BOOK REVIEW

STAPHYSAGRIA, The Wounded Hero

Ajit Kulkarni, M.D. (Hom)

International Teacher of Homeopathy

Address of correspondence: Dr Ajit Kulkarni Email: dr_ajitkulkarni@hotmail.com

How to cite this article:

Kulkarni AK. Book review: Staphysagria, The Wounded Hero. Journal of Integrated Standardized Homoeopathy (JISH) 2018; 01(02):

Name of book: Staphysagria, The wounded hero
Author: Dr Bipin S. Jain
Published by: Dr M. L. Dhawale Memorial Trust, Mumbai
Pages: 80
Price: Rs. 150/-
Book Review by Dr Ajit Kulkarni

This book by Dr. Bipin Jain, Head, Academic group, Dr. M. L. Dhawale Group of organizations, is based on the actual clinical experiences of the author and hence it is an important book worth pondering. The author must be thanked for evolving the conceptual portrait of the remedy on the solid base of ‘cases’ and not on imaginations and fantasies under the name of ‘discovery’ in Homoeopathy.

In the short ‘Introduction’, the author has quoted an invaluable statement of Dr. C. M. Boger, “The faculty of mastering a drug is not dependent on the encyclopaedic memory, but rather upon the inquisitor’s ability to pick out among the essential embodiments of each picture the things which show how it exists, moves and has its being, as distinguished from its nearest similar.”

Chapter two is about ‘Core clinical experiences’ and the author provides his terse but deep analysis (the detailed case is, however, given at the end of the book). One wonders if the core comments given under each case and not separately might have helped the reader digest the author’s analysis in a better way. I recommend the readers first to contemplate upon the case and then read the analysis. The author has provided analyses of 11 chronic cases and 9 acute cases.

After providing two mythological stories, the author integrates very perceptively the plant characters and Materia medica through ‘The Doctrine of Signatures’ in the third chapter. To illustrate: “The plant appears erect and stately against a fence as well as modest and delicate in the beds of the other flowers… they are called ‘the garden aristocrats’ … Staphysagria patients are also like the plant “elegant, haughty, with a delicate sensitivity and are too dignified to show their true feelings, thereby suffering from reserved displeasure. “The stems appear to be sturdy but are extremely vulnerable from within, being hollow…. Patients, too, though seemingly adequate, are fragile and vulnerable to any insult to their pride and dignity”.

The 4^th chapter deals with ‘Pathogenesis” where the author gives the pathogenic action as rendered by Staph on a variety of localities with their symptoms and clinical conditions. Perhaps, if the information had been given under headings, it may have served the reader better.  The miasmatic cleavage has been given nicely by the author, how Staph represents the four Miasms Psora…Sycosis…Tubercle… Syphilis with their distinct pathologies.

Chapter 5 deals with ‘The Staphysagria Mind’. The author opens with the serious thoughts of Dr. Brian Weiss, from ‘Many lives, Many Masters’ that can appeal only to the most perceptive. Staph mind has been presented through the evolutionary phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and later years. This is a good presentation. However, a rigid adherence to the cases seems to restrict the creativity of the author. The addition of correlation in terms of clinical conditions, reportorial rubrics and avoidance of repetitive sentences might have been more useful.

Chapter 6 deals with ‘Differential MM of Staphysagria’ with other related remedies. This chapter could have gone in greater depth e.g. while differentiating with Pulsatilla, the author writes, “Pulsatilla is also sensitive but the depth and intensity of emotions is missing. They are yielding people and easily weep at the slightest hurt.” What is required is defining the pride, yielding, and weeping in both remedies and then to differentiate. Note that Staphysagria is also given under 3 marks for yielding. The use of body language would have helped to perceive the comparison in a better way. “Sepia also comes close but they soon turn indifferent to the surrounding environment.” Note that Staphysagria is also given in the rubric ‘Indifference’ for 3 marks. The reader needs explanation of genesis and presentation of indifference in its depth and extent.

Chapter 7 is on ‘Collective Totality’. The author has drawn the Conceptual Image of Staphysagria under five headings:

1. Ailments from
2. Aggravation and ameliorations in general
3. Sensation and complaints in general
4. The Mental state
5. The characteristic particulars

This chapter is given through miasmatic cleavage and it is related to the cases in the book. It looks more like a dissertation. One wonders why the author wants to categorize many cravings viz. sweets, butter, salty things, pickles, potatoes, sour, milk, fish, chicken etc. under Psora. Does the author want to convey that patients of other Miasms have no craving for these substances? Many physical generals and physical particulars categorized into miasmatic states need a serious thinking. However, the life space table of each case through Event key, Onset, Life space, Characteristic expression, Precipitating factors, and Interpretation is a commendable logistic solution offered by the author.

Chapter 8 is on ‘Summary and Conclusions’. This chapter summarizes the concepts presented earlier. Then follows the holistic structure of Staphysagria, which is very profoundly presented. The author’s efforts in building up the structure are appreciable. Appendix: A covers 11 chronic cases and Appendix: B covers 7 acute cases. Every case is elicited and documented in an elaborative way and this is the strength of this book. Lacunae are no Repertorization of any case, no differential diagnosis in the workout and scattered case material.

Overall, the book has many colors – based on clinical experiences, academically oriented, no direct reproduction of original data-base and hence more conceptual, useful insights into logistic solutions, exploring dimensions of Staphysagria beyond the known, and a nice print-out.

Received on: November 15, 2018

Accepted for Publication: December 01, 2018