Book Review: Yasgur’s Homeopathic Dictionary
and Holistic Health Reference (6th ed.)

Yasgur’s Homeopathic Dictionary and Holistic Health Reference – 6th ed.

(revised-augmented, 2021)

by Jay Yasgur, RPh, MSc
Quality paperback. 480 pages (6”x 9”)
$24.00 US (same price since 1998). 2021
Van Hoy Publishers (www.yasgur.net)
ISBN : 978-1-886149-08-3.

Available at: www.homeopathyworks.com/search.php?search_query=yasgur&section=product

Reviewed by Karin Cseak, DO

In early months of 1989, Jay Yasgur, RPh, MSc, was chatting with Julian Winston about the need to create a pamphlet that listed terms and definitions applicable to homeopathic practice. From that chat, he had the idea to create a dictionary. Jay spent about a year going through multiple homeopathic texts, paragraph by paragraph and word by word. A friend created a computer program to alphabetize the entries, and the first homeopathic dictionary, born through desktop publishing in 1990, was ninety pages in length. The printed copies of the first edition quickly sold out within two years and, ever since, Jay has continued to expand the work. As each subsequent edition sold out, Jay updated and improved the dictionary for the next edition. By 1998, the 4th edition was 420 pages, and, according to Jay, it was “far superior to any prior edition,” adding information related to other holistic health modalities and expanding many definitions. He also reorganized the whole book with that edition, making it easier on the eye. The 5th edition is the same as the 4th (since production was temporarily taken over by someone else, and they re-released the 4th edition, calling it the 5th).

This new 6th edition in 2021 is well worth purchasing, especially if you’ve not updated your Yasgur’s Dictionary in some years. It contains a total of 5000 definitions. Jay has slimmed down some of the biography entries and created more complete abbreviation and appellation sections. The font is smaller than prior editions, allowing for more information per page, but it is not so small as to strain the eyes. A Key to Abbreviations is in the front of the book, prior to the Foreword and Prefaces. Short sections on Prefixes, Suffixes, Compound Words, Eponyms, Onomatopoetic Words, and Diphthongs follow. The dictionary proper follows next, which, of course, is the bulk of the book, followed by A Selected Homeopathic Obituary (with 200 homeopathic obits). The final section is Appellations, Journals and Professional Associations. At first, I thought an Index at the front of the book would be helpful, but after becoming familiar with the layout of the various sections, it is quite simple to figure out where to turn to find the information you want.

In fact, Yasgur’s Dictionary is an essential reference guide for homeopathic practice. Most of you probably have an older edition on your shelf. I found this new edition to be a wealth of information. Just flipping through it is quite an education. The 4-page definition of ‘potency’ is a great example, listing information and references even a seasoned homeopath will appreciate. I have enjoyed reading his entries on such varied subjects as Homeopaths Without Borders, Paracelsus, and the Theory of Body Signifiers, to name just a few. I was spurred to research more on the Curability Quotient developed by Indian homeopath Chetna Shukla. And, of course, the dictionary always comes through when I come across a term I’m unclear about while reading the materia medica. One notable omission is any entry on Cannabis, or medical marijuana, which is now a common and effective legal alternative treatment for a variety of conditions (in most states of the U.S.). But otherwise, this is a wonderfully comprehensive and densely packed reference guide; one that I will keep readily close to my desk. Amazingly, Jay has kept the price of this publication the same since 1998 ($24). In my opinion, you cannot afford not buy it.

About the author: Karin Cseak, DO, is an osteopathic physician, and has been practicing classical homeopathy and osteopathic manipulation for the past 20 years. She has served previously on the Board of the American Institute of Homeopathy. She is past president of the Ohio State Homeopathic Medical Society.