Studies of Homoeopathic Remedies

Review

This book review is reprinted from Volume 30, Number 3 , Year 2011 edition of The Homeopath

This book has been compiled from a series of articles written for the British Homeopathic Journal between 1963 and 1977 by Dr Douglas Gibson (1888-1977). The editors describe Dr Gibson as a remarkable person, with strong convictions, a lively sense of humour, a prolific writer and who had an interesting life, more of which is described in the preface. Originally the studies appeared as groups of two or three remedies, linked by their action or source, but in this new reprint the editors have now put them in alphabetical order for ease of use.

There are one hundred and two remedies described of which four nosodes (Carcinosin, Medorrhinum, Syphilinum and Tuberculinum) have been added by the current editors as they felt no practical materia medica could leave them out. Each remedy picture follows the same systematic headings; Source, Pharmacology, Proving, Appearance, Psychology, Physiology, Symptomatology (head to toe), Modalities and Clinical Notes.

These categories we are all familiar with today but when this book was first published in 1987 they were not typical. The Source and Pharmacology were not given prominence until Vermeulen's Concordant in 2000. The editor's point out Dr Gibson does not suggest any causal relationship and remind us of Hahnemann's warning against the Doctrine of Signatures but Gibson felt the correspondences worthy of noting and aid in the process of learning remedies. As homeopaths we look for the totality of the patient, I feel knowledge of the source and its actions are not only fascinating but add to the concept of the 'whole'. The Psychology and Appearance categories must have been controversial at the time because for many homeopaths these categories can lead to inferences beyond the proving symptoms, which will therefore interfere with the unprejudiced observer (paragraph 6). The Clinical Notes category I thought the most useful for professional homeopaths, as we do not work with disease names, the clinical experience of a doctor for over sixty years and a homeopathic doctor for over thirty of those years is invaluable corroborative evidence.

Books without or insufficient indices can be annoying but this book has really effective ones. There is an Index of Remedies, where not only the remedy's own pages are given but all the other cross references as well, which give helpful differentiations. There is also an Index of Clinical Conditions and Leading General Symptoms. Although Hahnemann taught not to think therapeutically as homeopaths and the remedies should come out in a repertorisation anyway, there are occasions when we either need a short cut or to look at a case from a different angle can be fruitful. There is an Appendix which lists the remedies in the groups as they were originally published.

This book is written in a very readable style and would be useful to practitioners and students alike. Whilst remembering it is written from a homeopathic doctor's perspective and uses a lot of medical language, if this is born fri mind it adds to the remedy picture other than detracts from it.

This book review is reprinted from the British Homoeopathic Journal Volume 76, Number 4, October 1987, with permission from Peter Fisher, Editor.

This large, comprehensive and important text is based on articles appearing under the same title in this Journal between 1963 and 1977. Now more easily and permanently available, they will, I feel confident, be read by a large readership over the English speaking world.

The author was born in 1888, studied at St Thomas' Hospital, became a surgeon and served for twenty seven years as a missionary in China; a career which only ended consequent to the outbreak of the Second World War. He died in 1977.

Fortunately a second career evolved when he was introduced to the homoeopathic materia medica in 1936, blossoming when he came to work in the London Homoeopathic Hospital a decade later. He subsequently became a member of staff and practised privately in London.

Of an age when a classical education was considered usual, his clinical acumen was honed amidst the panorama of the multiple acute and chronic pathology of the East; his acumen was also wide in homoeopathy, including as it did National Health and private practice. Such learning shines throughout his writing and draws the reader unconsciously from one remedy to each succeeding one, with equal ease of assimilation.

The book, printed at the University Press, Oxford, is 537 pages long with a soft binding in dark maroon, the main title in gold and subsidiaries in white. Its considerable presence looks aesthetically pleasing both on desk and bookshelf. Content consists of a detailed preface, biographical and descriptive, one hundred remedies, an appendix and index of remedies. Each remedy is described under source, pharmacology, proving, appearance, psychology, physiology and symptomatology-general, also head, eyes, ears; the following systems: respiratory, alimentary, cardiovascular, urinary, genital, nervous, locomotor, skin; modalities and clinical notes.

Sections on source and pharmacology are given in considerable detail, and this is helpful in comparing the remedy in material and potentized form. The author states 'These parallels and correspondence are sufficiently numerous and striking to deserve mention, as well as being an aid to the understanding and memorizing of the materia medica picture of each remedy'.

Modalities include useful food aversions and desires; under proving, where the original is by Hahnemann, such is given, and edition where necessary; in clinical notes, relationships are given.

Originally remedies were presented in groups, and these are given in the appendix.

Four nosodes have been added, using the same method of presentation. These are Carcinosin, Medorrhinum, Syphilinum and Tuberculinum. The section on Carcinosin includes details of new varients, early provings and a bibliography.

This is a classic text in which author, editors and publishers have proved equally worthy of each other. It will assist the neophyte and established homoeopath equally in becoming more competent and reliable prescribers, thus furthering the cause of homoeopathy.

CHARLES ELLIOTT

British Homoeopathic Journal
Volume 76, Number 4, October 1987