Dr. Banaras Khan Awan is interviewed by Alan V. Schmukler

Dr. Banaras Khan Awan is a classical homeopath from Pakistan and he is ex-General Secretary of the Society of Homeopaths Pakistan.  He is an active member of many Homeopathic organizations including the Asian Homoeopathic Medical League. He is the former Principal of Gandhara Homeopathic Medical College.  Dr. Awan is visiting lecturer at a number of homeopathic colleges and his video lectures are found on Youtube. His articles are published regularly in homeopathy journals. Dr. Awan is the author of “Lectures on Homoeopathy” and “Mere Mehman” (my guests) (Urdu language), published by The Society of Homeopaths, Pakistan. His upcoming books include topics such as potency selection and case taking, a book on miasms and polychrest remedies.

AS:  What circumstances first led you to become a homeopath?

BKA:  I had a friend who was a homeopath. It was late in the seventies. Basically, I am an associate engineer in instrument technology. Time was passing but again in 1982, I met another person who was a practicing homeopath and a follower of  J. T. Kent. We spent about seven years together. There I started learning and practicing homeopathy under his assistance. Later on, in 1990, I had a regular course and since then I am practicing classical homeopathy.

AS: How would you describe your style of practice?

BKA:  I believe in single remedy practice and I try to be a true follower of Kent and George Vithoulkas. I am inspired by both. I had a 10-day workshop with George Vithoulas in June 1998 in Alonisis, Greece.

I believe in the miasm theory and centesimal scale with infrequent repetition. I accept a few patients a day, take detailed interviews, and use Radar-10 software. I am a user of such software since 1990 (Cara at that time). When I hear about so many personal methods being introduced in homeopathy it disgusts me. For the last 25 years, I’ve kept on attending seminars and delivering lectures throughout the country in different cities and institutions.  I have more than 9000 friends and followers at face book. I have my website (superhomeo.com) and a YouTube channel where a lot of video lectures are available.

AS:  You mentioned that you took Vithoulkas’s workshop in Greece.  What was your impression of his teaching methods?

BKA: I am inspired by the method of education George Vithoulkas offers in his academy. He has a big hall for an audience with multimedia where he delivers lectures and share live case taking. In my opinion, the live case taking and follow-up of the patients is an effective way of learning.

He speaks slowly but clearly.  His teaching is unique and I do follow his style in my seminars and lectures. Moreover, George considers himself the student of J.T . Kent. I am also a big fan of J.T Kent. I played my part to introduce George Vithoulkas to the homeopathic community in Pakistan.  I frequently use to refer him in my daily posts about homeopathy at face book and whatsapp groups. I studied almost all the books of Kent and Vithoulkas. His way of teaching is quite similar to J.T Kent. Moreover, George is also against so many so-called methods and ideas that have cropped upon the fertile land of Homeopathy.  His emphasis is upon personality profiles, essence and modalities. I think he is one of the legends of homeopathy on the surface of earth.

AS:  What sort of cases do you find most difficult or challenging? 

BKA:  The most difficult cases to deal with are multi miasmatic. I mean the cases with all three mixed miasms. Nowadays it is hard to find a simple case with a single miasm. Usually, patients with complex diseases visit a homeopath when the disease has reached to an advanced stage, and these are rarely curable. And yet people expect and demand a speedy cure. We cannot force organism to run fast.

Such cases are really difficult to cure because they have no patience. I also feel difficulty in curing introverted patients and those with multiple personality as the case taking is so difficult. Most of the patients now have got drug induced disease. I also face difficulty in curing patients who are reluctant to adopt a healthy life style.

People nowadays are pressed for time. Everyone is in hurry. That is the main reason that the allopathic system suits them better. They are palliated soon and they don’t care whether they are cured or not.  I find those patients difficult to cure who conceal their family history. It is especially true for tuberculosis. And the most difficult patients are those who give us minimum information, like Thuja and Nat. mur.

AS: I think many homeopaths feel those same frustrations.  It comes with the trade. In Pakistan, what is the general public’s view of homeopathy? Do most people know about it, accept it?  Are remedies readily available?

BKA: People’s interest in homeopathic treatment is on an increasing trend. The basic reason is the social media. The public has more awareness about the side effects of other systems of therapeutics.

Almost all remedies are manufactured in local pharmaceutical companies with reliable standards. Apart from that, imported medicines are also available in the market. As I said earlier, for the last 25 years I am in a continuous struggle to spread the cause of homeopathy in Pakistan. I visited some cities more than 20 times during this period, delivering lectures and attending seminars.

I would say that a lot more needs to be done. Unfortunately, there is not sufficient encouragement and support from the Govt. sector. We don’t have enough funding. People do believe in this system of therapeutics but the institutions are poor. I shall quote here George Vithoulkas again. Once in an interview he was asked by Dr. Manish Bhatia, when will homeopathy gain popularity in the world and the most genius man replied, when it will come out from materialism. One reason people don’t understand homeopathy is that their minds are calcified.

AS: What is the state of homeopathy education in Pakistan? Is there anything you would change?

BKA: Yes, some of the schools are sufficient but unfortunately the standard and quality of education for DHMS is quite poor. There are quite a few institutions where homeopathy is taught systematically.

For the last decade B.H.M.S classes have been launched and the students are taught with adequate standards. Having said all that, there is a lot to be done to augment the standard of education. We need to have a series of international seminars and workshops on the subject. We need good teachers to teach. Although there are many outstanding classical homeopaths and single remedy practitioners in the country, generally poly pharmacy dominates. Unfortunately, we don’t have a university of homeopathy.

We do have schools where diploma and degree classes are carried out, but only up to the college level. There is no independent university. Our colleges are affiliated with other universities

AS: Could you talk about how you’re dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic? 

BKA: Homeopathic treatment of Covid-19 is restricted here. Homeopaths are not allowed to treat these patients. However, in our daily practice, we see many patients having Covid-like symptoms and they are treated successfully by homeopathic remedies.  I personally do not care whether a patient is suffering from Covid -19 or any other disease. It is the patient himself/ herself who is a guide to me. The patient is prior to me and pathology and lab reports and diagnostic tests are secondary.

I treated a few covid cases successfully through online consultation. I observed the role of the tuberculosis miasm being active behind this disease. Apart from symptomatic treatment I used Tub. 1M at infrequent doses during the treatment of these patients and I had success.

The main remedies I found remedies were Gelsemiun, Influenzium, Ars.alb, Bryonia, and Lycopodium. Moreover I believe that miasms are the fundamental cause of all diseases, therefore one should use anti-miasmatic remedies during the course of all kinds of chronic diseases.

I seldom see any patient affected with single miasms. Almost all seen multi- miasmatic. For example, I solved many cases of infertility using Medorrhinum and Thuja in high potencies and the cases were cured. I usually prescribe carcinosinum, a single dose in high potency to the patients where I find more than 2 inherited diseases. Miasms are the main obstacle to cure .

AS:  Can you tell us more about how you practice, your methods and philosophy?

BKA:  I am not in favor of seeing a hundred patients a day. An average of daily patients in my clinic is not more than twenty (sometimes less than 15). I spend a lot of time with my new patients. Sometimes the consultation period may take more than an hour.

I believe in the right of the patient and during case taking we talk in detail about all aspects of life. Here I shall quote the great scholar J.T Kent who once said, if after taking a detailed case you could not decide on the remedy, have a lunch or dinner with the patient. And it is a routine in my clinic to serve tea to the patients.  It helps me to build rapport with them and they may talk about their complaints more easily and freely in a comfortable and relaxing environment.

In my practice, I mostly take chronic cases and I mostly depend upon polychrest remedies. I rarely use the rare remedies. I believe that with the help of about one hundred polychrest remedies one can cure more than 80 % of the patients. My affiliation with small and rare remedies is quite poor.

I also use the whole range of potencies starting from mother tincture to CM and MM. In the situation where palliation of the broken-down constitution is required, I use mother tinctures and low potencies with frequent repetition.

During the course of treatment, I usually prescribe a single dose of constitutional remedy as well, whenever and wherever it becomes necessary. I found it beneficial. However, in acute cases, one should depend upon the few available guiding symptoms and prescribe accordingly. One should not mix acute with chronic.

I intend to write a book on the topic of miasms and of course, it will be published in the Urdu language.  I am in favor of using anti miasmatic remedies if and when required. In my experience, without using these remedies, one cannot cure any chronic disease. Apart from Carcinosinum, the sycosis and tuberculosis miasms dominate nowadays.

I observed a substantial increase in sterility and infertility cases in young couples. And I see mostly the sycotic miasm behind this. Apart from indicated remedies, I use Thuja or Medorrhinum in very high potency to remove the obstacle and inherited miasmatic tendency, and quite often I get success. Another reason for sterility is the unhealthy lifestyle and fast food.

I would like to mention another important observation in pregnant ladies who experience stillbirth. In such cases with the use of ultrasonography a pregnant lady may be told that she has a female baby. Soon after this information, the growth of the fetus is arrested.  I may call it an ailment from bad news. It seems true in the culture of subcontinent people that a male baby is always preferred. Anyhow this is my personal observation. I shall invite all the readers to share their experience in this regard.

AS:  Thank you for sharing with us today, and for your efforts to spread homeopathy in Pakistan.