Another book, I had thought, initially, by going through the cover and title. But Dr Murphy will surely surprise you the way he has condensed the whole Homeopathic Encyclopedia into approximately 300 pages. The book surely will serve as abridged Bible for all Homeopaths especially PG students. Once we start to practice, we usually stop reading. The author has refreshed the Organon and has given brief and lucid summary of each part of Organon, for quick brush up. All Practioners should definitely keep it on their shelves and read just two pages a day and keep rereading it over, so that they grasp what they forgot.
No one else could have done it better in approximately 300 pages, covering almost everything from the highlights of Organon, the Vital Force to lessons on Homeopathic case taking, case analysis, Repertorisation etc. The most important chapters for Practioners are probably regarding the common mistakes we make during prescribing and I have corrected so many of mine. Besides the Practioners must learn how to handle patients already dependent on drugs.
All important books have been enlisted by Dr Murphy, that a Homeopath must read. He has also explained how must the books be read. He has explained brilliantly, the same, through lot of examples like the late stage of Pulsatilla is catatonia ie complete absence of emotion. Another example is if there is change in like from sweet to something else, it signifies change in layer.
Regarding Repertorisation, he advises us to use the combination method, which is the best of long hand and the elimination method. A homeopathic physician can make use of these tips to invigorate private practice.
Dr Murphy has enumerated various mistakes Homeopaths make, while prescribing. I wont hesitate to admit that I have corrected so many of my own and definitely my clinical results have improved. We are ingrained to omit common symptoms completely, right from the time we enter the Med School. The author states that they can be very useful depending on their context and intensity. Similimum has to be based, not just on symptom similarity, but also the matching state of the patient and he cautions us from negative matching. Explaining about hierarchy the standard one has been etiology, mental, general, physical or particular, but there can be reverse hierarchy, in exactly the reverse order, ignoring ghost etiology in particular.
Regarding Vital Force, he states that there should be harmony between the conscious and unconscious levels and breathing, water, food, meditation to be most important in order to maintain the vital force.
Dr Murphy has given lot of details regarding case taking and has dedicated a whole chapter to the topic, probably most important as “a case well taken is half cured”. His technique SAP ie scan, analyse and probe is very useful. One must go through the complete book to master his techniques.
The patients who come to us, already taking drugs are very complicated to treat. Here is where most Homeopaths fail. Murphy explains that while decreasing the drug or altogether putting off a drug, on which the patient has been dependant for some time, it should be in such a way that the patient does not lands into crisis or relapse, as the drugs prescribed are toxic, addictive and obviously having lot of side effects.
Most Homeopaths don’t take up AIDS cases and it is sort of an enigma, most of the time. Dr Murphy simplifies it through a whole chapter dedicated to the topic, so much so that you will feel treating AIDS as just another disease. His multilayered approach to treat an AIDS patient aims at brining the patient to his constitutional state.
Robin has vividly explained Prophylactic prescribing, Preventive prescribing, Organopathic prescribing, with examples, making the complicated terms very easy to understand.
Last but not the least, potency selection has baffled all of us at one time or another. He explains about the Hahnemanian and Kentian approach and both ascending and descending scales. He lists the successful use of 9C, 15C, 150C, 500C and LM potencies.
I would say that each para he wrote, each conversation that has been enlisted is loaded with knowledge. Go and grab the book at the earliest and give it a thorough reading.
Reviewed by:
Dr Lubna Kamal, Asstt Professor,
Deptt of Materia Medica,
State Jawahar Lal Nehru Homeopathic Medical College
Review Posted on : 26th September 2022
Title: Case Analysing & Prescribing Techniques
Author: ROBIN MURPHY
ISBN: 9788131902493
Imprint: B.Jain Regular
