Carbon is the foundation of all life. It is the most prolific element, found in more molecules than all of the other elements combined. An entire subdivision of the field of chemistry, organic chemistry is devoted solely to the study of Carbon. Furthermore, some of our oldest and best-proved homeopathic remedies are Carbon-based.
There are nearly 200 of these remedies found in the homeopathic pharmacopeia. And, despite the overwhelming importance of this element, homeopaths have less understanding of Carbon remedies than any of the other common elements. Dr Roger Morrison, with his extensive chemistry background, has spent five years researching all aspects of the Carbon remedies. This book is the fruit of that labour.
The first section of this book explores the nature of the Carbon remedies showing the underlying mental, general and physical characteristics that are common to all patients requiring these remedies. Through studying this section, the prescriber will become readily able to identify patients who require a Carbon remedy.
Next, the book provides an in-depth materia medica to all of the nearly 200 Carbon remedies currently in the homeopathic pharmacopeia, including knowledge from all existing homeopathic literature and exhaustive toxicological data. The author has culled this data from a broad spectrum of toxicology reference works as well as dozens of governmental and international websites. Included in the materia medica is the author's synthesis and unique understanding of each remedy.
Finally, representative cured cases are provided when available, taken from the author's cases and from many modern and past homeopaths. Thus, this materia medica is the most thorough exposition of the Carbon remedies available in the world.
The final sections of the book provide insights regarding the various sub-categories of organic compounds. The purpose of this section is to give the prescriber mechanisms and strategies for differentiating between the many existing Carbon remedies. By careful analysis of provings and cured cases, this section makes it possible to differentiate between the various organic chemical categories. Great effort has been made so that prescribers may understand these categories even without any knowledge of organic chemistry whatsoever.
In short, this book is aimed in every way toward making this previously mysterious and seriously under-prescribed group of remedies accessible and usable in daily practice.
- Author: Roger Morrison
- ISBN: 9780963536846
- 842 pages
- Hardback
- Published in 2006
- Printed in United States
Reprinted with the permission of The Homeopathic Links Journal, volume 20, Spring 2007 edition. Reviewed by Kaare Troelsen, Denmark.
There seems to be two opposite movements at the moment in homeopathy: one trying to broaden and structure our knowledge of materia medica and one attempting to return to "basics", one expanding, one contracting. I believe that these two movements are not opposite but complementary and that both are necessary for the further development of homeopathy; we need to solidify our core knowledge, organise our discoveries and expand our field area of our materia medica. It is also a part of the current worldwide effort to expand and organise our core knowledge amassed over centuries. It complements the work of people like Scholten, Mangialavori, Herrick, Shore and Sankaran. Morrison, like others working in this field, is faced with an enormous task and he is aware that he has just focused on a small part and that his ideas are suggestions and theories, not fixed absolutes. Many of the new ideas/theories are too easily labelled "speculation". Only working with Morrison's ideas, like many other new ideas, will prove if they are useful or "speculation". It is the community of today and future generations who will have to develop, expand and further verify these ideas.
Morrison's work with the atomic and molecular structure of organic mineral remedies and the relevance of this to the provings, symptomatology and themes of the remedies have been under way for some time and are already a feature in MacRepertory. This eagerly awaited book is a considerable work, both in size and scope: as well as illuminating an important but neglected area.
There are already around 500 organic remedies in homeopathy, not counting Alkaloids, Biologically Active Molecules, Carbonates and Modern Pharmaceuticals etc. The majority of these have been known for more than a century but have, as Morrison writes, these have never been studied formally as a group, as the knowledge of the periodic table, the elements and molecular structure was in its infancy at the time of Hahnemann. It is clear that Morrison's work, as well as the work of all homeopaths, is daunting but necessary.
When first leafing through the book I missed a clear grouping of the remedies along the lines of themes and molecular structure or miasm, not arranged alphabetically as it is now. Upon further study I realized that most of the remedies belong to several groups and contain several themes at the same time, making such a task impossible and anyway not useful.
I suggest that readers study the Appendices, especially "Understanding Organic Chemistry" and the chapter "Meanings" that describe the various subgroups like Alcohols, Aliphates, Aromatics, Nitrates etc. and how to differentiate them, before they go on to look at the next 750 pages with a monograph presentation of the hundreds of organic remedies. The Monograph consists of these items: Descriptive Paragraph, Common Name, Scientific Name, Formula, Structure, Group, Provings, Best Resources, Diagram, Homeopathic Picture and Cases. This form provides a clear and multi-faceted access to understanding the remedies and mirrors the clearness and consistency found in Morrison's two previous books. "Desktop Guide" and "Desktop Companion".
"Carbon" is both a useful addition to our books on materia medica as well as a tool for a deeper understanding and development of this increasingly important area in our healing art. It is a very interesting but not easy book to pick up and it demands careful study and diligence. I am looking forward to seminars that further demonstrate and explain this group and its themes.
In the introduction Morrison writes "Carbon is the basic substance out of which all living organisms are constructed." Organic compounds come mainly from petroleum and Morrison writes about the virtual explosion in the use of petrochemicals in almost every aspect of modern civilization and the huge political/economical influence it has on the planet today. Over one million organic chemicals have been described in scientific literature. Modern diseases like multichemical hypersensitivity syndrome (MCS), states Morrison, show clear parallels with the provings of organic remedies. It is clear that we need to understand this group better, but how?
Morrison used his observations in clinical practice to outline mental themes and found they could be verified by provings and rubrics. The combination and predominance of certain themes in certain remedies were also found to be related to the molecular structure of the remedy. Single carbon compounds like Adamas show a distinction from ringed carbons like Alloxanum and the groups attached to the specific carbon "spine" like methyl, alcohol, amine all colour the provings. This should not be surprising as both the symptoms and the structure of a substance are believed to be an expression of its "essence". In this book Morrison goes on to describe the Major Themes like: Confusion, Identity, Value, Mental Weakness, Sensation of Sinking, Isolation, Fire and Explosion, Passivity and Motivation, The Past. These themes are supported by known rubrics containing organic remedies. There is also a description of the Minor Themes. Most of the themes are familiar to the reader from remedies like Petroleum, Graphites, Kreosotum, Therebentia, Camphora, Carbo animalis and Carbo vegetabilis, some Acids etc.
After the mental themes Morrison lists the General and Physical Characteristics of Organic Compound Remedies, also supported by rubrics.
