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Pain—complementary or conventional treatment?
Volume 82, Number 4, October 1993
hopes that after recovery the two 'patients' did not arrive in his surgery at the same time. Diagnosis in Veterinary hom0eopathy--an exercise in receptivity Homoeopathic Links 1993; 6 (1): 6-8. Complementary medicine and the governing bodies S. MILLS The publishing of a BMA document calling for control of so-called 'alternative' therapies has caused the spotlight to fall sharply on all the complementary disciplines. In this article Simon Mills, Co-Director of the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at Exeter University, outlines the development of professions that claim to have set up as independent of conventional medical practice. He traces the history from the 1960s, when there were relatively few established professional bodies and a number of individual practitioners with variable training, through to the late 80s. There is no doubt, however, that despite considerable progress, many disciplines still do not have adequate controls to protect the public, as the recent King's report stated. If, like me, you find the plethora of associations highly confusing, this review will be helpful in sorting them out. There is one glaring inaccuracy. Under 'Homoeopathy' the author states that 'the emphasis on individual prescriptions has reduced the impact on the over-the-counter retail scene'. Presumably this refers to pharmacy, in which case nothing could be further from the truth, with a 50% increase in market value over the last 2-3 years to around s Polychrests provide an effective method of treating all sorts of firstaid and common acute self-limiting type conditions without individualization. The development of the complementary medical professions Complementary Therapies in Medicine 1993; 1: 24-29. Pain--complementary or conventional treatment? In a controlled study the authors investigated what factors influence the decision to seek either complementary or conventional treatment for pain. A group of 30 patients with a ma~n complaint of pain were recruited from a complementary treatment centre and groups of fifteen similar patients from each of two NHS pain clinics. A questionnaire was con-
265 structed covering general health beliefs, perceived health status, susceptibility to and severity of, pain and perceived efficacy of orthodox and complementary treatments. The study found that psychological factors play a key role in identifying patients' choice in seeking complementary medicine for pain. The group in receipt of complementary medicine appeared to be much more pro-active and concerned over health related issues than the NHS pain clinic patients. Kelvinson R, Payne S. Decision to seek complementary medicine for pain: a controlled study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 1993; 1: 2-5. Hahnemann's idea of 'potency' and 'potentization' F. D E L L M O U R Hahnemann used these terms (in the sense of the Latin potentia - power) very widely, applying them to physical forces and powers such as fire and lightning, to mesmerism, to the causes of diseases such as measles and smallpox and to the side effects of allopathic drug abuse. He also called drugs the 'potencies of artificial diseases' for the effect they had in drug provings. Around 1810 the term 'anti-disease potencies' appeared in his writings, practically as a synonym for homceopathic medicines (Organon, 1st edition). Later editions of the Organon contain terms like 'drug disease potency', 'alterative potency', 'medicinal potency' and simply 'potency'. Hahnemann used the term 'potentization' for succussion and trituration to indicate the qualitative and quantitative increase in medicinal power compared to mere dilution. He would thus use terms like 'a decillion times potentized dilution'. 'Degree of potency' was first used in vol. 1 of Chronic Diseases in 1835: 'degree of development of power (potency)'. In the 6th edition of the Organon, finally, he treated 'potentization' and 'dynamization' as synonyms, again with reference only to trituration and succussion. Zschr Klass Homop 1993; 37: 22-27. Hecla lava--Query as to starting material B. G U D J O N S According to Mezger the starting material for Hecla lava was the lava; according to Clarke it
hopes that after recovery the two 'patients' did not arrive in his surgery at the same time. Diagnosis in Veterinary hom0eopathy--an exercise in receptivity Homoeopathic Links 1993; 6 (1): 6-8. Complementary medicine and the governing bodies S. MILLS The publishing of a BMA document calling for control of so-called 'alternative' therapies has caused the spotlight to fall sharply on all the complementary disciplines. In this article Simon Mills, Co-Director of the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at Exeter University, outlines the development of professions that claim to have set up as independent of conventional medical practice. He traces the history from the 1960s, when there were relatively few established professional bodies and a number of individual practitioners with variable training, through to the late 80s. There is no doubt, however, that despite considerable progress, many disciplines still do not have adequate controls to protect the public, as the recent King's report stated. If, like me, you find the plethora of associations highly confusing, this review will be helpful in sorting them out. There is one glaring inaccuracy. Under 'Homoeopathy' the author states that 'the emphasis on individual prescriptions has reduced the impact on the over-the-counter retail scene'. Presumably this refers to pharmacy, in which case nothing could be further from the truth, with a 50% increase in market value over the last 2-3 years to around s Polychrests provide an effective method of treating all sorts of firstaid and common acute self-limiting type conditions without individualization. The development of the complementary medical professions Complementary Therapies in Medicine 1993; 1: 24-29. Pain--complementary or conventional treatment? In a controlled study the authors investigated what factors influence the decision to seek either complementary or conventional treatment for pain. A group of 30 patients with a ma~n complaint of pain were recruited from a complementary treatment centre and groups of fifteen similar patients from each of two NHS pain clinics. A questionnaire was con-
265 structed covering general health beliefs, perceived health status, susceptibility to and severity of, pain and perceived efficacy of orthodox and complementary treatments. The study found that psychological factors play a key role in identifying patients' choice in seeking complementary medicine for pain. The group in receipt of complementary medicine appeared to be much more pro-active and concerned over health related issues than the NHS pain clinic patients. Kelvinson R, Payne S. Decision to seek complementary medicine for pain: a controlled study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 1993; 1: 2-5. Hahnemann's idea of 'potency' and 'potentization' F. D E L L M O U R Hahnemann used these terms (in the sense of the Latin potentia - power) very widely, applying them to physical forces and powers such as fire and lightning, to mesmerism, to the causes of diseases such as measles and smallpox and to the side effects of allopathic drug abuse. He also called drugs the 'potencies of artificial diseases' for the effect they had in drug provings. Around 1810 the term 'anti-disease potencies' appeared in his writings, practically as a synonym for homceopathic medicines (Organon, 1st edition). Later editions of the Organon contain terms like 'drug disease potency', 'alterative potency', 'medicinal potency' and simply 'potency'. Hahnemann used the term 'potentization' for succussion and trituration to indicate the qualitative and quantitative increase in medicinal power compared to mere dilution. He would thus use terms like 'a decillion times potentized dilution'. 'Degree of potency' was first used in vol. 1 of Chronic Diseases in 1835: 'degree of development of power (potency)'. In the 6th edition of the Organon, finally, he treated 'potentization' and 'dynamization' as synonyms, again with reference only to trituration and succussion. Zschr Klass Homop 1993; 37: 22-27. Hecla lava--Query as to starting material B. G U D J O N S According to Mezger the starting material for Hecla lava was the lava; according to Clarke it