British Homoeopathic Journal October 1996, VoL 85, p. 250

7th Congress of the International Homoeopathic Medical OrganizationmOMHI

Buenos Aires, 9-11 May 1996

The 7th Internat ional Congress of the Organisation Medicale Hom6opathique Inter- nationale (OMHI) was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 9-11 May 1996. The venue was the luxury Hotel Alvear, located near the beautiful La Recoleta area. The congress was attended by approximately 200 health care professionals, mostly physicians, with some pharmacists and veterinary surgeons. Most of the audience came from Argentina, followed by Brazil, France and Mexico.

Some of the main papers were not first- hand or original. A follow-up of the basic re- search done by Professor B Bonavida (on the cellular response to homoeopathic prepara- tions) and C Doutremepuich (effects of aspirin at ultra low doses on experimental thrombosis) was very well received. P Belon reported on the b io log ica l e f fec ts of high di lut ions measured by flux cytometry and B Poitevin summarized the state of the art on biological and phys ica l m e c h a n i s m s of act ion in homoeopathy.

No paper reporting a new controlled clinical trial using homoeopa th i c medic ine was presented. Nevertheless A Castro (Brazil) presented a more deta i led view on the cont ro l led trial on rheumato id arthri t is publ ished in 1991 fo l lowed by in-depth presentation of one case and the homoeopathic approach used for prescription. This was a useful way of extending the discussion of clinical trials at a homoeopathic congress. Preliminary results of a systematic review of provings published in UK in the past 50 years (F Dantas and P Fisher) pointed to several methodological flaws which seriously com- p romi se re l i ab i l i ty of resul ts and their application in clinical practice.

Retrospective studies carried out in the

Unit of Homeopa thy of the Hospi ta l do Serv idor Pt ibl ico de S~o Paulo on the effectiveness of homoeopathy in climacteric women, cost-effectiveness of homoeopathic treatment in migraine, rhinitis and asthma and on the profile of homoeopathic medi- cines prescribed to 1,500 patients were also presented with some reports on single cases or small samples of patients using homoeo- pathy. The h o m o e o p a t h i c t r ea tmen t of different conditions, mainly gynaecological, was discussed in conferences or round tables. An isopathic preparation of Haemophilus paragallinarum 14cH was administered to layers with or without infectious coryza with positive results (Lopez Seco et al.). Pharma- ceutical aspects of homoeopathic medicines were examined f rom legal and technical perspectives. Quality control in the prepara- tion of homoeopathic medicines is a key-point which needs further research.

I suppose attendance figures for homoeo- pathic health care professionals from South Amer i ca - - and particularly from Braz i l - - would improve if regis t ra t ion fees were lower. I also believe two years should be the minimum interval between OMHI interna- tional congresses in order to have original and new reports.

The congress was very well organized by the staff of Fundaci6n Homeos, and particular- ly the brothers Jos6 and Francisco Eizayaga hijo. Maybe the dynamic character of the pres- ident of the OMHI, FX E i z a y a g a - - e v e n though physically absent from the meetings-- inspired the delegates to discuss critically and ask questions in a direct and open way. I wish this spirit--pivotal to the creation of O M H I - - could prevail at all homoeopathic meetings.

FLAVIO DANTAS

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