M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Homoeopathic remedy Arnica montana 12 CH on blood coagulation. For years Arnica montana has been used to treat injuries where there is bleeding and bruising. The arrest of bleeding is accomplished by a number of mechanisms,one of which is blood coagulation. The study was conducted using 21 volunteers with each person acting as his or her own control Two blood samples were collected from each patient over a three day period. After preparing fresh whole blood samples and platelet-poor plasma, full blood count and coagulation assays were run using the Cell-Dyn 1700 system and the Automated Coagulation Laboratory analyser respectively. The average from the two days were calculated and statistically analysed using the Two way ANDVA method of analysis. Results showed that the differences between the experimental group and the control group were too small to be statistically significant. This showed that Arnica montana 12 CH had no significant effect on blood coagulation. It is interesting to note that the alcohol group had almost the same results as the experimental group.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2003. / The purpose of this randomised double blind study was to evaluate the efficacy of the homoeopathic complex (Cantharis vesicatoria 12CH, Equisetum hyemale 12CH, Sarsaparilla 12CH, Delphinium staphysagria 12CH, Uva ursi 12CH) in the treatment of nocturnal enuresis with regard to the number of wet nights per week. It focused on children between the ages offive and eighteen, residing at children's homes in the greater Durban area. It was hypothesised that the homoeopathic medication would reduce the weekly incidences of bed wetting and thus provide a, safe, viable and effective alternative to existing treatment options. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's degree in Technology: Homoeopathy at Technikon Natal, 2000. / The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of a Homoeopathic complex (Calcarea carbonica 15CH, Calcarea phosphorica 15CH, Chamomilla 30CH, Kreosotum 30CH and Pulsatilla 30CH) compared to a herbal teething gel (plantago tincture, Verbascum tincture and Kava Kava tincture) in terms of the clinical manifestations of problematic teething in infants. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements of the Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2003. / The purpose of this randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of Oioscorea vil/osa cream in the treatment of menopausal syndrome in terms of subjective and objective data; and to compare the subjective data with that obtained from a concurrent study of ProgestoNat\xAE cream (McTeer, 2003). / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Diploma in Technology in the Department of Homoeopathy at Technikon Natal, 1994. / The object of the present research trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a single homoeopathic medication, Cholesterinum, in the ninth atcenuation (9CH) in the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. Special attention was paid to its effect on total choles~erol (TC) levels and the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C/LDL-C) ratio. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy at Durban Institute of Technology, 2003. / The purpose of this double blind randomised study is to evaluate the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum versus high doses of vitamin C in the treatment of Influenza Type Syndrome in terms of subjective symptoms assessed by the patient, and objective clinical signs assessed by the researcher / M

M.Tech. / Course evaluation and student feedback forms an important part of any quality assurance programme in education. Since the Master of Technology Degree in Homoeopathy (M Tech Hom) commenced at the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) in 1993, no formal evaluation process with regard to programme quality has been conducted. The aim of this study was to conduct a formative student evaluation of the individual courses constituting the Master of Technology Degree in Homoeopathy offered through the Department of Homeopathy at the University of Johannesburg. The sample group consisted of the 2006 homoeopathy students registered for the following subjects offered through the Department of Homoeopathy: First Year: The Philosophy of Homoeopathy; Third year: Diagnostics, Psychopathology, Materia Medica, General Pathology, Systemic Pathology, Radiographic Anatomy, Auxiliary Therapeutics; Fourth year (B Tech): Diagnostics, Clinical Homoeopathy, Homoeopharmaceutics, Materia Medica, Research Methods & Techniques; Fifth year (M Tech): Practice Management and Jurisprudence, Clinical Homoeopathy, Materia Medica This was a descriptive study with both qualitative and quantitative aspects. For each subject, a survey was conducted using a questionnaire. The research proved to be very useful in highlighting the problem areas within the subjects offered through the Department of Homoeopathy as part of the M Tech Hom Degree. Several general themes have emerged across all the years of the programme. These general themes were: a lack of helpful feedback from assessment tasks, inadequate learning guides, lack of well planned and organised practical sessions and a lack of co-ordination between lecturers offering various components of a subject .

Dr. S. van Es Dr. B. Saunders

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / This research investigated the individualised treatment of females suffering primary dysmenorrhoea, using homoeopathic medication. Primary dysmenorrhoea is defined as painful menstruation thought to be due to excessive production of hormones known as prostaglandins, as well as ischaemia of the myometrium during menstruation. Treatment focused on the physical manifestations in each participant as an individual, as well as the constitutional and emotional aspects of the individual. Each subject participated in five homoeopathic consultations, over a period of four months. The first consultation took place pnor to a menstrual period, whereas follow-up consultations usually took place after each menstrual period. Using each participant's unique physical, emotional and mental symptoms the researcher used a holistic approach in determining their appropriate homoeopathic remedy, known as the similimum. Participants completed four questionnaires recording the severity of the seven possible symptoms experienced just prior to and during menstruation on a scale of 0 - 10 (with 0 indicating no discomfort and 10 indicating extreme discomfort). During the first menstrual period, participants received no homoeopathic treatment and no placebo, thereby creating a baseline from which the results from the remaining three months of treatment were compared. These results, together with the progression of each participant's symptoms as noted by the researcher at each consultation, were used to determine the effect of the similimum on severity of pain during menstruation and the necessity for allopathic pain medication during the dysmenorrhoea. In striving to abide by the laws and principles of the classical homoeopathic approach, each participant was evaluated as a totality. The intent of this research was to evaluate the effect of the homoeopathic similimum on ten participants with primary dysmenorrhoea. The study aimed to provide a safe and effective alternative therapy for primary dysmenorrhoea. The research results showed that the homoeopathic similimum had a significant effect on reducing the severity and duration of pain as well as associated symptoms of primary dysmenorrhoea. In addition, the need for allopathic pain medication was significantly reduced. The improvements were most significant after two to three months of treatment with the homoeopathic similimum, as opposed to only one month of treatment.

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / The medicinal plant, Arnica montana, in homoeopathic dilution, is commonly used in the treatment of extravasion of blood or bruising (Jouanny, 1984). However, the exact action of Arnica montana on hemostasis, the process of autoregulation by which the body ensures the integrity ofthe vascular system, is still unknown. Arnica Montana contains coumarin, a substance known to have an anticoagulant action. Thus it was thought that Arnica montana 30CH would have an effect on blood coagulation, one aspect of hemostasis.t!he purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the homeopathic remedy Arnica montana 30CH on blood coagulation in vitro. Venous blood was drawn from twenty subjects on two consecutive days and blood coagulation screening tests (namely prothrombin time, thrombin time, activated partial prothrombin time and fibrinogen assay) were carried out on the separated blood plasma. Results from the control (unmedicated plasma), plasma medicated with 20% alcohol and plasma medicated with Arnica montana 30CH were compared. Although the results from this study showed that the homoeopathic medication Arnica montana 30CH had no significant effect on blood coagulation, Arnica montana 30CH may still play a vital role in the process of autoregulation by influencing vascular integrity and platelet activity. Further in-depth studies on these parameters may be warranted. Due to the nature of the data, and on recommendation of the statistician, the results of this study were analyzed in conjunction with two similar studies. These studies looked at the effect of Arnica montana mother tincture and Arnica montana 12CH on blood coagulation respectively. The results of all three studies were statistically analyzed together in order to obtain a more accurate estimate of the within, between and residual variances.