Words fail to describe the good that it is doing and it has done to its believers. He who understands it, takes it for a blessing of God. The wonderful charm of the smallest dose of a single remedy has won for it many adherents in every country. The day is not far distant when it will occupy its proper place of honour in the society of medical men of the world. It has power to crush opposition and overcome superstition and conservatism. Glorification of Homoeopathy is not far off.
It is thoroughly good system of medicine and its materia medica contains over 1000 remedies which were accepted only after careful proving on human system under the observation of the ablest men. These medicines are of established usefulness and they, unlike orthodox medicine which are usually experimented on animals, do not change but are true in all ages and under all circumstances. The power of these drugs is beyond the comprehension of the non-believers. To a believer they simply unfold the atomic force of matter. Homoeopathic potencies are Atom Bombs in medicine designed for the annihilation of disease force. The theory of atom was put into action first by Hahnemann and he engaged this boundless power not for the destruction of human life but for healing the sick.
Homoeopathy came to India as early as 1810 when a French traveler, Dr. John Martin Honigberger who learnt Homoeopathy from Dr. Samuel Hahnemann visited India and treated patients with Homoeopathy. In his second visit in the year 1839, he treated the then ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh with Dulcamara. Maharaja was so happy with results and he encouraged him to continue the Homoeopathic treatment in India. Homoeopathy continued to spread and Indians found in its philosophy and principles, a reflection of their belief and culture. The ancient Hindu physicians had, in fact recognized the "Law of Similars" as one of the principles of treatment.
Fully qualified medical men and women practise Homoeopathy all over the world. School and college teachers practise it with great efficiency although they were never trained in medical colleges. Office clerks and pleaders often handle it with wonderful results. There are thousands of Homoeopaths who never received medical training but they employ these agents with excellent skill. Homoeopathy is now-a-days known to all classes of people, to the rich and the poor. to the educated and the uneducated, to the ploughman as well as to the boatman. People in England, France, Germany, America, India and everywhere want to be treated with Homoeopathic drugs and their persistent demand for Homoeopathic drugs gives positive proof of superiority of Homoeopathic drugs to all other branches of medicine. It is a mighty force, nothing can check its onward march, it will overcome all opposition. Allopathic drugs, when misused, are deadly instruments of death and suffering. Moreover they are so costly that poor people can hardly purchase these drugs. It is a common sight in India that poor men, when they are forced to use allopathic medicines, sell their ornaments and utensils to meet the doctors fee and cost of medicine. But Homoeopathic medicines have none of these drawbacks. They are so cheap and so harmless. If Homoeopathy receives governmental recognition it will remove, much of the economic distress of the people.
That Homoeopathy is a popular form of treatment is evident from the unusually large number of Homoeopathic doctors practising everywhere on earth. In Bengal alone we have not less than 25000 Homoeopathic physicians of all qualities. About 50 percent of them come from our Homoeopathic colleges, about 5 percent of them come from the allopathic colleges and the rest practise Homoeopathic medicine without any college qualification. Many of the unqualified Homoeopaths have topped the list of the most successful Homoeopaths of Bengal, Dinu Babu of Howrah, Chunni Lall Chatterjee B.A. of Utarpara,
Prof. Gangadhar Mukherjee M.A. , B.L. of Howrah, Dr. Nilmani Ghatak B.L. of Calcutta and several other non-collegiate Homoeopaths have occupied most eminent positions in the profession. It is they who popularised
Homoeopathy in Bengal and won the present exalted position for Homoeopathy. These gentlemen never worked for gold but for pure love of Homoeopathy. They have distributed Homoeopathic medicines free of all charges for years and years and left after their death an immortal fame for themselves and an undying reputation for Homoeopathic drugs. Their ceaseless efforts established Homoeopathy in the hearts of the people of India. Of the converted Homoeopaths, doctors Pratap Chandra Mazumdar L.M. S., M.L. Sarkar M.D. , Baridbaran Mukherjee L.M. S. and many others deserve special mention.
These are men of legendary reputation. They had marvellous skill in the use of Homoeopathic medicines. These gentlemen are no longer with us but their memory is still fresh in our minds.
In Bengal we have a number of well established Homoeopathic colleges and to superintend over the affairs of these institutions there is the grand Organization known as the State Faculty of Homoeopathic Medicine, Bengal ensuring uniformity of the standard of training of persons for practice in Homoeopathy. The method of training in these colleges is quite satisfactory but for lack of sufficient funds these colleges are very much restricted in their activities and they fail to render eminent service to the country. It is now imperative that these colleges should be affiliated to the Calcutta University and the government should take the management of these colleges into their own hands. The training in Homoeopathic colleges should be further improved and it must not be in any way inferior to that in the allopathic colleges. The status and privileges of the graduates from the Homoeopathic colleges should be made exactly equal to those of the graduates from the allopathic colleges. Introduction of the study of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Organon into the curriculum of the allopathic colleges will be followed by excellent results. Such an act will surely bring great relief to the poor masses of India. It should be always remembered that practice of pure Homoeopathy does not require an intense study of Anatomy, pathology etc. but it requires a thorough knowledge of Materia Medica and Organon without which one can not successfully practise Homoeopathy. For improvement of Homoeopathic training and practice in India I venture to suggest the following measures:
(1) Homoeopathic Hospitals are to be established in the principal cities and towns of India. More over to relieve the economic distress of the people of villages arrangements should be made to distribute Homoeopathic medicines free of all charges at difference centers.
(2) In the principal Hospitals of India eminent Homoeopathic doctors are to be allowed to treat all classes of indoor and outdoor patients and the achievements of the Homoeopathic medicines should be put on permanent records. Results of Homoeopathic treatment must be compared with the results of allopathic treatment.
(3) In every provincial headquarter a model government institution for Homoeopathic education and training should be established. Hospital should be attached to it.
(4) Government and non-government Homoeopathic colleges should be established in all big towns. The minimum standard of general education should be Matriculation for admission of students to Homoeopathic training institutions. Training and instruction should be given in provincial languages. The course of study must embrace a period of five years. After graduation the students must either work in a first class Hospital or must work under reputed senior Homoeopaths for full one year.
(5) Complete knowledge of Materia Medica and Organon and partial knowledge of other medical subjects will be enough for passing the examination.
(6) Amateur practice should be allowed with certain reservation. Unworthy persons with no general education should not be allowed to practise Homoeopathy. Practice of Homoeopathy by laymen is allowed in America, England, France and in all places. In India also laymen should be allowed to practise Homoeopathy where they have a special desire to do so. Some people practise it for the sake of pleasure in curing the sick and some want to do it in a spirit of charity. In India amateur practice practically forms the very backbone of Homoeopathy. They have a record of splendid achievements. It will be unjust and unfair to restrain their hands. The amateurs or laymen Homoeopaths are the real friends of the poor as they mostly work with little renumeration or often with no renumeration at all. The practice of Homoeopathic medicine in India has been built with the sincere efforts of these amateurs and therefore their case is to be favourably considered. They have every right to maintain their position.
(7) Homoeopathic books are mostly written in English language. Government must make arrangements for their translation into Hindi or other provincial languages.
(8) Some of the most important books remain out of print. Arrangements are to be made for reprinting them.
(9) Cost of medical books should be cheap.
(10) Arrangement for supply of medicines of undoubted purity should be made.
(11) Every prominent Homoeopath should be compelled to give free service at least for two hours a day in his nearest charitable dispensary. The fee consultation or visiting, should not exceed Rs. 10/- under any circumstances. Poor people can not consult the best Homoeopaths for their exorbitant charges. Spirit of sacrifice must prevail or success is doubtful. Poor people must be treated kindly.
(12) Homoeopathic doctors should receive their rightful shares in the health services of the country and in this matter no distinction is to be made between a Homoeopath and an allopath. They must enjoy equal rights and privileges.
(13) Homoeopathic chemists should be kept under close watch as a cure depends on the purity of medicine. Corruptions in dealers of medicine should be checked with a strong hand.
(14) Arrangement of post graduate teaching in Homoeopathy is absolutely necessary.
(15) Proving of new medicines according to the principles of Hahnemann or reproving of existing drugs will help Homoeopathy.
(16) Homoeopathic colleges should establish Health centers in different villages where the student should be taken for free distribution of medicine to the villages twice or thrice a week or if possible daily. This plan has a double blessing. The students will acquire Hospital experience and the village men will receive the benefit of Homoeopathic treatment. It will also spread the fame of Homoeopathy in the country.
(17) Every provincial Homoeopathic associations must have a journal of their own for publication of their activities and fresh experiences. Government should help these associations with liberal grant of sufficient quantity of paper. A journal is a very useful thing for medical associations for exchange of ideas.
(18) Homoeopaths should not be allowed to use allopathic or any other form of medicine. Practice of pure Homoeopathy should be enforced Using allopathic drugs in a Homoeopathic dispensary is to be tabooed.
(19) Every Hospital should be equipped with a library containing all important books.
(20) Special nurses are to be trained for working in Homoeopathic Hospitals. These nurses must undergo a preliminary training in elementary Homoeopathy.
A laboratory has to fight hard to establish its name of fame. But the name of M. Bhattacharyya and Co., of Calcutta, the proprietors of the laboratory, is so well-known for the medical profession as well as laymen, for their integrity and high standard, that it is hardly necessary to do anything more than remind them of their unimpeachable reputation for quality, ranging, over half a century. So, it would be, we hope, no impertinence if we say that the Economic Pharmaceutical Works should not be judged like other concerns that have no tradition to fall back on.
This laboratory was started for supplying fresh and genuine Indian Tinctures, Biochemic and Homoeopathic Triturations and Tablets to the market which had been infested with spurious products of all description. A new item as important as Globules has of late been added to the line--a land-mark of progress in the history of Homoeopathic manufacture in India.
We beg to draw the attention of our medical and lay friends to the fact that the Economic Pharmaceutical Works is the biggest of its kind in India, is fitted with the latest and most efficient apparatus and appliances. Every detail of the manufacture is conducted by a trained staff under the direct control of a veteran graduate of science. Thus we are in a position to guarantee the potency, stability and uniform accuracy of all our products.
It is most gratifying to note that we have been exporting the products (particularly Mother Tinctures from Indian fresh plants) of the Economic Pharmaceutical Works even to America and Europe to the entire satisfaction of our clients there. It may be news to many, but surely is a thing which India may be proud of.
We offer our sincere thanks to our numerous patrons for their steady support to M. Bhattacharyya and Co. and hope they would, with equal zeal and kindness, extend their help to this new but worthy venture also. We take this opportunity to mention that we shall always welcome visits by our friends, particularly the medical friends to our laboratory and would be most thankful for their valuable suggestions. Dr.Bose
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