A NEW MATERIA MEDICA AND REPERTORY-YOUR OWN.
From time to time provings of new remedies, new symptoms of partially proven remedies and clinical verifications of old and new remedies appear in the pages of our homoeopathic journals. Knowing full well that unbound journals are prone to be lost or thrown away as they collect in numbers, and that it is practically impossible to find important items in journal files without a very detailed index (such as was made for the Recorder a short time ago until the great expense made it impossible to continue), we suggest the plan, mentioned later in this editorial, to save valuable homoeopathic material.
There are times when we cannot find the apparently indicated remedy in repertory rubrics or under the remedy in the many materia medicas, and we all, alas, are too well acquainted with the fact that our repertories contain only about 500 of our many thousands of remedies. Many remedies are also proven only in part, often in very small part. And there are new remedies continually appearing, too valuable to be cast into the fire or into the junkmans waste paper bin.
We are confident that not one of us, in our right minds, would throw away good dollar bills. We are also sure that few of us are recording the very valuable remedy material in our journals, which mean more successful practice and more dollar bills. We make the following suggestion: Get a good loose leaf note book with heavy covers, not necessarily expensive, about the size of your Repertory.
In this record a cross record index of remedy and parts affected if you keep your journals. If you are among those unfortunate ones who lose or misplace journals, either cut and paste the articles on the remedies or write or type them in full or part. Then make the cross index of the part affected. This will not require much labor and the time spent will repay itself many times over. If the holes tear, we suggest the small gummed reinforcements to strengthen the paper and prevent tearing out. These may be obtained at any stationary store.
During the past year or so several very important remedy article have appeared in the pages of the Recorder. Among these might be mentioned Sanicula and Medorrhinum by Dr. Margaret Burgess- Webster. Without question, we believe these two articles to be the most complete summary of these two remedies in print. The Bach new remedies, clinically proven and verified, reprinted from The Homoeopathic World are invaluable, not to mention many others, and the many shorter verifications appearing under pointers.
Do you realize that Drs. Kent and Clarke kept such notes, day after day, month after month, year after year, then added all these notes to compilations of all known repertories with the result that three most valuable books were made available for our use-Kents Materia Medica and Repertory and Clarkes Dictionary of Materia Medica? Each one of us can begin a similar compilation and the task will be much easier in a loose leaf system. In this manner the materia medica and the repertory will grow in value and our homoeopathic literature become clarified, completed, up to date and infinitely more practical and valuable to each one of us and to those following in our footsteps. E.B.L.
Much advance has been made in experimental work in diets by the German and Dutch scientists who have worked so carefully and so patiently to find the value of the different vitamins and their relation to health and disease conditions. The results from their experiments on the relation of diet to cancerous growths as recently published gives us cause for thought.
The cancerous patient is in a state of alkalosis, and by placing these patients upon an acid diet and depriving the patient of all food containing vitamin B the acid balance has been restored to the system; and by eliminating the vitamin producing overgrowth of cells the inoperable growths have been markedly reduced in size, and the patients restored to a state a health.
We wish to call your attention to the report of an address delivered by Dr. William H. Dieffenbach before the Hahnemann Round Table in Philadelphia, which is printed in another part of this number of The Recorder. Dr. Dieffenbach spoke on diet in relation to health, and especial interest was roused by his report of this diet for cancer patients. This is a step in advance in our conquest of disease, for it puts cancerous growths largely in the class of conditions that are governed and controlled by proper food medication. H.A.R.
MY SWAN SONG.
With the June, 1932, issue of the Recorder, my term on the editorial board expires by limitation. My aim has been a determination to keep bright a fire that I know burns with a divine right. A principle that I know and have proven by actual test to be accurate and true.
I have been accused of wielding a trenchant pen, of being dogmatic, and of being a grouch. If I have appeared so, it is not because I love my fellow members less, but because I love homoeopathy more. It is because homoeopathy represents the truth, therefore does not need especial legislation to sustain it. My efforts have been spent in trying to have my fellow practitioners see the light, to them on to see the value of the most wonderful and most magnificent gem that was ever given to the medical world. I wanted you to see it and appreciate it; to know it as I know it.
If I have injured or offended any one I am sincerely sorry for it. I assure you it was unintentional, and I take this opportunity to openly, humbly and publicly apologize. If I have been the means of helping any one I feel that my missions has not been in vain. I wish to thank all the readers of the Recorder right from my heart for their kind tolerance of me during my infliction on you for the past three years.
Wishing the Recorder a most brilliant future and all my fellow physicians nothing but good and that of the very best-Mizpah.- A. PULFORD.
It is with a heavy heart that we record the death of Dr. George E. Dienst, who departed this life at his home in Aurora, Illinois, on Hahnemanns birthday, April 10, 1932.
Dr. Dienst was a former president of the Illinois Homoeopathic Medical Society, as well as of the International Hahnemannian Association; he was one of the founders and a trustee of the American Foundation for Homoeopathy, and for several years Dean of the American Foundation Post-Graduate School; a teacher in the Hering Medical College in Chicago. Dr. Dienst was a prolific writer for homoeopathic publications and he published several homoeopathic books.
Dr. Dienst was essentially a teacher, imbued with a kindly, lovable spirit and intense missionary zeal. So intense was his missionary zeal that for eleven years he was a medical missionary in Japan. He was an ordained clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church, as well as a physician.
Those who listened to Dr. Diensts instruction were instantly impressed with his earnestness, his depth of thought and his clear thinking and enunciation of the points that he wished to make, and he put his thoughts forth in no unmistakable manner.
The homoeopathic profession has lost in Dr. Dienst a great leader and a never failing friend, one who bound himself to all with cords of love and devotion. H.A.R.
During the past winter months the Connecticut Homoeopathic Medical Society has been having a series of lectures and round table discussions. Pure Hahnemannian philosophy, proper case taking with symptoms evaluation, and an analysis of repertory study were thoroughly presented by Dr. H.A. Roberts, and practical application made to cases from several of the doctors private practices. Discussion of the many points brought up under the different subjects has already begun to show results in the improvement and cure of chronic cases.
The above series of lectures, so practical in value, has aroused much interest among different members of the Society. In reality this is a short, practical post-graduate course for practising physicians. Would that many of our local homoeopathic societies would conduct a similar study for the better understanding of Hahnemanns philosophy and its practical application to difficult cases. We congratulate the Connecticut Homoeopathic Medical Society.
Elsewhere in this issue of the Recorder is the announcement of the reorganization of then Kings County Homoeopathic Medical Society of the state of Washington, and steps for the re- organization of the Washington State Society. Our congratulations and good wishes to the homoeopathic physicians of Kings County.
These two bits of news are signs of increasing interest in Hahnemannian homoeopathy and give us courage to ask every homoeopath to take account of stock. Will you re-read the editorial on the Homoeopath Himself in the March issue of the Recorder?.
True Hahnemannian homoeopathy is well described by Dr. Elizabeth Wright-Hubbard in the Recorder of March 1930, p. 159. Do you measure up? Congratulations, if so. Do you fall short of the measure? If so, why not ask yourself the reason. Is it because you do not know the true philosophy of homoeopathy, unadulterated by mixed remedies, repetitions, alterations, specific, vaccines, serums, etc.? Why no take steps to rate as a true follower of Hahnemann? Study, a series of lectures at your homoeopathic society, a post-graduate course with the American Foundation for Homoeopathy! E.B.L.
