Mini-dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements of the Master’s Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology, 2008. / The aim of this study was to elicit and document the effects, in the form of signs and symptoms produced in relatively healthy volunteers, of the venom of Hemachatus haemachatus, prepared in accordance with the methods set out in the homoeopathic pharmacopoeia. These signs and symptoms form the indications for the prescription of the remedy, according to the homoeopathic Law of Similars. A further aim of this study was a comparative analysis of symptoms produced by Hemachatus haemachatus 30ch with existing remedies derived from snake venom used in homeopathy, with the aim of highlighting the similarities and differences between them. The homoeopathic drug proving of Hemachatus haemachatus 30ch took the form of a double-blind, placebo controlled trial. The proving population consisted of 30 healthy subjects who met with the necessary inclusion criteria (Appendix B). Eighty percent (24 subjects) served as the experimental group, receiving the active verum in a randomised manner, while twenty percent (6 subjects) formed the placebo group, receiving non-medicated placebo powders in a randomised manner. Provers were unaware of either the nature or potency of the substance. Verum and placebo were indistinguishable from each other, and neither researcher nor volunteers knew who received verum and who received placebo. Intra-individual control was achieved through a pre-proving observation period of a week’s duration, during which provers recorded the signs and symptoms of their normal state. This symptom picture served as a baseline for comparison with symptoms noted after administration of the remedy. Verum and placebo were dispensed in the form of six powders to be taken sublingually three times a day for a period of two days, or until the onset of symptoms. Data was primarily collected in the form of a diary or journal kept by each prover in which they recorded symptoms on a daily basis. Provers were closely monitored by the researchers during this period. Data collected by the researchers during daily telephonic contacts, as well as during the pre-proving consultation, was also considered. Information obtained from the journals was then assessed by the researchers for suitability for inclusion in the materia medica of Hemachatus haemachatus. The data did not require statistical analysis. In a concurrent study of similar methodology, Cahill (2008) conducted a comparison of the symptom complex produced in the proving of Hemachatus haemachatus, with other homeopathic remedies which scored highest on repertorisation. Symptoms from both studies were collated and included in the materia medica and repertory of Hemachatus haemachatus. The investigation supported the hypothesis that Hemachatus haemachatus would produce clear and observable signs and symptoms in healthy proving volunteers. During the course of this study provers experienced a wide range of mental, emotional and physical symptoms. The highest number of symptoms was produced on the mental and emotional level. Provers experienced elation, joy, increased confidence, enthusiasm and energy. On the other hand, there was lack of confidence, vulnerability, anxiety, decreased motivation, decreased concentration, lethargy, depression and indifference. There were sudden changes in mood and provers experienced marked irritability. On the physical level, many provers experienced headaches, irritation of the eyes, symptoms resembling allergic rhinitis, sore throats, nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain and flatulence, menstrual disturbances, lumbar pain, rheumatic joint pains, and skin eruptions. There were disturbances in normal sleep patterns, subjective perceptions of increased body temperature with hot flushes, and generalised tiredness and lethargy. Symptoms obtained from the proving of Hemachatus haemachatus were analysed as part of a comparative study with other remedies derived from snake venom: Lachesis muta, Naja tripudians, Elaps corallinus, Naja mossambica and Bitis arietans arietans. This comparison highlighted both the similarities and differences between these remedies and Hemachatus haemachatus. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Until recently homoeopathic remedies have been studied and understood by considering each remedy in isolation (Scholten, 1993). In the last few years a new method of understanding homoeopathic remedies, called group analysis, has emerged (Sankaran, 2002). This method involves an understanding of remedies in terms of characteristics common to a group of related remedies (Leisegang, 2007). Remedies are grouped according to natural classifications. Using the information available in computer repertories, searches are systematically performed to identify rubrics which are common within the group. This type of data analysis yields common characteristics which can be applied to lesser understood groups of remedies. This study was an investigation of the common characteristics of the remedies from the Class Aves, using the method according to Sankaran. The investigation was carried out by applying the group analysis method to the available data. Remedies from the Class Aves are relatively new additions to the materia medica, with the first of these proved in 1995. There is relatively little information available about this group and thus group analysis would be a valuable method of understanding these remedies (Fraser, 2009). A search was performed to determine which bird remedies were best represented in the repertory program iv Radar 10. Based on these results the sample group was selected. The rubrics of these remedies were then analysed to determine common sensations within the group. These sensations were then defined and synonyms were determined. These common sensations were then confirmed by searching for the keywords and synonyms in the available data. Second and third order analyses were performed based on the results. The resultant sensations were also compared with those proposed by Shore (2004) and Fraser (2009), to determine whether these theories on bird characteristics are consistent. Pathological tendencies of the Class Aves were found to involve the throat, female reproductive area, eyes and vision, skin, musculoskeletal system and mental disorders. Clinically there was strong indication for these remedies in cases of depression and anxiety, acne and dermatitis, dysmenorrhoea and disorders of vision such as blurred vision and eyestrain. The results of this study appeared to confirm the validity of theories on group analysis according to Sankaran (2002). The results further confirmed many of the characteristics attributed to the bird remedy group by Shore (2004) and Fraser (2009). Several new common characteristics of remedies from the Class Aves were deduced from the results of the analysis. The study also produced a proposed vital sensation and showed evidence linking several sensations in the process of reaction to the vital sensation. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2007. / Group analysis of homoeopathic remedies is a relatively new methodology, linking naturally related substances via their common symptomatology. At its very basic level of understanding, it is an attempt to identify a mechanism for understanding groups of related remedies according to the natural classification of various sources used in homoeopathic practice (Scholten, 1993). This not only offers new aspects to well known remedies, but illuminates the smaller, less well known remedies, resulting in a more comprehensive and rounded understanding of the materia medica / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2007. / Until recently the most important method of studying homoeopathic remedies has been to look at each remedy separately and not in the context of a particular group to which it belongs. Group analysis, as defined by pioneering authors such as Sankaran (2002) and Scholten (1993), is an attempt to identify a mechanism for understanding groups of related remedies according to natural classification of the various sources used in homoeopathic practice. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Technikon Natal, Durban, 2002. / The fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus was selected for this research project because of its similarity in appearance to a human kidney. It was initially thought that a connection to the Doctrine of Signatures could be proved, however, this was not the ultimate purpose of this research project. The purpose of this placebo-controlled investigation was to determine the effects of the thirtieth centesimal (30CH) potency of Pycnoporus sanguineus on individuals of average health; in order to discover the totality of symptoms produced by the remedy so that it may be prescribed according to the law of similars, as required by Homoeopathic science. It was hypothesised that this study would produce a list of symptoms associated with this substance, Pycnoporus sanguineus, which, can then be used Homoeopathically (according to the totality of symptoms produced by the drug so that it may be prescribed according to the law of similars) in the treatment of disease where no other remedy has yet acted precisely and thus be able to cure a class of cases that until then could only have been partially covered by existing remedies (Sherr 1994:58). This Homoeopathic drug proving of Pycnoporus sanguineus 30CH took the form of a double blind, placebo controlled trial on 30 subjects who met all the inclusion criteria. Fifty percent (15 of the 30) of the subjects received placebo in a randomised fashion, so that neither the provers nor the researcher knew who was receiving placebo or verum. As an added control measure, the provers were unaware of the substance, which they were proving or in which potency it was being proved. The study design consisted of two groups: one control group with placebo controls and the other experimental group, which also has intraindividual controls in which the prover serves as his or her own control i.e. the recorded state of the prover prior to the administration of the proving substance served as a control or baseline for comparison to the prover under the influence of the proving substance. (Stephenson 1960; Vithoulkas 1986:150). / M

Mini-dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements of the Master’s Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology, 2008. / The aim of this study was to elicit and document the effects, in the form of signs and symptoms produced in relatively healthy volunteers, of the venom of Hemachatus haemachatus, prepared in accordance with the methods set out in the homoeopathic pharmacopoeia. These signs and symptoms form the indications for the prescription of the remedy, according to the homoeopathic Law of Similars. A further aim of this study was a comparative analysis of symptoms produced by Hemachatus haemachatus 30ch with existing remedies derived from snake venom used in homeopathy, with the aim of highlighting the similarities and differences between them. The homoeopathic drug proving of Hemachatus haemachatus 30ch took the form of a double-blind, placebo controlled trial. The proving population consisted of 30 healthy subjects who met with the necessary inclusion criteria (Appendix B). Eighty percent (24 subjects) served as the experimental group, receiving the active verum in a randomised manner, while twenty percent (6 subjects) formed the placebo group, receiving non-medicated placebo powders in a randomised manner. Provers were unaware of either the nature or potency of the substance. Verum and placebo were indistinguishable from each other, and neither researcher nor volunteers knew who received verum and who received placebo. Intra-individual control was achieved through a pre-proving observation period of a week’s duration, during which provers recorded the signs and symptoms of their normal state. This symptom picture served as a baseline for comparison with symptoms noted after administration of the remedy. Verum and placebo were dispensed in the form of six powders to be taken sublingually three times a day for a period of two days, or until the onset of symptoms. Data was primarily collected in the form of a diary or journal kept by each prover in which they recorded symptoms on a daily basis. Provers were closely monitored by the researchers during this period. Data collected by the researchers during daily telephonic contacts, as well as during the pre-proving consultation, was also considered. Information obtained from the journals was then assessed by the researchers for suitability for inclusion in the materia medica of Hemachatus haemachatus. The data did not require statistical analysis. In a concurrent study of similar methodology, Cahill (2008) conducted a comparison of the symptom complex produced in the proving of Hemachatus haemachatus, with other homeopathic remedies which scored highest on repertorisation. Symptoms from both studies were collated and included in the materia medica and repertory of Hemachatus haemachatus. The investigation supported the hypothesis that Hemachatus haemachatus would produce clear and observable signs and symptoms in healthy proving volunteers. During the course of this study provers experienced a wide range of mental, emotional and physical symptoms. The highest number of symptoms was produced on the mental and emotional level. Provers experienced elation, joy, increased confidence, enthusiasm and energy. On the other hand, there was lack of confidence, vulnerability, anxiety, decreased motivation, decreased concentration, lethargy, depression and indifference. There were sudden changes in mood and provers experienced marked irritability. On the physical level, many provers experienced headaches, irritation of the eyes, symptoms resembling allergic rhinitis, sore throats, nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain and flatulence, menstrual disturbances, lumbar pain, rheumatic joint pains, and skin eruptions. There were disturbances in normal sleep patterns, subjective perceptions of increased body temperature with hot flushes, and generalised tiredness and lethargy. Symptoms obtained from the proving of Hemachatus haemachatus were analysed as part of a comparative study with other remedies derived from snake venom: Lachesis muta, Naja tripudians, Elaps corallinus, Naja mossambica and Bitis arietans arietans. This comparison highlighted both the similarities and differences between these remedies and Hemachatus haemachatus.

M.Tech .(Homoeopathy) / The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth rate of germinating Zea Mays seeds subject to the administration of homoeopathically potentised Carbo vegetabilis in the potencies 12CH, 13CH and 14CH. The purpose of the study is to help disprove the popular "placebo effect" explanation as to why homoeopathy works by showing that homoeopathic medicine can have a fundamental effect on a living organism and thereby lend credibility to homoeopathy as a science. This study is of value as previous botanical studies have not attempted to provide an explanation as to how homoeopathic potencies may be acting and have mostly merely demonstrated their effects on cleoptile growth. Six hundred Zea Mays seeds were selected and planted in rolls of germination paper. There were 150 seeds in each of the three test groups as well as in the control group. The control group received distilled water only and the test groups their respective liquid potencies of Carbo vegetabilis, which were prepared using distilled water. The germination rolls were incubated at 24°C in darkness for a total of 135 hours. After 39 hours the germinating seeds were replanted into fresh germination rolls. The process was repeated at 87 hours after the first measurements were taken. The final measurements were taken at 135 hours. Shoot lengths and root lengths were recorded and overall lengths calculated. Mean shoot, root and overall lengths were expressed as percentages ofthe control using bar graphs. At 87 hours the potency that consistently decreased the growth of Zea Mays was the 13CH. The 12CH potency only decreased the shoot growth, whereas the 14CH improved root growth. At 135 hours overall growth was significantly decreased in all the test groups, but most markedly in the 12CH groups where root growth was drastically inhibited. When compared with the 87th hour measurement, the 13CH group showed a 13% increase in shoot growth. Carbo vegetabilis potencies 12CH, 13CH and 14CH were found to significantly influence the growth of germinating Zea Mays seeds.

A dissertation in partial compliance with the Master's Diploma in Technology: Homoeopathy, Technikon Natal, 1996. / The aim of the study was to establish the effect of a Helonias complex on the growth of Candida albicans in vitro in terms of growth rate, maximum specific growth rate, latent period before maximum specific growth rate and percentage germ tube production so as to establish the area of action of homoeopathic remedies / M

Mini-dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Homoeopathy at the Durban Institute of Technology, 2002. / Dream provings are considered to be a new era in Homoeopathy and as such are met with a lot of scepticism. They involve getting in touch with the dynamic influence of the remedy and observing this influence on the vital force in the form of symptoms (Dam, 1998: 128). Dreams are a main focus of the proving as they are considered to be the 'royal way to the psycho-dynamic depth of the state of the remedy being proved' (Dam, 1998: 128). The motivations for their acceptance or rejection are both reasonable. To determine if they are provings that should appear in the Materia Medica and Repertory it needed to be seen if they revealed the same features of a remedy that a classical proving provides. / M

Thesis (M.Tech.: Homoeopathy)- Dept. of Homeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2008. xxvi, 161 leaves. / The purpose of this placebo controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of a homoeopathic complex (Carbo Vegetabilis D9, Lycopodium clavatum D9, Nux Vomica D9 and Robinia Pseudoacacia D9) in the treatment of patients suffering from functional dyspepsia; in terms of the patient’s perception of the treatment. It was hypothesized that the patients treated with the complex would respond favorably in terms of the symptoms associated with dyspepsia. In this experimental study the single variable design was used for its ‘before and after with control’. Thirty patients with functional dyspepsia were selected after been screened according to diagnostic criteria identified by the researcher. These patients were divided into two groups according to simple random sampling. Data was collected at the Homoeopathic Day Clinic at the Durban University of Technology. Group one received the homoeopathic complex and group two received a placebo complex. Patients received treatment over a period of six weeks (three consultations). The patients, during each consultation, in the presence of the researcher, completed the Patient Perception Questionnaire. Results were statistically analysed using the FriedmansTest (inter group comparison) and The Wilcoxon signed Rank Test (intra group comparison). When the three questionnaires for each patient were compared it was found that neither the placebo group, nor the experimental group yielded significant improvement. Therefore the results of this clinical trial demonstrated that this homoeopathic complex is not effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia, when compared to placebo, in terms of patient perception.