Vaikunthanath Das Kaviraj
Homeopathy for Farm and Garden.
Toward a Homeopathic Agriculture
Mark Moodie Publications
Goucester 2006
190pp.
£15.00
This is a book with a big vision and a great ambition. The subtitle reads: ‘Toward a homeopathic agriculture’. It combines a pioneering spirit with a strong foundation in Hahnemannian homeopathy.
The books starts with the statement: ‘The scientific foundation of this book is classical homeopathy.’ It is good to see that a homeopath is confident enough to state the fact that ‘classical [Hahnemannian] homeopathy’ is scientific matter-of-factly. And it is even better to see that the author Kaviraj (possibly known to readers of the www.hpathy.com forum as the ‘Plant Doctor’) can back up this claim by showing that the main tenets of homeopathy (similia principle, dynamic nature of disease, susceptibility, minimum dose, totality of symptoms, single remedy, use of remedies tested on the healthy, diseases as nothing but alterations in the state of health of the individual) are as applicable to the plant realm as they are to humans. By quoting the Organon on drug action (ORG, section 63), he shows how absurd the contention is that ‘chemical treatment is harmless to the plant.’ In the same way that we map the individual human on a biological-psycho-social grid, so we must do with the plant: ‘the medium in which the plant grows, the climate and weather patterns, the availability of water, nutrients and the occurrence of other organisms in the whole environment which is the local ecosystem.’ (p. 24)
Since the plant does not speak to us directly, pathology reports are necessary, as are soil nutrient levels and other objective data. As in humans, the task of the homeopath is to elicit the signs and symptoms pertaining to the diseased plant (ORG, sections 5 and 6). After the introductory chapter on homeopathic philosophy and its relevance to plant culture, there follows a chapter on agriculture, including a potted history of growing crops and different ways of dealing with pesticides; a discussion concerning the commercial versus the natural method; an explanation of the political aspects of creating monocultures and monopolies and the dire consequences for Planet Earth; succinct summaries of ‘The Chemical Method’, ‘Genetic Engineering’, ‘Modern Farming Methods’, culminating in a section titled ‘A Real Alternative’. The core statement of this passage is that disease prevention and treatment have to move away from the obsession with the eradication of the pest and towards a consideration of the plant itself and its susceptibility. Another chapter deals with the soil structure and plant physiology and plant structure and tissues. Both chapters are mercifully brief and precise. Kaviraj has the intelligence and talent to present relevant information to the layman without compromising on complexity and depth. All his statements are backed up by available evidence. Another chapter deals with how to use the remedies in a practical manner (application, application rates, potency etc.).
The longest chapter by far is the section on materia medica. Besides the usual and well-known suspects such as Silica, Aconite, Belladonna, Cantharis, Nat Mur etc. we find remedies such as Coccinella (the ladybird for the use in aphids infestation), Cochlearia (horse radish, ‘beneficial to potatoes’), Delia (the Couchtip maggot, protects for maggot fly), Helix tosta (to keep the snails and slugs away), Tromdidium (‘the grand keynote is worse from nutrients and watering’) etc. As in the chapter before, Kaviraj manages to convey the information in a brief, lucid and practical manner. With this book in hand anybody can start using agro-homeopathy with confidence. As pointed out before, the spirit of the book is pioneering, its result often not sufficiently verified. The author, therefore, suggests (in the spirit of Hahnemann) to use the method and report its failures. The reader of this review is urged to look up www.considera.org on the internet, a forum which gives access to a network of like-minded people, who are more than willing to exchange information and give guidance regarding agro-homeopathy.
The book benefits from a useful repertory and picture sections which give illustrations of various plant pathologies and possible indicated remedies.
This is an exciting, enjoyable and important book. Buy it and use it (whether on pot plants, allotments or on large scale projects).