Herbert Pfeiffer, Farokh Master and Roberto Petrucci Children's Homeopathy Congress 200927 February - 1 March 2009 in Badenweiler |
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Kurhaus Badenweiler |
For three days this meeting of over 300 homeopaths and those interested in homeopathy from several countries focused entirely on the treatment of children. The subject was made particularly interesting by the different perspectives of the speakers, each representing a different strand of homeopathy and thus a different approach and understanding of remedy selection. To the photo gallery |
The opening lecture was given by Dr Herbert Pfeiffer, who has more than 30 years' experience of homeopathy in paediatrics. The increasing incidence of susceptibility to infections, atopy and allergies as well as central coordination disorders, their causes and treatment approaches were the focus of his lecture. ~video(05344_Sehprobe_Pfeiffer.flv;Sehprobe Dr. Pfeiffer)~ As a cause of coordination disorders and their impact on the patient's later life the paediatrician, whose specialty lies in the neurophysiological field, named persistent, i.e. developmentally retained reflexes. The example of Rene Herms, an 800m champion and Olympic participant who was recently found dead, made the consequences clear: a recording after a race shows the athlete still in high tension. His posture – one side flexed, the other extended – corresponds to the picture of an Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex. This reflex should normally become integrated during childhood, but this often no longer happens. The consequence: if reflexes are active the whole body remains tense – the patient is no longer able to bring about relaxation. In this case the flexed side was the left – an indication that the heart was at risk, which ultimately was also the cause of death – sudden cardiac failure due to myocarditis caused by herpesviruses. Conclusion: constant tension makes you ill. "As homeopaths we should also keep these signs in mind." With some examples of what these signs of tonic disturbances can look like and some possibilities for translating this into repertory rubrics, he rounded off the topic. |
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Dr. Herbert Pfeiffer |
On susceptibility to infections and atopy/allergies Dr Pfeiffer first explained the medical fundamentals, took a brief look at the miasms and mentioned some general repertory rubrics for these conditions. As examples he selected remedies from these rubrics that have proved effective in his practice and examined them more closely – for example Lycopodium as a remedy for being overwhelmed, when children start nursery quite early and are simply overwhelmed by the situation there. In his view a similar remedy is sufficient for treatment, which is why he generally uses only the term "simile" and not "similimum". |
Finally he set out his thoughts on vaccinations. For instance, the Monitor broadcast of 19/2/09 questioned the benefit of the HPV vaccine. Against this background and with quotes from J.C. Burnett he asked whether a doctor can really justify vaccinations if it is not certain whether they might make a healthy person ill. He himself has long ago decided against vaccinations. The second day of the congress was filled by Dr Farokh Master in his polite, cheerful, Indian manner. With deep psychological insight he very humorously demonstrated to his listeners the effects of subconscious transmission, for example of parents' emotions (hatred, anger, grief), onto the child. ~video(05344_Sehprobe_Master.flv;Sehprobe Dr. Master)~ His remarks on the meaning and symbolism behind gestures, dreams, favourite toys (Superman or a stuffed lion…) or favourite fairy tales – and how, for example, the absence of a mother's or father's closeness can be expressed in a child's behaviour – were very impressive for the participants. Surely questions in this direction will in future be incorporated into the case histories of many congress participants. |
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Dr. Farokh Master |
In these selected cases nosodes were mainly used. In one asthma case the indicated acute remedy was Cina. Here Dr Master strongly cautioned against staying too long with an acute remedy, as it may not completely cure the case and could even worsen it. A deep-acting constitutional remedy must resolve the case, and only then might the acute remedy be needed again. Using these "case-hooks" he gave, based on his personal experience, brief remedy descriptions of Medorrhinum, Carcinosinum and Tuberculinum Koch. Here too the significance of dreams flowed into the picture. A dream rubric for Carcinosinum is: Dreams - searching - for someone; for - without finding him; and. We search for something only when we do not have it or have lost it – what a characteristic for Carcinosinum! |
To the question "I was taught that you should not give nosodes as the first remedy – why did you do that here?" Dr Master replied: "If the remedy fits, it doesn't matter whether it is a nosode. One must always give the most fitting remedy…" The tenor of the statements by Dr Roberto Petrucci from Italy on the third and final day was: Homeopathy is dynamic – the way to a remedy does not matter – the main thing is that the Similimum, in his understanding the appropriate remedy in the right potency, right quantity and right frequency, is found. ~video(05344_Sehprobe_Petrucci.flv;Sehprobe Dr. Petrucci)~ With several case examples he explained his views on remedy selection, which in one case was quite classical, in the next oriented by homeopathic families and in another guided by the circumstance that the child could never leave the toyshop without a lion and also showed a symptom that only Lac leoninum had. The case determines the path! In his view there are no great remedies that consistently outrank the so-called small remedies. The most important thing is the totality; a mental symptom is not always the most important – it all depends on the specific case. Another important component from his perspective is potency. If a remedy works but the illness returns, a higher potency would be necessary. If no improvement occurs, one must ask what should be changed: the amount, the frequency or the potency – or all three – and only at the very end the remedy itself… |
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Dr. Roberto Petrucci |
On the subject of hyperactive children (ADS) Dr Petrucci presented remedies which, alongside the frequently used well-known remedies Tarentula, Belladonna, Stramonium and Tuberculinum, have proved useful in his practice: Gallicum acidum, a remedy that may be used if the symptoms developed after the mother returned to work after childbirth – i.e. due to separation from the closest caregiver; the "storm remedy" Arsenicum iodatum, which after a consultation can leave the practice like a "scene of devastation"; Ictodes foetida, which has asthma symptoms from dust; and the overweight-associated Saccharum officinale… |
This was followed by the presentation of his recently published repertory "Children", which to make finding things easier divides the repertory rubrics into the following 20 concepts: Family and personal medical history; development; teething; vaccination; breastfeeding; infectious diseases; constitution; relationship to the family; relationship to others; school; play; relationships with animals; non-verbal; observations at night; rocking and being carried; cars and ships; psychosomatic disorders; physical symptoms and diseases; surgically pathological conditions; worms. - Further applications of the Petrucci repertory include: use as a "path" that can simply be followed during the case history – a less boring way to study the repertory – and the option to group rubrics so that remedies are not lost through overlooking a rubric … To close the congress Dr Petrucci voiced his thoughts on the logic of prescribing. Are complementary remedies really an addition or was it more that the first remedy was not chosen quite correctly, so that only the "complementary", better fitting remedy brings about the cure? - Totality is the most important thing! |
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..................................................................................................................... Author: Silke Burzlaff. More impressions from the congress |
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