds

from the whole in its particular way for that

particular moment. It is impossible to have true

individuality except when grounded in the whole.

Anything else is ego-centredness. Anybody who is

self-centred must be divided, because in order to

become self-centred he must establish a division

between himself and the whole. Not only that he

has not understood himself, he is fragmenting

himself, shattering his individuality, and turning it

into a collective mish-mash. By contrast, the true

individual understands that he is an out-growth of

the whole at every moment. There is nothing fixed

about him. He is eternally unfolding his potential

as the ancient saying goes, continually flowering as

Krishnamurthi likes to say revealing more and more

deeply what he is. …”

--------------------------------------------------------------

LIST OF JOURNALS

Full addresses of the Journals covered by this Quarterly

Homeopathic Digest are given below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

121

1. AH: The Journal of the North American Society of

Homeopaths, 1122 East Pike Street, #1122, Seattle, WA

98122, USA.

2. AHZ: Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung, Karl F. Haug

Verlag, Hüthig GmbH, im Weiher 10, 69121,

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY.

3. AJHM: American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine,

formerly Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy

(JAIH). 801 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 306 Alexandria, VA

22314.

4. THE HINDU: Newspaper, Chennai–600 002.

5. HH: Homeopathic Heritage, B. Jain Publishers Overseas,

1920, Street No.10, Chuna Mandi, Paharganj, Post Box

5775, New Delhi - 110 055.

6. HL: Homeopathic Links, Homeopathic Research &

Charities, F/s, Saraswat Colony, Linking Road, Santacruz

(W), MUMBAI – 400 054.

7. HOMEOPATHY: Formerly British Homeopathic Journal

(BHJ), Homeopathy, Faculty of Homeopathy, 29 Park

Street West, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU13BE, UK.

8. HT: Homeopathy Today, National Center for

Homeopathy, 801, North Fairfax Street, Suite 306,

ALEXANDRIA, VA. 22314, USA

9. NAH: Neues Archiv fuer Homeopathik, Hardenbergstr. 2,

D-45472, Mülheim an der Ruhr, GERMANY.

10. NJH: National Journal Homeopathy, Milan clinic, 71-B

Saraswati Road, Near Gokul Ice Cream, Santacruz (W),

Mumbai – 400 0054.

11. S & C : Science & Culture, Indian Science News

Association, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road,

KOLKATA – 700 009.

12. SIM: Simillimum, The Journal of the Homeopathic

Academy of Naturopathic Physicians, P.O. Box 8341,

Covington, WA 98042, USA.

13. ZKH: Zeitschrift für Klassische Homöopathie, Karl F.

Haug Verlag, Hüthig GmbH, Im Weiher 10, D-69121

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Dr.H.GROSS’ COMPARATIVE

MATERIA MEDICA).

REMARKS BY THE EDITOR

Constantine HERING

“. . . . .

To compare all our proved

medicines with each other, (if we calculate that

there are about three hundred, more or less

proved and applied), and to compare,

respectively, each one with the other, would

require about 50,000 diagnoses! But, of

course, the greatest number of them, if

worked out, would be useless in practice and

a burden to our literature. Still a beginning

had to be made in order to find out which are

useful and which not, and to know which

comparisons we had to make only in our own

mind (as we do in other natural sciences.) This

is our great aim, and to come nearer to it the

work of GROSS is a stepping-stone, a

transition. As a selection had to be made, it

seems that Dr. GROSS took Aconitum and

Pulsatilla on the one hand, and Sulphur and

Arsenicum on the other, and added gradually

what he considered next to most important.

Here are about five hundred comparisons of

one hundred of our most generally used

drugs. Another similar volume, as a

continuation of this present one, is ready if

wanted by the profession, and that would

satisfy all the demands of theory as well as of

practice for the rest of this age.

Such a result is certainly encouraging,

since, although we are still a decided minority

among physicians, we have proved already

nearly all the elements of chemistry and about

one-hundredth part of all that is offered by

nature! This gigantic work had to be done by a

few slandered men, within fifty years. It is by

far more than any other natural science can

boast to have accomplished in so short a time,

and, as our increase in number is equally

satisfactory, our sons and grandsons may reach

the climax.

[

The second Volume mentioned by HERING did

not appear. Evidently the Profession was not

interested! = KSS]

f

=====================================

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

122

PART II

(This Section contains abstracts/extracts from selected articles; even the entire article in some case)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. COLCHICINE – EXPANDING HORIZONS

Ami SCHATTNER

‘Postgrad Med. Journal’ 67, 1991.

To say that the once very limited indications

for Colchicine have undergone a subtle but definite

and dramatic change in recent years would not be

an over statement. This old drug, which has been

known for centuries, was used for relieving and

preventing acute attacks of Gouty Arthritis for over

200 years, but until recently, no other clinical uses

had been established. The 1985 edition of

Goodman & Gilman’s standard textbook of

Pharmacology for example, states that

‘…..Colchicine is largely effective only against

Gouty Arthritis’, and devotes no more than five

lines (of the two pages discussing the drug) to its

possible effect in other conditions.

1

However,

intriguing data have been obtained since, which

suggests that Colchicine may be highly efficacious

in several common and important though diverse

clinical syndromes for which no other equally

effective therapy is known.

In Gouty Arthritis, its classical indication, the

role of Colchicine has been recently questioned

since serious toxicity may be associated with its

use, and since other agents such as Indomethacin

are as effective, and may be better tolerated.

2, 3

However, long experience has shown that the drug

is remarkably well tolerated,

4

and that cases of

severe systemic toxicity are rare and often reflect

inappropriate use of the drug

5

(intravenous

administration which exceeded 4 mg. for a single

course of therapy). The most common adverse

effects of Colchicine are relatively minor gastro-

intestinal symptoms, which are useful early signs of

impending toxicity. Colchicine produces a striking

response in acute gout where 0.5mg is usually

given orally, every 1-2 hours to a maximum of 8-10

mg., until relief of gastrointestinal symptoms occur.

Pain and swelling usually abate within 12 hours of

starting therapy and a major objective improvement

of joint inflammation is evident within 48 hours

and can be used as diagnostic aid. The drug

reduces the inflammatory reaction to urate crystals

without causing analgesia or affecting uric acid

metabolism.

6

Colchicine is also highly efficacious

for the long-term prophylaxis of recurrent Gout and

the prevention of acute attacks during the first few

months of treatment with Allopurinol or

uricosurics. One to two mg/day of Colchicine may

also be effective for prophylaxis of pseudo-

gout

7

and treatment of Sarcoid Arthropathy,

8

Psoriatic Arthritis,

9

and Paget’s disease of bone,

10

though at present the amount of information is

inadequate for definite conclusions.

In recent years, however, additional indications

for the use of Colchicine have been identified, for

which no known alternative exists. Best

established so far is the role of Colchicine in

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), an acute

recurrent Polyserositis of unknown aetiology

affecting primarily Sephardic Jews and Armenians

and leading to renal AA amyloid deposition with

progressive Proteinuria and renal failure. Daily

administration of Colchicine (1 to 2mg), which

appears to be well tolerated and safe in large

numbers of patients of all ages, not only prevented

or markedly ameliorated the acute painfully

disabling feeble attacks in over 90% of FMF

patients,

11

but was also able to prevent the

development of Amyloidosis or halt its progression

in patients who were already affected.

12

This

conclusion is not based on a double-blind study, yet

the comparison with noncomplaint patients and

those studied before Colchicine was used, the large

numbers of patients and the long-term follow-up,

make the results highly credible. Among FMF

patients without overt renal disease only 4/906

developed Proteinuria, as opposed to 16 of the 54

non-complaint patients (about 30%). The

effectiveness of Colchicine is more limited in

patients who already have clinical Amyloidosis;

however, most of the patients who were proteinuric

when treatment was commenced (but with no

nephrotic syndrome or Uraemia), remained in

stable condition.

12

These effects of Colchicine,

which have already improved both the quality of

life and survival in thousands of FMF patients are

based on observations in vitro (Colchicine inhibits

the secretion of Serum Amyloid A protein, an acute

phase reactant synthesized by hepatocytes which is

the precursor of AA amyloid) and in experimental

animals.

13, 14

Thus the beneficial effects of

Colchicine may extend to AA Amyloidosis

complicating other inflammatory diseases such as

Ulcerative Colitis,

15

and Colchicine improves

median survival (according to an open trial based

on comparison with historical controls),

16

and can

be highly beneficial in selected cases.

17

A

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

123

randomized study and several case reports suggest

that it may be more effective in conjection with

melphalan/prednisone.

18-20

The mechanism of the

anti-amyloid effect of Colchicine remains unclear,

but, interestingly, it appears to be independent of

the suppression of attacks or of the suppression of

SAA secretion.

12, 21

The effect of Colchicine in

FMF has been mainly linked to its anti-

inflammatory activities which are discussed below.

No less intriguing are the accumulating data on

the possible effects of Colchicine in immune

mediated disorders. Several uncontrolled studies

and case reports suggest that patients with

BEHCET’s syndrome may show a 60-70%

response rate to Colchicine.

22, 23

Oro-genital and

ocular lesions seem to respond best, but the drug

may also be effective for the associated articular

and cutaneous manifestations and in prophylaxis.

Controlled trials of Colchicine in BEHCET’s

syndrome are few and have not demonstrated

unequivocal effect.

24

Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis

may also be amenable to Colchicine therapy.

25-27

The basis for the use of Colchicine in these

conditions is its effects on Polymorphonuclear

Leucocytes (PMNL), but Mononuclear cells are

also affected. By binding to a micro tubular protein

and other mechanisms which are incompletely

understood, Colchicine interferes with many basic

cellular functions, including mitosis and PMNL

chemotaxis and adhesiveness. It also increases

leucocyte CAMP levels, thereby inhibiting

lysosomal degranulation and enhances release of

Prostaglandin E which suppresses leucocyte

functions.

28

In additions to its antimitotic and anti-

inflammatory effects, Colchicine impairs collagen

synthesis and enhances collagenase activity –

antibiotic effect.

29

More recently, important

inhibitory effects on cell-mediated immune

responses have been noticed. These include

inhibition of Immunoglobin secretion, interleukin-1

production, Histamine release and interferon-

induced expression of HLA-DR.

30-32

Though most of these observations have been

obtained in vitro, a therapeutic value for

Colchicine has been demonstrated in at least two

animal models of autoimmune diseases. Colchicine

reduced Proteinuria in passive Heymann Nephritis

in rats, an analogue of Membranous Glomerulo

Nephritis in humans.

33

The drug can effectively

prevent the development of clinical signs and

histological lesions of acute experimental Allergic

Encephalomyelitis in mice, an analogue of Multiple

Sclerosis,

34

possibly by interrupting effect or

responses to myelin basic protein-primed T cells.

The growing understanding of the pleiotropic

actions of Colchicine and the realization of the

important interactions between lymphoid

components and Fibroblasts at inflammatory sites

which produce a vicious cycle of inflammation and

fibrosis

35

have led to trials of Colchicine in two

human autoimmune diseases in which there is

prominent and contiguous fibrosis and

inflammation, in the absence of any effective

therapy. In progressive Systemic Sclerosis and

localized Scleroderma, long-term Colchicine

therapy was claimed to be beneficial to most

patients, especially when the duration of the disease

was less than 5 years.

36

More accurate data are

available in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, where

Colchicine was compared with placebo in two large

double-blind controlled trials. Although there was

no histological improvement over 2-5 years,

patients at all stages who received Colchicine

(0.6mg twice daily) significant improvement or

stabilization in Liver function tests as compared to

the placebo group, and mortality was also

decreased by half

37, 38

. Colchicine has also been

tried in Cirrhosis with no autoimmune features

(alchoholic or postnecrotic cirrhosis) and the results

have also been potentially exciting affording a

measure of hope for yet another large group of

patients whose 5 year survival once the

complications of Cirrhosis develop is below 20%

and for whom effective therapeutic approaches are

scarce. In a 14 year double-blind, placebo

controlled trial of Colchicine (1mg per day, 5 days

per week) in 100 cirrhotic patients in Mexico, a

striking improvement in median survival was found

in the treatment group (from 3.5 to 11 years), with

significant reduction in deaths from liver failure

and a possible improvement in liver histology.

31

Though these results are open to several criticisms

39

they are nevertheless highly encouraging and

supported by an effect of Colchicine in the

treatment of experimental Cirrhosis in animals

40,41

and by the findings of other groups.

42

Overall,

Colchicine was well tolerated and the drug’s

‘Excellent Safety Profile’ was noted by

investigators in many different studies.

There are numerous other anecdotal reports

suggesting the usefulness of Colchicine in diseases

such as refractory Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic

Purpura, relapsing polychodrons, Sclerosing,

Cholangitis, recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis,

Dermatitis, Herpetiformis, and recurrent

Endocarditis, idiopathic or Systemic Lupus

Erythematosis related).

43-48

In some cases a rapid

and ‘spectacular’ response was observed and a

possible effect of Colchicine in prophylaxis of these

immune-mediated disorders

44, 48

should be

evaluated. Efficacy of Colchicine has also been

suggested in the prevention and treatment of

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

124

abdominal pains in patients with Hepatic

Porphyria.

49

However, all these results should be

interpreted with caution since the treatment was

uncontrolled and has been tried in very few patients

so far.

Lessons from animal models indicate that

Colchicine may be utilized to advantage in several

other situations for great clinical significance. Pre-

treatment with Colchicine protected the liver of rats

against Carbon Tetrachloride or D-galactosamine

induced toxicity, possibly by acting as a free radical

scavenger and by inhibiting drug-induced lipid

peroxidation.

50-52

Its possible value in human toxic

Hepatitis remains to be determined (prevention of

halothane hepatitis?), though one trial of Colchicine

in alcoholic hepatitis showed no effect.

53

A

significant inhibitory activity of Colchicine on

peritoneal adhesion formation or on proliferative

vitreoretinopathy following abdominal or retinal

surgery in experimental animals was also found,

54,

55

but no comparable human studies have been

reported so far. Paraquat-induced lung injury

appears to be related mainly to free radical

mediated lipid peroxidation and to a stage of

excessive collagen synthesis that follows. As the

models discussed above suggest, Colchicine may

inhibit both mechanisms suggesting a possible

efficacy in a model of paraquat lung damage in

rats.

56

Colchicine confers the dual advantages of

being both an inexpensive and a usually safe and

well tolerated drug, despite its pleiotropic activities.

However, adverse effects may occur and should be

recognized. The most frequent are those involving

the gastrointestinal tract which may be associated

with the antimitotic action of Colchicine. Often,

Diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain

are the first signs of toxicity and indicate that

Colchicine therapy should be stopped, or the

dosage reduced. Other adverse effects include

Cytopenias, Myoneuropathy (particularly in

patients with altered renal function), rashes,

Alopecia and incidental cases of decreased sperm

count or function have also been described.

1, 22, 57

Thus, care should be exercised of treating patients

at special risk (e.g. pregnancy, reduced renal

function) and a periodic monitoring of patients

undergoing prolonged Colchicine treatment is

recommended,

26

especially when renal or hepatic

dysfunction exist.

5

However, the overall safety

record of the drug in large and diverse groups of

patients is remarkable and further controlled studies

will probably establish its use in several important

diseases, either alone or as an adjunctive treatment.

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32. MEKORI, Y.A., CHOWERS, Y., DRucker, i.

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33. MILNER, L.S., LOTAN, D., MILLS, M. et al.

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Heyman nephritis. Nephron 1987, 46: 11-17.

34. LYONS, M.J., AMADOR, R., PETITO, C. et

al. Inhibition of acute experimental allergic

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J.B., Lymphocyte mediated activation of

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36. ALARCON-SEGOVIA, D., RAMOS-

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712.

37. KAPLAN, M.M., ALLING, D.W.,

ZIMMERMAN, J.H., et al A prospective trial

of Colchicine for primary biliary cirrhosis. N.

Engl. J. Med. 1986. 315: 1448-1454.

38. BODENHEIMER, H. Jr., SCHAFFNER, F. &

PEZZULLO, J. Evaluation of Colchicine

therapy in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Gastroenterology 1988, 95: 124-129.

39. BOYER, J.L., & RANSOHOFF, D.F. Is

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A.P., Hepatic collagen synthesis in a rat model

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of cirrhosis and its modification by Colchicine.

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41. SCHUPPAN, D., KIM, K.Y. & RIECKEN,

E.O. Antifibrogenic effect of ursodexycholic

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secondary biliary fibrosis (abstract).

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BORDEIANU, A.et al. Colchicine in the

treatment of liver cirrhosis. Digest Dis Sci

1986, 31: 191S

43. STROTHER, S.V., ZUCKERMAN, K.S. &

LOBUGLIO, A.F., Colchicine therapy for

refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic

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2000

44. ASKARI, A.D., Colchicine for treatment of

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45. LEISER, A. & KADIISH, U. Beneficial effect

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418.

46. RUAH, C.B., Stram, J.R. & CHASIN, W.D.

treatment of severe recurrent aphthous

stomatitis with Colchicine. Arch Otolaryngol

Head Neck Surg 1988, 114: 671-675.

47. SILVERS, D.N., JUHLIN, E.A.,

BERCZELLER, P.H. et al. Treatment of

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Dermatol 1980, 116: 1373-1374.

48. de la SERNA, A.R., SOLDEVILA, J.G.,

CLARAMUNT, V.M. & de LUNA, A.B.

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1987, ii: 1517.

49. WYSENBEEK, A.J., SCHOENFELD, N.,

LEIBOVICI, L. & ATSMON, A. Colchicine

treatment of abdominal pains in porphyric

patients. Isr.J.Med. Sci 1989, 25: 95-99.

50. MOURELLE, M., VILLALON, C. &

AMECUA, J.L. Protective effect of Colchicine

on acute liver damage induced by tetrachloride.

J. Hepatol 1988, 6: 337-342.

51. MOURELLE, M., FRAGINALS, R.,

RODRIGUEZ, L., FAVARI, L. & PEREZ-

ALVAREZ, V. Protective effect of Colchicine

against acute liver damage. Life Sci. 1989, 45:

891-900.

52. MIYACHI, Y. & NIWA, Y. Effect of

potassium iodide, Colchicine and dapsone on

the generation of polymorphonuclear

leukocyte-derived Oxygen intermediates. Br.

J. Dermatol 1982, 107: 209-214.

53. TRINCHET, J.C., BEAUGRAND, M.,

CALLARD, P. et al. Treatment of alcoholic

hepatitis with Colchicine. Results of a

randomized double blind trial. Gastroenterol

Clin. Biol. 1989, 13: 551-555.

54. GRANAT, M., TUR-KASPA, I., ZYLBER-

KATZ, E. & SCHENKER, J.G. Reduction of

peritoneal adhesion formation by Colchicine: a

comparative study in the rat. Fertil Steril

1983, 40: 369-372.

55. LEMOR, M., YEO, J.H. & GLASER, B.M.

Oral Colchicine for the treatment of

experimental traction retinal detachment.

Arch. Opthalmol 1986, 104: 1226-1229.

56. SHAHAR, E., KEIDAR, I., HERTZEHG, E. &

BARZILAI, Z. Effectiveness of vitamin E and

Colchicine in amelioration of paraquat injuries

using an experimental model. Isr. J.Med.Sci.

1989, 25: 92-94.

57. KUNCL, R.W., DUNCAN, G., WATSON, D.,

ALDERSON, K., ROGAWSKI, M.A., &

PEPER, M. Colchicine myopathy and

neuropathy. N. Engl. J. Med. 1987, 316:

1562-1568.

=====================================

2. Lac canium: Anxiety, Yearning and Inability

Eight case histories

GNAIGER Jutta (BHJ. 81, 1/1992)

Abstract: Lac caninum-the best-known milk

remedy-points to milk allergy but much more to the

early conflict in the mother-child relationship. Any

further relationship is ambivalent and unfulfilled.

Likewise, the patient remains insecure towards

himself, experiencing many fears. These eight case

histories are intended to help understand this

forgotten medicine which has now become really

opportune.

Lac caninum is a neglected and barely

understood medicine with a fascinating ‘signature’.

Milk constitutes the very first earthly food

during the period of emotional and physical

symbiosis of mother and child - the image of

absolute security. Milk allergy has been recognized

in recent years and is now a topic of great interest.

Dog’s milk is a medicament that comes from

animals, the world of physical urges and instincts.

The dog, the tamed wolf, is both a devoted servant

and a fierce and unpredictable guardian: a remedy

for hidden, ‘tamed’ aggression.

These themes can indeed be detected in the

drug picture of Lac caninum as well as in

corresponding clinical cases as confirmation.

Clinical cases

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

127

Three women

Ingeborg H., aged 35

An insecure, apprehensive nervous, very

delicate woman, full of fears, with a hasty,

inaccurate way of expressing herself. She presents

with sudden attacks of fear with trembling and

cardiac palpitation. She is insecure, restless, hasty,

indecisive, hypertensive; she is moved by

everything, pained by everything, she weeps over

her helplessness. Her fears: of severe illness, of

doing something wrong.

Her anxieties started with an acute illness of

her mother. Her mother dominates her life

although the patient is married.

Physical symptoms

Goitre with a feeling of pressure, difficulty in

swallowing, craving for milk, constipation,

premenstrual breast swelling, hair loss,

hypersensitive sense of smell.

Lac caninum M, given twice at an interval of

six weeks, has helped the patient to self-assurance.

For three days, the Goitre flared up. For one year

now, there have been no more problems; the patient

can cope well with life.

Sigrid B., aged 39

An insecure, timid, worried, gentle woman,

mother of three children. She speaks in a low and

strained voice. She presents with chronic Sinusitis,

retronasal catarrh and frequent pharyngalgia,

alternately occurring on one side. She has suffered

from these symptoms for five years. She is tired,

feeble and has a heavy menses. She feels insecure,

unhappy, discouraged, dejected. She describes a

‘profound feeling of not being good enough’. ‘I am

worthless’, she feels excluded from life.

As a child, she had many fears, found it

extremely difficult to make friends, was very shy

and ashamed, suffered from enuresis. Her father

was reserved, aloof, reprimanded her frequently.

He had wished for a boy. Her mother was

depressive all the time; nevertheless, the daughter

still orientates herself far too much towards her.

Lac caninum 12x, then 200, has given her

physical and mental stability during one and a half

years follow-up.

Gunda C., aged 33

She behaves like a spoiled, bored, sophisticated

lady. Her face seems tense and like a mask, her

answers are short, coquettish, seem rejective,

insecure. She is depressive, discontented, sleepless,

sexually apathetic without any apparent reason.

She is afraid of people, weeps a lot. Distraction

does her good. She cannot travel enough and has

several times been abroad for a year.

Her father died when she was three years old.

Being the youngest of four children, she had - due

to the cramped conditions they lived in – to share

her mother’s bed up to the age of 14. Today their

relationship is very distant.

Lac caninum 200, then 1M, has changed the

patient completely, neither she nor her husband has

had any complaints since then. This has now been

the case for nine months.

These three women reveal the fear of Lac

caninum, behind which lies the yearning for

security and appreciation. The striking fact in these

cases is the difficult mother-daughter relationship.

Three boys

Roland J., aged 13

A quiet, thoughtful, sensitive boy with a

concerned face, tense forehead, slack posture, yet of

powerful build. He seems insecure, inhibited. He

presents with Hay Fever and generalized Eczema.

His performances at school vary greatly, he is

dreamy and slow, forgetful and distracted. He

lacks staying power, makes a lot of spelling

mistakes. He is very wary in all matters, is afraid

of everything new, afraid of making a fool of

himself. He is easily discouraged. At school, he is

frequently subjected to teasing as he is extremely

quick-tempered and seethes with rage, yet remains

helpless and harmless. He never gets down to

action.

Roland was given three doses of Lac caninum

(200, M). In the course of the last nine months he

has become more free, more open, livelier, more

self-assured, which has been noticed both by his

mother and teachers. His class-mates now accept

him, his skin is clear, the Hay Fever is much

improved.

Patrik M., aged 8

A pale, adipic child with sad, slack expression.

The boy suffers from Chronic Rhinitis, frequent

spastic Bronchitis with multiple allergy and

Eczema-proneness. It is noticeable that the boy

miserably and intimidately crouches beside his

restless, strained, eloquent mother. The mother

admits her insecurity and conflicting feelings

towards her child. Patrik is timid, reserved,

stubborn and sullen. He is distracted, refuses to do

his homework. Very often one can hear him utter ‘I

am bored’. He does not know how to occupy

himself, cannot assert himself. Occasionally,

however, he has fitful outbursts of wickedness and

beats his younger brother. He is afraid of wolves

and dogs, particularly in the evenings, and suffers

from terrible nightmares which wake him.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

128

Lac caninum 200 and 1M have totally changed

him; after an initial attack of Bronchitis he has had

no further problems for one year now.

Thomas M., aged 3

The child shows soft, pale, slightly bloated features

and tenderly leans against his mother. Yet his eyes

sparkle brightly and he has a mind of his own. For

one year he has been suffering from

Neurodermatitis, which started on the legs and is

now generalized. Furthermore, he frequently

catches cold. He has a small appetite, prefers milk

and frequently wakes during the night.

Due to Thomas’ behaviour, the mother is

exhausted. Everything is so unpredictable and

contradictory. He is tender and approachable, but

then stubborn and aloof. He is afraid and on the

other hand cheeky. He does not like dogs. He is

timid, on the other hand unrestrained, beats other

children; when enraged he even shouts abuse at

adults.

Since taking Lac caninum 200, his skin and his

behaviour have improved markedly. An acute

bronchitis occurring after two months improved

rapidly after a second dose of Lac caninum 200.

For half a year, the child has been well balanced

and quiet. His skin is clear.

These three boys reveal typical organic

manifestations, the anxiety and the failure of Lac

caninum. The behaviour alternating between

tender, restrained, guarded conduct and violent

outbursts of rage becomes very evident in these

cases.

Two girls

Nada B., aged 12

The child has come because of Acute

Tonsillitis, far worse on the left side than on the

right, without fever, with a yearning for warmth.

The tonsils are large and show early signs of

suppuration. This is the third relapse within one

month. Uptill now, it was treated with Penicillin.

The history shows frequent sore throat and phases

of Neurodermatitis.

The girl is very fearful, particularly at night, in

the dark, thinking that something awful has

happened. When sleeping, she has nightmares and

screams. Her mother says meaningfully: ‘There

exists a conflict with the mother’. Even today, she

the eldest of three children - still sleeps in her

mother’s bed every night. She is extremely jealous;

by contradicting her constantly, she makes her

mother livid with rage. She is very ambitious, very

strict with herself, excessively clean.

The mother admits having made a great

mistake: upon the birth of this, her first child, she

forgot the entire world and even her husband. She

clung to the child, nobody else was allowed to

come near it.

Lac caninum 200, three doses on the same day,

cleared the Tonsillitis within four days. The girl

has totally changed, she is far more content. Within

one month she has become quiet. She sleeps well,

has hardly any more fears. With a further dose of

Lac caninum 1M, this state has now been

maintained for six months; the child has not been ill

again since.

Jaqueline K., aged 6

A pale child with pasty features, in particular

around the area of the nose, with eyes lowered and

a dreamy, sad, searching glance. She has been ill

all winter long with Otitis, week-long hypacousia,

Purulent Tonsillitis; has had frequent doses of

antibiotics.

The mother adds spontaneously: ‘We have this

problem with grandmother’. During the second and

third year of the child’s life, the grandmother took

half-day care of the child whilst the mother went to

work. The girl became emotionally dependent on

her, only asked for her, spoke all the time of her

and when at home, was unhappy, restless and

angry, rejected her home. A further problem was

her jealousy of her little sister, three years younger

than she. The mother spoke of a forced separation

from the grandmother in order to save the child

from her. Subsequently, the child has changed to

an increasing degree: she has become depressed,

unusually quiet, is unable to play, unable to assert

herself, sulks for hours and is cunning. She often

gives no answer, does not react to comforting

words. She frequently complains about being

bored. The mother describes her as ‘panically

inquisitive’, with ‘a compulsive inclination towards

or against certain people’. She has a restless sleep

and dreams of animals.

Lac caninum changed this child within three

days. She became livelier and more cheerful, can

occupy herself quite well, replies to questions, and

now defends herself. This has also been noticed in

the Kindergarten. Six weeks later, an ‘unusually

acute illness’ occurred with fever and heavy

mucous secretion which the mother herself

connected with the homeopathic medicine, since it

was severe and passed rapidly. The following day,

the child was well again. Another dose of Lac

caninum was given. The change in the child has

now lasted for six months; her expression is open,

lively and cheerful.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

129

With these two girls it has become obvious that

Lac caninum as animal remedy has a strong effect

on human physical urges. Both girls show

excessively strong ties with a female to whom they

relate, in one case with the mother, in the other with

the grandmother, this relationship being nothing

short of an emotional dependency. The mothers of

both girls describe it as a compulsive, instinctive

occurrence where a sentiment renders one

compulsive and constrained. On the other hand,

they observe massive fears in their children.

Anxiety-longing-inability

‘Believing onself to be held in contempt’: one

of the most impressive symptoms of Lac caninum.

People unable to find their place in this world,

unable to hold their ground. People escaping into

retreat, into refusal, into depression or travelling.

Is it the result of an unsuccessful, unhappy first

relationship with the mother, the result of a

suckling trauma? Is it an insatiable longing for the

symbiotic world of the beginning which has made

the person homeless in the here and now?

Those people tend then to enter into too close

an attachment, as is evident in the case of the two

girls. This produces an ambivalence, manifesting

itself in anxieties, in jealousy and boredom and in

sudden and unpredictable outbursts.

Lac caninum helps to give a soothing answer to

persons whose past is marked by a lack of security

and warmth. It is capable of strengthening them,

opening them up to a vision of the future, from

where a new impetus, vigour and hope may

emanate.

Notes and literature

Potencies used: Lac caninum C 200 and Lac

caninum 1M Korsakov, manufactured by Spagyra.

The eight cases mentioned are described in more

detail in Documenta 11, Vienna, 1991.

BECKER, JA. Lac caninum, tape cassette, Bad

Boll, 1988.

GNAIGER, j. Lac caninum, Documenta 10,

Vienna 1990.

LIEVEGOED, B.C. Entwicklungsphasen des

Kindes, Stuttgart 4, 1986.

=====================================

3. Drug Proving of Oenanthe crocata

LESIGANG, H. (BHJ. 81, 3/1992)

Oenanthe crocata, Hemlock water dropwort, is

a biennial Umbellifer found mainly in wet places

in the South-west of Europe, Morocco and India,

and scattered through the British Isles, though

mainly in the south and west. There has been no

drug proving so far, but it has been prescribed on

the basis of statements made by HAHNEMANN in

his Apotheker-Lexikon (1793) and of toxic

symptoms noted in cases of poisoning from

ingestion of the root. The most important active

principle in the root is Oenanthotoxin, a poly-

acetylene isomeric with the Cicutoxin of Cicuta

virosa. Oenanthotoxin is a convulsant. Poisoning

when the root was eaten, having been mistaken for

wild celery, parsnip or carrot, has caused

convulsions persisting for hours, with bloody froth

at the mouth and dilatation of the pupils. A sudden

onset is highly characteristic. The individual gives

a sudden cry as he falls to the floor, vomits and

loses consciousness. The colour of the face is

greenish. In less acute cases, inflammation,

burning pain and vesiculation in the mouth and

upper respiratory passages are followed by a

sensation of weakness, vertigo, restlessness, muscle

tremor and a sensation of coldness. These

symptoms were also noted in the drug proving.

Previous indications for Oenanthe crocata in

homeopathic use

Epileptiform seizures with sudden onset and no

aura. The attack starts with a cry. After the attack

the patient is somnolent, with speech frequently

inhibited. Attacks are particularly common during

the menses, in pregnancy, following trauma and in

children (VOISIN).

Drug picture of Oenanthe crocata

Previously, the drug picture included mainly

data from cases of poisoning and very few details

relating to the clinical use of the drug. Below is a

compilation of the main data from Hering’s

Guiding Symptoms of the Materia Medica and

Allen’s Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.

Mind and sensorium

Sudden and complete unconsciousness;

disturbances of intellect; mad and furious, as if

drunk. Extreme restlessness approaching to mania.

Hallucinations. Vertigo with nausea, with falling.

Giddiness with vast uneasiness and sickness at

Stomach, but no vomiting. Suddenly falls down

backward. Giddiness better from fresh air, doors

and windows must be open.

Head

Various kinds of Headache. Burning heat that

mounted to the head.

Eyes

Pupils first contracted, then dilated. Retinae

apparently insensible to light. Eyes much

inflamed. Eyelids spasmodically closed or half

closed. Disturbance of vision.

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Nose

Bleeding from nose.

Face

Rapid convulsive twitchings of muscles of

face. Face swollen and livid, with bloody froth

issuing from mouth and nostrils. Rose-coloured

spots on face.

Mouth

Convulsive movements of teeth. Tongue sore

and swollen, raw at tip and edges; blistered.

Gingiva also inflamed and blistered. Tongue

trembling.

Throat

Burning heat in throat. It is sore when he

swallows. Pressure on the throat gives pain.

Digestive tract

Loss of appetite. Desires cold drinks. Nausea

and vomiting. Burning sensation in stomach in

conjunction with Vertigo. Abdomen greatly

distended; belly greatly swelled; abdomen

distended like a balloon; swells with the

convulsions; colics; sudden desire for stool; also

bowels moved involuntarily.

Urogenital

Retention, but also copious urine.

Cardiovascular

Pain in the heart; pulse feeble, sometimes

accelerated.

Chest

Muscle spasms and pain.

Extremities

Rapid, convulsive twitching of muscles of

hands; sharp lancinating pains in both arms; titanic

spasms in forearms, ischialgiform pain in both

legs; cramp in calves; general numbness and

weakness of extremities.

HERING compares the drug with Cicuta, the

only other Umbellifer of which the root is used in

homeopathic medicine. With the other members

of the family, e.g. Conium, Aethusa and

Petroselinum, the whole plant is used, and in the

case of Asa foetida the resin.

The proving

A drug proving with Oenanthe crocata was

done in Austria in the Autumn of 1987 and Spring

of 1988. The method was as follows:

Having given their history, provers kept

records for a preliminary four days before they

started to take the substance (Oenanthe crocata 3x)

three times daily. Exhibition of the drug was to

continue for three weeks, with all symptoms

recorded in detail. After this, records would be

kept for a two-week follow-up period. In the

Spring, before the second proving phase started

(there had been a time interval of two or three

months since the first phase), provers were to give

a summary report of Phase One and any changes

noted since. In Phase Two, they would take the

30x once a day, and there would be a second

follow-up period. During both Phase One and

Phase Two, some of the provers were given

placebo pilules. Unfortunately six proving records

had to be excluded because an error was made in

assigning provers, with the result that these six had

been given placebo in both phases. The proving

was double-blind, so that neither the director nor

the assessors knew the substance under

investigation or the key used for assignment. The

substance was supplied by Dr. Gerhard Peithner

Co. We are again greatly indebted to Mrs

FLETZER, a member of their staff, for dispensing

the drug. The substance and the necessary

documents were issued to 38 subjects and 21

complete proving records were received, from

which the above six had to be excluded. One more

had to be rejected as it was incomplete. Fourteen

records were available for assessment, ten of them

from men and four from women. Nine subjects

proved only Oenanthe crocata 3x, that is, took

placebo in Phase Two; three proved only Oenanthe

crocata 30x, having been given placebo in Phase

One, and two subjects proved both Oenanthe

crocata 3x and Oenanthe crocata 30x, i.e. were

given the drug in both phases. All subjects were

physicians or medical students, their ages ranging

from 25 to 47. Two subjects discontinued the

proving early because of severe symptoms. One

subject stopped because of an acute infection

(Otitis treated with antibiotics) and later resumed.

Below, an attempt is made to establish a drug

picture from the proving symptoms that may be

assumed to be due to taking Oenanthe crocata.

Drug Picture of Oenanthe crocata based on the

Proving Symptoms

Mind

Indifferent; detached; apathetic.

Highly strung; restless; driven; dissatisfied;

better when alone. Tremor and tension also

apparent to others.

Thinks of many things she’d like to do all at

once. Lots of ideas, wants to change many things,

change the furniture round; would like to read but

unable to concentrate; wants to do lots of things

but does not manage to do anything. Feels rushed;

tired but does not go to bed. Fear of something

happening. Feeling as if hands or voice not her

own. Afraid of going mad; sees, or rather feels,

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other figures present; feels as if intoxicated; buying

craze, buys masses of jewellery.

Experiences self as incalculable, extremely

contentious; irritated; bouts of fury, hardly able to

control self; therefore stopped proving on 4

th

day.

Sad, weepy; could weep forever; sentimental

and full of self-pity (on the other hand feels well

and in balanced state of mind, though normally

tends to be depressed. The prover therefore took

the drug again for medicinal purposes two weeks

later).

Vertigo and feeling of insecurity; feels as if

walking on clouds, which is better in open air; as if

had cotton wool in legs; as if about to fall over.

Vertigo and nausea when walking, with sensation

of instability in feet; as if one were separate from

body.

Clumsiness; letting things drop. Subject is

always hurting self. Problem with concentration;

unable to listen properly, which is better in open

air.

Sleep and tiredness

Disinclined for anything in morning; awkward;

leaden tiredness in a.m., which is better in open air.

Leaden tiredness also after midday meal, Tired in

afternoons as well, every day. Tired at night; going

to sleep during a concert, for example, but then

unable to go to sleep; particularly keen to do things

during the night.

Does not want to go to bed, pity to waste the

time; would like to read and work; only going to

bed after 1 or 2 a.m.

Four subjects found they were at peak

performance and remarkably fresh in spite of

having had little sleep, when normally they feel

leaden in the mornings. (One woman prover also

noted this remarkable freshness during the

premenstrual period, when she would normally be

very tired and depressed).

Head

Feels as if swollen, as if blown up. If head

moves, feels as if liquid in head also moved.

Pounding pain above eyes, worse on movement and

better from pressure, particularly at night. Boring

or dragging pain in right and left temple during the

night and in the morning

Eyes

Burning of eyes; sensation of pressure in lids

or as if someone were pressing against the eyeball

from behind.

Visual disturbance; vision indistinct and

blurred; dots before the eyes; notable degrees of

photophobia.

Mouth

Herpes; vesicles on tip of tongue painful to

touch; sensation as if upper lip was swollen; mouth

dry in spite of taking plenty of liquids.

Nose

Tingling sensation in tip of nose; burning

sensation in left ala; frequent urge to sneeze but no

coryza.

Chest

Pressure in chest when breathing; spasmodic

contraction behind sternum (repeatedly in the case

of one prover), spasm continues for about 15

minutes.

Tables 1. Drug Proving of Oenanthe crocata in Austria in 1987 & 1988

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Potency of exhibition of Oenanthe

Oenanthe ______________ _____________________

No. Sex Age crocata from to

_____________________________________________________________________________________

6 F 33 3x 5 Dec 87 24 Dec 87

7 M 40 3x 10 Dec 87 1 Jan 88 and

30x 15 Mar 88 14 Apr 88

9 M 32 3x 1 Dec 87 21 Dec 87

12 F 25 3x 15 Dec 87 4 Jan 88

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17 F 25 3x 6 Dec 87 12 Dec 87 and

30x 28 Dec 88 3 Apr 88

18 F 25 30x 6 Mar 88 19 Mar 88

22 F 31 3x 12 Dec 87 21 Dec 87

24 F 29 3x 28 Nov 87 18 Dec 87

26 F 27 3x 8 Dec 87 24 Dec 87

27 M 26 3x 2 Dec 87 12 Dec 87 and, after a week’s pause

3x 23 Dec 87 29 Dec 87

31 F 30 3x 27 Nov 87 17 Dec 87

33 F 38 30x 7 Apr 88 10 Apr 88

34 M 42 3x 27 Nov 87 20 Dec 87

38 F 47 30x 28 Mar 88 15 Apr 88

25 May 88 12 Jun 88

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stomach

Hunger but no appetite or appetite but not

hungry. Gastric spasms after large or rich meal;

desire for vinegar or something spicy; aversion to

sweet things and fruit; increased thirst; nausea with

bouts of perspiration; retching and frequent

tenesmus. Nausea and sensation of fullness even

without having eaten.

Abdomen

Pain and flatus if sitting down for any length of

time, better from movement. Violent tenesmus in

the evening, at the same time urge to urinate, barely

able to hold stool; anal irritation.

Bladder

Has to urinate more frequently and larger

amounts than usually, which does not involve pain;

pain in bladder after getting feet cold, worse if heat

is applied.

Genital organs

Men: capacity for enjoyment of intercourse

enhanced.

Women: Increased libido, but feels exhausted after

intercourse.

Menses

Flow more prolonged than usual (up to two

weeks), an effect confirmed in a further attempt

with Oenanthe crocata 30x by one subject (record

No.38).

Menstruation delayed.

Extremities

Lancinating and dragging pain in extremities

concurrent with heaviness and sensation of

weakness.

Pain starts in the afternoon and gets worse in

the evening and during the night.

Sensation of numbness with tingling in arms

and hands, numb sensation first only in right palm,

then extending to right forearm with feeling of

heaviness. Sensation as if fingers on right hand

were thicker than those on left hand. Bruised

sensation in right wrist, then electrified sensation

along right forearm extending to fourth and fifth

fingers.

Tremor of fingers and hands at rest and when

working.

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Skin

Dandruff (one female subject actually had less

dandruff than usual during the proving, with hair

less greasy).

Temperature regulation

Dry heat all over, but also increased cold

shivers. Alternating between hot and cold.

Discussion

Although the previously known Oenanthe

crocata symptoms had been observed in cases of

poisoning, it was surprising how many of them

were confirmed in the proving. Physical symptoms

were the same with the 3x and the 30x. Among

mind symptoms, the tremor, tremendous

restlessness and feeling of being driven were noted

mainly with the 3x, the irritability an bouts of fury

with both the 3x and the 30x.

It is also worth comparing the drug picture

with those of umbellifers that have been known and

proved for some time, even if Cicuta is the only

other one where the root is used, as already

mentioned. Some details from the drug picture of

Conium may serve to illustrate this.

Conium maculatum, hemlock

Mind

Nervousness; morose; irritable; angry;

annoyed; indifferent; avoids people but afraid of

being alone, hypochondriasis; unable to sustain

mental effort, above all after waking up; nervous

debility with tremor and fainting; vertigo better

from eating; restless sleep.

Head

As if head too full; as if brain were to burst.

Eyes

Notable degree of photophobia; adaptation

difficult; pressure on lids, hardly able to raise them.

Cardiovascular

Weakness as if fainting; violent palpitations.

Digestive tract

Desire for sour and salty things; gastric

spasms; heartburn and gastric pain better from

eating (clinical symptom; in the proving the

symptoms appeared after meals); flatulence and

colics; Diarrhoea or constipation with frequent

tenesmus and feeling of weakness after stool.

Urogenital

Dysuria; pollakiuria; increased libido with

potency reduced; menses too early or suppressed;

general condition worse after intercourse.

Extremities

Tremor in extremities; muscular twitching and

spasms or even paralysis; little effort rapidly

exhausts. Insecure when walking; tremor and

weakness of legs; numbness and loss of sensation if

fingers and toes, tearing and dragging pain in

extremities better from movement.

Temperature regulation

Tendency to sweat.

Looking for the characteristic features of

Oenanthe crocata as distinct from Conium or

Cicuta, one notes above all the tremendous

restlessness and driven feeling. It is impossible to

do anything creative or work towards any goal, as

mind and body are all the time subject to fresh

stimuli that come flooding in. at the physical level

the response to this appears to be continual

twitching, tremor and fibrillation in separate parts

of the muscular system, with a feeling of numbness,

and absence of feeling during phases of exhaustion.

At the level of mind and spirit, the response is

marked irritability, lack of control and timidity.

Euphoric states (flood of ideas, buying craze,

increased activity) alternate with phases when the

subject is withdrawn, avoiding people, depressed,

weepy and full of self-pity. The environment is felt

to be remote, a sensation that may also extend to

the body itself (feeling as if her hands or voice are

not her own). The reactions to demands made on

the patient are fury and lack of control. He is

devastated when he becomes aware of his lack of

control and thinks he is losing his mind, but cannot

control himself. Continuous over stimulation

finally leads to profound exhaustion and tiredness.

There is no need to discuss the physical symptoms

in more detail as they were remarkably clear to the

subjects during the proving and confirm the

symptoms reported in cases of poisoning.

In view of the drug picture established in the

proving, it is suggested that use of Oenanthe

crocata should no longer be limited to the treatment

of epilepsy. Subjective or objective disorders of

fine motor functions, inability to sustain mental

effort, problems with concentration in conjunction

with the restlessness, irritability and driven feeling

that have been described, may well be considered to

be indicative of Oenanthe crocata in differentiated

drug diagnosis. Conium, which must be included in

the comparative analysis, has more symptoms of

rigidity and paralysis. With Cicuta, intoxication is

more to the fore, with Oenanthe crocata, fear,

restlessness and irritability.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

4. Interview with Professor A.R. KHUDA-

BUKHSH by MANFRED MUELLER

(AH. 13/2007)

A few years ago, I was asked to be a consultant

on the Research Review Committee and the

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Editorial Committee for an NIH educational grant

on reaching complementary and alternative

medicine at the Program on Integrative Medicine at

the University of North Carolina School of

Medicine, at the University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill, NC. While working with this group,

consisting mostly of medical faculty and staff, I

noticed that academic texts on Complementary and

alternative medicine are written almost exclusively

by academicians within conventional medicine – by

authors lacking practical or personal experience

with the field they write about. Furthermore, in the

research articles I reviewed for the project, I

repeatedly came across profound

misrepresentations of the basic homeopathic tenets

by established scientists who are writing about

Homeopathy.

I was pleasantly surprised to read, in 2003, an

article on Homeopathy by Prof. Anisur Rahman

KHUDA-BUKHSH in the Journal of Molecular

Chemistry entitled, “Towards understanding

molecular mechanisms of Homeopathy.” I was

impressed that he actually explained the laboratory

technique of potentization in this article, unlike

some of his western colleagues who seemed to

work hard to obscure the difference between simple

dilutions and potentization. Here was a scientist

who had thoroughly understood the theoretical

principles of Homeopathy. He was not only clear

about the key questions, but also had the ability to

communicate his understanding with clarity and the

necessary detail.

After reviewing a 2005 article on homeopathic

Cancer research, again, I was impressed with his

reasoning and his ingenious study design that

showed efficacy of homeopathic Cancer treatment

in artificially induced Cancer in mice. I read

several more articles by his team, and in June 2006,

I decided to contact him to let him know how much

I appreciated his contributions and to discuss with

him an idea for a study that would clarify some

theoretical questions on homeopathic treatment.

Prof. KHUDA-BUKHSH had published

several studies showing that classical homeopathic

remedies have shown protective effects in mice

with such induced tumors. I wanted him to

investigate the effect of the potentized dye on these

tumors to learn more about the tautopathic

hypothesis, and also if this dye could be an

effective treatment for Cancer. We have in our

Materia Medica two effective Cancer remedies

made from similar textile dyes – Methylene blue

and Congo red. Wouldn’t it be interesting to show

with modern investigative techniques if the clinical

observations of homeopaths prove correct!

He responded immediately and once we

discussed the study design, he revealed to me that

he was having difficulty obtaining good

homeopathic remedies for his research. I

contacted Michael QUINN of Hahnemann

Laboratories and asked if he could make p-

dimethylaminoazobenzene (p-DAB) in several

potencies. p-DAB is a yellow dye that is still

widely used in the textile industry in developing

countries. It is highly carcinogenic and, together

with Phenobarbital as a promoter, induces Liver

Tumors in mice in about 6 weeks. It took months

to have the medicines ready, after which I donated

them to KHUDA-BUKHSH’s project.

KHUDA-BUKHSH is somewhat of a

phenomenon. He has published nearly thirty

scientific articles in peer-reviewed medical journals

related to, or directly investigating homeopathic

treatment, including Cancer treatment, and yet

many homeopathic practitioners have never heard

of him. His investigations have shown strong

evidence that homeopathic treatment has a

biological effect, a fact that is still not widely

accepted among scientists. He has shown for

example that potentized medicines can cause

demonstrable protective and restorative reactions in

laboratory animals that have been poisoned with

Arsenic and Cadmium, and even in animals that had

artificially induced Liver Cancers.

I asked the Professor if I could conduct an

interview with him for the The American

Homeopath, to which he enthusiastically agreed. I

conducted the interview over the phone on June

14

th

, 2007. I found him to be an extremely humble

and gracious man who is quick to give others credit

for their accomplishments and downplay his own.

I have included a bibliography of his research

at the end of the interview.

MM: I appreciate being able to talk to you

today. I have reviewed your research and I’m

absolutely in awe of your work.

KB: It is a great pleasure to have the

opportunity of talking to you, sir.

MM: How did you become interested in

Homeopathy and how did you get started in this

kind of research? It’s widely neglected and a

highly specialized area.

KB: An accident brought me into this field. In

1980, I took a team of my students on an

educational excursion. We were about to set out

for a collection trip when suddenly one of my

students fell from a staircase and broke one of her

teeth. One of my students asked me, “Sir, we have

a vial of homeopathic medicine called Arnica

montana. Should I give her the medicine?” So I

thought, why don’t we try, because we do not have

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any medical practitioner nearby. Then what

happened is something I still remember. She gave

some globules at an interval of ten minutes’ time,

and the patient dramatically recovered from the

trauma and was ready to go with us. I was

surprised and wondered how I could test the

efficacy of such tiny globules. I thought I should

conduct some kind of experiment on a mammalian

model so I could extrapolate the results in humans.

I started reading some homeopathic books and

discussed the matter with a local practitioner, a

friend of mine. I learned that Arnica montana is a

tested remedy against shock and injuries. Then I

had a lot of sleepless nights designing my first set

of experiments.

The initial problem was how to inflict shock

and injury without killing the tiny creatures. I

zeroed in on the idea of giving it internal shock and

injury by exposing mice to x-ray radiation at a

moderate dose that would not kill them but be

strong enough to have visible, quantifiable effects

on their Genome. This experimental design had

several advantages. The dose of x-ray could be

controlled and monitored, and we could see the

effect on the mouse Genome periodically after x-

ray radiation had certain fixed intervals, keeping

suitable controls. Thus we could see the

modulations by Arnica montana, if any.

We adopted different scientifically accepted

cytogenetical protocols, because that was my

discipline. For example, we could study the type

and quantities of various chromosome damages,

number of broken chromosome parts, changes in

division rate on bone marrow cells, etc. We also

studied the morphological changes inflicted by x-

rays on sperm head morphology in both control and

drafted mice. We got encouraging positive results

in the very first set of experiments. Replicating the

experiments, we again got similar kinds of positive

results.

Subsequently, we designed experiments in

which mice would take Arnica montana prior to,

after, and both prior to and after x-ray radiation to

find out which kind of drug administration was

more efficacious. This was the beginning, and

since the area was new, I sensed a biologist could

play an important role in developing

multidisciplinary fields. The more I worked, the

more I fell in love with it, and I’m still on a long

journey.

MM: That’s fascinating. As you state in one

of your excellent papers, “Homeopathic research

requires an interdisciplinary approach: biology,

physics and medicine.” Could you briefly explain

why this is so, and how you are qualified to work in

these broad areas of research?

KB: I have said this because an important part

of research is to help understand the mechanism of

action of ultra-diluted homeopathic drugs, one of

the most debated subjects, and a reason why

Homeopathy is not considered as scientific by

many. The homeopathic remedies at or above 12C

potency do not contain even a single molecule of

the original raw substance. So how can this be

effective medicine? If you successfully show that

you have been able to remove the disease symptom

by homeopathic medicine, a non-believer will

simply tell you that the disease would have

perished anyway without the help of the remedy at

all. Even if someone concedes that the remedy

works, one will be asked to explain how it works,

how the medicinal property of the original mother

tincture can be transferred to and retained by the

aqueous alcohol vehicle.

The research necessary to understand this

aspect falls within the domain of the physicist, as

does the form in which the signal or information or

molecular imprint is stored. How the signal can

evoke similar response and be transformed into

active signals for various metabolic activities by

interacting with receptor molecules of the cell can

best be studied by a biologist. The various

psychological changes that modulate the disease

symptom back to recovery process, the various

psychosomatic factors and physiological processes

involved, the mind-body interactions can best be

explained by the medical researcher. I do not think

I am qualified to study the physical and medical

aspects with the same degree of authenticity and

accuracy, but being a faculty member of a

university I have colleagues in Physics and

Medicine. My co-researchers have Biochemistry

and Biophysics backgrounds. Time will tell

whether we have been able to make a mark in

research.

MM: Homeopathy is a very popular form of

medicine almost around the world, and many

homeopaths go about their business never

wondering about the scientific aspects. They see

clinical effect and that’s good for them. Why do

you think homeopathic research is important, and

what do you risk as a scientist by embarking on

homeopathic research as opposed to some more

conventional subject matters?

KB: That is good question. It’s important to

explain the mechanism of action of the ultra-high

diluted remedies within the boundary of existing

scientific knowledge, and to do research on all

aspects to get the whole picture. If we can establish

Homeopathy as a branch of science, then man will

get a unique system of Medicine, holistic in

approach, with inexpensive, non-toxic and easy-to-

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

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administer remedies which are used in micro-doses,

and without any known side effects. Most orthodox

remedies, as in Allopathy, are very toxic and

produce ill effects although they can possibly do

good by killing some organisms, pathogens. If we

establish Homeopathy as a science so people trust

it as one, then mankind will benefit.

This requires a tremendous effort from many

scientists, and there are bottlenecks. Funding for

research is inadequate and for most researchers is

inaccessible. Publishing well thought-out and well

designed works in mainstream peer-reviewed

reputed journals is also difficult. However, there is

some visible improvement in attitude in this regard

and a few mainstream journals of good standing are

not averse to the idea of publishing good research

findings. Sometimes motivating a researcher to

pursue an unknown, unproven path without any

gallantry of getting positive results makes the thing

very difficult. I should not fail to mention the

doubtful glances I receive from some of my

mainstream researcher friends. They express their

doubts about the truthfulness when positive results

are obtained, but not really when negative results

are reported.

MM: You and I have been in touch prior to

this interview. I helped you obtain some potencies

of p-DAB here in the United States, because I

understand this is difficult for you to get. Also, you

have had difficulty obtaining a published article in

the journal Research in Complementary

Medicine on research done by your own team. It is

surprising for me that you wouldn’t have direct

access to these journals, as a scientist running a

laboratory. Can you tell us about this situation

you’re working under and some of the day-to-day

difficulties and challenges you’ve encountered in

your work?

KB: Yes, it’s true to a great extent you know,

in this part of the world and perhaps in many other

countries. Homeopathic research is not considered

as real research, may be. But you can take our case.

We started our research in 1980 and could not

procure any funds until 2001. We somehow

managed to carry out our work during this long

period by utilizing some chemicals and glassware

purchased for other projects on mammalian or

mainstream research. Sir Richard THOMPSON of

Rayne Institute, England was very kind to

provide us with a small fund to work on arsenic

toxicity in mice and on homeopathic remedies. In

2004, Dr. Philippe BELON, director for Boiron

Laboratories, Lyon, France visited our laboratory

and recommended a collaborative project on arsenic

toxicity, which was generously granted by Dr.

Christian BOIRON. Soon thereafter, we also got a

fund from our own Indian government, Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare, an organization named

AYUSH, to test the efficacy of homeopathic drugs

in artificially induced mice Cancer model. We are

very glad to tell you that Boiron Laboratory has

extended the project, and now we are in a much

better position and hope to carry out more

sophiosticated research in future years.

MM: You’ve conducted a series of studies in

the use of homeopathic drugs in treating

malignant tumors in animals. What is the

significance of your findings for human Cancer

treatment with homeopathic drugs?

KB: Mouse is a very good mammalian model.

It has about 98% genetic similarity with humans,

and can be easily cultured, reared and maintained in

the laboratory with minimal cost. In the scientific

world, controlled experiments are done in mice and

data extrapolated for understanding in human

application. This is a common practice and

perfectly acceptable. Therefore, if a homeopathic

drug demonstrates anti-cancer potential in mice, it

can be presumed it will in human as well.

Replication of study by independent researchers on

other mammalian models for verification and

confirmation are necessary before actual human

application.

MM: I have seen undeniable positive clinical

effects from homeopathic treatment of Cancer

patients who are opting out of conventional care.

Can these observations be corroborated by science?

KB: It can be, but there are certain

complications in carrying our research with human

materials or subjects. Skeptics would demand

control subjects who don’t receive any medicine,

just to show that the positive effects of the

homeopathic drug was because of the drug

administration only. In cases like Cancer or

serious terminal diseases, is it possible to maintain

controls? Can we deprive the patient of real

medicine and give them placebos just to satisfy our

purpose of seeing that homeopathic medicines

work? I think this kind of scientific demand is

unethical. Controlled human studies can be done

with lesser diseases like Rhinitis or Migraine. It is

possible to show scientifically that homeopathic

medicines work in humans, and we have done some

research on human beings, on Thalassemia. You

yourself have also treated many patients with

various types of Cancer, so your pathological,

physiological test data could also reveal that they

have been cured to a large extent or they are having

a better quality of life. That is also scientific.

MM: In homeopathic Cancer treatment, we

have observed clinical benefits from constitutional

treatment, which is a kind of systemic treatment,

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

137

and we often find increased effects from alternating

with a more specific medicine that addresses the

location or corresponds to the tissue or other

factors. Did you find or do you know of any

scientific evidence to back such an approach?

KB: We have not worked with such a

perspective ourselves. But in our human trial or

arsenic-exposed people, we have noticed that a few

subjects provided with the constitutional remedy

along with Arsenicum 30 responded better. We

believe the constitution or miasm actually speaks

of the genetical makeup of the person, a

particular genetic constitution. Because

Homeopathy also considers the state of mind and

other psychosomatic factors along with the disease

symptoms in drug selection, I think constitutional

remedies can have greater influence on the genetic

system while the specific drug that you select as the

similar could give some added advantage.

MM: Many homeopaths have seen tumors

respond very well to low potencies in clinical

practice, and homeopaths such as R.T. COOPER

have advanced a technique using so-called

Arborivital mother tinctures of fresh plants, finding

them very effective directly on tumors, meaning

tumors would often recede during or as a result of

treatment. Others have found effects from very

high potencies. From a scientific point of view, are

there any data or findings suggesting different

levels of efficacy from various levels of

potentization in Cancer treatment?

KB: Now you raise questions in which

homeopaths differ. Some say mother tinctures act

better and some say potentized remedies are better.

In the various studies we have conducted,

particularly on the Cancer mice model, we have

seen that the mother tincture as well as the

potentized remedies act quite efficiently against the

Cancer, while the mother tincture showed better

efficacy in case of some symptoms or parameters of

study. The potentized medicines, the 30

th

potency

particularly, give a wide coverage of parameters

and are found to be suitably modified or positively

modulated with the 30

th

potency as well as the 200

th

potency. In certain cases, we were surprised to see

the 200

th

potency working better at longer fixation

intervals. We cannot generalize this, because

sometimes we found that at longer intervals of

fixation the mother tincture gave better results in

reducing tumors, particularly in mice.

We have not totally studied the mother

tinctures Chelidonium, Hydrastis, Carduus, and

others, nor have we published many data as yet, but

extensive studies have been done on both mother

tinctures and 30

th

or 200

th

potencies. Our general

belief is that both mother tinctures and potentized

forms can act at specific circumstances, and we

have some kind of differential functions of

modulations in respect of some specific parameters

of study. Suppose that you are studying tumor

incidence. May be the mother tincture is giving

better results. When you are studying the, say, liver

function test, may be the 30

th

potency is giving

better response than the mother tincture. Then you

are studying for the longer intervals, at four months

or three months, may be you find the 200

th

potency

giving better results. So, you’ll find the potentized

drugs are very efficacious. So is the mother

tincture. The Arborivital mother tinctures have a

lot of elements, which we are now studying, a lot of

alkaloids. We find with HPLC separation of

successive potencies some very interesting results

indeed. We have to check and recheck and we

maybe will be able to publish some good data in the

near future.

MM: In West Bengal, where you live, there

has been a problem with arsenic contamination in

the drinking water, a problem which you and your

team have studied. How are your findings relevant

to homeopaths, especially here in the United

States?

KB: If I’m not mistaken there are also a few

pockets in the US where people are at risk of

arsenic exposure. We have shown the efficacy of

several drugs antidoting the ill effects of heavy

metal poisoning – Arsenicum sulph against arsenic

poisoning, Cadm sulph against Cadmium

poisoning, Merc sulph against mercury poisoning.

It’s possible that individual toxicity can be dealt

with by potoentized forms of the remedy

originating from the same chemical. Further, our

research work on Thalassemia is very encouraging

in that there was additional benefit derived by

patients who had been on the chelator hydroxyl

urea. I think these are some of the studies which

have relevance to people around the globe,

including the US.

MM: A potency made from a substance that

produces an illness can remove that illness, even

induced Cancer. You’ve worked a lot with induced

Cancer in mice. As you have pointed out in one of

your articles, ROBERFROID, et al., tested this in

the laboratory and found that the 9C potency of

Phenobarbital could remove tumors induced by

that drug. Would you suggest that this effect is so

universal that it could be utilized systematically as

a homeopathic treatment when it is clear that the

effects of drugs or toxins have induced an illness?

KB: More research is necessary to come to a

conclusive idea about this, but it is one area which

is very promising. I feel yes, it is quite possible.

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

138

MM: And that’s true with all homeopathic

research, to make any final conclusions may be

premature, from a scientific point of view. Much

homeopathic research and certainly most scientists

appear to be hung up on the issue of the ultra-

diluted drugs, for example Edzart ERNST, who is a

prolific writer on alternative medicine, has

repeatedly emphasized the implausibility of

Homeopathy because we sometimes use drugs that

are diluted beyond Avogadro’s number.

Homeopaths have always maintained that a

potentized drug is something distinct from a drug

that is merely highly diluted. How would you best

explain this distinction to a skeptic or someone who

doubts Homeopathy or the high dilutions?

KB: This is again another issue in which

homeopaths themselves differ to some extent. To

Dr. ERNST only mother tinctures may be

efficacious, and when you dilute the medicine or

remedy beyond Avogadro’s limit, there is the

implausibility of Homeopathy. But I don’t believe

in that. It’s an over-simplification of Homeopathy

altogether. Yes, a potentized drug is something

very distinct from a drug that is merely diluted. It

is not a question of belief. We are examining this

question in the light of science, and we hope to give

some data for the non-believers to ponder over in

the near future.

MM: There’s some recent research by

ROSTUM ROY which examines the physical

properties of these potencies. Are you familiar with

that?

KB: Yes, he and Dr. Anagin STAPLES are

doing some research, and there are quite a few

researchers, like Louis RAY, WIEGAND, WISSIG,

who are doing good work on the physical aspects.

Although I feel we are venturing afield, we are

trying to make a little contribution as well.

MM: That also has to do with the whole

question of whether research in Homeopathy

should only focus on this issue, since Homeopathy,

as you say in one of your papers, is really more

than just potentized medicine. It also applies to the

Law of Similars. And the term “homeopathic” is

often applied for simply potentized drugs – people

refer to homeopathic drugs as potentized drugs, or

potentized drugs as homeopathic drugs. When we

see this in scientific articles, we have to ask if there

is confusion among the scientists, because the real

issue that they’re studying is not the homeopathic

hypothesis, but the ultra-dilution hypothesis.

Would you say in the animal research with rodents

that when you give a homeopathic remedy

Chelidonium or Carcinosinum, you’re testing

homeopathic treatment or just the ultra-dilution or

potentization hypothesis?

KB: In a way, both. In animal experiments,

you cannot take into consideration the

psychological factors or other symptomatic factors

which is possible in human research. We are

testing the ultra-dilution or potentization hypothesis

in a true sense in the animals but we are also testing

Homeopathy in a sense that in the Cancer case, we

are feeding the animals carcinogens which have

direct effects on liver so that the liver is in a

disorderly state. Some remedies like Chelidonium,

and other remedies like Carduus marianus and

Hydrastis have great effect on the liver. Since we

are giving a remedy directed towards protecting the

liver, we are testing the homeopathic principle.

We also want to test the ultra-dilution effect,

because the nonbelievers say it is the

psychosomatic or placebo effect that is the curative

force in human beings. Humans’ faith in the

system of medicine gets them cured. The animals

don’t have any type of faith in the medicine, but if

they are cured, that is system of testing that the

medicine is working. This is one way of

contradicting skeptics who suggest homeopathic

medicines are nothing but placebos. The animal

experiments are very important in proving both, I

think.

MM: That brings us to the action of

homeopathic medicines. How do they act in the

biological system? How do these potencies

actually trigger a response on the molecular and

cellular level? You published an excellent article

on this subject matter in 2003 and you also have

engaged in a point-counterpoint debate in the

December 2006 issue of the journal Integrative

Cancer Therapies. What is the current state of the

art with regard to the biological effect of

homeopathic potencies?

KB: The first problem is to understand the

molecular architecture of water. Many physicists

around the world are trying to ascertain the physical

chemical properties of potentized homeopathic

drugs by deploying various modern techniques –

UV spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic

resonance, HPLC analysis, radiospectroanalysis,

etc. The technologies are there to help these very

qualified scientists. Skilled biologists have proved

the efficacy of both crude and potentized forms of

remedies in well designed clinical and laboratory

research. Currently, research is at the molecular

and ultra-structural levels, so that the medicine’s

effects after it is administered on the tongue can be

tracked inside the body. Biological researchers are

now using state-of-the-art techniques like

immunoblots to study different subcellular ultra-

structural changes. Scanning and transmission

electromicroscopy, gelatin zymography, microarray

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

139

– these are all important techniques that can give

the scientist a breakthrough in understanding the

molecular mechanism of action of the homeopathic

drug.

Unless we understand the molecular

mechanism of the drug, skeptics or nonbelievers

will not accept Homeopathy as a science at all, and

that area of research is booming with activity. We

are trying humbly to add some contribution in this

field and to deploy the technological advances, now

that we are having some fund flow, taking up some

challenging research at the molecular and ultra-

structural levels, so that more critical detail of the

mechanism of the pathways of action of the drug

can be followed. We are now doing some research

on various Prokaryotes, Protozoans and other

organisms to understand more broadly at the

molecular level how the drugs act when primitive

organisms demonstrate distinctive responsive

mechanisms to the homeopathic remedies.

MM: There has been a surge of activity in

homeopathic Cancer studies in the US, notably a

team of researchers associated with the Samueli

Institute and in collaboration with the Bethesda,

Maryland and Houston, Texas medical centers.

Some of this research was published in Integrative

Cancer Therapies. What can you say about those

studies? Some of them have found only marginal

efficacy from homeopathic drugs in the treatment

of tumors. What is different about their approach

and findings?

KB: Dr. WAYNE JONAS is a respected

personality in homeopathic research, and I admire

his research and approach. He is trying to give

some credibility to homeopathic research by being

cautious in his approach so he can make an impact

on the mainstream researchers. The results they are

getting should be convincing enough for the

mainstream researchers. They must publish their

results, but we are also publishing what we are

getting, and we are honest and sincere about our

results. There may be some difference in

experimental protocols, conditions, or biological

materials which could lead to differences in results.

We long to see our work replicated by other. If we

are biased in our research protocols or observations,

correction can only be possible when other

researchers with expertise in these techniques

repeat our experiments. That is when our work can

be evaluated and confirmed or refuted. All research

should be directed to revealing the truth, and we are

for revealing the truth and the truth only. We

respect others’ research, and we respect our own. If

we are getting something, then we are getting it,

then that’s it.

MM: In a recent editorial in the current – June

2007 – issue of the German peer-reviewed journal

Research in Complementary Medicine

(Forschende Komplementärmedizin), John IVES

of the Samueli Institute for Information Biology,

in Alexandria, VA, and James GIORDANO, with

the Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown

University Medical Center in Washington, DC,

launch considerable criticism against the

methodology of one of your studies (Pathak, et al.)

also published in that same issue. The authors of

the editorial invoke the notion of trust as extended

in scientific work and name the lack of double

blinding on the part of your staff who administered

the remedies in your research. They address the

fact that you have found almost across the board

positive efficacy. What do you say to this

criticism?

KB: I thank them for printing an editorial on

that article, which they must have considered

important. John is a good friend, and is entitled to

his views. He visited our laboratories, not in

context of this research. Someone has to feed the

mice the carcinogen. How can they be blind if they

are feeding those mice carcinogens? It cannot be

double-blind. My two coauthors feed the mice.

They were not allowed to observe the parameters of

study, not informed about which slide they were

dealing with. Is it a slide from placebo-fed or from

the drug-fed? They had no information in that

regard. For all practical purposes, this was a

blinded experiment, but one has to criticize some

points and I take it sportingly. Not all they have

stated are against our findings. They have also

pointed out that this could open up other avenues

and start dialogue among researchers, and lead to

replication. In my paper, I requested many

researchers to carry out these studies and see if they

get these results. We can repeat the experiments.

But if we repeat and find the same results,

questions still prevail. That is why we left it to

other people to test, verify, and either confirm or

refute. For any good discovery, there should be a

storm of criticism, followed by either acceptance or

followed by the act of truth. We feel enthused,

excited and encouraged to carry on with our

research and to prove again and again that there is

truth in whatever we have written in that paper.

MM: The Samueli Institute group published

a study that was funded by DARPA, an agency of

the US Department of Defense, that – reviving the

so-called “Benveniste affair” – employed a novel

approach to eliminate research bias. I cite a social

component that included psycho-social and conflict

resolution experts. What do you think of such an

approach, and does homeopathic research require

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

140

special assistance from experts such as professional

skeptics, psychiatrists, or even magicians, as in the

case of the Benveniste controversy?

KB: Well, everybody is entitled to one’s

views. Why don’t you raise such questions when

you are performing experiments with other systems

of medicine? Do you believe others when they’re

doing such experiments that they’re 100 percent

sure of their findings? Why treat homeopathic

research as a distinctly different branch of research?

Research has no boundaries. You cannot single out

homeopathic research to be full of unfounded

ideas. Consider what GALILEO said. The entire

world disbelieved him and he was proved correct

after hundreds of years. People thought

FARADAY was just dancing the muscles of a frog,

but people really danced to the tune of electricity

afterwards. We should view things in their proper

perspective. I do not have any objections to

including some Psychiatrists, Magicians, Skeptics,

but may I know what scientific role they are going

to play? It may be a good idea for some people, but

I don’t know how practicable this could be to all

homeopathic researchers around the world. How

many magicians will there be to help me? How

many Psychiatrists who have a firsthand knowledge

of HPLC, of Southern blotting, Western blotting

techniques? They don’t have any knowledge in this

regard. All they can do is challenge any and every

bit of research. This is something of a novel idea, I

would say. Let some people try this method and

see whether it gives credibility to this controversial

research.

MM: I am immensely grateful for the work

you do, and I wonder, how can the world

homeopathic community support you in your

work?

KB: There are seldom established

homeopaths like yourself who like to learn from

the researchers of Homeopathy. First, there

should be a conscious effort on the part of

homeopaths who earn their living through

Homeopathy to raise and provide funds for

researchers with proven abilities. They should be

given opportunities to exchange views with the

homeopathic fraternity in international seminars,

not to speak about their own research only but also

to learn about Homeopathy. In time there could be

an interface between the homeopathic practitioners

and scientists. Homeopathic practitioners should

keep scientific data of their clinical researches and

publish in peer-reviewed journals for the benefit of

scientists.

MM: Thank you very much for this

conversation.

ARTICLES BY PROFESSOR A.R. KHUDA-BUKHSH

1. BANERJEE P. BISWAS SJ, BELON P.

KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. A potentized

homeopathic drug Arsenicum album 200, can

ameliorate genotoxicity induced by repeated

injections of arsenic trioxide in mice. J Vet

Med A Physical Pathol Clin Med. 2007 Sep;

54 (7); 370-376.

2. BELON,P, BANERJEE A., KARMAKAR SR.

BISWAS SJ, CHOUDHARY SC,

BANERJEE P, DAS JK, PATHAK S, GUHA

B, PAUL S, BHATTACHARJEE N, KHUDA-

BUKHSH AR. Homeopathic remedy for

arsenic toxicity? Evidence – based findings

from randomized placebo-controlled double

blind human trial. Sci Total Environ. 2007 Oct

1; 384(1-3): 141-150. Epub 2007 Jul 12.

3. BANERJEE P., BISWAS J., BELON P.

KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. A potentized

homeopathic drug, Arsenicum album 200, can

ameliorate genotoxicity induced by repeated

injections of Arsenic Trioxide in Mice. J Vet

Med 2007 A 54, 370 376.

4. BELON P., BANERJEE P., CHOUDHURY

SC., BANERJEE A., BISWAS SJ.,

KARMAKAR SR., PATHAK S., GUHA B.,

CHATTERJEE S., BHATTACHARJEE N.,

DAS JK., KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Can

administration of potentized homeopathic

remedy, Arsenicum album, alter antinuclear

antibody (ANA) titer in people living in high-

risk arsenic contaminated areas? I. A

correlation with certain hematological

parameters. Evid Based Complement Alternat

Med. 2006 Mar; 3(1): 99-107. Epub 2006 Jan

23.

5. BHATTACHARJEE N., PATHAK S.,

KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Amelioration of

carcinogen-induced toxicity in mice by

administration of a potentized homeopathic

drug, Natrum sulphuricum 200. eCAM 2007;

Page 1 of 1.

6. BISWAS SJ., KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Effect

of a homeopathic drug, Cheldonium, in

amelioration of p-Dab induced

hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. BMC

Complement Alternat Med 2002; 2:1 16.

7. BISWAS SJ., PATHAK S., KHUDA-

BUKHSH AR. Assessment of the genotoxic

and cytotoxic potential of an anti-epileptic

drug, Phenobarbital, in mice: a time course

study. Mutat Res. 2004 Sep 12; 563(1): 1-11.

8. BISWAS SJ., KHUDA-BUKHSH AR.

Evaluation of protective potentials of a

potentized homeopathic drug, Chelidonium

majus, during azo dye induced

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

141

hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. Indian J Exp

Biol 2004; 42:698-714.

9. BISWAS SJ., PATHAK S.,

BHATTACHARJEE N., DAS JK, KHUDA-

BUKHSH AR. Efficacy of a potentized

homeopathic drug, Carcinosin 200, fed along

and in combination with another drug,

Chelidonium 200, in amelioration of p-Dab

induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. J

Altern Complkement Med 2005; 11: 839-854.

10. DATTA S., MALLICK P., KHUDA-

BUKHSH AR. Efficacy of a potentized

homeopathic drug (Arsenic album 30) in

reducing genotoxic effects produced by arsenic

trioxide in mice: Comparative studies of pre-,

post- and combined pre- and post-oral

administration and comparative efficacy of two

microdoses Comp Ther Med 1999; 7: 62-75.

11. DATTA S., MALLICK P., KHUDA-

BUKHSH AR. Efficacy of a potentized

homeopathic drug (Arsenicum album 30) in

reducing genotoxic effects produced by arsenic

trioxide in mice: II. Comparative efficacy of

an antibiotic, actinomycin D alone and in

combination with either of two microdoses

Comp Ther Med 1999; 7: 156-116.

12. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR and BANIK S.

Assessment of cytogenetical damages in X-

irradiated mice and their alternations by oral

administrations of a potentized homeopathic

drug, Ginseng-200 Berlin J Res Hom 1991;1:

254-263.

13. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR and MAITY S.

Alternation of cytogenetical effects by oral

administration of a homeopathic drug, Ruta

graveolens in mice exposed to sub lethal X-

irradiation Berlin J Res Hom 1990; 1: 264-274.

14. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Potentized

homeopathic drugs act through regulation of

gene expression: a hypothesis to explain their

mechanism and pathways of action in vivo

Comp Ther Med 1997; 5: 43-46.

15. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Towards

understanding molecular mechanisms of action

of homeopathic drugs: An overview Mol Cell

Biochem 2003; 253: 339-345.

16. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Laboratory Research

in Homeopathy: pro. Integr Cancer Ther

2006; 5:320-332.

17. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. The efficacy of

potentized homeopathic drug in combating

arsenic poisoning a suggestive scientific probe

In Manna GK and Roy SC. (Eds.) Perspectives

of Cytology and Genetics 2001; 10: AICCG

Publishers 231-239.

18. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Towards

understanding molecular mechanisms of action

of homeopathic drugs: An overview. Mol Cell

Biochem 2003; 253: 339-345. 32.

19. KHUDA-BUKHSH AR., PATHAK S., GUHA

B., KARMAKAR SR, DAS JK., BANERJEE

P., BISWAS SJ., MUKHERJEE P.,

BHATTACHARJEE N., CHOUDHURY SC.,

BANERJEE A., BHADRA S., MALLICK P.,

CHARABARTI J., MANDAL B. Can

homeopathic arsenic remedy combat

poisoning in humans exposed to groundwater

arsenic contamination?: a preliminary report on

first human trial. Evid Based Complement

Alternat Med. 2005 Dec; 2(4):537-548. Epub

2005 Oct 19.

20. KUNDU SN., MITRA K., KHUDA-BUKHSH

AR. Efficacy of a potentized homeopathic

drug (Arsenicum albymn 30) in reducing

cytotoxic effects produced by arsenic trioxide

in mice:IV. Pathological changes, protein

profiles, and content of DNA and RNA Comp

Ther Med 2000; 8: 157-165.

21. KUNDU SN., MITRA K., KHUDA-BUKHSH

AR. Efficacy of potentized homeopathic drug

(Arsenicum album 30) in reducing genotoxic

effects produced by arsenic trioxide in mice: III

Enzymatic changes and recovery of tissue

damage in liver Comp Ther Med 2000; 8: 76-

81.

22. MALLICK P., CHAKRABARTI J., GUHA

B., KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Ameliorating

effect of microdoses of a potentized

homeopathic drug. Arsenicum album, on

arsenic-induced toxicity in mice BMC

Complemen Altern Med 2003; 3: 7-16.

23. MITRA K, KUNDU SN., KHUDA-BUKHSH

AR. Efficacy of a potentized homeopathic

drug (Arsenicum album 30) in reducing toxic

effects produced by arsenic trioxide in mice: I.

on rate of accumulation of arsenic in certain

organs Comp Ther Med 1998; 6: 178-184.

24. MITRA K., KUNDU SN., KHUDA-BUKHSH

AR. Efficacy of a potentized homeopathic

drug (Arsenicum album 30) in reducing toxic

effects produced by arsenic trioxide in mice: II.

On alteration of body weight, tissue weight and

total protein Comp Ther Med 1999; 7: 24-34.

25. PATHAK S., BHATTACHARJEE N., DAS

JK., CHAKI CHOWDHURY S., ROY

KARMAKAR S., BANERJEE P et al.

Supportive evidences for anticancerous

potential of an alternative medicine in

hepatocarcinogenesis of mice. Res Com Med.

June issue, 2007; 14:132.

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142

26. PATHAK S., DAS JK., BISWAS SJ.,

KHUDA-BUKHSH AR. Protective potentials

of a potentized homeopathic drug,

Lycopodium 30, in ameliorating azo dye

induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. Mol

Cell Biochem 2006; 258: 121-131.

=====================================

5. ASPECTS OF THE MIND OF HELODERMA

(MENTAL SYMPTOMS)

(CHARACTERISTICS WHICH POINT TO

HELODERMA)

Symptoms of disposition and mind, modalities,

physical symptoms.

Dr. Dietmar PAYRHUBER

Following symptoms became apparent during

the observation of several cases indicating

Heloderma and showing good results due to

Heloderma.

The personality is not as open as Phosphor

(one person reminded of Phosphor in many aspects

of behaviour and appearance), not as sparkling, but

more reserved, composed.

Feelings are present which disclose a certain

passion, the person reveals himself/herself after

gaining some trust, but the feelings are composed,

and glimmer rather than being expressed

immediately. There is a certain passion.

This reserved manner entails some caution,

which can go as far as timidness, but is carried by

reserved emotional involvement. In spite of this the

character in a way can be described as being open.

There is a reserved enthusiasm, an inner

understanding with the partner, which is not

immediately fully expressed.

On the other hand there is a certain

inquisitiveness. Interest in the new and also the

unusual, strange and unknown (e.g. travel, stock-

exchange investment, painting, shopping, dance).

Great sensitivity to colourful impressions.

As Causticum, Heloderma is also able to stand

up for his/her own rights as well as the rights of

others but not with the same fanaticism.

Everything is quieter, more fluid, temperated.

Under circumstances it withdraws: If it is

tricked, hurt or treated unfairly, Heloderma can

suffer deeply and there is great sadness. It suffers,

but there is a great elasticity and toughness in the

emotional sphere and he/she is able to recuperate.

A deep sadness can temporarily exist in this

case. Principally Heloderma wants peace in the

surroundings, but is able to fight for the own rights

and those of others. If hurt, it is not shown, but

suffered.

There is also a tendency to withdraw from

conflicts, in which case Heloderma dose not show

hurt (“the other person should not notice it”).

- “very sensitive! But nobody knows!”

- “if her heart has been broken she will leave the

other person, in spite of great pain withdrawal is

surer”, also: “defends himself/herself to the end!”).

protection is found in withdrawal; great capability

to recuperate in this depression, more a capability

of great suffering which is not shown on the

outside.

Heloderma keeps its feeling of responsibility

towards the weaker and takes over the role of

leader, while immediately withdrawing if someone

stronger is able to take the responsibility (great

feeling for hierarchy).

(A patient, who coped with bankruptcy and

great problems in the family, withdraws as soon as

her husband is able to deal with all the problems).

As already mentioned there is an interest for

new things, a certain curiosity, Heloderma accepts

authority, and is able to adapt and submit.

Objective, suitable for office work, is a good judge

of values, but submits the own set of values to those

of the boss. Loyalty is strong.

One can say a strong tendency to the collective,

to groups and to authority, the special attracts.

It is therefore understandable that Heloderma

is sympathetic, especially if others are treated

badly, in which case Heloderma helps. When

problems arise within his relatives (serious human

fates) he reacts in a collected manner and tries to

organize the matter to the best of his ability. Very

upset and sympathizing for example in the case of

experiments with animals, funerals, weddings.

Sexuality is experienced without bourgeois or

religious conventions. A relationship is possible

outside of marriage. There is a good relationship

with the married partner and one is careful not to

hurt this partner. In this way it is possible for two

(or more) partners to exist at the same time, without

a bad conscience arising, as each of the partners is

respected for him/herself.

On the physical level there can be an extreme

sensitivity to cold (wind, draft, especially cold air,

also breathing in cold air worsens). “When it is

cold and damp and snowing I go swimming

because the (warm) water can never be as cold as

air”.

Equally strong is the improvement through dry

warmth (dry and warm sand, sun) and also due to

tropical warmth.

Pain in the muscles through constant

movement, pain goes from outside to centre,

making her sit down on the pavement. The pain

lessens after days and in warmth. Respiratory

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problems in case of exertion, especially in cold air.

The same complaints if cold liquid is drunk.

Trembling of muscles. Bone and joint pain in the

cold. Great tenseness in the cold.

There are too few observations to state that

great changes in the standard of life, so-called

existential changes (loss of family ties), are

responsible for the complaints.

(Presented in the 47

th

Congress of the LMHI at

CORDOBA 1992).

[It is not clear as to the basis on which the author

has given this mental study. Are these cases cured?

If not, how? = KSS].

=====================================

6. THE MYTH OF STAPHYSAGRIA

GOAD Sharon (SIM. XIII, 2/2000)

What is the real picture of the Staphysagria

patient? Is the 19

th

century male view of this

medicine relevant? Is the sexual side even part of

the picture, or is it the aversion to sex which should

be emphasized in understanding the remedy? I am

aware of the polarities which are seen in many

remedy states, but even that angle doesn’t fit for

many patients I’ve seen who have definitely needed

the remedy. My proposition is that ANGER is the

key word, and sex is somewhere in small type.

I first encountered Homeopathy while living

in Asia. A Dutch neighbour had given my husband

Arnica after he had broken several ribs. His

recovery was amazing. The Arnica dealt with the

pain, there were no side effects and the initial

bruising disappeared. When I returned to England

a year later both my feet were covered in warts, and

my right hand had also sprouted thirty cauliflower

warts. I had not wanted to return to England. I had

left a wonderful life in Asia. In England, with these

hands, I wasn’t able to teach. The hand was

unsightly as well as extremely painful and the warts

on my knuckles bled when I flexed my fingers.

I was overwhelmed with blackness and my

normal routes to recovery didn’t work. I presented

an acceptable face until my husband and son left

the house and then the tears and anger and

frustration returned. Digging the garden, walking

up hills and biking for miles did no good, just

made me tired enough to escape into sleep. I could

have gone to a doctor but I knew that their answer

would be Valium and some wart remover. As for

the warts, I had already tried burning them off,

moxa treatment and caustic acid. I had spit on them

at dawn, urinated on them and sold them, and they

only multiplied.

I had seen a brass plate on a door in town

saying “homeopath” and I made an appointment.

The first remedy prescribed, Sepia, did nothing, but

the second remedy, Staphysagria, was miraculous.

Within hours this black depression had lifted, and

in three weeks the warts had just dissolved. I

hadn’t felt this well in years! I scurried round to

the health food shop and found a book on

Homeopathy, and began reading it at Staphysagria.

It made me sound like a raving nymphomaniac,

which is what I said to the homeopath on my

return visit. He smiled indulgently and said, “Well,

that is a bit exaggerated but I expect sex is near the

top of your list.” I was too embarrassed to say that

sex wasn’t even at the bottom of my list of thoughts

– in fact, it wasn’t on the list at all, and hadn’t been

a priority for many years. Nonetheless I felt so

wonderful I was willing to forgive the mistake and

read everything I could find on what I considered

“this new medicine.”

I began my formal studies two months later.

Throughout the training, the Staphysagria patient

was still depicted as hypersexual, “a tart,” and I

always felt slightly embarrassed when owning up to

having taken it. We all have our prejudices…

Years of practice later, I wonder how this

superb remedy got its reputation, and how many

times I have missed using Staphysagria, and

prescribed Natrum muriaticum or Sepia or

something else instead.

Case 1

I first prescribed it to a young man who

presented with phantom pains in his amputated

fingers which he thought were worse from cold, but

it was winter and he had only started to experience

the pains although the fingers had been gone for

eight years. He had just gone through a particularly

nasty separation, where his wife, whom he had

doted on, left him “because it wasn’t any fun

anymore.,” he was like a tightly coiled spring, but

terribly polite. He was also everyone’s helper, the

person who always said yes when anyone asked for

help with their car, house, whatever. He never said

no to anyone, and that included his wife and

children.

Plan: Staphysagria 200C.

Case 2

A woman, a marathon runner who, a month

after being chased by a stranger in a wooded park,

was reduced to crawling to bed on her hands and

knees. I first gave her Hydrogen, which appeared

to fit all her symptoms. It lifted the dullness in her

thinking but brought out the Staphysagria picture of

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144

anger, outrage, indignation. She was also

constantly being bitten by mosquitoes when no one

else was being bothered. She slept with a fan on

her face but still woke with a swollen eye or lip

from bites. She was 42 years old, unmarried, and

had no more than a wholesome interest in sex.

Plan: Staphysagria 200 C.

Case 3

A female homeopath. She lives in another

state, so it was a phone consultation, otherwise I

would have just given her the remedy without

disclosing its name. When I said Staphysagria, she

just laughed, for the first time during that

consultation, and said “Staphysagria is not my

remedy. I know Staphysagria, and sex is not an

issue. In fact my sexual energy is so low it doesn’t

exist. Not only does it not exist I can’t even think

why one could be bothered to think about it!”

Plan: Staphysagria 200 C.

She phoned a week later and said “You have

given me a whole new picture of Staphysagria, and

thank you!”

Case 4

A three and a half-year-old girl. She was the

sweetest, most charming child I have ever treated.

She came in, took my extended hand and walked

over to the sofa. She answered all my questions

politely and carefully while eyeing a basket of toys.

Finally when I hesitated momentarily she said

“Could I please go play with the toys now?”

I looked questioningly at her mother. She had

said on the phone that her daughter “wiggles all the

time” and I had prepared myself for the type who

tear around the room hanging off the rafters.

“Wiggling,” it turned out, was the mother’s polite

way of saying masturbation. She had been toilet

trained for two years, but insisted on wearing a

diaper at night so she could rub against it. “During

the day I find her using the arm of the sofa or even

her hands. She is starting play school and I’m not

sure what to do. I try to tell her this isn’t nice, and

she smiles and says ‘It’s nice.’ ” From every other

point of view the child was perfect or more than

perfect. There were never any fights when she was

around because if another child wanted a toy she

would hand it over and find something else.

Bedtime, bath, everything, whatever! She was a

realk pleaser. She had been born out of wedlock to

a mother who loved her, but her father didn’t want

a daughter and wouldn’t have anything to do with

her until she was 18 months old.

Plan: Staphysagria 30C.

10 days later I received a phone call from the

girl’s mother. The wiggling had intensified for a

few days and then stopped, but her behaviour had

changed. “She’s become more like an ordinary

child, standing up even to her older cousins. She

even got into a temper when my husband was angry

with me. She wouldn’t talk to him at all, but they

are now beginning to form a new relationship.”

In all of these examples, Staphysagria was

curative. I have more examples, none of which

show anything but a healthy normal or low interest

in sex. It is interesting that the only one of my

cases which showed the legendary sexual appetite

of Staphysagria should be a three-year-old child. Is

it time for this legend to be buried?

Sharon goad studied in England and graduated

from the British School of Homeopathy in Bristol.

She now lives in the foothills of the coastal range

near Yamhill and practices classical Homeopathy

from home. Her clients include both people and

animals.

Editor’s Note: Curious about the point raised by

Sharon GOAD’s article, I checked in T.F.

ALLEN’s Encyclopaedia of Materia Medica

Pura to examine the origin of the sexual

symptomatology attributed to Staphysagria. The

proving was conducted by HAHNEMANN. It

includes, under male genitalia, the following

symptoms: “Erections, without lascivious thoughts

and without emission, the whole night. Excessive

erections, all night, without emission (after 16

hours). …. The primary action causes great sexual

desire; in the secondary effect or reaction of the

organism (after five or six days) there follows

indifference and total lack of sexual desire, both in

the sexual organs and in the emotions. …An

emission, at night, without dreams. An emission

during the afternoon sleep, the like of which had

not happened in 30 years, in an old man (after 12

hours). Emission three nights in succession.

Emission five nights in succession, always with

lascivious dreams.”

No symptoms of sexual arousal are listed under

female genitalia.

I have two thoughts about the issue Sharon

brings up.

First, since the original proving pointed to a

sexual focus as an indication for the remedy,

homeopaths have been looking for related

elements in patients who might need the remedy for

about 200 years. Other patients who may needed it,

but did not present with notable sexual issues, may

not have been identified. (The picture is

complicated further, relative to our contemporary

perspective, by the prevalent 19

th

century beliefs

about the dangers of masturbation which color

many accounts of the remedy.)

Second, the major issue for Staphysagria may

well indeed be “ANGER,” as she proposes. Note,

however that the intimate connections of sexuality

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145

in our lives with power issues, gender conflict,

marital and familial difficulties and abuses, with

hopes, dreams, judgements, betrayals and

disappointments, tie it to countless situations which

anger is a major byproduct. While many

individuals free of sexual issues may also need the

remedy, unquestionably numerous others with

significant imbalances or injuries in this sphere

have experienced great benefit from Staphysagria.

The case which follows is typical of many

which have perpetuated the “myth” of the highly-

sexed and/or sexually wounded Staphysagria

patient.

=====================================

7. A CASE OF STAPHYSAGRIA

MINICUCCI, Anne Marie (SIM. XIII, 2/2000)

M.T., a 40 year-old woman, came to see me in

May, 1994, for Anemia with severe depletion of her

stores of iron.

“My childhood was determined by my mother

being sick all the time with back problems. She

had three major back operations, the first when I

was three years old, right after my sister was born.

When mother came home from hospital, she

couldn’t hug or hold me, and I couldn’t hug or even

lean against her leg, everything hurt her. My father

was a Wall Street lawyer, absent all the time.

When I was four we got a nanny who lived with us

and raised us like a mother. I was not very happy

as a child, spent a lot of time at friends’ houses.

They never came to my house. My mother was

scary and severe, and we lived in a big, cold, not

very friendly house.”

As a child she was vaccinated against Polio,

Small pox Tetanus, and Diphtheria. She had a

history of childhood illness including Measles.

German Measles, Mumps, Chicken Pox, and

Pleurisy around age 10 or 11. She was constipated

as a child and remained so as an adult.

“My brother, three years older, and his friends

sexually abused me when I was eight or nine years

old.”

“My brother urinated inside me while his

friends watched. I wanted affection and attention

so I allowed it. I cried a lot after this; family called

me the leaky faucet. I knew I’d done something

bad, really damaging; I couldn’t tell my parents,

and I felt angry that my mother wasn’t available.”

“As a teenager, I became anorexic at age 12 or

13. starvation stuff, I lost my period and became

anemic, I still am, Mother focused on our bowels,

stood over us while we were on the toilet watching

to see if we went B.M. She’d pay us if we pooped!

Anorexia was a cry for attention.”

“As a teenager I wrote award-winning poetry.

My parents would respond to the awards, but not to

the poetry. Years later, when my therapist read this

poetry, she said it was evident that I’d been

sexually assaulted and needed help.”

I was sent away to an all-girl boarding high

school; I did not want to go. That’s when I started

binge-eating and vomiting. I did drugs,

Hallucinogens and Cocaine at age 14 to 16. At 17,

I was ambivalent about my sexuality and

experimented with girls at school. I was interested

in men but it just didn’t happen with them. The

school was a total prison; I graduated in three years

and spent the next year in Africa and Switzerland.”

“I went to Africa with my female lover. We

were both messed-up, depressed and unhappy from

that school experience. While there, I lived and

worked as a teacher and set up programs for

convicted criminals. I was pretty healthy there;

after that year in Africa, I came back and went to

Hampshire College where I met and lived with a

boyfriend. Every sexual experience was

humiliating at this time.”

I left college after three years and got involved

with a group of radical political activists. I moved

to the northeastern U.S., where I was involvedwith

ex-cons and Vietnam War vets who were forming

an underground revolution. They were seriously

violent, planning to bomb buildings and rob banks.

I gave them $50,000 of my inheritance for the

cause. Most of them are dead or in prison now. I

was indicted but got off. These activists were my

angry voice; the real fury was at my birth family. I

was never direct in my anger.”

“Then I had a very bad car accident to extricate

myself from this group. I was in the hospital 10

days with a fractured pelvis and a left leg broken in

three places. The cast was on for a long time and it

took a year to heal. Then I went back to New York,

entered nursing school and lived with a man who

was abusive physically. During this time, I was

hospitalized for urinary retention and urinary tract

problems. I think it had to do with Herpes; I don’t

get them actively anymore. I had them for a year at

that time. I was bisexual, promiscuous, anyone

who liked me was great. I had no sense of myself

at all. I wasn’t abusing drugs, but I did drugs,

Cocaine, Alcohol and Tobacco. I was a stress

bulimic.”

“After nursing school, I worked and got in

psychoanalysis four times a week for six years; not

the right form of therapy for me. Then, at age 30, I

met my husband. We had a hot, heavy, quick

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courtship, and got married after knowing him only

nine months, and had my son nine months later.”

“Trouble started right away. My friends got

into trouble and had to go to court; proceedings

continued for four to five years, ending just after

my second son was born. My ex-lover cross

examined me in court. It was very difficult because

I didn’t want to get him in trouble. He was acting

as his own lawyer. It was also difficult for my

husband. He was jealous, had strong feelings about

politics, and was against everything these activists

did or were doing. I had guilt about not getting

indicted myself, and did not want to incriminate my

ex-lover. I think my father was influential in my

not getting indicted, although he denies it. My

husband was real safety for me. He has clean

boundaries, very clear and direct about right and

wrong, but also the image of my father:

inaccessible, abusive, alcoholic, and unreachable.”

“Lots of vaginal problems during this time, a

year of itchy weird symptoms to keep my husband

away. I started seeing a therapist; once the

connection between sexual abuse and vaginal

infections was made, I started to heal. I went on

antidepressants for suicidal feelings, Welbutrin, a

type of Prozac.”

“I had an IUD in my 20’s bled a lot and

became anemic; I was anemic through both

pregnancies. No iron stored in my bone marrow. I

worry about this, take vitamins and am seeing an

acupuncturist. He says it’s chronic heat stuff.

Recent blood test results show no iron in the blood

stores.”

“I’m now exercising three times a week and

am in a better place with my husband, and Al-

Anom is an incredible help for me, I get all my

strength from it. We’re beginning to have semi-

intimacy, but I don’t feel I can be dependent on him

any more. I’m going to do it all myself –

MARTYR, VICTIM.”

“My life style is incredibly healthy: I meditate,

exercise three times a week, pray, have a spiritual

connection, good diet, no alcohol, no tobacco, only

eat good food. Just this Anemia and lack of blood

stores in the bone marrow. Physically, I’m plagued

with constipation, bloating and flatulence. I have a

lot of energy, sleep six hours a night. I’m irritable.”

“I sleep on my right side, get up to pee once a

night. I go to bed 10:30-11 PM, but stay awake till

midnight when husband comes home. I’m awake at

6:30 and up at 6:45 AM. I’m tired in the afternoon,

three to four PM; five to eight PM is also a difficult

time. I’m lonely, tired and my husband usually

isn’t home to help put kids to bed.”

Her food cravings included coffee, soup, dark

green vegetables, brown rice and grains. She drank

decaffeinated coffee, about four ounces in morning,

sometimes two ounces at night. She ate sweets

after dinner. She was averse to organ meats, fat,

fried foods, and slippery-slimy foods. “I drink

quite a bit, hot drinks now. I used to love ice, and

chewed on it by the hour.”

“I like to be alone better, but also enjoy contact

with people, I can get lonely. I am better with

consolation.”

The right side of her body was stronger, her

left leg was shorter because of the way the bone

was set after the car accident. She had also had a

knee operation, orthoscopy, on her left knee.

She described her body temperature as cool.”I

never used to sweat, but do now when working

out.”

“Sometimes I get right-sided migraines,

premenstrual.”

Asked about her favorite thing to do, she said,

“I’ve been into photography and working in the

darkroom. I wrote a lot as a child and in my 20’s.”

“I dream off and on. I’m in a dreaming time

now; harsh, sexual, destructive, shit, kind of

dreams. Feces in dreams.”

Family History: Her father died of Lung Cancer at

age 55. Her mother had suffered from back

problems, and underwent six operations, she was

now healthy and remarried. She had found out she

had Breast Cancer five years earlier, but she was

still vibrant, busy, social, drinking a lot, had ulcers,

and was an activist in the ghetto, ran the blood

drive, etc. Her paternal grand-mother lived until

age 97. Her paternal grandfather died of Lung

Cancer. Her maternal grandmother died of Heart

disease, her maternal grandfather from a Stroke.

Analysis: The center of her pathology was

emotional. M.’s miasmatic remedy would be

Carcinosin.

M. did not get the love and affection she

needed as a child because her mother couldn’t hold

or cuddle her, due to her mother’s back problems.

Her father was out of the home working all the time

therefore wasn’t there for her either. She allowed

her brother to sexually abuse her to get the affection

and attention she desperately needed, and kept it to

herself until she was in therapy as a young adult.

She cried often after that experience with her

brother and his friends. This sadness manifested in

M. becoming anorexic and bulimic; she described it

as “a cry for help!” M. also took recreational drugs

and alcohol from age 14 on into her 20’s and

experimented with homosexuality. Then she

became involved with radical activists whom she

described as her “angry voice”, speaking out her

suppressed anger. All these experiences with grief

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lead her into depression and ultimately suicidal

thoughts. The chief complaint she came in for was

Anemia, and she assumed it was from having

starved herself as a child. M. was a nurse

practitioner and that was probably a good

hypothesis, but I approached it as the lack of

affection and attention as a child causing a lack in

her life blood. M’s demeanor during the

consultation was sad and serious and I was drawn

into the mood.

Rubrics:

• Children; abused, ailments from being sexually

abused

• Depression, sadness with suicidal disposition

• Crying in children

• Anorexia Nervosa + Bulimia

• Dreams; excrements

• Generals; Herpes Simplex + burning + moist +

neuralgic + stinging

• Blood: Anemia

• Vaginitis + itching of the vagina + infection of

the vagina

• Retention of urine.

Repertorization of these rubrics brought up the

following remedies: Staphysagria (16), Graphites

(12), Arsenicum (15), Sulphur(14), Ignatia (11),

Belladonna (10), Pulsatilla (14), Conium (11),

Aconite, (10), Sepia (11), Mercurius (10), and

Medorrhinum (13).

I studied three possible remedies for M.:

Staphysagria: M. was quite similar to

Staphysagria. When angered she would throw

things, yet she was sweet and definitely drew out

my sympathy as she told her story of abuse and

humiliation. She had suffered incest and her father

was alcoholic. M. said she had masturbated as a

child, and still did to go to sleep. Staphysagria

covered M.’s depression with suicidal thoughts,

Anorexia and Bulimia, retention of urine, vaginal

itching and infections, Herpes, Anemia, ailments

from multiple griefs and humiliation, and the

restless, frightful, lascivious dreams she

experienced. The essence was so similar, she even

wrote poetry. The essence of Staphysagria, as well

as the keynote symptoms, covered this case

beautifully.

Medorrhinum: M. may have needed Medorrhinum

when she was younger. She loved to chew on ice

and was living in the fast lane. She did experience

constipation which was better leaning backwards.

M. often cleared her throat while she talked to me.

When asked if she masturbated, she easily gave a

positive answer relating to her behavior both as a

child and through her adulthood.

Causticum: I asked M. if she was trying to change

the world, and she said that she was. An activist,

she had been, and to a lesser degree still remained,

quite concerned with the injustices suffered by the

less fortunate. She was very much concerned with

environmental issues. Sometimes M. experienced

shakes or tremors, and complained of weakness of

mind. Her feelings were hurt easily, and she shared

the fear of war with Causticum. My second choice

of a remedy for M. would have been Causticum.

Plan: I suggested Staphysagria 6c, three times

daily, with the usual cautions of no food or drink 20

minutes before or after taking the remedy. I asked

M. to stop drinking coffee and also suggested

waiting two months before having the procedure

done to see whether she was bleeding internally.

M. started the remedy on May 5, 1994.

Follow-up, June 1, 1994: M, was deeply involved

with the process of her therapy. She had

experienced some grief and pain about her

childhood recently, since our last meeting, she said,

“but I feel easier about it.” Her health had been

good and her energy was more balanced. I felt she

was doing very well.

Plan: Increase Staphysagria potency to 9c, three

times daily.

Follow-up, September, 1994: M. continued to

progress; she had “no complaints,” in her words.

Her energy was good and she felt fine. My

observation was that she seemed stronger in her

words and behavior; more sure of herself, and

confident. This was apparent when I saw her with

her two young sons, whom I’d seen verbally

mistreating her in the past. Her examination had

shown that she was not bleeding internally.

Plan: Increase Staphysagria potency to 12, three

times daily.

Follow-up, May, 1995: M. continued to improve

in her confidence, and felt an increase in energy.

Her therapy was going well, and she wanted to go

deeper into the fears and pain. She looked great.

Her physical appearance looked uplifted and strong

enough to handle a high potency. M. reported that

her blood count was up.

Plan: Increase the Staphysagria potency to 1M,

single dose. I hoped it would touch her on a deeper

level and aid the psychotherapy in healing the pain

from her childhood.

Follow-up, September 14, 1995: M. had a yeasty

vaginal infection three weeks to a month

previously. Then she came down with Bronchitis

right after the yeast infection. It was mostly gone

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now; there was still some loose phlegm and

coughing. M. had treated herself with

homeopathic “Yeast Away,” Echinacea-goldenseal

tincture, Wellness Formula, Vitamin C, garlic and

garlic pills.

She was grieving about her mother’s illness.

Her mother’s Breast Cancer had metastasized to the

Lung and Bone and she was on the second round of

Chemotherapy. Her mother was also in

Psychotherapy and said, “I’m working,” and “lots

to work on.” This was new for her mother. M. was

beginning to grieve and cry for the mothering she

had never had and now would never get; she

thought her mother would not survive the Cancer.

“My work is finding my voice. In my

relationship with my mother, I turned all my power

over to her. I’m afraid of her, intimidated by her,

even though she’s half-dead. I’m intimidated by

her class and wealth, although I don’t aspire to it.

It’s overpowering and terrifying to me. I’m like an

empty bucket but I have a lot to say. I want to

write.”

“I’m giving myself a one-year commitment to

write. I used to think it was self-indulgent, etc. I

feel like I’m really moving along steadily in the

direction, and continually making baby steps

toward a goal.”

“I’m not putting up with my husband’s

intimidation and manipulations, and it’s getting

better. I want to have more patience with my kids;

I escalate things by losing my temper. Physically,

it’s a fight to keep my body healthy. There is a

tendency to weakness in my left arm, and an achy

chronic soreness in the joint of the index finger

(from the car accident). The soreness in my left

arm is in the center of the upper arm, dull-achy

inside, occasionally strong enough to wake me at

night. It feels like something is growing in the

armpits, creepy. I had it when I was anemic. The

Anemia is better, I had it checked last spring, it was

definitely improved but still not normal.”

“I feel like I’m losing my sister. She left her

husband and is with another woman. I’ve been

very jealous; it’s a childish, out-of-control feeling.

I don’t feel like being near her. It’s a shift, a good

shift in a way because I allowed my identity to fuse

with hers. I imagine her having greater intimacy

with a woman than with her husband. All the

intimacy she would share with me, she is sharing

with another woman; and also because in the

beginning it was my identity to be with other

women. Her thunder is a lot louder than mine!”

“I’m back in therapy to help me deal with my

mother’s illness since last month or so.”

“I want to move in my marriage: to have more

time with him, more substance in terms of dialogue.

I need, I have needs, I need so much want so

much.” (M. was rubbing her face and head with her

hands as she spoke.)

“I expect more for myself. I didn’t used to, in

fact, I expected punishment. I expect more now, I

don’t know if I can get it from [my husband] now

or not. I’m trying to stay on top of honest

conversations, telling the truth, putting aside fear. I

wrote him a really a long letter, an honest letter.

Whenever I do that, it opens me up to be more

intimate with him. He can surround himself with

work. I can’t argue with him, I can’t fight, I get

discouraged. I have to initiate the relationship, to

say ‘Let’s take a walk…..’” M. looked sad and

teary, but she said she would continue to initiate

contact.

I repertorized jealousy and left arm pain; both

are covered by Staphysagria, as are vaginal

infections. I couldn’t figure out how to find “needs

to find her voice.” I looked up “need to be

noticed,” “aggravation from lack of attention.” M.

was doing so well in her emotional progress, but

had started drinking coffee again. I decided not to

treat the Bronchitis since it was almost gone.

Plan: I suggested another dose of Staphysagria

1M after she stopped drinking coffee. She took the

remedy at the end of September 1995.

Follow-up, November, 1996: Her mother had

passed away. M. was grieving. She had taken time

off from her position as nurse practitioner to write

about her life. She was jogging for exercise,

feeling well, and was separated from her husband.

M. was doing well, even though it had been over a

year since the last dose.

Plan: Wait.

Conclusion: M. has not come for a consultation for

three years. I treat her sons, so I see her

occasionally. She is doing remarkably well:

writing a book, feeling healthy, separated or

divorced from her husband, involved with another

man, and active in her chosen career.

[Has M become healthy? She separated and then

divorced; hasn’t found her moorings and perhaps

even now looking about. I do not think M has been

cured = KSS]

=====================================

8. The Integral of the Chronic Miasms

SHEPPERD Joel (AJHM. 99, 1/2006)

Introduction: The approaches to understanding

Chronic Miasms include the physical explanations

and metaphysical explanations. The physical

interpretations of chronic disease rely on the

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physiology and pathology of cells and tissues;

chronic illness is attributed to a microbial or

pathogenic cause. Specific names are assigned to

diseases that have a specific cause. Even physics

contributes to the supply of different physical,

mechanistic explanations of HAHNEMANN’s

natural Chronic Miasms. Another article discusses

these concepts and offers a counter proposal

involving the model of fractal qualities. (1)

Another type of explanation for Chronic

Miasms may be called a metaphysical category.

These interpretations include religious and

philosophical beliefs as well as symbolic or

mythological metaphors. Psychological theories,

such as archetypes, are part of this category as well

as some theoretical generalizations about body

functions. Examples of this metaphysical approach

will be discussed further.

Besides the physical and metaphysical

interpretations, another way exists. This approach

is descriptive, experiential and phenomenological.

It seeks to avoid these rocky shoals that break the

Chronic Miasms into analytical pieces on the one

hand, and it bravely tries to steer away from the

drowning whirlpools of theoretical concepts on the

other hand. Most importantly, the integral

wholistic description of Chronic Miasms does not

ignore what HAHNEMANN actually wrote.

Metaphysical miasms

A segment of homeopaths believe that the

meaning of miasms should be found beyond the

physical world. Here is an example, “Certain

bacterial and viral illnesses as well as chemical

poisonings may be energetically carried in the auric

field and higher spiritual bodies as vibrational

patterns are referred to in Homeopathy as miasm.

A miasm is not so much an illness as an energetic

tendency toward illness.” (2) Further statements

following theses ideas propose that the primary

mechanisms involved in Miasms are subtle

energetic rather than molecular in nature. (3)

These explanations go way beyond the direct

sensory experience of most people and so enter the

realm of imagination or fantasy.

This way of thinking is not just an issue of

imaginative thinking that goes beyond the frontiers

of current mainstream science. Behind the theory is

a strong belief system that rivals any religion:

“Miasms and their ‘dis-ease’ producing tendencies

may be related to the struggle of the human spirit to

recognize its own divinity through the expression of

particular illnesses at the physical level.” (4) The

purpose of disease and suffering is an important

question, but the practicing homeopath should not

assume that he knows the answer. If the

homeopath assumes that he knows why a person is

sick, his case taking becomes full of judgments and

prejudices instead of exact detailed symptoms as

they really are.

Another quote says: “There are important

symbolic patterns to the kinds of illnesses and

miasms to which people have become susceptible.

The miasms represent key issues or learning

experiences which impede humanity’s progress.”

(5) Here it is assumed that the symbolism is more

important than the actual individual symptoms.

The unstated belief here is that the thinking mind is

more important in knowing disease than the direct

sensory perceptions of the body. The hierarchal

assumption that the intellectual mind takes

precedence over the sensory mind is unfounded in

the holism of Homeopathy. What is important in

the disease of each person cannot be judged before

the symptoms are all known.

“Miasms are a crystallized pattern of Karma”

(6) is a modern declaration of belief, but it is not so

different than a comment made by a homeopathic

editor a century ago: “As it would be absurd for a

philosophical Christian to reject the doctrine of

original sin, so it is absurd for any one who

professes to have a clear perception of

Homeopathy to reject the doctrine of hereditary

morbific miasm. Both of these doctrines must

stand and fall together.” (7) Spiritual or religious

beliefs here imply value judgments of good and

bad. The morality may or may not be correct, but it

has no place in the exacting practical methodology

of Homeopathy where prior beliefs can unduly

influence the perceptions of the case taker.

Symbolic and psychological miasms

Some homeopaths seem to assume that

chronic illness results from wrong thoughts, and not

just heredity, social circumstances or environmental

occurrences. Each of the three miasmatic chronic

diseases is assigned a belief system. People with

Psora believe that “the world is a harsh place and

we eke out our existence by the sweat of our brow.”

A sycotic person considers that “shame is the

natural human condition and we cope as best we

may, by concealing it or washing it away.” A

person with Syphilis thinks, “I am alone in a

destroyed planet, surrounded by the flames of

civilization. I cope with it by rebuilding my empire

by whatever means are necessary.” (8) The author

does not mention what a healthy person should

believe. It is an unfounded assumption that people

with the same Chronic Miasm have the same

mental state. There are no mental portraits

mentioned in the original description of miasmatic

Syphilis and Sycosis, and the mental symptoms

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listed with Psora do not include the broad

generalization quoted above.

Other homeopaths do not agree with the above

interpretation. One author says that the inception of

psoric miasmatic illness is basically selfishness and

loss of spiritual ideals replaced with excessive

materialism. (9) Another author says that the Psora

mindset is a distraction from your deepest and most

authentic inclinations by the appeal of what you see

others doing – in other words, of itching to do what

isn’t really you. Sycosis is ceaseless overdoing –

too much eating, too much activity, seductive

indulgences. Syphilis thinking is when energy and

intent are withdrawn from the body and the body’s

structures deteriorate.(10)

Who is right? Why are they right? These

theoretical mindsets are part of a personal religious

or philosophical outlook on life. They are not part

of the practical homeopathic methodology.

Some homeopaths believe that the miasms

must fit into the larger framework of certain

Psychology systems: “The first position, the

egotistic one, we say ‘I’. It corresponds to the oral

state of Freud, the Psora of HAHNEMANN, Eros

for the Greeks… The second position, we say ‘we’.

It corresponds to the anal state of Freud the Sycosis

of HAHNEMANN, Philos for Greeks… The third

position, we ‘us’. It corresponds to Freud’s

Oedipus Complex, HAHNEMANN’s Luetism and

the Greek concept of Agape.”(11) The unstated

presumption here is that psychology concepts are

more important than the original description of the

miasms. Any observations about chronic disease

must fit into this author’s predetermined belief

system. It assumes that to be a good homeopath,

one must understand Freud and Greek mythology.

Jung’s Psychology is probably more in vogue

at the moment among some homeopaths. A

homeopath who uses Jung’s ideas has said, “What

are the miasms, really?... We might consider them

structural or archetypal fields of force, vortices of

energy.” (12) Jung’s version of archetypes defines

them as psychological principles – primordial

organizing patterns of the psyche. Archetypes are

not confined to the human brain, but operate from

transcendental realms and exert influence on the

psyche. The transcendental realms are hidden

dimensions of reality. These hyperphysical realms,

it seems, are found somewhere in the human mind.

The recognition of universal principles assumes the

existence of a Cosmos that is intelligent and

interconnected. If a homeopath does not believe in

the Universal Mind, does he fail to understand

Miasms? Does Homeopathy need a grand

metaphysical theory that connects chronic disease

with a superconscious reality? The original miasms

are not an invention of a psychology or philosophy.

They are the direct sensory perceptions of clinical

experience. They are not dependent on the whims

and fancies of various branches of psychological

thinking that come and go.

Generalizations of the miasms

One type of homeopath looks for the cause of

chronic illness in Microbiology, Physiology or

Physics, as discussed in another paper. Another

type of analytical homeopath looks for a common

thread in all the symptoms listed for each Chronic

Miasm. Each Miasm is explained with a general

theme. Psora is categorized as hypofunction,

atrophy, weakness and inhibition. Sycosis is

defined as hyperfunction, hypertrophy, overactivity

and expansion. Syphilis is listed under dysfunction,

dystrophy, ataxia and destruction.(13)

This type of thinking sifts through the

symptoms and searches for properties that remain

consistent or unchanged in a seemingly random

group. It is a search for a general idea to tie

thoughts together and tidy up the disorder of the

actual symptoms. It finds commonalities and

ignores individualities. The names used, like

hypertrophy, refer to bodily function, but are

general enough to include mental activities. These

neatly arranged categories conveniently define

miasms while ignoring the actual, concrete

symptoms that do not fit.

The Nature of Chronic Diseases lists over

815 symptom sentences for Psora.(14) There is no

simplified scheme like “deficiency” that links all

the signs of Psora. The old school names used to

describe Psora include Cancer of the uterus, fistulas

of the rectum, Epilepsy and suicidal mania. (15)

These illnesses do not fit an underlying

generalization of Psora. Ideas conceived in the

labyrinth of the intellect do not illuminate the

coherent unity of Psora.

The carefully collected experiential data

recorded by HAHNEMANN is only a “speculative

hypothesis” (16) according to the opinion of one

homeopath. This statement is inaccurate and

uncalled for. HAHNEMANN condemned

speculation throughout his homeopathic

career.(17) To accuse HAHNEMANN of

speculation is to say that he did not believe what he

wrote or that he did not practice what he taught.

The commenting author attempts to paint

HAHNEMANN in his own colors, but

HAHNEMANN was not so limited in his thinking.

HAHNEMANN’s science is “based only on the

observation of natural phenomena and

experiment.” (18) HAHNEMANN’s thinking does

not involve hypothesis either. He does not propose

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a mechanism, and he makes no suppositions based

on assumptions. Instead, he puts forth as complete

a description as possible from years of exacting

observation, and he leaves room for more

experience.

This same commenting homeopath then

describes the concepts of another current

homeopath as if they add benefit to the

development of Homeopathy. This homeopath

with some type of help from a computer,

reinterpreted miasms and was able “to identify a

new one, the ‘acute’ miasm.” (19) Of course,

HAHNEMANN has already explicitly defined

acute miasms, acute diseases, Chronic Miasms and

chronic diseases.(20) Has this current homeopath

not bothered to read the Organon or has he ignored

HAHNEMANN to pursue his own agenda? This

current homeopath “found several more” miasms,

it seems, with more mysterious manipulations of

the computer. One “found” miasm is called the

leprosy miasm. However, HAHNEMANN clearly

mentions this disease name as an important

manifestation of Psora in history.(21) These so-

called new findings rely on creations of the

imagination and “scholastic reasoning” (22). They

confuse and obscure the original definitions of

Homeopathy. They do not follow from the

observations of direct sensory phenomena. They

are manufactured in the mind, and they lead to the

dissolution of the homeopathic scientific method.

The Phenomenological Whole of Miasms

Recap

So far, I have outlined a few interpretations of

Miasms. Some require a belief system in

philosophy, religions or spiritualism. Other

interpretations depend on the belief systems found

in psychology and mythology. Still other

explanations of Miasms summarize with general

categories extracted from common denominators of

Miasm symptoms. In another article, I discuss how

Miasms are explained with the mechanism

approach. Various theories about microorganisms

and pathology categories are hypothesized. Even

theoretical physics is used to rationalize Miasms.

Purpose

I propose a different emphasis on the meaning

of miasms. It is not another analytical mechanism,

and, hopefully, not just more abstractions that are

theoretical. It is not a new law of nature. It is

nothing with an impact like a new mechanism of

science. It is only the words of HAHNEMANN

himself reiterated in my language of today.

Method

This method of finding meaning in the Miasms

is a descriptive method. It does not look for

mechanistic causes, nor does it seek to reduce

observations to common generalizations. Instead,

this descriptive method hopes to reveal the

“surprise of the actual.”(23) Fractal geometry is an

example of this descriptive method found within

the field of mathematics. The originator of fractals

says, “Little good can come when a science yields

to the social pressures that reward modeling and

theorizing while scorning ‘mere’ description

without ‘theory’.(24)

The method of finding meaning of miasms in

this article is not meant to “merely describe,” but to

clarify the integral wholeness that is a Chronic

Miasm. Rather than searching for explanations to

the question of what miasms are through analytical

mechanisms or in theoretical belief systems, a good

phenomenological description will become the

explanation.

Hahnemann’s words

A like process of development unifies true

natural Chronic Miasms. All the miasms have three

important moments: First, the instant of dynamic

contagion; Second, the penetration of the disease

throughout the entire person; Third, “the breaking

out of the external ailment.” (25) This coherent

process is named by the word miasm. This

consistently observed process does not explain

Miasms, but describes them clinically.

Dynamic contagion

The miasmatic chronic diseases are

dynamically contagious. They require direct

contact. To begin the infectious process of Syphilis

and Sycosis for example,”there is required a certain

amount of friction in the most tender parts of the

body… as in the genital organs, unless the miasma

should touch a wounded spot. But the miasma of

the itch needs only to touch the general skin,

especially with tender children.”(26)

HAHNEMANN watched people who were without

disease and subsequently became diseased. He

accurately recorded the observed process.

Social intercourse and sexual intercourse

Natural Chronic Miasms can only begin by

direct touch between people. One type of direct

touch is casual touch. It occurs, for example, with a

business interchange completed with a handshake.

Or friends may exchange touch with a hug touching

cheek to cheek. Family may lightly kiss each other.

A doctor may take a patient’s blood pressure

without wearing gloves. The “general skin”

touches that occur between people begin Psora.

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Touch of a more prolonged and forceful nature

between mutual mucus membranes or wounded

areas lead to the venereal miasms. We begin

miasmatic chronic disease only by physical contact.

The infectious microorganisms found associated

with these diseases cannot survive outside the

living bodily tissues for any length of time. In

modern parlance, we cannot get a sexually

transmitted disease from a toilet seat. The process

of the venereal miasms begins with sexual

intercourse, and Psora starts with social intercourse.

The infectious process can be interrupted with

preventive methods like sanitation and quarantine,

but killing microorganisms will never cure chronic

disease, Viruses, bacteria, etc., are ubiquitous and

inseparable parts of life physiology. Exterminating

a life form will not cure chronic diseases. The

emphasis on only one mechanistic part of the

miasmatic process will not lead to success. The

whole disease cannot be known or treated without

making the whole human and the wholeness of his

life the center of study. The correct homeopathic

remedy imitates the whole process of the disease,

not just the life force of the involved contagious

microorganism. The homeopathic process of

seeing the integral person leads to success.

From the point of view of Physics, touch is a

physical phenomenon that includes a force and a

motion.(27) One of the laws of motion in physics

is that for every action there is a reaction. Every

touch between people is a moment of instability

where a reaction must result. The moment of touch

is a threshold moment when the body’s balance and

health can become a mistunement or ill health.

When body spheres collide or invade each other a

new balance, a different stability must be

established. Even if the touch is not imposed, but

desired, a transformation of energy patterns must

occur. The dynamic acts of intercourse allow a

new life order to begin or a renewal of the web of

relationships.(28)

Touch can be healing or disease producing.

The wholeness of living includes constant change.

Exchange and interchange must continue for life to

continue. Life is renewed by social intercourse and

new life is possible with sexual intercourse.

Nothing new is created locally without something

sacrificed or transformed. A new embryo lives

because parents give up parts of their body. The

Physics law of conservation of energy says that

nothing is created or destroyed in the universe.

To make a new child, to make life, some part

of the life giver must die. Using the re-creating

energies activates the process of death-dissolution

of energies in counterbalance. Chronic disease

results if the life force cannot renew and balance

itself. A person can become diseased or untuned if

they artificially avoid contact, in which case they

become stuck in inertia. Chronic disease also

results from an excess of contact in which case,

boundaries are lost and dissipation results. Health

is balance between the creative and destructive

intercourses.

Acute Miasms, Chronic Diseases and Chronic

Miasms

Acute miasmatic diseases are, by definition,

maladies that run their course rapidly and

extinguish themselves or the person.(29) Many

acute miasms do not require physical touch

between people. For instance, the group of

symptoms known by the name Malaria may start

after walking in the miasma or noxious influence of

a swamp. An epidemic miasm such as Scarlet

fever may be transferred from person to person

through the air. In these acute cases, the life force

of the microorganisms that touch people seems to

have an effect in a qualitatively different way than

the microorganisms contacted through direct

intercourse.

Cases of chronic illness can result from contact

with objects that produce trauma and injury. These

are not the miasmatic or dynamically contagious

diseases, but are defined as general chronic disease.

We can become sick from what a person says

to us. This type of social discourse can make us

chronically ill, but does not involve miasm or

infection. Any experience of the senses – vision,

audition, taste, smell or touch – has the potential to

initiate illness. It is, by definition, only the

experience of direct touch that brings forth the

natural Chronic Miasms.

Descriptive, experiential, phenomenological

The original definitions of the natural Chronic

Miasms are a description of an actual, verifiable,

clinical process. This process was seen first-hand.

It includes observable events and real signs and

symptoms of disease. The Chronic Miasms are real

experienced disease processes. They are not a

postulate or a generating symbol in a philosophical

system that constructs archetypes or styles. They

are not an explanation that reduces chronic disease

to chance mechanisms of physics or physiology.

Natural Chronic Miasms are described, not

explained. No moral judgments such as original sin

or karma or “a limited and distorted consciousness”

(30) are needed. The integral description of

Chronic Miasms is a portrayal “not of underlying

reality behind appearances but of the intensive

depth of the phenomenon itself, ‘a seeing

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153

embedded in the fullness of phenomena, not a

theory abstracted from the phenomena.” (31)

The question of what is a Miasm comes first;

then comes the question of when is it a miasm.

These questions are of primary importance to the

actual homeopathic methodology. It is only later

that the natural curiosity of mind asks why there are

miasms and what are the mechanisms of miasms.

The student must actually read and study the

original definitions of Natural Chronic Miasms

before the homeopathic community can move

forward in a meaningful way. If homeopaths

cannot even agree on definitions, then there is

nothing to build upon.

Acknowledgements

I thank Gregory VLAMIS for his work on the

references for this article, and for his contribution

of valuable time. I thank Timothy FIOR, MD, for

his needed input.

References

1. SHEPPERD, J. The fractal-like nature of

miasms. AJHM, Winter 2005-6 (98/4), p.230.

2. GERBER, R. Vibrational medicine for the 21

st

century. New York: Eagle Brook; 2000, p.146.

3. GERBER, R. Vibrational Medicine. Santa Fe:

Bear & Company; 1988. p.261.

4. Ibid., p.456.

5. Ibid., p.458.

6. Ibid., p.261.

7. HAHNEMANN, S. The Chronic Diseases.

Dudley P. editor. Sittingbourne (UK):

Homeopathic Book Service; the British

edition 1998. p.xii.

8. ASHER, E. Homeopathic philosophy, an

abbreviated guide. [cited 2005 May 1]; [p.3 of

4 screens]. Available from: URL:

http://www.homeocare.co.uk/philosophy.htm

9. HILTNER, R. Highlights from the 59

th

congress of the Liga Medicorum

Homeopathica Internationalis. The Liga letter

2004; Vol. 10,

#

2.2.

10. BALLENTINE, R. Radical healing. New

York: Harmony Books; 1999. p.169.

11. GRANDGEORGE, D. The spirit of

homeopathic medicines. [cited 2005 May 1];

[p.3 of 7 screens]. Available from: URL:

http://www.homeopathe.org/articles/dg1_spirit.

htm

12. WHITMONT, EC. Psyche and substance.

Berkeley (CA): North Atlantic Books; 1980.

p.204.

13. BALLENTINE, R. p.171.

14. HAHNEMANN, S. pp. 52-77.

15. Ibid., p.78.

16. MOSKOWITZ, R. The fundamentalist

controversy: an issue that won’t go away.

AJHM 2004; Vol. 97 no. 1:40.

17. KUNZLI, J., NAUDE, A. PENDLETON, P.

Translators. Organon of Medicine by Samuel

HAHNEMANN. Los Angeles: J.P.

TARCHER, Inc.; 1982. p.50.

18. Ibid.

19. MOSKOWITZ, R. p.40.

20. KUNZLI, J., NAUDE, A., PENDLETON, P.

pp.71-78.

21. HAHNEMANN, S. p.10.

22. KUNZLI, J. P.50.

23. PELTON, RD. The trickster in West Africa.

Berkeley (CA): University of California Press;

1989. p.224.

24. MANDELBROT, BB. The fractal geometry of

nature. New York: W.H. Freeman and

Company; 1983. p.461.

25. HAHNEMANN, S. p.33.

26. Ibid., p.37.

27. JONAS, H. The phenomenon of life.

EVANSTON (IL): Northwestern University

Press; 2001. pp. 147-9.

28. PELTON, RD. pp.224-5.

29. HAHNEMANN, S. p.35.

30. BALLENTINE, R. p.481.

31. JACKSON, WJ. Heaven’s fractal net.

Bloomington (IN): Indiana University Press;

2004. p.226.

=====================================

9. STUDY AND TEACHING

Prof. Constantine Hering`s Introductory

To course of Lectures at Hahnemann

College of Philadelphia, 1867-68.

American Homeopathic observer, Vol.V. Jan.

1868

(Reprint. The Homeopathic Medicine, Vol. I)

There was an old retired Statesman in Holland,

a man of standing, who in the year 1831 wrote a

small but replete work containing a sketch of all the

most important events, characterizing the last sixty

years of his life. Beginning 1770, six years before

the new era in history, he pictured what had

happened in the world since that time, from the

Declaration of Independence to the French

Revolution, the conquering of Europe, the German

wars against Napoleon, the Battle of Waterloo,

fought very near his home, up to Nepoleon`s death

on the Island of St. Helena.

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The author did not forget the principal power,

the inward moving force, the sciences and arts.

Speaking of medicine he showed how in that

also one revolution followed the other, and one

revolution followed the other, and one new system

the other. He mentioned JOHN BROWN, who, like

a rocket, shot up among the clouds, bursting and

sending fire-balls, spreading a brilliant light in the

dark night of medicine, to be followed by a greater

darkness, BROUSSAIS, with his Grench

centralization, “all diseases are gastritis:, and “the

universal remedy leeches”, RASON, the Italian, an

altered BROWN proposing “contrastimulus”, and

giving the most overwhelming doses, Finally, our

author speaks of the Organon of HAHNEMANN.

As he was more or less opposed to all revolutions,

conservative in the extreme, he objects to this too,

but still allows, “at first sight this system seems to

be very acceptable”, “but as there are so many

different diseases and thus a great many different

drugs required, where will HAHNEMANN ever

find so many healthy men, willing to submit to

being made sick, merely from love of their fellow-

men?”

How can you expect, he says, to find men

willing to make themselves sick, in order to be able

to heal the sick?

That was his principal doubt, and it was a more

cutting objection than all others thrown against

HAHNEMANN, but, it did not do any harm. At

the time he was writing this, only twenty years after

HAHNEMANN published the first edition of his

Organon, six volumes of his Materia Medica had

been published already, and four volumes of his

Antipsorics. Two volumes had been published by

HARTLAUB, and twenty seven numbers of the

Archives had given, in each number, a new proved

drug.

The next objection to HAHNEMANN`s

Materia Medica had not much more sense or

weight: “The healthy and the sick are entirely and

altogether different”. “Effects of drugs on the

healthy are of no use and cannot be applied to the

sick”. This is an absurdity throughout. The

differences between the most healthy and the

sickest are gradual ones, therefore a sharp line of

division can nowhere be drawn.

As soon as a healthy man is proving, he gets

sick, and thus he belongs in so far to the sick. Why

should we not have a right to compare the one

suffering, from a drug, with another suffering from

miasma or other influences?

A third grand objection was made, a monstrous

one, - a real monster of an objection:

“Come out ye Homoeopathic men” they said

“and make a true intermittent, make a scarlet fever,

make a real disease, and we will come with our

diagnostic instruments and examine”. They

supposed, of course, we did not understand their

pathology, and were not able to make a diagnostic

investigation. Of course it would be an easy thing

to show, in each such case, if we would offer them

as such, that they were not real intermittents, nor

real scarlet fevers, etc. Strange infatuation! We do

not need their pathology, nor their instruments to

obtain exactly objective characterstic diagnostics.

We can do this ourselves, just as well as they. Why

should we not have been able to learn what they

have learned? But the greatest absurdity in their

objection lies herein: we have never pretended to

make such diseases, we never did pretend to make

diseases. Did we ever say we could make the

Plague, as the witches did in the middle ages? Did

we ever say we could make an epidemic Cholera

Asiatica, as the stupid peasants in Russia believed,

and in Italy still believe? All that we ever

pretended to find out and get by our provings was:

a number of symptoms, resembling cases of

sickmen, not of diseases. Even HAHNEMANN in

his first experiment did not say Cinchona powder

had produced an intermittent fever. He very wisely

said, it made such symptoms as I had been subject

to before, when I suffered with the intermittent.

A fourth objection has been made and has been

repeated by a great number, has been echoed all

over the land, has been such a powerful and

persuasive one, that we hear it even in our midst,

from our own friends up to this day. Our Materia

Medica contains a great many symptoms, and a

great many even very doubtful, some decidedly

false. Thus our Materia Medica is not pure, and it

must be purified.

This “uncertainty of symptoms”, so much

complained of, is not a thing we pretend to oppose;

this objection is not only allowed to them, but it is

even granted that every single symptoms of each

prover may not be from the drug, but from

something else. We do not think, do not dream of

opposing it at all, we give up to it altogether and

entirely. It was considered not worth while on our

side to talk much about it, Why should we? Are

not all human undertakings liable to error? Why

did HAHNEMANN so often and emphatically

recommend the greatest care in proving? He knew

as well as any one of us, that observations are very

often deceiving, even a master-mind may be

deceived, and may make an erroneous observation.

Did not HIPPOCRATES, 2300 years ago, state in

the first of his famous aphorisms: “Life is short, our

art is long, the chances are transient; trials very

slippery, and judgement a difficult thing”.

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Thus allowing all these objections, regarding

the uncertainty, as based on a self evident truth;

they may be raised by all our opponents and

repeated in our midst, but they all fall down to the

ground, like the above first objection of the old

retired Hollander, for we are a great many years

ahead of them, as we have a way to ascertain what

is true. This very cry of uncertainty or impurity

was raised further and particularly against

symptoms quoted, taken out of old reports, books,

etc.; neither HAHNEMANN nor any one of us laid

much weight on any of them. We can do without

them; let them all be stricken out, we do not care.

The opponents in our midst dwell upon symptoms

observed on the sick and call them impure; they roll

their eyes, like hypocrites, saying, HAHNEMANN

used the word M.M. Pura, and he had no right to do

it; a single symptom taken from a sick man made

all the rest impure. He used this word as it has been

used by all philosophers and scientific men,

meaning, free from guessing, but they use it now as

the washerwomen use the word “clean”.

The more our Materia Medica became

enlarged by observations, and the greater the

difficulty in studying it, the more popular the cry

became for purifying it; and the more physicians

were driven over to our side, the more enemies we

had in our own camp.

What is to be said about these objections?

Regarding the uncertainty the symptoms obtained

by provers, it is true; further, symptoms observed in

sick persons are very uncertain, that is also true;

further, symptoms taken out of old moudly books,

are still more doubtful, that is true; in fact, all the

objections raised against the collection called

Materia Medica are true, every one of them. But

what possesses our opponents and all their imitators

within our own ranks, to imagine, that they tell us

something new by making such objections? How

self-conceited they must be, to come out thus, like

wiseacres, supposing we had not known all this

long ago. Of course we did. It is a self-evident

truth, that particularly in such experiments with

drugs on the healthy, and still more on the sick, the

symptoms may or may not be caused by the drug.

Only the most shocking impudence, and as is

usually the case, ignorance combined with it, could

pretend to teach us, as if we were school-boys. It is

not at all in these objections that we differ from

them. All the conclusions drawn by our opponents

and by all their imitators within our own ranks: all

their conclusions are wrong, essentially and entirely

wrong, are against all sound logic, against all

principles of the strict method to build up a real, a

natural science, by careful induction. We do not

care much about all their opposition, original or

copied, because we are all the time engaged in

healing the sick, and that is the very way, nay, the

only way of continually perfecting our Materia

Medica. While we are collecting facts upon facts,

bonafide, according to the best of our abilities,

analytically, in order to abstract what is common to

them; while we are collecting one cure after another

and trying to find out, how far they correspond with

the symptoms – a difficult, a tedious, a toilsome

task, but one that brings its reward – our opponents

creep into the core, into the midst, and object

synthetically, arbitrarily, without any real reason,

against all the rules of sound thinking, and ask a

number of hypocritical and hypercritical questions:

Who was prover? Was he really healthy? Who

reported the proving? Was he able to report? Were

his reports in the strict scientific form? And

arbitrarily they say: All symptoms observed on the

sick are good for nothing, etc. striking in this way,

as it were, at the roots the symptoms fall by the

hundred, and by the thousand. One of the most

impudent and most illogical, objected, for instance,

to all symptoms of NENNING, a late Surgeon in

Bohemia, and with one stroke he cut them all off,

boasting and crowing like a rooster on his own

dunhill, that 11,447 symptoms were all to be

stricken out. Hundreds of most striking cures have

been made, before and since, simply by the use of

symptoms of the same NENNING. But, because

the great critic was not able to make such cures

himself, he follows in the footsteps of our

opponents in the old school, and doubts them, and

because he doubts them, he denies them, and

because he denies them, of course they cannot be

worth anything.

What is our way now to certainty? How do we

find out what is true, what is trustworthy and what

is not?

To give you an idea in a few words, of our way

to certainty, our manner of sifting the results of our

provings, it is the following:

1. Some symptoms are more decided, and of

course require more attention.

2. If we repeat our proving and get the same

symptoms; still more.

3. If others prove the same drug and get the same

or corresponding, symptoms, harmonizing with

each other physiologically or pathologically, we

consider this a further corroboration.

4. By comparative study of the symptoms of the

same drug, we find out what agrees, and what does

not, and use Physiology and Pathology as much as

we can.

5. We finally give a drug in cases where it seems

to be indicated, according to our law, and make

successful cures, these corroborate some of them

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still more. Some symptoms become consequently

more prominent, some are very often useful, others

less often.

6. Some of the sick while we are treating them

will get new symptoms, soon after the

administration of a drug, if such symptoms,

disappear a while after, and if they agree with the

others from healthy persons, such symptoms may

likewise be used and likewise be corroborated

afterwards by cures.

7. In this way we obtain our much talked of

CHARACTERISTICS

This is our way to certainty, and all objections

disappear and vanish before them.

These characteristics are to be regarded as

settlements in the primeval forests, after a while

they become villages, then large towns.

The question has often been raised, what do we

mean by characteristics? What are they?

Characteristics are symptoms, or only parts of

symptom or groups of several symptoms, together

representing the character of a drug, or the

character of its effects.

What is character?

Applied to effects of drugs we mean by

character the whole of such peculiarities as

distinguish this drug from all others. Originally the

word character meant the stamp of coins, the mark,

the sign of worth. Such drugs as we do not know

enough about, we say, have no decided character.

Such as we have been giving often and repeatedly,

and with a sure success, we say have a character.

The single symptoms, or parts of them, we call

characteristics.

It is an error to suppose a characteristic to be

such a symptom as any respective drug has alone;

this may be the case, but even the most decided and

true symptom of a drug may be a unicum, and not

be characteristic. It never becomes a characteristic,

because it is a unicum. We do not know all

symptoms of our best proved and most given drugs,

and we know very little, or nothing at all, of an

endless number of others. Thus a symptom being

known of one drug only, our attention may be

called to this drug, if we meet the symptom in

practice, but such a symptom is not a characteristic

until cures corroborate it, and if this is the case, we

certainly will obtain other symptoms combined

with it.

It is true, we have some very remarkable

characteristics, corroborated again and again,

symptoms standing alone, as unica.

To illustrate by example, when SCHRETER,

one of the provers most objected to by the

purificators, next to NENNING, proved Borax on

himself and also collected symptoms observed in

sick children, as being new and corresponding to

the other symptoms of Borax, he published the

following:

No.4. Very anxious when riding quickly down

hill, it is as if it would take his breath away, which

was never the case before. (This symptom

continued during the first five weeks.)

5. The child, when dancing it up down, is afraid;

when rocking it in the arms, it makes an anxious

face during the motion downward. (Observed the

first three weeks.)

These two observations strengthen each other.

Hence, lecturing on Borax in Allentown, in 1835,

the attention of the students was called to this fact.

There was nothing like it in our whole Materia

Medica. Coffea tosta produced once a similar

symptom. After it had been taken in a strong dose,

extract of a pound, the slightest motion of the

hammock seemed an enormous one. The

perception of passive motion was a magnifying

one. Carbo vegetabilis has since been added by

BOENNINGHAUSEN: symptoms increasing by

sitting on a swing. Carbo has Vertigo from the

slightest motion, also hiccough and nasusea, and

thus differs from Borax considerably.

This one symptom of Borax has been the

source of an infinite number of cures in this

country. (In Hartmann’s Therapeutics and

Ruckert’s collection of cases it is not mentioned as

having been used once. See Dr. MARTIN’s case in

our Journal.)

Another famous unicum was the aggravation

of symptoms by shaving, in Carbo animalis,

observed by Dr. ADAMS of Petersburg; this was

generalized by BOENNINGHAUSEN, and in the

preface of his Repertory he mentions a remarkable

case. Others will appear in our journals. But also

this unicum no longer stands entirely alone.

Pulsatilla has the same peculiarity, and others may

follow.

A famous much talked of symptom is the fan

like motion of the wings of the nose in

Lycopodium. This one symptom has a literature,

such quarrels arose about it. It should never be

forgotten that the real symptom of Lycopodium is

not a fanlike but a spasmodic motion of the nostrils,

and it corresponds with a dozen of others of this

drug, as we will see in the lectures. If the other

symptoms of the case do not correspond with

Lycopodium, and it is given according to this one

single symptom, it will either not make a cure of

the case, or the cure will be merely an accidental

one. It also no longer stands as a unicum, since

GROSS ascertained, in Asthma. Ferrum has the

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same as a characteristic And how could it? The

fanlike motion is a symptom in all diseases with

difficult breathing, and we cannot expect to cure all

by Lycopodium.

In short a symptom that is found in one of our

drugs and in no other, never is a characteristic

because it is a unicum; everyday we may find the

very same in another, and on the other hand, it may

be a very good genuine symptom and a unicum,

still very far from being a real characteristic.

There are a great many more such peculiarities

of a very different value; further observations only

can decide.

Another error was once started, and the attempt

was made to adopt one real good and characteristic

symptom as the main one of each drug, and

dropping all the rest, give that medicine in every

case where we meet such a symptom in practice, as

a characteristic of a case. It is against the main rule

of HAHNEMANN ever to give, if we can possibly

help it, a medicine for a single symptom, but

always select a medicine for the totality of

symptoms, that is, for the sick, for the individual

before us. Such a practice would also lead to a

continual change of medicine, and to the breaking

of another wise rule of our master: “Let every given

medicine have its full time, as long as the case

allows it.”

We arrive at another error to which

characteristics have led some of our practitioners;

an error requiring your particular attention. It rests

on a very remarkable fact, observed by our school,

and we may well say, the greater the truth, the

greater the error. Among all corroborations of our

Materia Medica, the greatest and the most

undeniable, is the following:

Having found by our provings, by cures, and

by careful observations, a group of characteristics,

and knowing the full and complete character of the

drug, we sometimes meet with cases, where, after

we find one or a few such characteristics, we find

also the others, even all of them; all characteristic

symptoms of the case are to be found in the very

same drug together. For instance we find some

symptoms of a woman in Calcarea, and afterwards

all others similar; the same with a child. The best

illustration is a case communicated once by

BOENNINGHAUSEN.

PULSATILLA CHARACTERISTICS.

“About three years ago, while traveling,” says

BOENNINGHAUSEN, “in 1835, I arrived one

evening at a hotel, where, as it happened to be

Sunday, I found several friends of the proprietor

assembled, and also the family physician, quite a

young man. I had but just entered the parlor when

the eldest daughter stepped up to me and asked me

to cure her toothache, which she said, since a

fortnight, came on every evening after sunset and

lasted till midnight. Many things had been tried

but all in vain, which was also affirmed by the

young physician who stood near us, and the only

possible relief she obtained was by going out of

doors or leaning out of the open window. It was

hardly the place to question her in regard to other

symptoms, particularly of a more private nature, so

with the conviction that if it did not help her, it

would certainly do her no harm, I took from my

pocket case a bottle of the decillion potency of

Pulsatilla and asked the young lady to smell of it

once. The success exceeded my most sanguine

expectations, for while closing my case and putting

it back into my pocket, to the great amazement of

all the guests she cried out my toothache is gone, I

do not feel any more pain.

The young physician, who was fresh from the

University, was very much astonished and said if

the cure were lasting it was indeed wonderful.

I now began to draw my conclusions

backwards, because Pulsatilla had helped her so

quickly the characteristics of the remedy must also

be found among her symptoms. So I answered that

if the patient would obey homeopathic rules

regarding diet eight or ten days, the toothache

would not only stay away, but she would also be

freed from her other complaints. This puzzled the

youthful disciple of Æsculapius still more, and he

asked what other complaints? I began to enumerate

some of the characteristics of this remedy:

Predominant chilliness; want of thirst;

lachrymose disposition; the warmth of the stove

is unbearable; sleeplessness before midnight,

and stupefying unrefreshing sleep towards

morning; disgust for fatty dishes etc. He

declared that I must have ascertained all these

symptoms from the young lady herself, and when

the others said that I had but just arrived, and not

spoken a word with her but what he had heard, he

replied rather crossly that they only said so to

please me, and that it was not possible for me to

know these things otherwise. I then proposed to

him that I would tell him something secretly, and

he should then go to the lady and ascertain whether

I was right, and as he assented to this I took him

aside and told him that the patient suffered from

diarrhoea which was mostly slimy, and that

menstruation appeared too late, about every five

weeks, lasted only a few days, and that she

suffered during that time with pain in the small

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of her back, and cramp-like pain in the

abdomen.

To test the truth to his own satisfaction, he told

her that I had said she suffered from constipation,

and her menstruation came too soon, and was too

copious, whereupon she answered that in this

respect I had made a great mistake, for exactly the

opposite were the case, and on questioning her

more closely he found everything that I had told

him corroborated, which he afterwards told me

himself with most praiseworthy candor.

A few months later, when I saw the girl again,

she was fresh and blooming, and thanked me

warmly for the good I had done her, as my

prophesy in regard to her complaints had proved

true, and she was now entirely well.

Whether the young Doctor ever investigated

Homeopathy I do not know, but I hardly think so,

for I never heard of it.”

Such cases we meet with in life, but it would

be a very deceiving rule to expect it always to be

so.

The first symptoms in this case could have

been connected with others, with entirely different

symptoms, not indicating Pulsatilla, but Sepia. B.

saw the girl before him, her face, her whole

appearance may have reminded him of Pulsatilla.

Her features may have been such as reminded him

of other cases cured by the same medicine. B.

further was careful enough and said,”As it helped

her so quickly, I concluded that the girl would have

the other characteristics of Puls.” There is a very

great and an essential difference between a

conclusion, a priori or a posteriori.

If we find in a case one characteristic symptom

which indicates a certain well known drug, our

attention may be called to it and we may expect to

find some of the others, but we ought to find all the

others corresponding, before giving it, and then we

may expect a cure. Of course we ought not to

suggest them in the examination of the sick. We

ought always to get the symptoms out of the sick,

not examine them into the sick. This is the main

rule of a true Hahnemannian examination.

To decide to give a medicine according to one

symptom, no matter how characteristic it may be, is

to repeat the same fault that others may have fallen

into, prescribing for names when they decide to

give Belladonna because the child has the Scarlet

fever. We may succeed, by good luck, by chance

only. All such cures are on the one side as on the

other, accidental ones. We will have ample

occasions in the course of the lectures to explain

this more fully; to elucidate it, and prove it.

Characteristics ought always to be used in

combination, not singly.

These combinations even, if they appear to

differ endlessly, like the position of the pieces on

the chessboard, are limited by laws; not every

variation that can be made; not every combination

that is possible, is to be found in nature. Aided by

physiology and pathology, we may find these laws;

in the course of the lectures this will be spoken of.

On the other side, you will learn how far each

combination of characteristics indicates the

respective drug. As often as we meet with them in

the sick, they indicate the drug, independent of the

pathology of the case. Ample illustration will be

given of this very important fact. It is the method

of the Philadelphia School to study Materia

Medica by characteristics. All who belong to the

Philadelphia School have to learn how to heal the

sick by mastering the characteristics.

The lectures on Materia Medica will thus

principally give you the main characteristics, at

least of all of our well known drugs, and in such an

order that you will be able to comprehend them,

digest them, as it were, and if you are willing,

earnest, and do your share, and store them up by

daily, weekly, monthly repetitions, you will have

them on hand, and they will be ready for use all

your lifetime.

We will not forget the general principles or

lose sight of them. One hour of the four every

week we will dwell on generalities, while the other

three hours we will take the specialities of one drug

after the other, and one family after the other, the

most important first, adding from time to time by

comparisons. One hour we must have to bestow on

the higher principles of our healing art.

If you know nothing but generalities you are

altogether dependent on good luck to meet such

cases as your characteristics will be fit for. Then

you would be like a man in a large hotel, having a

great many rooms, with a large bundle of keys in

his hand. Such a man has continually to try and

find the right one. He may find it or not, just as it

happens. The master-key will open all doors.

General principles are master-keys.

Regarding the characteristics, in order to save

time, you ought to get what was printed a year ago,

for the use of our Philadelphia School, in the form

of cards, according to Dr. Tucker’s method, and

introduced by us. You ought to have them, either

printed or copy them. They have been selected

with great care and will form the basis of the

lectures. You ought to commit them to memory

according to Dr. Tucker’s method, if possible,

before the lecture on each such drug.

Supposing every one of you to know them by

heart, we may refer to them again and again, but

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lose no time by dictating any of them. All others to

be added will be dictated.

All those that may have been printed in the

journal of our school will be referred to, but not

dictated. In this way we save time and you may be

able to carry with you at the end of the lectures, all

that is most valuable in our Materia Medica. At the

time of your examination you will find the very

same little cards spread out on the table. Then you

will have a chance to show how many you know.

CONCLUSION.

While all your instruction in the Philadelphia

School is based on characteristics, you should be

warned in the first lecture against all errors in

regard to them, which, when practicing, you might

fall into. There is one more to be spoken of.

Suppose you had a case where not only the

symptoms were changing all the time, but even the

most characteristic symptoms. One day you find

the one, another day another medicine, as it seems,

clearly indicated by them. What have you to do?

Such hysterical or hypochondrical cases you will

certainly meet with, and it may be that your whole

reputation will depend on such a case. What have

you to do? Be very careful in the selection of the

medicine, never decide in a hurry, as such cases

will give you ample time to study them. And

after having carefully decided, and found, by

similarly, of course, the best opposite, be firm,

make it a main condition, the patient must not take

any other medicine, and stand firm with your well

selected one; give, if necessary to repeat, the same

higher and higher, but, if possible, do not change,

until all has been gained by that drug which can

possibly be gained by it. The best remedy there is

for changeability is firmness. This may be

illustrated by an example taken from life.

Suppose there was a college, a medical college,

a homeopathic medical college, which had existed

twenty years and had changed professors nearly

every year, or if there was no change in men, they

changed their chairs, and, what is still worse,

changed principles every year, sometimes even in

one single summer. Another set of men each

winter; another modification of doctrines each

course. What would be the remedy for it if it

became dangerous to the cause? Something

similar, and of course opposite, with the principal

character of firmness. A similar but an opposite

college, opposite by its firmness; free from all

undue influence from without and from within. To

prevent this it was better to hire rooms. Have no

building except what could be paid for, or built on

endowments of cash in hand. No interest on stocks

to be paid, but scholarships, thereby affording to

students who may not have the necessary money, a

chance, without begging or marketing. No floating

debt or mortgage; but a permanent body of trustees.

Not a floating concern, but above all, a permanent

faculty, every member selected with care and

elected for a lifetime.

This will be the remedy and secure permanent

progress. But still, objections may be made to this,

as well as to our Materia Medica. The very word

“life-time” reminds everyone that this very time is

limited. Life is short says HIPPOCRATES.

Suppose there was an old man among the

permanent faculty, his death would make a change

in spite of all the trustees and bylaws. That is true,

it may be. But how have we to act as long as we

have life; by what must we be ruled in such cases?

There is a great difference between possibility and

probability. The possibility of dying is the same to

all of us, young and old. The probability of it

makes the difference. Now let us ask the Insurance

Companies about probabilities; they know, because

with them large sums of money are at stake. The

rule of probability says, that, for instance, if a man

has reached the age of 67, he may be expected to

live till 76. Of course, according to possibility,

changes may take place at any time in spite of

probability. But the difference is a very great one

between changes happening according to a higher

law by the Divine Will, and a change made

according to the arbitrary, tyrannical notions of one,

two or three wire-pulling men. Suppose the said

old man reaches his 76

th

year, possibly more, what

a burden such an old fogy will be, full of notions,

and how arbitrary he may be in ten years, nobody

knows, he does not know himself. How will you

get rid of him? By impeachment? We know that is

easier said than done. Well, if any one should be

uneasy about that, he will send in his resignation, to

take effect on the 22

nd

of March, 1876, when it will

be fifty years since he obtained his degree as M.D.

– nine years, they may be willing to bear with him.

But the age of 76 reminds us of a story, and a

very good one.

After Napoleon had disturbed the peace of

Europe, and was finally beaten in the battle of

Leipzig by the allied powers, and banished by them

to the Island of Elba, he returned again with a large

army. The allies had once more to march from the

North to the South. Blucher was placed at the head

as main commander of the Prussian army, and

marched from the North towards Belgium. Great

objections were raised on account of his age. He is

old now and infirm, and full of queer notions, etc.

He was attacked near Ligny, before he was ready,

and was beaten, his horse fell, he was thrown under

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it, and was carried away for dead. Of course in a

day or two he rallied again, sat on the back of

another horse, and was smoking his little pipe

lustily.

Napoleon now turned his whole power against

Wellington, who stood before Waterloo. The Iron

Duke stood it manfully and did not move an inch

all day, kept his position firm.

But as the sun turned towards the West and

sank deeper and deeper in the horizon, the Duke

wrote with a lead pencil the order to his generals to

be ready to return during the night and retreat to

another position. There was a little cloud seen in

the far East on the horizon. The cloud increased. It

was an army, coming nearer like a hailstorm, and

the cloud opened, and cannon balls came like hail

into the right wing of the French army and rolled it

up. The battle was won.

Who was the commander of that army? Who

rolled up Napoleon’s old guards with his young

volunteers? It was Blucher, the old man of 76.

By that battle peace was secured for fifty years.

Let us trust to the one from whom comes life and

progress and peace, and let us never forget our

friends, the Life Insurance Companies and their

probabilities. We hope they will be right, and if

they should; present company is invited to come on

the 22

nd

of March in 1876, to 114 N. 12

th

Street.

Please take a note of that and do not forget it.

American Homeopathic Observer. Volume V,

January, 1868.

================================

NEW REMEDIES.

“In the Preface to GUERNSEY’s

“BÖNNINGHAUSEN” we read “Would it not be

well for the profession of to-day to see whether the

few remedies with which he (BÖNNINGHAUSEN)

and HAHNEMANN and his contemporaries did all

their work are not overlooked for the newer and

less thoroughly proven ones.” This remark cannot

be repeated often enough in order to warn against

the danger of giving too easy credit to the eloquent

recommendations wherewith, at present, so-called

homeopathic journals and publications extol new

remedies, not as a result of “provings,” but in

consequence of their empirical use in one case or

another,just as the new allopathic medicines, which,

after having had a run–which proves “it was a

mistake” – give room to a new, also short-lived,

fashion. Every new remedy, if thoroughly proven,

and in its proving manifesting a nuance, which

gives it such a differential character that its

usefulness above its analogues in certain symptom

complexes is established, is a blessing. But the

manner in which new remedies, as a rule, are

extolled for such or such a case is a curse. I, who

have suffered from this curse, say so, for there are

few remedies, highly praised and recommended,

which I have not at the first opportunity, tried,

strictly following the indication – if that kind of

recommendation deserves the name of “indication”

– and I have not found one which did not

disappoint me. If the remedy did good in one case,

in ten cases it would fail. Now, speaking of

disappointment, I must state that this is only meant

for such new remedies which, from the manner in

which they were recommended, must give one

confidence. Others were given for a trial, but when

unsuccessful, could not be said to have

disappointed any expectancy. The first ones,

however, were all administered with assurance, but

proved to be no good.

If it were not that the space of a paper to be

laid before you, and the time which judicially can

be claimed for it prevented, I should unfold a list

which would astonish you. I shall therefore only

mention two instances.

Some years ago Equisetum hyemale had

become the rage in the different journals. I kept

reading of the miraculous cures, and believing in

them, I soon let it be known that now I had an

infallible cure for enuresis; eight days, or, by all

means, not more than fourteen days, was all I

required, when I guaranteed my patients should be

well. I can not remember how many cases I

treated, but it was a great many, and if two of them

were cured by Equisteum hyemale, the rest were

not. I tried every way in which the administration

had been recommended – tincture, watery solution,

dilutions, but all iin vain. I had to go back to

standard prescriptions (totality of symptoms), and

then I cured. ……”

M.A.A. WOLFF.

(The Medical Advance, Vol. XXIV, July 1890)

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QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST Year 2008, Vol.XXV

161

PART III

(While Part II features articles from other journals,

Part III contains the editor’s own contribution and