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trying to maintain its function, while the reduced renal perfusion results in secondary aldosteronism and hence salt and water retention; thus aggravating the situation.

C O N C L U S I O N S

The above discussion does of course contain a large speculative element. I t is very difficult to elucidate, even with the most advanced biochemical and endo- erinological techniques, minor variations in physiological functions. I t is even more difficult to prove that giving a homceopathic remedy alters these processes. Nevertheless this approach may provide another way of looking at the homceopathic materia medica. Most of the materia medica as found in the standard text books is presented either in a somewhat disorganized anecdotal form or by anatomical systems or in drug pictures. All of these methods have some value but in general fail to convey, and bring together in a coherent form, the underlying "spiri t" of the drug, the toxicological data and the relationship of the remedy to pathophysiology.

I feel therefore tha t we should begin to consider the remedies from three viewpoints. Firstly the toxicology of the remedies, the provings. I t may be Useful to extract the observed provings from the hearsay. Secondly a general philosophical approach to underlying themes running through groups of remedies, plant families, organ remedies and related elements. Finally I feel we should combine these two approaches and consider them in relation to what is currently known about physiology and pathology. We need therefore, a new approach to the materia medica founded on Pharmacology, Philosophy and Physiology.

May 1976 Intensive Course

The May Intensive Course was held from 10 to 14 May at the Royal London Homceopathic Hospital, with a few sessions in Hahnemann House and visits to Nelson's Pharmacy on Thursday and the Chelsea Physic Garden on Friday a f t e r n o o n .

Geriatrics and Chronic Disease were the subjects tha t were concentrated upon during this course and on Monday the day began with Dr. Mackellar's introductory film followed by a talk from Dr. S. M. Semple. After a break for coffee Dr. Blackie spoke on Constitutional Types and gave very good drug pictures of Calc. carb., Lycopodium and Natrum tour. She was followed by Dr. F. Johnson who spoke about the problems encountered when considering the second prescription and then after lunch Dr. F. H. Bodman gave the second of his talks on The Background to Virus Infection. This came as a sequel to his first lecture on Virus Infection which he delivered during the short course last February. This t ime he dealt with the homceopathic remedies found most useful in infectious diseases. At 3 p.m. Dr. Mackellar presented one of his patients

MAY 1 9 7 6 I N T E N S I V E COURSE 205

from Scotland and invited Dr. Askew to take the ease history. After he had done so there followed an interesting discussion, doctors being asked to partici- pate with suggestions as to the correct homceopathic remedy. Dr. Askew con- tinued to speak on Principles and Practice in Homceopathie Prescribing and then after tea Miss N. Walters, M.P.S., gave a brief talk on Homceopathie Pharmacy.

In the evening a fork supper was held by Dr. Blackie, the Dean, at her practice in Kensington.

On Tuesday morning Drs. Mount, Burger and Askew held clinical sessions in the children's O.P.D. and after a break for coffee this continued in the adul t O.P.D. with Dr. Johnson and Dr. Priestman. At 12 o'clock Dr. Priestman held a special group for nurses on the course in Hahnemann House.

After a buffet lunch given by the hospital and held in the boardroom, the Dean held a meeting for the Instructors in Hahnemann House and then at 3 p.m. Dr. K. G. Priestman lectured on Hahnemanu 's Concept of Chronic Disease. She was followed by Dr. M. E. Harling who gave an amusing account of her experiences in general practice, entitled Chronic Diseases seen in South Coast G.P. Practices. The day ended with Dr. Askew giving a talk on the Neurotic Patient.

On Wednesday morning clinical ease taking continued with Drs. Mount, Johnson and Mackellar in the Hospital O.P.D. and also with Dr. Blaekie and Dr. Askew in Kensington.

During the afternoon Dr. Askew and Dr. Johnson spoke on Particular Remedies for Patients with Chronic Disease, Dr. Caleott described four of his patients with diabetes and also gave his method of approach when taking a ease history, Drs. Deacon, Mackellar, and Elliot gave case reports in connection with ~eoplastie Disease in General Practice and Dr. Deacon continued with a talk on Materia Mediea in Old Age. After a break for tea Dr. Twentyman con- cluded the lectures for the day with a descriptive drug pieture--Syphilinum.

On Thursday morning Dr. Blaekie, Dr. R. A. F. Jack, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Maekellar led groups in tutorials. After the coffee break, a lecture on Medicine in the 70s, 80s, 90s (age group) was given by Dr. F. A. Binks, M.D., F.R.C.P., Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Edgware General Hospital. He concentrated mainly on the social aspects of the problems of geriatric medicine and expressed the need for greater amenities for the elderly. There followed a discussion led by Dr. Askew during which the question of the role of the doctor in relation to these social problems was gone into. Dr. Jack then spoke on home remedies for the elderly.

In the afternoon there was a visit to Nelson's Pharmacy for the new doctors and for the others there were tutorials led by Dr. Askew and held in the Nurses Home opposite the Hospital.

After tea Dr. R. A. F. Jack gave the faculty lecture. He gave a detailed description of a patient of his suffering from Hypertension and used a great deal of audiovisual material to illustrate his case history.

The day ended with dinner at the Bedford Hotel. On Friday every one gathered in Hahnemann House and Dr. Askew gave

advice on books to read and on prescribing potencies. After the coffee break there was a return to the boardroom where Dr. S. M. Semple spoke about Research in Homceopathy and then after lunch a visit to the Chelsea Physic Garden had been arranged where it was possible to see some of the plants used in homceopathic medicine. A suitable end to another very successful short intensive course.

2 0 6 T H E B R I T I S H H O M ( E O P A T H I C J O U R N A L

Again records were broken in the sale of books and cassettes from the library which was kept tremendously busy during the whole week.

M . O . C .

One week of Homoeopathy A work-study analysis

J O H N M. E N G L I S H , M.B., c r t . n . , M.R.C.G.P. , M.F. HOM.

A survey of work done in the week commencing March 17th 1975 was under- taken by 38 doctors who accepted the invitation to participate. The primary purpose was to determine which are the most common remedies in use, as this might be instrumental in deciding on a numbering system which could be used in computer studies of this and other work. The further information sought might form the s tar t for a series of studies designed to replace clinical impres- sion by substantial fact in homceopathie medicine. I t is an application of the epidemiological method which was shown to be most valuable by the Royal College of General Practitioners. Finally, it was a test to see if there was sufficient support amongst homceopathic doctors for this type of work, and if the method could yield results when used by them. This is believed to be the first time homceopaths have cooperated in research of this kind, except for the collection of case records by Dr. 57. Prat t .

M E T H O D

The initial problem was how to at t ract the greatest possible support from homceopathie doctors. Too little information requested would appear not worth- while, and too much would be forbidding, or impossible to complete accurately in the course of a busy week.

There were two options: the first asked only for the part icipant 's prescribing experience and an entry for each prescription for each remedy during the week of the trial. The second requested in addition age, sex, diagnosis, potency of the remedy and concomitant use of orthodox medicine.

34 of the 38 contributors chose the more detailed programme, which repre- sents about a third of the possible contributors believed to be in clinical homceo- pathic practice. This is a much greater response than is usually obtained when this sort of s tudy is undertaken. Clearly others share the writer's conviction that it is vital for us to explore any modern research method which can be used effectively and without distortion of either Homoeopathy or the doctor-patient relationship.

Based on a paper read to the British Homceopathlc Congress at Stirllng on 12 September 1975