Homeopathic Psychology

Review

Reprinted with permission from Issue #156,

Reviewed by Irene Alleger

Dr. Bailey, a physician and student of Vithoulkas, has written a book for homeopaths that will surely sharpen their skills and broaden their practice. From his own many years of clinical practice, he presents personality profiles of 35 of the most commonly used constitutional remedies, bridging the gap between homeopathy and psychiatry. His introductory chapter carries the stamp of clinical authority, explaining the need for more understanding and development of the mentals, for as he says "...the personality of the patient is at least as important as the physical characteristics in individualizing the case and finding the similimum." The author's insights into case taking are invaluable "pearls" for the practitioner, as is his discussion of potencies and aggravations. Dr. Bailey gives the reader little details that are not found in other books on homeopathy, with regard to the patient's archtypal personality.

The 35 typologies are described in light of "common behaviors, primary emotional tendencies, internal conflicts, and spiritual issues" that each of them face. From Alumina (Mental instability) to Veratrum Album (Dogmatism), these constitutional personalities make for fascinating reading. The emotional life and personality of the patient has always been of importance in homeopathy, but as the author notes, the subtle understanding of personality is a relatively recent phenomenon growing out of Freud's discoveries and the subsequent development of depth psychology. Dr. Bailey's book offers a unique analysis of constitutional types and should prove a valuable aid to practitioners of homeopathic medicine, and serious students, as well.

Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, telephone (360) 385-6021
July 1996

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the American Institute of Homeopathy

Reviewed by George Guess, MD, DHt

I have stumbled upon a jewel and am compelled to notify my homeopathic colleagues of the discovery. Dr. Bailey is an Australian homoeopath with whom I am unfamiliar. It is apparent, though, that he has over his career been quietly accumulating, a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and finely honing his homeopathic skills.

In The Mentals he provides sterling personality profiles of 33 of our most common remedies. In doing so he ranks right up there with our most impressive modern authors of homeopathic psychological works-Vithoulkas, Herscu, Coulter, Zaren.

What I especially like about Dr. Bailey's work is its striking basis in experience. In a very unpretentious and workmanlike manner he reveals his deep knowledge of the remedies. He doesn't embellish or entertain unsubstantiated theories. And he is modest when his experience with a remedy is limited, he says so.

Besides his experience in homeopathy, Dr. Bailey has considerable experience in depth psychology. He brings this knowledge to bear in this book, offering compelling accounts of the psycho genesis and psycho dynamics of our polychrests. Few materia medica offerings that I have read provide such coherent and penetrating accounts of the psychological origins of our remedy types.

The work is clean, deep, sensitive and subtle. His prose is a pleasure to read, his style of expression most reminiscent of Catherine Coulter's work. Few homeopathic authors express themselves With such facility.

There is much in The Mentals that is not especially novel. Many of the psychological descriptions are well-known to the homeopathic community, much attributable to the work of George Vithoulkas. What is unique to this work is the way the remedies are described. Dr. Bailey's descriptions make an impression, and they set one to thinking. But I don't want to leave the reader with the wrong impression there is much here that is highly original and even controversial. A sampling of some of the book's observations will best reflect these qualities.

We are all familiar with the kind of Staphysagria patient Dr. Bailey terms the "sweet" Staphysagria; perhaps also the "smooth" types would be recognized as requiring that remedy. But what about the "wild" or the "subdued" Staphysagria - the former is strongly drawn to the thrills of highly dangerous adventure and wild sexual exploits, one of the most reckless of constitutional types, the latter could easily resemble Natrum muriaticum ; would we recognize such patients as Staphysagrias? Perhaps not, I should think. Dr. Bailey offers richly fleshed-out descriptions of each of these four modes of presentation of this constitutional type.

Consider some other examples: the rigidity and loudness of Veratrum album, or Syphilinum's morbid fascination and obsession with death, or the Sepia "courtesan", - a woman who indulges her high but well-control led sex drive, but in a very discriminating fashion and while retaining her natural independence, or Natrum muriaticum as the clingy child or the smothering, anxiously conscientious parent, or the "gushing" Natrum, or Graphites as gentle and sensible, falling somewhere between the "simple, down to earth nature of Calcarea and the gentle emotionality of Pulsatilla," or the "other-worldly, ethereal" aspects of China, who has difficulty coming to "grips with the harshness of Earthly reality" and so submerges herself in artistic and spiritual interests. There are numerous other instances of highly original, provocative remedy descriptions.

But rarely do I find what I believe to be inaccuracies, three examples being Dr. Bailey's contention that Calcarea carbonica is not a phobic remedy, and his observations that Platina is exclusively a female remedy and Sulphur almost exclusively a male remedy. Again though, he bases his descriptions upon his observations, which are always bound to be limited to the practitioner's experience and consequently forever predestined to be incomplete.

The book is prefaced with an interesting Introduction wherein useful information can be gleaned about clinical observation skills, remedy differentials and posology. An appendix contains an "elemental analysis of constitutional types," a unique study of several remedies based upon their composition relative to the four "elements" or "humours"-earth, air, fire and water.

I read a preview copy which was not indexed. I hope the North Atlantic publication will contain an index-essential in view of the mass of information contained in the book.

I cannot recommend this book too highly both for its informational content and its sheer reading pleasure. And I very much trust that the glowing acceptance Dr. Bailey's book receives (such is my expectation) will induce him to write subsequent volumes on smaller remedies.

JAIH Summer 1995, Vol. 88, No. 2

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the International Foundation for Homeopathy

reviewed by Melanie Grimes

Philip Bailey's book covers 35 common polychrest remedies, each receiving about 5-10 pages. The Mercurius chapter covers 30 pages, and Natrum muriaticum receives 50 pages, appropriately so, as Bailey claims that two thirds of all inhabitants of North America, England and Australia are "Natrums."

If only homeopathy were this easy. This is a book I hate to enjoy. I find this book entertaining, and the stereotypes are almost amusing. It is a fun book to read.

The problem I have with this book is that I wonder, do we need a book like this? It is standard pattern recognition. The psychological pictures are endearing, but do they cover the whole picture of the remedy, as brought out in our materia medicas, the provings, and die clinical data?

Bailey even goes so far as to describe physical characteristics, such as the teeth of a Phosphorus patient- "large and prominent." He goes on to say, " the hair is usually straight and silky, and frequently light brown or reddish, although blond and even black do occur." Famous Phosphorus personalities are listed-Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, and Lyle Lovett, who " ... has the typical wide mouth as well as a kind of 'gawky' look that is common."

There is an inherent danger in this type of approach. The picture Bailey paints may be typical of many of the patients we see. The problem with this type of picture is that there will be many who do not match it. We need to learn to see the whole remedy picture so that we can learn to recognize it in its acute, chronic, terminal, and obscure phases. We cannot rule out a remedy because the patient does not have the kind of teeth we have been taught to associate with a remedy.

The pictures Bailey creates are vivid and interesting to read. If it is used as a jumping off place, it can interest some and give a simple, beginning grasp of the remedy pictures. But does it do some good? I think, in this time of great explosion of knowledge, we can be more complex in our approach to homeopathy. So, please, dear readers, do not stop here.

RESONANCE MAY-JUNE 1996