The new age, which is coming, is a more spiritual age; less material, less commercial and more spiritual. Let us try our best to see that homoeopathys path fits into the new age to the greatest advantage of doctors, patients and society.
This bring us to an attempt to see homoeopathys path in the future as clearly as anything may be seen in this difficult mixed-up time in which we live. Vision is poor just now; it may well be that the near future will see far better conditions than we can imagine in these days.
It seems as if homoeopathy might climb steadily to peace and power if certain principles are fully recognized.
First: Homoeopathy is a philosophical study. It recognizes the triune character of patients and the triune character of the materia medica. Patients, as individuals, are spiritual, mental and physical.
In the provings of remedies, provers, as they report symptoms, naturally report how they feel emotionally, (loves, hates, desires, aversions, joys, sorrows), how they feel mentally, (active, quick, dull, slow, power of concentration, memory, etc.), how they feel physically (with all the natural modifications of sensation, etc.) Therefore, remedies, in their provings, are also spiritual, mental and physical.
To treat patients dynamically, which is homoeopathically, one must recognize this threefold aspect and make the most of it.
Second: Homoeopathy is an art as well as a science. It has as science its basic law, with principles deduced from studying the action of this law in practice. It has as art the ability to apply the principles, that is, to observe correctly, to record faithfully, to perceive personality beyond its actual expression, and to fit the remedy to this personality.
Third: As a deduction from the foregoing: homoeopathy harmonizes with most recent progress in the basic sciences, arts, and philosophies, is still somewhat ahead of them, and so ahead of our troubled times.
Fourth: Homoeopathy is a method of drug prescribing, therefore only one part of medical education. It should take its rightful place as a postgraduate specialty, the most important place as leader in drug therapy, and not try to be a school of medicine.
With these basic thoughts clearly in mind, let us walk firmly and courageously along the straight path to peace and power, developing, as we enter the future, practical plans on lasting foundation.
Homoeopathy must slow what it can do, how it does it and why. We must know what we know clearly; we must have good methods of telling what we know to the greatest number; we must be able to back up what we say we know, with proof.
A large order, you say? Well, the cause is worth it and the need is great. Opportunity is here! The door is wide open!.
Here, then, are practical plans which should be comprehensive enough and elastic enough to enable all workers to advance to the goal, plans already tried out and working smoothly so far as funds will allow.
They envision combined effort of physicians and lay-men. Physicians are too busy practicing to make plans and carry them out alone and, generally speaking, physicians are not executives. Homoeopathy needs the ability, the wisdom, the cooperation of well informed laymen.
They envision a center outside of present medical organizations (such as colleges, hospitals, societies) to correlate efforts and serve as a clearing house for all things homoeopathic, from which to send aid in all directions. They envision such a center and eventually subcenters in several parts of the country.
They envision great effort expended right away upon the intensive teaching of homoeopathy postgraduate. This teaching has been done for eighteen years; philosophy, materia medica, case taking, repertory study.
They envision research, plenty of it, for instance: into reasons for the action of homoeopathic potencies; into relationship of homoeopathy to other sciences, arts and philosophies; into fuller drug proving. Such work should be done by physicians and laymen together. A detailed outline is in existence.
They envision published propaganda for postgraduate instruction, results of all research, results of laymens work. Beginnings have been made here.
They envision a great library at the center and smaller ones at subcenters with such filing that all who wish may have evidence and proof of the efficacy of homoeopathy. A library of priceless, out-of-print material is growing.
And they envision organized work among laymen by laymen, that the people may realize their group responsibility and personal responsibility in bringing knowledge of homoeopathy to the whole country. The people should obtain physicians to practice homoeopathy correctly, help such to become established first where the need is greatest and help financially in the whole movement.
All this requires constructive thinking on clear cut principles. It requires strong leadership. It means the subservience of personal prestige or ambition and willingness of each one to work hard, as leader or follower.
The straight, narrow path of homoeopathy needs to be widened by new recruits in order to become a broad high-way when the coming age really arrives and the other medical path merge into homoeopathys path to peace and power.
“Know thy Opportunity,” is a mighty good motto. Opportunity is knocking at the wide open door. Let us go forward together to meet it. Let us make homoeopathy a path to peace and power.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Allan D. Sutherland was born in Northfield, Vermont in 1897, delivered by the local homeopathic physician. The son of a Canadian Episcopalian minister, his father had arrived there to lead the local parish five years earlier and met his mother, who was the daughter of the president of the University of Norwich. Four years after Allan’s birth, ministerial work lead the family first to North Carolina and then to Connecticut a few years afterward.
Starting in 1920, Sutherland began his premedical studies and a year later, he began his medical education at Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia.
Sutherland graduated in 1925 and went on to intern at both Children’s Homeopathic Hospital and St. Luke’s Homeopathic Hospital. He then was appointed the chief resident at Children’s. With the conclusion of his residency and 2 years of clinical experience under his belt, Sutherland opened his own practice in Philadelphia while retaining a position at Children’s in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department.
In 1928, Sutherland decided to set up practice in Brattleboro.