An interview with Richard Moskowitz MD An interview with Richard Moskowitz MD (J.

Ryan) This interview was conducted on April 15 !""" and we pu#lish it here with $uch pleasure. eds %&J'( Dick perhaps we should start with the o#vious )uestion( 'ow did you *et into ho$eopathy+ RM( That,s a lon* story why - #eca$e a ho$eopath. - was disillusioned with $edicine and couldn,t even say why. At .irst - think it was $ainly an aesthetic thin*. -t all see$ed u*ly #rutal and *ross like the indi*nity o. tu#es co$in* in and out o. people everywhere. - can still recall a dyin* patient at /ellevue 'ospital where - did $y trainin* who was hooked up to 0ust a#out every conceiva#le device and - thou*ht to have to die this way was co$pletely #eyond the pale o. anythin* - could su#scri#e to as a physician. - think - ran out o. the roo$ not wantin* to #e a party to it. Mostly - 0ust played the *a$e #ut at such ti$es - would occasionally a#sent $ysel.. Another routine chore was havin* to inoculate $ice with pneu$ococci .ro$ our lo#ar pneu$onia patients a purely acade$ic e1ercise since we also did stained s$ears o. their sputu$. 2o there was also an unethical and i$$oral aspect to it #ut in the #e*innin* it was pri$arily an aesthetic revulsion which $ade $e disappear and re.use to participate. A.ter $y second year as a kind o. reward .or co$pletin* 3art - o. the %ational /oards $y parents *ave $e a trip to &urope. - re$e$#er $eetin* this *uy .ro$ 4inland who invited $e to *o up there with hi$ and - knew i. - did it - wouldn,t $ake it #ack in ti$e .or the .all ter$. -t was really te$ptin* #ut - chickened out #ecause - had no idea a#out what else to do with $y li.e. -n .act - ca$e very close to not $akin* it to $edical school in the .irst place. -n the su$$er a.ter $y 0unior year in colle*e - worked at a cancer research la# doin* #ioche$ical research which involved cuttin* up a s$all nu$#er o. $ice every day. 2i$ply #y $ultiplyin* these nu$#ers #y the nu$#er o. other pro0ects #ein* conducted there - suddenly had a vision o. what $edicine was really like and it was a#horrent to $e. That la# was a verita#le Auschwitz .or $ice. -n addition to their own research conducted on the pre$ises they shipped vast nu$#ers o. *enetically pure strains o. $ice and other e1peri$ental ani$als to scienti.ic institutions all over the world. - was horri.ied #y the enor$ous scale o. the slau*hter upon which the whole edi.ice o. so5called scienti.ic $edicine was #uilt. 4or the #etter part o. the su$$er - hid out in a dark alcove o. the li#rary readin* 4reud which was a#out as .ar away .ro$ 6hard6 science as - could *et there. -t was a $isera#le e1perience. As you can well i$a*ine $y senior year was a crisis o. indecision and sel.5dou#t. considered law *rad school even takin* ti$e o... - *uess -,$ really an acade$ic at heart. /y the ti$e - decided to *o to $edical school a.ter all .or reasons that re$ain o#scure to $e it was late sprin* and the classes were all .ull. The .act is - really had no #usiness *oin* that year #ut $y *rades were *ood $y .ather knew so$e#ody with connections at %ew 7ork 8niversity Medical 2chool and they $ade an e1tra place .or $e. 3osterity will have to 0ud*e how serious a $istake that was9 :;au*hter< The .irst two preclinical years were $ostly #ook learnin* in the #asic sciences. - wasn,t thrilled #ut certainly interested at ti$es en*a*ed with $y classes and - could at least tolerate the s$all clerkships that $et on the hospital wards. -t was the clinical years that al$ost .inished $e as -,ve descri#ed in =hy - /eca$e a 'o$eopath. (This essay was

pu#lished in the Journal o. the A-' and can #e ordered directly .ro$ Dr. Moskowitz. eds.) 2o$ehow - *ot throu*h school #ut when $y class$ates were applyin* and $atchin* .or internships and residencies - decided that $edicine wasn,t .or $e and dou#ted -,d ever see a patient a*ain. - took a *raduate .ellowship in philosophy at the 8niversity o. >olorado and .lourished in that environ$ent as - #e*an askin* $ysel. what it $eant to #e a doctor and what the $edical enterprise was really .or. At the sa$e ti$e $y personal li.e was .allin* apart. My wi.e and - divorced and - had to *o to work to support $y son and in particular to *o #ack to $y internship and *et $y license which certainly didn,t e1cite $e very $uch. Much to $y surprise - en0oyed $y internship in spite o. all $y old reservations. discovered - rather liked playin* doctor and .elt pretty co$.orta#le in that role. - realized - did have so$ethin* to o..er patients #eyond $edicines and procedures na$ely $ysel. $y own ener*y i. only to help *uide the$ throu*h the $edical $aze so they wouldn,t *et hurt too #adly. - spent a lot o. ti$e talkin* the$ out o. sur*ery and *ave dru*s as little as possi#le. - tried to develop other strate*ies really not so .ar .ro$ what - do now The work was honest #ut )uite di..icult #ecause $y only techni)ue or procedure was to $ake a dia*nosis and then put it on the shel. to try to .ind a healin* path that would .it the individuality o. each patient. /ut i. anyone had su**ested ho$eopathy or her#s or acupuncture or so$e such thin* -,$ sure -,d have thou*ht they were nuts. - was totally dosed to such a possi#ility. 4or all its .aults $edicine was all that - could see with any theoretical ri*or or le*iti$acy. The choice see$ed very stark to $e( everythin* was either yes or no #lack or white. As ti$e went on there was less and less that - could wholeheartedly do as a physician and #y 1?@? - really hit rock #otto$. /y then there was al$ost nothin* le.t in $edicine that could enthusiastically su#scri#e to. That was the settin* .or $y .irst ho$e #irth. - was livin* in /oulder >olorado at the ti$e where -,d #een active in the antiwar $ove$ent and had done so$e co$$unity or*anizin* and dra.t resistance work. The #ulk o. $y practice consisted o. university students and the youn* and even undera*e hippies who were then $ovin* to town. -t was a .un ti$e in $any ways. %&J'( =hat kind o. practice did you have e1actly+ RM( -t was $ostly students and street people( #irth control pills se1ually trans$itted diseases *onorrhea #ad dru* trips hepatitis pneu$onia youn* teena*ers and runaways livin* in crash pads $any o. the$ hal.5crazed on pot or acid with #oa constrictors wrapped around their ar$s. -t was a *reat scene. Then this wo$an calls out o. the #lue. 2he was due to *ive #irth in .our weeks and her A/ wouldn,t have anythin* to do with her #ut she was *oin* to have her #a#y at ho$e with or without help. - thou*ht it was a pretty crazy idea #ut - also sensed she was *ivin* $e a present a way to practice $edicine without havin* to lay a trip on anyone. As a *uest in her ho$e it would no lon*er #e $y place to tell her what to do or how to live. 7ou can #et - was scared #ecause there were no nurses to hand $e thin*s set $e up or $ake $e look *ood and no docs or hospital to #ack $e up i. thin*s went sour. /ut ethically it .elt clean and - was e1cited #y the new $odel it i$plied. =hen - arrived at her house - re$e$#er wantin* to do a va*inal e1a$ ri*ht away to see how la#or was pro*ressin* as -,d #een trained. /ut the candleli*ht the /ach playin*

so.tly and everyone watchin* intently $ade it clear that the e1a$ was $y need real or i$a*inary not hers. -t .elt intrusive under the circu$stances without any si*n or indication. -,d ask $ysel. how -,d know i. so$ethin* went wron* and .inally decided $y #est #et was to sit down and pay attention like everyone else. 2he tau*ht $e the whole course that way without sayin* a word. - kept wonderin* how she knew how to do it since her other child had #een delivered under *eneral anesthesia nine years earlier. There was no #ook learnin*. -t was a #eauti.ul and deeply reli*ious e1perience .or all o. us #ut .or $e it turned around $y whole notion o. what $edicine and healin* were all a#out. -t was 0ust #e.ore dawn on a clear April $ornin* and we all 0ust sat there starin* at $other and #a#y as people have always done since the #e*innin* o. ti$e. - could swear - saw a .aint *ray halo o. li*ht all around the$ like a Madonna o. Raphael or 4ra 4ilippo ;ippi. -t was a revelation - will treasure always. /ut the #irth see$ed like an ori*inal idea that this wo$an had thou*ht up out o. the depths o. her e1perience. -t never occurred to $e that anyone else would choose to do such a crazy thin* $uch less that it would #eco$e the $ainstay o. $y practice. -t wasn,t until a year or so later that a lot o. people #e*an callin* $e - was deliverin* #a#ies hand over .ist and #e.ore - knew it - was actively involved in what had clearly #eco$e a historical $ove$ent. 'o$e #irth also opened $y eyes to other $odes o. healin*. -t helped $e realize that =estern $edicine was #ased on its power to control hu$an physiolo*y to .orce the #lood pressure to stay within the li$its we i$pose on it to $anipulate thyroid hor$one levels up or down and so .orth. 'o$e #irth was $y initiation into another real$ a di$ension o. li.e ener*y that pre.i*ured the split into $ind and #ody into a uni.ied way o. studyin* the hu$an or*anis$ as a whole. ;ittle #y little - #e*an investi*atin* her#al $edicine nutrition psychotherapy acupuncture and anythin* else - could .ind out there. -n 1?BC - $oved to %ew Me1ico to study Ariental $edicine with a Japanese teacher who$ - ca$e to love and ad$ire. =ith its holistic and spiritual e$phasis his approach see$ed very close to what - had in $ind. -t was durin* these years that - #e*an hearin* a#out ho$eopathy as well. -n 1?B! or so .ound an old /ritish Materia Medica #y %eat#y and 2toneha$ in a used #ook store in Denver which $ade no sense to $e at all and wound up on a shel. *atherin* dust with dozens o. others. An old lady - knew in /oulder was doin* so$e a$azin* thin*s in the #ack roo$ o. her health .ood store includin* dowsin* .or ho$eopathic re$edies with a pendulu$. - had a patient who was aller*ic to #ee stin*s and .ro$ what little - knew o. ho$eopathy at the ti$e - took it into $y head to *ive her Apis. 4ortunately - *ot the na$e o. an old ho$eopath in Der$ont and asked hi$ i. that was an appropriate thin* to do to which he replied 6=ell sonny #oy - think you,d #etter co$e to our su$$er school96 - did. That was in 1?BC. As soon as - *ot there - knew it was 0ust what - was lookin* .or and that - would happily devote the rest o. $y li.e to studyin* and practicin* it. 4or ho$eopathic $edicine o..ered $e nothin* $ore nor less than a philosophy and a $ethod .or doin* in a $ore skill.ul and intelli*ent way what - was already doin* instinctively #y the seat o. $y pants. &ven #e.ore -,d seen it work .or a patient - was elated #ecause it was also =estern was part o. $y culture unlike acupuncture which .ascinated $e #ut see$ed .unda$entally alien and - .eared would o#li*e $e to lose too $uch o. what - held dear in order to practice it well. 'ere at last was so$ethin* ori*inatin* .ro$ $y own

history and #ack5*round that - could #e at ho$e with. There was also the added #onus o. $ore ru$$a*in*. throu*h used #ook stores which - love to do anyway. -,ve #een doin* it ever since. %&J'( =ere you practicin* ho$eopathy in /oulder + RM( %o. - didn,t open an o..ice or have a .or$al practice until $ovin* to 2anta 4e in 1?BC. At .irst it was $ainly Aconite /elladonna >ha$o$illa and Eelse$iu$ .irst aid .or .evers and such 0ust the re$edies - could see. -t was all - could realistically know at that level a.ter that two5week %ational >enter o. 'o$eopathy course. /ut that was also the nature o. $edical trainin*( see one do one teach one. =e learned as we went $akin* lots o. $istakes so$eti$es learnin* .ro$ the$ and so$eti$es learnin* the wron* thin*s as is still the case. =hen - was over $y head -,d call Dr. Maisie 3anos. - had an old wo$an with a #i* tu$or that she hersel. suspected was cancer and didn,t really want to know. - *ave her re$edies .or a#out a year with )uestiona#le results until - .elt really scared and overwhel$ed #y the responsi#ility o. takin* care o. seriously ill people. At such ti$es Maisie would invaria#ly say 62ounds like you,re doin* the ri*ht thin* 6 or 6Feep up the *ood work96 As it turned out the wo$an did have cancer and eventually died o. it #ut only a.ter three years o. *ood )uality li.e and at ho$e as - hope to do when $y ti$e co$es. -t was only in the last $onth that she developed $etastases and had to #e coa1ed in .or G5rays. 2he died in her #ed with the help o. her nei*h#ors and was likewise #uried in her #ack yard at her re)uest which was still le*al in %ew Me1ico #ack then. ;ittle #y little $y ho$eopathic practice *rew. A.ten at a #irth -,d #e searchin* throu*h $y 7in*lin* to co$e up with so$ethin* #ut in the clutch all the re$edies sounded pretty $uch the sa$e. =hen $y own learned prescriptions .ailed as they o.ten did a wo$an who$ - took to #irths with $e would so$eti$es dowse .or re$edies and crank the$ out on the spot usin* her Rae $achine. %&J'( A Rae $achine+ RM( -t,s a radionic device that purports to #e a lar*e $a*net with a card .or each re$edy a distinctive con.i*uration o. concentric circles and radial inter.erence lines drawn throu*h the$ at various an*les supposedly the ener*etic 6si*nature6 o. that re$edy. 7ou insert the card in the slot crank up the $a*net to the desired potency add a vial o. alcohol and 3resto9 Aut co$es your re$edy potentized and ready .or use. 7ou $ay think it,s all nonsense as - did at the ti$e #ut - have to tell you - saw the$ work lots o. ti$es a.ter $y own learned prescriptions did nothin*. /esides i. you can accept the idea o. classical ho$eopathy the rest o. this stu.. isn,t that #i* o. a deal. They,re all thin*s -,$ still interested in these pheno$ena which could #e called 6e1peri$ental6 ho$eopathy. The wo$an - 0ust spoke o. happened to #e a *i.ted psychic who once .ound a lost child with her pendulu$ while - was visitin*. A 'ispanic lady who lived in the nei*h#orhood ca$e in screa$in* hysterically that she,d lost her kid in the arroyo which was a *enuine e$er*ency in that kind o. terrain where a toddler could *et lost .or a lon* ti$e and possi#ly even die i. not .ound in a hurry. My .riend took out a topo*raphical $ap o. the area and dowsed with her pendulu$ until it stopped a#ruptly over a certain point and we all went out and .ound the kid at the e1act spot it had indicated. %&J'( This Rae $achine is too .ar out .or $e9

RM( -t,s interestin* how *uarded we #eco$e in the de.ense o. e)ually .ar out truths that have #eco$e vested interests .or us. The #asic principles o. ho$eopathy the ;aw o. 2i$ilars the vital .orce the sin*le re$edy the in.initesi$al dose and the 6;aws6 o. >ure are every #it as uncanny and stran*e to $ost people. Ane patient recently told $e she had drea$ed o. .our nu$#ers in a certain order which she re$e$#ered precisely #ecause she was so un$athe$atical. A year later she had another drea$ that she was *oin* to win the lottery so the ne1t day she played her .our nu$#ers and won H5 """. 7ou can say whatever you like #ut there has to #e a reality out there o. which we know very little. 2everal *enerations #e.ore 'ahne$ann 2weden#or* the *reat poly$ath o. his ti$e had a vision o. 2tockhol$ #urnin* while he was hikin* in the north o. 2weden hundreds o. $iles .ro$ the capital noted the ti$e and duly recorded it in his 0ournal. =hen he returned he discovered that the city was indeed in .la$es at the very hour he had docu$ented a .eat o. telepathy .or which he #eca$e .a$ous all over &urope. Thou*h we know very little a#out paranor$al pheno$ena ho$eopaths have always #een interested in the$ and even pioneered in their study. 'ahne$ann hi$sel. was .ascinated with $es$eris$ and in the 1?!",s Euy /eckley 2tearns a well5known classical ho$eopath discovered the pheno$enon and invented the dia*nostic procedure we now know as kinesiolo*y or $uscle testin*. At this point - have no di..iculty i$a*inin* such a thin* #ut at no ti$e when -,ve worked with a pendulu$ $ysel. have - shown the sli*htest hint o. any talent alon* that line. May#e it,s sour *rapes #ut - pre.er $y #ooks and $y co$puter. - *uess what -,$ drivin* at is that the ho$eopathic point o. view can also lead to .ruit.ul deviations #eyond the strict rules and li$its o. the classical $ethod like the /ach .lower re$edies. Althou*h he #e*an as a *ood ho$eopath /ach turned out to #e a saint so have a certain trust #oth .or what he .ound and the process #y which he .ound it. /ut in doin* so he also opened up a #i* can o. wor$s. =hat do we do with the dozens o. new re$edies 6discovered6 #y Euru Das and others+ =ho$ can we trust and on what #asis+ can,t *ive a .or$ulaic answer a#out that .or $ysel. or anyone else. An the other hand -,ve o.ten asked $ysel. why we have to *o throu*h the enor$ous hassle o. choosin* the per.ect re$edy when we could 0ust as well use /ach .lowers which are $uch easier to .ind si$pler in their preparation and $ore spiritual in their .ocus. The answer .or $ysel. is that - love to study. - en0oy co$parin* di..erent re$edies and tryin* the$ in a care.ul and painstakin* $anner. This $ethod has sustained $e in a .ruit.ul practice .or $ore than !5 years. -ts principles are still valid today in so$e ways $ay#e even $ore so than when 'ahne$ann .irst articulated the$. /ut there,s a lot o. interestin* stu.. out there like electrodia*nostic $achines. %&J'( - know nothin* a#out this stu.. -,$ like a vir*in. :;au*hter.< RM( That,s AF too. -,$ 0ust .ascinated #y it that,s all. - would welco$e a *ood electrodia*nostic practitioner in $y practice. - have lots o. patients with a paucity o. sy$pto$s insu..icient to arrive at a re$edy so$e o. who$ are *rievously ill. 3ri$itive as it $ay #e this stu.. is or could #e the la#oratory o. ho$eopathy. There,s a lot o. pro$ise out there. The pro#le$ with all these techni)ues is that they still re)uire a *ood deal o. skill on the part o. the operator that the operator is an i$portant part o. the circuit.

/ut so does .indin* the si$illi$u$. Eo to any ho$eopathic $eetin* and you,re likely hear .our or .ive re$edies proposed that sound e)ually plausi#le .or a patient. 4or $ysel. that,s a #i* part o. what $akes what we do art.ul and e1citin*. =hen we *et to the point o. superior knowled*e where the choice o. the re$edy #eco$es cut and dried with no $ore roo$ .or diver*ent interpretations - .ear -,ll lose interest in it a*ain purely on aesthetic *rounds and pro#a#ly take up so$e other line o. work. - also revere ho$eopathy purely as an intellectual construction #ut .or $e to *o on practicin* it re)uires a certain a$ount o. uncertainty. %&J'( 'ow co$e this reverence o. uncertainty+ RM( -t all #oils down to how - keep na**in* $ysel. while -,$ #u$#lin* around with $y patients when -,$ certain the ri*ht re$edy could help the$ #ut - can,t .ind it. 2uch is the lu1urious .olly -,ve 0ust #een talkin* a#out which $y patients also have to live with. -t,s e1actly the sa$e aesthetic criterion that .irst ca$e up in $edical school. ;ike all other healers even the allopathic physicians we al$ost #eca$e ho$eopaths per.orce deal with patients with particular individuals. 2trictly speakin* there ain,t no science o. these( that,s $y last #astion and $y last straw. To the e1tent that that ceases to #e true - *uess -,ll retire and write a novel or two #e.ore - pack it in. %&J'( As i. ho$eopathy were so cut and dried.... RM( Ri*ht9 As i. we could even a*ree to practice in the sa$e way9 Don,t hold your #reath9 'o$eopaths are notoriously sel.5ri*hteous #ecause we .eel we,re in the possession o. a#solute )uasi5reli*ious truth. Re$e$#er that ho$eopathy is also a philosophy not 0ust in the ordinary loose sense o. a *eneral set o. propositions a#out health and disease #ut also in a $ore narrow technical sense. =e start with a .ew a1io$s that can,t the$selves #e proven #ut .ro$ which all else .ollows. -. you accept these pre$ises ho$eopathy is indeed as a#solute as $athe$atics. -. we accept the vital .orce the ;aw o. 2i$ilars and the totality o. sy$pto$s the sin*le re$edy the $ateria $edica the $ini$u$ dose then the ;aws o. >ure .ollow as lo*ically as the &le$ents o. &uclidean *eo$etry. Ri*ht .ro$ the #e*innin* the ho$eopathic viewpoint has opened up a whole new world o. ideas o. theoretical and practical possi#ilities that do not necessarily a*ree with one another. -n addition it inspired a *oodly nu$#er o. deviants like Rudolph 2teiner who started out as a ho$eopath #ut wasn,t content until he #eca$e a prophet. 'is .ollowers still think o. the$selves as ho$eopaths #ut early on he 0ettisoned the idea o. the sin*le re$edy. Althou*h he was very in.luential in the history o. the $ove$ent - personally haven,t $uch use .or his $edical teachin*s #ecause the yo*a o. the sin*le re$edy is the #asis o. the discipline that $akes $y study o. re$edies worthwhile. 2o yes -,$ a .unda$entalist in respect o. the sin*le re$edy #ut not in the sense that would kill or die .or it or e1coriate others with di..erent points o. view. - practice as - do #ecause it suits $e #ecause it $akes sense to $e #ut -,$ not prepared to ostracize those who think di..erently a#out such $atters. De#ate is healthy and desira#le and there,s no reason to #e a.raid o. it. - think it,s a #i* $istake to try to de.ine ho$eopathy too narrowly at this point while it,s *rowin* and developin* so rapidly. &ven i. we can,t co$e to*ether on the .ine points o. techni)ue we can and $ust do so on the ethics o. how we relate to our patients which we already a*ree a#out in lar*e $easure #ut haven,t articulated very well. -t,s also where we need to take a stand as part o. the lar*er co$$unity o. health pro.essionals to a..ir$ the *eneral $oral standards

that we are prepared to live #y and to punish the practices that discredit us all. =e also need a $echanis$ .or ad0udicatin* those tricky *ray areas like when so$eone $akes an appoint$ent .or a skeptical .riend or relative in their a#sence in the hope o. *ivin* re$edies clandestinely. The need .or discretion and the potential .or a#use is that $uch *reater in the case o. radionic devices or electrodia*nostic $achines like the De*a. /ut .ro$ the old classical $ethod on down they,re all seductive to the e1tent that we .eel we have the a#solute truth so that we need to #e especially care.ul a#out layin* the$ on people without askin* 0ust #ecause we think it will do the$ so$e *ood. - still re$e$#er a cri$inal prosecution a*ainst a lay ho$eopath .or usin* a De*a $achine on a reluctant patient with disastrous results. As is so o.ten the case what dis*raced the pro.ession had nothin* to do with ho$eopathy per se #ut only with a .anatical #elie. in the virtues o. the therapy which in her eyes took precedence over any need .or a consensual relationship with her client. -t,s like those >u#an e1iles and their ri*ht5win* >on*ressional allies .or who$ the sacra$ent o. A$erican citizenship .or a si15year5old #oy tru$ped even the parental ri*hts o. his own .ather. %&J'( Really -,$ pretty i*norant a#out these other practices -,ve only studied with 3aul 'erscu and Dassilis Ehe*as. RM( -,ll never .or*et the 1?IB ;i*a $eetin* in =ashin*ton when the 3resident o. the -nternational ;ea*ue o. 'o$eopathic 3hysicians walked out over so$e point o. $ethodolo*y and took the whole 4rench dele*ation with hi$ #ecause he .elt personally insulted like a three5year5old in .ull tantru$. As a *roup 4rench ho$eopaths tend to use polyphar$acy and take a keen interest in $ode$ scienti.ic research. /ut their po$pous act was so$ethin* else a*ain. Another e1a$ple was the recent putdown o. 2ankaran #y Dithoulkas in $uch the sa$e vein as Dithoulkas hi$sel. was once put down #y &izaya*a and the 4rench. -n A$erica today we,re still innocent a#out all this stu... -,ve learned a lot .ro$ Dithoulkas 2ankaran &izaya*a and all o. the$. =e still need and want to learn .ro$ every#ody. 7ou,re too youn* to know this #ut when - .irst *ot into ho$eopathy in 1?BC it see$ed al$ost $ori#und and could easily have died out in a short ti$e. Dery .ew o. $y teachers were actually $akin* their livin* #y practicin* it. They were either retired or saints who also accepted a .ew donations on the side talkin* a#out so$ethin* they no lon*er did very $uch while the inter$ediate *eneration o. active practitioners who should have #een carryin* the $ain teachin* load were nowhere to #e .ound. -n those days there were no phar$acies or retail stores to send patients to no teachin* clinics no schools. -t looked as i. the whole #usiness was *oin* down the tu#es and .ast. -n recent years there,s #een a *enuine revival #ut to $e and - #et to /ill Eray /o# 2chore Dave =e$#er and other veterans o. that era this $ore recent history has an air o. unreality a#out it $uch o. the ti$e like so$e stock $arket #u##le that is #ound to co$e crashin* down a*ain. -n a certain .unny way -,$ a little a$#ivalent a#out the passin* o. that ti$e when ho$eopathy was so out to lunch so .ar #eyond the pale that it re)uired a special )uirky sort o. $entality to #e drawn to it. %ow it,s so da$ned reasona#le and sensi#le that - dou#t you *uys co$in* up today can appreciate what it $eant to us. 7et the $ainstrea$in* o. ho$eopathy has also chan*ed it .or the #etter in so$e ways. was especially aware o. this when - went to >u#a recently.

(2ee the article in this issue #y Dr. Moskowitz descri#in* his trip to >u#a this sprin*. =e ask our readers to pay special attention to the plea .or supplies desperately needed there. eds) >u#a was the .irst place -,ve #een where the ho$eopaths are what - would call 6real6 or 6strai*ht6 doctors the kind who wear white la# coats wholeheartedly #elieve in the *oals and $ethods o. $edical science and are *enerally pursuin* their studies with the #lessin* and support o. the *overn$ent. -n all these respects they are already $iles ahead o. us. These *uys are studyin* ho$eopathy not out o. any alienation .ro$ the $edical viewpoint as is *enerally the case in %orth A$erica #ut si$ply #ecause there are no cash reserves or other resources to #uy the dru*s and $edical supplies they need. .eel .ortunate to have #een *iven the opportunity to teach the$ so$ethin* in spite o. $y own very di..erent history and - think - can .airly say that they ate up and di*ested with relish every last $orsel that we could o..er the$. The .act that we could .ind co$$on *round even under these circu$stances also speaks well .or the co*ency and relevance o. the #asic ho$eopathic $essa*e .or al$ost any $odern audience an e1perience that was at least as inspirin* .or us as .or the$. Jane Ryan >%M practices in =atertown Massachusetts.