THE PEOPLE OF THE

MATERIA MEDICA
WORLD: A
COMPARATIVE
MATERIA MEDICA
Part- 1
BY

DR.SAPTARSHI BANERJEA
Gold Medallist
BHMS (Honours in Nine Subjects of Health University)
M.D.(Hom.)
Deputy Director-Bengal Allen Medical Institute
Overseas Consultant-Orawan Holistic Institute, Thailand.
Visiting Lecturer-Allen College of
Homoeopathy, Essex, England

YouTube Link-
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXVM0VFIFxp
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WebLink-http://homoeopathy-
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banerjea

INTRODUCTION

‘The People of The Materia Medica World. A Comparative Materia Medica’. Written by F.E.
Gladwin. in 1921.The book is a reflection of the Kentian approach to the Study of Materia
Medica emphasizing on personification of remedies. Gladwin, a student of Kent, paid respect
to him who acquainted her with the people of the Materia Medica world.

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It was a “Homoeopathic hobby” for Gladwin to study about the personality. Gladwin also
dedicated this collection for P.Schmidt. She did not want the collection to be published. It
was published almost 50 years later by Schmidt at the insistence of Dr.Diwan Harish Chand.

INTERESTING PERSONIFICATIONS BY
GLADWIN

A VISIT TO THE SANATORIUM

Imagine a sanatorium where people having stomach troubles are treated.

Mrs.Carbo Animalis- Sad, doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Desires to be alone. Burning &
rawness from tongue to stomach.

Mrs.Bismuth-Opposite of Carbo An.She can’t bear to be alone. He goes on eating until

Mrs.Hydrastis-She was first admitted in Gynae. ward for ulcers in the os & a tenacious
leucorrhoea. Then, in the Surgical ward for breast cancer which was removed. Then she had
stomach cancer with constipation, emaciation

Mr. Kali Bich.- Gastric ulcers from drinking too much beer. He wakes at 2 A.M. with
oppressed breathing.

Mrs.Kali Ars.- Burning stomach pains > heat. Frightened & nervous, fault finding

Mr.Sulphuric Acid- Chronic alcoholic with mouth ulcers which bleed. He is hurried & weeps
all day.

Mrs.Robinia-Everything she takes turns to acid

Mrs.Kreosote-Pale emaciated woman. She has great thirst but vomits it. She is weeping by
the piano.

Sulphur-He thinks food is like ornament as he eats little but drinks much.

FATHER HOMOEOPATHY’S VISIT TO THE PRISON

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Father Homeopathy entered with a case full of bottles of sugar. The surgeons did not
object to the giving of candy to the sick. Suffering men tossed & moaned in the prison
hospital.

Aconite-Nervous & couldn’t stand the dreadful pain.

Carbo Veg-He didn’t have any recuperating powers. Surgeons couldn’t stop the oozing of
dark blood. He had a cold face & was indifferent.

Twins-Mr.Ledum had stepped on a thorn & punctured his foot. He felt sore &
bruised.Mr.Hypericum’s pain was unbearable as the thorn had touched a nerve.

Cousin of Carbo Veg: Stront. Carb- He had a extensive wound. Blood was oozing from the
wound. He was prostrated & breath was cold.

Phosphorus-He was in the surgical ward & just off the operation table. The chloroform had
nauseated him.

Pyrogen-He was badly wounded with high temperature, foul discharges & rapid pulse. Father
Homeopathy inferred he was Arnica,Baptisia & Rhus Tox in one.

Symphytum-He had a broken leg. There was pain causes by pressure of the bandage.

NEIGHBOURS WHO ARE NOT NEIGHBOURLY

Rhus Tox & Apis are two neighbours who lived over the way.

❖ Restless-Apis was restless at night, thought he would die. Rhus is restless from pain.
❖ Redness- Both have oedema with redness in eyes & skin. Rhus had small watery
vesicles & >cold.
❖ Stool-Rhus had dysentery with typhoid tendency. Apis had cholera infantum with
tendency to hydrocephalus.
❖ Dropsy-Rhus looked out & saw Apis sitting in a chair & having dropsy everywhere.
❖ Thirst-Apis had no thirst. Rhus had thirst for cold water.

THOSE PEOPLE ACROSS THE ALLEY

Phosphorus lived on one street & Causticum on the next.

❖ Appearance-Both are dark haired. Phos. Slimmer but Caust had rigid fibres.

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 ❖ Barometers of neighbourhood-Phos, Rhus, Rhodo can always tell when a storm is
coming. Caust. > in damp weather.
❖ Aversion-Both disliked fresh meat & sweets.
❖ Paralysis-Phos. Had a child with paralysis of sphincters. Caust. is constipated from
paralysis of rectum. Dysuria as he had retained his urine until school was out one day.
❖ Hoarseness-In Phos. cold resulted in inflammation of vocal cord, then hoarseness. In
Caust., hoarseness due to paralysis of vocal cords.

PSORINUM THE GRANDFATHER& SULPHUR THE

Psorinum is the founder of the great patrician family, Psora.

❖ Emotional-Sulphur was more philosophical than Psorinum. Both are low spirited &
unhappy.
❖ Air-Psorinum isn’t comfortable in open air. Sulphur suffocates in a warm room.
❖ Appetite-Sulphur is hungry at 11.00AM while granddad is hungry at night.
❖ Colic-Psorinum’s colic was cured by eating while Sulphur’s was brought on by it.
❖ Itching-Both scratch until it bleeds. Psorinum has pustules & vesicles. On rubbing,
Sulphur has burning.
❖ Alcohol- Psorinum Was fond of beer. Sulphur drinks from morning till night.

HEPAR THE PEACEMAKER

Silicea is very sensitive & Mercurius has hurt his feelings.So, Silicea can’t forgive Mercurius.

Hepar was friends to both. Their friendship began when they all had hip joint disease.

Silicea is restless & fidgety Mercurius is restless &

Silica had profuse sweat Merc. Had offensive

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 MEETING OF THE STATE HOMOEOPATHIC SOCIETY IN
THE MATERIA MEDICA WOODS
The state homoeopathic society was tired of its city meetings. They decided to celebrate the
200th anniversary in the Materia Medica Woods.

❖ Collection of water: Dr.Lyssin was asked to hunt for spring water but he became
horrified at the thought of water. Dr.Natrum mur. obliged due to his extreme thirst.
❖ Nerve specialists: Dr.Agaricus, Dr.Actaea Racemosa & Dr.Cicuta (treated
chorea)
❖ Heart specialists: Dr.Digitalis, Dr.Kalmia & Dr.Cactus.
❖ Surgeons: Drs.Hepar & Silica. They can remove foreign bodies without using a
knife.
❖ Necrosis specialist: Dr.Phosphorus.
❖ Eye specialists: Dr.Allium cepa, Euphrasia & Merc corrosivus, all treated red
eyes.
❖ Specialist in men diseases: Dr.Cannabis Sat., Nitric Acid & Thuja
❖ Specialist in women diseases: Dr.Sepia & Kreosote.
❖ Lung specialist: Dr.Stannum & Tuberculinum. Dealt with consumptives.
❖ Old friends: Dr.Rhus & Dr.Bryonia walked together from the station. When they
reached the woods, Bry. Couldn’t move from the pain whereas Rhus was very lively.
❖ Foods brought: Dr.Calcarea brought raw potatoes & wheat. He believed in the
raw vegetable diet. Dr.Mezereum & Sanicula brought fat ham. Belladonna was fond
of lemonade & Arsenic brought lemons. Dr.Magnesia carb brought meat
sandwitches. Dr.Angustura loved coffee.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Gladwin FE. The People of The Materia Medica World. A Comparative Materia Medica.
New Delhi: B.Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd; 2014.