This book review is reprinted from Summer 2008, 27:1 edition, with permission from The Homeopath.
Structure - Experiences with the Mineral Kingdom
By Rajan Sankaran
Homoeopathic Medical Publishers, Mumbai, 2008,
2 volumes, hardback, 1056 pages, ISBN 819033785
Reviewed by Jean Duckworth
About the Author:
Jean Duckworth RSHom studied homeopathy at the North West College of Homeopathy and practices in Lancashire. She teaches on the BSc (Hons) Homeopathic Medicine and MSc Homeopathy courses and is undertaking a PhD in Homeopathy.
Email: jean_duckworth@ homeopathy-soh.arg.
Review:
This 2 volume set by Sankaran follows work on the plant kingdom. He opens with acknowledgements to all who helped with the development of the ideas and books (there are chapters by Roger Morrison and Patricia Le Raux). The text starts with explanations of kingdoms in homeopathy, of minerals and of the 'mineral song'. I particularly liked the short chapter on 'mineral source words' and believe it will enhance my understanding of my patients.
As with all Rajan Sankaran's recent texts, there are ample case examples, including verbatim case histories, by way of illustration, which help with understanding both the remedy and methodology. As someone who appreciates his work, I was also interested in Roger Morrison's hypothesis and aphorisms in the chapter on Miasms in the Mineral Kingdom, and will see if it has an application in my own practice. Another useful feature is that Sankaran looks beyond the minerals as they appear on the periodic table, he also classifies the minerals by their common substances, for example in his classification of carbon, he looks at the pure carbons, including Adamas, Carbo animalis, Carbo mineralis, Carbo umbra, Carbo vegetabilis and Graphites and then the acyclic carbon compounds such as Aceticum acidum, Carboneum dioxygenisatum, Citricum acidum and so on. He then mentions the cyclic carbon compounds before moving on to the substances of organic origin, including Antipyrinum through to Terebinthina and finally to the synthetic drugs, which include Barbital, Heroinum, Phenobarbitalum, right through to Phlorizinum.
The work builds on that already completed by Jan Scholten and adds the further dimension of the Bombay school, a welcome addition to our knowledge of this kingdom.
There are two things that I felt would aid my use of the books: a schema, like the one already compiled on the plant kingdom which would enable me to see an overview rather than always having to search; and emboldened text in the index, whenever it relates to the main information about a remedy.
Other than these very minor points, this is not simply a replication of Jan Scholten's work; the book is valuable to everyone, and gives to those who use the Bombay or Sensation method, another way of accessing the mineral kingdom.