Professor Lal Mohammad Khan, popularly known as Dr. L.M. Khan, He passed D.M.S. under the Council of Homoeopathic System of Medicine, West Bengal in the year 1976 and then in 1985 he passed the B.H.M.S. (Graded Degree) under Bihar University. In the year 1997 he was awarded M.D. (Homoeo.) under Jaipur University. During his initial years he worked under guidance of legendary Late Dr. J. N. Majumdar (Dr. Gyan Majumdar), Late Dr. J. N. Kanjilal and Late Dr. B.N. Chakraborty.
He worked as an Associate Professor and held at the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Organon of Medicine, Homoeopathic Philosophy, Chronic Diseases and Psychology in the National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata. He also held the post of Director In charge of National Institute of Homoeopathy. He is the Chairman of Literature committee of CCH.
Many valuable books are authored by him like “Ignatia in Cancer”, “Allergy – Curse of the civilization”, “Prognosis: Kent’s Twelve Observations Illustrated”, “Wisdom of Imponderabilia: X-Ray”, “Wisdom of Sarcodes”, “Pleasure of Prescribing”, “Case Perceiving:Know thyself” etc.
He held many honourable membership like Member of the Advisory Committee on Homoeopathy to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Member of the Expert Committee on Homoeopathy to Ministry of ISM and H, Government of India; Member of the Board of Studies for Post Graduate and Undergraduate, Calcutta University; Ex-Chairman, Board of Studies in Homoeopathy attached to Faculty Council for Post Graduate studies in Medicine, Homoeopathy etc. in Calcutta University;
Fellowship of Homoeopathic Association of Malaysia; Honorary Inspector, Central Council of Homoeopathy (for inspection of Homoeopathic Colleges in India) etc. He is currently one of the Members of Post Graduate Education and literarary committee of Central Council of Homoeopathy.
He was conferred the BEST TEACHER AWARD by the Research Society of Homoeopathy.
The Homoeopathic Heritage brings forth an interesting conversation between Dr L M Khan and Dr Meraj Husain for this issue.
Dr Meraj Husain (ED): How and when did you first become acquainted with homoeopathy?
Dr L M Khan (LM): In around 1972 one of my friend who was interested in studying homoeopathy. Along with him I visited Calcutta homoeopathy medical college for his admission. He took admission and insisted me to take the admission too. I took the admission with the help Dr. Mahinder Singh who request to the principal of the College Dr. Goshal.
ED: There are several new methods of homoeopathy practice created after Hahnemann. Whichever method a homoeopath follows, the case taking remains an important aspect. What is your advice for the novice homoeopath?
LM: In my humble opinion as I learned from several masters who were unparallel prescriber like, Dr. J.N. Majumdar, Dr. J.N. Kanjilal, Dr. B.N. Chakravorty and later Dr Diwan Harishchand and Dr Jugal Kishore I also know some marvellous prescriber which were not so well known like Dr. S.P Dey, Dr. R. Joardar are followingHahnemann’s principle and practice Hahnemann’s method of practice believing miasm and small doses still, as per patient’s potency and repetition are guided principle for my success which I am sharing through the facebook general periodical and seminar which may help and convince the need of generation.
I tried my level best to prescribe medicine based on organon and case perceiving. An art of merging with the patient and physician then I rarely change the medicine untill the moment arises for the of change of medicine. Mostly I played with the potency and enjoyed its repetition.
We have three scales of potency:
1: X
2: C
3: LM
When we need to speed the car for chasing we never change the car rather change the gear. This analogy is friendly to me for enjoying the dose, potency and repetition.
ED: Which book has influenced you the most and why?
LM: Organon of the Art of Healing as a student as well as a teacher impressed me, as it give a practical approach and meaningful suggestion for practice. It needs understanding and perceiving for classical master who were using Organon as a instrument for prescribing. As I found pleasure in prescribing based on Organon. Regarding materia medica I prefer Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, Chronic Disease, Hering Guiding Symptom, N.M. Chowdhury, Boger, Allen’s Keynote, Leader in Homoeopathic Therapeutics, E.B. Nash, Kent, and Tyler.
ED: Tell us something about your journey with National Institute of Homoeopathy Kolkata?
LM: I joined National Institute of Homoeopathy under pressure of Dr. S.B. Sinha ex-principal of metropolitan of homoeopathy medical college, in interview for the post Dr. Jugal Kishore and Dr. Anil Bhatia’s attitude and questioning was very impressive to me. I joined as associate professor of repertory and Organon till my retirement 2014. I feel emotionally unstable and academically very strong to create homoeopathic interest in student, academic atmosphere and recognization of homoeopathic art of prescribing in OPD and IPD. I taught philosophy and Organon in classes and demonstrated it in clinical classes as I started teaching PG students. I have started seminar in department as well as general seminar of institute, where I teach the true art of prescribing. My objective is to create prescribers in physician at IPD and OPD and develop teaching capacity in PG student in preparing seminar topic, exciting their ability to speak.
My journey from 1988 to 2014 from associate professor to the head of the department then professor as I called the journey of pleasure. Regarding my chair as a director in- charge, was a period of crisis but managed it from crisis to a fruitful situation. I looked after well-fare of staff students and whole academy as much it was possible for me.
ED: What are the scope and limitation of homoeopathy in the treatment of the ailments of the modern world? Do you think there is some change required in prospective of a homoeopath with the change in environment and lifestyle?
LM: In modern world we are deprived of simplicity and away from the nature, we have became artificial and complicated, polluted with full of iatrogenic environment to live. We have to led a life of moderization, make a surrender under to the occupation, hazards, atomic pollution, hazards in fruits, food and vegetable all are products of complicated and hazardous plantation in pesticides, hybrid, make us away from health and near to the disease therefore our finest and dynamic medicine having some limitation as well as in palliation have a wonderful scope.
Present day auto immune diseases, malignancy are frequent as a results of polluted past communicating through the genes all together are developed as medicines have their own limitations.
Situation are not in a favourable to change drastically rather minimum some our sides, second thing are not in our hand like vaccination, ultra sensitive, different rays of atomic leakage, waste product of chemical factories and effective rays of television, mobile, USG etc. Or many known and unknown pollution as we are away from the nature which make us more ill.
ED: What are the toughest cases you healed with homoeopathy according to you?
LM: As a homoeopathy physician I believed homoeopathic philosophy of life and my personal understanding of philosophy of sick, health and treatment. I am not believing in toughest cases of tough disease rather tough and incurable patient. Patient’s personality I believe curable and incurable patient not lies the disease. We born with polluted but incurable being and we lost curability in our sickness. Now paradigm shifted from curability of the patient to incurability of person still are constitutional medicine under the long process of treatment with countering of miasm we live our patient live smoothly. Now questions of my toughest case you can judge my every case from simply cold, coryza, sinositis or auto immune disease and malignancy are having toughest as are patient is incurable otherwise many are above cases cured in the hand of homoeopath with simply by our medicine as the patient was curable.
ED: What should be the role of homoeopathy in emergency cases or surgical cases?
LM: In emergency cases depend on the situation, depth of disturbance. In above cases we got success if indication is very prominent like Carbo veg, Opium, Arnica, Aconite, Belladona etc. Veratrum album gives a magical result in some emergency cases on the indication of cold sweat on forehead.
1. A case of severe appendix pain was magically benefited by Nitric acid lm 1/0 on the basis of gliding motions relief.
2. My youngest brother suffer from severe appendicular pain. He pressed as much as
possible to his right ilac region with the corner of bed and chair. Colocynth 1M in a cup of water given 2 to 3 minute interval with the second dose he become sleepy and felt in to sound sleep after few minute.
Aconite gives me lots of reputation in emergency cases on the basis of tossing about a agony and frighten expression of the face. But we have got limitation too, when indications are melted in disease expression. In emergency and accidental cases we have both sweet and sour result.
ED: How do aromatic odors, substances etc. Effect the outcome of the homoeopathic medicines? How you take it in your own practice?
LM: Hahnemann restricted use of aroma but as he believed and utilize olfactory nerve as a root of effective medication. But people know me that I love fragrance specially Indian attar and I deal with many people who are biggest dealer and manufacturer of fragrance (attar, perfume).
Once I asked Dr. J.N. Majumdar, my beloved guru regarding above subject in the occasion of dealing some south Indian patient those who are, since childhood habitual taking coffee. The noble soul told me that when the body of the sick person and their mind become severely influenced by coffee, tea, salt, spice, perfume, alcohol, wine etc is a become a part of his personality. Here in these cases our medicine act but may not at fully as they are habitual to stimulate. I follow as a empiricist my guru Hahnemann and get good results.
ED: How you see the future generation of homoeopaths what will be your advice to them?
LM: Once Shanai Masterio told in the interview that Shanai’s is going to be uplift and famous and got popularity but the art of Shanai and people those who are bondage with art of Shanai is going to be lost. My opinion is very similar to Bismillah Khan Sahab. Now a days people are more interested to getting service and they studied mechanically and act too much on objective studies to achieve success.
Homoeopathy believe in subjective studying of both patient and the system.
ED: Your insightful and interactive lectures and case discussions along with books you have written are indeed a source of inspiration and learning for the serious homoeopaths. Such practical knowledge is quite essential to apply the theoretical concepts of homoeopathic philosophy in practice. What is your say on this (i.e. Sharing your experience with students.)?
LM: I am always in favour of connecting people and hearing them as my professional colleagues. I still saying that basis and fountain head or resources are – the
best my sharing and writing as well as expressing through facebook in my one of the way of connectivity with my professional colleagues. I am attached with my noble profession. Now I am not writing with magazines of homoeopathy rather small piece of daily practice. I share it on facebook because writing in generals and magazines are one way traffics. I need to interact with the homeopaths all around the world through the medium of facebook. Even in facebook when I found those people who are not actively communicating so I unfriend them.
ED: What do you feel is the most gratifying for you as professional medical practice, teaching, writing or research? Or what has been/ will be your most gratifying achievement as a homoeopath?
LM: As a homoeopath i.e. physician I love to lower the pains and sufferings of humanity. I achieved to teach profession and getting result upliftment of the society; as a teacher as well as a practitioner. I need they must be a preacher and I have full satisfaction of my effort.
ED: What are your future plans; are you writing some more books etc.?
LM: I am going to write as Hahnemann take care of burning problem of his time, I too, going to write few books which is very practical as
1. Politics of prescribing.
2. My experience with cancer cases.
3. My view of the disease psychology.
4. Therapeutics as perceived the depth meaning of homoeopathic therapeutics.
I am very thankful to Dr. Pankaj. Aggrawal, Dr. Khalid, Dr Rashid Akhtar and few others who excite me passively to teach and help professional to become more potent in homoeopathy .
Source: The Homoeopathic Heritage, February,2016.
