Editorial: In this Issue

“But he walked about for some time, and then, when he told us that his legs began to feel heavy, lay down on his back: for such were the directions of the attendant. And at the same time the man that administered the poison touched him at intervals to examine his feet and legs, and then pressing his foot hard enquired if he felt it and he said, No; and next his legs again; and so advancing upwards, showed us that he was growing cold and stiff. And he himself did the same, and told us that as soon as it reached his heart, then he should be gone. Well, the cold was already beginning to affect the region of the abdomen, when he uncovered his face—for it had been covered—and said, which were indeed the last words he spoke, Crito, he said, we owe a cock to Æsculapius: pray pay it, and don’t forget.”

( Plato’s Phaedo. Hemlock and the Death of Socrates. (Transl. E.M. Cope.) Cambridge at University Press; 1875. p. 107-108.)

“[Conium maculatum] Acts upon the motor nervous tract, especially the peripheral extremities of the nerves, producing paralytic conditions, and affecting in a remarkable degree the glandular system, causing engorgements and indurations, and altering the structure of the glandular substance.

In this latter condition we find its chief action, rendering it of essential value in scrofulous and cancerous affections. The main peculiarity of Conium is its adaptability to the diseases of old people, especially old men.”

(Cowperthwaite, AC, MD, PhD.. A Text-Book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics. 10^th ed. Philadelphia: Boericke & Tafel; 1909. p. 285)

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Spring edition of our journal! In this issue our new President, Lisa Amerine, ND, DABHM, introduces herself and describes her vision for the AIH in a passionate, first President’s Message. Who would have been able to foretell that Conium maculatum would become an agent of therapeutics, as it had been the agent of death?

The upcoming 2024 AIH Collaborative Conference will feature the use of toxicology to further understand homeopathic remedies and our rich heritage in this field. This edition explores this field with extensive illustrations in three of its articles. We will also have a case series article, and one on quantum theory and the vital force.

As always, we welcome your comments and letters.

Warm regards,
Alex Bekker, MD, ABIHM, FAIS
Trustee, American Institute of Homeopathy