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The faculty, its journals and its data
The Faculty, its journals and its data P. W. THOMAS, BSC, CENG, MICE, FCIS
The British Homoeopathic Society was founded in 1844. In the previous year an independent publication. The British Journal of Homceopathy (BJH) had started publication. (The three-letter codes are those used in Bibliotheca Homceopathica.) Homoeopathy in Great Britain was in its early stages and the doctors formed a closeknit fraternity--as can be deduced from the fact that when papers and articles were published the identity of the author was sufficiently given by describing him as Dr Blank, without any initials. For a while, the Society was content to allow other journals to report its proceedings, although as early as 1846 the idea of publishing a journal of its own had been mooted (the frequency of publication was to be determined by the matter available). It was not until 1859, however, that the decision could be implemented and the first issue of Annals and Transactions of the British Homaeopathic Society and of the London Homoeopathic Hospital (ATB) appeared. The first few issues were retrospective, and reproduced selected items from earlier years. Publication was at first irregular, later becoming quarterly. The issues were cumulated into volumes covering a period of 2-3 years. But even in those more leisurely days the rate of publication was felt to be too slow and from 1870 to 1876 there was an arrangement with BJH that papers read before the Society would appear there first, and would be published later in ATB. For that period BJH carried a sub-title referring to ATB. By 1892 the Society and its journal were sufficiently well established to contemplate a more regular publication. ATB, which had published 12 volumes, was replaced by The Journal of the British Homoeopathic Society (JBS), whose quarterly parts were cumulated into annual volumes. In 1910 JBS was succeeded by The Transactions of the British Homteopathic Society (TBS), of which 2 volumes were issued, dated 1910-11 and 1911-12. In 1911 The British Homceopathic Journal (BHJ) was founded independently, although there was obviously a close connection: after some years as assistant editor of JBS, Dr G . F . Goldsbrough was appointed editor in 1903 and continued as editor of TBS. The editors of BHJ were Dr G. F. Goldsbrough and Dr T. G. Stonham. It was therefore a natural development when, in 1912, the Society adopted BHJ as its official journal and assumed responsibility for its publication. Today, despite two world wars and several variations of editorial policy, and after the passing of the Faculty of Hom~eopathy Act, 1950, which set the seal on the amalgamation of the Society and the Faculty, BHJ is firmly established. The publications of the Faculty and its predecessors thus span a period of 125 years, and apart from the many other homoeopathic journals that have appeared (and mostly disappeared) in that period, there is obviously much of permanent 222
The British Homteopathic Journal
value enshrined within its 106 volumes. Whilst each volume has an index, the standards of indexing vary widely over the years. What is needed is a brief subject index. From his experience with other journals, the writer knew how much work would be involved. Nevertheless it seemed necessary and a plan was therefore formulated, taking advantage of the fact that a suitable computer would be available and would permit a somewhat more detailed approach than had been possible in the compiling of other indices. It was decided to divide the work into three periods, concentrating first on the period 1911, when the BHJ first appeared, to 1950, when the Faculty was incorporated. The second period to be tackled will be from 1951 to date. This will complete the indexing of the BHJ, and the last job will be to cover the precursors of the BHJ, the period 1860-1912. The index for each period will be divided into three sections comprising respectively an index of authors, and index of general subjects, and an index of materia medica. The subjects include papers read before or contributed to the Society or the Faculty, abstracts from other journals, case notes, book reviews, letters to the editor, notes on items of more than merely topical interest and obituaries (in the latter, an attempt has been made to give full names, even if these are not given in the notice itself). Formal minutes and annual reports from the hospitals have not been included, and it has been found impracticable to index every remedy mentioned in the course of a paper. The raw, chronological index for 1911-50 is now complete in the computer at Glasgow Homceopathic Library, and can be searched for information. An alphabetical index of authors (papers, books and letters) has already been prepared, and the data has been sorted so that the general index and index of materia medica can be prepared. These will need editing, as some errors are inevitable. The feasibility of publishing the indices is being examined, and in any event the experience gained in this section should facilitate future work.
AIDS information An Australian member has kindly sent the Faculty a copy of A I D S in Australia, by Drs Alister Brass and Julian Gold. This paperback published by Bay Books of Sydney and London in 1985 is written for the general reader. The information is clearly presented and the approach is commonsense, covering the history and epidemiology, symptomatology, risks and sources of further information. Despite the title, most of the book refers to the AIDS problem worldwide and the chapter on where help and further information may be obtained includes two pages of international addresses. Volume 74, Number 4, October 1985
223
The British Homoeopathic Society was founded in 1844. In the previous year an independent publication. The British Journal of Homceopathy (BJH) had started publication. (The three-letter codes are those used in Bibliotheca Homceopathica.) Homoeopathy in Great Britain was in its early stages and the doctors formed a closeknit fraternity--as can be deduced from the fact that when papers and articles were published the identity of the author was sufficiently given by describing him as Dr Blank, without any initials. For a while, the Society was content to allow other journals to report its proceedings, although as early as 1846 the idea of publishing a journal of its own had been mooted (the frequency of publication was to be determined by the matter available). It was not until 1859, however, that the decision could be implemented and the first issue of Annals and Transactions of the British Homaeopathic Society and of the London Homoeopathic Hospital (ATB) appeared. The first few issues were retrospective, and reproduced selected items from earlier years. Publication was at first irregular, later becoming quarterly. The issues were cumulated into volumes covering a period of 2-3 years. But even in those more leisurely days the rate of publication was felt to be too slow and from 1870 to 1876 there was an arrangement with BJH that papers read before the Society would appear there first, and would be published later in ATB. For that period BJH carried a sub-title referring to ATB. By 1892 the Society and its journal were sufficiently well established to contemplate a more regular publication. ATB, which had published 12 volumes, was replaced by The Journal of the British Homoeopathic Society (JBS), whose quarterly parts were cumulated into annual volumes. In 1910 JBS was succeeded by The Transactions of the British Homteopathic Society (TBS), of which 2 volumes were issued, dated 1910-11 and 1911-12. In 1911 The British Homceopathic Journal (BHJ) was founded independently, although there was obviously a close connection: after some years as assistant editor of JBS, Dr G . F . Goldsbrough was appointed editor in 1903 and continued as editor of TBS. The editors of BHJ were Dr G. F. Goldsbrough and Dr T. G. Stonham. It was therefore a natural development when, in 1912, the Society adopted BHJ as its official journal and assumed responsibility for its publication. Today, despite two world wars and several variations of editorial policy, and after the passing of the Faculty of Hom~eopathy Act, 1950, which set the seal on the amalgamation of the Society and the Faculty, BHJ is firmly established. The publications of the Faculty and its predecessors thus span a period of 125 years, and apart from the many other homoeopathic journals that have appeared (and mostly disappeared) in that period, there is obviously much of permanent 222
The British Homteopathic Journal
value enshrined within its 106 volumes. Whilst each volume has an index, the standards of indexing vary widely over the years. What is needed is a brief subject index. From his experience with other journals, the writer knew how much work would be involved. Nevertheless it seemed necessary and a plan was therefore formulated, taking advantage of the fact that a suitable computer would be available and would permit a somewhat more detailed approach than had been possible in the compiling of other indices. It was decided to divide the work into three periods, concentrating first on the period 1911, when the BHJ first appeared, to 1950, when the Faculty was incorporated. The second period to be tackled will be from 1951 to date. This will complete the indexing of the BHJ, and the last job will be to cover the precursors of the BHJ, the period 1860-1912. The index for each period will be divided into three sections comprising respectively an index of authors, and index of general subjects, and an index of materia medica. The subjects include papers read before or contributed to the Society or the Faculty, abstracts from other journals, case notes, book reviews, letters to the editor, notes on items of more than merely topical interest and obituaries (in the latter, an attempt has been made to give full names, even if these are not given in the notice itself). Formal minutes and annual reports from the hospitals have not been included, and it has been found impracticable to index every remedy mentioned in the course of a paper. The raw, chronological index for 1911-50 is now complete in the computer at Glasgow Homceopathic Library, and can be searched for information. An alphabetical index of authors (papers, books and letters) has already been prepared, and the data has been sorted so that the general index and index of materia medica can be prepared. These will need editing, as some errors are inevitable. The feasibility of publishing the indices is being examined, and in any event the experience gained in this section should facilitate future work.
AIDS information An Australian member has kindly sent the Faculty a copy of A I D S in Australia, by Drs Alister Brass and Julian Gold. This paperback published by Bay Books of Sydney and London in 1985 is written for the general reader. The information is clearly presented and the approach is commonsense, covering the history and epidemiology, symptomatology, risks and sources of further information. Despite the title, most of the book refers to the AIDS problem worldwide and the chapter on where help and further information may be obtained includes two pages of international addresses. Volume 74, Number 4, October 1985
223