Homeopathic Treatment of Children

From the Book

"There is at present a great necessity for information on the homeopathic treatment of children. We do not actually have enough literature on the subject apart from Borland's booklet which is quite good but not sufficient for the needs of our time.

"I feel that Paul Herscu's book goes further than any other homeopathic book in giving detailed information which will be very useful to any practitioner who treats children."
George Vithoulkas
internationally respected teacher of homeopathy
author of The Science of Homeopathy and
Homeopathy: Medicine for the New Man

"I was very impressed with the careful and thorough treatment that Dr. Herscu gives to each remedy. This is a book which will be extremely useful for any serious student or practitioner of homeopathy I will highly recommend your book to all my colleagues and students."
Roger Morrison M.D., D.Ht.
Founder and Senior Instructor
Hahnemann College of Homeopathy

"Dr. Herscu's work is the first modern pediatric materia medica. This book represents a significant step forward in helping practitioners who treat children to understand the importance of seeing the integration of body and mind, the developmental aspects of each, and their manifestation in health and disease.

"This book will greatly aid my pediatric practice, for his writings enabled me to see, hear, smell, taste and experience each of the major childhood constitutional types."
Richard Solomon M.D.
Assistant Professor
Medical College of Pennsylvania
Allegheny General Hospital

"This book is a compelling description and impressively practical guide to the use of homeopathic medicines in treating underlying health problems of children.

"Herscu's clear and vivid depictions of these constitutional types will help anyone understand children more deeply and help to cure them more completely."
Kenneth P. Stoller M.D.
Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics

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Details

The Homeopathic Treatment of Children: Pediatric Constitutional Types, by Paul Herscu, was published in 1991.

This book describes eight remedies (Calcarea, Lycopodium, Medorrhinum, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, Tuberculinum) and how they relate to the treatment of children. Based on Herscu's many years of clinical experience this materia medica it is a practical materia medica.

There are no grandiose theories presented here. No revelatory connections between these substances and their existence in the natural world. Just straightforward, fundamental observations that increase the successful homeopathic treatment of children.

This is the first new pediatric materia medica since Borland's Children's Types.

As Herscu points out in the introduction, there are three sources of symptoms that the homeopath recognizes-poisonings, provings and clinical cures. In practice the homeopath is often led to the correct remedy by the thoughtful consideration of each of these sources.

When a symptom not found in the first two categories and is cured several times by a homeopathic remedy, it may be accepted as being clinically curable by that remedy.

Herscu has reorganized the sections in the materia medica to make this information accessible and readable. The major categories are Mental/Emotional Characteristics, Physical Symptomatology, Notes on how each remedy presents in the infant, a remedy outline that facilitates quick reference, and the Confirmatory Picture with Checklist.

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Heritage

A discussion of eight remedies (Calcarea, Lycopodium, Medorrhinum, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, Tuberculinum) and how they relate to the treatment of children.

Each chapter contains a very full narrative of the remedy based on many years of clinical cases, notes about the presentation of the remedy in relation to infants, an outline of the salient points of the remedy, and a listing of confirmatory symptoms.

Julian Winston writes:
A very clear and concise book, based upon the author's extensive practice. Very reliable information.

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

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Author

Paul Herscu
ND, DHANP

(1959 -     )

Paul Herscu was born on May 5th 1959 in Bucharest, Romania. His family moved to Israel in 1961 where he spent his childhood. He immigrated to the USA in 1969 and became a naturalized US citizen in 1975.

He graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1986, where he first began to teach homeopathy. He is a Diplomate of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians. He maintains an active practice in Enfield, Connecticut.

Dr. Herscu had been exposed to homeopathy for his own medical needs as a teenager and decided soon after remarkable results to pursue a career in this field. A voracious reader of the old literature, Dr. Herscu read through the great libraries of the naturopathic schools as well as others throughout the USA.

His teachers were those sources: Hahnemann, Kent, Boenninghausen, Hering, and Lippe. From these readings, he came to understand the importance of writing and teaching from one's own clinical experiences.

Dr. Herscu is credited with revitalizing the homeopathic approach to the treatment of children, making the treatment much more effective. He is also credited with the new approach of writing materia medica from the writer's own experience. He is the author of

The Homeopathic Treatment of Children: Pediatric Constitutional Types
and
Stramonium with an Introduction to Analysis Using Cycles and Segments.

Paul has had numerous articles published in all of the major homeopathic journals. He helped to revitalize and recreate the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians in the late 80's.

He began the concept of Case Conferences that became popular through the 80's and 90's. He was the founder in 1989 with his wife, Amy Rothenberg, of the New England School of Homeopathy. In 1991, he began publishing the New England Journal of Homeopathy.

Through the New England School of Homeopathy (www.nesh.com) Dr. Herscu has taught on-going homeopathic courses to practitioners and physicians in England, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Austria, South Africa, Belgium, Italy, and throughout the USA..

Paul's recent work on the development and teaching of Cycles and Segments has made both the study and practice of homeopathy that much more enjoyable for those who have learned this method.

Paul's system is so valuable that it's been incorporated into a special module for RADAR software, giving the software user a systematic way of questioning their patient in order to gain deeper insight into their symptoms.

Dr. Herscu began publishing, via email the Herscu Letter (letter@nesh.com) in 1999. This distance learning opportunity gives those who are unable to travel a chance to learn this logical and cohesive approach to doing homeopathy.

Herscu's upcoming books include: The Basis of Provings, The Theory Behind the Practice, Including the Provings of Alcohol and the book, The Treatment of Autism with Homeopathy.

CONFERENCE: WORKING WITH TROUBLED CHILDREN
On March 8-9, 2003 Dr. Herscu taught his Cycles and Segments model in Toronto, with emphasis on its use with troubled children. He presented examples from the thousands of clinical cases he has treated.

Conference details:
ADD, Autism and Behavior Problems Conference

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Reviews

Two Reviews:
1. LINKS
2. HOMEOPATHY TODAY



LINKS
In his book Paul Herscu presents 8 remedies well known to every homoeopath: Calc.c., Lyc., Med., Nat.mur., Phos., Puls., Sulph. and Tub.

Nothing new one can say - but how wrong! This materia medica is different to other Materia Medicas handed down to us by the old masters.

Thanks to his observational skills and his talent to synthesise the information he presents a new materia medica, one which describes whole syndromes and syndrome complexes as they are presented to the homoeopath by the 'living patient' in every day practice. He selected 8 remedies that he found most frequently indicated. He has empirical data from 300 cured children for each one of these remedies.

Herscu's book covers the lack of theoretical and practical information in the homoeopathic treatment of children.

The remedies are presented in a structured way and include remarks about babies and infants, with a survey and checklist to confirm the remedy.

The summary at the end of each chapter helps to build up a frame which can be completed through time and experience. It also serves as a quick checklist to confirm or reject a remedy.

Each remedy is provided with many symptoms that can be observed and which quickly lead the homoeopath to the indicated remedy. In addition there is a large index which allows quick access to relevant points in the text.

Although Herscu's book is an invaluable addition in the 'tool-box' of the homoeopath, he also recommends that parents read it to get an idea of the enormous possibilities that homoeopathy offers in the treatment of children.

Knowledge about constitutional types also helps parents to understand, protect and support their child particularly if they know about the child's potential weak points.

It is without a doubt an important book for all practitioners of homoeopathy.

Homoeopathic Links - Winter 1992
LINKS
Reprinted with permission from Homeopathic Links

Reviewed by Julian Winston



HOMEOPATHY TODAY
Homeopathy has remained alive for the last 200 years because of its literature. Above all, it is a literate science. Because we look for the symptomatology in the words of the patient, the indications for the medicines we give have not changed very much. The sensation that "the top of my head is open and is letting in cold air" (Cimicifuga) is the same be it said in the office today or in an office 100 years ago.

We have the literature we do because practitioners desired to share their experiences with others.

Why have twenty materia medica if they all contain the same information?

Yet, in the last fifty years, not many substantial books have been written. The best (Roberts and Vithoulkas) have been modern language restatements of homeopathic philosophy and practice.

Many others, Panos/Heimlich and Cummings/Ullman among them, sought to expand on the concept of the "domestic-manual" - bringing the older works of Pulte, Hering, Small, and Johnson into a modern light.

For the most part, however, (with the exception of the insights of Catherine Coulter) the current crop of modern homeopathic literature is saying very little new. True, there are books to get people interested in homeopathy, but the majority of the great works are still reprints of a century ago.

It was, therefore, a pleasure to see this new book by Paul Herscu. There has been no work done on pediatric treatment since Douglas Borland wrote his Children's Types over 40 years ago, yet, today, a large part of a homeopath's practice is seeing children.

As Paul tells it, "early in my career as a homeopath I was thrown into a busy practice that served hundreds of children. Overwhelmed by a flood of pediatric cases, I struggled to find the similimum with tools and training that were inadequate to the task."

He had his baptism by fire, and the experience he gained, and writes about, cannot be found in Kent's Repertory, nor in any materia medica. It is new ground. It is amazing reading, and it is refreshing material.

It is not a self-help manual. It is, however, as Paul suggests, a book to be read by both parents and physicians to allow them to work as a team to bring the child to his or her fullest potential.

Paul discusses eight "constitutional" remedies: Calcarea carbonica, Lycopodium, Medorrhinum, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, and Tuberculinum. Each chapter begins with a narrative account of the remedy, in the Hahnemann schema, beginning with the mental/emotional characteristics, going through all the systems, and ending with the physical generals.

There follows a short narrative about the remedy as seen in infants, an outline of the information presented, and, finally, a list of confirmatory symptoms for each remedy.

The writing is chock full of information. It was difficult to select a single part to share here, so I chose a part from the Sulphur chapter- a part near and dear to my heart:

"Their natural curiosity leads them to explore new objects, trying to find out how they work, why they work, and how they can be used. In their curiosity they may tear apart anything in the room.

"This may seem like Calcarea carbonica behavior, but there is one major difference. With Calcarea carbonica there is a desire to find out why all these things occur, why they are here, as if from a need to categorize them to know where they fit in the world. This is a small symptom that shows Calcarea carbonica's anxieties about the unknown and about the future.

"With Sulphur, however, the desire is to know how things work, how they can be used to advantage, not out of anxiety but out of the natural inquisitiveness that is distinctly human when not hampered by fear.

"In Sulphur this may border on monomania, although the subject will change from time to time. I remember treating a boy who would habitually ask questions. Whatever the answer was, his next question was 'why?'

"The answer to this question was followed by scores of 'Why? Why? Why?' Many children go through the 'why' phase, which is normal. However, in the Sulphur child it often lasts for years, never really ending but rather evolving from asking questions of others to an internalization of curiosity leading them to seek out answers via independent endeavor and study."

Want more? Buy the book!

By writing this book, Paul Herscu has made a major contribution to homeopathy. The information he has learned is now accessible to be shared with others. It will be used, and the result will be a healthier population.

That's what the literature should be about, and this book certainly fulfills that requirement. It belongs on every homeopath's book shelf.

HOMEOPATHY TODAY SEPTEMBER 1991
Reprinted with permission from the National Center for Homeopathy

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Contents

Forward -- ix
Note to parents -- xi
Acknowledgements -- xx

Calcarea carbonica -- 3
Notes on infants -- 35
Outline -- 38
Confirmatory Picture -- 47

Lycopodium -- 49
Notes on infants -- 80
Outline -- 83
Confirmatory Picture -- 90

Medorrhinum -- 91
Notes on infants -- 129
Outline -- 131
Confirmatory Picture -- 138

Natrum muriaticum -- 139
Notes on infants -- 165
Outline -- 167
Confirmatory Picture -- 174

Phosphorus -- 175
Notes on infants -- 205
Outline -- 206
Confirmatory Picture -- 213

Pulsatilla -- 215
Notes on infants -- 246
Outline -- 248
Confirmatory Picture -- 254

Sulphur -- 255
Notes on infants -- 292
Outline -- 294
Confirmatory Picture -- 302

Tuberculinum -- 303
Notes on infants -- 341
Outline -- 343
Confirmatory Picture -- 351

Index -- 353

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