Homeopathic Sketches of Children's Types

Review

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Homeopathy

Reviewed by Gwyneth A. Evans, RCHom

Readers of this review may well be familiar with Catherine R. Coulter's previous books, the three-volume Portraits ofhomeopathic Medicines: Psychological Analyses and Selected Constitutional Types. From these books we are well-accustomed to the erudite writing, literary references, and easy-reading style of the author. Her new book delivers more of the same, this time with the focus on children. As stated on the back cover, "In Homoeopathic Sketches of Children's Types, the author explores the homoeopathic body-mind typology of children from infancy through adolescence."

In a footnote to the Introduction, it says, "... these children's archetypes are, for the most part, adaptations of the author's Portraits of Homoeopathic Medicines: Psychological Analyses and Selected Constitutional Types, vols 1-3." However if you want to study children in particular, this book certainly makes that information more accessible than in the author's previous volumes. Furthermore, the material has not simply been extracted but, rather, extracted with added material, and sewn together by the author in her usual easy-reading style.

The remedies covered include Argentum nitricum, Arsenicum album, Baryta carbonica, Belladonna, Calcarea carbonica, Causticum, Chamomilla, Graphites, Ignatia, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Natrum muriaticum, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Silica, Stramonium, Sulphur, Thuja, and the nosodes Carcinosin, Medorrhinum, and Tuberculinum. The book includes a word index in the back which provides a useful quick reference.

In the world of homeopathic books, there are few devoted solely to the " constitutional" treatment of children. The best known could be Borland's small book, Children's Types, and Herscu's Homeopathic Treatment Of Children. It is interesting to compare this new book of Coulter's with Herscu's. Both focus on children and both authors write from their wealth of practical experi ence. The books differ in the number of remedies described-Herscu has eight, Coulter twenty-three. Herscu includes many more of the physical symptoms while Coulter focuses mainly on the psychological profile. In terms of usefulness, each book has its own, and it may come to personal choice if you could only afford one. My preference would be to have them both.

What I particularly like about this book is the remedy comparisons that the author makes. It seems to me that they come out of the depth of experience of homeo pathic practice and are therefore of great value. For example, the author says: "Like Natrum muriaticum, the Causticum child might begin early in life to sense the essential sadness in this world and exhibit periods of melancholy. The difference is that Natrum muriaticum's sadness is more deep-seated and tenacious, and affects the whole of his outlook on life; whereas with the more balanced Causticum, sadness has its place in the overall scheme of things. Even if felt acutely at the moment, or lingering for some time, sadness does not cause a distortion that will permanently affect his world view. When circumstances change, his attitude rights itself and a more cheerful outlook prevails."

The print is large and easy to read. It is a paperback cover, which means that it is (relatively) inexpensive. It is very readable/easy to read, light enough for a good bedside book, with enough information to make it more useful than only that. It would make a good addition to any homeopathic library, and be particularly useful for the student or beginning practitioner.

Homeopathy Today
March 2002, Volume 22, Number 3

This book review is reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Homeopathy

Reviewed by Gwyneth A. Evans, RCHom

Readers of this review may well be familiar with Catherine R. Coulter's previous books, the three-volume Portraits ofhomeopathic Medicines: Psychological Analyses and Selected Constitutional Types. From these books we are well-accustomed to the erudite writing, literary references, and easy-reading style of the author. Her new book delivers more of the same, this time with the focus on children. As stated on the back cover, "In Homoeopathic Sketches of Children's Types, the author explores the homoeopathic body-mind typology of children from infancy through adolescence."

In a footnote to the Introduction, it says, "... these children's archetypes are, for the most part, adaptations of the author's Portraits of Homoeopathic Medicines: Psychological Analyses and Selected Constitutional Types, vols 1-3." However if you want to study children in particular, this book certainly makes that information more accessible than in the author's previous volumes. Furthermore, the material has not simply been extracted but, rather, extracted with added material, and sewn together by the author in her usual easy-reading style.

The remedies covered include Argentum nitricum, Arsenicum album, Baryta carbonica, Belladonna, Calcarea carbonica, Causticum, Chamomilla, Graphites, Ignatia, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Natrum muriaticum, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Silica, Stramonium, Sulphur, Thuja, and the nosodes Carcinosin, Medorrhinum, and Tuberculinum. The book includes a word index in the back which provides a useful quick reference.

In the world of homeopathic books, there are few devoted solely to the " constitutional" treatment of children. The best known could be Borland's small book, Children's Types, and Herscu's Homeopathic Treatment Of Children. It is interesting to compare this new book of Coulter's with Herscu's. Both focus on children and both authors write from their wealth of practical experi ence. The books differ in the number of remedies described-Herscu has eight, Coulter twenty-three. Herscu includes many more of the physical symptoms while Coulter focuses mainly on the psychological profile. In terms of usefulness, each book has its own, and it may come to personal choice if you could only afford one. My preference would be to have them both.

What I particularly like about this book is the remedy comparisons that the author makes. It seems to me that they come out of the depth of experience of homeo pathic practice and are therefore of great value. For example, the author says: "Like Natrum muriaticum, the Causticum child might begin early in life to sense the essential sadness in this world and exhibit periods of melancholy. The difference is that Natrum muriaticum's sadness is more deep-seated and tenacious, and affects the whole of his outlook on life; whereas with the more balanced Causticum, sadness has its place in the overall scheme of things. Even if felt acutely at the moment, or lingering for some time, sadness does not cause a distortion that will permanently affect his world view. When circumstances change, his attitude rights itself and a more cheerful outlook prevails."

The print is large and easy to read. It is a paperback cover, which means that it is (relatively) inexpensive. It is very readable/easy to read, light enough for a good bedside book, with enough information to make it more useful than only that. It would make a good addition to any homeopathic library, and be particularly useful for the student or beginning practitioner.

Homeopathy Today
March 2002, Volume 22, Number 3