Dr P I Tarkas: Doyen of Homoeopathy His life and living
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2000 July / Aug VOL II NO 4.
Dr.Ajit Kulkarni
"Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness."
- Carlyle, Past and Present
I was numbed when the sad news of demise of Dr Tarkas pierced through on 20.07.2000. A man who worked like a Trojan throughout his life is no more. But the work he left to posterity will not go into oblivion. "I shall light a candle of understanding in thine heart, which shall not be put out" wrote Apocrypha, II Esdras, XIV, 25. Understanding Materia Medica and Repertory was the mission he took up in early 1950 and worked endlessly, selflessly for the sake of Homoeopathy for over 50 years.
Biography
Born on 8th September 1908 in a poor Gujarati family of Barhanpur, his brother was a famous freedom fighter and reporter, Krishnakant Tarkas. He was blessed with talent and sincerity. During the early 20th century, education was not given much importance. But Tarkas passed his matriculation from 'Robertson High School, Barhanpur with distinction. Whatever the cost, his parents decided to send Tarkas to the famous Benaras Hindu University. His highly erudite teachers Dr Anand Shankar Druv, Prof Agarkar, Dr Banerjee shaped his personality. Scholarship helped him complete his MA in Sanskrit with distinction. English was the optional subject as Shakespeare influenced him. Tarkas once wrote to me, "The knowledge of English helped me to understand Homoeopathy in a better way, to dive deep into the core of our remedies and present them before the profession."
From Benaras he went to Calcutta to study Tibetian language. Later he headed the project of making a dictionary of Tibetian language and on "Relation between Sanskrit and Tibetian languages." He also studied Bengali at Calcutta. Tarkas had the fascination for words and he was a voracious reader. Philosophy was his favourite subject. At Calcutta, he got acquainted with homoeopathy only as a patient.
In1938, Tarkas was re-called home by his elder brothers Govinddas and Dharamadas to start 'Nutan Printing Press' at Akola. To put his LLB to use Tarkas decided to start his practice as an advocate in addition to the press. However he soon closed this practice as "it was impossible for me to take false cases." Tarkas continued the press upto 1958. His command over languages (Sanskrit, Tibet, Gujarathi, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi and English), made him a famous 'proof-reader' and guide to every writer. He continued his advanced study of languages.
Tarkas was very principled, modest and kind-hearted and never chased money. This made him a very good man, but did not improve his financial condition, nor his relationship with his family, who had to suffer needs unfulfilled because of his nature. His modest income he spent on purchasing rare books. He had an extraordinary habit of collecting books from whatever source he used to get and had an extraordinary memory too.
Homoeopathy As A Mission
A severe attack of dysentery debilitated his already frail constitution. Homoeopathy through Dr Maganbhai Desai, the famous Homoeopath of Surat, rescued him. This was his 'turning point'. Homoeopathy, with its sheer logic, holistic philosophy and humane approach suited the make-up of Dr Tarkas. Homoeopathy became his mission.
He met Dr Sarabhai Kapadia and Dr Sarla Sonawala, two other disciples of Maganbhai, who urged him to come to Mumbai. Sarabhai would often say "You come here at Mumbai.You will shine here in this cosmopolitan city." Sarlaben called him a 'Diamond' in homoeopathy recognizable to only few genuine people.
Dr Tarkas started his project on Materia Medica and Repertory in early 1950. His work included
- Correcting each standard work on Materia Medica and repertory viz. Hering, Kent, Boger, Boenninghausen, Clarke, Boericke, Allen etc.
- Addition to the standard works.
- Coining new words, sentences, rubrics, relations etc.
- Compiling information about MM and repertory from national and international journals, case reports, etc.
- Collating this information
- Consolidating the cumbersome data of Materia Medica
- To formulate pragmatic concepts out of the maze of symptoms
- Organizing data to reach the heart of the remedies and lift the veil of mystery that enshrouds a remedy
- Using various branches of medicine viz. physiology, pathology, biochemistry, psychology, psychiatry to erect the portrait of a remedy
- Co-relating the material in the MM and Repertory with his own vast clinical experiences and adding the material therefrom.
- Original thinking borne out of his talent and untiring efforts.
Literary Contribution Sarlaben, recognizing his potential and knowing the loss to the science when work is not penned down, as in Dr Maganbhai's case, encouraged Tarkas to write one remedy at a time and started the MM series for the Indian Journal of Homoeopathy, Mumbai which later continued in the National Journal of Homoeopathy.
This compulsory writing paid off! His articles were compiled and a book was borne through the efforts of Dr Ajit Kulkarni joined hiem to form the practical part of the duo and thus materialized 'A Select Homoeopathic Materia Medica Parts I and II' -now published works. Part I(500 pages) is in its 3rd edition and contains 60 remedies including polychrests, nosodes, hormones and some rare remedies. Part II in its 2nd edition of 300 pgs, covers 40 remedies.
His mode of work: Ponder over the entire data and then present with extensive co-relates and suggestions for practical uses. Each remedy had a novel presentation from start to finish. An illustration:
Under Sul-iod he begins, "A Sul. more warm-blooded, more glandular, more hungry, more phthisical and more affiliated to Syph (Sul. is collateral to Med); although both have generally a dermic starting point. Its sweep is wide, covering all the four miasms (though with syphilis uppermost, like Syph), thus carrying further the work of Sul, Tub, and Syph. Sul-i and Syph may help a Sul. case out, just as X-ray may clear a Medo. case.
Tarkas' major contribution was 'renovated relationship'. He widened the concept of relations of remedies with the use of more than 50 words and coined many relations. Dr Tarkas clearly said "We must take up only such medicines about which we have something fresh to deliver. We have not to carry coals to new castle. Why repeat what Boericke, Kent, Allen etc. have so ably done? Our MM should be a trendsetter and get a global reception. Everyone should find something new and enlightening here."
It is my fortune that I was entrusted by Dr. Tarkas to revise, augment, edit and publish the work. Part I Tarkas did actively; after that he handed over his notes on remedies to me and decided to dive into 'Repertory'. The work on 'A Select Homoeopathic Materia Medica Part III' is under hibernation. My ambition is to bring out MM in five parts in future. The repertory work is gigantic. Almost every standard work on MM has been converted into rubrics by him single-handedly. This repertory needs publication.
The Style Of Work And Writing
Dr Tarkas was a perfectionist and highly methodical. I have seen very few persons of his caliber. While adding any information in MM or repertory, he will search for its reliable source and will add it only after he is convinced. Before publication of part I of MM, I had gone to Vadodara to show him my own additions, comments, relations etc. Dr. Tarkas went through every word, checked it with relevant sources and only then allowed the incorporporations. Tarkas wrote his notes on small chits with special markings; he was deadly against waste of paper While making a final draft of the remedy, he used to collect all chits and the special markings given enabled him to integrate the various pieces. His handwriting was neat but very small and we have to use magnifying glasses to read. He wrote to me hundreds of letters and every letter is on a post-card.(We at NJH have also received his post cards and his articles tied up with string wrapped in old note paper- but effective!)
His exceptional talent was abridgement of data. Due to his superb command over English, he had an unusual knack of precise and concise presentation. Many readers have termed 'A Select Homoeopathic Materia Medica' as 'Expanded Boger'. Dr Tarkas was a prolific writer and had a poetic character too. He was a man of profound ideas and depth. To illustrate his poetic imagination coupled with utility of Pulsatilla, Dr Tarkas wrote, "A delightfully simple medicine, a polychrest of many uses, virtually a princess in the role of a maid servant; a kindly medicine to all: a boon to the unborn, a blessing to the new born, a comrade to the (growing) adolescent, a comforter to the advanced, a solace to the incurable, and when the end is near, a soother of the rattle; practicing well Osler's advice " Aim to cure sometimes, to relieve often and to comfort always."
Dr Tarkas: The Man And His Sense of Values
Dr Tarkas was a thorough gentleman, a saint or an evolved soul. Despite his greatness, he was very humble and kind. He was an "unprejudiced' man in the true sense of Hahnemann, always ready to introspect himself. He always spoke positively about any colleague, author, relative or book etc. No bad opinion about anyone. Only after careful study he expressed his opinion. Post-publication of 'Part I A Select Hom. MM', we received many comments from seniors, juniors and students. About some superficial comments he wrote, "As for reviews sent in your two letters my impression is that they defeat the purpose of our MM. A real review cannot be given before one year of intensive reading of our book and testing at bed-side. And, I would be grateful only if my attention is drawn to wrong statements, or a controversy is started. And this is not possible unless an intensive reading is done. I do not hope that our stalwarts-prestigewallah people will ever do that. We will get only formal goody-goody thanks. Many of us-esp. the senior ones-pardon me, are self-conceited and self-complacent, and a great blockage to the progress of our science".
