On the Comparative Value of Symptoms
Following several international homeopathy discussion groups on Social Media, I’ve become impressed with the confusion of many regarding the relative value of various expressions of disease to the selection of remedies in homeopathic practice. These posts range from a posted photograph of local observable pathology, to listings of “keynotes” or “guiding symptoms” of various remedies in specific pathologies.
I suppose George Orwell might tell us that all symptoms are created equal; but some symptoms are more equal than others.
In this 8 week course, I’d like to closely examine the nature of symptoms seen in homeopathic casetaking; and look closely at the characteristics that lend greater importance to some, and lesser importance to other, expressions of disease. Hahnemann offered some guidance for us in his Organon, which we’ll examine in detail; but I suspect that he had personally developed such natural adeptness at the necessary discernment, through regular attention & practice, that he failed to recognize the need to tutor us in the finer details. Devotees since have offered further clarification; we’ll look particularly to Boenninghausen; as well as confusion, at times borrowed from dogmatic philosophies distant to Hahnemannian tradition, such as seen in some of the writings of James Tyler Kent & subsequent neoKentian authors through our contemporary period.
As our attention to these matters becomes relevant in the evaluation of cases, I’d like to focus this course on casework selected from my years of clinical practice, and from our classical literature.
I suspect that this just might be the most valuable course I have ever offered. This material is core to our success as homeopaths; if we understand the nature of what we are looking for in a case, casetaking (which I prefer to describe as case receiving) falls into place; if we appreciate the value of the symptoms we obtain in receiving a case, case analysis falls easily into place; if we appreciate the nature of the symptoms of our remedies’ pathogeneses, we come to a deep appreciation of our remedies. Hahnemann tells us that the only thing we can truly understand in any individual case of disease is its complex of observable signs & symptoms. Understanding the nature of these is fundamental to our appreciation of disease, and to homeopathic therapeutics.
8 weeks, Thursdays, Feb. 22 – April 19 2018 (skipping March 22nd, my 67th birthday), 4:30-6:30 pm US West Coast time(UTC-8, becoming UTC-7 after March 11); 16 hours of homeopathic continuing education, online via live interactive webinar, recorded for review and for the option of self-paced participation. Discussion in the live webinar sessions, & via online course discussion forum.
