A hundred years ago, about one
fifth of general practitioners in Great Britain were homoeopaths.
They were the typical
family doctors who knew their patient's constitution, who had a strong bond
with the family, and who had the time to listen carefully to decide the
treatment needed to restore health.
A century on, we have not
changed this approach but because the NHS has had to speed up, homoeopaths are
now notable for taking plenty of time; I still investigate the symptoms
carefully to get a real understanding of the problem.
Nominally we treat diseases but actually we
treat individuals; we offer the luxury of being really listened to, and each person’s
unique story combined with our experience gives us an understanding of how and
why an individual has become unwell, and hence the best and often gentlest way
forward to effect a cure.
Homoeopaths are, really, in
general practice. We don’t make generalised assertions about cure. We see
patients and then make an evaluation of the number of consultations required,
based on the patient’s strength and determination, the tenacity of the disease
and our skill and knowledge.
