AUSTRALIAN
HOMOEOPATHIC
ASSOCIATION
(NSW Branch)

The 6th Australian Homoeopathic Medicine
Conference 2008

George Dimitriadis

The State of Our Materia Medica - Substance Trials and Effects for Homœopathic Application Through the Study of Our Primary Sources

Abstract
Our materia medica was born of Hahnemann’s realisation of the only path to discovering the singular effects of therapeutic substances through a methodical and deliberate process of trials on the healthy, provings, as they are termed; and that such trials undertaken by Hahnemann, and recorded pure, so to speak, form the very substance for our application of similars.

But even our pure materia medica is inclusive of data derived through other-than deliberate trials on the healthy, and this presentation will (briefly) review and discuss these sources in order to highlight their limitations and scope, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. We will also clarify what is meant by the term proving in relation to our materia medica – to define and there from limit this term to its originator’s intention, itself forged upon an unprecedented, methodical pharmacologic experimentation and clinical verification. For this purpose, we must establish clear definition of terms, which may best be done through a careful examination of sources – in this case, Hahnemann, whose literary legacy, fortunately, includes unambiguous and extensive writings on this very matter.

Biography
George Dimitriadis B.Sc.(UNSW) has been studying Homœopathy since 1977; teaching since 1983.

• Founding Vice-President and later President of the Society of Classical Homœopathy (SCH), 1985-95
• Chief Editor, Australian Journal of Homœopathic Medicine, from beginning to end of publication life (1992-95)
• Member, Bönninghausen-Arbeitsgemeinschaft ( Germany)
• Founder and Director, Hahnemann Institute Sydney (HIS)
• Seminars in Australia, New Zealand, India, England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Japan.
• Author of five books for the profession, as well as numerous articles appearing in various journals ( Australian Journal of Homœopathic Medicine [AJHomMed], The Homœopath, Simillimum, Similima, Similia, Links, Zeitschrift für Klassische Homöopathie [ZKH], American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine [AJHM])

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