210 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

THE FACULTY OF HOM(EOPATHY ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

THE STATE OF HOMCEOPATHY IN POST-WAR EUROPE

A SPECIAL MEETING was held at the London Homceopathie Hospital, Great Ormond Street, W.C.1, on Thursday, June 26th, 1947, at which the National Vice-Presidents of the International Homceopathic League reported on the state of Homceopathy in their respective countries. Dr. W. LEES TEMPLETON, Vice-President, was in the chair.

The CHAmMA~, in opening the meeting, said that although it was not an official meeting of the International League, the Faculty considered that it would be courteous, as well as important, to ask the National Vice-Presidents from the various countries to give some account of Homceopathy in their areas. Many of these countries had been isolated by years of war, some had been occupied, and others cut off from communication. This must have brought new problems and probably a new outlook. I t was of these problems and the new outlook that they would particularly like information.

Dr. E. C. TU1NZING (Holland), with regard to facts and figures, said that the people were demanding more and more homceopathic treatment. The hospital was badly damaged by the Germans during the occupation and it would cost s to put it right. ] t was working wonderfully well, even in emergency attics. The number of beds in use in 1939 was 45, now it was 90. Dr. Voorhoeve, the medical director, was imprisoned for seven weeks during the occupation and he was fined 3,000 guilders because of his patriotic attitude. There were no losses amongst homccopathic doctors, through war circumstances, but the average loss of medical men during the war was 9 per cent., of the people as a whole 3.5 per cent., so that the medical fraternity suffered very heavily.

Our [)resident asked me to give an account of the present situation of Homceepathy in the Netherlands. I think it is hardly possible to give this without speaking about the changes that took place in consequence of war and occupation.

1 found some remarkable words in a booklet that I will t ry to translate in English. I must remark beforehand that this booklet was not a bundle of poems, nor the writings of some excitable youth, but a quarterly issue of the Amsterdam Bank, an institution you could compare with Barclays Bank in Britain, giving a series of sketches about the economic situation throughout the world, and the connections between world economy and that of the Netherlands.

The writer of the article that drew my attention speaks about the post-war position of Great Britain, and mentions that there are people who, in this respect, have already spoken about decline and fall of an empire, and make historical comparisons between the history of the Roman Empire divided in 375 n.c. in a Westcrn and an Eastern section, from which the Western section ended already in 476, whereas the Eastern part existed, not always very strong, till 1453.

We come then to the words that I translate as far as I can : " May be that the exterior force of Britain has diminished---nobody will wonder a t this, for the country fought two colossal wars within 30 years--but one may be sure that the interior force of the nation has not been diminished accordingly. This interior force of Britain roots above all in the British character and in the personality of its representatives abroad in diplomacy as well as in trade. We live too near to events of to-day, we know not enough of the reasons of the actions we see, to judge the whole complexity of the things we witness. No doubt we stand before big changes in the world's structure , but it may be that a constellation will arise which gives Britain the opportunity to carry on its significant role in world's affairs, though perhaps less spectacular than

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before. We are of the opinion that this would be a boon for the whole world. We never shall forget the debt the world has towards Britain ; Britain that in the darkest and most painful hours of the war after Dunkirk found the energy to carry on, be it alone, be it with the back against the wall. This fact, in consequence again of the British character, saved West Europe from a regime under which, as to our conception, life would have been worthless."

So far the writer in this quarterly. His aspects are the same of the majority of our people. We see Britain's difficulties, which are very like to ours, our sympathy is with Britain, and we know that Britain can take it and is, and ever will be, the great nation that owes its prominent position in the world to the excellent character of its people.

I thought these introductory remarks would be of use to bring us to the sphere of the history of Homceopathy in the Netherlands during the three periods, pre-war, war and occupation, and post-war, which elapsed since our meeting in Lucerne in 1939.

As regards the place of Homoeopathy in public opinion, this has not been influenced by the period which has been passed. The demand for homceopathic treatment is regularly growing.

As regards the homceopathic practitioners, their numbers slightly increased during the first year of the period. Afterwards this came to a standstill because during the later years of the occupation, the universities were almost closed and no new physicians graduated. In the post-war period the Forces take any young graduated physician who is fit for military service, and the others are forced to replace established physicians who were taken for active service. As " peaceful penetration " is one of the aims of our Army in Indonesia, it is obvious that the Army Medical Corps is in number largely ahead of the ordinary requirements of medical service in an ordinary colonial army. On the other side we had no losses by death of outstanding personalities amongst homceopathic practitioners. Some of these of course had big material. losses owing to several kinds of war actions our country had to suffer.

During occupation the Germans tried to organize all medical men in a " Chamber of Physicians " built on the principle of the Nazi-German " Aerrtckammer ". They found, I am sorry to say, about 200 Quisling Netherlands physicians ready to organize this body, and to give it a small number of members. But the majority of our physicians refused to enter that organization. Their strong point was that in the rules and regulations of the Chamber there was hidden a clausula which pressed the physician to abandon his professional secrets when this was necessary for the sake of the community, in this case the Germans and their Quisling friends.

An illegal organization was built under the initials M.C. which meant Medical Contact. Every member knew only one of the other members, his section-chief, and got his instructions from this man and paid to him his monthly contribution, mainly for the benefit of the victims of the work and their relations. After a period of many smaller actions between the Quisling organization and M.C., the big offensive started with a letter to Seyss-Inquart, the German High Commissioner, which gave him our meaning about the question in fully parliamentary, but very distinct words. We all had to write personally that same letter, sign it and post it at a fixed date. Next morning Seyss had 5,000 of these letters at his breakfast. He ordered the arrest of some 200 physicians who were brought to a concentration camp where their hair was cut arid they were soon put to hard labour. Next step was, of course, that every doctor disappeared, which practically meant a general strike of physicians, and urged the Germans to arrange the question after a few days with some prominent physicians, and to send the prisoners home. We then all were called one by one to the S.D.--the secret police---and got a warning that we had never to take part again in any action of this kind, and had to pay a fine of s as costs of the warning.

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Next German step was that they published a governmental order that it was forbidden to anyone, who, before entering his profession had to take an oath, to lay down his work or even to take leave without putting a replacement in his place. I t was clear that this was meant to make a doctors' strike impossible. But then came the order of M.C.--evcry physician gives back his licence. Again one morning Seyss-Inquart got 5,000 letters of physicians who laid down their liccnccs and announced that to him. As every physician in our country has his name on his door, and behind that name the word that indicates that he is a licensed practitioner, we all covered that word with a strip of adhesive plaster. I t made a funny aspect in the streets, and the public became aware that the doctors somehow or other were fighting the tluns, and this met with general approval. We all did our regular work, but being unlicensed, we could not give death certificates, which, especially in the big towns, and on the other hand in the scarcely populated districts, causcd a lot of difficulties. Again the Germans came to terms with prominent physicians, and we got a very severe order from the Germans to remove our adhesiv~ plaster, and at the same time a secret one from M.C. that we could obey.

After these rather unpleasant events, the Germans realized that the illegally organized doctors were not so easy to handle, and they did not give so much of their weight any more to the help of the Quislings. The " Chamber of Physicians " stayed an empty box.

But the fury of all that was Quisling in Holland was now against the doctors, who had given to the population an example how not to bow the head before the invaders. And many doctors were killed by the cowards, simply by arriving late in the evening at their door with a car, asking the doctor to accompany the gentlemen in the car, because an " accident had happened on the road ". The doctor jumped in, and next morning his body was found some miles away.

Among Dutch homceopaths there was only one Jewish colleague who could hide himself during the war. So the war did not bring losses in homceopathie practitioners as I told you. But all in all, 500 of about 6,000 doctors in our country were killed by causes depending on the war, that is about 9 per cent. The average of death cases in the whole population depending from the war was 360,000, which means about 3.5 per cent.

So much for the men. We come now to the Hospital. As you know, there is only one homceopathic Hospital in our country,

situated near Utrecht, in the centre of the country. During the first two years of the occupation, business went on in the usual way. Then, in April, 1942, the Germans took it over. They never used it as a hospital, they simply looted everything that was in it and afterwards there were only about twenty men in it, who endeavonred to do as much damage to the house as was possible. For instance, in the ground floor there were large rooms, which they separated into small ; on the first floor were small rooms, and they removed the walls to make big rooms there. They did not remove the central heating system, but were careless enough with it to spoil it as far as possible. When war was over and an estimation was made, the cost of repairs and refitting showed an amount of s Nevertheless, the work was carried on, and the number of beds is now the double of that attended before the war, and there is a long waiting list.

With the few things they could save from the Germans, and the help of several sides, an emergency hospital was kept running in a medieval building in the old centre of the historic town of Utrecht. And even there, under the extremely difficult circumstances of the occupation and the insufficient accommodation, Homceopathy did well, and the statistics collected in those years were not at all bad. The Medical Director, Dr. Voorhoeve, was kept in jail for seven weeks on account of his patriotic attitude bestowed without fear.

The third point is the attitude of the public towards Homceopathy. This gives all the satisfaction wanted. The demand for homceopathic help is ever

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increasing, as is shown by the figures mentioned in speaking about the hospital, as well as by thc numbers of patients in search of homceopathie assistance. I f the number of homoeopathic practitioners could be doubled or tripled in the next few years, there would be no doubt as to the well-being of Homceopathy in the Netherlands.

Dr. LEON I~ENARD (France) : First of all, permit me to express the great pleasure that I feel on finding myself in London again, amongst my dear British friends, and to thank you for your hospitality. The French people knew how much you all in Britain have suffered during this long and terrible war, let loose by the mad dogs of Europe, and we followed hour by hour the vicissitudes of the gigantic aerial battle of Britain, and it was then that we knew that all was not lost. We felt relieved and hope came to us again.

We, the French, have admired your unsurpassed bravery and the manner in which you behaved during the bombardments which mutilated not only your beautiful capital but some of your large towns; our hearts bled on hcaring the accounts of the horrors suffered.

The London B.B.C. was forbidden (Verboten) to the French under penalty of death, but wc nevertheless listened to it four or five times a day. The London B.B.C. i would like to say brought to us, in all its programmes great encouragement, and your great statesman, Mr. Winston Churchill--a sincere and close friend of France--stimulated our hope and confirmed the encourage- mcnt given us by the messages of our own leader, General de Gaulle. Without your B.B.C. what would have bccome of us ? We would have known nothing of what was happening in the world, and thanks to it we continued to hope, in the face of the lying German propaganda in France ; thus our confidence in the destiny of our country remained unshaken.

Despite the sadness of ou~national situation under the heel of the Nazis, we never ceased to believe in the final victory, of which Great Britain was the principal artisan. Without the legendary tenaci ty of the British people, our civilization would have perished. In bearing the brunt of all the preliminary battles, the people of your land have earned and merited the admiration and recognition of the whole world. We, the French, ha~i to bear all the humilia- tions imposed by the Nazis, not to mention the pain produced by having to see, every day in our towns and villages, the hated green uniforms and to hear the infernal noise of their arrogant steps in military top-boots, while our monuments and public buildings were debased by their cursed Nazi-Swastika flag. In the mornings we were awakened by the war-like songs of their soldiers marching through the streets of Paris and the march past of their armies once a week at the Arc de Triomphe where they indulged in mockeries at our cenotaph, the tomb of the unknown soldier of the 1914-1918 war. But with what joy we listened to the l~.A.F, and the noise of the exploding bombs. The Huns were furious with our expressions of contempt, and they became more furious still when the V sign flourished in great numbers on the walls and even down in the underground railway where " tube-tickets " cut out in the shape of a V were left at all times scattered over the ground. Despite their brutal reprisals, arrests, concentration camps and deportation, our propaganda continued.

What became of Homoeopathy in France during these frightful years ? I t fell asleep, the compatriots of Hahnemann having no tenderness for it. No more wcre wc permitted to call a meeting of our societies ; our magazines and newspapers were forbiddcn; moreover, death struck blows again and again and reduced our ranks.

But before speaking of our dead, may I be allowed to recall the memory of two great physicians whom we liked and admired. I refer to Dr. Margaret Tyler and Dr. C. E. Wheeler, whose death saddened all their friends in France, and we offer to the British Society our profound condolences. As you are aware, immediately before the war we had the sadness to lose our former

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President o f the Homceopathic International League, Dr. Paul Lctellier. This perfect gentleman was known to many of vou. From 1939, our losse~s came in quick succession ; the death of our great i~riend, Dr. Fortier-Bernoville, the grand enthusiast of Homceopathy in France, created an irreparable loss. All of you knew him as being a fighter indefatigable and dew,ted to his friends and to the cause of Homccopathy, and feared by his adversaries. Then it was the loss of Dr. Vincent du Laurier whose w. orks you know very well, such as the Venoms of Scorpions. He was a tireless worker and one of the hopes of Homceopathy in France. Then we had to deplore a loss in the person of our dear Dr. Charles Mondain, one of our great pioneers, who was to me personally a very intimate friend ; as chief doctor of the Hospital Leopold Bellan he had gathered around him in his beautiful hospital a great number of homceo- pathic doctors. Thanks to his charming manners, he had been able to establish a link between allopathy and Homoeopathy, strengthening it more and more every day by his own works on cancer, which were appreciated by both schools. His end was hastened by the war misfortunes of France.

The foregoing is, alas, not all ; the list is not ended. Then it was the turn of Dr. Brissaud of Nice, whose affability you knew at the last Nice Congress. He died suddenly in his consulting room during his examination of a patient. He was brought down by a heart attack in the prime of life, and much regretted by all who knew him. He was a great worker and an ardent propagandist of Homceopathy in the South of France, where he had made numerous adepts, who continue to hold high the torch of ttomceopathy. His son is a student of medicine in Paris. To end the list of our losses, Dr. Allendy, who had been elected Vice-President for France of the International League at Lucerne, had a sad end. Hunted by the Nazis, obliged to run away from Paris, he died of a long and painful illness, but not without having written a tragic book, wherein he has related hour by hour the phases of his agony, and which was published immediately after his death. A writer and a brilliant lecturer, one of the masters of psychoanalysis, you were yourselves able to appreciate him at the Paris Congress, where he made a remarkable lecture at Im Sorbonne, which received the applause of an enthusiastic audience.

Others whom you knew less have also disappeared, leaving a gap in our ranks, but fortunately new members, young and numerous, come every day to swell our ranks, and the Homceopathic Society in France is now more flourishing than ever. Never have there been so many at each meeting; there are more than sixty who take part in the work, always very interesting, under the Presidency of Dr. Rouy, who has known how to restore our vitality and to animate our works, such as study of materia medica, observations of maladies, treatments and studies of pharmacology. A new member, Mr. Robillard, working with the laboratories of Jolliot:Curie, has been able to show the presence of a medicine in the homo~opathic dilutions to the ninth potency and to count the atoms, thanks to the instrument of Geiger-Muller--in other words, the atomic science in the homceopathic service.

The French Homceopathie Society has been able to publish its review again, and l'Hamceopathie Francaise of Dr. L. Vennier, and the Review de la Socidtd Rhodanienne of Lyons are also published again. Stimulated by ])r. Jarricot, the Lyonnese Society, presided over by Dr. Duprat of Geneva, is more and more prosperous, its activity is intense and is enlisting new members.

In France we must be vigilant because of the social laws--the organization of social security--or to put it better, the organization of the medical insecurity. This French law threatens the profession with slavery, and we are therefore standing out against it ; the French doctor is essentially an individualist and reacts violently against attacks on his freedom ; in fact we are threatened to become doctor-officials and the patients would no more have the right to choose their doctor. This would cause the disappearance of the family doctor and the disappearance of the freedom of therapeutics, but I venture the opinion

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that the soldiers of the Army of Liberation did not fight to see installed in Europe these ill-omened and oriental ideologies. Let us remain of the West, the friends of freedom, and civilization.

In closing, let me repeat that Homceopathy has made great progress since the war in France, and the number of adherents to our doctrine increases without a break. Similarly, it is with joy that we of France see that Homceo- pa thy is progressing in Great Britain ; we cordially salute the young Faculty of Homceopathy, and wish it long life and prosperity.

Dr. STOLLER (Switzerland) : ]n the summer of 1939 at our last congress in Lucerne, heavy clouds shadowed Europe, and then the war cut off all the international relations of the League.

Most of our Swiss colleagues had to do a lot of military service. Therefore our meetings first were stopped. As soon as it was possible, we held our meetings again regularly twice a year, in spring and autumn.

In 1943 we had a special meeting in Zurich, in memory of the 10(I years of Hahnemann's death. By this memorial meeting we tried to draw the attention of large parts of the population to Hahnemann and Homceopathy. Newspapers contained articles in all parts of Switzerland. In Zurich, we prepared the population with lectures about Hahnemann before the meeting with the help of the laymen of the Homceopathic Society. So we had on the memorial day a big success, success with the laymen. And the doctors ? We invited all the doctors of Zurich to our medical meeting. But there came only a few, and those who spoke in the discussion did not understand anything about Homceopathy. So I proposed l~egional Homceopathic Circles, where we could meet oftener and easier, and where interested colleagues and students could be introduced to Homceopathy. The success with the allopathic colleagues was then very little. I myself had to go again to military service and many others, too. Only in 1945 we started again this idea and now these circles go on in different towns, Lausanne, Berne, Lucerne and Zurich. Dr. Pierre Schmidt had it in Geneva already long ago. Very often he has young doctors, foreign and Swiss, staying with him to be introduced to Homceopathy.

In Switzerland we have no homceopathic hospital and no homceopathic schools. So it is the only way to help the interested colleagues to learn Homoeopathy. I myseff had someone in my practice, learning and helping me. Of course this must be done in a very kind manner, otherwise our patients will be shocked, but it is possible.

Homceopathy in Switzerland is gaining ground, and many new homceo- pathie doctors could be needed and all would have plenty to do. Many people want Homceopathy. When they do not find it by the doctors, they will t ry to get laymen practitioners, as they are allowed in the canton of Appenzell. Some laymen homceopathic societies are very active.

Our Swiss Homceopathic Society has now 32 members, but there are some other homoeopathic doctors. Many doctors are using allopathy and Homceo- pathy, probably not always following the rule of the Simile, otherwise they would be converted by themselves into real homceopaths.

Rather often I hear from colleagues that they sometimes also use homceo- pathic medicaments. Now it is no more a shame to prescribe homceopathic medicaments, but Homceopathy cannot enter the official teaching, and students have great difficulties to find a bridge across to Homceopathy. Therefore it is the duty of us all to help show the way to Homceopathy to all good and interested colleagues.

In the autumn of 1946, the Soci~t5 Rhodanienne d'Hom~,opathie had its meeting again in Geneva. As an act of courtesy, we abandoned our autumn meeting and went to our French colleagues in Geneva, having a very interesting day with new friendships and sympathy.

Dr. GUTMAN (New York) : I would thank you for your very kind reception. and for the wonderful days we have had in London, and particularly the

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exceptional weather which must have been arranged for this Congress. We are very glad to be with you and to bring you the greetings of our American Associations. We are all one with you and have the greatest admiration for you. We know that the British people stood like a monolith against the wave of barbarism in the world and we have the greatest reverence for your tremendous courage and the greatest admiration for one of the greatest states- men of all time, Mr. Winston Churchill.

The United States is a big country and we have many state medical societies and county medical societies. We have as many societies as states and as many county societies as counties. There are three homoeopathic medical colleges, New York Medical College, Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, and the Chair for Homoeopathy in California; that chair is occupied by an allopath. I am sorry to say that the situation is not much different as far as our colleges are concerned. The New York College, which is considered to be one of the best, devotes only fifteen hours to Homceopathy throughout the year. What can you teach in fifteen hours ? Our graduates turn to specialities and only a few catch the gleams of the eternal light of Hahnemann's doctrine and turn to Homceopathy. In spite of this wonderful show of having colleges and hospitals we turn out only a very small number of really good homceopaths. The main reason for that is the tremendous position of the all-powerful monopolistic American Medical Association which more or less adopted the policy of throwing a stone wall of silence around Homceopathy. Wc have no possibility for publicity which is very important in any country, we cannot advertise either through the press or the radio, nevertheless we do our best. The American Institute of Homceopathy has about 800 members, and the International Association has about 200 members. Recently we stressed particularly post-graduate work realizing that our institutions, as I pointed out before, arc not sufficiently able to produce really good homceopathic doctors. We consider post-graduate work to be much more important and adopted more or less the procedure of your British Homceopathic correspon- dence course which serves as a model for the Boston course. The main course is that of the American Foundation for Homceopathy, they have 10 or 12 students each per year, and this year we established for the first time a post- graduate course at New York Medical College with an average attendance of 8 to 12 students, mainly doctors of other schools.

With the encouragement of the President I would like to talk to you about a plan which has been in the minds of homceopathic physicians in the United States since the last war. I think we must make an international effort as far as Homceopathy is concerned if it is to survive as a very small island in an ocean of allopathic and hostile practitioners and organizations. Wc can only survive and make progress by co-operation betwecn all our national organizations on an international basis and our first duty is homceopathic research. For far too long we have been content with the foundations laid by our homceopathic forefathers, we have received but we have contributed nothing. I must make a notable exception to that because there are very

g rea t researchers present, but far too little has been done, we have to do more and we can do it if we work co-operatively along international lines.

From this point of view, based upon a survey I made last year in various European countries, I devised a scheme for an international scheme for homceopathic research and with your permission I will read the suggested outline :

TIIE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE )'OR I~IoM('EOPATHIC ]{ESEARC]I The end of the war has made possible, and has encouraged resumption

o f old and establishment of new international activities in all fields. The outstanding feature of this trend is the creation of the United Nations Organization. Recognizing the great importance of an international body

.concerned with Science and Education, the United Nations Organization has

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formed as one of its agencies U.N.E.S.C.O., the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture. One of the main purposes of U.N.E.S.C.O. is the promotion of Science through exchange of scientific data, co-ordination and facilitation of scientific work on an international basis. A special medical section of U.N.E.S.C.O. is concerned with the promotion of medical knowledge.

It appears as a further logical step of this development to create an institution which co-ordinates the scientific activities of Homceopathy within the field of medical science. There is no school of medicine which is more inherently international than Homceopathy. Since more than a century its practitioners all over the world have the same medical philosophy, use the same medicines, prescribe in identical cases the same remedies, which have all over the world the same name and are prepared everywhere in an identical manner.

Homceopathy, as a basically international science, does not only invite international co-operation, but is in addition in greater need of it than any other medical science. I ts practitioners are a small minority and have very few medical institutions. Only by joining forces and by utilizing co-ordinately all existing homceopathic facilities in the world can Homceopathy expand and progress.

In order to achieve such co-operation, and in order to give Homceopathy a distinguished representation in the international field, equal to that of other sciences and of official medicine, it is proposed to establish an International Insti tute for Homceopathic Research.

Functions of the International Insti tute for Homoeopathic Research.

I. PROVINGS. Proving of drugs is the essential and characteristic research work of

Homoeopathy, differentiating it from other medical sciences. The Insti tute shall establish prover groups to conduct provings following

Hahncmann 's rules, supplemented by modern medical methods; it shall collect proving material of provings done in various countries ; it shall make available the results of al ! provings through systematic publication to Homceo- pathic Hospitals and practitioners all over the world, so that clinical experiment- ation on the broadest possible scale can follow.

The case histories collected and published by the Insti tute form the basis for the clinical confirmation of the proving symptom of new or of more thoroughly proved old drugs.

II . TOXICOLO(~Y. Toxicology furnishes very important and basic proving symptoms, not

obtainable in an ordinary homceopathic proving which has to avoid producing tangible pathological effects. Besides, toxic symptoms may lead to an immediate practical application of a toxic substance on the basis of the homceopathic law, thus assisting the homceopathic practitioner in treating his cases. Toxicology directs towards the discovery of new remedies by stimulating provings of promising toxic substances.

The Insti tute collects all toxicological facts, published in Journals all over the world and makes them available to the homceopathic profession in a systematic form.

[II . PHARMACOLOGY. Explanation of drug effects promotes understanding of the homo~opathic

remedies and leads in some instances to a new practical application of a drug on the basis of the law of similars.

New official drugs and many drugs used by primitive peoples widen the field of the Materia Medica by suggesting their application following the homceopathic law and by stimulating new provings.

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The Inst i tute collects systematically all pharmacological data which con- firm the law of similars and which elucidate the effect of drugs already used by Homceopathy ; it explores drugs used by primitive peoples in various parts of the world in order to create an encyclopedia of drugs.

IV. CASE HISTORIES. Besides provings, case histories which confirm the homceopathic law are

the basis of the research work which is tmculiar to Homceopathy. The Inst i tute collects and publishes instructive case histories, checked

with modern methods of medical examination, and in particular all case histories which present experiences with new or rarely used remedies.

V. STATISTICS. The present trend in medicine asks for statistical evaluation of the effect

of a remedy. The difficulty for Homccopathy in obtaining such statistics is the scarcity of material. Only by pooling the experiences of the existing homceopathic hospitals in the world will it be possible to offer statistics which impress the value of Homoeopathy upon the medical profession. The Inst i tute promotes co-operation among the homceopathic hospitals following a commonly adopted plan in order to prepare and publish such statistics.

VI. COMPARATIVE THERAPEUTICS. The value of Homceopathy can bc demonstrated best by comparing the

results of its treatment of a certain disease with the treatment of the same disease by the official school. This can be achieved by comparing statistics, and by homceopathic treatment of single cases which have been treated before unsuccessfully by school medicine.

The Institute stimulates the study of comparative therapeutics and collects and publishes all available case histories which prove in a critical way the superiority of homceopathic treatment.

VII. RARE CASES AND I:~EMEDIES. Experiences with new remedies, new clinical indications of old remedies,

and successful t reatment of particularly severe or rare cases are of great importance to the homoeopathic practitioner.

The Inst i tute shall collect such experiences and make them available to the whole profession for further study and confirmation.

VIII. INTER:NATIONAL ABSTRACTS OF HO:VI(E~OPATHIC LITERATUR]E. In order to assist the homceopathic practitioner in the choice of remedies

and in the study of his cases, and in order to facilitate homoeopathic research in general, a survey of the current literature of all countries is necessary.

The Institute publishes periodically International Abstracts which enable the busy practitioner to review rapidly the international homceopathic literature as far as specific remedies or the treatment of specific diseases are concerned.

IX. LABORATORY WORK. The main " laboratory work " of Homceopathy is proving of remedies.

This does not exclude, however, pharmacological laboratory work which explains the effect of homceopathic remedies, in particular of the law of similars, and the effect of the infinitesimal dose.

In addition a new field has opened up through the research work of Boyd in Glasgow.

The Institute transmits the results of this research work to the homceo- pathic profession and promotes the explanation of the homccopathic conceptions in the light of modern science. Besides, the results of psychology, personality

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research, psychosomatic medicine, physiology, pathology, biology, bio- chemistry, physics, meteorology and other sciences shall be followed up systematically, in order to integrate them with homoeopathic philosophy.

X. HOM(EOPATHIC PHARMACEUTICS. The preparation of homceopathic remedies, particularly their international

standardization is an important factor in homoeopathic practice. The Insti tute studies all facts regarding homccopathic pharmaceutics

from the theoretical and practical angle and transmits them to the profession.

X I . ~EPERTORIES. Repertorial analysis is an indispensable part of everyday homoeopathic

practice for which complete repertories are essential. The Institute collects new clinical and proving symptoms, not vet

incorporated into homoeopathic repertories and sifts them critically in or(ier to assist in completing new editions of the most widely used repertories.

XI I . SCIE.~TIFIC CO-(~PERATION. Permanent c(mtact among all workers in the field of Homceopathy and

among the various medical societies is necessary for the purpose of mutual exchange of experiences and knowledge.

The Inst i tute through international correspondence, through a filing section, which collects all facts pertaining to Homoeopathy, and through a reference library forms a centre for all homceopathic scientific activities.

X I I I . INTERNATIONAL HOM(EOPATHIC BULLETIS. The results of the research work has to be transmitted regularly to the

homceopathic profession through an international homoeopathic bulletin. $ * * �9 *

This is the plan. We have already made a start through the generosity of the late Dr. Stern of New York and I have been elected President of the International Foundation for Hom(eopathic Research. We have a capital of $15,000 and a valuable library. This is the beginning, this should be and will be transferred into the International Insti tute for Homceopathic Research as a nucleus and it can only expand through co-operation and work. We do not need money, but we need from every country a handful of workers in the field willing to adopt a common plan and attend meetings where we can pool our experiencc and work as one great team. in that way we shall achieve gesults and become worthy followers of the immortal Hahnemann.

~EPORT ON THE SITI'ATION OF HOM(EOPATIIY IN BELGIUM SINCE 1940. By DR. SAM. VAN DEN BERGltE (National Vice-President)

Presented to the Council Meeting of the International Homveopathic League held in London, June 25th to 28th, 1947.

Mr. President and my Dear Colleagues,--I wish above all to express to you my heartfelt regrets that I am unable to present to you in person this report which is necessarily very short, since we have not been able to meet during the course of the intolerable occupation.

I f I had been able to come in person, I should have had the extreme honour of meeting once more the representatives of friendly countries who have struggled and suffered with us, of countries which at last lead the way to rapid liberation of Belgium, which had always been confident of its destiny.

I know that to the outsider everything seems well in Belgium, at least more than formerly, and yet many Belgians think that we are still far from having found an equilibrium.

After two and a half years of liberation, after two years of victory on the German front, among the many restrictions which weigh most heavily on us, probably as with you, is the difficulty of travelling abroad and of taking up international life on account of the control of money exchar~p.

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

I t is difficult ever to see our former happy reunions and it is also a great privation to be unable to obtain books and journals.

After eight years of restrictions it is especially hard on those who are up in years and who, should the present chaos last but a little, run the risk of never having the joy of returning better times.

One must resign onescff and never give up hope, and while waiting continue the fight for the triumph of our ideas and find in one's professional work the best means of forgetting one's troubles. During the hostilities we must deplore the loss of four of our colleagues :

(l) In December, 1940, Dr. Godefroid Planquart, of Tournai. He was the brother of Dr. Cyril Planquart of Brussels, deceased in 1917, and of Dr. Leon Planquart who died at Katanga (Belgian Congo). All thrce were homceopaths of great renown and sons of Dr. Planquart of Tournai.

(2) In 1943 Dr. Anatole Lembreghts died in his 86th year. He was one of our most brilliant colleagues, always ready to step into the breech for the defence of Homceopathy, and the memory of his great merits will be carefully conserved as much by his patients as by all his colleagues. He resided at Anvers and there achieved a great reputation. ]11 October, 1929, in the number 3 of the first year of Hem. tlispana, was published his portrait and biography, as witness to the esteem in which his Spanish colleagues held him. From 1938 he was Honorary President of the Belgian Society of Homceopaths.

(3) In January, 1944, we lost Dr. Albert DuBruycker of Wctteren, who died in active practice at the age of 68 years from angina pectoris. A member zealous for the cause of Homceopathy in Belgium, his great skill was appreciated by an enormous clientele. His funeral was moving ; in the midst of war the whole of the village, situated 15 kiIometres from Ghent, turned out in mourning, schools closed that day during the transfer of his mortal remains from the church to the cemetery, while the sky was black with aeroplanes engaged in battle. At the foot of the grave in my capacity a~ President of Belgian Society of Homceopaths, I spoke the doctor's prayer.

" Seigneur, si hli fur ben samaritain lui mSme. et si se couchant tard et se levent matin, I I consacra ses soins s celui que nul n'aime, Vous serez en retour son ben samaritain."

(4) 1944. Dr. Cuesner of Brussels. He was an oculist and ardent homceopath, a true disciple.

This sombre picture is compensated by the arrival of new recruits. At the first session of the Belgian Society of Homceopaths, in January, 1946, we admitted at their own request, six new members : Drs. Clerbaux of Tournai and Yves de Bast of Liege; Drs. Delestine, Hengskens, Hodiamont, and Madame Cdcile Hodiamont, all four of Brussels.

In July, 1946, we celebrated the medical jubilee (50 years) of Dr. Mersch, our Honorary President 1889-1946, my own 1893-1946, and that of Dr. Ernest Nyssens 1896-1946.

Other new confrbres practise Homceopathy and will not be slow, I hope, in soliciting admission to our Society.

These are the facts and our hopes. On April 20th (Sunday) last we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Society of Belgian Homceopaths. In 1922 at a celebration in Ghent of the 50th anniversary of the Homceopathic Circle of Flanders, we changed its name to the Belgian Society of Homceopathy to mark the union of all Belgian homceopaths. The persistence of our Society is the result of this spirit of union which has reigned, and never let us forget that union makes for strength. This union unites us all as in the spirit of the International Homceopathic League, which can only have beneficial and successful results in the cause of Homceopathy throughout the worht.

May the League in the very near future be able to renew its happy activities. Ghent. June 4~h, 1947.

H O M( ~O PA T H Y IN P O S T - W A R E U R O P E 221

MONTREAL Dear Dr. Paterson,--I was very pleased to hear from you and to receive

the programme of the British Homceopathic Congress to be held in London on June 25th to 27th.

Will you kindly convey to all the members of the Congress very hearty greetings from the Homoeopathic physicians of Canada. We have followed with intense interest and sympathy the trials and tribulations of our British colleagues during the strenuous " peace " which has followed. Our hearts are filled with admiration for the way in which the British people in all walks of life and in all the professions have weathered the storm. We feel that brighter days are ahead, and we arc confident that Britain will continue in moral and scientific leadership even if the economic conditions continue for a while to be difficult.

In Canada, Homceopathy is still recognized. We have our representation on the Medical Council of Canada, and we have official licensing bodies in the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario. I am sorry that we are not doing more active teaching and that there are very few young men interesting themselves in homceopathic therapeutics. T h e Homceopathic Hospital of Montreal continues to serve the community as a very busy general hospital. The work of the Hospital is mainly surgical and there is not much homceopathic prescrib- ing, but we do at least keep the name before the public.

All of the members of the Hospital staff join with me in greetings and warmest personal regards.

Sincerely yours, H. R . GRIFFITH, M.[ ) . ,

Registrar, College of Homceopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Montreal, Medical Superinten- dent, The Homceopathie Hospital of Montreal.

June 16th, 1947.

REPORT ON THE I-IOM(EOPATHY IN GERMA~'Y

])ear Colleagues,~-The President of the International Homccopathie League wa.~ so kind to invite me to your meeting in London in order to give you a report on the situation of Homceopathy in Germany, but above all, to take up again the international relations, interrupted by the war, which are so enormously important for our discipline. The outstanding international representatives could visit the 100th meeting of DEb'TSCIrER ZENTRALVEREIN at Wiesbaden on May 17th, 1939, honouring it by having come. The President of the League, Dr. Paterson, had also appeared. This Zentralverein, the oldest association of German surgeons at all, was dissolved as a consequence of Allied occupation, and the association property was confiscated. During the war, the association had to confine itself to single short informations to their members. I t was not possible to arrange meetings for scientific or business affairs during the war. Nor could even the board of chairmen of the associa- tions hold any meeting during the past seven years. The various associations of the provinces, the holding organization of which is represented by the Zentralverein, could not call up meetings during the war. Only the two most important periodicals for Homceopathy were published regularly: (1) the Allgemeine Hom6opathische Zeitung edited by Dr. Sch61er at Leipzig, and (2) the Deut.sche Zeitschrift fi~r Hom6opathie und deren Grenzyebiete edited by myself at Cologne. However, ordinances of the Government effected tha t they soon were not published monthly, but every three months: Besides the paper contingent reduced the volume of the single periodicals. We tried by printing with small letters and selecting sharply the contributions to maintain the value of the periodicals, or even to improve it.

Also during the war the various publishing houses could still issue a number of remarkable books and works. The last two years of the war,

222 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

however, made cease the work at the publishing houses. Manufacturing hom~eopathic drugs at the large offices during the war was suffering from shortage of raw materials in an increasing way. These were especially the tinctures of foreign plants and certain snake poisons, scorpion poisons, etc., which could be hardly procured and delivered. The production of quantities of essences, tinctures, dilutions, and pulverizations suffered moreover from an always increasing lack of alcohol and milk sugar corresponding to the prescription.

Many homceopathic surgeons had been drafted to the army and could not practise. There were insurmountable difficulties against homceopathic practice with the Wehrmacht. A greater number of homceopathic surgeons was killed, especially in the Eastern Front. Compared with this number only a few became a victim of the air-raids. But on the other hand, almost all homceopathic colleagues of the big cities have lost their practices once or several times by the air-raids ; I personally three times. The most embarras- sing effect of the loss of the practices was the loss of the homceopathic medicine chests, which was the backbone of homceopathic prescriptions in Germany, at least in the North-German provinces and states. This was the situation as it presented i t~ l f when German Homceopathy stepped in in the breakdown in spring, 1945.

The Deutscher Zentralverein has been dissolved, as already stated. The two periodicals which, strictly spoken, were the organs of the homceopathic surgeons, could not yet be issued, so far. The cause for this are difficulties in getting licences resulting from the fact that for reasons of traditions printing should be done at a place in the American zone, whilst the printing office had to be removed from Berlin to a place in the French zone. Only the editorship of the Hippokrates, the leading German periodical for biological medicine, has now been transferred to Dr. K. Sallcr, surgeon-director of the only hom(eo- pathic hospital a t present, the Robert-Bosch-hospital at Stuttgart . This warrants that this periodical will defend the interests of Hom(eopathy in its publications. The traditional homceopathic schools have disappeared almost entirely. The homceopathic dispensary and surgery a t the University of Berlin managed by Professor Bastanier has been bombed out and dissolved. The homceopathic dispensary and surgery a t the university Leipzig is working under most needy conditions and needs first to be completed again. I ts library containing nearly 1,000 volumes has been destroyed by the flames. The dispensary and surgery of the " Berlin Association of Homceopathic Surgeons " and the medical diagnostic institute with its precious library has been destroyed likewise. The homceopathic depar tment of the municipal hospital at Bremen under Dr. Schultz does not exist any longer. The homcco- pathic department of the Biirger-hospital a t Cologne has become a ruin just as the hospital itself. As only training school for the rising generation of homccopathic surgeons, merely the Robert-Bosch-hospital at Stut tgar t is working actually. New associations of homceopathic surgeons have been founded in Wurt temberg and Bavaria. Almost simultaneously a new association of homceopathic surgeons with a t present about 90 members has been founded a t Mfinster in the new state of l~ordrhcin-Westfallcn on Ascension day, 1947. These are the first motions of official Homceopathy arising again in Germany. We arc deprived of any indications from the Eastern zone. Nor Professor Rabe in Berlin, with whom I am i1~ lively correspondence, can give me exact informations.

I t is a fact tha t all the homceopathic surgeons in Germany work according to the principles of Hahnemann in their practices, but possibilities have been strongly cut off as, above all, the possibilities of delivery of homoeopathic remedies have been enormously reduced. Impor tan t original tinctures are hardly to be got or only in trifle quantities not covering even 5 per cent. of the want. Also dilutions and triturations are still extremely short and to be had

HOM(EOPATHY IN P O S T - W A R E U R O P E 223

in sterotype potencies. I t is almost impossible to get high potencies. Owing to the lack of milk sugar we have now to make triturations of amylen and usual powdered sugar in equal parts. Most of the dilutions can no longer he made with the necessary percentage of alcohol. Instead of the ordered spirit of wine, other alcohols are now used, too. There is a total lack of snake poisons, scorpion poisons, foreign plants, and even a large number of indigenous plants is missing entirely. Only 25 per cent. at the utmost of all our various medica- ments can be produced, reap. furnished at present. The large officinc Dr. Madaus at Dresden has been dismounted almost entirely. They now try to build up a new factory in the British zone. Possibilities for the firm of Schwabe at Leipzig are extremely restricted. They are trying too to construct small works in the British zone. A number of smaller officines have nearly totally disappeared. These which remained can work only in very narrow limits for reasons of raw material. They are practically living merely on the production of absolutely non-homceopathic complex medicaments.

Ir it must be said that there is an immense will in the circles of German Homceopathy for getting out of the present chaos by reconstruction. A lot of endeavour is made, which, however, are often bound to wreck, and are partly paralysed by the uncertainty of the future. At any rate German Homoeopathy goes on working in the sense of Hahnemann, and does not fail to extend propaganda also on the younger colleagues, who often show an astonishing interest and comprehension despite t he increasing opposition that started again on the par t of the science of medicine. The increasing opposition of medical science may part ly be explained by the fact tha t ,National Socialism strongly favoured all biological methods and among them also Homceopathy, without, however, the homceopathic surgeons having a hand in it. I t was rather the lay doctor, the empiric, who enjoyed this favour, but this one was always rejected by the homccopathic surgeons in Germany. Now, physicians of the medical science always like to speak of Homceopathy and empirism in the same breath, and that is the principal reason why now the opposition of the medical science to ]4omceopathy is growing again. We have, therefore, here in Germany the urgent will to prove and to show that we are a scientific discipline that deserves to he regarded seriously, and that its conclusion absolutely penetrates into the sphere of medical science. We confidently hope in Germany that after the external complications of the war there will be possible a close international co-operation in future in the sense teached us by Hahnemann, and which is the devise of our banner, here as well as over there. Dr. W. Schwarlzhaupt.

I~EPORT OF ~TALY'S VIcE-PRESIDENT OF THE I{OMEEOPATHIC INTERNATIONAL

L~]AGUE, DR. DANDOLO MATTOLI, OF FLORENCE

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : - - I am happy to present to this International Meeting the fraternal greetings of all our Italian colleagues, wishing to take up again the ancient kind connections.

I give my heartiest thanks to the Homceopathic Faculty for the kind invitat ion; and to the British Homceopathic Congress for the generous hospitality.

During the period of this last war we have to lament great irreparable losses among our already too narrow ranks.

Several of our best colleagues left too early this earthly life. I want to recall to your memory the names of : Prof. Dr. Mario Serena, beloved President of our Homceopathic Associa-

tion ; Dr. Evelino Leonardi, writer of great ability and notable polemicist ; Dr. Raffaele Liberali, the last of an ancient race of illustrious Roman

Homoeopathics ;

224 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

Dr. Fulvio Bonino, son of the Founder of the Homceopathic Insti tute and Hospital of Turin, and for so many years director of this.

Colonel Dr. Lodovico Petitbon, studious of and devoted to our therapeutics.

Lastly I feel the duty to mention the decease of the dearest Friend: Dr. Ugo Tosi, a real apostle of our School, great and famous homceopathic physician, whose numerous and extraordinary cures commanded respect for our therapeutics and helped greatly to its diffusion.

Which is the present situation of Hom(eopathy in I ta ly ? We can answer : in a rather satisfactory way. Many young recruits have passed actively on our side. Rome has got up a school, to which ! wish the best success, whose purpose

is to direct our candidates and graduates towards our therapeutics giving lessons of Homceopathy, with the intent of spreading its Science and Art.

Our Italian Homceopathic Association, after the death of its President, Prof. Serena, is awaiting a better definitive settlement. The homceopathic journal, La Legge dei Simili, actually silent, will soon take up again its publica- tion.

Many young people are taking interest in our therapeutic Science, and many, converted, come to enlarge our ranks.

But the most remarkable thing is the respect that the young physicians of our universities have for our therapeutics, not only admitting our science and our principles, but also declaring that often they make use, voluntarily or not, of the " similar law ", of the little doses and even of the single remedy.

Obviously also our intercourses with the greatest exponents of the Official School have become more cordial.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have but to express to this solemn Assembly my regret for not having been able to join you, to whom I am bound by s5 many remembrances and affectionate friendship and by the faith which associates us like brothers in all the world.

I express my best wishes tha t in short God may grant me the great joy to meet you all in Florence to discuss and defend the highest interests of Homceopathy--which means of the suffering Humani ty !

Again I say : in :Italy, in Florence! " Salus Populi Suprema Lax."

DANDOLO MATTOLI. Via Jacopo da Diacceto, N.48, Firenze.

BRIEF REPORT ABOUT THE I'>RESENT STATE OF HO~O~OPAT~r II~ MEXICO

Since the year 1850, in which Dr. Navarrete introduced the science of Hahnemann into Mexico, it has obtained a great and successful development in this country.

In the Homceopathie Medical History, Mexico was the first country in the world that officially recognized and accepted the practice and teaching of Homceopathy. Since then, numerous schools and scientific centres for the teaching and spreading of our doctrine have been established.

ESCUELA NACIONAL DE MEDICINA HOM(EOP.~,TICA DE MI::XICO. Founded by Dr. Segura y Pesado in 1895. Present Director, Dr. Juan Manuel Ortiz de Z~irate. Secretary, Dr. Miguel Amezcua. This School has a hospital which belongs to the Public Beneficence of Mexico, which Director is Dr. Luis Salinas Ramos. Dispensary for pupils practices. 149 graduated physicians, 32 mid- wives and 14 nurses.

" ESCUELA LIBRE DE HOMEOPATiA DE MEXICO." Established in 1912 by the indefatigable propagator of Homceopathy, Dr. Higinio G. Pdrez, well known by the homceopathic world. Present Director, Dr. Dario Flores. Secretary, Dr. Epitaeio J. Gallardo. This School is ruled by a Technical Administrative

HOM(EOPATHY IN POST-WAR EUROPE 225

Council. The professional studies embrace six years and there are 350 graduated physicians and 75 nurses and midwives, whose titles are lawful.

" Escuela Librc de Homeopatia de Mdxico " has a sanatorium called " Dr. Higinio G. Pdrcz ", with 50 beds and special apartments for maternity, gynecology, etc.

INST1TUTO LIBRE HOMEOPATICO DE MEXICO�9 This Institute was annexed to Escuela Nacional de Medicina Homeop~tica de Mdxico, since last year. I twas founded by Dr. Alfredo Ortega ; 90 graduated physicians�9

ESCUELA LIBRE DE I~OMEOPATIA DE GUADALAJARA, founded by Dr. Higinio G. Pdrez, and INSTITUTO HOMEOPATICO DE JALISCO, founded by Dr. Luis Jadregui, were united, forming the present ESCUELA DE MEDICINIA HOMEOPATICA DE OCCIDENTE ; 60 graduated physicians.

Besides we have in Mexican Republic, other Homceopathic Institutes, such as : Escuela Libre Homeop~tica de Puebla, Escuela de Homcopatia de Puebla, etc.

HOMEOPATHIC SOCIETIES : " Liga Homeop~tica Mexicana, ' ' ".Sociedad de Cirujanos Homedpatas," " Sindicato de Mddicos Homedpatas," " Socicdad Dr. Hering," " Propulsora de Homeopatia," " Sociedad Medico-Homeop,dtica de Yucatan," " Sociedad Dr. Scgura y Pesado " of Guadalajara, " M~dicos Homedpatas Duranguefios," etc., etc.

Hom(eopathie Journals and newspapers : Medicina HomeopStica Mexicana, La Homeopatia de Mdxico, Hospital Nacional HomeopStico, CooperaciSn, etc., etc.

HOM(EOPATBIC LABORATORIES. " Laboratorios Homeopg~tieos de Mdxico," Dr. Gerardo Sotres; " Laboratorios Homeops del Dr. M~ndez X.", " I~boratorios del Dr. Luis G. Sandoval," " Propulsora de Homcopatia, S.A., etc., etc.

Mexico has more than 60 Homeopathic Pharmacies, among them we can find : " La Mundial," " Farmacia HomeopStica San Fernando," " Farmacia Central Homeops " Farmacia Nacional Homeops " Farmacia Dr. Hern~ndcz Osorio," " Farmacia Olimpia," " Farmacia Cosmos," " Farmacia Dr. Ferns Cantero," " Farmacia Osorno," " Farmacia Homeop~tica Dr. M. M~ndez X.", etc., etc., some of these are located in the best avenues o f Mexico City.

HILARIO LUNA CASTRO, M.D. Vice-President for Mexico.

" Liga Homeopatica Internationalis." M4xico, D.F. June, 1947. Ave. Amsterdam 21. Col. Hipodromo-Condesa. M~xieo, D.F. (Mexico City).

T H E P R E S E N T S T A T E OF T H E H O M E E O P A T H Y IN S P A I N

REPORT OF THE VIS-PRESIDENT OF SPAIN: DR. A. VINYALS

I am sorry to communicate to the " International Homceopathic League " the poor and defective present state of the Homceopathy in my Country. �9 . . Since the Civil War in 1936 upset all our scientific homoeopathic work in Spain and since the World War disrupted almost totally the communication between America and Spain, there is no Homo~opathic Society in this country, and no homceopathic Review is being published here.

During the last ten years twenty-two homceopathic doctors have died, and only three new homceopathic doctors taken their places ; so that Homceo- pathy in Spain is in very poor condition in the present days. Even the " Homceopathic Hospital of Barcelona " (Hospital Homeop~tico del Nifio Dios) was deprived of beds and furniture�9 Its Dispensaries are the only thing yet existing. " The Homceopathic Hospital of Madrid " (Instituto y Hospital

226 THE 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

Homeop ~tico de San JosS) is partially recovered as Hospital and as Dispensary, but the number of the horns, physicians in Madrid is very much decreased.

Wishing to exert myseff in trying to revive the enthusiasm of my spanish Colleagues of the past years during the present year on " HAHNEMANN'S Memorial Day " ] convocated a meeting in order to revive the ancient Horn. Societies--but the authority has not been given to form the new Societies !

Without either Hom. Society, or Horn. Review, and with the greatest difficulty in acquiring the Horn. Books and Horn. Drugs the future of Homoeo- pathy in Spain is very poor ! . . .

With my best greetings to all Delegates of the Countries represented in this Meeting of the " International Homceopathic League ",

I remain very truly, Friend and Colleague, AUGUSTO VINYALS.

Barcelone. 15th juin 1947.

Dr. JOHN PAT~RSO~ : In addition to the personal accounts we have had of Homceopathy throughout the world I have the following letters. The first is from the ex-President, Dr. Gagliardi, who Sends his regards and best wishes : the next is from the Vice-President, Dr. H. R. Griffith, of Montreal, who expresses great admiration for Great Britain.

You notice that in Canada there is a licensing body and an active hospital. We have a lengthy and interesting report from our dear friend, Dr. Samuel

Van den Berghe of Belgium, who gives an account of ttomceopathy in Belgium during the occupation, and you may take it from me that Homceopathy is again flourishing in Belgium.

I do not propose to make any comment on Germany, except to say that from this report from Dr. W. Schwartzhaupt there is absolute chaos there. There has been a great loss of homceopathic physicians, a great loss of homceo- pathic hospitals, the pharmaceutical houses have all been destroyed and they are asking if we can do anything to send some homceopathic remedies to Germany. The League has taken that up and the Faculty also are considering what can be done. I am sure it would be your wish to give whatever help we can in the way of supplying homceopathic remedies to these people in Germany.

The next is from Dr. Dandolo Mattoli, the Vice-President of Italy. He gives a very good account and there is a great increase in the number of young doctors coming forward. I believe our friend, Dr. Gagliardi in Rome, has established a school.

We have an account from Dr. Luna Castro of Mexico which is interesting and encouraging, and last of all we have a letter from Dr. A. Vinyals of Spain. I f Germany is bad, Spain is worse. These two countries are in chaos at the moment.

May I make one brief comment on what Dr. Gutman has said with regard to international research. Our International League Council has given it its blessing and I am quite sure the Faculty also will give it their blessing. We are a minority and co-operation is the only way. I would suggest that in view of this that we are open to take the names of those who wish to join the Homceopathic League; the subscription is about s per year and if you support Dr. Gutman in principle, you could show your interest by becoming members of the International Homceopathic League.

DISCUSSION On behaff of the Faculty of Homceopathy and his colleagues, the CHAIRMAN

said that he wished to thank the delegates from abroad for their tributes to the British nation. Though he felt that much of what had been said was justified, still, it did make one blush to hear it said. We were proud of ourselves,

H O M ( E O P A T H Y I1~ P O S T - W A R E U R O P E 227

but with true British modesty we almost failed to recognize ourselves in the eulogia they had heard that afternoon. He again wished to express the pleasure that the Faculty of Homceopathy felt in being able to welcome the representatives from other countries to this first post-war assembly of Inter- national Homceopathy. The credit for most of the success of these gatherings belonged to Dr. John Paterson.

The meeting would be interested to hear, therefore, that at the Council of the International Homceopathic League it had been agreed that Dr. Paterson should remain its President. Dr. Paterson had also been nominated as President of the Faculty of Homceopathy so that, for the next session, once again he combined these two high offices. I t had also been decided that the next meeting of the League should be held in Lyons or its neighbourhood, and the subjects for discussion would be on the lines envisaged by Dr. Gutman : (1) on the provings, the suggestion being that in each country an attempt should be made to prove Alloxan, a drug which was toxic to the pancreas, with a general discussion upon the treatment of diabetes. Provings were also to be made on some of the metals, Cadmium metallicum, or one of the salts, and (2) a discussion would be introduced by Dr. Paterson on the intestinal nosodes.

They were very anxious to have recruits to the International Homceopathic League ; recruits from each country must be screened by the National Vice- President. He was the National Vice-President in this country but promised to be very gentle in his screening.

Dr. BOYD asked whether any progress had been made in relation to liaison between the International Institute of I~esearch and U.N.E.S.C.O.

Dr. GUT~AN replied that last year in quite a different connection he made contact with U.N.E.S.C.O. to prepare for the meeting which took place in London last June. He tried to use this as a wedge for Homceopathy and talked to the then medical officer of the Medical Section of U.N.E.S.C.O. and found that he took great interest in it. He hoped to renew this contact when he went to Paris and there would then be a possibility of linking up U.N.E.S.C.O. with this institution and that should indicate work in the international field. I t would be necessary, therefore, not only for scientific reasons but for practical reasons to have an International Institute for Homceopathic Research through which they could become affiliated with the Science Section of U.N.E.S.C.O.

Dr. PATERSON said that he had had the pleasure of proposing, and it was unanimously agreed, that Dr. Gutman should be the Administrative Secretary of the International Homceopathic League.

The Chairman said that not only had Dr. Gutman brought plans from America, he had brought the dollars, too. There was a fund of $15,000 with which it was hoped to set the scheme going. I t was another of those acts which they expected from America.

Dr. GUTMAN said that the $15,000 were for a specific purpose, they felt very much alone and in the cold and wanted companions. What was needed was a money-raising campaign. The goal of such a campaign was very much in the clouds. $,500,000 would be a reasonable amount for a modest endow- ment so that they could work on the interest and not draw on the capital. The $15,000 should be multiplied and the support of all national organizations participating in this scheme was very necessary from the viewpoint of recent events. Co-operation in the matter of finance would be extremely welcome and he hoped some scheme would be developed in this respect.

Dr. NEUBERT said t h a t he found it almost impossible to speak in an impromptu manner on what he had just heard, but he continued to be in the same unfortunate pessimistic mood as yesterday. He was very sorry that it had been left to America once more to push them into action. He thought that the majority of the plans which Dr. Gutman had put forward had been put forward to the Council of the Faculty within the last two years and nothing

2 2 8 T H E B R I T I S H H O M f E O P A T H I C J O U R N A L

had been done. There was a Research Committee in this country and when he was elected to it two years ago he thought they could get going because the opportunities for scientific research were so obvious that it was not flattering to any homceopath to make a list of them. During six, seven or eight months he heard nothing from the Committee and resigned. He saw that his name was still on it but, during eighteen months to two years, nothing had been heard of it. He did not know whether we were tired in this country or too busy, but research did not appeal to us and the future of Itomceopathy here was a very dismal one. All the time they were trying to prove (he was not trying to be unpleasant) what a wonderful man t lahnemann was and that he was the last word in Homceopathy. Tile osteopaths were in the same position ; Steele invented osteopathy, anyone who wanted to condemn osteopathy said that the osteopathic lesion was rot. Homceopaths were trying to prove that Hahnemann was the last word in Homccopathy instead of being the first.

The handicap in doing scientific work was that there was nothing in the Repertory of a pathological nature and those were the lines on which they should work ; until they started from that they would be the laughing stock of the medical profession. The homceopath was the laughing stock of the medical profession because the profession did not realize what they were doing, and he did not blame it because he thought their philosophy was most inacccpt- able, however up to date it was made.

In this country there was a certain amount of research going on based on the Abram's box. There were thousands in London, the nature curcrs, the osteopaths, they were all using Homceopathy and getting their diagnoses from instruments. He had tried to do a little research himself, he was shockingly handicapped because he could not get books, the few he had did not help him, and one had to have an enormous amount of enthusiasm to try to find some- thing in it. There had been homceopathic hospitals in this country for years and there should be sufficient data in their papers to establish Homceopathy. There m u s t be evidence somewhere and it only needed volunteers to find it and put it into order. Within a few years there should be sufficient evidence, but no one was interested.

Dr. PATERSON, speaking as the Chairman of the Research Committee, said that he thought it would be agreed that he had advocated the science and art of Homceopathy and had put forward a plea for the scientific aspect of Homceopathy. When the Faculty was formed there was some good research work done on mustard gas, it might have been a poor attempt, but there was some attempt, and he believed that the delegates to the League had copies of the Report. The Committee met and formulated plans. One of the first things suggested was that there should be work done on the intestinal nosodes and the actual technique which he presented to the International Congress in Glasgow was to form the technical basis of the work. The idea was to get the bacteriologists in the homceopathic hospitals to do the work. As a Faculty they had no money for research, any money which had been devoted to research was in the hands of the British Itomceopathic Association. I t was to be regretted that the Faculty had no funds for research and he hoped that future steps would be taken to get some of the funds in the League put to the cause of science and Homceopathy. He thought that was the reason of the failure to carry out any research. I t had not been altogether lack of ability or lack of wish, it had been lack of finance.

He would say one word with regard to philosophy. He was attracted originally to Homceopathy by the logic of his dear friend, Charles E. Wheeler, in his h~roduction to Homoeopathy. For the first time in his medical career he read a book which gave him a reason for prescribing a medicine apart from empiricism. He was attracted by the philosophy of the practice of the art and science of Homceopathy and throughout his acquaintance with ttomoeo- pathy he had tried for himself, and when he introduced his paper yesterday

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he made it quite clear, that he had started on this philosophy not to please himself hut the Vice-President. He was not sorry that he did so but he did maintain that it was not a question of going back to Hahnemann, it was a question of t ru th : he had not found anything to contradict anything that Hahnemann put forward. He thought the situation at the moment was absolutely bright. He saw a great future for Homoeopathy just because it was a minority endowed with a scientific truth.

Dr. MONCRIEFF said that there had been a little drug proving done ; it was done on penicillin but there were very few symptoms produced in the people who took the penicillin. Nelson considered that the preparation killed the penicillin in the potentizing.

Dr. NEUBERT said that he was in the Channel Islands without a library or contacts or anything to refer to. He could not get enough books to recognize his own cases. Dr. Paterson made the mistake of thinking that money was necessary. I t did not need money to sit up until the small hours going over cases, producing technical and scientific evidence of what was done and what was not done. It did not require money to produce that sort of thing. I f the Research Committee had done something he could only feel very hurt that he was left out of it because he had a whole collection of lines of investigation which he was hoping to bring to the first meeting. He had not heard of a meeting of the Research Committee for the last two years.

The CnAm.~1i~ said that Dr. Neubert would be No. 1 on the list for proving Alloxan in an isolated area.

])r. GUTMAN said that it was sometimes ridiculous to talk about what had been done or not done in research. What needed to be done was for the homceopathic physician to wake up one morning with a decision to study something and put down his observations. This simple procedure was the main pillar of homceopathic research and he would remind them of one fact. As far as he knew not many provings had gone forth of late. There were many outstanding figures in Homceopathy who had made great contributions to it. For instance, there was the work on Kali bichromicum. What did they do in hundreds of cases and conditions ? Should they not in gratitude to such a rich and wonderful science feel it their moral duty to contribute their part, and it was so simple. They talked about homoeopathic research, they used high-sounding words, they talked for years and years and nothing was done. A few enthusiastic and interested doctors might make a basic experiment, deciding to take one substance.

That afternoon they had decided to prove two substances, Alloxan and one of the Cadmiums. With regard to the at tempt to prove penicillin he would never have done so because to achieve results one had to look for sub- stances which had strong toxic effects. Penicillin had very few such effects and one could not expect much of such a substance in potentised form. They should choose carefully and he thought the Council had chosen wisely because Alloxan had toxic effects as had Cadmium. He would suggest that probing groups be formed and that they should decide to stop talking and start work. The scheme had been officially approved by the French Homceopathic Society, by the Swiss Society, by the International League and by the Council of the Faculty and he would appreciate it if the Faculty officially endorsed it.

The CHAIm~AN said that their foreign friends would agree, after listening to the discussion, that in spite of the war, rations and calcium poisoning, the British had not lost any of their vitality. Dr. Tuinzing did not look the jail bird he made himself out to be, Dr. Renard's report made him think that the occupation had done no harm to French Homceopathy, and what they had done in Switzerland without even one hospital, made him thoroughly ashamed. He agreed with much of what Dr. Neubert had said and would ask him to attend a meeting of the Research Committee that afternoon and he would request Dr. Gutman to give him a job of work to do.