Koppikar's Clinical Experiences of 70 Years in Homoeopathy

Review

This book review is reprinted with permission from Volume 18, Autumn 2005 Edition of Homeopathic Links.

Reviewed by Ivo Wiesner, Czech Republic

Introduction
What kind of homeopathy do you follow? Do you use the classical method in taking down cases and repertorising from Generals to Particulars, and a single high potency with "watch and wait "like Kent? Or are you a "snap shot" keynote prescriber? Do you give one single remedy at a time or mix, or on an alternating basis? And how do you study and remember the materia medica? Do you learn everything by yourself or did anyone master over you? Students and struggling practitioners eagerly ask these questions of any senior homoeopath they meet. These questions are answered comprehensively and with high wisdom by Dr. S. P. Koppikar in his life-memory book "Clinical experiences of 70 years in homoeopathy".

So who will get most benefit from this book? I would recommend it to any practicing homeopath who is ready to inhale a rare fragrance of wisdom and experience distilled from 70 years of homeopathic practice because Dr. S. P. Koppikar is the oldest living practitioner and teacher of homeopathy in India.

The book is divided into the following sections (each composed of several chapters): Introduction, Memories, History, Materia Medica, Repertory, Practice, Therapeutics, Research, and Miscellaneous. Throughout the entire book the author frequently quotes old masters like Hahnemann, Boenninghausen, Tyler, Dunham, Hering, Allen, Lippe, and Jenichen, and reports a lot of successful cases cured using their approaches and principles. The book is composed mostly of speeches delivered on various symposia or written as articles for various homeopathic journals.

To give the potential reader a taste of this rich brew, I would like to mention some excerpts which appealed to me personally.

Section Memories
Introductory chapter
Dr. Choudhury, being one of Dr Koppikar's teachers of materia medica, had a large number of European clients. One day a large bulky gentleman came and sat down in the patient's chair. After taking the case Dr. Choudhury wrote a prescription and sent him off. When he asked Dr. Koppikar he could not even think of any suitable drug. He replied: "Did you see how he sat down? He almost fell down into the chair. Do you know that Stannum is the only remedy that sits down like that?"

Chapter: My gurus and how they moulded my work
The author's uncle, Dr. D. N. Koppikar, who introduced him to homoeopathy, demonstrated the power of prescription on keynotes with the case of Podophyllum. The uncle started by teaching that if a symptom is given in Keynotes (like Allen's), it can be absolutely depended upon to give a remedy IF WE UNDERSTAND PROPERLY EACH WORD in a keynote. Dr. Koppikar found that Allen's 'Keynotes' and Boger's 'Synoptic Key' gave the KEYS leading to many remarkable cures given in this book.

Section History
Chapter: The old masters and their contributions to homoeopathy
This chapter is a lecture delivered at A. P. Homeopathic Association in 1983. In a wonderful tour through the garden of masterpieces of old masters, interesting tips for remedies are given, like the extremely successful treatment of painful calcaneal spur achieved by Aurum metallicum 1 M or 10 M based on one sentence in Clarke's Dictionary: "Gold affects profoundly the entire organism, exercising a solvent action on the tissues, producing ulcerations and the disappearances of new growths".

Section Therapeutics
Chapter: Ignatia in serious septic conditions
Most homeopaths are taught about Ignatia being the "hysterical" remedy based on Kent's materia medica, so a lot of homeopaths tend to prescribe it solely on psychosomatic basis. However, Ignatia is also a powerful anti-septicemia remedy, for which knowledge one must know and read Knerr's articles and Repertory (giving index of guiding symptoms). It is there reported that only three remedies were capable of curing bubonic plague, namely Lachesis, Anthracinum, and Ignatia! Further, Ignatia was able to cure most serious cases of acute appendicitis.

Chapter: Allergic bronchitis or repeated U. R.I. in children
A large number of upper respiratory infections and allergic bronchitis yielded successfully to homeopathic treatment. The author has found in his clinic that almost all of these allergies have come from OPT (or in rare cases other) vaccinations. For this he has evolved the following standard five-step treatment applicable to every case of allergic bronchitis with a history of preventive vaccination:
1. Drosera 1 M (two doses in water on the same day, 4-hourly)
2. Thuja 1 M (even if patient was not vaccinated against smallpox)
3. Pertussinum 1 M
4. According to indicated constitution always in 1 M - most often Sulphur or Calcarea carbonica, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Silicea, Natrum muriaticum
5. Bacillinum 1 M or Tuberculinum aviare 1M

With the warning that never start the case with Drosera when in acute stage (acute stage is often treated by Ipecacuanha, Antimonium tartaricum, Antimonium arsenicosum [very powerful remedy]; or Arsenicum album, Coccus cacti or Aralia all in C6 to C30 at maximum).

Every case of "modern allergic bronchitis" was cured by one dose of Diphterinum 1 M. Dr. Koppikar ends by remarking that it is a big responsibility for us (homeopaths) to treat these allergic states as we are the only branch of medicine able to cure it.

I could go on and on, sharing with you my excitement about these old miraculous cures, for instance the curing of gout by Urtica urens and Acom-Glandium Quercus (Burnett) (section Research, chapter Research in Homeopathy II) but you ought really to read the book! It is absolutely worth buying and reading from cover to cover.