X X X 1 V I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S 215

Research Register

Tile Faculty of Homceopathy is compiling a list of doctors and other professional persons who are interested in participating in an objective evaluation of homceopathie principles and practice.

Readers who would like to be included in this register are requested to write to the Faculty Secretariat, Hahnemann House, 2 Powis Place, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3HR, giving the following details:

Name Qualifications and date of primary registration Address Type of practice (NHS, private, consultant, etc.) Length of homceopathic experience Special research interests

XXXIV International Congress for Homoeopathic Medicine

May 1979--Hamburg C. O L I V E R K E N N E D Y , B.SO., I~I.B., F.F.HOM.

Hamburg proved to be a good centre for the Congress, being the second city in West Germany, with a population of 1.7 million. I t is a port lying on thc River Elbe and extends inwards around the two Alster or lakes and canals Unfortunately the climate tends to be cold and wet, presumably due to the prevailing winds from either the North or Baltic seas.

The Congress Centre lies in the Botanic Gardens, making both a colourful and educational surrounding. Children are well catered for with amusement grounds which include games and water cannon and the lake.

The official opening session was given by the vice-Mayor, Helga Elstner, Senator of the Health Department, on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. She was joined by Dr. Buchmann, Chairman of the Professional Association for Schleswig Holstein, Hamburg and Bremen. They explained the importance of ensuring that only qualified doctors were admitted to the League, sentiments which were endorsed by Dr. Gebhardt, Chairman of the German Central Association of Homceopaths, and Dr. Illing who is the Congress President, and Dr. Eenhoorn. This approach was confirmed by Professor yon Essen of Freiberg and Dr. Braum.

2~6 T l t E B R I T I S ~ I / - I O M ( E O P A T I t I C J O U t C N A L

On Monday evening there was an official reception given by the Senate and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in their magnificent Town Hall which is beautifully adorned with rich carvings and paintings, a truly magnificent setting for such a reception.

On the Thursday evening the Banquet was held in the Congress Centre and this proved to be a delightful evening with a few speeches, and presentations of flowers to the various ladies in the organizing committee. An orchestra played music throughout the evening and allowed for lively dancing sessions. This was interrupted by two very talented dancers exhibiting a selection from the various countries represented in the League.

With regard to the Congress itself, there were some 273 participants, making a total assembly of some 400 people. Of these, 124 came from Germany, thirty-nine from France and only ten from Great Britain. Lectures were restricted to fifteen minutes and totalled some twenty hours with only six hours of discussion. This is one of the problems which the Facul ty should seek to resolve in readiness for the Triennial International Congress in 1982. The simultaneous translation was up to a very high standard, covering English, French, German and Spanish.

The papers themselves ranged over a wide field. The materia mcdica of Kali carb. and Kali bichromicum were well discussed and they presented some interesting psychiatric features with the physical weakness, with violent mental irritability, fear particularly referred to the epigastrium and a want of self-confidence particularly when left alone, with outstanding relief from even the presence of a child.

In philosophy we had the usual high standard of paper by Dr. Twentyman, dealing with depression and the liver, suggesting how this could be used in the choice of remedies. Provings included one by Dr. Trevor Smith on Kali carb., revealing features not normally included in the Materia Medica. Research papers were presented by the Boiron twins which mainly covered features already published; Dr. Pa tau and Mme. Binsard produced an interesting paper on a comparative s tudy of Ignatia and Gelsemium, using an animal model for testing Valium. Some muscle nerve experiments using Rhus. tox. in 30, 200 and 10M potencies were mentioned, but in this the trials appeared inadequately controlled.

With regard to drugs, new ones like R N A and D NA are frequently used on the continent and reference was made to these in the t reatment of liver problems. :New drugs like Corica papya, by Dr. Daas from India, with the outstanding intolerance of milk. Dr. K a n t presented some notes on Harpagophytum. The proving picture of this was deficient, and further testing was indicated.

There were special sessions on proving, research and pharmacy and Dr. Anita Davies, Dr. Trevor Smith and Mr. Ainsworth were good enough to at tend these.

With regard to the Council Meeting and the General Assembly, the significant features were the appearance of the League in the World Health Directory. The benefit of combined central action by the League in stopping the Strichting Klassiehe tIomceopath by J . Van Vliet was demonstrated. In spite of this grand sounding name the Association is entirely lay.

One of the main features of the Council at these meetings was the consideration of Active and Associated members who could be called homoeopaths. There have been some inaccuracies in the translation of the original French articles

X X X I V I . N T E R N A T I O ] q A L C O : N G I ~ E S S 217

and the main problem is whether only doctors of medicine should be permit ted to be active members. This was certainly the case in the earlier days and in practice the German lay practitioners, although government-recognized, have not been admit ted even as associates. In S. Africa the government- recognized SAttA have applied for associated membership. Their proposal is a three-year university course prior to studying homceopathy. I t is not designed for doctors. In India the homceopathic colleges have been recognized by the government but the standard of qualifications and training is low in many of these and all have agreed that these must be raised. However the main aim is to produce a homceopathic physician based on the traditional homceopathic approach. In our experience in the U.K. this put their graduates at a severe disadvantage because of the absence of general clinical training in medicine, surgery, gynaecology and orthopaedics. They feel, however, that it is not possible for doctors brought up on orthodox medicine to become good homceopaths and they criticise the absence of a traditional hom0eopathic approach to t reatment in the West.

My own personal view is that there are two qualifications necessary for a homceopathic doctor to be admitted as a full member; (1) that he should be a graduate of equal standing with any qualified graduate of his country ~nd (2) his knowledge and practice of homceopathy must be good.

I t could be argued tha t in the U.K. our knowledge of the philosophy of chronic disease may be deficient and our Indian colleagues could teach us this aspect but only if they themselves have a first-class training in clinical work. In recent years knowledge of orthodox pharmacology has become more necessary to enable the homoeopathic doctor to manage the patients ' orthodox drug therapy as well as their homceopathy. I suggest tha t if the Indian Government see that the homceopathic graduates are debarred from actual membership because of their lack of clinical experience, they will be more likely to assist in raising homceopathic colleges to recognized Western standards.

Finance ahvays plays an important and lively part in the Council Meetings. The central contribution for Triennial Congress has been raised from 3,000 to 6,000 Sw. francs. The French have continued to pay their contribution of 10 Sw. francs in French currency, tha t is half the value of a Sw. franc[ They also keep the money in their own country and this is used to cover printing for the International League, thus achieving all round advantage!

A "l~eading Committee" has been set up to collect the published literature on homceopathy under the chairmanship of Dr. Cure with the help of Dr. Klunker and Dr. Schweitzer.

An Education Depar tment has been set up under the control of Dr. Garzonis with Dr. Jacques Imbereeht as an itinerant member. The initial aim of this committee is to collect information on teaching methods in different countries with a view to publishing this so tha t we all may gain the advantage of experience gained in other countries. This will aid the advancement of training in India and S. America and give us an opportunity to review the training of doctors in homceopathy in Europe and America.

A request has been made by the Council to set up a Central Office for the archives of the League, and London and Athens have been suggested. Colonel Barraclough thinks he has the accommodation to store these at once and would hope to be able to provide a Secretariat in addition in about three years time. Such a move wolfld enhance the position of London in the International field of homoeopathy and I hope that this offer will be accepted.

218 T I ~ 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

A request has come from some podologists in the U.K. to form an Internat ional Homceopathic Association. The problems of this is that thc Council is made up almost entirely of doctors and their stated aim is to teach medical practitioners homceopathy. I feel that such an approach was not ill the best interests of chiropodists generally and the Association dislike the use of "systemic" drugs being administered by chiropodists.

Mr. Ainsworth, who is President of the International Committee of Homceopathic Pharmacists, tells me tha t work goes ahead collecting details of the pharmacology of homceopathic medicines and the various regulations in the different countries covering their use. An approach is being made to the World Heal th Organization to free potencies of Opium and Cannabis 6c and above from the regulations requiring a doctor 's prescription. Many feel, however, tha t there is little chance of this being successful. A link should be made with the British homceopathic manufacturers.

This I think covers most of the salient points of the meeting which was enjoyed by everyone. The organization was extremely good and the time was fully occupied. Any omissions will be filled in by the colleagues who kindly supported me at the various meetings.

I hope this report will be of interest to members of the Facul ty who, incidentally, are also automatically full members of the International Homceopathic League, and tha t this may stimulate them to take an active interest in these matters with particular reference to the Triennial Congress which we will be organizing in 1982.

I t rust you will not hesitate to criticise this report and make constructiw'~ suggestions.

In conclusion I should like to thank my colleagues for the support which I was given in Hamburg, particularly Dr. Davies, Dr. Trevor Smith and Mr. Ainsworth, who attended the special committees and seminars and from whom I hope we shall hear.

Colonel Barraclough also was of invaluable support throughout the whole Congress and was able to see colleagues and doctors with whom he has been in correspondence over the years.

We should like to thank the Homceopathic Trust for their financial support in allowing us to at tend and keep the British flag flying.

Miss Hiscox, although attending as an observer, was soon recruited to assist with secretarial work, and without her help a lot of the deliberations of the assembly would never have been recorded--and this on a German typewriter which I believe is no mean feat for which we must all thank her.

Are we in the Facul ty not extremely fortunate to have such an enthusiastic team, always willing to help in any way possible to further our aims of homoeopathy?

To them all, may I convey our gratitude.