NEW EDITION PUBLISHED IN 2021
Sets out a practical basis for the treatment of eczema within the context of classical homoeopathy.
Every homeopath will tell you about the difficulties of treating eczema and Robin Logan is not pretending otherwise. Accordingly, his book is not a recipe book but a serious study guide, in which he locates our difficulties not in the condition, but in the way we approach it. The book is an invitation for a true holistic approach, which he defines as not only being "the need to heal mind, body, and spirit... but additionally perceive the inter-relatedness of all aspects of the person and seek to make connections between seemingly disparate signs and symptoms."
Eczema is one of the most commonly encountered conditions in everyday practice and can pose difficult and perplexing problems for the homoeopath. This book sets out a practical basis for its treatment within the context of classical homoeopathy.
The author begins by defining the condition by reference to its conventional treatment, since most patients will have taken this route first and are likely to be familiar with the terminology of their diagnosis and the pharmaceutical preparations they have received.
He then describes techniques of case-taking that are particularly appropriate to eczema. This is followed by a full discussion of case analysis, including the relevance of particulars in the hierarchy of symptoms and the subject of one-sided cases, or cases with few other symptoms, with a view to helping the reader to increase his or her own understanding of the issues involved. Further chapters cover all aspects of case management, among them suppression, aggravation, potency, repetition of the dose, adjunctive measures and common-sense advice. The overall discussion is supported by twenty-two case histories.
The book concludes with a compact materia medica of forty-two remedies which the author has found to be of value in his own experience, studied under the headings of their characteristic physical, mental and general symptoms. There is a general index, a remedy index and a rubric index.
Robin Logan qualified at the College of Homoeopathy in London in 1984 and was registered with the Society of Homoeopaths in 1986. He was elected a Fellow in 1996 and is a past editor of the Society's journal, The Homoeopath. He practises in Surrey, Sussex and London.
- Author: Robin Logan
- ISBN: 9783955822477
- 168 pages
- Paperback
- Published in 2021
- Printed in Germany
Reprinted with the permission of The Society of Homeopaths, from 'The Homeopath' magazine, Autumn 1998 edition. Reviewed by Miranda Castro.
At last a book on homoeopathic therapeutics that takes the whole homoeopath into account!
I must admit that my heart sank a little when I saw the title - I am tired of books on homoeopathic therapeutics that lead the conscientious homeopath off track. And then my heart lifted when I saw who had authored it and I was not disappointed. This is not a recipe book - you cannot become an expert at curing eczema simply by dipping into this book. This is a serious study guide for those interested in treating people who have eczema. Robin explains the principles of constitutional, classical prescribing - succinctly and efficiently. This in itself is a tall order.
It is finely produced by Beaconsfield Publishers. I love seeing their books on my shelf in their trademark burgundy and navy blue and racing green colours. They are thoughtfully edited and their design is always pleasing. John Churchill (head honcho) has a knack of picking books that immediately become classics for the serious student of homoeopathy and the homoeopathic practitioner. This is one of those.
The Homoeopathic Treatment of Eczema describes the whole homoeopathic picture... as it relates to the treatment of eczema. Robin manages to convey the complexity of the homoeopathic process while at the same time breaking it down into many of its component parts in a way that is accessible.
The parts included are as follows:
A brief run down of the orthodox medical definitions of the various types of eczema and related skin conditions, as well as the conventional medical treatments. Some common rubrics are included here, although these are rather scanty in places. I particularly appreciated Robin's comments about collaborating with a patient's GP.
Case-taking of the eczema-tous patient. This chapter helps to focus the practitioner on the information needed to be able to go to the next step. It has useful advice for the student homoeopath and timely reminders for the experienced practitioner.
Case analysis. This chapter includes an invaluable discussion of characteristic symptoms as well as a wide range of cases to demonstrate the different types of patient and to encourage flexibility in analysis and remedy selection. The cases are mostly fairly brief and I felt somewhat envious of the clarity and simplicity of some of them.
Reasons for failure comes next and it is a short chapter that discusses some common scenarios with failed cases. Robin includes three of his own.
Case management logically follows, with advice about potency and aggravations as well as the practical management of the eruptions with external creams etc. This section is oddly brief and the adjunctive measures such as diet are addressed rather skimpily.
The last section of the book, and the largest (one third of the book), is taken up with a Materia Medica of forty-two remedies. Each one lists the characteristic symptoms of the skin and itch symptoms as well as a short list of characteristic mental and most useful general symptoms.
The pictures are keynote reminders and are well sketched. I was delighted to see a large number of so-called small remedies listed, with clear descriptions given. This is not a complete Materia Medica and I assume that those using it will not mistake of trying to fit their patient into one of the forty-two remedies listed. I can think of a couple of patients of my own whose eczema cleared up with remedies not given here. However, it is useful to have the strong symptoms listed in one place, and I will have to keep the book to hand to refer to with future patients suffering from eczema!
The last few pages are given over to the doctrine of signatures and describe a whole remedy....not a remedy for eczema either...to remind the reader that the homoeopathic process is more than the sum of its parts. To finish by putting us back in touch without art. How lovely.
Finally, this book has more indexes than you usually get. There are three in total: a general index, a remedy index and a separate index for rubrics. The first two work well but I couldn't make much sense of this last index (which masquerades as a mini-repertory). This may be the book's weakest point (a very small weakness considering its considerable overall strengths). It includes a few of the symptoms from the Materia Medica and some from remedies mentioned throughout the text, but is not complete.
The Homoeopathic Treatment of Eczema will be useful to students and practitioners alike. Robin's common sense is sprinkled throughout and, as an added bonus, his unique, characteristic and gentle touch shines through and makes it more than your average textbook. I can only hope that it sets a precedent for all future works on homoeopathic therapeutics.
