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EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
SPECTRUM OF HOMEOPATHY
EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
It doesn’t often happen that we need to explain the title of an
issue of SPECTRUM. But the terminology for the Lilies in both
homeopathy and botany is rather confused. Lilianae, Liliidae,
Liliiflorae, Liliales, Liliaceae – how are we supposed to make
sense of this? To complicate matters further, the Liliales order
in the modern APG classification used by Jan Scholten contains
fewer plant families than in the classical Cronquist system of
taxonomy. Both Sankaran and Yakir use the Cronquist system,
which covers the full panoply of remedies presented by our
authors here. Jörg Wichmann’s leading article tries to clarify
these taxonomy challenges, which we refer to in the subtitle of
this issue of SPECTRUM: “Problems with the group.”
But this subtitle is a word play since it also represents the cen-
tral theme of the Lilies, which can clearly be seen in Scholten’s
plant code 633.6 for the Liliales. The number 633 for the series
indicates the third row of the periodic table, the Silicium series,
with its emphasis on the area of relationships, families, and
groups. With phase 6 there is the feeling of being on the edge
of the group, not really belonging. Sally Williams delineates this
basic feeling of the Liliales in her differential diagnosis from the
Orchidales (633.7), the asocial outcast of phase 7. In the other
direction, Deborah Collins explains the peculiarities of phase
5 with a case of Crocus sativus, which the Cronquist system
assigns to the Liliales but which belongs to the Asparagales
order (633.5) according to APG / Scholten. Together with the
family histories provided by Vladimir Petroci, these contributions
offer a vivid picture of current practical work with Jan Scholten’s
plant theory.
Via the common bodily vital sensation of the Liliales remedies –
‘being pressed from inside outwards’ – Rajan Sankaran arrives
at the same basic feeling of exclusion as found in Jan Scholten
plant theory. Susan Sonz’s case demonstrates how this sensation
can be expressed by a patient at both the bodily and emotional
levels, conclusively leading to the remedy family. The sycotic
miasm in this case determines the choice of Lilium tigrinum,
confirmed by the repertory. Using the sensation method, Ma-
hesh Gandhi presents examples from the malaria miasm and
the cancer miasm of the Liliales.
Michal Yakir elucidates the Liliales and their problems with the
group in terms of plant evolution. As monocotyledons they are
inward-looking – the position in columns 5 and 6 of Yakir’s plant
table represents the relationship problems of a strong ego. For
column 6 Annette Sneevliet uses the idea of the misunderstood
king who accordingly feels excluded. From the materia med-
ica we know the inflated ego above all from Veratrum album.
Markus Kuntosch has found that this manifests in children as
pronounced overestimation of abilities, precocity, disobedience,
and hyperactivity.
The numerous cases in this issue show how the differing per-
spectives found in Scholten, Sankaran, and Yakir complement
one another, deepening our homeopathic understanding of
this plant order. Like many of her colleagues, Resie Moonen
therefore combines these differing approaches, concepts, and
tables to first find the appropriate plant family and then the
simillimum. The repertory and the well-known remedy picture
play an important role here, as shown in the contributions of
our other authors. A selected quartet of Convallaria, Crocus,
Iris, and Lilium tigrinum illustrate Moonen’s pragmatic approach.
One particular aspect of the Liliales is their organotropic charac-
ter, which points to the next issue of SPECTRUM on hormones.
Together with psychological disturbances, the female hormones
and reproductive problems are a major theme in the pathol-
ogy of our cases in this issue. Jürgen Weiland has gathered an
impressive collection of Liliales remedies featuring this organo-
tropic connection, supplemented with differential diagnoses.
Each remedy has its own spectrum of action, often described
in the old literature. In this vein, Anne Schadde found in Clarke
the indication that Aletris farinosa best fits chlorotic girls and
pregnant women as well as weak and emaciated people. This
traditional clinical experience, together with the basic feeling of
exclusion, led her to choose the right remedy for three women.
In these and many other cases, the key to homeopathic success
lies in the adroit mixture of traditional knowledge and modern
insights. We therefore hope that this issue of SPECTRUM helps
you to better recognize and successfully treat the Liliales among
your patients.
Christa Gebhardt & Dr Jürgen Hansel
Chief editors