System of Homeopathy

From the Book

This book is illustrative of Dr. Rajan Sankaran's method of case taking, case analysis and follow up. It includes thirty-five detailed cases and a number of short cases through which emerges a System of Homeopathy.

Also hints and guidelines about understanding the mental state, eliciting the mind and body connection, central delusion, what to do and what not to do with dreams, etc.

Plus a further understanding of miasms and subkingdoms.

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Details

The System of Homeopathy, by Rajan Sankaran, was published in 2000.

This book presents Sankaran's method of case taking, case analysis, and follow-up. 35 cases are given in detail along with a number of shorter, case vignettes.

In particular, Sankaran emphasizes the understanding of the mental state, dreams, and the 'central delusion'. He also provides additional information to facilitate understanding of miasms and kingdoms.

The cases presented are the actual transcribed anamneses, encouraging the homeopath to look for the remedy in the case.

Sankaran's comments elucidate his thought process in each individual situation. His discussion of potency is detailed and useful. Overall, this book is for the homeopath with some experience and training and less for the beginner.

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Heritage

The author speaks about the "dangers inherent in the undertaking" of writing a book about remedies, specifically the danger of a "beginner in the field to become fixed on these remedy pictures" and forget the larger pictures of the remedies discussed.

100 remedies are presented in a narrative style, followed by a listing of useful rubrics. Much of the information has been condensed from the author's other books.

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

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Author

Rajan Sankaran

(1960 -     )

Dr. Rajan Sankaran was born on May 24, 1960, in Mumbai, India. Inspired and nurtured by his father, Dr. P. Sankaran, Rajan graduated Gold Medallist from the Bombay Homeopathic Medical College in 1981. He is the Assistant Professor in the department of Repertory in Smt. C.M.P. Homoeopathic Medical College, Mumbai and is attached to its hospital as the Honorary Physician.

He is the Editor of the Asian Edition of the Homoeopathic Links and is also the Vice-Chairman of the International Council for Classical Homoeopathy (Asian Region).

Throughout his twenty years of practice Dr. Rajan has worked to unearth a system for homeopathy that gives consistent results. He has given us the classification of remedy states into kingdoms and has added miasms to the already known ones.

His concept of disease as a Delusion changed the process of case taking from mere data collection to understanding the patient beyond the physical level.

In the year 2000 Dr. Rajan began work on classification of the Plant Kingdom remedies, and also introduced the concept of Vital Sensation. His findings further extended his ground breaking approach to classical homeopathy.

Dr. Rajan has taught since 1986, in UK, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Austria, Australia, Russia, Greece, USA, Germany, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Spain. He is affiliated with the CMP Homoeopathic Medical College.

Dr. Sankaran has written the following books:

• The Spirit of Homoeopathy
  which explains his concept of disease as a state.
   
• The Substance of Homoeopathy
  which explains his idea of miasms, classification of states, as well as his idea of classifying remedies and states into kingdoms.
   
• The Soul of Remedies
  in which he has given his understanding and essence of a hundred remedies.
   
• Provings
  a compilation of the provings of eleven remedies.
   
• The System of Homoeopathy
  which gives a detailed report for over 40 successful cases and explains, step by step, his system of working with cases using the concepts of delusions, miasms, and kingdoms.
   
• The Sensation
  Sankaran's homeopathic understanding of kingdoms, potency, miasms and case analysis.
   
• Sensation Refined
  continues with the work started in The Sensation and clarifies issues faced by practitioners of his method.
   

In addition to publishing his own books, Dr. Rajan also edited the works of his father, Dr. P. Sankaran, creating two volumes called Elements of Homoeopathy.

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Reviews

From:
THE HOMEOPATH
Reviewed by Fiona Heubeck

How about The Summary of Homoeopathy? The Synopsis of Homoeopathy? The Slightly Short on Substance of Homoeopathy? This is a rather harsh, if facetious, comment on what is in many ways a fine book.

Firstly, and in contrast to many homoeopathy books, it is beautifully produced, with good quality paper, lovely clear text, and the best editing and layout I have seen for a long time. There is an accurate index of remedies, excellent cross-referencing, and only a few typos (no doubt left in as proof against the Carcinosin miasm.)

This is a book you can really enjoy reading, with its fluent story-telling and painstaking explanations.

The structure of the book (and it is very 'mineral kingdom') is that of a sandwich. Dr Sankaran briefly introduces his first twenty-five case histories, then there are approximately fifty pages outlining his 'system', followed by another ten cases.

There is an appendix in which he clarifies his thoughts on miasm and kingdom classification, and a final summary has been written by Dr Bill Gray.

The case histories are truly admirable. Real conversations have been transcribed and annotated to allow either a 'find the remedy yourself' approach, or by following the footnotes, to understand the thought processes used by Dr Sankaran and his team to find the correct remedy.

The cases are mostly written out at length, giving the reader a chance to perceive the whole case, and not just exclaim, puzzled, at the denouement. if you, like me, have ever thought, 'How come other people's patients speak in rubrics, and mine don't?', then here is the answer. With careful analysis and explanation, we see that the skilled homoeopath can hear the rubrics which are not always spoken aloud.

The real gift which Sankaran appears to have is to make hard data fit together with soft data in order to prescribe for the patient's whole state of being.

He is adamant that no theorising or speculating must enter into case analysis, and yet he sees intangible patterns in speech, dreams and life events which assume such solidity of form that they become irrefutable hard data leading to successful prescriptions.

He really does tie up Kent's world of causes to the world of ultimates in an accessible and effective way.

If you have struggled with Kent's philosophy, Vithoulkas' scientific abstractions or Hahnemann's old-fashioned terminology, Sankaran is the man to go for. The notion of the vital force, though not mentioned as such, rules with unbounded sway throughout his 'system'.

The world of causes leads directly to the world of ultimates, and even Kent's 'reactions to the first prescription' are brought up-to-date, (though possible reactions are reduced from twelve to six [of Kent Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy, p2531). Case-taking methodology traces its lineage straight from The Organon, and understanding the 'central delusion' seems synonymous with the original 'derangement of the vital force.'

None of the obsolescent older language has been permitted to taint a work which presents itself as new, clear and modern, but the content is actually unchanged and unchanging.

So, though exemplary in clarity of both thought and language, no real revelations in Sankaran's System. It may be a very useful book nonetheless, as it thoroughly illustrates many of the lines of inquiry and analysis needed in homeopathic practice. It also offers a welcome reiteration of the 'no speculating' rule, while promoting the art intrinsic to homoeopathy.

His discussion of potency, again with updated reference to the vital force, is helpful and clearly expressed. The brief comments on kingdom and miasmatic classification are mainly conclusions developed from his previous works, The Spirit of Homeopathy and The Substance of Homoeopathy.

In some cases Sankaran feels that he has changed his mind, in others that he has refined the categories in a more concrete way. The whole book depends on these forerunners and The Soul of Remedies for its full value. Many cases end with an instruction to refer to The Soul of Remedies for a better understanding of the prescription.

In contrast to The Spirit and The Substance, this book, The System of Homoeopathy, has less which is new and original to offer.

It is best seen as an illustrative collection of cases, given at greater length than previously, in order to explain more clearly that which has gone before. What stands alone, independent of his other work, is the section of around fifty pages, the elucidation of Hahnemann's case-taking instructions, and this by itself does not justify the cost of the book. if you already have Sankaran's other works, then this is a beautiful collection of cases with which to work through his thought processes.

Paradoxically, he is at pains to remind us that, 'every case should be looked at without prejudice, as being something entirely new and different from what one has seen before.' See this book, then, as an insight into the mind of a master, not as 'the answer'.

Some readers will feel that this is enough: others may feel short-changed by the disproportionate number of case histories compared to the extent of the exposition of his 'system'.

Look at it as an indication of your state of being! If you are in a sycotic state, you'll love the exuberant multiplicity of cases. If you're in a psoric state of struggle, you'll hope for enlightenment and understanding. If you're tubercular, you can race through this book very easily and still be gasping for more. If you're feeling syphilitic, tear it up! For further insights on Sankaran's proposed miasms of typhoid, ringworm, malaria and leprosy, you'll have to read the book.

Most encouraging of all, an a way, is the fact that Sankaran, despite his need to 'systematize and standardize knowledge and experience', is continuing to explore, refine and change his thinking, so we may all feel justified in agreeing or disagreeing with some of his conclusions.

I certainly look forward to reading Dr Sankaran's next work - The Success of Homoeopathy?

The Homeopath
Number 79
Autumn 2000
Reprinted with permission from the Society of Homeopaths

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Contents

Introduction

Evolution of the System -- 1-8
Case 1 -- 9-22
Case 2 -- 23-20
Case 3 -- 31-48
Case 4 -- 49-58
Case 5 -- 59-66
Case 6 -- 67-82
Case 7 -- 83-96
Case 8 -- 97-104
Case 9 -- 105-110
Case 10 -- 111-126
Case 11 -- 127-1238
Case 12 -- 139-146
Case 13 -- 147-156
Case 14 -- 157-168
Case 15 -- 169-182
Case 16 -- 183-198
Case 17 -- 199-212
Case 18 -- 213-222
Case 19 -- 223-234
Case 20 -- 235-250
Case 21 -- 251-266
Case 22 -- 267-286
Case 23 -- 287-290
Case 24 -- 291-292
Case 25 -- 293-296

The System -- 297-344
Case 26 -- 345-358
Case 27 -- 359-372
Case 28 -- 373-376
Case 29 -- 377-390
Case 30 -- 391-408
Case 31 -- 409-418
Case 32 -- 419-422
Case 33 -- 423-430
Case 34 -- 431-438
Case 35 -- 439-448
Appendix
The Miasmatic classification of diseases -- 449-470
Some notes on animal subclasses -- 471-476
Summary -- 477-488
Index -- 489-494

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