This book review is reprinted from The Homoeopath with permission from Nick Churchill of The Society of Homoeopaths.
Three Pieces of Gold
by Terje Wulfsberg
Reviewed by Rakhel Shabi
In his introduction, the author, Norwegian homoeopath Terje Wulfsberg points out that we live in a syphilitic era, and should therefore expand our array of anti-syphilitic remedies. Incorporating many reliable sources and using his rich clinical experience which brings him to the conclusion that not only Aurum metallicum but 'also some of the Aurum salts are frequently indicated' (p. 17), he undertakes to facilitate the use of three of them. He does so by sharing his insights into what he considers as underestimated, underrepresented and underused polychrests, namely Aurum muriaticum natronatum and Aurum sulphuratum (which is identical, in his view, to Aurum sulphuricum). Aurum arsenicum, the third remedy considered, is given a much smaller platform.
Another purpose of putting his notions on paper is to confirm his 'claims about their usefulness' in order that they eventually become 'valued as gold' (p. 18). It is unclear to me whether it is the potentised gold he refers to, but unattenuated or not, I'm sure many readers will agree once they will have read his book.
We have numerous sources on Aurum metallicum: everything seems to have been said on that polychrest, and since Terje largely focuses on the emotional aspect of these 'neglected' Aurum salts, a short statistic in that respect might be illuminating: Aurum metallicum is mentioned 716 times in the Mind section of the Complete Repertory, whereas Aurum sulphuratum appears in 74 rubrics and Aurum muriaticum natronatum only in ten. The knowledge we have on these combination remedies seems to be specific and focused on very definite, somewhat limited spheres of action. The author aims at shifting those centres of gravity and thus enable three remedies which have hitherto been overshadowed (or rather, outshined) by their successful 'parents' (Aurum, Natrum muriaticum, Sulphur and Arsenicum album) to play a more active role in our practice.
Terje considers his work as an expansion of a knowledge already prevailing, merely 'filling in gaps', as he puts it (p.9). By no means does he aim at the reader who first comes across these remedies. Thorough, well structured and following a coherent inner logic, the book allocates as little as possible to the physical aspects of the remedies, apparently mentioning only the clinically verified symptoms. True, there is no point in slavishly repeating Materia Medica that can be read elsewhere, and of course every homoeopath must bear in mind aphorism #211. Nevertheless, when reading this book, remember it emphasizes the mental aspect (p.81), and before you have it for your main course, be sure to have an appetizer first. In other words, be sure to take along a good map of the entire terrain when climbing that mountain.
The table of contents reveals both the scope and the depth of the work the author wishes to cover, and also serves as a synopsis for the entire book. Proceeding from generals to particulars, he first speaks about gold as an element, compares it to people who need Aurum salts, and then refers to stages in the pathological development of these syphilitic remedies.
When examining the first two remedies, he follows a sensible configuration: first giving a main theme, he then describes the pattern - namely the personality types, the causation for their state, the strategy they adopt, the compensation, and characterising traits. All this is later further illustrated in relation to children, which undoubtedly makes this book an invaluable source of information.
Throughout his study, Terje is continuously backed up by well-acclaimed authors and various clinical examples. The differential diagnosis with several polychrests these remedies might be mistaken for puts the description in a more practical frame of reference, as do the suggestions to repertory additions. Several case examples later given are extremely important in fixing the picture in our mind. They are followed by a repertorisation, analysis using the Vithoulkas Expert System, and a long-term follow up, indicating a lasting improvement, often a cure. Terje doesn't hesitate to share his doubts and initial failures, he even uses them to emphasize the fine differences between the Aurum salts and polychrests indicated otherwise.
I found all these additions extremely valuable in avoiding future mistakes - so far the remedies have been missed for lack of knowledge or because they did not come through in repertorisation.
My fascination with this book goes beyond its being a comprehensive, 'total package' guide to unknown aspects of these remedies. Typographically, it has an elegant layout, useful subtitles and highlighted key sentences, which make it both aesthetic and convenient. I nevertheless think the inclusion of a word index would have made the book even more practical and userfriendly. It would facilitate its use as a reference for readers, who thoroughly read the book once and wish to access it later when making a differential diagnosis - the one available definitely captures the core, but the fine details are naturally scattered throughout.
Future editions of this book, I hope, will also see the spelling mistakes left out - trifling as it may sound and insignificant on the whole, it doesn't go hand in hand with the high, Aurum-y standards the author set for this book.
Another thing I would have liked to see is the expansion of the discussion on Aurum arsenicum. The author thinks it is 'a small remedy and therefore more rarely needed', smaller than Aurum muriaticum natronatum (p.21 2), which is, in his view, 'a neglected polychrest' (p.29). Yet the discussion of the latter takes up two thirds of the book, whereas Aurum arsenicum is again underrepresented with less than 5% allocated to it.
Terje Wulfsberg is not the first homoeopath to dedicate a whole work to a limited number of infrequently used remedies. Those reluctant to buy this kind of book might want to think how irreplaceable it can be when a seemingly well-indicated polychrest fails to cure, when gold veins are unmistakably traced in the case, and yet Aurum doesn't bring the recovery expected, or when an amalgamation of several elements is certainly recognized in a given case.
Terje's ability to observe the fine nuances and at the same time perceive and maintain the whole pattern, his extensive knowledge and his clear, methodical and flowing presentation make this a brilliant and promising book. I can easily predict the Golden Age of these Aurum salts.
The Homoeopath - Number 71
Autumn 1998