Book Review by Dr Aji Punnen
The author of the book “How to use repertory with the practical analysis of forty homoeopathic remedies” is Glen Irving Bidwell. He is a member of American institute of Homoeopathy, Newyork state Homoeopathic society, the society of Homoeopathicians, & Monroe country Homoeopathic society. Indian publishes the book & periodicals syndicate. The introduction is written by James Tylor Kent. The book has 2 parts. The first part is How to use Repertory & second part is analysis of forty Homoeopathic remedies”. This book deals with second edition of Kent’s Repertory. In the preface Bidwell thanks G.G.Starkey of Chicago for the assistance in revising & editing the book.
Part – I — How to use repertory
Three mistakes in case taking – Interruption of the patient, asking direct questions & making answers to confirm some remedy
Kent’s Repertory is divided in to 37 chapters
Arrangement of Rubric in Kent’s repertory – Time, conditions in alphabetical succession & where there is condition of pain it is arranged as locality, character, extension
The case must be worked out from generals to particulars
Kent uses three classes of symptoms Generals, particulars, and common. Generals & particulars have greater importance in prescription.
Generals are divided in to 3 classes. Mentals, physicals, things affecting the whole physical body. Mentals are divided in to three
Will – Perversion of loves & various fears. These are often difficult of all symptoms to obtain as they are most often concealed from the world, friends & physician. Ailments from anger, badnews, grief, love, joy, reproach, sexualexcess, contrariness, cursing, cowardice, hatred, irritability etc.
Perversion of understanding –Delusions, hallucinations, illusions, absorbed, clairvoyance, confusion dullness, comprehension, ecstacy, excitement, imbecility, ailments from mental exertion
Perversion of memory – Absentminded, errors in answers, mistakes in writing & speech etc
Physical symptoms deal with physical love & sensations of the body as a whole. They are divided in to 2 groups
a) Perversion in sexual sphere including menstrual generals, aggravations before during & after menses, effects of coition, urination, character of discharges
b) Symptom pertaining to apetite, food, desires, aversion & thirst
Things affecting the entire physical body – weather & climatic influences, food that aggravates, extremes of temperature, positions, motions etc
Particular & common symptoms – The symptoms that are predicated of a given organ are particular. Particular symptoms that cannot be explained can be considered as peculiar. Common symptoms are common to drugs & diseases.
Grades of drug symptoms – Kent uses 3 grades & Boenninghausen used four grades. The fourth grade in Boenninghausen is included in third in Kent’s classification
Repetition – Never repeat the dose after reaction begins. If more than one dose is necessary repeat the dose until there is an improvement & then stop
Repertory Analysis – Bid well’s method is to take the most prominent general & eliminating remedies from the group. Absolute reliance cannot be placed on numerical superiority of points for any one remedy. The solution must be made from a final comparison of the drug pathogenesis using materiamedica. Regarding prescription diagnosis has little or no value. It is better to forget diagnosis while taking case for prescription
Part-II – Analysis of forty Homoeopathic Remedies
Forty Homoeopathic Remedies are analyzed using twenty-two rubrics
- Cold & aggravation from cold
- Warmth & aggravation from warmth
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Fear
- Tearfulness
- Aggravation from lying
- Aggravation from motion
- Aggravation during afternoon
- Aggravation after midnight
- Aggravation after sleep
- Aggravation from pressure
- Relief from pressure
- Thirst
- Aggravation from eating & after eating
- Burning pains
- Cutting pains
- Sore pains
- Throbbing pains
- Cramping pains
- Bursting pains
The remedies analyzed are aconite, arsenic, apis, antimonium tart, belladonna, bryonia, calcarea carb, carbo veg, causticum, china, chamomilla, colocynth, digitalis, drosera, dulcamara, gelsemium, graphites, hepar, hyosyamus, ignatia, ipecac, lachesis, lycopodium, mercurius, natrum murr, nitric acid, nux vom, phosphorus, phosphoric acid, podophyllum, rhustox, sulphur, sepia, silicea, staphisagria, thuja, veratrum album & zincum
Dr Aji Punnen MD (Repertory)
Email : ajipunnenkocheril@gmail.com
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