|
This book review is reprinted with permission from Volume 18, Winter 2005 Edition of Homeopathic Links. Handwriting and Homeopathy 343 pages, hardback, ISBN 3-921383-77-3 Reviewed by Markus Kuntosch, Germany This is one of the most interesting and exciting books I've ever read about homeopathy. As homeopaths we are always looking for "rare, strange, peculiar and characteristic symptoms", Isn't it then obvious to take also the handwriting of a patient into consideration when analysing the case? Hugbald Volker Milller (1921-2000), a homeopath from Cologne, followed this idea further through collecting the favourite colours and handwritings of those patients who responded well to a single remedy. He recognized that those patients who were cured by the same homeopathic remedy not only shared the same colour preference but often had astonishingly similar handwriting. Ulrich Welte, the author of this book, closely collaborated with Muller in his last years. For the first time he makes this treasure of experience available to the homeopathic community. The book is divided into three parts. The first part (18 pages) gives a general introduction into the method and significance of the handwriting as a homeopathic symptom. The second part (311 pages) is the main part and gives a compilation of 315 remedies with 750 corresponding handwritings in the original size. For most remedies you'll find two or more handwritings, together with the remedy abbreviations and the colour codes according to the 'cookbook' of the same author (Colours in Homeopathy). Beside the polychrests, as for example Nux vomica, Sepia or Pulsatilla, you will especially find handwritings of so-called "small remedies" like Aqua marina, Bismuthum oxide, Crocus sativa, Erbium, Lithium muriaticum, Rhodium. What I liked most are the numerous cases, mostly with long-term follow-ups. Though they are deliberately kept short, they are replete with different strategies of analysis, for example the group analysis of Scholten, themes of plant families or essences of homeopathic remedies. This synthesis of old and new experiences in homeopathy makes this book unique. The author gives many pearls of his practical experience of more than 30 years, which have never been published before [for example the simuroubaceae family (Ailanthus, Cedron etc.) as possible remedies for compulsive disorders or Cornus circinatus for pseudarthrosis]. The book can be thought of as primarily a reference work. After the anamnesis you could easily compare the handwriting of your patient with the samples of remedies of your case analysis. The third part contains a kind of colour repertory in the form of a schema, as well as portraits of H.V. Muller, the authors and his colleagues who also practise this method. I have been using the colour preference and the handwriting for six years and I often use remedies suggested by the colour preference - remedies I otherwise wouldn't have thought of. In my first years of practising with the classical repertorisation I also had a few deeply reacting cases. After including colour preference and handwriting, the number of really good cases had substantially increased. Every homeopath is invited to form how own opinion by comparing some of the handwritings of his best cases (for example- letters) with the handwritings in this book. I'm sure that many of you will be surprised by the results. |