Book Review
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2001 Jul / Aug VOL III NO 4.
Reviewed By
T K Kasiviswanathan
Title: The Kali Family
Author: Dr Ajit Kulkarni
Publishers: Indian Books and Periodicals Syndicate, Block 5/62, Dev Nagar, Pyare Lal Road, Karolbagh, New Delhi-600 005
Edition: First 2002
Pages: 126
Price: Rs 100
Dr Ajit Kulkarni is no stranger to the NJH-family. He has co-authored with Dr P I Tarkas, the articles for the Materia Medica section of NJH in the past. Later 2 volumes of Materia Medica were published. This new monograph is a full presentation of his research into the Kali salts, briefly presented at the last SSMS seminar and given in the Kali issue. This book starts with a discussion on relationship of remedies under 25 categories with remedy illustrations. No one can dispute his statement that this aspect is often neglected and no homoeopath can get good results if he does not have knowledge of these relationships. However no homoeopath can ever hope to master the relationship of remedies under all the categories suggested by him. Only the complementary, antidotal, inimical, miasmatic relationship aspects have been stressed by past stalwarts.
He presents a group study of Kali salts used in Homoeopathy under Mind, Group characteristics, essence and nucleus of some 29 Kali remedies. How the mind of Kali family is exhibited under various stages of life from childhood to old age is discussed, with DD of other remedies. The Kali personality is conservative, conventional and anxious. Dr Kulkarni states there is a conflict between attachment and detachment, between resoluteness and indecisiveness, between dependence and independence in these remedies.
The comparative chart shows the physical properties of Potassium and how each reflects in the Kali group. A large part of the book is devoted to differential diagnosis. There is an inter se comparison chart of 12 important Kali salts under four heads- make-up, mind, food preferences and tongue characteristics to differentiate between members of the same family. Gradation of Kali salts under mind and body.
Differentiation with other remedies under heads such as Conscientiousness, anxiety, self-esteem, straightforwardness, appearance, work culture lead to better understanding of Kali family.
To round up, discusses 6 cases of Kali-carb, Kali-iodide, Kali-ars, Kali-bich and Kali-sil.
The book makes one appreciate the enormous amount of work done by the author and his associates, to collect and collate the information on this important group of remedies. It is a must read back for a serious student of comparative Materia Medica.
