This book review is reprinted from The Homoeopath with permission from Nick Churchill of The Society of Homoeopaths.
MATERIA MEDICA VIVA, VOLUMES 2 AND 3 -
AMMONIACUM GUMMI - ARGENTUM NITRICUM AND ARNICA -A VENA SATIVA
GEORGE VITHOULKAS
1995, 259 and 281 pages, hardback
Reviewed by Robin Logan
I like these books. There are not many homoeopathy books that I await with as much anticipation as these periodic volumes of Materia Medica from George Vithoulkas.
The latest two books complete the remedies beginning with 'A'. With a new publisher a few improvements have been made on the first volume. They look better and contain less of the toxicological and pharmacopoeia information. I have found much less fault with these two volumes although I have rushed to review them having received them when this issue of the journal was in its final stages. The price has come down too, from 60.00 pounds to currently 32.00 pounds although that may be an introductory offer increasing slightly later.
There is something refreshingly solid and pragmatic about these books. If you are looking for elaborate descriptions of the doctrine of signatures or extrapolations of dreams and delusions, these are not for you. If, however you want a practical materia medica whether it be for a clear explanation of the application of a small remedy or to refresh your knowledge of a polychrest, I can think of no better set of text books. It is nice to have the updated, official, I essences' that many of us were raised on. Apis, Arsenicum, Argentum nitricum, Anacardium, Arnica and Aurum are the main polychrests covered. There are many remedies you will never have used, some you will not have considered using and a few you probably have not heard of- all described in an easy to grasp way.
My one reservation is to do with the precise description of personality types in some of the remedy pictures. One example is the Ammonium muriaticum patient being described as intellectual. Essences are useful but, I feel, should be applied loosely. There are always exceptions to these rules and can be misleading like any concept that is applied to rigidly. (Situational materia medica and animal/mineral/vegetable classifications are other examples of this).
We all have our preferences and there will no doubt be individuals who will find greater fault with these books than I have. For me it is the feeling of soundness of the information and the useability of the materia medica that I value more than anything. Get them or start saving.
The Homoeopath No. 58 1995