Dr. Luc: Very often, I hear in seminars that we can't possibly find the simillimum for our patient "because we have not proved that specific remedy yet." It always reminds me of Hahnemann and then von Boenninghausen how they had so much success with 100 to 125 remedies at their disposition. Von Boenninghausen has never disappointed me whenever I applied his method. Drawing on his vast experience, von Boenninghausen concluded that "the conditions of aggravation and amelioration are not confined to this or that particular symptom but they apply to ALL of the symptoms of the case." So the conditions of aggravations and ameliorations have a far more significant relation to the totality of the symptoms and become the most important factor to determine the simillimum. The NWS or etiology is the number one modality (if known), then come all the other modalities; the concomitant symptoms (called "unreasonable attendants") are second most important. Then sensation, location, pathology and last only, mental/emotional changes are taken into account for the patient's case. Why is this so effective? It follows A95 of the Organon, which explains that patients become accustomed to their prolonged suffering and don't really know anymore what real health is. But concomitant symptoms and modalities have often remained unchanged during this time and are easier to determine than the evaluation of the psyche of the patient, which can be subjected to different interpretations. But on the question, "Is your shoulder pain worse or better by lying on it," most patients can give you a clear answer. I like the method for acute as well as chronic cases, as it shows often the layer remedy, the true constitution of the patient and the acute remedy all at the same time. It is also by far the easiest method to teach and understand, and can be taught in one weekend! And yet it is so little known worldwide!

Dr. Luc: I was initially fascinated with the analysis of the Periodic Table and homeopathy. First of all, many homeopaths (H. Roberts and Farrington to name a few) had already discussed possible family relationships in these elements. Obviously Scholten took it a step further by now filling in the blanks and making new combinations of remedies, derived solely from their neighborhood to known elements. However I did not like this vast speculation, only supported by few clinical cases (and what about all those cases with the same remedy that did not give a result?). In his introduction in Analytical Repertory of the Symptoms of the Mind, C. Hering states, "There are two different kinds of symptoms, those produced and those cured, and they are essentially different … The marking of such different origin should always be done with the utmost care in the monograph of the Materia Medica; it should then be a matter of the highest importance never to mix indiscriminately, symptoms reported as cured (not having been observed on the healthy), with the symptoms produced by the drug (Provings). Hahnemann was right, when he advised us not to be ruled by former cures, but always by the symptoms produced."

Dr. Luc: I have been in schools worldwide and was present on many seminars. I was always astonished to see first that hardly a method was taught to find the simillimum, and second, worst of all, hardly any management was ever instructed, depriving the student of the most important aspect of the methodology. How often have I heard, "I gave the patient this remedy and five months later he was all better." Is this what we see in the practice? Of course not! You are lucky if the patient does not phone you the next day with questions and reactions. My books are all based on my teachings and I teach five different methods to find the simillimum in my schools.

Dr. Luc: I was disappointed initially with what I could receive in other schools. This encouraged me to follow my own path and study the old masters (in Ann Harbor, MI), reviewing thousands of pages of the old journals. This was my real education. In 1993 I founded my own school, RICH. Regarding homeopathic education in the US, homeopathy has to struggle against much misconception and the usual allopathic suppression. As long as homeopathy is not a "recognized profession," homeopathy is obstructed in its progress. Homeopathy must follow the lead of the acupuncture schools, but even they had to fight for a long time and are not considered a threat to the pharmaceutical companies as homeopathy is. I am afraid that the struggle will remain and that the idea of creating a 4 year homeopathic school in this country that is part of the Medical Board of Assurance will remain a pipe dream. It has been tried many times before, but for many different reasons always remained unsuccessful. Such schools can only be created in poor countries like India and South Africa, or in future countries where there is a large segment of dirt poor people.

Dr. Luc: Most of my students are licensed in their own profession and have been exposed more or less to the conventional medical sciences. I always have encouraged the lay people in my school, to enroll in community colleges to follow these courses, even more, I encouraged them to become a nurse, acupuncturist, psychotherapist, etc and many have followed my advice. Again, only when we are able to create a school like the acupuncture schools, can this become part of our homeopathic school program.

Dr. Luc: I strongly object to the use of software in the first year of education. Too many times have I seen on seminars that students were expecting all the answers of the computer, simply because they were never taught to determine the value of symptoms (A153). Doing the hard work first in books will facilitate the use of these software programs. If I would encourage buying one program, it would be Boger's Von Boenninghausen (BG2) program, as long as you have been taught how to use it as this information sadly does not come with the computer program.

Dr. Luc: A well-trained homeopath is inevitably drawn in his practice to serious pathology. I have experienced this myself in my whole career. Is it not so that the homeopath is often the last to be consulted by desperate patients, once they have been given up by allopathy and other modalities? While we would prefer differently, we still can do much good. And for us, there are only patients with a disease, not diseases. The knowledge of the miasmatic theory is certainly a must in treating and understanding severe pathological cases. Regarding documentation: I had nothing but the opportunity to do so during my practice and several of my excellent students are able to do this now too. Of course, because it is not in a double blind study, these wonderful, successful cases will be called "anecdotal." I am pleased to have had so many anecdotal cures in my career and time permitting, I will involve myself more in serious studies with homeopathic treatment regarding specific diseases, which would be more acceptable to the allopathic world.

Dr. Luc: Most people attending my schools are professionals in some health branch and as I mentioned before, those that are not, I encourage strongly becoming a health practitioner. Not only because some allopathic knowledge will make it easier to practice, but also because the homeopath will have more influence in his community. I used to do school tests on regular basis but have found it to be counterproductive. Some students are intimidated by written exams; above all, it took too much time away from my teachings. And the best always survive. I do every weekend live, clinical cases and these cases are followed up for their management each subsequent month, year after year if possible. The students (in small groups) work on the live case first before I provide my assessment. It gives me the opportunity to go around and see who and where he student is struggling. That is more productive than what I did in the past. As I said before, the motivation of the student, if he wants just to dabble a little in homeopathy or become a good practitioner, is not determined with some exams. He needs to examine his own character daily and put his best foot forward. There are no state licensing examinations in this country no matter what they want you to believe. The CHC exam is an attempt to test people but coming from all kinds of different programs, and put together by practitioners themselves who are stuck in the 4th edition, I put little importance on it as it does not allow you to be "licensed" in homeopathy and in my opinion does not reflect if you are a good practitioner.

Dr. Luc: I was never in any phone book during my years of practice and my biggest problem was to handle the mass of patients. Good work does its public relations by itself. I never hesitated to be a mouth piece for homeopathy through speeches, lectures, work shops and of course writing. Anyone of us can do this (there is always Arg-n for those who tremble at the thought) and it is more productive than paying much money for advertising. Treat what you think you can, and above all treat yourself first by looking at what Jung called, your "shadow side." You would be surprised that you can find your simillimum there! !

Dr. Luc: There are several students of mine that have a successful practice. None of them have written books but they are often locally involved in spreading the word of homeopathy through lecturing. I guess they leave the writing of books to me.