Book –The essence of Materia medica
Author – George Vithoulkas
Publishers – B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.
Year of publication – 2020
First edition – 1988
Second edition – 1990
Second revised edition – 2020
Pages – 248
Content of the book –
This book contains remedy picture of 51 remedies. 1 remedies.
When you read the book beautiful portrait of the medicine comes upfront. He has described about the personality of the drug, habits, life picture and most importantly situational Materia medica . there is comparison of remedies, which comes from his vast clinical experience.
He has also written about development of remedy picture. The book is well written and systematic for the reader. The remedy picture is well concise with apt words. Reader gets to learn the medicine in an evolutionary manner. This book can’t be used as a exclusive text book for beginners while referring Materia medica, but it can surely be the additional text book for every homoeopath, who wants to learn homoeopathic Materia medica from different facets of human evolution.
For example – look at these remedies where he is giving you hints about personality of the remedies –
Ignatia – this remedy is frequently prescribed because of a technological Civilization. women 15 to 1 ratio to man needing this remedy. Give the remedy that corresponds mostly to an uppermost pattern ignatia individuals are very sensitive and individual that has been brought up with culture, refined education, arts, music, theatre becomes refined with culture. This parameter is coupled with the capacity of ignatia to grasp quickly and execute quickly. capable people when these individuals are put in our society that refine emotions can easily be hurt or disturbed. become involved in a Liberation movement but it is not in their nature to be hard and cruel. This combination of factors will produce an ignatia patient. At the same time, she is capable and demands Nothing from anyone
The ignatia picture may develop after a death, separation of affair, marriage, emotional disturbance etc.
Look at this description of phosphorus –
Phosphorus diffusion is the theme which runs through the Phosphorus Pathology. diffusion is a process of spreading outward into the environment like smoke spreading outward into the air or the color from a tea bag diffusely uniformly into water. the same happens to the energy, the awareness, the emotion, and even the blood of the Phosphorus. It is as if there are “no barriers” for this physical, emotional or mental. The Phosphorus patient’s emotions freely go out towards others with little ability of the patient to contain them and protect the self from emotional vulnerability. mentally the patient easily forgets himself, even to the degree that awareness can become too diffuse and unfocussed. the patient become easily “spaced out”
Then in bismuth he compares it with phosphorus –
Bismuth is a very distinct remedy which needed in a specific situation in which no other remedy can replace it. but it will very easily be confused with phosphorus.
Also, as a general rule Bismuth can be kept in mind for even mild gastralgias in seemingly Phosphorus type patients but in whom Phosphorus has failed to provide any benefit.
So basically, reader gets to learn remedy portrait as well differentiation along with some clinical hints.
The reader gets to learn actual essence of the remedies which he is reading.
After reading the book it becomes easy to imagine the person who needs any remedy mentioned in the book because it creates the whole portrait in front of you.
It also helps one to understand and remember remedies, that’s why I would recommend this to students of homeopathy.
About the Author –
George Vithoulkas was born in 1932 and lives on the island of Alonissos, Greece. He was an engineer by profession and was introduced to homoeopathy accidently when he got hold of a book on a pharmacy. It was in 1960 in South Africa that he began his homeopathic studies and these were then continued in India. He studied homoeopathy exclusively and then got int practice later, started teaching. Since 1967 he has been teaching classical homoeopathy. In 1994 he opened the now world famous International academy of classical homoeopathy in the Greek island of Alonissos. He was awarded the alternative noble prize in 1996.
George has written books for lay person and the homoeopathic practitioners. George’s clear presentation and penetrating studies are landmark in the world of homoeopathy.
About the reviewer – Dr Yamini Ramesh (BHMS, CCAH, FCAH) is Homoeopathic consultant & teacher since last 14 years. Dr Yamini is a cofounder of Asha Homeopathic Academy India where she teaches many homoeopaths through online and offline courses. she brings many innovative courses for students periodically .
