Julian Winston jwinston@actrix.gen.nz

I'd like to reply to the article by Tam Llewellyn-Edwards, Ph.D., F.A.S.C. Hom. about combination remedies that appears in this issue of Homeopathy Online. (Editor's note: Tam Llewellyn-Edwards' article, The Margins of Classical Homoeopathy - Combination Remedies, appears on the Community Voice page.)

He says that it is not his "aim to teach the techniques outlined here, nor is it [his] intention to advocate them in any way, nor to encourage their use." Yet, by giving a case where combinations were used, is he not advocating them?

In reference to Hahnemann, he says:

Unfortunately we do not have any clear idea of exactly what form of homoeopathy he expounded. There are six different editions of the Organon (each differing fundamentally in the way homoeopathy is approached) and analysis of Hahnemann's actual practise notes suggests a much less dogmatic idea of homoeopathy.

Although Hahnemann discussed with Aegidi in 1833 the use of giving two medicines together - IF EACH IS HOMEOPATHIC TO THE CASE - the sixth edition of the Organon states clearly in Paragraph 273 that no more than one remedy at a time should be administered.

Indeed. Hahnemann, to the end, was an experimenter. But the sixth edition of the Organon was written by him in the last year of his life (the preface is credited as being written in February 1842 - a year and a few months before his death), so the sixth edition becomes the most accurate record of the form of homeopathy that Hahnemann expounded. The instructions within it are clear. His case-notes were NOT his last word. They were his experiments - which he did not share with his closest pupils. And we, who find them, should not make great assumptions about Hahnemann's thinking based upon his experimental work.

As Greg Bedayn put it so well in his Editorial in the second issue of the American Homeopath:

Some seem to feel this information gives them license to argue that Hahnemann himself was violating the very tenets of classical homeopathy, thereby also giving them the right to practice as he did in his final days . . . . To such people I would suggest this: It is from you that Hahnemann was hiding his final work! He was adamant about keeping his experiments in the laboratory, and out of the hands of practitioners who, having not yet learned the first lesson, could hardly be entrusted with the second. He foresaw that such people would mass-market such insights, teach them to the inexperienced and abuse their patients by blindly attempting to reproduce them. His late experiments were just that - experiments . . . . Such was the righteous strength of Hahnemann's request (for about 150 years anyway) until, the silence was broken by the deliverance of Hahnemann's experiments to a homeopathic community that has indeed shown itself unable to respect them as such.

The combination of Cimicifuga, Iris versicolor, Sanguinaria, and Gelsemium is mentioned as a "migraine" combination. After giving some of the keynotes of these remedies, Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards questions that, given the 250 remedies listed under "headache, General" in the Repertory, why THESE four (which are not listed as "top" headache remedies) should be included in the combination.

If the symptoms of a "migraine" (versus a headache in general) are noted and single remedies are sought, Cimicifuga, Iris, and Sanguinaria appear regularly in the symptom picture that people have who describe "migraine." THAT is why those remedies were selected above others.

Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards says,

It has always been a major tenet of classical homoeopathy that a single remedy be prescribed, and that the remedy should be based upon the therapist's understanding of the constitutional type of the client, rather than on a specific disease.

I would strongly disagree with this statement. Understanding the "constitutional type" of the patient might be important - and then again, it might not be important. It is the job of the homeopath to take the case of the patient, to perceive what needs to be cured, and to give the remedy that will do the job. The larger the totality that the practitioner can observe, the deeper the cure.

Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards says, "However, many of my colleague classical homoeopaths would have also objected to my treatment of the acute symptoms as non-classical."

Hahnemann speaks clearly about the differentiation between acute diseases and chronic diseases in the Organon. There ARE times to treat acute symptoms, and this must be done with an understanding of the nature of the symptoms within the person's case. Treating "acute symptoms" does not, per se, make a person non-classical.

Furthermore, as Bill Gray, MD, pointed out in a lecture at Hahnemann College (CA):

The use of combination remedies doesn't make sense to me because whether the patient gets better or worse, you won't know why, which makes it very difficult to know what to do next in the case. We need to learn from our precise observations so we can grow as homeopaths.

In the case that Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards presented, a combination consisting of the following remedies was given for a skin problem:

This is a formula by Bruce Copen, and I am wondering how that formula was derived and upon what indications the formula was used.

Dr. Llewellyn-Edwards says that the cure was complete when the patient returned with clear skin. Then he qualifies it by saying, "At least it was a complete cure, as far as the patient was concerned."

I am sure that there are many homeopaths who would ask if this result was a cure or a suppression. The issue of suppressing skin manifestations is something spoken of by Hahnemann in no uncertain terms.

At a time when there were few remedies known, it was often necessary to alternate remedies - as Lippe pointed out in the alternation of Rhus toxicodendron and Sulphur that was used before Apis became known as a remedy.

Today, with more remedies, there should be less need for alternation and certainly much less need (if any) for the use of remedies in combination - especially in the professional setting.

ERNIE FERRO KSFC07A@PRODIGY.COM

MY 2 YEAR OLD SON HAS BEEN TO A E/N/THROAT DR.the prognoses was inflamed adniods. My x wife and i asked what would cause this. The response was an infection or virus of some kind. We couldnt figure out why the infection or virus was not being taken more into consideration as was the removal of the adniods. We went to a homeopathic dr. who diognosed the problem as MEDORRHINUM. I would like to have some info on this condition and some input on different remedies that could be given. I would like this info just as a guide line for what to expect. Also if you could direct me toward a good reference book so that we know what and why certain remedies are being given. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my e-mail.

Editor's Response:
Dear Earnie Ferro,

I am glad that you are willing to take the time to explore homeopathy. An educated patient will be better willing to cooperate with the homeopath and understand his or her approach better. Unfortunately I can't give you any recommendations on other remedies for the condition of your son. It would take about one hour or so of interviewing him and his parents to form a clear idea of a remedy that will help him.

Have a look at Homeopathy Home and follow the link given there to the list of homeopathic books. You may find the information there helpful in deciding which book to buy. The URL for the home page is: http://www.homeopathyhome.com.

C.K.

Jennifer Craig jcraig@awinc.com

This is truly amazing! My Vital Force is quivering like a cello string by the thrill of what I see and the prospects ahead.

I am a student taking a correspondence course and I live in a rural area with no access to practitioners. I love the case analysis - more and more please. Also the idea of discussing some rubrics that are difficult to understand, such as 'desire to be magnetized' in this day and age. I love it when the experts debate with each other. I am not at that stage but their ideas make me think.

Love the pics, the quotations ----- wheeeeee ---the whole thing!!

Very many thank yous.

Randall Bachman RBachman@Delmarva.com

I am interested in becoming a Homeopathic Physician. The correspondance schools I have contacted imply that a college graduate can go through their roughly 4 year programs and become a Homeopathic Doctor/Practicianer/Physician. I contacted the National Center for Homeopathy, and they indicated that you had to get licenced to practice, and to get licenced you had to first be a licenced healthcare professional (M.D.?). What is the truth? Can I get a degree from a school like The School of Homeopathy and become a Homeopathic doctor?

Don Webley dwebley@aracnet.com

Dear People:

I wrote you a letter a couple of weeks ago saying that it was quite rude to use my Carcinosin article without leave from me, but that I would not be furious forever. In fact I even offered my helping hand at editing the "paper". But no response. It is even ruder to ignore an author who protests such a transgression, especially if his protests are mild

Don Webley

Editor's Response:
Dear Don, as a reader of 'H-O' I've just dialed into this response page and seen your letter, and the other response to it. As an author myself, I can identify with your sense of outrage here especially since your article was excellent. I hope you understand the ed's response re. copyright - but more importantly, I want you to know how much your work has inspired me and my students. Yes, I have shared the article with one of my students who was herself looking at Carcinosin, and both she had I have paid meticulous attention to the intellectual ownsership of the work. It's yours !

I hope you feel you can contribute other articles to H-O personally - over here in the UK it's difficult to get hold of American Journals, and HO is a wonderful way of sharing expertise further and wider.

Again, thanks for your knowledge on this wonderful remedy.

Ian - sheffield school of homeopathy

Don Webley dwebley@aracnet.com

Dear People:

I wrote you a letter a couple of weeks ago saying that it was quite rude to use my Carcinosin article without leave from me, but that I would not be furious forever. In fact I even offered my helping hand at editing the "paper". But no response. It is even ruder to ignore an author who protests such a transgression, especially if his protests are mild

Don Webley

Editor's Response:
Dear Don Webley,

You scorn at us for being rude to re-print your Carcinosin article in Homeopathy Online. To this I must say that I re-printed it with the permission of Durr Elmore, the editor of Simillimum. It is with him that the copyright lies, and he has to grant me the right to use the article for this explicit purpose. I made sure that proper credit was given to you, the author. I apologize if you felt ill treated, I tried to send you e-mail but it bounced.

This letter which I received from you and to which I respond now is, in fact, the first and only one I received. I would have certainly jumped at the opportunity to strike up a contact with you because I value your work highly and know that Homeopathy Online can only benefit from your contributions. The only explanation is that e-mail is not as reliable as one would like it to be, at least not all the time.

I hope that I have explained to your satisfaction what happened and why. Can you accept that, rest your bad feelings, and still join forces with our staff?

Greetings, -- Christian Kurz.

Sharon Bigler adia@epix.net

I have just discovered homeopathy! My mother has fibromyalgia and we have had some success using Rhus Tox. Is there anybody out there who has had success with fibromyalgia using other things? Please help.

Sabrasue Miller diamondrio@voyager.net

What a wonderful resource! The "net" never ceases to amaze me! Thank you for being willing to take the time to share your knowledge with the rest of us. I do need some help for a friend of mine, and the reason I am exploring homeopathic practice. My friend is environmentally sensitive and allergic to almost everything. Her husband has had to build her a "safe" house and she still has terrible problems. She has recently visited a homeopathic doctor in Midway, Ohio. The diagonsis was pretty scary (her immune system is almost gone, inflammed kidney,toxic liver and various other lesser problems). He prescribed a series of homeopathic meds. The dilema is: she has faithfully followed the prescribed doses for 3 weeks, and seems to be worse than better. She wrote to the doctor (he is about 350 miles from her home) and received no reply. So, she called the office and has not received a return call. Help! She found another homeopathic doctor in Hillsdale, Michigan, which is closer to home, but isn't sure at this point if she should change. We have tried to find info on both doctors, but are coming up empty. I am hesitant to include their names at this point, but if anyone can offer advise or might know about homeopaths in this area, please e:mail us back. We would be most appreciative. Thanks!

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