Predictive Homeopathy Part I - Theory of Suppression

Recommended for students and practitioners, this easy to read text deepens one's understanding of Hering's "Law of Cure" and facilitates the second prescription.

• Author: Prafull Vijayakar
• ISBN: No ISBN
• 150 pages
• Paperback
• Published in 2010
• Printed in India

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Homeopathy. Reviewed by Russell Swift.

We hope to rectify all that is wrong in the Homeopathic clan!" This is the rallying Cry of Dr Prafull Vijayakar in his book, Predictive Homeopathy Part I - Theory of Suppression. When I first saw the publicity for this book, I was sure I did not want to read it. With phrases like "homeopathic drugs can also suppress," and "the concept of disease progression through seven layers of suppression," and "interpretation of symptomatology on the basis of embryology," I was certain that it would be dull and depressing. All I needed was to find out that the patients that I thought were doing well were actually being suppressed. No, thanks! So I ordered some other books and went on with my life. As fate would have it, when my purchase arrived, a copy of Theory of Suppression was included by "accident." I took the universe's not-so-subtle hint and read the book.

Dr Vijayakar has several clear objectives:

1) to dispel the notion that homeopathic remedies are harmless and cannot suppress

2) to provide an objective yardstick by which to measure the results of homeopathic treatment through a better understanding of Hering's Law of Cure

3) to bridge the gap between homeopathic principles and modern science

4) to remove uncertainty, making selection of the correct remedy consistent and repeatable

5) to unify the disparate "sects" of homeopaths.

All of these must be achieved according to Hahnemann's fundamental principles.

Dr Vijayakar wastes no time in getting to the point. He begins by raising the question, "What is a Homeopathic result?" With the aid of an example, he discusses the importance of a patient's "desire to work' and " stamina" returning. Subsequent chapters go into detail on the topics of suppression and direction of cure.

In Chapter three, "Direction of Cure," Dr Vijayakar does for Hering's Law of Cure what Einstein did for physics. Through in-depth studies of physiology and embryology, Dr Vijayakar has discovered that there are four animal growth axes. They are responsible for the directions of growth and development of an embryo and maintenance of health throughout life. He found that these axes correlate with the directions of cure enumerated by Constantine Hering, that is: from above down, from inside out, from center to periphery, and from more important to less important. (Hering's Law also includes: in the reverse order of appearance.) Since nutrients flow into tissues and toxins flow out via these axes, healing must occur in that direction. The difficulty homeopaths have had is understanding how to apply Hering's Law in each patient. Which corollary applies in a particular case? What if the most recent symptom is on the patient's foot, should this symptom disappear first or last?

Chapter four, "Seven Layers of Suppression," comes to the rescue. According to Dr Vijayakar, these questions are readily answered by embryology. The seven layers of suppression are based upon the tissue type from which a particular organ is derived: endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm, neuro-ectoderm or neural crest. Using this model, it is easy to determine in which direction a patient is moving. If symptoms in layer one disappear, but subsequently symptoms in layer three appear (a deeper layer), the patient was suppressed. If on the other hand, layer five symptoms disappear and layer four symptoms aggravate or an old layer three symptom reappears, the patient is heading in the right direction. Within each layer, a hierarchy of tissues also exists. In layer two, for example, the digestive tract is deeper than the respiratory tract. With this information, Hering's Law becomes simple to apply in virtually every patient. Dr Vijayakar believes that the correct remedy is what he calls the "Genetic Constitutional Similimum." A discussion of genes and their functions as well as the pitfalls of "Emotional Prescribing" precede a detailed discussion of this topic. The Genetic Constitutional Similimum places emphasis on the innate nature of an individual-physical build, will, reactive emotions, sensitivities and attachments. To quote Dr Vijayakar, "I for one have had experience with lots of different prescribing concepts in the last 25 years. Hering's Law coming alive in 'each and every case' I started seeing only when I switched over to genetic constitutional prescribing."

The Theory of Suppression's 150 pages are filled with illustrative examples. The book is direct and to the point. With so many books being published on fanciful theories and interesting ideas, it is refreshing to see a perspective that is based on hard facts. Theory of Suppression is not without faults. The major problem is the difficulty in reading it. It is rife with the typographical errors, grammatical problems, and poor structure one might expect when publishing occurs in a non-English- speaking country. Early in the book, Dr Vijayakar states, "The right constitutional similimum can never be struck until they (homeopaths) apply the cardinal principles rigidly." Nowhere in the book are the "cardinal principles" delineated. I also had difficulty understanding the information on neurotransmitters and how they and the emotions they produce fit into the seven-layer model. Footnotes, bibliography or some listing of sources would be a welcome addition.

Despite these flaws, I believe Theory of Suppression is perhaps one of the most important contributions to homeopathic literature and philosophy in the past 70 80 years. I believe Dr Vijayakar's work has the potential to "rectify all that is wrong in the Homeopathic clan" if we have the guts to read it.

Homeopathy Today - February 2002, Volume 22, Number 2. Reviewed by David Witko

Sometimes it is easy to be seduced by the latest works from our homeopathic teachers. The latest theories, the newest ideas offer tantalising visions of suddenly being able to find the ,right remedy'. Several months later comes the day of recognition, the frustration that things are, as ever, not as simple as hoped for.

Occasionally a book floats into your life that seems genuinely well timed. One that addresses an issue you have been thinking about for some time. So it was when I received the Theory of Suppression by Dr Vijayakar, from Mumbai, India.

I was immediately drawn into reading a book where the author freely confessed his case failures right at the outset! An example was presented, of how an initial prescription seemed to alleviate the presenting complaint (with the parents of the suffering child
very happy). What followed, however, was a steady deterioration over time in the general health and well being of the child, which led Dr Vijayakar to conclude that the homeopathic treatment he'd prescribed had insidiously suppressed the child's vital force, hence causing the problems to worsen. This tempted me to read further. it is rare for any homeopath to admit that : -
a) They have made a mistake with grim consequences.
b) That homeopathy can suppress as well as cure.

The author goes on to explain how this experience, and others like it, caused him to seriously re-evaluate both his own practice, and also homeopathy itself.

Questions are provoked when reading this book. How do we really know our prescriptions are moving the patient in the right direction? Do we have any idea if the remedy we gave made things worse? Do we still cling to the belief that if the patient 'feels better' or has a 'little more energy' then things must be moving well? (even if we see no actual improvement in their symptoms?)

After stimulating thought on these matters Dr Vijayakar then presents the results of his own deliberations and practice. Delightfully, he finds common ground with our old friend Constantine Hering. You know ... Hering's Laws on the Direction of Cure? Now don't stop reading! I realise it has become fashionable for homeopaths to proclaim that these principles of Hering's are not very useful in everyday practice, but surely it can do no harm to remind ourselves that, according to Hering, cure should proceed:-

From important organs to less important organs.
From above downwards.
From centre to periphery.
From the inside to the outside.

Dr Vijayakar takes Hering's Laws, and he applies them in a thoroughly appealing, modern way, based on insights gained from the science of embryology.

Essentially, and in outline, (you do need to buy and read the book yourself!) he charts the development of the human embryo in seven stages, from the cells and mind to the neural plate, neuro-endocrine system, mesoderm, connective tissues, endoderm, and its eventual completion at the ectoderm. All of the organs of the body derive from these seven layers of development. To illustrate, the GI tract is formed as part of the endoderm, whilst the kidneys were formed earlier in the mesoderm.

Vijayakar reasons that as natural embryonic growth progresses from the inside to the outside (even our bones develop this way), disease and ill-health will inevitably move in the reverse direction, i.e. from the outside (in Hering-speak) to the inside. From the ectoderm to the endoderm. From the endoderm to the mesoderm. Deeper and deeper. So if you know which parts of the body are associated with each level you can clearly see the progression of disease.

The converse could also be true: - giving a good remedy should move disease from its deepest level outwards. If, on careful observation, the direction of disease is to deeper levels, then any remedy given may have been suppressive, rather than curative. it therefore follows that a homeopath, armed with this knowledge, could learn to expect (Prafull's term is "to predict", hence the title) what is likely to occur.

Prafull asks us some very direct questions. For example, "A patient presents with GI problems, (e.g. stomach disturbances, hyperacidity and so on) so you give the indicated remedy. Later they return and their stomach problems are much improved - but on investigation they report that they occasionally now have tingling in the hands - is this good or bad?" Is this a case of the problem moving from the interior to the exterior (which would be good) or more important organ to lesser important organ (which would also be good)? Or this a bad sign? Has the problem moved form the Stomach to the Nervous System?

Another example: an asthmatic patient receives treatment, and reports that their 'allergic' sneezing has disappeared, but they still have breathlessness on exertion. Good or bad?

He tempts you to think: is the direction of cure from inner to outer? Is an Ankle joint problem a better part to be affected than the Stomach? Is this from within to without? Is it from above to below? Is it from a more important organ to a lesser important organ? And so on. Throughout, he relates these questions to embryology - which represents the facts of how every human body develops in the womb.

Later parts of the book weave miasmatic thinking into this process. Prafull believes very strongly that there are only the classic three miasmatic types, He teaches that each miasm causes different afflictions to the same human organs. For example, if problems are centred on the level of the endoderm, then a patient will have GI problems. If the patient is psoric, then the problem may well be expressed as 'acidity', 'diarrhoea', 'gastritis' and so on. If the patient is sycotic then the problems will be expressed as gallstones, polyps and so on. Charts are provided in the book, for the purpose of giving guidance in this difficult territory. The relation of organs to embryonic layers, and through to miasms, provides a way to more deeply assess the progression of both disease and cure.

Suffice to say that after reading this book, I felt that this approach offers something of practical interest to most homeopaths. This isn't a book about 'finding the right remedy', or about provings, or the latest materia medica, or the latest interpretation of Aphorism 999 of the Organon (welcome though these subjects are). Rather, this is a book to help you as certain whether you are moving your patients towards cure, or whether things are actually getting worse. It aims to remove the uncertainty that surrounds your assessment of the patient's response to a prescription.

Although not too well known over here, Dr Vijayakar is a renowned homeopath in Mumbai, India, with a thriving clinic and school. He has lectured widely, although never here in the UK (maybe someone will address this in due course).

As in all things, his ideas and theories have to be put into practice. The book raises many questions that require answers. Fortunately there are 3 more parts to this series: - Part 2 is the Theory of Acutes (already released and available), Part 3 is the Theory of Miasms, with the final part reflecting the author's ideas on chronic disease. If the other parts are as interesting as the Theory of Suppression then I, for one, will be delighted!

A final word. This book has several typographical errors and other irritants. Don't let that prevent you from focusing on what is really important. The real question is - has Dr Prafull Vijayakar refined his principles into a reliable, easily understood approach? Only you can decide. Buy this book, read it carefully, apply it. Share with us your findings.