Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants

Overview

Valuable information on the remedies that all parents should have in their kits.

Included in this book is a guide to the correct use of homeopathy, including recommended remedies for the treatment of more than 75 common physical, emotional, and behavioral conditions.

From the Book

In this comprehensive book, the nation's leading homeopathic educator provides everything parents need to know about treating their children's ailments at home with homeopathic medicines.

Included is a complete guide to the correct use of homeopathy, recommended remedies for the treatment of more than seventy-five common physical, emotional, and behavioral conditions, and valuable information on the essential medicines that all parents should have in their home medicine kits.

Dana Ullman has put together the clearest and most logical approach to the treatment of children's diseases and problems that I have seen. Parents will be delighted to have once again some control over their children's illnesses.
Lendon Smith M.D.
President of the National Health Awareness Institute
Author of Feed Your Kids Right

The neglected factor in today's medical care is the innate healing potential of the human body. Homeopathic medicines stimulate this potential in a safe, effective, and inexpensive way. Parents who wish to enhance their children's health will be well advised to purchase and use this book.
William Shevin M.D.
President of the National Center for Homeopathy

I have seen excellent results with homeopathy in my own patients and family. Dana Ullman's careful, thoughtful, well-organized book gives clear guidelines for safely treating children with this wonderful medicine.
Martin L. Rossman M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor
University of California at San Francisco
School of Medicine
Author, Healing Yourself

Contents

The Wisdom of the Body -- 1
Understanding Side Effects -- 2
Understanding Homeopathy -- 3
The Law of Similars -- 4 to 5
Recognizing the Pattern of Symptoms -- 6
The Use of Very Small Doses of Medicines -- 7 to 8
Understanding the Healing Process -- 9 to 11
Limitation and Risks of Homeopathy -- 12 to 14
How to Use Homeopathic Medicines -- 15
Assessing the Child's Unique Symptoms -- 16-18
Taking the Child's Case -- 19-20
Key Local Symptoms -- 21
Modalities -- 21-23
General Symptoms -- 24
Psychological Symptoms -- 24
Choosing the Correct Homeopathic Medicine -- 25-26
Choosing the Correct Potency and Dose -- 27-31
How to Give Homeopathic Medicines -- 32
What to Avoid While Taking a Homeopathic Medicine -- 33
How to Take Care of Your Homeopathic Medicines -- 34
When to Seek Professional Homeopathic Care -- 35

Allergies - Respiratory -- 38-40
Anger -- 41-42
Anxiety -- 43-45
Asthma -- 46-47
Backache -- 48
Bedwetting -- 49-50
Birth Trauma -- 51
Bites and Stings -- 52
Black Eye -- 82
Bladder Infection -- 52
Bleeding -- 53-54
Boils -- 55
Bone Injuries -- 55
Bone Pains -- 88
Bronchitis -- 73
Bruises -- 56
Burns -- 57
Canker Sores -- 58
Carsickness -- 113
Chickenpox -- 58
Circumcision -- 59
Cold Sores -- 59
Colic -- 60-61
Common Cold -- 62-65
Conjunctivitis -- 66-67
Constipation -- 68
Cough -- 69-72
Croup -- 73
Cuts -- 73
Diaper Rash -- 74
Diarrhea -- 74-77
Earache -- 78-81
Eye Injuries -- 82
Fever -- 83-84
Flu -- 85
Food Poisoning -- 85
Fracture -- 86
German Measles -- 86
Grief -- 87
Growing Pains -- 88
Hay Fever -- 37
Headaches -- 88-93
Head Injuries -- 94
Heatstroke -- 95
Heat Exhaustion -- 95
Hepatitis -- 96
Hives -- 97
Impetigo -- 98-99
Indigestion -- 100-104
Influenza -- 105-107
Insect Bites and Stings -- 52
Insomnia -- 108-109
Jet Lag -- 110
Laryngitis -- 11
Measles -- 112
Motion Sickness -- 113
Mumps -- 114
Muscle Injuries -- 115
Nausea and Vomiting -- 115
Nerve Injuries -- 115
Nervous Restlessness -- 116
Nosebleeds -- 117
Poison Ivy or Oak -- 117
Puncture Wounds -- 119
Scars -- 119
Shock from Injuries -- 120
Sinusitis -- 120-121
Smashed Fingers and Toes -- 122
Sore Throat -- 122-125
Splinters -- 126
Sprains and Strains -- 126
Stomach Cramps -- 127
Styes -- 127
Sunburn -- 128
Surgery -- 128
Teething -- 129
Thrush -- 130
Toothache -- 131
X-Ray Exposure -- 132
Aconitum -- 137-139
Allium cepa -- 40-141
Anas barbariae -- 142-143
Apis mellifica -- 144-146
Arnica montana -- 147-150
Arsenicum Album -- 151-154
Belladonna -- 155-158
Bryonia alba -- 159-161
Calcarea Carbonica == 162-164
Calendula -- 165-166
Cantharis -- 167-168
Chamomilla -- 169-171
Colocynthis -- 172-173
Euphrasia -- 174-176
Ferrum phosphorica -- 177-178
Gelsemium -- 179-180
Hepar sulphuricum -- 181-183
Hypericum -- 184-186
Ignatia -- 187-189
Ipecacuahna -- 190-191
Kali bichromicum -- 192-193
Ledum palustre -- 194-196
Magnesia Phosphorica -- 197-198
Mercurius -- 199-201
Nux vomica -- 202-204
Phosphorus -- 205-208
Podophyllum -- 209-210
Pulsatilla -- 211-213
Rhus Toxicodendron -- 214-216
Ruta -- 217-218
Silicea -- 219-221
Staphysagria -- 222-223
Sulphur -- 224-227
Symphytum -- 228-229
Commerical Homeopathic Medicines -- 231
Combination Medicines -- 231-234
External Applications -- 235-241
Homeopathic Research -- 243-246
Homeopathic Medicines and Their Pronunciations -- 247-250
Recommended Reading -- 251-253
Homeopathic Manufacturers -- 254
Homeopathic Organizations -- 255
Homeopathic Study Groups -- 255
Homeopathic Schools and Training Programs -- 256

Dana Ullman, M.P.H.

(1951 -     )

Dana Ullman, M.P.H. is one of the foremost spokespersons for homeopathic medicine in the United States. He has authored four books, including Discovering Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century (North Atlantic, 1991), which includes a foreword by Dr. Ronald W. Davey, Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Dana is the President of the Foundation for Homeopathic Education and Research, an elected Board member of the National Center for Homeopathy, and directs Homeopathic Educational Services.

Dana Ullman has served as an instructor in a course on homeopathy at the University of California at San Francisco for three years. He will also be a member of the Advisory Council of the Alternative Medicine Center at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and is a consultant to Harvard Medical School's Center to Assess Alternative Therapy for Chronic Illness.

Dana Ullman co-authored Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines (Jeremy Tarcher/Putnam, revised 1991) which won the Medical Self-Care Book Award. Dana edited Monograph on Homeopathic Research and served as publisher of 25 major texts in homeopathy by other authors.

He has written over 30 published articles in a variety of respected publications, including Western Journal of Medicine, Social Policy, The Futurist, Medical Self-Care, California Living (the Sunday magazine to the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner), as well as numerous health care and homeopathic journals.

Dana Ullman has been particularly effective in working with major institutions and getting them to change their attitudes and policies towards natural health care. He has organized successful conferences that were sponsored or co-sponsored by the federal Department of Health and Human Services ("Holistic Health: Policies in Action," May, 1980) and U.C. Berkeley ("Conceptualizing Energy Medicine, " March, 1981).

He authored the San Francisco Foundation's Health Report, which changed the funding priorities of this major philanthropic institution. He has recently become a consultant to the World Health Organization.

Reviews

Two Reviews:
1. LINKS
2. HOMEOPATHY TODAY


LINKS
Reviewed by Lorraine Taylor

This is a guide for patients wishing to treat their children with homoeopathy. Ullman gives a comprehensive introduction to homoeopathy including a paragraph on what to avoid when taking remedies.

He also suggests that families using homoeopathy find a paediatrician open to homoeopathy so that potentially dangerous conditions have all the necessary care and attention. He states clearly that homoeopathy cannot do everything and certain paediatric conditions require immediate treatment. This point needs to be made in any homoeopathic handbook for the layman.

Part 3 covers over 75 common physical, emotional and behavioural conditions and information on the essential medicines parents should have at home.

Ullman also has some interesting tips e.g. potentised Ginseng in the treatment of X-ray exposure. Unfortunately there is no index to this book, but the layout is improved immensely by the chapter topic being highlighted at the foot of each page for easy reference. The problem I often meet in my practice is patients using acute self-prescribed remedies while under constitutional treatment.

I think this should also be adequately explained in such a handbook. Otherwise this is a clear and concise book for families wishing to use homoeopathy.

Homoeopathic Links - Fall 1994
Reprinted with permission from Homeopathic Links



HOMEOPATHY TODAY
Reviewed by Karen Johnson, MRPharmS, MPS, ICHom

As a homeopathic practitioner who has seen her share of children, I was very interested to see what this new book from Dana Ullman had to offer. I first turned to the resources section on page 251 and noted that the recommended reading for introductory and family care books was long and impressive.

"Was there a gap in the market or need for another?" I asked myself. "Does this book offer any unique information or insight that the other books do not?"

Dr. Solomon, in the introduction, says that "the full richness of the remedies is presented." Part four of the book is devoted to materia medica, and I certainly didn't consider that the "full richness" of polychrests such as Ignatia, Arsenicum album, and Nux vomica are presented here in only two pages of text.

Indeed should there even be an attempt to include such detailed materia medica in a beginner's book? Perhaps one or two remedies might have been included at greater length to illustrate how varied and complex the full picture of these remedies can be.

On page seven, Mr. Ullman refers to Part four as providing basic information on children's constitutional types. Should he be encouraging the basically untrained to prescribe constitutionally?

Yes, as he points out, it is useful to know the constitutional remedy. But without training and indepth understanding of the homeopathic process the ability to select the appropriate homeopathic medicine, the selection of the potency, and knowing when or if to repeat the remedy are all very difficult.

I do not believe that this book is the appropriate place to encourage the beginner to attempt this level of treatment. All sorts of complications and confused cases could arise, leaving the experienced homeopath, when consulted, with a real mess to sort out from a parent's misguided attempts to treat constitutionally.

The principles on the whole are well and succinctly covered, though I would have liked a mention of the fact that the "X" and "C" used to identify a potency are the Roman numerals that indicate the relevant dilution factor (i.e., 10 and 100 respectively). This is mentioned later, but it might have been better to address it at the point that potency is first mentioned.

The section on types of symptoms is also well written though I feel the introductory section on taking the child's case is rather short.

As Mr. Ullman points out, in case taking one tries to ask open ended questions, and this approach is useful in older children or teenagers; but with much younger children who do not have the vocabulary or experience to describe in great detail their pains and ailments, this approach may be of limited value.

Are most parents aware of what are considered normal symptoms for a child? In my experience in pharmacy and homeopathic practice, parents can be very unaware of what is normal or abnormal in children.

Not enough was made of this section, and observation skills could have been emphasized more for the unobservant parent/caretaker. The sense of smell was not even mentioned. More examples could have been given.

Turning to Part three, "Common Ailments of Children," I was concerned to find a section on asthma. Admittedly this is a common ailment in children (certainly in New Zealand where I have been for the last 2 years, 600,000 of a population of 3 million have asthma - approximately 20% of the population!).

However, I wonder at the wisdom of encouraging the treatment of acute attacks of such a serious and potentially life threatening condition. Parents could be tempted into trying to treat this themselves, when the severity of the attack may indicate professional treatment (either professional homeopathic or allopathic).

I was glad to note that Mr. Ullman avoided what to me was the most irritating drawback of his other book (with S. Cummings) - Everybody's Guide to Homeopathy - the difficulty in finding the remedy name among the general text.

The remedy names in this book stand out from the surrounding text. The highlighting of the ailment at the bottom of the page was very useful addition.

A major irritation for me was the abbreviation of Kali bichromicum to Kali bic. In Kent's Repertory it is referred to as Kali bi. And naming the remedy Ferrum phosphorica, when it is referred to in both Kent's Repertory and Boericke's Materia Medica as Ferrum phosphoricum, was also an irritation.

Standardization of abbreviations would seem to be of benefit. Apis mellifica is referred to as "crushed bee," which, since this is an essential part of the process for making the remedy, I suppose might be an accurate statement. However, Apis is actually made from the honey bee, not just any crushed bee.

In Part four he refers to Apis without mentioning the stuporous, dopey, apathetic, indifferent, even unconscious state that can also indicate the remedy.

Bees may buzz around and be "violently reactive" but can also be very sleepy and slow especially late in the afternoon. (See "Mind, Stupefaction;" "Sleep, Sleepiness," in Kent's Repertory.)

Selecting a limited number of remedies to include in a volume such as this is obviously a hard and somewhat personal choice.

However, I was surprised at the omission of Gelsemium from the Grief section and Aloe from the Diarrhea section. Perhaps Iris, which was included, is a more common diarrhea remedy in the United States than in England or New Zealand. I was also left wondering what the characteristic or unique symptoms of an Iris diarrhea might be; anal burning could equally apply to Arsenicum album or Sulphur.

The description of Aethusa might have been better placed under "Vomiting." And I hope I did not discover a totally new remedy in the Sinusitis section"Spigella" is a misspelling of that old favorite Spigelia!

It is also difficult to choose the relevant symptoms of a medicine to include in this type of book, but several times I found myself thinking that certain ones really should have been mentioned.

For example, the idealism of Ignatia, the metallic taste in the mouth of Mercurius, the observation that Hypericum may inhibit the action of local anesthetics if given before dental work, and that Aconite in eye cases has the symptom, sensation as if the particle/splinter is still there.

The sections on commercial preparations, research, and pronunciation are good, though I would have to admit to surprise that Cocculus, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Antimonium tartaricum, Phytolacca, and Spongia were not included on Mr. Ullman's list of recommended remedies for a home first-aid kit.

Many times for my own use and in my practice I have found these remedies of invaluable use in acute ailments.

This book contains a wealth of information and is generally well written. The book is, of necessity, a compilation of many other works, but it makes the information available in one place.

However, if you are looking for in-depth information on the subject, the book does not offer any real advantage over other books currently available.

Karen Johnson is a pharmacist and homeopath. She worked for several years at Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy, England. She has practiced homeopathy in England and New Zealand. She is currently visiting the USA.

HOMEOPATHY TODAY JULY/AUGUST 1993
Reprinted with permission from the National Center for Homeopathy

Heritage

A specific focus which includes theory, therapeutics, and materia medica.

From:
The Heritage of Homoeopathic Literature
copyright 2001 by Julian Winston
Reprinted with the permission of the author