Kent’s Comparative Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica

Review on Kent’s Comparative Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica

Book review by Dr Jasmin BHMS MD(Hom)

Authors: Dr. R. Dockx  & Dr. G. Kokelenberg

• First Indian edition in 1996
• Reprint edition in 2004, 2006.
• Published by B. Jain Publishers
• Number of chapters: 37

Gradation of remedies: 4

• 1^st grade- BOLD CAPITAL
• 2^nd grade- bold roman
• 3^rd grade- italics
• 4^th grade- roman

CONTENTS OF THE BOOK

• Introduction
• Preface
• Reference list
• Remedies and their abbreviations
• Repertory proper

Introduction
One of the many problems we face in practicing Homoeopathy is the conversion of the patient’s symptoms in the proper language of the Repertory of Kent. In order to overcome this problem, one should be able to understand exactly the meaning of each rubric. Once this task is done, it is easy to differentiate as many remedies as possible in the rubrics in order to pin point the one and only remedy the patient needs to get.

This book has been made with the purpose of helping you to study the Kent’s Repertory page by page, rubric by rubric and remedy by remedy wherever possible.

Mind is the most important chapter one should be thorough of. As a rule, we will consider emotional symptoms to be more important in hierarchy than the intellectual symptoms. It is an advantage if the symptoms are spontaneously told by the patient and it is dangerous to try to convince the patient of a symptom. When you induce symptoms in your patient, the reportorial result will be marvelous but the results will be deplorable.

Preface
The Repertory of Kent is still “the standard work” for the classical homoeopath of the 20^th century. It is the first time that differential diagnoses are proposed for many of the rubrics.

REFERENCE LIST
There are 36 references from various important repertories and material medica. Few are:-

1. Kent’s Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica with word and thumb index
2. Kent’s Lectures in Materia Medica with New Remedies
3. Knerr’s Repertory of Hering’s Guiding Symptoms
4. Boger’s Boenninghausens’s Characteristics and Materia Medica
5. Jahr’s Repertory

Features of the repertory 

• There are 37 chapters which are arranged according to the Kent’s Repertory.
• The chapters start with the Mind section and ends with Generalities.
• There are 543 pages.
• Since Mind is the most important chapter, it is explained well than any other chapters.
• Each chapter is numbered from 1 to 37 on the left side top. The chapters are given in bold capital in the right side top.
• Each page is divided into two by a vertical line in the middle of the page but no separate page numbers.
• One of the important features of this repertory is that most of the main rubrics and the sub rubrics are well explained with that context.
• There are large number of new rubrics, sub rubrics and the remedies in each chapter.
• Medicines which are not present in Kent’s repertory are given under the rubrics.
• The rubrics are given in bold capitals after which the meanings and the cross references are given. After that the important remedies for that rubric is given which are compared.  Eg: ABANDONED: deserted, left by himself, left alone, without any help.  Cross ref: see FORSAKEN feeling

There are three remedies in it in the third degree: Aur, Psor and Puls

This is followed by the key indications of each drug with relation to that       particular state of mind.

• The sub rubrics are explained after each main rubric and their remedies.
• Another peculiarity of this book is that there are differential diagnosis for remedies in certain places which is given as DD. Eg : If Pulsatilla is the DD for Platina, then it is expressed as DD PLATINA- PULSATILLA(page 2)

DD NATRUM MUR- SEPIA ( page 12)

• New rubrics and sub rubrics to be added are also given after the rubrics.

Eg: In the rubric ABSENT-MINDED,  after its meaning and the cross reference there are two parallel horizontal lines in between which is written as “ a new rubric to add”, under which the to be added rubric is given and its source, remedies and additions of the remedies with their sources.

• Another peculiarity of this repertory is that in certain places, there is explanation about some remedies which are not in the repertory.

Eg: About some remedies in absent mindedness- alumina, zincum, medorrhinum. (page no3)

• There are lots of new additions to the original Kentian work.
• In certain places the dosage or the potency is also mentioned. Eg: MOUTH- APHTHAE (page no 279)

SEMPERVIVUM: In this case you can give 200K. With warts you can put mother tincture on it locally.

• The rubrics of the disease conditions are also explained in certain places. Eg : MOUTH- WARTS, tongue, tip of. This is a rubric to remember when you think of AIDS.

• Additions of the new drugs are given with their source book. Eg: INJUSTICE, cannot  support

Additions: cal-p (Candegabe), caust (Vith), dros ( Masi) etc (page no 129)

• Under the chapter VERTIGO, some of the important remedies for vertigo are given first.
• The rubrics related to forehead are not found under the chapter FACE.
• In fever chapter important remedies for fever are followed by the rubrics.
• Many clinical tips are given for certain conditions here are there in different chapters.
• The GENERALITIES chapter begins with the cold and the warm remedies followed by the time modalities and other rubrics.
• Under GENERALITIES, it is said that people who always have their symptoms at the same side are more difficult to cure. Do not start with a high potency.
• A small note on vaccination is given in the chapter GENERALITIES. You could give vaccinations with homoeopathic dilutions like pert 200K for whooping cough. This should give a protection for two years. Protection for malaria- nat mur 30K once a week. The best thing to do is to protect them with their own remedy.

Demerits

• This book cannot be used thoroughly without the aid of Kent’s Repertory.
• Even though only 4 grading are given in the introduction part, there is a fourth grading given here and there which is expressed as roman (?).
• Under the discussion part, all the drugs are not discussed.

Conclusion
Kent’s Comparative Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica is an important work by Dr. Dockx & Dr. Kokelenberg. They obtained this treasure of information through many years of educative instructions and by continuous training all over the world. This repertory owe special features like explanation of  meanings of each rubrics along with their cross refernces, explaining the important remedies in that context, additions from other renowned repertories as well  as materia medica, differential diagnosis for the remedies, clinical tips for various conditions and the dosage of various remedies, sources of additional remedies etc.

This book is very helpful for the beginners in Homoeopathy and even the stalwarts since there is vast explanation of the MIIND chapter which is very important for our treatment. There are additions of the rubrics and the remedies from 36 authors including the repertories and others. To be thorough with this book one should possess Kent’s Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia medica.

REFERENCE

1. Kent’s comparative repertory of the homoeopathic materia medica  –  Dr.R.  Dockx  &   Dr.G. Kokelenberg
2. www. narayanaverglag . com