Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy (Homoeopathic Philosophy and Repertorization)

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The first edition of this book, published in 1967, was a masterpiece of clarity with respect to the basic concepts and principles of Homoeopathy. Although the format and presentation have seen many changes in the subsequent editions, the author’s original vision and objectives remain.

This fourth edition, the first International edition, has been completely updated and revised. New information has been added with respect to the ‘Study of Homoeopathic therapeutics’ including Angina Pectoris, Myocardial Ischaemia, Haemorrhoids, etc and ‘How to study Homoeopathic Materia Medica’ with reference to Phosphorus and Mercury.

Dr Mitrachandra L. Dhawle (1927-1987) was an eminent M. D. In Medicine who was converted to Homoeopathy after his perforated appendix was settled under the expert Homoeopathy care of his father, Dr L D Dhawale, who was himself an allopathic physician and a self-taught Homoeopath. He completed his Homoeopathic medical education and training under his father.

He was the ex-principal of the Bombay Homoeopathic Medical College and a member of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Homoeopathy. He was an eminent physician, the spirit behind the celebrated ‘ICR Symposium Volumes’ and an author of many books such as ‘Perceiving1’, ‘Life & Living etc.

The first edition of Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy:

Volume 1: Homoeopathic Philosophy, & Repertorization, released in 1967, represents what the author could learn in the first twelve years (1952-1964) of Homoeopathic Practice under the guidance provided by the Late Dr. L. D. Dhawale and the Learners who attended the annual Lecture Programmes at the Homoeopathic Post -Graduate Association since 1957. The excellent pedagogical approach leaves hardly anything to be desired in the structural organisation and the formal presentation of Homoeopathy to learners keen on acquiring functional competence in Homoeopathic Practice. The book has thus become a classic in Homoeopathy which no serious student of Homoeopathy can afford to ignore.

Over the past twenty years, now, a full generation of Learners as well as patients have been doing their best to maintain the author in the vanguard of the Advancing Frontiers of Homoeopathy. With such a strong push from behind, the most indolent are bound to discover themselves in regions characterised by poor orientation in Time and Space. Such regions are most helpful in drawing out of Man: the Scientist as well as the Artist who, ordinarily, remain submerged, unknown. The Philosopher in Man is able to reflect on the new creations effected through Method and controlled imagination and discover the Principles that assure effective Practice.

An Individual born in a set-up with certain traditions of excellence in the performance of Duty, irrespective of the costs, readily evolves a characteristic Sensitivity to Values that direct his Intent in a strong manner towards the modification of Circumstance to suit the establishment as well as the effective maintenance of these Values which he regards as priceless. This mode of functioning, over a period of time, delivers to the Individual a Sensibility of an order not commonly found in the Community in which he lives. This state of the Mind allows him to envisage the Reality in a manner which we can describe as super-ordinary. It permits him the luxury of Action in total alignment with his interpretations in respect of the Circumstance observable. All this puts him in the extreme right zone of our 'Standard Curve: The experiences he reports and the mode of effective functioning he describes, few are able to share. Consequently, he gets into intense conflict with the establishment (the Normal range in our Statistical distribution of qualities/ quantities). The common mode of 'effective compromise: his evolved moral sense rejects outright. It demands of him leading a life in isolation (relatively speaking) with inadequate material facilities for the prosecution of his work. General experience indicates that priceless stores of knowledge lay themselves open to Man under such difficult conditions when he persists in his Path despite the obstacles put in his way. Such Knowledge Man feels duty bound to reveal to his brothers in as clear a manner as possible. The newer generation finds it easier to accept these 'newer knowledges’ on account of their increased susceptibilities to 'Evidence: remotely situated as they are to emotive conflicts.

The 'Discoveries' over the past twenty years have been mere logical extensions of the Structural Representation of Homoeopathy presented in 1967. They, therefore, do not merit to disturb that balanced presentation.

The Second Edition, therefore, is presented in two Parts:

Part I: Re-issue of the First Edition (1967) with minor corrections.

Part II: Advancing Frontiers.

Part II is a Methodical Extension of the Logical Scheme of Part I:

l. Chapter 1: This can be read conveniently by those with some experience of Scientific Homoeopathic Practice immediately after concluding Chapter 4 of Part 1.

2. Chapter 2: This can be profitably read after one has grasped well Chapters 5 to 11 and their practical application as revealed in Chapters 12 and 13 of Part 1.

3. Chapters 3, 4 and 5: These make a block which can be understood best in the light of the presentation of Susceptibility in Chapter 14 of Part 1. Presentation of Remedy-Reaction in Chapter 15 and Homoeopathic Posology in Chapter 16 of Part I would appear essential for the in-depth grasp of the Concept and Practice of Planning and Programming of Homoeopathic Treatment which is presented in these Chapters in Part II.

4. Chapters 6 and 7: These can best be read after the effective conclusion of Part I

Part II is based on the Homoeopathic Practice conducted as per the Standardized Case Record System as practised at the Institute of Clinical Research, Bombay, since 1975. It is also structured on the Concept and Practice of 'Integrated Evolutionary Hahnemannian Totality' as presented in the I.C.R. Symposium Volume (1978). Life Space Study Approach has been presented in detail in: (i) The LC.R. Operational Manual, 1980, (ii) Life and Living, 1981 and (iii) Perceiving 1, 1983. Various books in the Series: I.C.R. Educational Practice: are recommended for an in-depth understanding of Part II.

The Reader is well-advised to go through the 'Recommended Readings' at the end of each Chapter. These will equip him to achieve an understanding in depth, which otherwise will elude him.

Part I is profusely illustrated with Case Material to permit a thorough grasp of the right manner of the application of the Principles of Repertorization to the evolution of the right Totality with its differential correspondences of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica. This was found essential as the existing Literature on the subject with its wide dissemination was spreading grossly erroneous practices.

Part II assumes of the Reader a reasonable grasp of Part L The author has not been exactly inactive the past intervening twenty years. During this period he has tried his best to maintain effective contact with the Homoeopathic World through the various I.C.R. Publications and articles in the Hahnemannian Gleanings (Calcutta). The latter have been subsequently reissued in: PERCEIVING 1. These Publications take the Reader straight into the active field of Homoeopathic Practice and this, quite often, bewilders the usual Homoeopath, inadequately conversant with the Concepts propagated by the Master and his faithful followers.

Part II, like Part I, delivers a remote aerial view of the ground so that the Plan becomes apparent through the connected, closely knit presentation of the Conceptual' Frame. The reader is requested to accept this on Faith, reserving his final judgement till he goes through the illustrative Case Material that is often delivered at the end of the Chapter or in the Appendix; thereafter, he is requested to go through the various LC.R. Publications' which are cited as relevant to the Theme and it is hoped, the claims made would now find ready acceptance on the general grounds of Evidence.

From this, it will become apparent that Part II is not a mere repetition of what has already preceded. But, it is a new presentation specially designed to facilitate the complete integrated grasp of Homoeopathic Scientific Practice as it is currently getting evolved at the LC.R., Bombay. It, therefore, makes essential Reading for all who desire to operate at the 'Frontiers of Knowledge' and deliver the best available to their patients.

Both the Parts are being issued separately to suit the convenience of those who possess the first edition issued in 1967.

Since the Second Edition is released during the Birth Centenary Celebrations of Dr. Laxman Diwakar Dhawale (1984-1960), we are announcing it as 'Dr. L. D. Dhawale Memorial Edition'. A low cost student Edition of the same is being brought out and offered directly to bona fide students of Medical Colleges in India. They are requested to apply on the prescribed forms obtainable with the Publishers.

Part II: Advancing Frontiers: would have been impossible but for the rapid evolution of LC.R. Standardized Case Record System and the regular Training Programme with its accent on Clinical Functioning of Learners as Primary Physicians and Clinical Supervisors with the role of an 'absentee' Consulting Physician forced by this Circumstance on the author. It is, therefore, dedicated to the Learners: Past, Present and Future, who have contrived to maintain the author young enough to be a source of trouble to all!

I consider it a great privilege and pleasure to commend to all those who are interested in Homoeopathy this unique Course on 'Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy' which has grown out of the Annual Lectures Series conducted by our Association since 1957. It has, therefore, the advantages of multiple authorship without its weaknesses since it has been planned and executed by one amongst us.

The author, Dr. M. L. Dhawale, M.D., First Vice-President of our Association, was closely associated in. professional capacity with the Late Dr. L. D. Dhawale, B.A., M.D., the Founder of the Association. He has been largely responsible for the planning and execution of the Annual Lecture Series. He is also the co-author with the Late Dr. L. D. Dhawale of a comprehensive book in Marathi on Homoeopathy (Samachikitsa Shastra: Tatvaddhyan Va Paddhati).

This volume on 'Homoeopathic Philosophy and Repertorization' presents a lucid modern interpretation on strictly scientific lines, of the principles that underlie the practice of Homoeopathic medicine. The author has brought out in a masterly manner the remarkable precision with which the Similimum is selected and administered in Homoeopathic practice. One is finally left with the conviction that there are really no miracles in Homoeopathy. The so-called miracle-cures in Homoeopathic practice represent rather the acme of accurate scientific Homoeopathic prescribing which cannot but lead to a cure. This therapeutic certainty and accurate clinical prognostication, immediate as well as remote, distinguish the practice of Homoeopathy from the practice of other systems of therapeutics.

The Course is based on the premise that a thorough grasp of the principles that govern the selection and administration of the Similimum is essential if the physician is to practice Homoeopathy with confidence and certitude. Either one knows the principles or one does not; one cannot claim' to know them in parts! But, a partial knowledge of a drug is quite conceivable. Similarly, one can conceive of degrees of technical proficiency in the application of the principles to practice. These attitudes are fully reflected in this Course.

We aspire to develop in the student the right type of attitude to enable him to study critically the vast Homoeopathic literature that is available. Our experience indicates that continued progress and proficiency are assured once this critical faculty is released through a planned programme of re-education.

We have had to turn down many enquiries in the past for the Course of Annual Lectures in print. We are happy to publish the first volume of this Course as our humble tribute to the memory of the Founder of our Association.

It is a great privilege for me to write a foreword to this magnum opus - Dr. M. L. Dhawales remarkable "Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy- Part I". The book has been a beacon to many students and practitioners alike for more than 50 years - guiding them with sure signposts on their journey to understand homoeopathy from the perspective of modern developments in Medicine. It is indeed a revelation of the sagacity and foresight of the late Dr. Dhawale, that even after half a century of progress in Medical science, the book still remains as relevant to understanding homoeopathy as a Science and an Art.

This book has provided a foundation stone to my understanding of homoeopathy which has been nurtured right from the early stage of my learning of homoeopathy.

Dr. M. L. Dhawale was a reputed clinician of yesteryears. He was also a master educator who knew how to delve into the depths of the mind of the learner of homoeopathy and locate where the difficulties lay. Some of the chapters of the book have always struck me as very original. The one on Case Receiving which introduces this concept in a very grounded way; the chapter on Susceptibility which integrates the various points of view prevalent to date and then makes a bold connection with the concept of immunity; or the revolutionary chapter on the Conceptual Image which brings together the philosophical approaches of stalwarts from Boennighausen to Boger and presents a grand sweep of their philosophy reduced to operational considerations.

What also speaks of Dr. Dhawale's wonderful anticipation is his attention to the detailed evidence he presents through the well-documented case material - the 'evidence base' that we speak of today was so very clear to him more than 50 years ago. It is no wonder that the Book has stood the test of time and it is hard to think of a competitor in the field.

The dream envisioned in this book of standardized homoeopathy for the underprivileged is now getting realized. Most respected Dr. K. M. Dhawale and his team are doing yeoman service which is exemplary for all through the Dr. M. L. Dhawale Memorial Trust. I congratulate them for this great dedication to the Homoeopaths around the world.

I am glad that the selfless spirit of Dr. M. L. Dhawale Memorial Trust has decided to work with B. lain Publishers, a giant in the homoeopathic publishing field, in reaching this much-valued publication to all parts of the homoeopathic world. Dr. Dhawale's work ought to be known and I can think' of no other organization than B. lain who would do the job in an excellent way which the late Dr. Dhawale would have appreciated. My compliments to Shri Kuldeep lain for this venture. We foresee that excellence in academic organization of Dr. M. L. Dhawale Trust and excellence of publication skill in B lain Publishing Pvt Ltd will bring forth many valuable fruits in the lap of homoeopaths desirous of knowledge of the Science and the Art of Homoeopathy.

This Course on the 'Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy' is the outcome of the efforts we have been collectively putting in since 1957 to make available to a serious student of Homoeopathy, guidance in a systematised form that should enable him to obtain the maximum return on the time and effort he is prepared to invest in the study of this challenging field of human endeavour. The practice of medicine though based on scientific precepts and disciplines is essentially an art. Man has been striving hard all along for a scientific understanding of Nature and her Laws so as to satisfy his fundamental urge to move from uncertainty to certainty, thus reducing considerably the load of anxiety he is destined to bear for all time.

In the field of medicine, this anxiety can be quite unnerving as no fixed principles to guide the physician unmistakably in the cure of the ailing have yet been evolved. It was the genius of Hahnemann that furnished us, for the first time, with a set of general principles that led to the evolution of a system of scientific constitutional drug-therapeutics known as Homoeopathy. Hahnemann's Organon represents to us, therefore, a perfectly logical evolution of the fundamental principles that govern the scientific practice of Homoeopathy to this day.

Way back in September 1945 I was enjoying a forced respite from the gruelling study of Anatomy and Physiology while convalescing from a severe attack of Appendicitis that ended up with a burst appendix which localised under the expert Homoeopathic ministration of my father. I had then very little to occupy my mind with and ventured to ask of my father if I could pick up the Organon from his library and read it. 'You may' was the ready reply. I believe, now, that he must have deliberately left out the words 'if you understand'! The precise use of words, the exact qualifications and the close reasoning which compel the reader, whether he likes or .not, to accept the point Hahnemann is making, held me spell-bound. I must admit I found the language quite taxing and the involved construction, rather galling. Whenever I turned to my father for any ready help, he would brush me off with the remark "surely, by this time, you must be good at understanding English! Read again, more carefully:' That was my first introduction to Homoeopathy and it has left on me a lasting impression.

Later, I was introduced to other books on the principles, the same hard way. While going through these I always felt Hahnemann was much simpler as he was embroiled the least in empty speculation, and that each author has tried to impose himself on Hahnemann to some extent, only to succeed in making things more difficult! When we revived the Lecture Series in the year 1957, I suggested to my father that we should re-organise the presentation of the topic of Homoeopathic Philosophy so as to make it simpler. He stated that in his opinion a student has to have some Text-Book and that Roberts was the only one he could recommend at the moment and, therefore, he had planned his course of lectures as a commentary on Roberts which many students found difficult to follow unaided. He suggested that if I had a mind to plan afresh I could do so when the opportunity presented itself as he had a mind to retire soon on account of the poor health he had been keeping of late.

I had the opportunity of planning the Course of Lectures on Principles and Repertorization since 1959 and the new approach found ready acceptance amongst the students. I was happy to introduce modifications time and again in the light of the teaching experience we were fortunate to accumulate over the past many years and the illuminating discussions we had amongst the Lecturers. The present Course, therefore, represents a mature distillate to which all have contributed.

While planning the Course I have tried to keep before me the strictly logical evolution of the subject, an adequate link-up between the chapters, a purposeful classification and the direction from the known to the unknown, as my guiding principles. In other words, all the well-known devices that aid a student in grasping and remembering the topic under discussion have been freely employed. I have avoided the use of technical jargon in order to make it easy for an intelligent layman to follow the Course.

I have been fortunate in being able to hand over the Manuscript to a number of friends, both within the profession and without, and their criticism has, in general, taken two forms:

(i) The strictly logical form of the presentation of the subject demands continued concentration which is fatiguing. A historical evolution of the topic, by contrast, might have been less taxing.

(ii) Things have been made to appear more simple than they actually are! I plead guilty to both these charges! If these be sins, then they are of commission and for these I claim full responsibility.

The present Course represents the type of book I wished I had when I commenced my study of Homoeopathy. Had such a book existed then, I am sure, I would have been spared much hard labour and the long year of professional apprenticeship with my father. I could afford this luxury as I was born with what a Member of the Association once called 'a Homoeopathic spoon in my mouth'. But, few can rely on Providence to that extent. Hence, the necessity of tested and time-saving methods of study as represented by this Course.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend, Dr. G. S. Bedagkar, M.A., PH.D., Professor of English, Rajaram College, Kolhapur, for his extremely helpful and valuable suggestions in respect of the Manuscript which he revised and caused to be revised! His knowledge of Homoeopathy fitted him best for the task of a critic, which at best is a thankless one! I am indeed grateful to him for not pulling his punches in a misplaced attempt of pleasing me!

The Manuscript has been now hibernating for over a year. This has enabled me to make a few additions and revisions which have improved the utility considerably. I have deliberately avoided theoretical discussions and explanations as they detract considerably from the practical utility of the Course. On controversial matters, the differing points of view have been stated while indicating my preferences distinctly.

The Course has been planned in three Volumes:

Volume I - Homoeopathic Philosophy and Repertorization

Volume II - Homoeopathic Materia Medica

Volume III - Management in Homoeopathic Practice

The first volume, no doubt, represents the most important aspect of Homoeopathic practice. To the best of my knowledge, a similar logical evolution of the subject in a simple manner has not been undertaken so far. Volumes 11 and Ill, by contrast, have not been planned as comprehensive books; they present a point of view which a good student of Homoeopathy will have to cultivate if he were to study Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Therapeutics in an intelligent manner, deriving the maximum benefit from such a study. Fortunately, many good books are available on these subjects and can be utilised more efficiently once this attitude is developed by the student.

The study of Homoeopathy lasts a life-time; one can never know too much of it! This Course is expected to indicate to the prospective Homoeopathic physician the best line of enquiry to pursue. It does not aim at supplanting the several good books that are already available. In order to facilitate further study, a classified List of Recommended Reading Material has been appended.

Many Homoeopathic physicians have successfully treated patients through correspondence. Appendix A presents our views on this aspect of Homoeopathic practice and also our experiences.

The Session of the International Homoeopathic Congress at New Delhi this year gave us an opportunity of presenting to the Homoeopathic profession our views and experiences on the subject of 'Post-Graduate Teaching in Homoeopathy'. I have to thank Dr. Diwan Harish Ch and, M.B., M.F.HOM.(LOND.), President of the Congress, for allowing us to incorporate these three Papers in the Appendix B. We should recommend the reader to go through these Papers first, especially the one dealing with the exposition of Homoeopathic Philosophy and Repertorization, as this will facilitate considerably the systematic study of the present volume.

I have also to thank Shri N. M. Kelkar, B.A., Artist, for permitting us to reproduce the portrait of the Late Dr. L. D. Dhawale so ably executed by him in the year 1960. Thanks are also due to Shri H. S. Dhargalkar who handled the technical side effectively to ensure a faithful reproduction of the original. Finally, I have to record my deep appreciation of the high standard of book -designing and production for which timely assistance was given by Shri Mohan Shirali and Shri Krishna Kurwar of M/ s. Mohan Mudranalaya. But for their co-operation this book would not have been released in time for the International Homoeopathic Congress. Thanks are also due to Shri S. T. Mali, Artist, who designed the dust-jacket and Shri N. G. Godse, Artist, who prepared the charts in the text at short notice. I am deeply grateful to them.

One can never claim the last word in a Course of this type. There will always be scope for further improvement. Suggestions, therefore, will be cordially welcomed.