Symposium

ICR Golden Jubilee Symposium, Mumbai

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND UTILITY OF STRUCTURALIZATION IN HOMOEOPATHIC PRACTICE

12th to 14th September 2025

Brief Background

All who recall their first reading of the Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy (P & P) would have been struck by the iconic images in two chapters. Chapter 2 carries three mini diagrams portraying the genesis of disease and the role of emotions integrated with the classification of disease. Chapter 11 depicts the Conceptual Image through a series of concentric circles. Both these images weave together several concepts in an integrated way, thereby actualizing for us the oft-repeated statement the ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. MLD sir in his later avatar was to replace the word ‘image’ by ‘structure’.

Structures – the concept and its entry into MLD thought

The pre-run to the ICR Symposium on Hahnemannian totality of 1978 was the 40-year celebration in 1971 of HPGA (the Homoeopathic Post Graduate Association) where the Study of Magnesium salts was presented in the form of charts (reproduced in the Atlas). The presentation comprised of a set of eight charts strung on two strings by cloth hangers (MLD sir had anticipated the modern-day PowerPoint by decades!) and intrigued many. The background detailed work by Dr. Bharat Kothari was stupendous. The nascent work seen in the two chapters of P & P was on the way to expand and destined to swamp all ICR Publications starting with the Symposium Volume. It reflected MLD sir’s fundamental change in the pattern of thinking and approach to clinical work and communication. Deeply influenced by Bertalanffy’s General Systems theory (1968), MLD sir was quick to grasp that a holistic discipline like Homoeopathy had to necessarily adopt this approach to man, the patient, the process of illness and healing and logically the world of Materia Medica. A fourth approach to totality and Materia Medica – Non-repertorial ‘Structuralization’ – was a new entry and the integrated, interdisciplinary study that it entailed was elaborated through all sections of the Symposium Volume leading to the creation of a rich Atlas.

Experience of wading through the Atlas

It is common knowledge that the numerous diagrams in the Atlas and all subsequent publications of MLD sir has posed formidable difficulties for most of us. We do not know where to begin the reading and how to travel. We often return to the starting point conscious that not much has filtered through. The structure of the Mind and various representations associated with its study also a challenge to evolve and interpret. It is fitting that we use the opportunity of the Golden Jubilee to make a determined effort to cross this obstacle and a Symposium on this topic is the most appropriate way.

The Discipline of Structuralization

Part of the difficulty we face is due to our ignorance of the basis of this approach. MLD sir elaborated a detailed note on the concept of Structuralization in his later writings, a summary of which would be circulated with the cases. While we approach the case material, it would be useful to keep in mind the following ideas:

Every system has a structure (and as mentioned above, homoeopaths are dealing all the time with all sorts of structures);
Structure determines the position of each element of the whole;
Structural laws deal with co-existence rather than change; and
Structures are not readily perceived but are responsible for the

While all concepts underlying these ideas may not be immediately clear, the Symposium cases and the discussion will be able to throw light on the above and a lot more which guided the introduction of Structuralization as a unique contribution to Hahnemannian thought.

We will aim to achieve the following objectives:

Objectives:

Understanding Structuralization as a concept and a methodology to understand Man, Illness and Materia Medica
Learning to represent Problem Definition – Problem Resolution in the form of Structures
Perceiving Essential Evolutionary Totality as a Structural representation of man in decline
Learning the indications of the use of Structuralization as a prescribing technique
Improving our ability to understand the Atlas structures and use them in our clinical and academic work
Understanding Structuralization as a system-based, interdisciplinary, integrated approach to incorporate in our daily functioning
Realizing the demands on us for mastering the technique of Structuralization

Methodology:

We will take up well-documented cases for discussion with the following features:

Case with written history
Detailed life space with minimum gaps
Complete SCR data
Undisputed

Who should attend:

The symposium will benefit teachers, practitioners, Postgraduates and interns as well as undergraduate students as they will understand and will be able to use a valuable non- repertorial technique for solving a case. All ICR & MLDMHI alumni should try to attend the symposium to refine their understanding of Structuralisation in the Golden Jubilee year of ICR

Dates: 12, 13, 14 September 2025

Venue: Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion (Sion Hospital Auditorium)

Donation:

Dates	Teachers/Practitioners	Students/Interns
On or before 31^st August	4500/-	3500/-
After 31^st August	5000/-	4000/-

Payment to Dr. M. L. Dhawale Memorial Trust

Bank name:

The Saraswat Co-op Bank Ltd A/c No: 059100100001807 IFSC code: SRCB0000059

QR Code:

Symposium Faculty:

Symposium Director: Dr Anand Kapse (Email: arkapse@gmail.com)

Symposium Coordinator: Dr Nikunj Jani (Email: drnikunj@gmail.com)

Symposium Advisors: Dr Shirish Phansalkar, Dr Kumar Dhawale, Dr Bipin Jain and Dr Sunil Bhalinge.

Regional Coordinators: Dr Kamlesh Jain (Mumbai), Dr Jigar Shah (Gujarat), Dr Mamatha (Bengaluru), Dr Pravin Bhalgat (Pune), Dr Vilas Satpute (Kolhapur).