How To Best Use Boger and Boenninghausen Repertory
by Master, Farokh J (Published in:2014-01-02)
Paperback
Price $8.95
Seller: B Jain Publishers:
ISBN: 9788131932094
Reviewed by Dr Isha Gupta
As a student, I was always inquisitive about the various categories of repertories available for working out a variety of cases. Every repertory has its own concept, yet they still all serve the same purpose i.e. ‘to reach the simillimum’. The study of Boger and Boenninghausen Characteristics and Repertory had always been a difficult and neglected part, as the repertory that was taught and used the most was the Kent Repertory. So, the value of this work was never understood at the student as well as the clinical level.
How to Best Use Boger and Boenninghausen Repertory by Dr Master is an eye-opener for the novice as well as the physician to understand the ability of the indispensable tool – the BBCR Repertory. This book travels through the life of both Dr Boger and Boenninghausen briefing us about their birth into homeopathy and their works in the field, and taking readers through the concept and plan of the Boger Boenninghausen Repertory. Later, elucidation of the case studies from his personal experience adds an essence to this book. For a physician, the real utility of a literary work is realised only after looking at its practical aspect.
After reading this book, I realised how ignorant I was to miss the practicality of such a beautiful tool which the legends of homeopathy have gifted to us. Dr. Farokh Master is one of the legendary faces of homeopathy in today’s era, and his books have always brought a new view point, be it the ‘Glimpses of Association between Fairy tales and Homoeopathy’ or ‘Clinical Observations of Children Remedies’.
In this book, Dr Master has dedicated a section to describing the individual chapters of the homeopathy repertory, detailing them under the sub headings of ‘Concept, Arrangement in repertory, Utility and Limitations’, which makes the understanding of the repertory easy and interesting. I always had an impression that the mind chapter of the Boger Boenninghausen Repertory was given at a general level and not well elucidated and we should not refer to the book for the rubrics of mind. However, Dr Master has changed my perspective, as he directs our focus to the rubrics which have been given in the BBCR and are not found in the Kent Repertory, such as – ‘Communicative’, ‘Duality sense of’, ‘Rivalry’ etc. He portrays the views of Dr Boenninghausen in a step wise manner, making each point clear before moving to the next one. With his keen observations and study through the years, he has tried to put forth his understanding and experience of Dr Boenninghausen and Dr Boger’s work in this book.
He mentions in the book, that to understand the repertory one has to go through the introductory chapter of the Therapeutic Pocket Book, but I believe that I would like to read this book first, as it enlightens us with the concept and the practicality of this repertory in a simple and elicit manner. Hence, I would recommend this work to all those who don’t want to remain blindfolded to the exquisite work of Boger and Boenninghausen. The study of this work by Dr Master will help us to grasp and utilise the teachings of the great physicians in clinical practice.
It is always wonderful to see works of Farokh Master reviewed. Dr Master is a true diisciple of Hahnemann who always has much to teach but without the need for any extraneous trappings. It is also exciting to see a growing interest in the English speaking world in Boennighausen’s methodology. Nevertheless there is a great need in the English Speaking world for an affordable modern translation of Boenninghausen’s work. Perhaps one day Haug will be persuaded to produce an English translation of Klaus-Henning Gypser’s Bönninghausens Therapeutisches Taschenbuch.