46 British Homoeopathic Journal for homoeopathy privately are likely to enjoy
reading the materia medica sections to learn more about the medicine they have been prescribed. The attractiveness of the format may mean that many copies end up on the c o f f e e t a b l e and are o n l y d i p p e d into. However, if the results are a curiosity about homoeopathy and a better understanding of its potential, these could be more valuable than 'self-help'.
CHRISTINA SCOTT-MONCRIEFF
T h e C o m p l e t e F a m i l y G u i d e t o H o m e o p a t h y . C h r i s t o p h e r H a m m o n d . Element. ISBN 1-85230-748-X. s
This book is similar to The Complete Guide to Homeopathy, reviewed above, in size, glossiness and price, but Dr H a m m o n d ' s approach is very different. In his introduction he explains that his aim has been to bridge the gap between the inadequate instructions that are o f t e n g i v e n out with o v e r - t h e - counter h o m o e o p a t h i c medicines and the professional texts that are too complex for the family user.
To this end, Dr Hammond places a particu- lar emphasis on individualizing the prescrip- tion. More than a third of the book is devoted to helping the reader to find appropriate prescriptions for a range of common acute conditions by a process of elimination. This is done by using detailed charts on which possible medicines are matched to aspects of the history.
For example, under eye complaints 12 medicines are considered and the reader is advised to note which of these are the most relevant to the history of the patient under five headings: cause, onset, laterality, appear- ance and sensation. The reader is then invited to examine how the medicines selected in this way fit the other aspects of the history-- discharges, peculiars, modalities, concomi- tants and general symptoms, both physical and mental.
Clearly such an approach demands high q u a l i t y c a s e - t a k i n g a n d Dr H a m m o n d discusses how this should be done. It also demands a degree of dedication from the user. This may lead the purchaser of the book to a b a n d o n h o m o e o p a t h y as b e i n g too difficult, but it is arguably better than being
disappointed at poor results from inaccurate prescribing.
The charts include aspects of the constitu- tional approach to prescribing in the sense of looking at the whole person. But Dr Hammond limits his use of the term constitutional to the management of chronic or recurring condi- tions and advises that for these the reader should consult a qualified h o m o e o p a t h i c practitioner. However, in the materia medica t h e r e are b r i e f v i g n e t t e s d e p i c t i n g the ' p e r s o n a l i t y ' o f t h e m e d i c i n e b e i n g described, and these provide an introduction to the wider scope of homoeopathy.
Although the materia medica is limited to d e s c r i p t i o n s of 81 m e d i c i n e s , the m a i n s y m p t o m pictures are fully covered. The keynotes are summarized in a box and the other important symptoms are highlighted by the use of bold type. This format should help the serious but relatively novice student of homoeopathy to assimilate materia medica in a way that provides a sense of hierarchy in the relative importance of the symptoms in the 'medicine picture'.
In addition to practical self-help sections, the book provides a good introduction to the theory and philosophy of homoeopathy, and is generously illustrated throughout. It is a manual that can be recommended to readers who are willing to recognize that skilled h o m o e o p a t h i c prescribing requires some effort. Such readers are likely to include professional healthcare workers who are seeking to add to their skills
CHRISTINA SCOTT-MONCRIEFF
Materia Medica, Core Elements of the Materia Medica of the Mind Volumes | and II. Ananda Zaren. 1994. Ulrich Burgdorf Homoeopathic Publishing House, Germany. ISBN 3-922345-94-8. Price not stated. These two v o l u m e s of materia m e d i c a of the mind by A n a n d a Z a r e n o f f e r a new model for exploring pathology and materia medica. The work has been influenced by Vithoulkas, and she emphasizes the impor- tance of the emotional state in homoeopathic prescribing.
Volume 85, January 1996 47
calls 'the wound'; the way the individual protects himself from further injury, called ' t h e w a l l ' ; and the w a y the i n d i v i d u a l presents himself to the world, called 'the mask'. Each medicine is analysed in this way.
These layers of presentation are akin to psychoanalytic theory, which views much pathology as linked to childhood trauma (the initiating wound), especially in the work of analysts like Alice Miller. Psychoanalysis also refers to the defences we develop to cope with this state (the wall), and discusses c o n c e p t s like a ' t r u e ' and ' f a l s e ' (i.e. masked) self.
Zaren asserts that when the individual is unable to cope with an injury or trauma, a 'wound' is created. Commonly, this is caused by various forms of childhood abandonment. The features o f the wound are that it is unexpected, and that its effects are deeply felt by the individual. This original wound is continually restimulated by repeated similar stress. In o r d e r to p r o t e c t h i m s e l f , the individual forms a barrier or 'wall' around the wound. This wall is r e p r e s e n t e d by physical, mental and emotional symptoms presenting, which initially protect, but later disguise the original wound, causing it to fester underneath. The wall of symptoms acts to n u m b the i n d i v i d u a l ' s response to the original offence and represents an adaptation to the trauma. However, the body becomes drained by having to maintain this defence.
Additional survival mechanisms are devel- oped to obscure the wall, these the author refers to as the 'mask' or the 'persona', the interface the individual has with society. The mask serves to 'distract the individual from the pain and loneliness of the true self'.
H o m o e o p a t h i c t r e a t m e n t is a i m e d at m a t c h i n g the o r i g i n a l w o u n d plus the symptoms of the wall. Ananda Zaren sees the h o m o e o p a t h i c m e t h o d as a p a i n s t a k i n g method of working with the patient in order to uncover these layers of pathology.
T h e a u t h o r d i s c u s s e s 11 w e l l - k n o w n medicines--Calc-p, Cann-i, Caust, Hyos, Med, Sil, Anac, Calc, Nat-c, Sulph and Thuja. However, her unique interpretation of the mental aspects offers new insights, also into pathology, in a similar way to the work of Catherine Coulter.
Each drug is explored with respect to aetiology, the wound, the wall, the mask,
relationship issues, childhood presentations, and comparative materia medica.
A useful summary is provided at the end of each discussion, and ample references to r u b r i c s in K e n t ' s Repertory are g i v e n throughout the discussions.
As with any materia medica of the mind, there is much room for interpretation, yet careful cross-referencing with Kent's rubrics c r e a t e s a c o n v i n c i n g a r g u m e n t f o r the interpretations given.
I would recommend this book for in-depth study of the mental s y m p t o m s associated with the drugs. It provides a fascinating understanding of some which I thought I knew well!
TESSA KATZ
Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica. J. T. Kent, 6th American edition. C o r r e c t e d , r e v i s e d a n d i m p r o v e d b y Ramanlal P. Patel. H a h n e m a n n H o m o e o - p a t h i c P h a r m a c y , H a h n e m a n n H o u s e , College Road, Kottayam 686 001, Kerala, India. $60.
The r e p e r t o r y is an index of the materia medica, proven homoepathically or based on clinical observation. It can seem a maze until one finds the relatively simple structure running through it, but this in itself requires a dedicated study of the book.
It is usually best to acquaint oneself with only one repertory. Referring to several r e p e r t o r i e s at a t i m e can lead to p o o r e r results. Indeed, a study o f the r e p e r t o r y should guide the practitioner to develop internal lists of rubrics and the relationships of homoeopathic medicines with each other and with symptoms; just as a proper study of the materia medica gives someone internal drug pictures such that after many years of practice the medicines seem like 'old friends'.
