How to use the Repertory by Glen Irving Bidwell

How to use the Repertory with A Practical Analysis of Forty Homeopathic Remedies by Glen Irving Bidwell, M.D.

Introduction by James Tyler Kent
Preface by Glen. I. Bidwell, M. D.
Published by B.Jain publishers (P) LTD 

About the author:
Glen Irving Bidwell- Member of American Institute of Homoeopathy; New York State Homoeopathic Society; The Society of Homoeopathicians; Monroe County Homoeopathic Society.

The book has two parts:

Part I: How to Use the Repertory
Part II: A Practical Analysis of Forty Homeopathic Remedies

Introduction:
The degree of vitality Homoeopathy enjoys in any given period will always be indexed by the methods of its disciples, not merely by the soundness of their teaching, but specially by the thoroughness and accuracy of their practice. The repertory is our chief instrument of precision. some men do some good work without the repertory, but they also do poor work, more than they would do with it.

Preface:
The call from the members of our school for an index of the symptoms of our materia medica has been insistent ever since the first edition of the Materia Medica Pura. This call has resulted in the publishing of several repertories. When members of our school turn to this vast work for assistance they are confronted with a maze of material, which, to the uniniated, is more confusing than the materia medica.

The repertory, the arrangement and use of which I try to make clear and from which the examples are given, is that of Kent (Second Edition), as this is the only unabridged work we have and the one that is most simple and satisfying to use.

Constantine Hering said: “If our school ever gives up the strict inductive method of Hahnemann we are lost and deserve only to be mentioned as a caricature in the history of medicine.”

I wish to take this opportunity of thanking Dr. G. G. Starkey, of Chicago, for the great assistance given me in revising and editing the proof of this work.

PART I: HOW TO — USE THE REPERTORY
There are three things which merit the most careful consideration of the homoeopathic practitioner -:

• the taking of the case,
• the selection of the remedy and
• the administration of the remedy.

They are  so closely intermingled, and the results of the one so dependent upon the care and accuracy with which the preceding steps have been taken, that I have presumed to call them the “HOMOEOPATHS’ TRINITY.”

TAKING THE CASE
To attain even the smallest degree of success in the curative action of our remedies one must follow the instructions in the Organon (Secs. 83-104) carefully. It  is not the disease we want to make a record of; it is the individualized diseased patient. The whole aim of the physician is to secure the language of nature. (by symptoms). In studying homoeopathic philosophy as given in the Organon, the Chronic Diseases and Kent’s Lectures ,many of the main points are emphasized by arrangement of the ideas in groups of three.

THREE INJUNCTIONS
To cure promptly, mildly and permanently.

The physician who has not been trained in homoeopathic philosophy answers that a cure consists of the disappearance of the pathological state. Does the removal of eruptions on the skin constitute a cure?

They are simply the removal of the visible symptom and one symptom does not make a picture of the diseased patient. We must go to the back of this manifest symptom to the totality of this patient’s symptoms and take these into consideration when making our prescription, and restore to health by removing these symptoms; then the external manifestation will disappear. There should always be an inward improvement when an external symptom has been  made to disappear. If the removal of symptoms is not followed by restoration to health it cannot be called a cure.§70

Three directions of cure
We find that in order to produce a permanent cure, symptoms must disappear from above downward, from within outward, and in the reverse order of their coming.

In Section 3 we have Hahnemann’s statement of the three precautions, or those which I have called the “Trinity.” He must perceive what is curable in disease; what is curative in medicine; and the application of the last to the first. Finally, when the physician knows in each case the obstacles in the way of recovery, and how to remove them, he is prepared to act thoroughly, and to the purpose, as a true master of the art of healing.”

The three miasms
In sections 78-80 we find mentioned the three chronic miasms of Hahnemann. They are Psora, Syphilis and Sycosis. Here it is stated that if any of these three miasms is left to itself it will only become extinct with life itself.

Let the patient talk
If we hope to arrive at the truth we must not only be attentive to what the patient tells us, and to what the nurse or family may impart, but we must observe closely the appearance of the patient himself. Ofttimes the symptom which will lead us to the remedy will be one which we may get by observation. The way the patient lies, sits, walks, talks, conducts himself generally, the appearance of discharges, the color of the eyes, hair, tongue, skin, etc,

Three mistakes
The three mistakes made in examining the case, interruption of patient, asking direct questions and making answers conform to some remedy we may have in mind.

The mere writing of the symptoms helps us keep cool and not pass hasty judgement. On page 206 Tafel’s translation of Nature of Chronic Diseases we find “The physician, can, indeed, make no worse mistake than to consider too small the dose which I (forced by experience) have reduced after manifold trials and which are indicated with every antipsoric remedy. Secondly, the wrong choice of a remedy, and, Thirdly, the hastiness which does not allow each dose to act its full time.”

“As to the second chief error in the cure of chronic diseases (the unhomoeopathic choice of medicine) the homoeopathic beginner sins chiefly through inexactness, lack of earnestness and through love of ease.

A difficulty may arise in those obscure cases the symptoms of which have been masked by drugging, homoeopathic and otherwise, operations etc., so that these cases only present a few common symptoms, which can only guide us to a group of remedies in which the similimum must be found after exhaustive study of the materia medica. “Symptoms that existed in childhood and those present before any pathology existed are the corresponding symptoms of causes; as all causes are continuous into effects. They give us an image of the case from causes to pathological endings. These symptoms through childhood down to present are greatly important and describe the progress of sickness.”

How to find the remedy
There are several complete repertories now published and the use of any one of them will be of untold aid in finding the right remedy. When you have decided on the repertory you wish to use, confine yourself to that one and completely master its arrangement, for the most rapid work and the best results can only be obtained by the close study and working knowledge of one.

Personally, I can do the best and most rapid work with Kent’s great work, and my demonstration here will be taken from Kent’s Repertory. Before trying to use the repertory in your work read the headings of the general rubrics from beginning to end and thus familiarize yourself with the arrangement of the work, so that no time will be lost in looking for your symptoms. Only by this and by constant use, can  the repertory be a companion and helper.

Index to arrangement of kent’s repertory
The Repertory is divided into thirty-seven sections. the two most important sections are found first in the book Mind and the Generalities which are last.

Many of our chronic cases may be worked out from these two sections, from the mentals and the generals, as when these are found to be covered by one remedy the particulars which have been observed, and many of the common symptoms will be found to fit in perfectly.