Carbon

Review

This book review is reprinted from Volume 99 Number 3 Autumn 2006 edition of American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine with permission of the American Institute of Homeopathy

Reviewed by George Guess, MD, DHt

An immense undertaking, Carbon, represents five years of painstaking labor spent detailing and categorizing 182 organic and hydrocarbon remedies. In his usual concise, thorough and precise style, Dr. Morrison provides us both a complete rendering of the materia medica of these remedies as well as a fascinating synthesis of the essential characteristics of the organics in general and of the various organic groups - aliphatics, amines, terpenes, aromatics,sugars,etc.

This impressive work has something for everyone, whether or not in agreement with the contemporary scheme of categorizing remedies in groups, having identified those characteristics common to several remedies within the group. Within the descriptions of each remedy, when available, are all of the following elements - standard materia medica information, proving data, and conjectural (by the author's own admission; he advises clinical confirmation before one accepts his synthesized profiles as accurate) mental-emotional profiles synthesized from the author's understanding of the homeopathic meaning of the various chemical moieties constituting the remedy. Additionally, the author provides very thorough descriptions of the chemistry and industrial, agricultural, medicinal, etc. uses of each substance.

The overarching themes Dr. Morrison provides for the carbon-based remedies in general will, I believe, prove very helpful for prescribers. Such themes are derived not from fancied properties derived from specific chemical moieties, but from painstaking scrutiny of pages and pages of materia medica and clinical case notes. From such profound study certain apparent themes emerge. Such themes can then provide an initial reference point to prescribers when analyzing a case. The danger of such themes, so often criticized, lies in applying them for exclusionary purposes; that is, to eliminate a remedy from consideration.

Themes, by their nature, bear similarity with allopathically derived treatment protocols in that they are the product of phenomenological generalizations; they speak only for the group and not so precisely for the specific individual or remedy, whose complexity and potential for limitless variability of expression confounds prediction. Thus, themes are rightly used to suggest a class or range of remedies which must then be winnowed down to one well-chosen remedy based upon sound materia medica, when available. Excluding a remedy from consideration because the patient's overall presentation does not seem to coincide with the themes of a group of remedies is a strategy fraught with peril.

Here then are, in skeletal form, the major and minor themes of hydrocarbon remedies as defined by Dr. Morrison:

Major Themes of the Hydrocarbons

Confusion

Identity (loss of, blandness, invisibility) Value (focus on materialism, poverty, etc.) Mental Weakness

Sensation of Sinking

Isolation

Fire and Explosion

Passivity and Motivation

The Past

Minor Themes

Ghosts

Suffocation and Constriction Aggression

Hurry

Euphoria

Shock

Floating

Penetrating

Jumping

Sexuality

Childishness

I urge the reader to obtain his own copy of this invaluable book to familiarize himself with characteristics of each of these themes.

There are myriad clinical case histories contained in this tome, most of which are very well developed and fully illustrate both hydrocarbon themes and the specific characteristics of the remedies.

Dr. Morrison is nothing if not thorough, and the reader will find in this volume several very small remedies, many lacking any proving and having a paucity of symptoms; e.g.,Alumina acetica, Anilinum sulphuricum, Antimonium natrum lacticum, Fuligno ligni, etc. One doubts such remedies will ever have much utility; still the author is to be commended for his diligence and perseverance.

Several helpful appendices end this book, among them are a brief primer on organic chemistry to facilitate the reader's comprehension of chemical terms used in the text; a listing of organic compounds that merit provings in the author's opinion; a brief explanation of how chemical structure might correlate with miasms; and, lastly, a few guidelines about case analysis.

The volume is indexed and bound attractively.

Carbon is an impressive work, a text that fills a huge gap in our understanding of the materia medica of these basic, critical building blocks of nature. As such, many of the remedies included in this book should (and some already do) prove essential additions to our homeopathic armamentarium. Every homeopath should read it.

In a future issue of this journal look for a reprinting of two materia medica chapters from Carbon, courtesy of the author.

About the Reviewer: George Guess, MD, DHt, practices homeopathy in Charlottesville, Virginia. His is editor of the American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine and Vice president of the American Board of Homeotherapeutics.

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Homeopathy from the April 2005 edition of Homeopathy Today

Reviewed by Molly Punzo, MD

Roger Morrison's previous two works, the highly respected Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms, and Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology, grace the bookshelves of most homeopaths and are required reading in many, if not most, homeopathic schools. Morrison's latest contribution to the filed of homeopathic literature will no doubt take its place alongside these works.

Carbon: Organic and Hydrocarbon Remedies in Homeopathy is the culmination of many years of practice, detailed research, careful analysis, and reflection, and it includes a host of illustrative homeopathic cases. Morrison gives us insight into a family of remedies that have been previously under-prescribed and poorly understood. He presents more than 200 carbon-based remedies, never before bound in a single text, such as Acetic acidum, Carbo vegetabilis, Carbo animalis, Petroleum, Diamond, Graphites, Kreosotum, Terebinthina, Benzoic acid, Glonoinum, Chloroformum, Naphthalinum, Manganum, Menthe piperita, Mentholum, Mercurius cyanatus, and Zincum valerianicum (how many of us have prescribed that one recently?).

There is so much to be gleaned simply by reading the introduction and early chapters. Morrison reminds us that without the carbon molecule, which is at the very core of all living things, no life on earth would exist. A whole branch of chemistry-organic chemistry-is devoted to the study of carbon and its compounds. .

Nowadays, the word "organic" is often used to mean "healthy," as in organic food or farming. But as Morrison points out, many organic chemicals-those chemicals with carbon as part of their make-up-are anything but healthy. Such organic chemicals as petrochemicals, plastics, food additives, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and solvents have proliferated with the industrial age, exposing our bodies to some level of toxicity on a daily basis.

Given the ubiquity of such toxic carbon compounds, it becomes clear that to call oneself a homeopath, one must have more than a passing knowledge of the carbon remedies. One must get to know the toxicology as well as the homeopathic symptoms, themes, patterns, and peculiarities so as not to miss these prescriptions in practice. What if, as Morrison suggests, there is a correlation between the sheer number of these toxic organic chemicals in our environment and the high number of affected patients needing a carbon-based homeopathic remedy? And what if, as Morrison believes, chemically and environmentally sensitive patients are much more inclined to need a carbon-based homeopathic remedy? Without an intimate understanding of these remedies, we will miss opportunity after opportunity to help.

The first part of the book, then, gives a thorough history of organic chemicals, most of which are highly toxic. The next section deals with major, minor, and general themes of the carbon remedies. The third part (the meat of the book) provides a detailed materia medica of the carbon remedies. Many of these remedies are familiar to homeopaths, while others are largely unknown.

If you are wondering how Morrison chose and ultimately grouped the remedies included in the book, the answer is chemically complex and beyond the scope of this review. It's interesting to note, however, that he includes certain plant remedies in the carbon family, such as Camphor, Eucalyptus, and Wintergreen, because they have high concentrations of organic (i.e., carbon-based) volatile oils, and many of their proving, clinical, and toxicological symptoms are, in fact, the result of these volatile organics.

Morrison certainly does a thorough investigation of the family of carbon remedies. At the end of this 842-page book is an organic chemistry review, which may be nostalgic for some and torture for others! One need not get caught up in this section of the book, however, in order to be able to recognize and prescribe these organic carbon remedies. Thank goodness for that!

In writing this book, Morrison intended to shine light on an area of much ignorance-while providing homeopaths with invaluable tools (remedies) and a corresponding how-to manual (this book). Upon reading it, I felt intrigued, humbled, and even somewhat intimidated. It has made me want to study organic chemistry all over again with new eyes and ears. One thing you can say about our profession-there is no such thing as completing your course of homeopathic study! Just when I was feeling safe to come out of the water and onto the land (isn't that how organic life on Earth evolved, after all), Morrison's book shows me how much more there is to learn. It is with gratitude that I contemplate the vast amount of investigative, experiential, and explorational effort that went into the writing of this profound and sophisticated book. It's right out there on the cutting edge.

This book review is reprinted with permission from Volume 20, Spring 2007 Edition of Homeopathic Links.

Reviewed by Kaare Troelsen, Denmark

There seems to be two opposite movements at the moment in homeopathy: one trying to broaden and structure our knowledge of materia medica and one attempting to return to "basics", one expanding, one contracting. I believe that these two movements are not opposite but complementary and that both are necessary for the further development of homeopathy; we need to solidify our core knowledge, organise our discoveries and expand our field.

Morrison's work with the atomic and molecular structure of organic mineral remedies and the relevance of this to the provings, symptomatology and themes of the remedies have been under way for some time and are already a feature in MacRepertory. This eagerly awaited book is a considerable work, both in size and scope: as well as illuminating an important but neglected area of our materia medica it is also a part of the current worldwide effort to expand and organise our core knowledge amassed over centuries. It complements the work of people like Scholten, Mangialavori, Herrick, Shore and Sankaran. Morrison, like others working in this field, is faced with an enormous task and he is aware that he has just focused on a small part and that his ideas are suggestions and theories, not fixed absolutes. Many of the new ideas/theories are too easily labelled "speculation". Only working with Morrison's ideas, like many other new ideas, will prove if they are useful or "speculation". It is the community of today and future generations who will have to develop, expand and further verify these ideas.

There are already around 500 organic remedies in homeopathy, not counting Alkaloids, Biologically Active Molecules, Carbonates and Modern Pharmaceuticals etc. The majority of these have been known for more than a century but have, as Morrison writes, never been studied formally as a group, as the knowledge of the periodic table, the elements and molecular structure was in its infancy at the time of Hahnemann. It is clear that Morrison's work, as well as the work of all homeopaths, is daunting but necessary.

In the introduction Morrison writes "Carbon is the basic substance out of which all living organisms are constructed." Organic compounds come mainly from petroleum and Morrison writes about the virtual explosion in the use of petrochemicals in almost every aspect of modern civilization and the huge political/economical influence it has on the planet today. Over one million organic chemicals have been described in scientific literature. Modern diseases like multichemical hypersensitivity syndrome (MCS), states Morrison, show clear parallels with the provings of organic remedies. It is clear that we need to understand this group better, but how?

Morrison used his observations in clinical practice to outline mental themes and found they could be verified by provings and rubrics. The combination and predominance of certain themes in certain remedies were also found to be related to the molecular structure of the remedy. Single carbon compounds like Adamas show a distinction from ringed carbons like Alloxanum and the groups attached to the specific carbon "spine" like methyl, alcohol, amine all colour the provings. This should not be surprising as both the symptoms and the structure of a substance are believed to be an expression of its "essence". In this book Morrison goes on to describe the Major Themes like: Confusion, Identity, Value, Mental Weakness, Sensation of Sinking, Isolation, Fire and Explosion, Passivity and Motivation, The Past. These themes are supported by known rubrics containing organic remedies. There is also a description of the Minor Themes. Most of the themes are familiar to the reader from remedies like Petroleum, Graphites, Kreosotum, Therebentia, Camphora, Carbo animalis and Carbo vegetabilis, some Acids etc.

After the mental themes Morrison lists the General and Physical Characteristics of Organic Compound Remedies, also supported by rubrics.

When first leafing through the book I missed a clear grouping of the remedies along the lines of themes and molecular structure or miasm, not arranged alphabetically as it is now. Upon further study I realized that most of the remedies belong to several groups and contain several themes at the same time, making such a task impossible and anyway not useful.

I suggest that readers study the Appendices, especially "Understanding Organic Chemistry" and the chapter "Meanings" that describe the various subgroups like Alcohols, Aliphates, Aromatics, Nitrates etc. and how to differentiate them, before they go on to look at the next 750 pages with a monograph presentation of the hundreds of organic remedies. The Monograph consists of these items: Descriptive Paragraph, Common Name, Scientific Name, Formula, Structure, Group, Provings, Best Resources, Diagram, Homeopathic Picture and Cases. This form provides a clear and multi-faceted access to understanding the remedies and mirrors the clearness and consistency found in Morrison's two previous books. "Desktop Guide" and "Desktop Companion".

"Carbon" is both a useful addition to our books on materia medica as well as a tool for a deeper understanding and development of this increasingly important area in our healing art. It is a very interesting but not easy book to pick up and it demands careful study and diligence. I am looking forward to seminars that further demonstrate and explain this group and its themes.