A Family Affair with Homeopathy

As we all know Homeopathy has been around for about 200 years. It has a rich history in many parts of the world, spreading from its roots in Germany, throughout Europe, Asia, America and Africa.  As well as serving in the British Indian Army during the Second World War, my grandfather, Sardar Bahadur Santokh Singh Sodhi OBI (pictured) had an illustrious career as the Chief Accounts Officer for the Bengal Northern Railway. When he retired at the age of 58 he decided to train as a Homeopath.

Sardar Bahadur Sodhi like many others of that time studied Homeopathy by correspondence.  He worked philanthropically for many years, serving his community until he naturally passed away in 1973 at the healthy age of 89.  In our family history we all remember him as the staunch Homeopath who would travel for miles in his old age to help the sick and the poor, giving them his time and remedies for free.  He even treated his own appendicitis successfully using Homeopathy.  His dedication inspired his brother in law Shivnath Verma to become a Homeopath as well.  Shivnath Verma, my Great Uncle, passed away in 2008 at the age of 85 and again was healthy and practiced Homeopathy until his last days.

As a girl my mother Kunnu Grover was trained by my grandfather in Homeopathy and she often helped him with cases.  In 1966 my mother moved to London and sought out Homeopaths, but found them too few and far between. Fortunately she could draw on her own knowledge of Homeopathy to treat herself and family.

In India today, Homeopathy continues to flourish.  Homeopathic Clinics seem to be on every high street and bazaar and Homeopathic Hospitals are in all the cities.  There is little distinction with visiting an Allopathic doctor, a Homeopath, Ayurvedic Doctor etc.  This puts Indians in a great position as they have a real choice to consult a full team of health care professionals.

I hope that one day this may be possible in Britain. A recently published GMC report stated  “Interestingly, medicine in the UK has moved full-circle, as merely two hundred years ago traditional remedies were the singular form of medicinal treatment available. However, only twenty years ago it was often difficult to access such therapies as doubts were cast over their effectiveness and much of the public opted for state-of-the-art drugs and technology. More recently holistic medicine such as homeopathy, neuro developmental therapy, ayurvedic medicine and reflexology have significantly risen in popularity and by 2050 this will work in conjunction with modern medicine to provide the most effective healthcare service possible.” ¹

Knowledge is power and just as I encourage my patients to take an interest in basic Homeopathic first aiding, I encourage my children to learn their homeopathic basics along with their spellings. By learning the main remedies my kids are learning a life skill that will be of great service to them in the future.  Even now, I often hear, “Oooh mummy, I have a nose bleed, please can I have some ferrum phos?!”

Throughout my 20’s I wanted to study Homeopathy formally, but it took until the age of 27 (and a couple of careers!) to join a Homeopathic college and make that commitment to work and study at the same time.  The course refreshed my existing knowledge and gave me additional insights, expanding my understanding of homeopathy and what can be achieved through it.  Homeopathy has always felt right, like a true love affair, and ultimately it matters little whether that was instilled through nature or nurture,  I got to study it and work in a field that I feel passionate about, and for that I am thankful.

1Quote from ‘What will doctor’s be doing by 2050’ by Harriett M Gunn, published on the General Medical Council website