Homeopathic Hospital? Yes!

Author: Dr. Amarsinha D. Nikam
Publisher: Happy Publications
Page 272/Softbound
Reviewed By: Dr. Manish Bhatia

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This book is a collection of cases treated by Dr. Nikam. But the book has more – it has a soul. It is a story of a man, his dreams, a homeopathic hospital and his relationship with his patients. Dr. Nikam established his ‘Aditya Homeopathic Hospital and Healing Center’ at Pune, India in 1995. It is a unique hospital in the sense that it is devoid of all the mechanical setups of a conventional hospital and yet boasts of a healthy O.P.D. and I.P.D. The critical patients are admitted to keep them under observation till they show significant recovery. The book contains 33 cases treated by Dr. Nikam in his hospital.

Each case begins with an introduction of the case, which is followed by a summary of the disease pathology. Following it, is a more detailed and structured presentation of the case, with past history, family history, generals, modalities and particulars listed in a systematic manner. After it there is usually a brief conversation to explore the mental causes and characteristics of the case. Then the key aspects of the case are listed under the ‘Totality’, on the basis of which the remedy was selected. The remedy is listed followed by the follow-ups. In the end a D/D is presented among the possible remedy choices.

There are a few things that I like about the cases:

1. The cases are presented in a standard and systematic manner.
2. Nearly all the cases are backed by conventional diagnosis and pre and post-treatment diagnostic tests. It lends a scientific value to this work and the results would be very hard to dispute.
3. There is no need to read a 30-page conversation to find the core or essence of the patient and hardly any subjective interpretation, unlike many cases published these days.
4. The physical symptoms are given as much importance as mental symptoms.
5. The disease pathology is explained in each case. You don’t need to flip your medical books or search the internet to remind yourself of the diagnosis.
6. The differential diagnosis among the possible remedies is a joy to read. It was good enough to reignite my interest in studying Materia Medica regularly.

The cases are varied: Appendicitis, Hepatitis, Glomerulonephritis, Porphyria, Necrosis, Coma, CAD, Gangrene, Impotency, Thrombocytopenia, Myasthenia gravis, PDA, Wilson’s Disease and much more.

The cases highlight the precision in prescribing. Most cases were cured with just one dose of the indicated remedy in 30C potency. The repetition if any was infrequent. Classical approach has been used in most cases, but it was also interesting to see the use of Scholten’s work at many places, especially in making a final D/D among the indicated group of remedies.

Reading this work was an enriching and motivating experience. If every homeopath documents his/her cases so systematically and presents them in such fashion, nobody would ever be able to raise any questions about the efficacy of homeopathy. I would rate this book very highly and recommend it to every homeopath.