Tongue That Does Not Lie, 4th Edition (2016), 115 Pages, Spiral Bound, Four Color Paperback
ISBN: 978-3-941706-81-1
Author: Dr. Prakash Vakil
Publisher: Narayana Verlag, Germany
Reviewer: Vatsala Sperling
This tiny, spiral- bound pocket book is useful especially for a large number of homeopaths in the Western countries who have studied and are practicing homeopathy but who do not have hands-on education from homeopathic medical schools. Generally, these homeopaths are not taught to check pulse and blood pressure, read laboratory reports and examine nails, eyes, ears, throat, mouth and tongue. In the Western countries, only medically qualified practitioners can examine patients and that leaves out a huge number of homeopaths even though, their daily work involves understanding the symptomology of the clients and all their body parts and functions. Without a solid foundation in anatomy, physiology and pathology, and without sufficient basic training for external examination of clients, many homeopaths rely purely on the subjective symptoms provided by the clients or their care-givers.
Some objective observation can be quite helpful in daily practice and these non-invasive examinations can be done in the Western homeopathic office setting with the client’s permission and their awareness and acceptance of the non-clinical status of homeopathic practitioners. Examination of the tongue is such an objective procedure. According to Dr. Prakash Vakil, “not only does the tongue reflect digestive disorders but also reflects the patient as a whole.” The author cautions that “tongue findings should not be considered as particular symptoms but should be considered as physical general symptoms as they tell us the true and full story of the patients.”
Based on over 15 years of systematic study of tongue symptoms and clinical observations, Dr. Vakil’s book is presented in three parts. Part I goes into study design and a few illustrative cases and what specifically to look for during tongue examination. Part II includes a tongue repertory and is an extract from various classical texts as well as findings from the author’s own practice. It has several rubrics that unravel the mysteries of the tongue and the patient’s inner physiological landscape. A few color photographs are inserted throughout the book and these give a pictorial idea of the issue being described.
In the appendix, I was happy to see a map of the tongue showing representations of various internal organs as per the mother-of-all-healing-arts-and-sciences – “Ayurveda”. And this brings to mind a memory from my early life in India. As a child, I thought I was very clever in making excuses about why I should stay home with mother and skip school. My most common complaint was, ‘Mom, I have a stomach ache.’ This made-up symptom fell apart as soon as she examined my tongue. She knew the Ayurvedic description of tongue symptoms and how they mirrored the inner physiology. Her diagnosis would be quick, “You seem absolutely all right to me.” And then, very lovingly, she would help pack my bag and walk me to the school, making sure I ended up having at least 95 % attendance.
In all, this is a useful book for homeopaths, particularly in the Western countries. It would be hard to conclude this review without complimenting Narayan Verlag on high production quality of this book. In my view, as an object, books from this publisher are truly a collector’s ite
