Repertories
A "repertory" is a listing of symptoms and those substances
that have been found to cause and cure each symptom. For instance,
one would use a repertory to look for a compilation of those medicines
that are good for headaches that occur in the front of the head
in the morning (in the "head" section, under the subsection
"pain," under the further subsection "frontal
pain worse in the morning"). After reviewing a sick person’s
various symptoms in the repertory, one can then obtain more detailed
information about each of the possible medicines by looking them
up in a materia medica. A repertory and a materia medica complement
each other.
Studying the homeopathic repertories in a group can be fun. It
is common for new students and even experienced homeopaths to have
difficulty finding certain symptoms anywhere in the repertory. Getting
a group of people to find a symptom can be a game, the winner being
the first person to find it. It’s also interesting for a person
to give the group a list of symptoms as an exercise to see how many
people find all the symptoms. These games can be a playful and effective
way to learn.
* Repertory of Homeopathic Materia Medica,
by James Tyler Kent, MD (This is the classic repertory.and it
is a great price for a 1,500-page hardback book!)
* Homeopathic Repertory: Tutorial and Workbook,
by Karen Allen (This is a very useful tutorial and workbook that
help you learn what is in and how to use the repertory.)
* Synthesis, by Frederik Schroyens, MD (This
is the most popular and respected modern repertory in print form.)
* Homeopathic Medical Repertory, Robin Murphy,
ND (This controversial repertory does not give reference to the
sources of its symptoms, but some people like that it lists symptoms
alphabetically rather than the model developed by Kent and others.)
* Thematic Repertory, Jose Mirilli, MD (This
unique repertory integrates the specific insights from various
materia medica into mental symptoms from the repertory.)
* Modern Guide and Index to Mental Rubrics, by
David Sault (This is a useful guide to the definitions of each
mental symptoms, along with their synonyms.)
Clinical Guidebooks
* Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology,
Roger Morrison, MD (This is an extremely popular book that describes
50 of the most common acute and chronic ailments seen by homeopaths
and their homeopathic treatment. A very practical textbook.)
* Homeopathic Family Medicine
(an eBook), by Dana Ullman, MPH (This is a practical clinical
guidebook to treating 100+ common ailments. Information about
whatever clinical research has been conducted is an integral part
of this eBook.)
* Clinical Focus Guide to Homeopathic
Remedies (volume I), by Louis Klein, RSHom (Written by
one of the leading contemporary homeopaths, this book provides
insights into 29 little known but important medicines.)
* Introduction to Homeopathic Medicine
in Primary Care, by Sidney Skinner, FNP. (This 464-page
book is written for health professionals and provides a good review
of remedies to consider for common ailments.)
* The System of Homeopathy,
Rajan Sankaran (Written by one of the most respected homeopaths
in the world, this book reviews 34 cases, gives the dialogue of
the casetaking process, and gives the analysis as to why a specific
remedy was prescribed.)
* A Homeopathic Approach to Cancer,
by A.U. Ramakrishnan, MD, and Catherine Coulter (An excellent
book on the subject.)
* Biological, Chemical, and Nuclear Warfare:
What Homeopathy and Digital Medicine Have to Offer, by
S. Yurkovsky, MD (This is a well-referenced book that describes
what homeopathy has to offer in the treatment of environmental
exposures to chemicals, radiation, modern vaccines, new infections,
or stresses as a result of terrorism.)
* Homeopathy in General Practice,
by Dr. R. Jack (A British physician gives his recommendations
for when and how to use homeopathic medicines.)
* Homeopathy as Art and Science,
by Elizabeth Hubbard Wright, MD (This compilation of articles
is full of insight and wisdom. It includes a series of articles
called "A Brief Study Course in Homeopathy," which is
an excellent overview of homeopathic methodology.)
* Diseases of the Nervous System,
by Dr. P. Vakil (This book is a textbook that describes leading
remedies to consider for common ailments of the nervous system.)
New, Cutting Edge Books
The following books are presently some of the most popular books
in the field becaue they are written by highly respected homeopaths
and because they are providing new insights on how to find the best
remedy for people.
* Insight into Plants, by Rajan
Sankaran (This is a great book about plant families and the 10
leading miasms!)
* The Substance of Homeopathy,
by Rajan Sankaran (This is Sankaran’s book on the mineral
remedies.)
* Homeopathy and Minerals, by
Jan Scholten, MD (This book describes the leading mineral families
and the various medicines in which two or more minerals become
one medicine.)
* Homeopathy and the Elements,
by Jan Scholten, MD (This seminal book describes the elemental
table used in chemistry and how each of these elements can be
used in homeopathy.)
* Homeopathy and the Periodic Table,
by Luc de Schepper, MD, PhD. (This American homeopath describes
how he uses the insights initially developed by Jan Scholten.)
Homeopathic Software
Homeopathy is PERFECT for the computer era! The incredible mass
of information about the thousands of homeopathic medicines can
easily to stored and access through various sophisticated and yet
simple software programs.
We have some very simple software programs for learning to treat
yourself and your family for common acute ailments, including (in
increasing levels of sophistication and range of use):
* Homeopathic Remedy Finder
* The Jacobs Prescriber
* Akiva
* The Homeopathic Resource
To be honest however, these introductory software programs do not
hold a candle to the truly impressive expert system programs that
are now available. These programs will improve the accuracy of prescribing
homeopathic medicines, and they will even increase the speed in
which practitioners can prescribe the correct remedy.
The first thing that you need to know about the three leading professional-level
programs that we sell is that there is no “bad” program
here…they are all EXCELLENT. Also, each of these programs
are continually updated and made even better.
We generally recommend that you consider getting a repertory program
first, and then, get a program that includes the various materia
medica. Generally, get the most sophisticated program that you can
afford, but don’t fret because you can usually upgrade for
the simple cost difference between what you spent and what the price
of the new program is.
* RADAR
* MacRepertory
* CARA
* Hompath
Schools and Distance Learning Courses
Ideally, it is best to attend a homeopathic school or training
program rather than do distance learning, but in this day and age,
it is not always practical to do so. And the good news is that we
are blessed to have several excellent homeopathic distance learning
courses, including several courses through the British Institute
of Homeopathy and many through the Hahnemann College of Homeopathy.
The British Institute’s courses are the most comprehensive
courses that we make available, and each student is assigned a tutor
for each course. Ultimately, if you want to leran to be a homeopath,
you will need to take several courses, including:
* Diploma Course
* Post-Graduate Course
* Homeopathy in Practice Course
If you are not a health or medical professional, it will also be
necessary to take some basic science courses, either through one
of your local colleges or through the British Institute:
* Anatomy and Physiology
* Pathology and the Nature of Disease
We personally recommend the British Institute’s basic science
courses because the textbook used is written by a scientist who
has an appreciation for homeopathic and natural medicine.
The Hahnemann College’s course is an excellent VIDEO course,
but please note that there is no tutor instruction. If you want
personal contact with a homeopath and want whatever questions you
think are important answered by someone knowledgeable, the Hahnemann
College’s course may not be for you. This set of video courses
represents the 1st year of the Hahnemann College of Homeopathy,
and if you are not familiar with this school, it is recognized as
one of the best in the U.S.
We have developed our own eCourse in Homeopathic Family Medicine,
and this course is directed to people who want to learn about how
to use homeopathy in family medicine but may not want to be “homeopathic
specialists.” This eCourse is not as comprehensive as the
multiple courses available through the British Institute; instead,
it emphasizes how to learn to use homeopathic medicines in acute
care, and it provides the most systematic body of information on
the clinical research that has evaluated efficacy of homeopathic
medicines. This eCourse is particularly useful for health and medical
professionals who may not plan to be full-time homeopaths but who
want to learn how to integrate homeopathy into their practice. It
is also excellent for consumers who want to improve their prescribing
in treating themselves and their family and friends.
This eCourse includes our eBook as well as various audiotapes.
The list of required and recommended books is provided along with
the other information about this eCourse.
And see the Distance Learning Courses section for other short courses
that we offer.
Starting and Participating in a Homeopathic
Study Group
You can find one of the almost 200 homeopathic study groups in
the United States at the website of the National Center for Homeopathy.
Ever since the origins of homeopathic medicine, informal study
groups have been one of the traditional methods of transmitting
information on homeopathy. Even at homeopathic medical schools in
the 1800s, students and faculty members met outside of the classroom
to study homeopathy together. Occasionally, laypeople also
participated in these study groups, but more often, laypeople organized
their own groups.
Such professional and lay groups are still quite common today.
They provide a forum for people to share their thoughts and questions
about homeopathic philosophy and methodology, their understanding
of how and when to prescribe the medicines, and their experiences
with homeopathy. Groups tend to be helpful in guiding people to
the best books and articles, and through the complicated process
of studying homeopathic materia medica and repertory and the art
of casetaking. Of particular importance, the study sessions provide
a support group for people who are involved in this distinctively
different type of medicine. This kind of support group is sometimes
very important to them, since their doctors, colleagues and friends
can be very critical of homeopathy whether these people have knowledge
of it or not.
If there isn’t a homeopathic study group in your area, or if there
is a group but you want to create another one, there are several
tried and true ways you can get started. One effective way to start
a study group is to invite a nearby homeopath to give a public lecture
on homeopathy. Publicize the lecture through flyers and press releases.
Since a large number of people interested in homeopathy have children
and are looking for alternatives to conventional medicine,
it’s a good idea to post flyers for a lecture or for your study
group at local child care facilities, public schools, PTA meetings,
YMCAs, public swimming pools, churches, temples, community
organization offices, and numerous other places where children and
their parents go.
As for press coverage, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get
your activity listed in numerous local newspapers. You may be able
also to get one of the local papers to write an article about homeopathy
that can both promote homeopathy and advertise the lecture.
Inform those in attendance at the lecture that a study group is
being formed and that they are welcome to attend. Hopefully, the
lecture will inspire them enough to want to learn more. Make certain
to obtain the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all those who
attend the lecture so that they can be kept informed about upcoming
study group meetings and of future homeopathic lectures.
Besides giving occasional public lectures, some homeopaths attend
study group meetings. Since most study group meetings may not have
a homeopath in attendance, one or two members of the group should
keep a list of questions or concerns that the group raised in previous
meetings so that these can be discussed with the homeopath.
There are numerous excellent cassette tapes on various subjects
in homeopathy that are very helpful to study groups. Groups of people
can listen to tapes together. The facilitator of the meeting can
occasionally stop the tape to encourage discussion on certain
important points. Some parts of the tape can be listened to more
than once since the lecturer may be making a complex yet important
point. Cassette tapes can also be very helpful to groups who are
unable to get a local homeopath to lecture. For a list of lectures
on tape, contact Homeopathic Educational Services. It’s also a good
idea to have introductory articles on homeopathy and brochures about
how to obtain homeopathic books and tapes at all public lectures
and at study group meetings. Brochures from the various homeopathic
organizations provide good information about homeopathy and give
them access to the wider world of homeopathy. Request a stack of
brochures from sources of homeopathic books, tapes, and medicines.
Homeopathic Educational Services also has introductory articles
on homeopathy that are not only useful but which they allow others
to duplicate. An article is available for FREE for each book that
is purchased.
In between guest attendances from local homeopaths and/or cassette
tape lectures, study groups can choose to discuss a particular chapter
or a couple of chapters from a homeopathic book. It is best to decide
which chapter everyone should read at the previous meeting. It is
also recommended to choose a facilitator for the meeting. The
facilitator will study the chapter(s) with particular care so that
he or she will be able to ask essential questions to elicit
the deepest understanding of the material. The group will generally
be more successful if the facilitator actively seeks the group’s
participation in discussion. It is also worthwhile to take turns
being the facilitator.
Once your group gets going, you might consider studying the homeopathic
materia medica. Most homeopaths recommend that only one medicine
be studied at a time. The chosen medicine should be studied as thoroughly
as possible. You should each read about it in several materia medicas,
and you might consider reading the chapter numerous times. Another
way to learn about homeopathy is to practice homeopathic casetaking.
Study groups can consider having one person take another person’s
case in front of the group and then give the interviewer feedback
about his or her ability to elicit symptoms. People who agree to
have their case taken should know beforehand that they will be asked
intimate questions about their health and life. Participants in
such discussions must agree to full confidentiality, and nothing
about the person’s case should be discussed to others.
Study groups can also consider breaking down in pairs of people
who exchange turns taking each other’s case. People quickly realize
how much they don’t know when they first try casetaking. This experience
is extremely valuable in learning the nuances of interviewing a
person to determine his or her homeopathic medicine. Depending upon
the study group’s collective degree of knowledge, there are
some cases that may be too complex for its members. Generally, people
with acute, non-life-threatening illnesses are perfect for study
group discussion, while people with chronic diseases should be seen
by a medical professional. Stephen Cummings and Dana Ullman’s Everybody’s
Guide to Homeopathic Medicines and certain medical reference books
provide some guidelines for when medical care is recommended and
when various home-care measures can be considered safe.
Discussing cases from outside the study group can also be very
instructive, for there is a tendency in study groups to talk only
about one’s own cured cases. Although discussion of successes will
help the group’s members learn a medicine’s effectiveness, discussion
of medicines that didn’t work is also instructive in learning
how to prescribe. Even discussion of prescriptions that have uncertain
effectiveness can provide their own helpful lesson in learning about
homeopathic care.
As you probably have determined from this discussion of study groups,
there is much value in studying homeopathy with others. Besides
providing a fine opportunity to learn about homeopathy, these groups
also introduce you to a great group of people with whom friendships
develop that provide their own special healing.
Beyond Books and Study Groups
In addition to learning homeopathy through books and study groups,
it is recommended that all those seriously interested in learning
about homeopathy attend the various homeopathic conferences and
training programs and join all or most of the homeopathic organizations
in order to be kept up-to-date on the various educational opportunities.
We recommend that you visit the Links page at HES, and then investigate
the various links that these sources lead you!
Whether one chooses to dive deeply into homeopathy or to swim slowly
into it, the benefits of this art and science will sink in one way
or another and change your understanding of healing. Once smitten
by knowledge of homeopathy, you will find it hard to settle for
anything else.
***************************************
Dana Ullman, M.P.H. is one of America’s leading homeopathic
educators. He has authored eight books, including Everybody’s
Guide to Homeopathic Medicines (with Stephen Cummings, MD, Tarcher/Putnam,
2004), The Consumer’s Guide to Homeopathy (Tarcher/Putnam,
1996), Homeopathy A-Z (Hay House, 1999), and Discovering
Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century (North Atlantic, 1991).
He has also authored an e-book, Homeopathic Family Medicine,
which provides useful clinical information for the homeopathic treatment
of over 100 common conditions, plus it provides comprehensive and
up-to-date information on clinical research in homeopathy. He has
also served in an advisory and/or teaching capacity at alternative
medicine institutes at Harvard, Columbia, and University of Arizona
schools of medicine.
is the owner of Homeopathic Educational Services, a resource
for homeopathic books, tapes, medicines, software, and distance learning
courses and more than 100 free articles on homeopathy.
Homeopathic
Educational Services
www.homeopathic.com
2124B Kittredge St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 649-0294; (800)359-9051 (for orders in the US)
(510) 649-1955 (fax)
Email: mail@homeopathic.com
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