lwankel@aol.com wrote:
=============================================
Dear Laura,
Here's short and long versions of one way to look at a multidimensional
library question for the beginner to
intermediate to advanced practitioner. Not exhaustive by any means! (Other
list denizens will hopefully
make additions or differing recommendations)
SHORT FORM (for beginner)
=========================
Materia Medica:
Murphy Homeopathic Rem Guide (2nd or 3rd ed)-$89;
plus
Drug Pictures, Tyler, indian edition ($20?) (study and reference, much fewer
remedies)
plus
Nash, Leaders indian($10?) (but NOT in alphabetical order) or
(better)-Expanded Nash ($30?) (for study
and reference)
plus
Synoptic key, boger,, indian edition $10(study and reference-very concise
organization)
plus
Vermuelen Synoptic mm 1 (about $40)
==========================
Repertory:
Murphy, Homeopathic Medical Repertory, alphabetical (about $89)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
LONG FORM:(for beginner through professional-does not include clinical
books, many other materia medicas, philosophy books, many other books.)
Materia medica:
*lowest cost per bookt: (covers REFERENCE AND STUDY materia medica for the
beginning homeopath at
low cost) total cost maybe $70-100- does not include newer remedies however,
but that comes later anyway for
the most part.
--Pocket materia medica, Boericke, indian edition (about 800 remedies), plus
--Drug Pictures, Tyler, indian edition (study and reference, much fewer
remedies) plus
--Synoptic key, boger,, indian edition (study and reference-very concise)
plus
--Phatak mm, indian edition (complements Boericke) plus
--Nash, Leaders (but not in alphabetical order) or (better)-Expanded Nash
(for study and reference)
Next level of interest -Classics for study and reference
--Kent Materia Medica-Classic and essential-indian approx $15
--Farrington Materia Medicas (Clinical; Comparative)-Classic and
essential-indian approx $10 ea
--Allens Keynotes; Allens Materia Medica of the Nosodes-Classic and
essential-indian approx $10 ea
--Hahnemann Materia Medica Pura-indian edition ($30?)
---------------------------------
*next level of cost -study and reference materia medica
--Synoptic materia medica, Vermuelen, 1st edition (about $40) -most common
traditional remedies in a modern format,
but better for STUDY and less comprehensive than Murphy below)-about 200
remedies? (guess)
--Clarke Dictionary of Materia Medica (3 vols)-Classic and essential indian
(about $40?)
--Hahnemann Chronic Diseases-indian edition ($25?)
--Coulter' several books (15-$30 each on prosaically introduced synoptic
materia medica of traditional remedies
--Bailey book on Psychological types ($20?)
--------------------------------
*3rd level of cost (this is the best all-around REFERENCE for the money for
the beginner)
--Homeopathic remedy guide, Murphy,2nd ed (1200 remedies) (about $89)
(good, compact, good breadth (includes
newer remedies from Julian, Stephenson, Anshutz, and the 3rd ed (coming soon
will include further breadth-1600
remedies total)-mostly referenced from Boericke, Phatak, Clarke, Grimmer,
Murphy, Other sources
--------------------------------
*4th level of cost: (for serious student/practitioner-this complements
Murphy)
--Concordant materia medica, Vermuelen:(about $120) This complements
Murphy's breadth by providing DEPTH as a
compliation of virtually all extant sources on the traditional remedies, but
does not include remedies introduced after early 20th century
---------------------------------
*5th level of cost (additional mm to provide the "new perspective on materia
medica and periodic chart remedies)
--Vermuelen synoptic mm 2: less common and newer remedies ($100 or so)
--Scholten:Homeopathy and Minerals ($40 or so)
--Scholten:Homeopathy and the Elements ($100 or so)
--Vermuelen Prisma ($100 or so)-greatly expanded version of synoptic mm 1
with alchemical and metaphorical
references;
--Vermuelen synoptic mm 3 (cost?) (have not seen, but is expansion of
synoptic mm 1 with more traditional format, I
think)
--Sankaran Insights on Plants (2 vols, $104 )-new system -too early to
evaluate, but will probably add an ancillary
method to differentiate/identify plant remedies in a case.
---------------------------------
*6th level of cost/involvement-two complementary encyclopedic books of
traditional remedies.
--TF allen encyclopedia of pure materia medica-provings prior to 1900,
indian edit. (cost?)
--Herings' guiding symptoms-proving sx and clinical sx from herings
practice-remedies prior to 1900 i
ndian edit. (cost?)
also consider (modern and expanded view of remedy pictures):
--Vithoulkas Materia Medica Viva-encyclopedic, but still being published
volume by volume
(cost? about 40 per volume, maybe between 5 and 10 have been published out
of what will be a large set of books)
______________________
*7th level of involvement: Newest remedies
-- provings books, individual proving paperbacks, Internet postings
-------------------------------------------------------
Other good mm for study:
--Gibson (about $40?) (Beaconsfield publshers)
These are Repertory extracts, if you have a computer, you dont need them:
--Retzek Materia medica of the Mind (taken from repertory);
--Synthesis Materia medicas taken from repertory
Other MM good for reference:
--Allen, TF handbook of MM (Essentially a condensed Encyclopedia of Pure
mm)- does not include rems after
1900)indian edition prob $30-40
--Many, MANY other titles with unique and useful information-too many to
list--see Minimum price or HES
online or paper catalogs for list and reviews:
http://www.homeopathic.com/ (Homeopathic Educational Services)
http://www.minimum.com/ (Minimum Price Homeopathic Books)
REPERTORY
-----------------------------
*Lowest Cost
--Homeopathic Medical Repertory, alphabetical- Murphy about $89-recommended
wholeheartedly for beginner
(and also used by a great many professionals)-does not contain sources of
remedy additions. Does contain
many unique contributions from murphy, and other sources.
(Recommend against Kent repertory for beginner or professional-too many
symptoms are not found by
straightforward means, it is impoverished of useful additions and newer
remedies)
------------------------------
*Professional repertories (these complement each other-both are needed by
the professional)-these contain
source references. Also available in computer versions (which nice because the hardbacks
become obsolete every couple of years)
--Synthesis 8.1 or 8.2(about $200-recommend standard size version (micro
version print too small, magnifying
glass unwieldy-unless using only for travel). Contains repertorization of
Scholten's Elements Book, which is
essential, as well as being a good modern repertory with new provings; less
breadth than the Complete (but will
find polychrests that are missing from the Complete in some important
rubrics, and excellent layout, as well as
other features, such as Kunzli's emphasis dots, etc)
--Complete Millenium edition. (about $168)-Largest breadth; well-organized
modern repertory. Main rubrics
include all of the subrubric remedies to facilitate repertorization of
particular symptoms for elimination
purposes (although that is most useful with computer version). Well
thought-out and researched modernization
of organization over Kent's repertory (to allow finding symptoms).
----------------------------------------------
Other repertories include Boerickes (subsumed into the Murphy, Synthesis,
Complete, for the most part,
but occasionally useful; Kunzli's Repertorium Generale (includes useful
kunzli dots and good when considering
traditional remedies only, but now generally superceded by the above 3
professional repertories); Boger-Boenninghausen (useful to see what these
great practitioners emphasized); , Knerr. ( Useful for detail
for traditional remedies (before 1900)-is the repertory form of Herings
guiding symptoms ), Kent (the grandaddy, good to have,
but not optimally organized, no additions from modern authors or newer
remedies.); Dockx and Kokelenbergs Comparative Repertory which explains
rubric definitions-based on Kent; other books which explain rubrics
and cross-reference them. There are other smaller repertories as well, and
a few other larger of lesser utility.
--Clarke's Prescriber-essential title for study and reference
--Boenninghausens Therapeutic pocket book -to repertorize traditional
remedies using
Boenninghausen method-useful for the advanced professional
--Other ancillary repertory materials, such as repertories of nosodes,
disease "algorithms", etc are also available
and very useful.
================================================
There are hundreds of other very useful books. Ultimately the best way to obtain them is to obtain
a professional software program such as Encyclopedia Homeopathica or Referenceworks. Also, there is a whole
library of books available online!
One great site for this is
http://www.homeoint.org/
A whole library available
in multiple languages! Bookmark most frequently used books, and you instantly have a library at your disposal online!
* * * *