The collected works of Arthur Hill Grimmer M.D

Review

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians

Reviewed by Durr Elmore

Arthur Hill Grimmer practiced homeopathy for 57 years. Despite the fact that Grimmer was a prolific writer, contributing many articles and cases for the homeopathic journals of his day, he is little known among contemporary homeopaths. With the publication of The Collected Works of Arthur Hill Grimmer, M.D, Dr. Grimmer's relative anonymity should change.

This anthology, edited by Dr. Ahmed Currim, is a big and ambitious work as befits its subject. Currim began collecting Grimmer's unpublished manuscripts with the doctor's daughter, Audrey Grimmer Winthers in 1972. His comprehensive, organized and well documented treatment of Dr. Grimmer's writings is an exciting addition to the homeopathic literature.

This very large page book is arranged into 8 chapters; Materia Medica, Homeopathic Prophylaxis, Philosophy, Clinical Cases, Special Diseases, Essays, Electronic Reactions of Abrams, and Cancer. Really The Collected Works of Arthur Hill Grimmer, M.D. is like several books under one cover.

The influence of James Tyler Kent is imprinted throughout Grimmers writings; in his treatment of materia medica, prescriptions and case management and especially philosophy. Rightfully so, since Grimmer was one of Kent's brightest pupils and upon graduation accepted Kent's offer to join him in practice.

The scope of subject matter included in The Collected Works of Arthur Hill Grimmer, M.D. covers the homeopathic spectrum from materia medica, case taking, case analysis and philosophy. Grimmer's clinical experience and solid foundation in classical homeopathy is evident throughout nearly the entire 900 pages. Some readers might find fault with his chapters on the relationship of electronic reactions and polarity to homeopathy. However, they only cover 54 pages, and seen as a unique extension of Grimmer's strong belief in Swedenborgian philosophy, they provide an interesting insight into his spiritual understanding of health and disease.

This is the kind of book to enjoy and learn from, one chapter at a time. With nearly 200 chapters representing the wisdom of 57 years of practice, The Collected Works of Arthur Hill Grimmer, M.D. is well worth twice its price.

Dr. Ahmed Currim is an excellent homeopath, as well as a meticulous and dedicated homeopathic researcher and scholar. He practices in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Fall 1996 Volume IX No. 3 / SIMILLIMUM

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the International Foundation for Homeopathy
PO Box 7
Edmonds, WA 98020
(206) 776-4147

Reviewed by Karl Robinson, M.D.

A vast repository of homeopathic information is contained in The Collected Works of Arthur Hill Grimmer, MD., a tome of 899 pages painstakingly collected and edited by Ahmed N. Currim, Ph.D., M.D.

Five years after Grimmer's death in 1967, Dr. Currim met Grimmer's daughter. Together they decided to collect Grimmer's voluminous writings and eventually publish them, a task which was not completed until 1996. In the meantime Currim, who held a Ph.D. in mathematics, entered medical school in Belgium.

Trained by James Tyler Kent, M.D., Grimmer went on to specialize in treating difficult chronic cases. He is reputed to have cured many cases of cancer and he wrote extensively on that subject.

Grimmer wrote much on materia medica. Some was not original with Grimmer but came from Clarke or Hering. The editor very meticulously footnotes the primary sources of Grimmer's materia medica where applicable. Grimmer used a huge number of medicines, many of which are still not commonly used today. He wrote of Cadmium oxidatum, Diphtherinum, Gnaphalium Indigo, Indium, Kali chloricum, Kali citricum, Kaliferrocyanatum, Natrum lacticum, Malaria Officinalis, Kali thiocyanatum, Eryngium aquaticum, Ocicum, Tilia, Congo Red, and on and on.

Frequently Grimmer prescribed based on the "polarity" of the patient's blood. He postulated that there were four types of blood, positive, negative, neutral and bipolar. Each type needed a remedy which corresponded electromagnetically to the blood. For someone in a state of negative polarity a remedy with positive polarity was necessary to neutralize or cure. Those diseases of negative polarity required positively charged remedies whereas the neutral diseases needed neutral agents and the bipolar diseases bipolar ones. To determine the remedy, Grimmer used a radionic device patterned after the work of Dr. Albert Abrams, an early innovator in radionics. Unfortunately, Grimmer never passed on exact knowledge of this methodology so it is virtually impossible to know precisely why he prescribed as he did. Included in this collection are lists of negative, neutral, bipolar, and positive homeopathic medicines.

Grimmer was clearly passionately interested in the subtle electric currents permeating the organism: "While the life energy of this wondrous organism of man is flowing harmoniously, that is, polarized correctly, for the maintenance of the electrochemical processes of metabolism, health is present. Anything interfering with this life force, i.e., reversing its normal polarity, results in disease. And order can only be restored by recovering the normal polarity of the vital force. If a reversed polarity exists for too long a time, changes begin in the chemistry of metabolism which are soon followed throughout the cellular elements of the body by a change in structure ultimating in some pathologic process."

There is a charming account of Grimmer's association with James Tyler Kent (p 517) in which he recalled learning from Kent and later being appointed Kent's "quiz master" working with other students. After graduation he occupied an office in the same suite with Kent. "This closer association with the great doctor was most beneficial and enjoyable. How to study remedies in their relationship with human illness, to learn to observe the nature and pace of action of remedies and of diseased states and fit one to the other was a revelation that spelled successful prescribing over the many years of homeopathic practice."

Grimmer went on to note that Kent "revered the work and character of Hahnemann with almost a religious fervor. He had little patience with those who deviated from the law..."

The book is filled with extraordinarily interesting tidbits which very possibly we need to relearn. One involved an eight- month-old child with seizures who was in a typical Opium state. He was cyanotic, had hot sweat, pinpoint pupils and constipation with stools of round black balls. Grimmer warned the patients not to immerse the child in hot water should another convulsion occur. They failed to heed his advice and immersed the child who promptly died.

Grimmer may have been one of the first to warn of aluminum poisoning and he repeated sounded the alarm against cooking with aluminum pots and pans. He believed it caused a miasm which needed to be removed before the curative remedy would act. He recommended Cadmium metallicum as the best antidote.

Grimmer gave many brief descriptions of very rarely used remedies which he said had proved curative. Using a sample of the patient's blood and his Abram's box he was able to arrive at remedies which apparently were extremely successful. Alas, but that we could follow in his footsteps. What Grimmer demonstrated was the homeopathic medicines do have the power to cure cancer even if he failed to teach us how to do it.

Tomas Paschero, a brilliant Argentine homeopath, studied under Grimmer, a fact not mentioned in the book.

The book is full of interesting material and shows many sides of this important homeopath. For anyone interested in knowing more about the history of American homeopathy, it is a must.

About the reviewer: Karl Robinson is a member of the IFH Board and has been in practice for over 20 years. He currently practices in Houston Texas.

RESONANCE - September / October 1997