Plants - Homeopathic and Medicinal Uses from a Botanical Family Perspective (4 vol.)

Review

This book review is reprinted from Volume 31, Number 1 , Year 2012 edition of The Homeopath

Reviewed by Ian Hamilton

If you are a book lover, this publication is a treat in itself. Four beautifully bound volumes, each weighing slightly more than my copy of Essential Synthesis are presented in a robust slipcase. Each volume has its own index and introductory material. The introduction is cleverly divided into Corrector, Collector and Connector, giving an overview of the considerations at play in the work. The indexing I will return to, as it is one of the caveats.

The proof of the usefulness of any reference work such as this seems to lie in its ease of use, the scope of the material and its organisation and the extent to which it becomes a part of everyday practice. Add to this the question which must be asked, "does this work provide a significant enough contribution to sources I already use?" and you can start to justify the considerable outlay. There is no doubt also that the name of Vermeulen and his work on plants, does add lustre to a publication such as this, as it would seem to embody all that his previous work has been about, namely the classification and grouping of plant families. (I do not neglect Linda Johnston here, but Vermeulen is the name we naturally associate with the field (no pun intended!)

Let me get the caveat out of the way. The index, when you become used to it, is easy enough to use. Each plant is listed alphabetically with a number alongside which is the family or grouping. You then look up the number to find the family, which is then found alphabetically in the appropriate volume. My slight problem is that you need to Go through the book looking for the family, before you can find the species. This is made difficult because all the species are arranged alphabetically within the group, so you need to seek out the family first alphabetically, which toes take time. A simple thumb index of some sort would speed it up. On the other hand, as with all good reference books, you come across unexpected sidetracks to follow!

I cite an example of how the work has already helped me. A friend asked me to look up Cocculus indicus. I find it is in Menispermiceae in volume three. There are 11 species used in homeopathy. We are given the common name, abbreviation and.number of symptoms known. Cocculus has c. 5700. Its nearest neighbour in terms of number of symptoms is Curare. There is a section on the family, so I am able to see themes and affinities for the family. One of the themes is taking on care and responsibility for others. Curare is also Latin for "to take care of". Already I am off on a track which resonates with my way of thinking! There is huge and varied information given in the botanical and chemical sections, which is useful in looking at pharmacological activities. Cases are also quoted, probably from Linda Johnston's experience.

Would I recommend it? Yes, as I have bought it; but the outlay needs to be justified. This is a once in a lifetime purchase, but for the homeopath who wishes to see the whole picture of the Plant Kingdom, it's a must. One final caveat, the slip case is a tight fit and the books need to be eased out carefully.