by Chris Kurz

Get a number of like-minded people together and set them thinking - pretty soon you'll see some interesting ideas flying around and it won't be long before one of those catches on and becomes reality.

You can donate an idea simply by writing a paragraph sharing your vision and enthusiasm and sending it to the Editor. If practical, your idea and e-mail address will be included in this column. Those interested in developing the idea further may then contact you.

Multimedia Show of Symptoms

On the one hand there is the Internet, a network of rapidly developing multimedia capabilities. On the other hand there is the isolated student of homeopathy studying materia medica and puzzling over terms like "mapped tongue" or "vesicular eruption." Wouldn't it be nice to have a visual dictionary on-line with depictions of these symptoms and conditions? And how about a lexicon of coughs? There is a tape available for purchase demonstrating the coughs of different remedies. How about something similar for the Web?

Online Encyclopedia of Remedy Sources

Recent Homeopathy Mailing List discussions on the Doctrine of Signatures have emphasized the importance of knowing as much as possible about the sources of remedies in the homeopathic pharmacopia. For example, Latrodectus mactans: Where does this spider live? What does it look like? What are its reproductive habits? Possessing knowledge and understanding of these characteristics is critical to successfully applying a remedy in clinical practice. There are resources on the Internet - botanical, zoological, and mineralogical - which offer a wealth of information relevant to homeopathic study.

I propose the creation of an Online Encyclopedia of Remedy Sources which ties all this information together. I can envision, for example, under the listing Arsenicum album, a link to a chemical web page with information on the element Stibium (Arsenicum), another link to information on the mineral Arsenicum album with pictures, and so on. No new information would need to be typed in, we would simply create links to existing Internet data organized by remedy name.

Study of Homeopathics and Pediatric Otitis Media

If you live in the region of Seattle, Washington, there is still time to participate in a study on the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in cases of childhood ear infections. The following is excerpted from a letter from co-investigators David A. Springer, M.D., MPH, and Jennifer Jacobs, M.D., MPH.

This letter is to let you know about a research study we are doing to test the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines for childhood ear infections. As you probably know, many young children suffer repeated ear infections which usually are treated with conventional antibiotics. While antibiotics often are effective, studies in Europe have shown that they are not necessary in all cses. In the past year, the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has caused the medical community to search for other treatments for many common infections.

Homeopathy is a 200 year-old type of medical treatment that is used all over the world by millions of people. It is very safe, since the medicines used are all natural and are given in very small quantities. Homeopathic medicines are thought to strengthen the immune system and to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself. Physicians who use homeopathic medicines claim that they are effective in treating ear infections, but no scientific studies have been done to prove or disprove this.

Our study is a collaboration between The Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Wallingfor Pediatrics, and members of the local homeopathic community. The study will take place during the ten week period of January 15 to March 22, 1996. We are seeking children with acute ear infections (symptoms for no more than the past 36 hours) ages 18 months through 6 years to participate in this study. If your child becomes ill with symptoms of an ear infection during this time, we would like you to consider joining the study.

All children in the study will receive free ear examination, homeopathic evaluation, study mediciation, and follow-up ear exam with tympanogram. The study clinic is located at Wallingford Pediatrics, 4005 Wallingford Avenue N. Your child does not have to be a patient at Wallingford Pediatrics to participate. The clinic will be enrolling children into the study on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9-12 and 1:30-4:30, and on Fridays from 1:30-4:30. Enrollment is on a walk-in basis, so no appointment is necessary.

We believe that this study could have a significant impact on the treatment of ear infections nationwide and appreciate your cooperation. We will be having three community meetings to discuss participation in the study at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Avenue N.) from 7:30-8:30 on January 10th, 25th and February 7th. In the meantime, if you have further questions, please call 206-632-2052.

Studies such as this one will help to establish the credibility of homeopathy in the United States, so if you know parents in the Seattle region please alert them to this opportunity.