Book review Dr Rajiv Abraham
Published by
Homoeopathic Medical Publishers
201,Dinar ,20 Station Road
Santacruz(West),Mumbai-4000054
2nd Edition ,April 2005
This Third in series of Books By Dr.Sankaran after much acclaimed books The Spirit of Homoeopathy and the Substance of Homoeopathy.
And elaborates further on ideas from these two books. The book is illustrative of Dr.Sankaran’s method of case taking, case analysis and follow up. It includes thirty five detailed cases and a number of short cases through which emerges a system of Homeopathy. As of any system the theory and methods in books or seminars are not fully conceived unless put to test of practice.
Homoeopathy in special and case taking, analysis in particular is more of art and technique. These are best thought through live cases or video cases. But in work of a master Homoeopath he uses various techniques that varies from cases to cases. The novice may tend to theorize the case method and a even misunderstanding. This is especially true in concept like Kingdom classification as elaborated by Dr.Sankaran.
So there lies the gulf in knowing the concepts and unable to put them in to full potential in practice. The technique ,the artistic foundation of case taking and questions varies from each case. A master Homoeopath does the all these process subconsciously.
So Author felt need to put these into paper black and white by observing and understanding his own case taking process. For the effort Dr.Sankaran also analysis from his successful cases a method –a system that could be put in to practice. This understanding is by an large based in Sankaran’s own idea of Central disturbance, dreams, delusions, miasms and kingdoms.
The method is broad enough to allow newer methods and new provings but also following the basic tenets of case taking, repertorization, characteristic symptoms etc.
The book is systematizes and standardizes in defining a system but also as foundation for the process of case taking and analysis. TheIntroduction signifies the uses of book as(in italics) “This book has been constructed in a way to allow for the readers to derive the concept of system themselves. For this purpose a number of cases which are illustrative of my thought process are given before the system itself is explained. In this way notions picked up from the reading of the cases will be verified as concrete ideas fro the reading of the system. This is then topped up by more cases where these ideas will be more clear”.
The appendix contains some notes on miasms and kingdom classification especially work on typhoid and leprosy miasm. These contains more ideas that evolved after publication of “The Substance of Homoeopathy”.The First chapter “Evolution of the system” briefs in short the main concepts, which is followed by various cases.
The cases are verbatim account of process of homoeopathic case taking and detailed analysis. It contains foot note commentaries on main issues as and when. The Analysis is followed by rubrics ,medicine selection ad detailed follow up.
Each case is unique and gives insight to various concepts as elaborated by Dr.Sankaran. Its well know that cases are better way to teaching concepts rather than theory.
This is a excellent book on case history-elaborating on detailed case taking and analysis. And no wonder at knowing and understanding case in depth. Every question ,the way that unfolds the whole story of patient is unique.
Its recommended that Readers read earlier books of Sankaran for proper grasp of book. The book elaborates on the system –principles of case taking ,case analysis and remedy selection, potency selection and follow up. It also includes interpretation of dreams.
Dr Rajiv Abraham BHMS,MD(Hom)
Calicut. Kerala
Email : rajivdoctor@yahoo.com
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