Kent’s Repertorium Generale

Book review by Dr Divya Gopalakrishnan

Author : Jost Künzli von Fimmelsberg

Publisher : Barthel & Barthel, 1987

INDIAN EDITION : Publisher : B. Jain Pubs (1987) 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jost Kunzli von Fimmelsberg 1915 – 1992 was a Swiss orthodox physician and gynaecologist, who converted to homeopathy, as his father and his grandfather were already homeopathic doctors.

Kunzli was a teacher of homeopathy who revitalised homeopathy for the 21st Century, and gave for training a great many of the nearly 4000 successful homeopaths registered in Germany today.

Kunzli learnt homeopathy from the books of James Tyler Kent, in St. Gallen in 1947. Between 1957-1973, he was the co-editor of the Journal of Classical Homeopathy. Beginning in 1962 he began teaching Repertorisation Theory in St. Gallen, and in 1971 he was teaching in Frankfurt. Between 1973-1986 he taught an annual Course in Spiekeroog, and he also taught homeopathic courses since 1977 in three year cycles in the premises of the University of Zurich. 

CONTRIBUTIONS:
Kunzli was a student of Pierre Schmidt, and he subsequently went on to teach homeopathy in German speaking Switzerland. Kunzli and Pierre Schmidt were pioneers of the rediscovered Q potencies in homeopathy, and in 1947, they began their manufacture, starting with Sulphur, the Schmidt Nagel Laboratory is still manufacturing these remedies today. From 1949 they began to produce and use Q-potencies of antipsoric remedies.

In 1973, Kunzli translated James Tyler Kent’s textbook Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy into German. Almost two decades before that, he had helped Pierre Schmidt with his French translation of the 6th edition of theOrganon.

Kunzli also produced Kent’s Repertorium Generale, which is so influential today, based on Kent’s Repertory and incorporating updates from 71 other important sources, reorganised and superbly efficient. Kunzli is also noted to have used Red dots to indicate confirmed rubrics and remedies. In this book they are printed as black points.

NEED FOR THIS REPERTORY:
Among the repertories published, Kent’s Repertory is considered to be most comprehensive and authoritative source available even today. After Kent’s death, many important therapeutic observations have been made by leading Homoeopathic physicians. These reports were not available to the physicians as most of the time they are hidden in the literature. Dr. Jost Kunzli has made an attempt in enriching Repertory by incorporating all the observations of important stalwarts and brought vital information to the limelight. Apart from this,he added his own observations to Kent’s repertory.

SOURCES:

• Various therapeutic observations made by eminent physicians from 72 reputable sources including H.C. Allen, T.F. Allen, Boericke, Boger, Boenninghausen, Burnett, Clarke, Guernsey, Hahnemann, Hering, Jahr, Knerr, Nash, and Pulford. Number of this sources are printed in front of that edition.
• Kunzli also added his own observations [40 years of untiring effort]. Kunzli added many of Hahnemann’s observations from his chronic disease as well as Materia medica pura even though they were not clinically verified.
• Kent’s personal handwritten corrections were also available for first time.

EDITIONS :
This book was compiled and edited by Michael Barthel M.D., with assistance Charlotte Barthel and LIse Seider,M.D. Kent’s Repertorium Generale was first published in German language in 1987 by Barthel. In the year 1990 1st Indian edition was printed by B.Jain Publishers.  

AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  REPERTORY
Kunzli’s new Repertory takes off from Kent’s Repertory, 3rd edition, the one in general circulation which preceded the Final General Repertory of Kent revised by Dr.Pierre Schmidt and Dr. D. Harish Chand. All entries found in the 3rd edition are also found in Kunzli’s Repertory.

First of all, Kunzli has included symptoms from Kent’s Lectures, which are not found in the 3rd edition. He has included a numbered annotation above every remedy taken from Kent’s Lectures very carefully. This allows the user to realize that although a remedy has been included in the new Repertory, it was Kunzli, not Kent, who included it.

Beginning in 1950, Kunzli, a careful student of homeopathy, began to make additions to his own 3rd edition of Kent’s Repertory. These he penciled in. Kunzli began by including certain symptoms from Hering’s Guiding Symptoms. Asked how he determined which symptoms to include, he said, “I chose Symptoms which I had verified clinically in my own practice plus strange, rare, and peculiar symptoms which seemed important to me.”

In 1981, after more than 30 years of penciling in additions to his copy of Kent’s Repertory, Kunzli decided to share his additions and invited a small group of classical homeopaths together. From 8 a.m. until 6 p.m , He read from his additions and they copied.” Later  Will Klunker, editor of the Synthetic Repertory, suggested to publish a separate volume of Kunzli’s additions but omitting the symptoms taken from Hahnemann.

Kunzli could not agree with this idea. He thought all the additions from Hahnemann are very important. Also, the idea of a separate volume of additions didn’t appealed him. He felt it wouldn’t be used. He felt these additions had to be interpolated into the general text of Kent’s Repertory if they were to become useful to the average homeopath.

GRADATION
Medicines are graded similar to Kent’s repertory

• Bold
• Italics
• Roman

PLAN,  CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING METHOD
The plan, construction & working method of this repertory is just like Kent.

➢ Drugs omitted by Kunzli which are there in Kent’s repertory – 6 drugs e.g.- Arundo, Magnetis poli umbo etc.

➢ Some errors in Kent’s repertory are corrected (printing mistakes) e.g.Head- Bond (Kent) to Band etc.

• Many new rubrics are added to each section. Many sub rubrics were also added.
• Many therapeutic verifications of the author are added which are printed as black points in this book, originally these are known as “red points”.
  In each section we come across these black points.

(a) If entered behind a drug – Therapeutic efficiency of that remedy had been frequently proven.
e.g., face – expression – foolish – Bufo *
besotted – Bapt *, Gels *, Lach * etc
(b) If entered behind the symptom- indicating that particular rubric is used in a case the curative remedy is certainly contained within the rubric.
It underscores therapeutic importance of the rubric and often points to the remedy in question or at least to general area etc.
FACE – EXCORIATED- Mouth, corners of *
EXPRESSION, ANXIOUS
Cradle when child lifted from *: Calc.
Downward moving driving * Bor1st Gels.

• The sources of the observations collected are given with respective foot marks

e.g.,(i) Section Head rubric-Nodes – headache during K.lod12 (12 stands for Clarke dictionary of practical materia medica, The homeopathic publishing company, London 1947)
(ii) Head – Nausea – COCC.49 (Tyler ML – Homoeo Drug pictures, The homoeopathic publishing company, London 1952)
(iii) Mind- Confusion – epilepsy before Lach34 (herring guiding symptoms)
(Iv) Mind – Confusion – arouse himself completed to – CV, Sulph1. (J.T.Kent.lectures on homoeopathic MM and his handwritten corrections of last American edition of repertory) .

CHAPTERS
TOTAL NO OF SECTIONS ARE 27

This number reduced by placing the anatomical parts and their function in one section.

e.g., Eye & Vision; Ear & hearing; Throat and external throat, Male and female genitalia. All sections of urinary organs under 1 heading. Chill, fever and perspiration one heading.

REPRESENTATION OF VARIOUS CHAPTERS WITH RUBRICS ADDED TO KENT’S REPERTORY
MIND- 27 RUBRICS
Agoraphobia (Fear of crowd-kent), Awkward, Bad temper, morning, Bliss, feeling of, Clothed improperly etc.
VERTIGO- 10 RUBRICS
Feet sensation as if rouse, Palpitation during, Pushed forward as if etc.
HEAD- 16 RUBRICS
Anxiety in head, atheroma, Blood vessels, temples, Body hot in forehead, Brittle sensation etc.
EYE-13 RUBRICS
Cramp (See Spasms),Dermoid Swelling, Drops before eyes, Fat sensation in eye

VISION- 16 RUBRICS
Brighter Objects seen, Field of vision sees object beside, Halo around light, Hemaralopia (loss of vision night)
NOSE- 14 RUBRICS
Blisters burning sensation, Contraction, Cramps, Distension, Drawn up or rose by string etc.
EAR-10 RUBRICS
Excoriation behind ears, Foreign body, Hammering, Lipoma etc.
FACE- 16 RUBRICS
Acridity Upper lip, Clucking lower jaw,, Fur like in Hemiplegia, Humming sensation lower jaw etc.
MOUTH-16 RUBRICS
Astringent sensation, Chorea, tongue, Desquamation check inside, Furry gums, Thrush etc.
TEETH-9 RUBRICS
Discharge from caries tooth, Smooth feeling, Stiff from cold, Twitching in teeth etc.
THROAT-17 RUBRICS
Adenoid, Biting sensation in back pains of fauceous Drawn out sensations, Gluey, Puts finger in throat etc.
EXTERNAL THROAT- 16 RUBRICS
Excoriation from rubbing of clothes, Presses throat with both hands, Trembling, Heat, etc.
STOMACH- 23 RUBRICS
Acridity, Aerophagia, Bitter as if in stomach, Falling out sensation, Food lodges at cardia etc.
ABDOMEN- 22 RUBRICS
Blood from umbilicus, Cobweb sensation, Hands support the abd. during urination with, Ileus, Noises, etc.
RECTUM- 5 RUBRICS
Congestion, Dropping of some thing cold out the anus, sensation, Intertrigo, Nausea,Standing, stool passes better on.
STOOL-14 RUBRICS
Earlier every day, Intestines like, like, Rice grains like etc.
BLADDER- 1 RUBRIC- Agonizing dysuria
KIDNEY, PROSTATE GLAND- No Additions
URETHRA- 6 RUBRICS
Blue spot meatus, Carbuncle, Raw sensation etc.

URINE Filaments (see sediment thready),Hot (see burning) Urobilin (see bile)
GENETALIA MALE- 6 rubrics
Mucous glans, Quivering scrotum, etc.
GENETALIA FEMALE- 5 Rubrics
Squeezed sensation by a hand;uterus, Weight sensation; uterus etc.
LARYNX AND TRACHEA- 6 Rubrics
Air rose through trachea in waves as if, Numbness trachea  etc.
RESPIRATION- 1 Rubric
Chyne Stokes (see irregular).
COUGH –12 Rubrics
Abdomen seems to come from, Constipation during, Highly seasoned food from, Solid food from, twitching in hip etc.
CHEST- 30 Rubrics
Broncheactiasis, Conscious of heart action, Injuries to mammae, Inverted nipples, Mealy coating nipples etc.
BACK- 15 Rubrics
Decubitus (skin sore),Lameness cervical, Paralytic sensation, Spina bifida (see bifida), Sondylitis (see caries) etc.
EXTREMITIES- 32 Rubrics
Amputated stump painful, Catalepsy, Curvature of bones, Elevation shoulders, Falling nails etc.
SLEEP- 3 RUBRICS- Long to, Sitting up and retching
CHILL- 9 RUBRICS- Anterior part of body, Riding on horseback, Starting from sleep, Vomiting before etc.
FEVER- 11 RUBRICS- Catheter fever, Convulsions after, Dengue fever, Dentition during, Traumatic fever etc.
PERSPIRATION- 9 RUBRICS- Debilitating, luminous, Salty deposits after perspiration, Scratch must, Thighs except etc.
SKIN- 6 RUBRICS- Decubitus (see sore), Keloid (see cicatrices), Varicosities, Withered etc.
GENERALITIES- 44 RUBRICS- Anesthesia, Auburn air, Blondes, Brunets, iod. abuse after, lying in women (child bed) etc.
Rubrics are not added in following chapter- Hearing, kidneys, prostate, expectoration.
Total no of rubrics added – 446.

List of Medicines Added in Kunzli Repertory – Total 47 Medicines

ADEPS- Adeps suis AGAVA- Agave Americana AGRA- Agraphis nutans ARAl – Aralia hispida AVEN- Avena sativa BAC- Bacilinium burnet CADM.MET- Cadmium. Met CARC- Carcinosinum CER-OX- Cerium oxalicum CHAP- Chaparro amargosa CHIN.b- China boliviana CHINCH.b- Cincona boliviana CHROM.K.S- Chromicum Kali. Sulph COFFIN- Coffinium CORTICO- Cortico tropinum DICT- Dictannus abus DIPH- Diphtherinum DYSCO- Dysentrico Comp. (Bach – Nosode) EPHIP- Epiphugus. Vir. EUPH – Pi- Euphorbia Pillifera GLAND.GLANDRINE- Hippozaenum HElM- Helminthortos JANOS- Janosia

JUST- Justia Adhatoda LINUM- Linum Usitatism LOL- loleum temultum MERC- Mere. Sol MERC P.A.- Mere. Paracipirus albus MERC P.F.- Mere. Paracipirus lavus MUC. U- Mucuna urens NAT-Ch – Natrum Chrolenicum NAT-I- Natrum lodatum PlLO- Pilocarpinum PIX – Pixliguida PROT- Baceilus proteus QUASS- Quassia ROS.d -Rosadamascena SKOOK- Skookum Chuck TAT- T etradymile’ THIOSIN- Thiosinaminum TITAN- Titanium Met TUB.K- Tubercalinum Koch VANAD- Vanadium Met VICHY –G- Vichy aqua – grande X-RAY- X – Ray ZINC.CHR- Zincum chronicum ZINC. I – Zincum iodatum

The Drugs Omitted By Kunzli Which Are There In Kent’s Repertory
Arundo donax, Cainca,Chenopodium glauci aphis, Chininum brom, Ingluvin, Magnetis poli umbo,Merc vivus.
Total : 6.

SPECIAL FEATURES

1. It is an enriched edition of Kent’s Repertory
   2 .The additions are fully authenticated by showing the source.
   3. The drugs mentioned under rubrics are verified by author himself.
   4. Number of drugs with their abbreviations and sources are given.
   5. Number of drugs mentioned are 689 according to abbreviations list (some gives no 682).
   6. Some errors in Kent’s Repertory are corrected (Printing Mistakes)
   E.g. Head – Bond (KR) Corrected to Band  ;EYES – Wind look (KR) Corrected to Wild look
   STOOL State Colored Corrected to Slate colored

The user of Kunzli’s Repertory will find the miasmatic remedies better represented as many symptoms from H.C. Allen’s Materia Medica of the Nosodes have been included.

Kunzli said “If I read something in Clarke which interested me and which was not in Kent’s Repertory, I added it to my repertory”. “Some symptoms were verified by me personally, others were not. I added unverified symptoms if they were strange, rare, and peculiar.” Of particular importance are the additions from Hahnemann himself. “I took the last edition of Chronic Diseases and the last edition of Materia Medica Pura,” said Kunzli. “I compared symptoms in these two works with Kent’s Repertory. If they were not in Kent, I added them. From Hahnemann I added everything.”

CRITICISMS
1. Number of drugs are very few – 689
2. Hahnemann’s observation were straight away taken and placed in this book without verification.
3. Under Ear, Rubrics like Wen behind ear, wind sensitive to, worm sensation of, are missing which are there in Kent.

REFERENCES

• Essentials of  repertorisation- Dr. Tiwary
• Reprire- Prof Dr. Vidhyadhar R.khanaj
• Sue young histories.com
• Narayana-verlag.com