From the Introduction:
My intention in writing this book is to provide practitioners and students alike with an easy and accessible reference tool. Having taught medical sciences in several colleges of Homoeopathy over the last 10 years, it has become apparent that there is no text that effectively bridges the homoeopathic and medical divide-that is the purpose of this book. As you work your way through each chapter, there are a few brief notes on the anatomy and physiology of the system (in the form of a quick recap.)
You'll notice that there are no pictures-there are thousands of resources in other places with fabulous 3-D, full colour, even animated pictures, so I recommend you search them out to refer to alongside this text. My aim has been to simplify the typical disease processes that occur within each system. The advantage of this approach is that the book can be used as an instant reference for students and practitioners of homoeopathy.
Every chapter clearly places conventional medical terminology, diagnoses, and treatment within a homoeopathic context, whilst also collating the very best specific and therapeutic homoeopathic remedies within a medical framework. The remedies and adjunctive treatments laid out here are culled from my own clinical experience and that of those of the busiest and most successful practitioners in the homoeopathic world.
This second edition has improved layout and consistency of structure to improve usage. It also has an extended index that helps the reader, and a few new topics, plus some text has been changed.
- Author: Steve Smith
- ISBN: 9781874581901
- 272 pages
- Edition: Second
- Hardback
- Published in 2007
- Printed in United Kingdom
Reprinted with the permission of The Society of Homeopaths (from "The Homeopath" Journal, Winter 2007 edition). Reviewed by Geoff Johnson.
Steve says this is a book that bridges the homeopathic and medical divide to provide an easy and accessible reference tool. It does that well, and more. The immediate thing that strikes me is the chatty style of prose - "the nervous system is responsible for sending nerve impulses - as if you couldn't guess that". Depending on the reader this may seem encouraging and remove the terror of medical science, or it could irritate and feel patronising. It is the style used throughout the book, and we are addressed as "my dears" making me think of the Just So Stories - homeopathy just so! Happily this friendly guide explains very clearly what is going on using words we can all understand and the more I read the more relaxed I became. To explain subjects like the nervous or endocrine system to people who have not studied medicine in depth is difficult - and this book succeeds pretty well.
I am always worried with homeopathic books that encourage therapeutic prescribing for chronic conditions such as thyroid disorders. I have found that the more chronic or serious conditions are, for a good cure I need greater individualisation. However my mind was put at rest in the introduction where Steve explains what this book is all about. It is not about "these are the remedies for insomnia", but rather here is a starting point, which will often help initially and possibly very much. The point is made that the height of our homeopathic craft is well considered constitutional treatment, although what that means Steve hasn't made clear. The emphasis on affinities is also well made and too easily forgotten when wandering the guru pathway.
There are also some lovely little homeopathic gems - the discrimination between Gelsemium, Argentum nitricum and Coffea in terms of their anticipatory anxiety for example. Generally the remedy pictures presented are concise and clear.
The index is fine - I thought of ten different diseases and seven were there - 7 out of 10 I suppose! Obviously Robin Murphy has been a major influence being referred to many times, and I wonder if this might be a weakness. Reading, listening to and considering many different homeopaths is essential for us all and students need to be careful not to follow one teacher but many.
So with what other books can this be compared? The 'medical sciences' is much more understandable than any medical textbook I have read. The relatively in-depth consideration of medical science combined with homeopathy reminds me of Dr Lockie's book, but the latter is much shorter on anatomy and physiology and greater on therapeutics, although it too is a pleasant read.
Steve thanks Ian Watson for making him realise that homeopathy can be simple - it is, but that does not mean it is easy! This is probably about as much medical science as we need to know, clearly and simply explained, but obviously much more homeopathy is required.
So for whom is this book? For the student trying to learn their medical sciences this is a must. They want simplicity and clarity and that is what this book is. Hooray to read "don't bother to learn all those different muscles" - I did, and in all my years of surgery it did me no good at all! Practitioners where some medical science has slipped away would also find this useful before seeing that patient they have booked in with Cushing's disease. I would say this is a beauty for students and practitioners in their early years - buy it!
Reprinted with the permission of The Homeopathic Links Journal, Volume 22, Winter 2009. Reviewed by Ivo Wiesner, Czech Republic.
Motto: "Now go and heal the sick..."
The author taught medical sciences in several Colleges of Homeopathy for over ten years and wrote this book based on that good experience to bridge homeopathic and medical worlds, for students and for homeopathic practitioners alike.
After the introduction and some useful words in preparatory reading, we find the core of the book, twelve chapters, which follow the general logic of anatomy and physiology of conventional medicine ("body systems" as the author says). Each chapter is further divided into several subchapters.
In each chapter we start first with the overview of anatomy and physiology (healthy state) as a necessary warm-up. Then we are guided to understanding related local pathology (diseased state). In these days most patients will come to homeopaths with a clear diagnosis already. Therefore we need to understand what this diagnosis means, what the medical report really says. Even more important, in these days patients come to us with ongoing complex conventional medical prescriptions based on that diagnosis. And we should understand the toll of such cocktails, especially patterns of possible side-effects and iatrogenic risks.
For instance: symptoms like anxiety, constipation, sleeping difficulty, nausea and dryness of mucous tissues after the administration of beta blockers when high blood pressure (HBP) is treated. We should know that beta blockers are given in the HBP prevention as the rule of thumb to most people over 50 by their GPs. We should be really well aware of that when considering guiding symptoms for homeopathic prescription. Inevitably, we are pushed to admit that homeopathy is here in the role and position of complementary medicine, not in the authority of a self-supporting alternative way of healing.
Reading further through a chapter, we are guided to the homeopathic treatment itself, which is focused on the "differential homeopathy" and practical "homeopathic therapeutics". Here we are given many well-arranged remedy tables for quick overview and reference, which are easy to read. The text is full of diamonds of important medical information that induce straight homeopathic ideas and thinking about curative strategy and correct remedy choice, for example "chronic inflammation can cause calcium deposits and adhesions".
Sometimes, a subchapter of the adjunctive treatment is added, perhaps a comment on diet, or exercise recommendations like "patients get better in a shorter time if they are personally active in the healing process". A chapter is closed with "Further reading" -recommendations enabling a reader to quickly find more information where necessary.
The overall easy-to-navigate system of the book is further strengthened by a well-prepared index at the end.
The intention in writing this book was to provide practitioners with an easy and accessible reference tool. I can conclude that it was done very well. Therefore, I can recommend this book to every homeopathic student and practitioner.
Reprinted with the permission of The ARH, from 'Homeopathy in Practice' Journal, Autumn 2008 edition. Reviewed by Theresa Partington BRCP.
Two years on, Steve Smith has republished his successful pathology-cum-therapeutics textbook (previously reviewed in HIP Spring 2006). The new edition, with a new publisher, is smaller, thinner and contains more. How do they do that? In truth the actual content is much the same. 'The Female Reproductive System' now includes a section on the menopause - but still none on breast or breast-feeding pathology. (The Male Reproductive System' section remains excellent.)
All the major 'systems' are covered with a brief introduction to what they consist of including terminology where appropriate. There follows an overview of common pathology with the main allopathic treatments and then suggestions for homeopathic remedies, including charts for easy reference. There are plenty of references at every stage to more in-depth resources online and in print.
The main difference in this edition is in the layout of the chapters and the chapter headings. It is amazing what a difference more logical order and consistent headings and sub-headings can make to accessibility. Page layout is easier on the eye, too.
The index could still do with a bit more work and there are still some anomalies - and, of course, the basic premise of short shortlists of remedies for complex conditions remains debatable when one practitioner's shortlist can differ so much from another's. Nonetheless, it is certainly one of the more readable texts on the market - Steve's humorous quips brighten up the medical science and pathology, and that information is sound and pitched at the right level. It is easy to see why the book has proved so popular with students.
