v  Introduction

The Homoeopathic Materia Medica is the product of the highest Wisdom. Through the contribution of Artificial Human Pharmacology as explored through healthy human beings’ proving, Hahnemann brought the illness at the forefront of our existence, at the humanistic experiential level, to give the true meaning of illness.

For a homoeopathic student, the study of MM is the study, in perspective, of the exploration of a human being through the cosmos of which he is an integral part (nurture) and through the genetics (nature). The vast study of materia medica possess both conceptual and therapeutical problems before a conscientious homoeopathic student.

In this paper, problems and resolutions of the study of materia medica are discussed from the cognitive angle, with a visual reference system, with perceptual maps for objectives of teaching materia medica at clinical level. Specific objectives are also highlighted. Different modules of study of materia medica are highlighted.

A.     Specific objectives of teaching materia medica at clinical level

·         Identification of a homoeopathic remedy

·         Utilization of clinical data for the sake of nosological diagnosis

·         Discrimination between pathognomic and non- pathognomic symptoms

·         Physical examination of a patient – Its value in clinical and homoeopathic  setting

·         Understanding patient's language in relation with clinical and homoeopathic   (Materia Medica and Repertory) language

·         Using non-verbal language of a patient in the totality of symptoms

·         Phase consideration: acute disease /   exacerbation, acute on chronic or chronic and its co-relation with homoeopathic Materia Medica

·         Understanding the patterns of responses of the behavior of the remedies

·         Evolving the portrait of a diseased individual through analysis, evaluation and  synthesis after adequate and accurate case elicitation.

·         Using the concepts from the holistic science for the sake of perceiving the portrait of a

Remedy: forms, symbols, metaphors etc.

·         Teaching comparative Materia Medica from various angles.

·         Inculcating confidence amongst the learners through rational use of Materia Medica

 The First Step towards solving a problem

                       ………. is to begin !!

             B. The Problems and Resolutions

            1. Language of Materia Medica

A.    Problem                             

v  Omniferous Data

v  Obscure/ cryptic/ abstruse words or sentences

v  Human Language chiefly

v  The Field of Languages: anatomy, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, Psychology, Psychiatry, clinical, paraclinical, social, cultural, vernacular, native etc.  

1. Language of Materia Medica

        B. Problem 

v  Patient’s own words or language

v  Understanding  patient’s language

v  Transformation: Patient‘s language                  Medical 

language               Homoeopathic language               Materia            

Medica language                 Repertorial language

v  Non-verbal language

v  Logical,  rational  approach and interpretation

1.      Language of Materia Medica

Resolution 

v   The use of dictionaries: 1. Medical   2. English – English 3. English – Mother

 tongue

v  The English language must be improved

v  The meaning of English word (s) concerning theme (s) in Materia Medica

v   Read between the lines

v  Case-oriented practical training

v  Art of rubrication                  Materia Medica

2.      Disbelief  

Problems

  A wide variety of ‘sensations as if ’

  The similar data

                                Were the provers healthy?

                      Shrinking effect

2.  Disbelief              

    Resolution                   

·         Proving as a scientific investigatory methodology

·         200 years of homoeopathic survival

·         Resurgence of homoeopathy all over the globe

·         Allow students to ‘prove’ the drugs on themselves

·          Show actual cases; for disbelief                    belief

3.     Detail

         Problem                 

 ‘Does detail built up to a whole or is detail obtained by microscoping the whole?’

v  Materia Medica is subject to continuous growth

v  Information : huge, and hence scaring

v  What is the objective of so much information?

     3. Detail

Resolution

v  Moving back from boundary of the information field to

 the centre

v  ‘What does all this add up to?’

v  ‘What do we really know?’

v   Practical utilization of data with comparative study

4.  Confusion

     Problem 

v  Similar symptomatology; difficult words

v  No  head, no tail to data

v  Vastness of data

v  Objective of study of data

4.      Confusion

         Resolution                                          

v  Define objective of study of Materia Medica

v  Bring clarity at every level

v  Show ample cases

v  Give advanced reading material

5. Boredom

    Problem    

                               You contribute nothing!

                               Demand of amusement !

                  If we do not open an interest then that interest is blind!

v  Repetition of notary writing

v   Non-understanding                 confusion                 boredom

v  Running away from Homoeopathi c Materia Medica

            5.    Boredom

                   Resolution

v  Add ‘life’ in Homoeopathic drugs

v  Drugs as living, vibrating individuals

v  Famous Personalities vis-a-vis Materia Medica

v  Teach Materia Medica through cases

v  Computer programs, CDs, video / audio, dramas, herbarium sheets, stage plays etc.

6. Scattered data

    Problem

       
      v  Proving data : Only listing of symptoms

v  Enormous data scattered here and there

v  Lack of co-ordination

v  Jig-saw puzzle

6. Scattered Data

    Resolution

v  Language of symptoms or disease

v  Concept of qualitative totality

v  ‘Integration’ as the intertwining thread

v  Co-ordination, interconnectedness of literature

7.  Fixed Ideas

     Problem

v  Fixed symptoms

v  Fixed ideas / concepts / themes

v  Fixed images

v  Rigidity

7.  Fixed Ideas

     Resolution

v  A homoeopathic drug as a multi-dimensional personality

v  Behavioural patterns - multiple

v  Unprejudiced study with a broad vision

v  Flexible attitude

v  Ample cases - demonstration

v  Ample books and commentaries for pondering

v  Wide variety of approaches of case study

8.  Clinico–pathological co–relation

     Problem

 v  Innumerable symptoms at various levels

v  A mess of symptoms

v  Disorganized, incoherent, inconsistent, paradoxical and contradictory symptoms

v  Are physiology, pathology, biochemistry different from Materia Medica?

v  How to co-relate ?

8. Clinico–pathological co–relation

    Resolution

v  Drug’s pathogenetic action

v  Totality of symptoms

v  Practical training

v  Teaching physiology, pathology, biochemistry, psychology in conjunction with Materia Medica right from first B.H.M.S.

v  Miasmatic co-relation 

9. Remedy Relationship

    Problem                 

v  How I am related to you?

v  The purpose of Relations?

v  The utility of Relations?

v  Inadequate explanations

v  How to apply relations in clinical practice ?

9. Remedy Relationship

  Resolution