idea with the prevailing philosophies, Swedenborgianism, Paracelsianism, modern materialism of science and modern psychologism for instance. It could also be that Hahnemann's characterization of "one-sided" diseases, those which manifest as mental diseases on one hand and local diseases on the other, with the spectrum of psychosomatic manifestations in between, contains in germ the way out of the Descartian dualism which, ill understood, bedevils modern medicine.

Then we might discover Hahnemann as a pioneer of the art of healing to complement the science of disease. Art depends on the artist.

L . R . T .

The Homceopathie Treatment of Small Animals. Principles and Practice. By Christopher Day, M A, V E T M a, M R C V S. London: Wigmore Publications Limited 1984. Pp. XII I + 153. s (s to incl. p & p. from the publishers, at 19a Cavendish Square, London W1M 9AD.)

This is a book that is eminently suitable for veterinary surgeons and breeders but also has a lot to offer the ordinary pet owner. In addition Christopher Day's book could well suit members of allied professions, such as dentists, chiropodists, nurses, both human and Veterinary, and also members of the medical profession itself, who wish to get a sound beginning in the basic principles of this fascinating subject.

From Hahnemann's treatment of typhus in Napoleon's retreating army in the opening chapter to the veterinary surgeon's and home starter list of first remedies on page 146, Mr Day has the ability to hold the reader's attention. In fact not only to hold our attention, but to take us with him, painstakingly and logically step by step, through his subject.

I like the analogy on page 10 between homceopathy and judo, both gentle but at the same time very powerful arts in the right hands.

Chapter 2 - - W h e n to call the Vet- - i s set out both clearly and concisely. Diagnosis is even more important when the patient cannot speak for itself. The similarity between the problems set by a young child for its parents and the doctor and likewise those of the pet for its owner and the veterinary surgeon is well established.

The relationship of hom0eopathy to conventional medicine and diagnosis is further elaborated in Chapter 15 and is most noteworthy. The two main aspects of Christopher Day's book- - the principles and pract ice--are clearly set out on page 20. In fact Chapters 1-7 are so well thought out, and written with such clarity and logic, that they are a lesson to us all, professional man or layman alike. Accurate history-taking is the essence of all medicine, but is particularly important with hom0eopathy, and this point is well stressed and could form a good exercise for the pet owner too.

This is a difficult book to review in that in its 153 pages it contains so much of interest. I like Mr Day 's concept of potency, and his knowledge of materia medica is profound, and the number of remedies with which he is obviously familiar is indeed impressive. In Chapter 8 we come to the symptoms of disease with some

60 The British Homoeopathic Journal

recommended treatments and it is at this point that we realize that the book is seriously intended for the thinking person, who is prepared to go into great detail in trying to select the correct remedy. For instance there are no less than 21 possible remedies for the treatment of conjunctivitis, according to the presenting symptoms.

Dog and cat breeders will be particularly interested in the comprehensive and valuable section on conditions and problems with the female sexual system.

Case histories can easily become too anecdotal to be of much value to others, but in Chapter 16 Christopher Day manages to make his cases both absorbing and instructive. The candid way in which they are presented is refreshing, and the logical way in which they are set out makes them easily understood.

This book has a lot to offer and gives us a new veterinary book to complement those of George Macleod. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to all in the veterinary profession, and other professions allied to medicine, who wish to take a serious and critical interest in hom~eopathy.

F R A N C I S H U N T E R , M R C V S

Homoeopathic Medicine for Dogs. A Handbook for Vets and Pet Owners. By H. G. Wolff, tr. A. R. Meuss. Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1984. Pp. 160.

Mainland Europe has long been known to be more actively and deeply into hom0eopathy than England, and Germany in particular has a very deep tradition, being Hahnemann's country of birth. We have in this book a translation into English of a fairly comprehensive treatment manual from one of Germany's long- standing veterinary homoeopaths. My own contact with homoeopathy in Germany has shown to me how effectively it is used as an everyday medicine in human and animal work in that country. I therefore welcome the appearance in English of one of their books.

After a very brief but lucid introductory section, the book launches into its major content of system medicine. This lists numerous diseases of each body system in turn, giving a short description of the disease, a selection of treatments recom- mended and often an interesting comment on diet. We are all in danger of paying too little attention to the diet of our patients, so it is refreshing to see an author coming out in the open with his own views. There are a few instances where the reader may feel that Dr Wolff is leaving too little room for variation of treatments, that is, not allowing for the selection of an exact similimum to suit each case, but this probably stems from a need for conciseness as, by and large, several possible remedies are given.

In many instances there is a variation in recommended remedies from those commonly found in British texts. This infusion of new ideas can only be to our advantage. It is only by original contribution from many different authors that homceopathic ideas expand, and this book certainly brings in some original ideas.

Throughout the text it will be noticed that more decimal potencies are recom- mended than would be found in an equivalent British book, but this should not be allowed to confuse the reader. Different 'standard' potencies are used in different

Volume 74, Number 1, January 1985 61