Book review on sensation as if by HA Roberts

Dr Sushil Kumar Rajbhar
Dr Indurani Thakur

SENSATION AS IF – A REPERTORY OF SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS

ABOUT AUTHOR

• Dr Herbert A Roberts
• DOB: 07 May 1828 in Riverton, Connecticut
• Graduation: 1868 Winsted High School
• Ex-Chairman, American Foundation for Homœopathy.
• Head of Department of Homœopathic Philosophy,
  Postgraduate School of the American Foundation.
• Ex-President, International Hahnemannian Association.
• Member of the Connecticut Homeopathic medical society
• President of Connecticut Homeopathic medical society
• Secretary of Connecticut Homeopathic medical society
• Member of American Institute of Homeopathy
• Member, President and Secretary treasurer of International Hahnemannian Association
• Chairman of board of trustees of American Foundation of Homoeopathy
• Member of the faculty of the PG school
• Editor in chief of Homoeopathic recorder of International Hahnemannian Association
• Only and first man to serve in the US Army Medical Corps during World war, with a rank of first

CONTRIBUTION

• Introduction to BTPB (1935)
• Introduction to BBCR (1936)
• The Principles and Art of Cure by Homoeopathy (1936)
• Sensation As if (1937)
• Study of remedies by comparision (1941)
• The Rheumatic remedies (1994)

SOURCES

• Sensation As If by Dr A W Holcomb (1894)
• Dr W A Yingling`s work
• Hering`s Guiding Symptoms
• Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by JH Clarke
• Allen`s Handbook of Encyclopaedia
• Anshutz`s New, Old and Forgotten Remedies

YEAR OF PUBLICATION – 10 Jan 1937, Derby, Conn

PUBLISHER – Boericke & Tafel

INTRODUCTION

• Subjective symptoms are symptoms which are felt by patient only, such as pain and other morbid sensations of body or mind.
• About subjective symptoms physicians are unaware about that unless patient tells it.
• While the generals rank the highest in evaluating the case, and without generals we cannot expect to find the simillimum, the mental and emotional characteristics have a high value, since these are the true reflections of his personality, the man him-self.
• The subjective symptoms are the registration of his physical or other difficulties as expressed upon his own personality these are also of great value.

PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND

• As it is Puritan group Concordance repertory without any Philosophy.
• Dr H A Roberts greatly emphasized on patient’s own expressions as an important aspect of case taking.

GRADATION

No gradation, Italics typography is used for remedies

STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

• Dedication
• It is dedicated to the memory of Samuel Hahnemann, the first to evaluate subjective symptoms.
• Foreword
• About the six different sources of this repertory.
• There were some errors in Allen`s General Symptom Register which are continued in this book also.
• No single symptom, no matter how “strange, rare and peculiar”, can stand without the support of a well taken case and likeness of the whole patient to the remedy.
• When regular repertorization doesn`t reveal the simillimum, then this book comes into play as it may provide clue via symptoms of peculiar sensations which act as a possible indicator of the elusive simillimum.
• Contents –
• 25 Chapters in anatomical schema

Repertory Proper –

• This repertory starts with MIND AND SENSORIUM and ends with GENERALS, so following Hahnemann`s or anatomical schema.
• List of first and last rubric in each chapter:

S. No.	CHAPTER NAME	FIRST RUBRIC	LAST RUBRIC
1.	Mind And Sensorium	Absent	Wrong
2.	Head	Abscess	Wrong
3.	Eyes and Vision	Abscess	Yellow
4.	Ears and Hearing	Abscess	Worms
5.	Nose	Air	Worm
6.	Face and Jaw	Acid, corroding, touched upper lip	Wood, upper lip were made of
7.	Mouth, Tongue, Taste, Teeth, Gums	Abscess	Wrinkled
8.	Throat	Abscess	Worms
9.	Stomach	Absent	Yeast
10.	Abdomen	Abscess	Writhing
11.	Hypochondrium	Abscess	Wringing
12.	Rectum, Anus & Stool	Acrid	Wound
13.	Urinary Organs	Acid	Worms
14.	Male Sexual Organs	Absent	Worms
15.	Female Sexual Organs	Abscess	Wood
16.	Internal Chest	Act	Worm
17.	External Chest	Abscess	Wet
18.	Respiratory Organs	Adhered	Withheld
19.	Heart and Circulation	Aching	Working
20.	Neck and Back	Abraded	Wrenching
21.	Upper Extremities	Aching in arms	Writing
22.	Lower Extremities	Abraded	Wrenched
23.	Sleep and Dreams	Dazed	Walking
24.	Skin	Acrid	Worms
25.	Generals	Absent	Wrinkled

List of remedies with abbreviations –

• Alphabetical list of abbreviation of remedies is given which starts with ABIES CANADENSIS [Abies c.] and ends with ZIZIA []
• Abbreviations are given in Italics font
• In the bracket common name or synonym of the remedy is also given where it is applicable ex:-

1. Agn. Agnus castus (Vitex)
2. Ill. Anisum stellatum (Illicum)

• Aran. Aranea diadema (Diadema)

1. Bol. Boletus laricis (Polyporus officinalis)

TOTAL NO. OF REMEDIES  

723 As listed in index but if we exclude Synonyms {see also} it will come down to 696 remedies.

PLAN AND CONSTRUCTION

• This repertory comprised of 25 chapters starting with “Mind and Sensorium” and last chapter is “Generals”

S. No.	CHAPTER NAME
1.	Mind And Sensorium
2.	Head
3.	Eyes and Vision
4.	Ears and Hearing
5.	Nose
6.	Face and Jaw
7.	Mouth, Tongue, Taste, Teeth, Gums
8.	Throat
9.	Stomach
10.	Abdomen
11.	Hypochondrium
12.	Rectum, Anus & Stool
13.	Urinary Organs
14.	Male Sexual Organs
15.	Female Sexual Organs
16.	Internal Chest
17.	External Chest
18.	Respiratory Organs
19.	Heart and Circulation
20.	Neck and Back
21.	Upper Extremities
22.	Lower Extremities
23.	Sleep and Dreams
24.	Skin
25.	Generals

ARRANGEMENT INSIDE CHAPTERS

• Alphabetical order is maintained
• Rubrics are printed in bold letters.
• Sub rubrics are provided with one space indentation below the main rubric and this space is given by a small horizontal line.
• Very few Cross references both Confirmatory and Comparative are given.
• Confirmatory cross reference – rubric followed by “see also” in capitals {no remedies are given under first rubric}
• Comparative cross reference – rubric followed by cross reference within brackets. {remedies are given under both rubrics}

REPERTORIZATION
This repertory cannot be used for systematic repertorization but for reference purpose only.

ADAPTABILITY OF Sensation As If
Useful in cases where a particular type of sensation is present in the case it can be mental sensation or physical sensation.

SPECIAL FEATURE

• Can be used as a reference book
• Contains various rubrics which are not given in any other repertory.

CRITICISM

• This repertory cannot be used for systemic repertorisation as there is no gradation.
• Only few remedies are given under each rubric.

REFERENCES

• Sensation As If – A Repertory On Subjective Symptoms by Dr HA Roberts
• Homeobook.com

Dr Sushil Kumar Rajbha
MD Scholar, Department of Homoeopathic Repertory and Case Taking
Govt Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital Bhopal
Email : drsushilrajbhar@gmail.com

Dr Indurani Thakur
BHMS {Govt Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital Bhopal}
DNHE {IGNOU Delhi}
Homoeopathic Physician and Educator