Healing with Homoeopathie

Author: Dr. Joachim-F. Grätz

English Edition January 2021

Reviewed by Dr. Firuzi Mehta

Published by Balboa Press

Softcover, hardcover and e-book options. The hardcover one comes with a dust jacket.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-5378-3 (paperback)

           978-1-9822-5380-6 (hard cover)

           978-1-9822-5379-0 (e-book)

No. of pages: 652

Price: Softcover USD 34.99

           Hardcover USD 48.95

           E-book USD 8.99

Health, today, stands at a precarious junction. Over the last century, ‘advances’ in medicine have made huge strides in terms of new discoveries, technology, etc. However, the health of humankind hasn’t really improved alongside. We have traded, in exchange, acute infectious illnesses for deeper chronic ailments. Perhaps the last century has seen an increase in mankind’s life span, but the quality of life is questionable, living with myriad chronic ailments and a handful or more of chemical drugs on a daily basis to keep existence going.

This brings us to question whether we are headed in the right direction. Are we creating health? Or, are we, with our ‘fantastic’ medical treatments, pushing our human bodies towards further destruction and ill-health? The way things are moving, I do not think that the increase in life spans will last more than a few generations. People are developing dangerous chronic illnesses at a much younger age nowadays and this will eventually lead to earlier deaths, unless something dramatically changes in the way we perceive health and disease and hence change the way we treat.

Dr. Joachim-F.Grätz’s book, “Gentle Medicine – The True Causes of Disease, Healing and Health” is a book that, I feel strongly, should be read by everyone – not just health professionals, because every human being has a stake and role to play in the maintenance of their own health, for their own sake and for their future generations. For health professionals who truly care to make a positive change to the health of their patients and who are disturbed by what they see happening today in the name of medicine, this book is a must-read.

Throughout the book, Dr. Grätz reinforces, time and again, the universal laws of nature and how the correct medical approach has to be one that works with these laws, not against them. The book highlights, case after case, how current mainstream medical practices try to bring about removal of the manifestations of illness, without ever touching the root cause and how repeated suppressions of this type over the years, lead to worsening health and the development of newer, deeper diseases. Dr. Grätz does not present theories or hypotheses. Nor does he ask one to have faith or belief in a system. It is purely about the facts of natural laws and their application for the benefit of not just the individual but humanity at large, in the long run.  

As Dr. Grätz writes, this book gives us a new perspective and understanding of health and disease. For classical homeopaths, much of it is not really new, but it serves to clarify, reinforce and strengthen our understanding of health, disease and classical homeopathy. We will start seeing the underlying patterns of wrong treatment, which over the years, actually create disease. We will realise that disease never happens ‘just by chance’.

The book begins with a review of today’s healthcare system. It is a very interesting chapter and will be an eye-opener in a lot of ways. This book brings to light many of the scientific frauds perpetuated in the past and turns some pre-existing concepts on their heads with logic and rational thinking. It lists harrowing stories of some of the atrocities being done in the name of development and science even in recent years. When we studied medicine, we learnt about the horrendous treatment methods used in the past. With an open mind, we can see that things are not much different today, only they are couched in fancy terminology and explained away as the latest revolutionary advances in medicine. This chapter definitely raises a lot of key questions that need to be asked. Regular medicine is anything but ‘gentle’. Restoring health to patients using modern methods is almost impossible. The focus of disease is, at best, just shifted from one place to another.  The author clearly accepts the important role that conventional medicine plays in life-saving and emergency use, but he reiterates its complete inadequacy in treating any chronic ailment with any goal of real cure.

The next chapter is devoted to the Chronic Laws of Classical Homeopathy.  A well-written chapter that explains how homeopathy views acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Grätz elaborates on the concept of miasms that most homeopaths know about, but few thoroughly know how to use in practice. Many of the issues that perplex homeopaths are explained. There are sections on individual miasms and how we can identify these miasms in our patients, right from infancy.  It explains what we need to focus on to prescribe correctly, miasmatically, the importance of understanding the energetic process of disease, the ‘real disease’ behind the disease. The very important fact to understand is how improper treatment and suppressions can activate dormant miasms with disastrous results and that with homeopathic anti-miasmatic methods, we can reduce any inherited predispositions.

The third chapter deals with General Medical Basics based on the Laws of Nature. The readers would do well to understand the biological natural laws and the two-phase nature of disease and the appearance of microbes as given in this chapter. An interesting aspect Dr. Grätz touches on is of German New Medicine – the sections on biological conflicts, the biological rule of handedness, show how these impact the creation of disease. All these are analysed from the perspectives of modern medicine and of homeopathy.

A small but important chapter is the fourth one. Encephalopathy – A necessary consequence of vaccinations. Now that we are in 2022 and the world has seen an unprecedented mass vaccination campaign with notorious mandates being put into place in some form or other, I dare say that a lot more people have opened their eyes to the vaccination debate, after seeing so much of the destruction and deaths that the covid vaccines have left in their wake. Dr. Grätz discusses the issue of vaccination reaction and damage with clear references and case reports.  It is valuable to understand the why and how of vaccine damage and how it is covered up by the industry. The topic on vaccinations continues as part of the FAQs towards the end of the book. With clear references, Dr. Grätz shows how statistical tricks have been used to advertise the so-called benefits of vaccinations. With clear cases, he shows how vaccinations have emerged as the main cause of demyelinating encephalopathies. He shows how with every vaccination and suppression, the miasmatic predispositions are exacerbated, how vaccinations can intensify the primary miasms and can clearly shift the general health situation towards destruction. This holds true for all vaccinations and doesn’t apply to just one specific antigen.

The fifth chapter elaborates on Dr. Grätz’s personal experiences in treating patients with Gentle Medicine. Gentle Medicine means understanding natural processes and laws and providing meaningful support for any health problems. It has to involve holistic and energetic thinking. He also explains the importance of the compilation and hierarchization of the important symptoms for repertorization.

There are sections on different cases from Dr. Grätz’s practice – neurodermatitis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, tendency to infections, Lyme disease, cardiovascular disease, bronchial asthma, allergies, etc.

This chapter makes for very interesting reading because it becomes clear how a detailed case history invariably shows the true triggers of the disease being the harmful and suppressive treatments received in the past, overuse of chemical medication and vaccinations which activate the latent miasms. However, conventional medicine hardly ever sees these links and is ready to blame ‘chance’ or ‘genetics’ in most cases. When we read these cases, it becomes clear to us that nothing ever happens ‘by chance’! Several cases of kidney failure illustrate the absence of chance and the provoking presence of chemical medication. Worm and lice infestations, other parasitic and fungal infestations are also discussed along the same lines, as are rheumatism, polyarthritis, migraines, epilepsy, hyperactivity, ADD, ADHD, developmental delays, perception and coordination disorders, autism, minor and severe brain damage, illnesses of the gastrointestinal tract, musculo-skeletal disorders, mood disorders, depression, schizophrenia, psychoses, OCD states, diabetes, thrombocytopenia, muscular dystrophy, all find a place in the discussions in this chapter.

The sixth chapter is one of FAQs – Frequently asked questions: answers and thoughts; which I found fascinating. This chapter discusses, amongst other things, vaccinations, antibiotics and some other conventional treatment protocols.

This beautiful book ends with an Epilogue and an elaborate Appendix. There are excerpts and extracts from Dr. Grätz’s questionnaires that he uses in his homeopathic practice. The questionnaires are very relevant because the medical history is about determining the data, facts and correlations of the patient’s entire life. All previous treatment attempts must be carefully assessed. Identifying the underlying miasms and working out the currently active miasm are of crucial importance. There are charts at the very end of the book which would be of utility for a quick revision of concepts discussed earlier.

This, I would say, is an empowering book. Case after case shows that no illness happens just by chance – there is always a deeper cause, and getting to this deep cause and treating it with good anti-miasmatic homeopathy can eradicate it. We are not helpless and at the mercy of our illnesses. The message that we come away with, after reading this book, is that the practice of medicine, in principle, needs to completely correct and renew itself. Dematerialized remedies only can be part of Gentle Medicine, as must be changes in diet and our own creative thought processes. All the case histories given in the book substantiate the claims. Getting close to absolute health is a possibility, but only by following proper laws and methods. There are no short-cuts to good, long-lasting health.

I never end my reviews without a short note on the quality of the book. This book ticks all the right boxes. Good quality paper, good print, good binding – for such a thick book, even the paperback form is great. The hardcover version apparently has even better paper quality!

All in all, this is a book any serious homeopath will appreciate, worthy of being on our bookshelves and of being read, not just once, but time and again, like our Organon. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Dr. Grätz, thank you, for writing this amazing book which will inspire homeopaths and other health practitioners, for generations.

Unlike my usual book reviews, for this one, I read a soft copy. I missed having the actual book in my hand as that plays an important role in the whole sensory perception of the book as well – quality of the pages, the real appearance of the book, etc. Hence this review will truly focus only on the content-worthiness of the book.

I will start by saying, I’ll be buying the book. It will truly be a valuable addition to anyone’s library of homeopathic books.

Dr Kavita Chandak has penned a lovely book on a topic that impacts 50% of our population – the women of the world! This is a book that will serve as a wonderful text for students of homeopathy, esp. when they need to have the knowledge of therapeutics in Gynaecology and Obstetrics. And for the regular practitioner of homeopathy, it will serve as a quick reference work, where remedies can be narrowed down easily and quickly, to suit the pace of a fast practice.

As Dr Frass wrote in his Foreword to this book, “The book covers the most important and widespread gynaecologic disorders starting from menarche to menopause.” Many women, esp. in Indian society, go through their lives, by prioritizing their families and their children, but neglect their own selves and their needs. Health issues are also often neglected and relegated to the back burner. If women were to use homeopathy for curing their issues and getting themselves into a better state of health, how much society would benefit! In homeopathy, we have a gentle means of healing at our hands – let’s use it to help this very precious and important 50% of our population to lead happy, healthy lives!

The book has a detailed description of female diseases, the Materia Medica of related medicines, description of a few modern remedies, etc; guidance about the application of Homeopathic philosophy in clinical practice (aphorism numbers are mentioned), and use of Repertory along with 33 successful case studies (by overcoming failures).

The book starts by dealing with the issues that arise at the start of womanhood – Puberty and goes on, to describe issues that could arise at every stage that follows in a woman’s life – Reproductive age, Pregnancy, Delivery and Labour, Menopause. Each group is dealt with in detail, with the possible medical conditions that could arise, their causes, the role of homeopathy for them, and then there is a brief description of the indications of the different homeopathic remedies commonly used for that condition. Dr Chandak also describes auxiliary measures that one could follow simultaneously, to help the process of cure. Clinical tips are mentioned at relevant places, which highlight the remedies which frequently are of great benefit. Rubrics are mentioned at places, where needed, esp. by homeopaths beginning their practice.

The chapter on Menopause is followed by a chapter on Cancer. More and more women fall prey to this worrisome condition and Dr Chandak has done a good job of describing the different types of cancers that affect women, along with the role of homeopathy and the homeopathic management of cancerous disease.

The next chapter is that of Case Taking and highlights the importance of individualizing all the gynaecological symptoms the patient may provide.

Potency selection, the importance of dreams and delusions, understanding the core of some important female remedies, the homeopathic gynaecology kit, rare small lesser known remedies with their indications, are other chapters that follow.

Towards the latter part of the book, are the Case Studies.  This section gives details on the thought process, analysis and evaluation, the rubric selection, remedy choice, follow ups for the cases.

Clinical Tips for female genitalia is the last chapter which is followed by an Epilogue and the extensive Bibliography Dr Chandak has used to write this beautiful book.

In ending, I will say that this is a book that will be a welcome addition to the libraries of all homeopaths.

Dr. Chandak, we look forward to more books from you!

Below, is an article/interview, with Dr Firuzi Mehta, that was published on Empire Diaries 22/7/22 – https://empirediaries.com/2022/07/22/vaccine-side-effects-doctors-observation/

Any kind of mandatory vaccination is wrong in any situation, no matter how bad the infection is or how bad an epidemic is. You cannot mandate a vaccine like it was done with Covid-19 if you don’t know how the body is going to react to that so-called medication or treatment.

Everyone’s body reacts in a different way. Everybody’s risk factors are different, depending on their health status. And different age groups have different risk statuses. For example, people with co-morbid conditions will have a different risk status than others.

We did have an infection we didn’t know much about. Everybody thought it was a very dangerous and deadly virus. And that’s why everybody rushed to create a vaccine.

But you cannot create a good vaccine in a few months’ time. It takes a very long time to make one. There’s a lot that goes into it. And all our previous vaccines have probably been tested for 7 to 11 years before being brought out. Still, they can have problems.

A vaccine that comes out in a few months’ time may have long-term effects. There are three issues: short-term effects, medium-term effects, and long-term effects. The vaccine makers seem to have focused on the short-term effects and thought it was alright to go ahead with it.

They did a trial for the vaccine for a few months, and their focus was on whether antibodies were being produced. Antibodies may have been produced. But that’s not the whole and soul thing of a vaccine.

SAFETY HAS BEEN IGNORED

What about safety? It has been completely ignored. Nobody thought about the medium-term and long-term impact of the vaccine on the body. What is this vaccine going to do to your body after a few years, or say after six to nine months?

Nobody knew and it was not tested for that long. If at all they brought it out, it should have been made very clear to the public that they have come out with a Covid vaccine, but it has been tested for only a short period of time; we don’t know its medium and long-term effects. Therefore, it is your choice if you want to take it.

There is no guarantee the vaccine will even protect you against the disease. They said that antibodies were being produced. But nobody knew how long they lasted, whether it would help against variants. What they did was they asserted that the vaccine was safe.

You inject something foreign into your body. And it’s not just a vaccine, the germ material, the spike protein, or whatever is going in, it’s also the adjuvants that go into the making of the vaccine. They are needed to make the vaccine more stable, so it will have a longer shelf-life and it will have greater immunogenicity, that is, generate a strong enough immune response, which would be unlikely without those additional chemical adjuvants. All these things contribute to the damage from the vaccine.

In the initial months of the vaccination drive, as a practising homeopath, I saw that elderly people were not getting as many side effects as the younger age group. The younger age group was getting heart attacks two to four months after the shot. Some were even getting it just a few weeks or a month after the shot.

The older age group that I saw was relatively alright, especially the 80-85 age group. Nothing seems to have happened to them. They didn’t get any reactions. But what we are seeing now is that even older people who I know were vaccinated are getting sudden heart attacks, heart failure, and arrhythmia.

YOUNG PEOPLE REACTING FASTER

According to my latest observations, what is happening is that the more fit, healthy and young you are, your immune system is more active, so the reactions to the vaccine are much faster. Young people are reacting faster to the vaccine. We have been seeing children dying. The ones who died in the 12-18 age group died very soon after the vaccination. There are heart attacks among the children in that 12-18 age group. The reactions were faster than they were with 20-40 year olds.

I haven’t seen such trends before, at least not in these numbers. Isolated incidents of young people, in the 40s or 50s, once every few years we used to hear, that somebody died due to pre-existing heart conditions. But now the numbers are too high.

We are not seeing this in unvaccinated people. We are seeing all this in vaccinated people, this trend of heart attacks and strokes among young people. Earlier, we used to consider that strokes belong to the over 70 age group, more or less. Young people are getting strokes now. This is unusual.

In my practice, what I am seeing is that the overall health of those who took the shot is suffering. Whatever conditions I was treating them for, earlier which were stable for years, that’s not the case now.

Take diverticulitis. It’s a condition that often sends people to the hospital. I am a homeopath by profession. With homeopathy, there were patients we managed to stabilize and keep out of hospital for years at a stretch. We would tackle their acute episodes, and they would not land up in hospital. But two of my patients, a few months after the vaccination, are getting frequent episodes of diverticulitis, which landed them in hospital. Definitely, the pre-existing conditions are worsening.

NEW CONDITIONS ARE COMING UP

New conditions are coming up, like people who never had vertigo before. Lots of cases of vertigo I am seeing in my practice. The age group of vertigo cases is 40-60. A lot of women in their 30s and 40s are having period issues, delayed periods, missed periods, early periods, very heavy periods, and so on. With some of them, periods are going on for 2-3 weeks at a time, and they are nowhere near menopause.

Arthritis is another issue that is coming up. I am seeing newly developing arthritis. Doctors are labelling it inflammatory arthritis. We have seen that the vaccines are triggering inflammation. People have their own predispositions genetically or ones that come down the family line. All these predispositions are getting activated by the vaccine.

People who never had these issues before are now getting strong arthritis affecting multiple joints. It’s like rheumatoid arthritis, and yet rheumatoid arthritis tests are negative, like I have seen in some patients. Some patients are testing negative but are suffering strongly from this arthritis.

No one realizes this. When I ask my patients about when they took the vaccine, only then they realize that the issues happened days or weeks after the shot. But otherwise, a lot of people are not connecting the issues to the shot.

SHAME FACTOR AT PLAY

The problem is that people are not talking about it in their friend circles and family circles. They are talking about it only with the doctors. Many people are telling me that they are not talking about vaccine-induced issues with friends for fear of being ridiculed. There is a shame factor at play. I don’t see why they should feel ashamed of talking about it. It’s not their fault.

Among other health issues flaring up, there’s Parkinson’s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. I know of a person who was suddenly diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob and died soon after that, within three months. Neurological diseases are developing and progressing very fast.

A lot of people didn’t want to take the Covid vaccine, but took it because of pressure from their job. A lot of teachers took it because schools mandated teachers and all the staff to get vaccinated. In my daughter’s school, I heard that a lot of teachers are facing health issues of different kinds after the shot.

A lot of people went ahead with the shot because they didn’t think it would be bad. People trusted the government. They trusted the doctors. Many doctors are also to blame for this because a lot of them told their patients to take the vaccine. Patients who had co-morbidities were told to take it.

I have a patient who came down from Singapore. Over there, he was given an exemption by a doctor because he had a family history of heart issues. That was not seen in our country. Even heart patients were told to go and take it, which was wrong.

ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

These trends are disturbing for me as a doctor because we don’t know what is ahead. I think we have seen only the tip of the iceberg. It may be possible that the neurological diseases will increase over a longer period of time. Right now, we are seeing this huge increase in heart attacks and strokes. Basically, issues with the circulatory system – clots, bleeding, and so on. But the neurological impact is just about beginning and that could increase over time.

Also, nobody knows the vaccine’s impact on fertility. All these youngsters who have had the shot, and all these children who have had it – we don’t know what will happen to their fertility over the next 10-15 years.

Pressuring people to take the shot was a complete disaster. I think it’s criminal, there is no other word for it. As a doctor, I feel this vaccine is causing some kind of overall immune damage.

Everybody is now catching Covid even after the shot. The vaccine has not protected anybody from getting Covid. I have noticed that vaccinated people are taking much longer to recover from the disease compared to unvaccinated people. Unvaccinated people are recovering in 2-4 days’ time with no lingering effects. There’s no cough, their full energy is back, and everything is back to normal.

But with the vaccinated ones, coughs are going on for 15 days, and the energy levels are down for months. Many vaccinated people have told me that they seem to have aged by several years after the shot. They say their stamina is not that good anymore. Overall, their health has taken a beating. It is of grave concern.

The weakness issue we are hearing about is happening to people generally. People are saying they are more tired now, they cannot do as much activity as they used to do earlier. The government will explain it by saying that because of the lockdown, people have had a sedentary lifestyle, and that’s why it’s happening. But being a doctor I know that’s not the case.

VACCINATING KIDS WILL BE A DISASTER

Vaccinating children is going to be the biggest disaster because we really don’t know how it is going to impact them in the long run. Let alone the increase in heart attacks and deaths from heart attacks – that’s tremendous. In my family and friends circle, I know of 16-17 people who died from heart attacks. They died out of the blue. They were relatively young. It’s a tragedy.

The mainstream media has to be blamed for this because they have been giving the public a one-sided narrative. But the public will also have to realize that what they’re seeing is a one-sided picture. That things are being hidden and suppressed.

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As a homeopath, I oppose the bridge course which is being contemplated for practitioners of homeopathy and other AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddhi and Homeopathy) streams. The bridge course will allow AYUSH practitioners in India to practise basic conventional medicine. Here are my thoughts on this and I write it from the point of view of homeopathy being my field of medicine:

1. We have a very effective and strong system of medicine ourselves, so why do we need to prescribe conventional medicine? In an emergency, if life-saving conventional treatment is needed (if the homeopath is not skilled or confident enough of treating it), patients can go to trained doctors in that field. The bridge course is not going to provide high-level ER training in any case.

2. It is said that the reason the government is planning this move is because there are insufficient doctors in rural areas and people living in such places have no access to healthcare. Fine. Why does rural India need conventional treatment only? Why can’t the other systems of medicine be practised there? In fact, this is a good chance to show, in comparative terms, how the other systems of medicine contribute positively to healthcare.

3. This bridge course is not going to help the cause of AYUSH. As students and young practitioners, many want to practise conventional medicine because of status and the perception of higher incomes. It is also a fact that to be a good homeopathic physician, one needs a great level of skill which only comes with hard work and constant learning. It is not as easy as prescribing ‘this for that’. Hence, this bridge course will serve as a back-door entry to conventional medicine practice and will be an escape route to avoid putting in the effort needed to be good homeopaths. Over time, this will reduce the number of skilled homeopaths and will be a dangerous matter for the future progress of our system of medicine. I presume the same would be the case for the other AYUSH streams.

4. Pharmaceutical companies will be very happy at the increase in their profits by getting lakhs of more practitioners who will prescribe their medicines.

5. As it is, conventional medicines unfortunately have loads of side effects. We regularly see patients in our practices, who come for problems and actual diseases that have arisen due to some side-effects of conventional therapy. It is possible that the AYUSH practitioner will be easily blamed for every side-effect that a patient suffers from. The side-effect will be attributed, not to the chemical drug which is actually responsible, but to a lack of skill in the AYUSH practitioner.

6. As a final point, let the Government ensure that every student receives good training and practical experience before they venture out as physicians. Let every physician develop the skill, and practise the field of medicine they were trained in. As homeopaths, let us not forget that we have the possibility of doing great things to improve the lives of our patients, bringing cure in so-many problematic chronic cases, and yes, we have the ability to be life-savers as well, if sufficiently skilled in our science. And this satisfies the soul. Isn’t it worth it?

Conventional medicine has been treating cancers with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation since decades, yet, more and more patients are looking towards other systems for help in the fight against cancer, in addition to conventional treatments. Why is that? It is obvious that current methods of treating cancer are not being truly successful and after a brief respite, the cancer often tends to flare up again with rapid deterioration of the patient. The treatment methods also leave the patient debilitated and weak, with their systems no longer being able to cope with even minor demands. If life is prolonged, the quality of life is indeed questionable. This has led to the field of Integrative Oncology where complementary and alternative methods are used, in conjunction with standard conventional measures of cancer treatment.

Integrative Oncology methods take a more holistic approach. With this approach, one realises that the cancer cells themselves are not the villains. They are just the manifestation of something going wrong within the defence mechanisms of the body. It is now known that tumour development is preceded by a pre-tumour phase that may persist for years if not decades. There is a gradual failure of the immune system with the system becoming unable to distinguish between self and non-self. A healthy organism with a fully functional immune system identifies malfunctioning cells as alien and destroys them. Plenty of such cells arise from time to time in every individual. Failure of the monitoring system may result in de-differentiation of cells in certain organs which are then no longer under central control. These cells begin to program their own ‘circuit diagram’ and it is then possible that they may proliferate without any control. The code of those deviant cells no longer connects with the ‘human being’ program. This is the view now taken by modern molecular biologists and it confirms the statements made many years ago by Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy.

In the early part of the 20th century it was Rudolf Steiner, PhD., an Austrian natural scientist and philosopher, who established Anthroposophic Medicine as one of the many developments he gave the impetus for. The word anthroposophy is derived from the Greek words anthropos=man and sophia=wisdom. Anthroposophy represents a way of dealing with science and life issues, in general, in a holistic way. It incorporates all fields of modern science into a spiritual and comprehensible approach. Rudolf Steiner was not a physician. Therefore, he founded Anthroposophical Medicine and the Medical Section at the Goetheanum (in Dornach, Switzerland) in association with the Dutch physician Dr. Ita Wegman (1876 to 1943). As early as 1917, Rudolf Steiner suggested the injection of mistletoe extracts for the treatment of cancer. It was Dr. Ita Wegman who in the early 1920s introduced the mistletoe preparation Iscador into actual cancer treatment.

Mistletoe is one of the most widely studied complementary and alternative medicine therapies in people with cancer. In Europe, preparations made from European mistletoe are among the most prescribed drugs for patients with cancer.

Mistletoe extracts are marketed under several trade names, such as Iscador, Helixor, both of which are available in Europe. Helixor mistletoe products were developed in the 1970s by the non-profit Association for Leukemia and Cancer Therapy in an attempt to improve the therapeutic success with Viscum Album through a new manufacturing process. Since 1975, manufacturing and marketing are in the hands of Helixor Heilmittel GmbH.

There are about 1400 mistletoe species around the world. One thing that they all have in common is that they do not root in the mineral soil but live on other, generally woody, plants. Only white-berried mistletoe (Viscum Album) is used to treat cancer.

Since I have already elaborated on Iscador in another article, here I will give an introduction to Helixor. Helixor is a composition of purely aqueous fresh plant extracts from the white-berry mistletoe. It is produced using special rhythmic flow methods developed by the Helixor company in Germany and without using fermentation (Iscador is fermented).

There are three main types of Helixor – A, M and P.

• Helixor A (Abietis) made from fir mistletoe.
• Helixor M (Mali) made from apple tree mistletoe.
• Helixor P (Pini) made from pine mistletoe.

Mistletoe extracts have different classes of substances with different effects on tumour cells and immune cells. Mistletoe extracts have glycoproteins (mistletoe lectins), polypeptides (viscotoxins), oligo- and polysaccharides, flavonoids, phenylpropane glycosides and triterpenes. These different constituents have different degrees of cytotoxicity and some of them produce induction of apoptosis and display antiangiogenesis. On immune cells, there is macrophage activation, release of Tumour Necrosis Factors and Interleukins, increase in phagocytosis, stimulation of T-helper cells, adjuvant increase in immune response, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, immunoprotection. In general, the mistletoe constitutents show DNA stabilisation effects, which play an important role in prevention of recurrence.
The cytolytic and cytostatic effects are only seen on cancer cells, leaving healthy cells intact.
The whole extract is the active ingredient of the mistletoe and only the whole extract in its complexity is able to achieve the complex effects.

Each type of Helixor is available in about 9 different dose levels or strengths. Different packs have been created, for convenience of use depending on the different therapeutic needs of patients. The choice of the Helixor product allows the physician to ‘fine-tune’ the mistletoe therapy according to the individual situation of the patient.

Pharmacological effects of Helixor –

• Immunomodulation creates reduced susceptibility to infections and indirect immune-mediated tumour inhibition.
• DNA stabilization (immunoprotection) produces better tolerability of chemotherapy and less immunosuppression by chemotherapy.
• Neuroendocrine effects lead to improved quality of life esp. reduction in fatigue.
• Tumour inhibition effects (increased apoptosis and reduced angiogenesis) lead to prolongation of survival time and tumour regression in specific cases. These direct inhibition effects are only possible with the intratumoral application and are more moderate with a peritumoral application.

Therapeutic Indications –

• Malignant tumours.
• Relapse prevention following tumour surgery.
• Defined precancerous conditions like chronic hepatitis B and C, ulcerative colitis, intestinal polyps, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasias.
• Benign tumours like uterine fibroids, endometriosis, brain tumours.
• Therapy is not contraindicated in patients undergoing surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy – however, close monitoring of the patient reaction and a reduction of dose may be needed.

Contraindications –

• Allergies to mistletoe preparations
• Florid autoimmune diseases, patients under immunosuppressive therapy
• Hyperthyroidism with tachycardia
• Acute inflammatory high febrile diseases (if temperature is over 38 C, it should not be administered that day)

Method of administration –

• The injection has to be subcutaneous, ideally injected with a short needle at an angle of approx 45 degrees, after forming a 2-3 cm thick fold of skin. Insulin syringes are ideal for the purpose.
• Preferred injection sites are the upper arms (not for breast cancer patients), abdomen and upper thighs.
• The injection should be taken during morning hours, before noon.
• The usual protocol is to inject Helixor 3 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From the 3rd year, depending on your response to the treatment, the physician may choose to give the injections twice a week. The physician will also choose a regular pattern for breaks of a fortnight after every 14 injections during the Maintenance Phase. The physician may choose to give daily injections in some cases.
• Do not inject near inflamed skin areas, areas intended for surgery or near fresh surgical scars, avoid areas treated with radiotherapy.
• Always inject at varying sites esp. during the Induction Phase.
• The local reaction from the last injection must subside before the next injection is administered.

Duration of Helixor Therapy –

The treating physician decides on the duration of treatment, however certain guidelines exist.

• So long as an increased risk of relapse exists, therapy for the prevention of relapse should be carried out.
• Generally, a 2-year intensive therapy followed by subsequent phasing out with increasingly longer pauses/breaks can be recommended. In general, mistletoe therapy can be discontinued after 5 years.
• In cases with tumours which tend towards late relapses (breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma), the prevention of relapse treatment should not be discontinued after the 5th year and should be continued as long-term treatment, using 2 series packs twice a year.
• In cases of inoperable or metastasizing tumours and incurable systemic diseases, the palliative therapy should be continued indefinitely as long as the patient benefits.

Monitoring Helixor Therapy –

1) Local skin reaction – This is a local reaction on the skin at the site of the subcutaneous injection. This is an inflammatory response and is desirable – it is not a sign of intolerability or allergy – it shows that the skin’s immune cells have been activated by the administered dose. The ideal reaction is about 3 cm. If it approaches 5 cm or crosses that, you have to inform the physician guiding your Helixor therapy, so that the dose can be modified. This local reaction will likely be warm, slightly swollen and slightly itchy as well. It normally subdues within 2-3 days. It is best checked immediately prior to the next planned injection. Do not administer the next injection if the previous reaction still persists.
2) Temperature reaction – A temperature rise is a good sign of an increased release of transmitting agents of the immune system (cytokines).
A rise in temperature, between 0.5 – 1 C (0.9 – 1.8 F), is seen, usually 4-12 hours after the injection. This often leads to a feeling of warmth and not of cold/shivering. There should be a mild rise in mean temperature levels which is often very low in tumour patients. Also, there may be an increase in temperature amplitude by at least 0.5 C or 0.9 F, also on injection free days. This creates a good daily rhythm instead of the typically flat or chaotic temperature curve seen in tumour patients.
Ideally the patient should check oral/rectal temperature every 2 hours with an electronic thermometer, (with patient being at rest for about 30 minutes before measuring), for 2 days prior to starting the injections, so the physician can have a baseline graph. The thermometer tip should be placed deep below the tongue. During the Induction Phase, temperature mapping should ideally be done daily, about twice a day; once in the morning before getting up and again at the time of expected maximum temperature (which is determined by the temperature mapping done before the start of injections). During Maintenance Phase, temperature mapping can be done only for check-up purposes, for approx. 1 week every 3 months.
Your physician can provide you with a Temperature Control Chart in which entries can be made.
Based on these reactions, the ideal dose level for the patient is determined.
3) Blood tests (CBC) are also recommended from time to time – monthly in the induction phase, later every 3-6 months – we initially want an increase in WBCs with an increase in some immature forms. From week 3, we may see an increase in eosinophils. After 1-3 months an increase in absolute lymphocytes.
Advanced progressive tumours are accompanied by localized and systemic chronic inflammatory changes, which manifest as an increased ESR and increased C Reactive proteins. Successful mistletoe therapy leads to significant reduction of these inflammatory changes and this manifests as normalizing of ESR and CRP. These parameters are hence to be monitored for advanced metastasizing tumours.
[The temperature reaction and the immune tests (blood parameters) are not to be considered while the patient is taking chemotherapy. ]

Typical effects of Helixor –

• Increasing performance and zest for life
• Reduction of cancer-related fatigue
• Normalization of body rhythms (temperature, sleep, digestion)
• Increased appetite
• Improvement of nausea/vomiting
• Emotional well-being
• Improvement of depression and anxiety
• Decrease in tumour-related pain

Depending on the patient’s situation, the goal of therapy will differ and different treatment schedules are used. However, with any treatment schedule, dietary and lifestyle changes are also imperative. The Anthroposophic approach covers all aspects of life and treatments ideally should include conversation-free psychotherapy like art therapy and music therapy. When the human being focuses on his individual purpose in life and makes changes for the better, dramatic therapeutic results can often be seen.

Bibliography –

1. Compendium of Mistletoe Therapy with Helixor in integrative Oncology – Helixor Heilmittel GmbH, Germany.
2. Introduction to Anthroposophical Medicine – Robert Gorter, MD.
3. Cancer as a Disease of Our Times – W. Bühler and R. Leroi. Translation by Dr. R. Goldberg, M.D., 1979.

Author: Michael Frass, Martin Bündner (ed.) 

Reviewed by: Dr. Firuzi Mehta

568 pages, hardbound.
First English edition 2015

Publishers: Narayana Verlag, Germany
ISBN: 978-3-95582-077-0

Price: Euros 59.00

On first hearing about this book that dealt with homeopathy, intensive care and emergency    medicine, I was impressed, intrigued and keen to read it. Most people have the impression that homeopathy is only for slow conditions;, that one needs time to get results, etc. Our literature does talk about quick results in life-threatening conditions, but those are few and far between. To have a whole book dedicated to the use of homeopathy in such situations is a marvellous thing indeed. So when I was offered a chance to review this book, of course, I jumped at it.

Let me first talk a bit about the authors of the book. Both the editors of this book, Michael Frass and Martin Bündner have long-standing experience in emergency medicine and homeopathy. Michael Frass was head of the intensive internal medicine unit at the Medical University of Vienna and Martin Bündner has served in rescue and emergency medicine.

A total of 19 physicians have contributed their cases for compiling this book; a vast majority of cases are by Michael Frass and Martin Bündner.

The book has four main sections:

I     Introduction

II   Intensive Care Medicine

III   Emergency Medicine

IV   Materia Medica

The Introduction starts with a chapter that covers a brief understanding of homeopathic principles and how homeopathy is used in a clinical setting. The second chapter discusses the development and current status of Intensive Medicine. The next chapter further discusses the use of homeopathic treatment alongside intensive medicine. Another chapter in the same section discusses remedy production and quality control. An ICU remedy kit has been compiled, which comprises 60 remedies. The table given discusses the English description of the homeopathic source material, the contents, the pharmacological effect, the allopathic indications and the frequent homeopathic indications of the remedy. For eg.,

The next section, on Intensive Care Medicine, has chapters on Infectious diseases, Disorders of Haemostasis, Heart, circulation and blood vessels, Lungs, Kidneys, Gastrointestinal tract, Perioperative care and Toxicology.

The third section on Emergency Medicine has chapters on Traumatology, Cardiovascular emergencies, Lungs, Gastroenterological emergencies, Intoxication, Neurological emergencies, Psychiatric emergencies, Gynaecology and obstetrics, Urological emergencies and Thermal emergencies.

The last section has a Materia Medica which gives a brief idea of the clinical indications, general information with main symptoms, ameliorating and aggravating circumstances which play an important role in the selection of the right homeopathic remedy.

The book has a total of 145 cases, all of them with a detailed analysis. To give an idea of the type of cases covered, here is a picture from the Table of contents.

Each topic starts with a quick overview of the definition of the clinical entity, incidence, mortality, symptoms, latest diagnostic methods, imaging techniques, blood cultures, therapy and the general outline of the homeopathic treatment, giving details of randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies which have been made in an intensive care unit. Important rubrics from the repertory have been given and a differentiation between important homeopathic remedies given. This is followed by a critical commentary.

Cases then follow, starting with the anamnesis, the acute event, diagnosis, conventional treatment given and then the homeopathic treatment with rubric selection and progress of the case. Principles of classical homeopathy have been followed in most cases. This is again followed by an evaluation and a critical commentary.

The cases have been described in a clear and concise manner, highlighting the role of homeopathy in a situation where in many cases, conventional treatment was trying its best but the patient response was minimal. Most of the cases show remarkable and clear improvement in the patient’s condition after the homeopathic treatment was started. Some surgeries have been avoided and danger to life averted. Homeopathy has helped patients get weaned off life-support systems much earlier than otherwise possible.

The authors have discussed the difficulties of homeopathic treatment in an ICU set-up and the benefits of initial conventional life-saving and life-support methods. It is clear that the authors and editors have been balanced in their view point and there is no display of dangerous fanaticism.

This book shows how valuable our gentle but high-energy remedies can be in emergency situations in an ICU set-up. It would be wonderful if all ICUs would have the possibility of integrating homeopathy along with conventional medicine. After all, to benefit our patients; that isthe goal of any system of therapeutics, is to benefit the patients.

Reading this book will give hope and encouragement to young homeopaths that with hard work, acquiring knowledge of the Materia Medica and skill with the Repertory, even cases that look ‘difficult’ are manageable with our wonderful system of medicine, Homeopathy!

No review of mine is complete without a mention of the binding, paper quality, printing, etc. This book gets 9 on 10 in this department, simply because there are a couple of pages where some paragraphs have been wrongly repeated! Apart from that, wonderful smooth paper, good hardcover, excellent binding, good printing! No complaints. It was a pleasure to read this book. I think this book will encourage more homeopaths to venture into this arena of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.

This review was first published in June 2016 in the monthly Ezine — http://hpathy.com/book-reviews/homeopathy-in-intensive-care-and-emergency-medicine-by-michael-frass-martin-bundner-ed-reviewed-by-dr-firuzi-mehta/

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 This book review was first published at Hpathy.com in the November 2015 issue.

Author: Patricia Le Roux

Reviewed by: Dr. Firuzi Mehta

224 pages, hardbound.

First English edition 2015

Publishers: Narayana Verlag, Germany

ISBN: 978-3-95582-008-4

Price: USD 44.00

 
Patricia Le Roux (1953 – 2011) was a French pediatric consultant and homeopath, trained in homeopathy at the Faculty of Medicine of Marseilles in France where she also taught the subject. She died after a tragic accident in October 2011 and the world has lost a very good practitioner.

I had read several of her articles in the magazine Spectrum and was always impressed with the clarity of her thought and understanding of the remedies and cases she presented. When the Hpathy editor Alan Schmukler offered me a chance to review this book, I immediately agreed.

Children form a considerable percentage of any homeopathic practice since even lay people understand that homeopathy is a safe system of medicine and free of the toxic side-effects of the chemical drugs used in conventional medicine. Children, with their systems relatively unspoiled, show positive results to the correct homeopathic remedy very rapidly. We have all seen children who come to our practice, with chronic ailments, some more severe than others, which cause not just suffering to the little child, but anxiety and stress to their families as well. Conventional medicine truly has nothing much to offer in chronic conditions. With strong chemical drugs, the chronic ailment is at best suppressed and some other chronic ailment manifests very quickly. Meanwhile, the child and his family run from one specialist to another. They often come to us, disheartened with conventional medicine, and with hope in their eyes that maybe, just maybe, this ‘other’ form of medicine can help their precious little one.

With our homeopathic knowledge, we have the ability to positively modify the long-term health prospects of these little children, going so far as to diminish disease tendencies that run in the family gene pool. This is a big responsibility and also a privilege. We need to make utmost use of all resources at hand, to do the best work we can.

This book, Homeo-Kids, by Patricia Le Roux is a good addition to our libraries. The book starts with a brief summary of the basic principles of homeopathy which are then followed by her description of the remedies. Of the sixty remedies she has described here, many are polychrests commonly seen in our practice but there are also some less well-known remedies for children like Beryllium, Helium, Falco peregrinus and Chocolate. To make our work easier, she has grouped them into four main types: chilly, hot, slow and restless.

In describing each remedy, she gives a few lines of introduction about what the remedy is useful for. This is followed by describing the source of the remedy. A box of key words (main features) follows. The detailed description of each remedy is divided into two main parts: The Baby and The Child and each of these is described with the following sub-headings:

At home
At the clinic
Main clinical indications

This is followed by a brief conclusion about the remedy.

Patricia Le Roux has covered all the main features, keynotes and distinguishing characteristics of each remedy. Development issues faced by different remedies are discussed along with the pathophysiology seen in them. Key phrases are highlighted in bold, allowing a quick review for differentiation in the clinic when necessary. Physical issues and the emotional, mental and psychological aspect of each remedy are dealt with, giving a clear understanding of each remedy type. With this book, not only has Patricia Le Roux demonstrated her clear knowledge of classical methods, but she has also demonstrated her understanding of the relatively new approaches of Jan Scholten and Rajan Sankaran. With her immense clinical experience, she has been able to offer valuable tips for recognising remedies even in very small children who may not display typical signs or symptoms. There is a Remedy Index and an Alphabetical Repertory for ailments towards the end of the book.

With this book, we should be better prepared to recognise the remedies when we see them in practice. The reaction of the organism to the right remedy is phenomenal and hopefully, putting this knowledge to good use, we should be able to get far better results, truly easing the suffering of our little patients and creating better all-round health for our future generations.

You will remain with us in spirit, dear Patricia. Thank you for this wonderful book.

This review by me was first published in the October 2014 e-zine issue of www.hpathy.com

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In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book (TPB) that was first published in 1846. This repertory follows Boenninghausen’s premise that valuable modalities, sensations and findings of a remedy are capable of generalization. His TPB was valued greatly for its precise grading of symptoms but fell into disuse eventually probably due to the popularity of Kent’s philosophy and the apparent ease of use of Kent’s repertory. The value of the Therapeutic Pocket Book (TPB) was pretty much unknown to generations of homeopaths as homeopathic colleges focussed on Kent and his works while touching upon Boenninghausen’s works only cursorily.

Over the centuries, homeopathic fundamentals have remained the same but homeopaths have constantly striven to make remedy selection easier and more accurate. A lot of new methods and schools of thought have arisen from these endeavours. The ideal method needs to be one that can reliably and reproducibly determine the required remedy. Most of the new methods have not been statistically evaluated.

Polarity Analysis (PA) was developed by Heiner Frei for a scientifically rigorous Swiss double-blind study with homeopathic treatment of hyperactive children. This study demonstrated a significant difference between high-potency homeopathic remedies and placebo. The main challenge in reaching this result was to improve the reliability of all the factors used to determine the remedy.

Polarity Analysis is a development of Boenninghausen’s concept of contraindications. PA is a working method for the Therapeutic Pocket Book and Heiner Frei’s book provides us with a practical introduction to it.

The book consists of 3 Modules and an Appendix.

Module 1 describes Polarity Analysis in detail. It shows how PA follows the founding principles laid down by Hahnemann and the practical methods of old stalwarts like Boenninghausen, Hering and Lippe. It explains the value and use of Polar Symptoms (those symptoms that can have an opposite aspect, an opposite pole) in improving the reliability of the remedy choice. The author clearly explains the kind of case-taking that is required for suitable Polarity Analysis to take place. The author has simplified our work for us by creating valuable checklists and questionnaires for acute and chronic ailments. The symptoms used for these lists are from the Therapeutic Pocket Book and use the same language as the repertory. No symptom with less than 10 remedies in it is used. The patients themselves need to mark out their symptoms on the questionnaire which the homeopath can then confirm. Since these lists are built with repertory language and are specific to the TPB, this eliminates the possibility of errors creeping in due to faults in interpreting a patient’s symptoms and then converting them to repertory language.

These checklists and questionnaires are given towards the end of the book. They are also freely downloadable from the author’s website, www.heinerfrei.ch

Heiner Frei lays down, in simple language, the rules to be followed for PA to be most effective. He also clearly describes the dosage he follows and how follow-up assessments are judged.

The method of Polarity Analysis focuses on the Polarity Difference and also emphasises the importance given to contraindications. However, these details cannot be explained satisfactorily in a review.

Highlights of Polarity Analysis:

• Mainly physical modalities are to be used, since they are the ones that are most reliable.
• At least 5 polar symptoms should be used.
• Characteristic symptoms during the ailment are to be used; not traits that are present even in health.
• Mental symptoms are to be left for later, when remedy coverage is checked in the Materia Medica.

The repertorization results are weighted in the following order of importance:

1. Absence of contraindications and size of polarity difference
2. Completeness of symptom coverage
3. Suitability of remedy in Materia Medica coverage.

Heiner Frei recommends the software program version V 2.6.0, 2012 of the Boenninghausen Arbeitsgemeinschaft (Boenninghausen Working Group). This software is preferred because it is the only one that uses the revised edition of the TPB that contains his final views on the grading of symptoms. A 30 day free trial version of this software is offered on www.boenninghausen.de

After describing the PA method in detail, Module 1 discusses the procedure to be followed in Acute Illness, along with case histories demonstrating the same.

Module 2 comprises procedure and case histories for Chronic Illness and for Mental Illness in Children and Teenagers.

Module 3 does the same for cases of Multimorbid Patients (those that have 3 or more complaints at the same time). Module 3 also has a section on Statistical Evaluation Studies of Polarity Analysis with and without checklists, comparing results with conventional homeopathic prescription methods. This is followed by a listing of the tools that are to be used for Polarity Analysis – the repertory, checklists, questionnaires and case logs.

Throughout the book, there are Quiz Questions which deal with the information covered till that point. These are very useful for clarifications and proper understanding of the topic. Answers to each Quiz are given in the Appendix at the end of the book.

My Impressions –

After a thorough reading which generated a lot of interest in this method, I downloaded the checklists and questionnaires from the author’s website www.heinerfrei.ch. I also downloaded the 30 day free trial version of the software offered at www.boenninghausen.de

Reviewed by Dr Firuzi V Mehta

B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.

ISBN 978-81-319-1913-2

First Edition: 2012

Paperback

Pages 439

Price INR 449/=

Dr Subrata K Banerjea is a homeopathic physician of international repute, a lecturer and an author with clinical practice both in England and India. Coming from a family of several generations of homeopaths, Dr Banerjea has written a number of books imparting his remarkable knowledge especially focussing on miasmatic prescribing.

This book is a collection of 74 cured cases described in detail and 101 short case stories.
The detailed cases cover the different body systems: Cardio-vascular diseases, Dermatological diseases, ENT diseases, Endocrinological disorders, Gastro-intestinal diseases, Gynaecological diseases, Uro-genital diseases, Neoplastic diseases, Neurological diseases, Psychiatric disorders, Respiratory diseases, Rheumatological diseases and Urological diseases. The short case stories are interesting to read since they highlight the reasons for the choice of the remedy.

In recent years, there has been a lot of confusion about case taking methods. Several homeopaths have developed their own methods of analysing the case and selecting the right remedy. There are differences in interpretation of the Organon of Medicine, sometimes in accordance with the needs of an individual method. Apart from difficulties in remedy selection, there are ever prevalent issues of potency selection and repetition which are always subjective for different practitioners who claim excellent results with even drastically differing methods.

Homeopaths have often resorted to creating their own favoured methods but often, what seems to work for one does not work for the other. A multitude of cases of homeopathic cures are published in the many homeopathic journals every year but only a few of such cases give a complete understanding of the author’s methods.

In such a scenario, Dr Banerjea’s book comes like a breath of fresh air. Dr Banerjea has outlined the structured approach that he follows and has even referenced the information wherever relevant. All through the book, there are references to the relevant aphorisms of the Organon of Medicine from which he has sourced his methods which are in perfect resonance with classical homeopathy. Due to his practice both in India and England, he has experience with patients of widely differing backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. Despite these differences he has concluded that all patients will respond to careful enquiry that will then ensure the most correct prescription. Dr Banerjea lays great emphasis on a thorough case taking and this is clearly visible in all the cases described in his book.

As we read the book, Dr Banerjea’s method becomes clear in our minds. His approach for every case includes:

M Miasmatic totality
T Totality of symptoms
E Essence which includes temperament, posture, behaviour
K Keynotes which should cover peculiar and rare symptoms

Priority is given to ascertaining the cause of symptoms.

Dr Banerjea describes the differences in approach that are needed for cases with and without clarity of symptoms. He highlights how a head to foot miasmatic assessment of the case is done. This is a very welcome aspect of the book since the topic of miasms is often confusing for both students and practitioners. Homeopaths with no clear understanding of miasms often ignore them and this often leads to superficial prescribing and hence recurrence of ailments or progression of the disease.

Each of the 74 cases illustrated in the book gives an in-depth explanation of how the miasmatic analysis is done for the case and how the remedy covering the miasmatic background.is chosen to cover the miasm.

Today most homeopaths have patients who are already on conventional medicine treatments. With the suppressive action of allopathic drugs, the symptom picture of the patient is modified to a great extent and the original unmodified picture that we need for homeopathic prescribing is often missing. Dr Banerjea describes how he treats such patients initially which results in the possibility of weaning off the allopathic drugs so that clear symptoms arise for the further in-depth homeopathic treatment.

Dr Banerjea gives details about his remedy dispensing method in water which has the advantage of avoiding aggravations and permits strong dynamic penetrating action.

Of great interest is the fact that he often allows his remedy to work undisturbed for a number of months especially in chronic cases. He emphasises his belief, that we never gain anything by premature repetition.

Each of his 74 cases begins with

Presenting Complaints
Investigations before and after the treatment
Case analysis, Miasmatic diagnosis and Basis of the final prescription
Remedy Reaction
Prescription chart giving detailed follow-up and treatment at each step.

The cases are accompanied by images of the medical reports and photos of the patient especially in skin ailments. One drawback is that the print of the reports is often too small to be read, but this is remedied by the free CD that comes with this book. Every case in the book is followed by a reference to the location of the details of the case in the accompanying CD.

A few negatives for the book – paper quality could have been better and the first two pages could have been better printed to look less like photocopies! A few typographical errors have crept in at different places in the book.

Overall, however, it is an excellent presentation of good homeopathic cures that will boost the confidence of homeopaths to use the classical method for all cases, even ones with deep pathology. A book well worth the price.

As Dr Banerjea writes in his Preface, this book is a celebration of what Homeopathy can do!

(First published in The Homoeopathic Heritage, Vol. 39, No. 03, June, 2013 & published at hpathy.com in July 2013)