REPORTS Jan94 Two Days with a Living Legend Two Days With Dipchand Gardi.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Jan / Feb Vol III No 1.
Praveen Kumar.
Seminar Reports.
The Foundation for Homoeopathic Research, Bombay organized a seminar with George Vithoulkas at the Birla Matushree Bhavan at Marine Lines, Bombay on the 20th and 22nd of January 1994.
DAY 1:
In the hour long inaugural session, Dr. Rajesh Shah welcomed the dignitaries on the dais. It was presided by the Chief Guest, Shri Dipchandbhai Gardi, who is a philanthropist and helps the medical profession at various levels.
"Glad to be back in India" were the first juicy words spoken by Dr. George Vithoulkas who trains 34 medical doctors in Homoeopathy at his hospital in Athens, Greece. He treats very serious cases only. Presently he is writing a book of 16 volumes Living Materia Medica of which he had completed 6. He also commented on the thinking computer in Belgium.
He stated that there are four important tools in the selection of the remedy.
- Totality of symptoms
- Essence of the patient (psychopathology)
- Keynotes
- Causation.
He laid emphasis on each point quoting relevant examples of the different cases. While describing Baryta-c he commented that most doctors were given this drug as they tire their minds prematurely and then develop symptoms with regression of mind as the essence. Useful for emotional dwarfism. "A Grown up woman who wants to be protected and caressed like a child."
A duodenal ulcer patient was cured by Arnica 50 M single dose as the history revealed a fall from a height after which symptoms of impaired hearing developed later followed by duodenal ulcer. This case stressed the importance of causation.
Drugs like Nat-m, Nux-v, Nit-ac, Staph and Stram were also compared as regards their mind symptoms.
A lengthy but interesting case was then presented with many differentiating points of several seemingly indicated remedies. This was a case of severe eczema with many mental symptoms like anger, fear of losing eyesight and wanting to be protected always. The delegates suggested several drugs at various levels of case presentation. George politely negated every suggestion by explaining their minus points and at last mentioned a drug hardly known to the delegates. The drug was Astacus- fluviatilis. Another rare drug Paris-quadrifolia was also elaborated.
In the post lunch session there was a live demonstration of Case Taking. A nine year old girl accompanied by her parents was interviewed by Dr. Vithoulkas. The girl had dermatitis and later developed respiratory allergies with mental aberration. There was a long therapeutic history. The delegates were also free to ask the patient relevant questions and suggest remedies. Dr. Vithoulkas gave valid explanations and prescribed Argentum-nit. We request that the follow up be intimated to the NJH by Dr. Rajesh Shah.
An interesting video case of a man who recovered from coma with renal failure after an open heart surgery was presented. After a months trial by allopaths in Houston, USA he was treated by Dr. Vithoulkas at Athens. Opium, Sulphur, Lachesis and Hyoscyamus were prescribed one after another without much improvement. Stramonium at last proved to be the choice drug and it slowly improved the condition of the patient. Stramonium was prescribed on the keynote that the patient started talking in French which was not his regular mode of communication.A video case was shown of an insane women who had complaints from indignation and was prescribed Staphysagria.
The use of repertory was shown live while narrating a case of Epilepsy with aura of a boy who would lose vision before fits. Stram, Mygale, Cup-m were eliminated and Causticum was selected based on actual observation of the patient during the fits and it relieved the patient.
At the end of the days session, Dr. Vithoulkas said that his emphasis on the essence of a drug was grossly misunderstood a lot and innovative materia medica is neither useful nor viable.
DAY 2:
On the second day of the seminar, George presented his miasmatic theories. He emphasized that a true Homoeopath should be free from all theories. He cited a case of a 30 year old woman, an introvert and inhibited, with desires for sweets and alcohol, perspiration at night. She had vertigo from high places. A sycotic remedy Medorrhinum was given with fantastic results.
Some other points put forward were-
- When a patient comes out of coma, the condition which follows does not need only mental remedies. Nosodes play a very useful role in treating the causation. For example Asthma after influenza responds favorably to Influenzinum.
- When a placebo is given for a long duration, mental aberration will end up in a physical ailment.
Answering a question on the importance of mental symptoms, he stressed that the
cerebral symptoms in a case should be taken and the symptoms of a patient should not be
imagined.
He went into the history of the flower Agnus-castus in reply to a question on Doctrine of
Signatures. This flower was eaten by monks to remain chaste and to bring down their sexual
energies. So, Agnus-castus is given to create purity in impure people.
He welcomed doctors to share their experiences with the use of high potencies and frequent repetition.
He advocated the use of potencies from reliable pharmacies. He rejected the doctrine of constitutional remedy and single remedy for patient in their entire life span.
EDITORS: The seminar with the "Living Legend" after a gap of 8 years had raised high expectations and as such had the distinction of the highest record of delegates, fell far short of expectations, probable for various factors. The chief one was the Bombay Bandh, which took away an entire day and George Vithoulkas thus had to extend the hour day to 10 hours. This probably took its toll on George. The disproportionally long inauguration also had some dampening effect.
Many delegates from out of town had to leave half way due to reservations already made.
All in all a disappointment leaving the audience flat.
The NJH team spoke to a long cross-section of the delegates and the general feeling was one of disappointment. For the benefit of a readers, I request George to give some insights into his philosophy and how he has evolved his thinking in the last 8 years.
