The Homoeopathic State faculty, W.B. sent a body of deputationists to wait on the Health Minister, Govt. of India on 17-6-52 to have a frank discussion regarding the situation created by the passing of such a resolution by M.C.I. and also very anomalous impasse created by the Govt. of West Bengal by not accepting the certificates issued by the Homoeopathic practitioners holding the “D.M.S.” diploma granted by the General Council and State faculty of Homoeopathic medicine, West Bengal.
The Health Minister promised to look into the matter of rights and privileges to be enjoyed by other qualified Homoeopathic practitioners; and asked the Director-General of Health Services to form a small committee to which she wanted our co-operation to device ways and means to evolve a scheme of teaching Homoeopathy in an under-graduate course wherein the students will have the fullest scope of learning the principle and practice of Homoeopathy as well as of acquiring the fundamental knowledge in the ancillary sciences satellite to Medicine and considered to be indispensable in the make-up of a complete physician.
The general impression that was gathered at that interview was that the Health Minister had not yet come to any final decision regarding Homoeopathy but the Medical Directorate was trying to implement the recommendations of the M.C.I. and to put all sorts of all impediments to reach our goal. The deputationists told the Health Minister about the publication of the brochure “The case for Homoeopathy” (copies of which were handed over to Rajkumariji and the D.G.H.S.) and about our future plan of enlightening the members of the Parliament, State Legislatures and the General Public with our view points to bring pressure upon the Govt. of India for the good of the suffering public of our country.
The Health Minister acquiesced that there was nothing wrong in the exercise of this, our democratic right to create and organise public opinion in our favour. Arising out of a reference made by the D.G.H.S. with regard to the present position of Homoeopathy in U.S.A. Dr. B.K. Sarkar one of the deputationists handed over to him two copies of the Journal of the American Institute of Homoeopathy (January 1951 and April 1952 issues) wherein articles were published by leading American Homoeopaths, deprecating the methods of teaching Homoeopathy in a common medical institution or as an elective course in such institutions and urging the necessity of reviving the old four-years-course Homoeopathic Colleges for under-graduate study instead of teaching Homoeopathy only at a post-graduate level.
In the meantime The Planning Commission was busy in drafting the five-years planning scheme. The Commission invited a few leading Homoeopaths of India to discuss about the ways and means to improve the condition of training and practice of Homoeopathy in the country. In their report they put in.
Sec. 87. With regard to Homoeopathy the proposals of the representatives of the profession appear to be reasonable and are, in the main, as follow:- (1) A Central Council of Homoeopathic Medicine may be formed. (2) Suitable Colleges among the existing ones may be upgraded and standardised and the question of starting new institutions may also he considered.
(3) The Course in the College may be common during first two years and students will then learn homoeopathic philosophy, Materia medica and therapeutics and allied subjects in 3 years.
(4) Facilities for homoeopathic research may be provided.
(5) A central homoeopathic drug manufactory and laboratory for standardisation of drugs may be opened at Lucknow.
Sec. 92. Homoeopathic medicines are not prepared according to well-known pharmacopeal methods. Moreover, these drugs are used in such diluted forms that they cannot be tested or standardised by any known chemical process. The only precaution that could be taken is to allow the manufacture and preparation in bonded laboratories under the supervision of qualified Homoeopaths.
After the publication of the Planning Commission Report on the 10th December 1952 the Director-General of Health Services issued invitation letters to those representatives of the Homoeopathic profession who attended the Planning Commission Session to participate in the deliberations of an Ad Hoc Committee with the following words:
You will recall that while you were here in connection with the meeting called by the Planning Commission to discuss indigenous systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy, certain suggestions were made for immediate implementation in respect of teaching and research in Homoeopathy and other cognate matters. I am anxious to take some concrete steps in order to put some of these recommendations at any rate into effect as soon as possible.”
I propose to put up definite proposal for consideration by the Health Ministers conference which is going to meet shortly etc.
As a result of this communication from the D.G.H.S. three meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee were held; and the Committee discussed the following items and came to unanimous decisions regarding the same:
1. Training of Homoeopaths.
2. Research in Homoeopathy.
3. Standardisation of homoeopathic drugs.
4. Regulation of the practice of homoeopathy.
5. Utilisation of homoeopaths in health services.
6. Establishment of the Central Council of Homoeopathy.
7. Training of Homoeopaths:
(A) Undergraduate Training.
There should be only one course of training, viz., a five years degree course in homoeopathy made up of 42 years for basic and hospital studies and 6 months internship.
The candidates eligible for admission to the proposed degree-course in homoeopathy should pass Intermediate science (University standard) with Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
The 42 years course should be in two parts, namely.
(a) Pre-clinical studies for 2 years
and (b) Clinical studies for 22 years.
The following subjects were approved for pre-clinical years:-
1. Anatomy.
2. Physiology.
3. Elementary Pharmacology and Homoeopathic Materia Medica.
The 22 years of clinical studies would comprise the following subjects:-
1. Medicine.
2. Surgery.
3. Midwifery and Gynaecology.
4. Hygiene and Medical Jurisprudence.
5. Pathology and Bacteriology.
6. Homoeopathic Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Repertorization.
7. Organon and Homoeopathic Philosophy. Examinations:- An intermediate examination will be held at the end of two years of pre-clinical studies, the subjects for the examination being: Anatomy, Physiology and Elementary Pharmacology. It was recommended that the final examination should be in two parts. For part 1 the subjects should be Hygiene, Pathology and Bacteriology, and Medical Jurisprudence. These examination should take place one year after the Intermediate Examination. For part II in the remaining subjects, viz., Medicine, Surgery, Midwifery and Gynaecology, Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Therapeutics including Repertorization and Homoeopathic Philosophy, the examination should be taken at the end of 42 years of study.
Curriculum: The Committee considered in detail the draft syllabus drawn up by the members and approved the same.
In order to provide adequate facilities for such training the committee would suggest that
(i) the three existing homoeopathic colleges affiliated to the Homoeopathic State Faculty. W.B. at Calcutta should be amalgamated into one, pooling their resources in men and material. It is understood that the teaching staff of the institution shall, in the clinical section, consist of qualified practising Homoeopaths.
(ii) Other existing homoeopathic colleges in Lucknow, Gudivada and Midnapore should also be upgraded to give effect to this type of training;
(iii) any new homoeopathic institution which may be established, must possess adequate facilities to give the training of the degree standard and according to the draft syllabus:
(iv) The amalgamation of the College in Calcutta and the upgrading of the three other institutions should be completed within a period of five years and the authorities concerned should take such steps as are necessary to achieve this end. It was pointed out that the institutions would require financial help for such upgrading. It was agreed that the authorities concerned should submit detailed proposals for the upgrading programme together with their requests for financial aid to the State Governments concerned. The Chairman stated that if requests for financial aid from the centre were received they would be given due consideration.
B. Postgraduate training. The Committee agreed that there should be at least one College for giving post-graduate training in homoeopathy both to homoeopaths as well as graduates of medicine. The Committees view was that, to start with, the proposed HOmoeopathic College in Bombay should be developed as early as possible for the purpose. There should be two courses of post-graduate training, each of one years duration viz, (i) for homoeopaths who had taken the basic qualification from recognised homoeopathic institutions, and (ii) for graduates in modern medicine. The college authorities should submit proposals to the State Government for grant in aid for this development.
Calcutta