Book Review
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2004 Mar / Apr VOL VI NO 2.
Reviewed by
Dr (Mrs) Rajni K Gwalani.
Title: Teachings Psychiatric Patients Pure Classical Homoeopathy
Author : Dr Andre Saine
Publisher : B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, New Delhi
Edited By : Edith Meinders, Lise Bose, Rene otter
Price : Rs.300/- (2 vol set)
Edition : 1st Indian Ed
This aptly titled book is a compilation of teachings of Dr Andre Saine. He has nicely weaved in his experiences and his reading in the literature about our great teachers like Lippe, Kent, Nash, Allen, etc and about his discovery about more subtle and broader aspects of Homoeopathy which gave him a deeper understanding.
The contents divided under 3 broad titles:
I Psychiatric Patients
II Pure Classical Homoeopathy
a) Introduction
b) Case handling
c) Evaluation of Symptoms
III Life & Work of Adolph Lippe.
Under the heading of psychiatric patient, he discusses:
- Homoeopathy and Psychiatry - the difficulties
- Hahnemann’s position in Psychiatry
- Two different Types of Emotional & Mental Diseases
- Psychosomatic, Somatopsycotic, Psychosis, Neurosis
- Prognosis
- Temperaments
- Different views about treatment
Dr Andre has discussed each psychiatric disorders like Neurosis, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Psychosis, Hysteria, etc in depth and different rubrics under each disorder. He has discussed various cases and remedies under each disorder and their detailed Materia Medica and the right potency. He has discussed remedies like Belladona, Stramonium, Hyocyamus, Cantharis, Veratrum, Lecithin, Kali-phosphoricum, Thuja, Medorrhinum, Staphysagria, Tarentula, Moschus, Asafoetidia, Valeriana etc. in great depth with their psychiatric understanding. He has vividly talked about recovery, palliation and suppression versus cure. He further asks to treat dynamic disease with Homoeopathy, Role of Psychotherapy and its limitations. If origin is not dynamic Psychotherapy might be helpful.
- He discusses Pure Classical Homoeopathy in detail. He says method is the most important subject. Hering’s law - A law, rule or dogma?
- Case Handling - About Case taking, Case Analysis and Management.
- On good Homoeopathic case taking, finding the genus, finding the correspondence in the repertory and Materia Medica and good follow up is very significant in our approach to case handling.
- On Mental Retardation and treatment. He has discussed some forgotten remedies which are very useful for psychiatric patients, like Melilotus, Derris-pinnata etc.
To manage drugged patients- reduce the medicines as they recover, as in drugged patient- the remedy works shortly. He has given very illustrative cases like Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, Fredreich Ataxia etc. and their management. He stresses about wrong way of living & change of life style. About evaluation of symptoms, basics of Materia Medica etc.
He very rightly says the 5 diseases of Homoeopathy are; Ignorance, Idolisation, Egotism, Dogmatism and Deviation from the Induction Method.
Writes the poem written by Hahnemann in 1843. In English
I sought through earnestly and found it
Tomorrow is not today
Loose not an hour, for ha, too soon
Time speeded swift away.
In French:
The most valued Treasures are Conscience, Good health and
Love of God.
He further describes about "Scheme Andre Saine", by
which you are able to value symptoms for intensity, characteristics, and
hierarchy.
And lastly he has written about the life and work of Adolph
Lippe.
Indeed this book is one of the most informative, enlightening
and best psychiatric homoeopathic books I have ever read. Worth reading again
and again. A must in our Homoeopathic armamentarium
