“We hold, therefore, that in our curative measures we are bound to be governed by that alone which we can know or discover positively; and for this purpose, guided by this maxim, we proceed to collect and note carefully just such data or facts, from which we exclude rigidly all we are not sure of. To cultivate the faculty of gauging our knowledge, is a part of our business as homœopathists. This is the most difficult of all methods of self-discipline, but errors are possible, even in the most rigid exclusion…The only distinction is that homœopathists are trained at the outset to separate pathological facts from theories, and to keep the two apart, each for a different purpose.”
Wesselhoeft, C. MD, Lecture on Homoeopathy Before the Members of the Boylston Medical Society (of Harvard Medical School). Second Edition. Boston. Otis Clapp & Son. 1886. p. 11, 12. (Dr. Wesselhoeft was a Professor of Pathology and Therapeutics at the Boston University of Medicine.)
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Winter issue of our Journal.
The significance of our historical legacy cannot be overstated. While we must constantly be exploring ways to develop our art and science and the understanding of the principles on which it is based, we need to pay close attention to the successful practitioners of the past. In this issue we have excellent cases from Hahnemann, Gallavardin, Kraft, and Talcott, as well as a Case Vignette from Mitch Fleisher, MD, DABHM. In understanding the process of homeopathic case taking we invariably become better practitioners.
The illustrious history of homeopathy as demonstrated by Dr. Talcott and the psychiatric institution he ran in the 19th century gives us a taste of what homeopathy has been and what it can be. We ought to pay careful attention to our work, as Dr. Wesselhoeft states, to discriminate between the chaff and wheat of the facts which are presented before us in the clinical setting. I hope that we can have fruitful discussions on this topic in the future.
I also hope that the description of the vital force in this issue will stimulate more research in our field to gain more understanding of the subtle forces at play when healing occurs.
As always, I look forward to your comments, questions, suggestions, and, of course, articles for submission!
Best regards,
Alex Bekker, MD, ABIHM, FAIS
Editor, AJHM
Board Member, American Institute of Homeopathy
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