Special Section: Homeopathy Book Roundup

Here is a quote from the opening of Richard Grossinger's recent book, Homeopathy: An Introduction for Skeptics and Beginners. ($12.95 Trade Paper, ISBN 1-55643-165-I, North Atlantic Books): Homeopathy was developed by the brilliant but eccentric German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and quickly became a dominant medical practice in much of the Western world until the early twentieth century. Its ascent was greatest in North America, cresting during the decade from 1880 to 1890; its decline was most swift and thorough there, too. Briefly stated, as laboratory science took over medicine, homeopathy ran into its own insurmountable internal contradictions and ultimately' lost its identity as a single consistent system. The policies of the American Medical Association and Abraham Flexner's Report on Medical Education in the United States and Canada (1910) finally undermined homeopathy's professional standing, and it was isolated as a nonscientific medicine. The old practitioners died in dishonor, and until the 1970's, hardly any young recruits took their places.
As interest and application of holistic medical and healing approaches increases, homeopathy is resuming its place of importance among treatment options. After all, it has been in continuous use by large numbers of physicians and patients in Europe, India, and Australia during its entire period of eclipse in the U.S. On these pages, Inner Journeys presents an annotated list of basic books in the field, ranging from home-use manuals for novices in self-treatment and family care to books of explanation and theory and representative books more suitable for advanced practitioners. Our list can hardly be exhaustive, and the editors apologize for any glaring oversights (readers, send us letters...). However, we selected these books and produced the reviews by enlisting friends who are both studying and applying homeopathic healing methods, in a lay-people's circle, with help from three medical doctors, two of whom are certified homeopathic physicians. In short, their reviewing credentials are better than ours since they have spent several years poring over these books- and arguing over them, too. After a lengthy discussion of how relevant it can be to booksellers to read reviews of the professional manuals which issue from homeopathic publishing houses with prices beginning at $75.00 a book, we decided to review here only the physician's Repertory and Materia Medica (the two sine qua non professional books) which this circle uses. We have no intention of excluding other preferences or creating an instant canon; anyone wishing to pursue this subject should speak to local practitioners, and use the ample bibliographies in some of these introductory books. On the other hand, we think our apprentice homeopaths have done you a good turn by indicating which of these books not only read well, but provide the know-how or the specific remedy information that has worked for them in treating themselves, their children, and their friends.

Organon of Medicine, by Samuel Hahnemann, translated by Jost Kunzli, M.D., Alain Naude, and Peter Pendleton

$16.95, Trade Paper, ISBN: 0-9636312-0-9, Cooper Publishing

This is the core book on homeopathic medicine, first published in 1810 and subsequently revised five times by Hahnemann. The sixth revised edition was published only posthumously, in 1921, and a complete translation into English of the text was not available until this edition appeared in 1982. This text is the fountainhead of the philosophy, the techniques, the healing processes- in short, everything Hahnemann contributed in his remarkable life's work. The book is not highly technical, it is not a manual like the various Repertories. At 214 pages long, it gives a clear and concise basis for the practice of homeopathy. This book is highly recommended for novice or student alike, and it is mandatory reading for practitioners, since some of Hahnemann's late discoveries revolutionize methods used (for 100 years by Kent and others...) in "classical homeopathy."

Homeopathic Medical Repertory: A Modern Alphabetical Repertory, by Robin Murphy, N.D.

$85.00, Hardcover, ISBN: 0-9635764-0-2, Hahnemann Academy of North America

For over 100 years, the standard Repertory of the Materia Medica for U.S. practitioners, has been that of J. T. Kent, a student of Hahnemann. Dr. Murphy's Repertory is the first version of this essential book for choosing remedies that translates the English of the 19th Century to the English of the U.S.A., in the 1990's. The chapter headings have also been simplified for ease in locating appropriate remedies. Robin Murphy has succeeded in simplifying the material without obvious distortions, an achievement that may make his Repertory the edition of choice for U.S. practitioners. The cost of this repertory is high at $85.00 retail; however, for those new to homeopathic prescribing, it is an indispensible time-saver. Robin Murphy teaches workshops in Homeopathy and trains practitioners at all levels, and those who wish to pursue this practice, either as laymen or professionals, can obtain extensive recordings of Murphy's lectures from the Hahnemann Academy.

Divided Legacy: The Conflict Between HomoeopatJty and the American Medical Association: Science and Ethics in American Medicine (1800-1910), by Harris L. Coulter

$14.95, Trade Paper, ISBN: 0-913028-96-7, North Atlantic Books

Harris L. Coulter, a Yale- and Columbia-trained historian, has completed his monumental four-volume work on "medical philosophy since ancient times," according to the North Atlantic Books catalog. In this third volume of the series, Coulter details the history of the three medical systems (allopathic, homeopathic, and eclectic) and the conflicts between them during the 19th Century. At the turn of the century, all three Systems were still thriving. In this 578 page book (a steal at $14.95, the '80's price), Coulter describes how the allopathic medical strain came into prominence and overpowered the others. Coulter mobilizes an immense body of historical evidence, citing professional journals, medical society proceedings, news articles, archives, and even unpublished family materials, for every assertion he makes.

The overall effect of this deluge of data is to give the reader a clear view of why homeopathy stayed intact exactly as it was formulated by Hahnemann in the late 1700's and early 1800's. A benefit of reading this volume is getting a good foundation in homeopathic philosophy since Coulter goes into such great detail on the basic differences of the systems. Not for beginners or the merely curious, this book is more appropriate for the serious homeopath or herbalist, or anyone researching this branch of medicine.

Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms, by Roger Morrison, M.D.

$65.00, Hardcover, ISBN: 0-9635365~-X, Hahnemann Clinic Publishing

This professional book is a contemporary Materia Medica. There are dozens of these to choose from, but this volume is our companion reference book of choice for Robin Murphy's Repertory A practitioner needs this book to help decide among remedies when there are several possibilities and the remedy to use is not obvious. Only a bookstore looking to stock a complete professional section will wish to carry Materia Medicas. If there is a homeopathic college or training facility near your store, you may need to consult the practitioners there regarding what professional books they wish students to buy. Due to the conditions under which homeopathy has persisted and survived, most training facilities are either publishing their own books or securing their professional texts directly from U.S. or foreign publishers.

Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines: Taking Care of Yourself and You? Family with Safe and Effective Remedies, by Stephen Cummings, F.N.P., and Dana Ullnaan, M.P.H.

$10.95, Trade Paper, ISBN: 0-87477-3~5, Tarcher/Putnam

Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants by Dana Uliman, M.P.H. $11.95, Trade Paper, ISBN: 0-87477-692-9, Tarcher/Putnam

These home-use manuals, recently issued in updated editions, are in our opinion the best layman's guides to self-care. They consist of three parts: the first part covers theory, philosophy, and procedures; the second part consists of chapters focusing on common ailments and their homeopathic treatments; the third part gives a brief description of some of the most common remedies with the symptoms and the personality types most likely to need that particular. remedy.

The format of these volumes, with serviceable index and table of contents, makes it easy to utilize. In this version, homeopathic care is not overly complex, but rather easily accessed for family care preliminary to consulting a physician. In our time of skyrocketing medical costs and economies of scale (i.e., h.m.o.'s, clinics, and group medical plans...), manuals like those Dana UlIman is producing facilitate preventive care and home treatment of many' common ailments, from colds and flus to p.m.s., allergies, skin problems, and so on. We use these books constantly and give them high marks for successful remedy selection.

Homeopathic Science & Modern Medicine: The Physics of Healing with Microdoses, by Harris L. Coulter, Ph,D.

$9.95, Trade Paper, ISBN 0-913028-343, North Atlantic Books

This 170-page text is packed with insights into medical journalism, the method of prescribing for homeopathic physicians, and the fascinating study of minuscule dosages. Harris L. Coulter stuffs each chapter with technical illustrations of homeopathy's effects on medical practice and the historical context of infinitesimal doses. The practicing homeopathy student or the student of homeopathic history will enjoy the detail and depth of evidence presented, especially in the three addenda which are "Homeopathic Dilutions Expressed as Powers of 10," 'What the Doctor Needs to Know in Order to Make a Successful Prescription by James Tyler Kent, M.D.," and "The Question of Clinical Trials in Homeopathy and Allopathy."

The Homeopathic Emergency Guide: A Quick ReferenceHandbook to Effective Homeopathic Care, by Thomas Knizel, N.D.

$16.95 trade Paper, ISBN: 1-55643-123-6

We use this book whenever Everybody's Guide... doesn't handle the situation. It seems to be less complete than those Guides, but more exact for some ailments and their more unusual remedies. The author of the Foreword, Andre Sain, recommends it when "time is short and judgment difficult." UlIman recommends the book for "both the sophisticated layperson and the practitioner." The translation is, a beginner will not be able to use this book, since it's format is closer to the professional's repertory, without introductory material or commentaries.

Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century, by Dana Ullman, foreword by Dr. Ronald W. Davey, Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

$12.95, Trade Paper, ISBN 01-556434)15-9, North Atlantic Books

The important concepts of homeopathy are presented with documentation of double-blind research. The Science and art of homeopathy with historical background comprise the first part consisting of three chapters. Examples of homeopathic practice and specific remedies available per condition are included in part two: The Scope of Homeopathic Practice, and form the main part of this general information text of ten chapters. Each chapter focuses on a specific arena of treatment, i.e. Pediatrics, Women's Health, etc. Some anecdotal episodes of case studies are included for remedies mentioned giving the reader an ongoing sense of the method of homeopathic usage in actual situations. The Third section discusses what the reader can do to learn more about and begin to used homeopathy on a personal level. This book is for the general reader, the person who wishes to be informed about alternative medicines avail-able today, and for the student of homeopathy who wisely wants to develop a thorough background in the field.

Homeopathy: Medicine of the New Man, by George Vithoulkas

$7.95, Trade Paper, ISBN 0-668-04581-7, ARCO (MacMillan)

Basic foundation textbook for the current resurgence in study of homeopathy. This discusses the why and the how of homeopathic treatment from the point of view of the practitioner who has viewed the standard medical practices of today and knows that disaster can't be far behind. Unfortunately, at press time this book is listed '0.S.I.' by ARCO, and cannot be ordered.

An New Model for Health and Disease, by George Vithoulkas

$12.95, Trade Paper, ISBN: 1-55643-087-6, North Atlantic Books

In this profound book, world-renowned homeopath George Vithoulkas utters a desperate cry: Modern medicine is heading in the wrong direction and the errors it is making along the way are dooming the human race as a whole to extinction. The real ecological disaster of today is occurring inside our own bodies, due to the excessive overuse of 'wonder drugs'.

Vithoulkas presents us this sobering point of view while encouraging us to entertain an entirely different view of the human organism, one that integrates data from many disciplines, and centuries of experience and thought. His model is an objective, unbiased and sweeping synthesis of cutting edge medical studies and the observations of generations of homeopaths and other healers and scientists, and asks us to consider the most basic of questions: "If we (the industrialized nations) are indeed the most advanced medically in the world today, why are we so sick? Why is our life expectancy lower than that of some less developed countries? What has happened to the quality of our lives? And why does the medical profession avoid these most basic questions?"

Written as a treatise for medical professionals, but paced and worded to be approachable by lay readers, this is a must-read for anyone interested in health and medicine. Vithoulkas has arrived at a well-considered and researched hypothesis concerning the nature of the human body, its relationship to its environment, its reactions to stresses and its health-seeking mechanisms. He offers an explanation for the advent of AIDS, Candida, Alzheimer's, allergies, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and cancer, and supports his propositions with lengthy bibliographies and footnotes, quotations, excerpts, graphs and documentation. His tone is restrained, yet deeply urgent, as he spreads at our feet evidence from centuries of wise and earnest humanitarians, philosophers, doctors, scientists, and mystics whose voices are largely ignored by the profit-motivated medical machine of today. He implores us to listen, for the sake of the continuation of our species, although, grievously, it may be too late.

A Homeopathic Love Story; The Story of Samuel and Melanie Hahnemann, by Rima Handley

$12.95, Trade Paper, ISBN 1-556434)49-3, North Atlantic Books

I loved reading this book. It was my introduction to the genius and scholarly dedication of Hahnemann to the founding and practice of Homeopathy. The love story with his second wife Melanie is really just the casing in which the tale of vicious legal, medical and social battles took place in Europe during the turbulent years of 1834 to 1843. Details of the practice of homeopathy as it was developed by the founder, Hahnemann's patient records, and the repercussions of Melanie's practice after Samuel died provide the depth of inquiry around the love story theme. General readers as well as students of homeopathy will enjoy the delightful manner of the writings.

Homeopathy: From Alchemy to Medicine, by Elizabeth Danciger

$5.95, Trade paperback, ISBN: 0-89281- 290-7, Healing Arts Press

This little book (108 pages, with notes and bibliography) gives a lucid and thorough introduction to Samuel Hahnemann's thought,and outlines especially the evolution of his ideas into the full-blown science of homeopathy. Without an overwhelming amount of detail, Danciger, a practitioner herself as well as a historian, traces the roots of the "law of similars" and other axioms of this practice to Paracelsus, 16th Century alchemist and physician. Danciger goes on to show the conflicts between the various medical systems and philosophies up until Hahnemann's time, with reference to both the scientific discoveries in Europe and the influence of metaphysical ideas from Rosicrucianism and other esoteric sources. Danciger uses short quotations from original texts very aptly , and her three-page bibliography covers much throught beyond homeopathy. This will be excellent supplementary reading for anyone who wants to become familiar with the origins and theories of homeopathy, or to understand how it arose in the context of European science and intellectual history.

Homoeopathic Remedies for Women's Ailments, by Phyllis Speight

$11.95, Trade Paper, ISBN: 0-85032-200-6, C.W. Daniel Company,. Ltd.

This is a home-use manual from England by a long-time homeopathic "lay practitioner." With brief introductory statement and appendices addressed to women, Speight presents 38 remedies with their characteristic symptoms, to be of especial use for women's home treatment. This is a handy short form of these remedies, for which the author makes no claim of medical completeness. After the remedy/symptom lists, she prints in alphabetical order a repertory of the symptoms, so that the reader can select a remedy by symptom and read its section. This is followed by additional repertories of the 38 remedies according to situations that make the patient better or worse, and finally symptoms and remedies listed by each category of illness. On first glance, a novice may find this complex, but it is, in fact, a microcosm of the full-length, all-inclusive works that a professional practitioner uses. We recommend this book to women as a helpful manual for fast remedy selection for these ailments. The definition of "women's ailments" is traditional but not at all sexist, and Speight has good suggestions regarding the attitudinal and mental element of healing these ailments.

Through no fault of our homeopathy circle, Inner Journeys did not obtain any more of the C.W. Daniel Company books in this field, or any books from Insight Publishing. They are distributed by Atrium, Bookpeople, and others in the U.S., and their catalog should be consulted to stock a very complete healing or homeopathy section.

Portraits of Homoeopathic Medicines: Psychophysical Analyses of Selected Constitutional Types Volumes I and II, by Catherine R. Coulter

$25.00, Hardcover, ISBNs: O-938190-61-X and 1-556434036-1, North Atlantic Books/Homeopathic Educational Services

Ms. Coulter has brought an unparalleled richness of insight and artistry into both volumes of Portraits of Homeopathic Medicines, interweaving substantiating and explanatory quotations from the grand masters of homeopathy- Hahnemann, Kent, Allen and many others-with illustrative anecdotes from her own practice, forming pictures of such archetypal dignity that they impress themselves upon us to the deepest levels of recognition. Several of the major polycrests and nosodes achieve immortality as she shows us their typicalities throughout history and as characterized in great works of literature. Ms. Coulter possesses a flair for writing that engages the readers' attention, easily leading us through the complexity of detail which an involved description of such well-documented polycrests must entail, entertaining us all the while and simplifying the images of these remedies so that we come away feeling that we have lust had an intimate encounter with another human being, one that we will never forget Her psychological profiles derive their data from observations of people from all walks of life, in the natural context of their ordinary lives, over extended periods of time and many generations, in both health and illness, avoiding the Heisenbergian paradox of altering the organism's behavior through the act of observing it. These profiles will be of utmost value to the student of human behavior and typicalities, and will surely reign as classics in the field of homeopathic literature.

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