Jun 19 2024 27 mins
Dr. V begins episode 4 of his repertory season on his podcast show, *Dr. V's World of Homeopathy*, by discussing the evolving nature of language. He notes that words that were significant and commonly understood two centuries ago may be unfamiliar to today's generation. Each calamity, war, or new scientific discovery brings new terms into the lexicon. When it comes to homeopathy and repertory, books written around 150 years ago may still be valuable to some, yet confusing to others due to the archaic language used.
To explore this topic, Dr. V invites Stephanie Kononovich, a budding homeopath from Texas with a degree in English literature and a master's degree. Fluent in several European languages, Stephanie was once Dr. V's patient but has since studied homeopathy and is now practicing with the aid of the repertory. Stephanie shares with listeners and Dr. V the significance and potency of the repertory, describing her initial confusion upon encountering the archaic terms in the book. As an English teacher familiar with Shakespeare and other classic authors, she recognised some of the old words but found the task of understanding them in a homeopathic context challenging.
Dr. V and Stephanie discuss the importance of preserving the essence of the repertory while modernising its language to make it more accessible to contemporary users. They highlight that the challenge is even greater for non-native English speakers, although with practice, comprehension improves. They weigh the merits and demerits of the repertory, noting that each rubric not only represents a patient's symptom but also reflects the culture, literature, and ideology of its time, which may differ vastly from today’s perspectives.
They conclude by acknowledging the brilliance of the original authors, who were able to encapsulate numerous symptoms into single words, thereby contributing significantly to the homeopathic community. However, they agree that it is time to update certain aspects to appeal to the modern era. Dr. Patel echoes this sentiment, suggesting that while the repertory is a beautiful and largely self-explanatory subject, some modifications could enhance its appeal to the new generation.
Dr. V wraps up the episode by thanking everyone and promising to feature someone who uses protocols in homeopathy and how they integrate the repertory in the next episode.
To explore this topic, Dr. V invites Stephanie Kononovich, a budding homeopath from Texas with a degree in English literature and a master's degree. Fluent in several European languages, Stephanie was once Dr. V's patient but has since studied homeopathy and is now practicing with the aid of the repertory. Stephanie shares with listeners and Dr. V the significance and potency of the repertory, describing her initial confusion upon encountering the archaic terms in the book. As an English teacher familiar with Shakespeare and other classic authors, she recognised some of the old words but found the task of understanding them in a homeopathic context challenging.
Dr. V and Stephanie discuss the importance of preserving the essence of the repertory while modernising its language to make it more accessible to contemporary users. They highlight that the challenge is even greater for non-native English speakers, although with practice, comprehension improves. They weigh the merits and demerits of the repertory, noting that each rubric not only represents a patient's symptom but also reflects the culture, literature, and ideology of its time, which may differ vastly from today’s perspectives.
They conclude by acknowledging the brilliance of the original authors, who were able to encapsulate numerous symptoms into single words, thereby contributing significantly to the homeopathic community. However, they agree that it is time to update certain aspects to appeal to the modern era. Dr. Patel echoes this sentiment, suggesting that while the repertory is a beautiful and largely self-explanatory subject, some modifications could enhance its appeal to the new generation.
Dr. V wraps up the episode by thanking everyone and promising to feature someone who uses protocols in homeopathy and how they integrate the repertory in the next episode.