Best of Burnett

From the Book

The great thing about Burnett is that he is eminiently readable.

Dr. Chitkara has collected all the available Burnett's titles for this comilation. The text material of this book is made up of three components.

• His observations (general and clinical)
• Materia medica notes and therapeutics
• Case reports

As an expiation, the readers are earnestly requested to go through a few pages of this title in order to taste the real flavor. It is a book that can be read for pleasure and profit.

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Author

James Compton Burnett, MD

1840 - 1901

James Compton Burnett was born on July 10, 1840 and died April 2, 1901. Dr. Burnett was the great uncle of Margery Blackie. He attended medical school in Vienna, Austria in 1865. Alfred Hawkes converted him to homeopathy in 1872 (in Glasgow).

In 1876 he took his MD degree. When counseled not to go into homeopathy Burnett replied that he could not buy worldly honor at the cost of his conscience.

Primarily an organopathic clinician, Burnett was one of the first to speak about vaccination triggering illness. This was discussed in his book, Vaccinosis, published in 1884.

Along with other nosodes, he introduced the remedy Baccillinum. A prodigious writer he published over twenty books in his lifetime. His book, Fifty Reasons for Being a Homoeopath(1888), is of particular note for beginning homeopaths.

J.H. Clarke, Robert T. Cooper, and James Compton Burnett together formed the 'Cooper Club'. This regular meeting of leading British homeopaths was the source of many of the symptoms in Clarke's Dictionary of Materia Medica.

Clarke says of Burnett, "during the last twenty years Burnett has been the most powerful, the most fruitful, and the most original force in homeopathy. "

To more fully appreciate Burnett's contribution to homeopathy, you may want to read Will Taylor's WholeHealthNow series 'Taking The Case'. In Installment 6, Will examines Dr. Burnett's understanding of Locality and the Specificty of Seat.

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Reviews

From
THE BRITISH HOMEOPATHIC JOURNAL
Reviewed by Francis Treuherz

Reading Burnett can be infuriating. He apparently wrote some of his books in Hackney carriages between patients, and they are all too brief in the details of why any particular prescription was made. He did not after all want his readers to start prescribing for them selves. 'Beware of ladies with their little books', he wrote.

He prescribed Conium for a lady who returned to belabour him with her umbrella. 'I'm not an old maid!' she declared having read in her little book who Conium is good for.

We do not have our little books. We have John Henry Clarke's monumental Dictionary. Burnett used to dine with Clarke and tell him everything. The printable parts were duly noted and recorded against the homoeopathic medicines in the Dictionary, so that if we are stuck when reading Burnett on an obscure medicine we have recourse to the symptoms marked (B) in Clarke.

And obscure medicines they would have remained had not Burnett explored different ways of homoeopathicity, such as the organ affinity of Paracelsus and Rademacher, the effects of smallpox vaccination he termed 'vaccinosis', and the power of salt when potentized, which he divined for himself.

Burnett was unusual among the British homoeopaths of his time, having studied in Vienna in addition to Edinburgh. He won a prize for anatomy. He experimented to make sure that he really understood what he was doing when he became a homoeopath. He wrote polemics to satisfy the doubtful 'allopaths'.

He stares down at me sternly from my study wall, watch chain over his waistcoat, the bewhiskered paterfamilias, his person a little ahead of his step.

All this and more has been extracted and refurbished into an orderly whole by the scholarly H. L. Chitkara of New Delhi. After a biographical preface and some indexing, the main body of the work is in three parts, General and Clinical Observations, Materia Medica Notes and Therapeutics, and Case Reports.

His works have been filleted, and served up cold for us to analyse. Actually to be able to find things like all the references to spleen or Ceanothus or that Platanus ichthyosis case, is very useful.

His little books are not always available, and when they are, what one wanted to read was in a different volume. He wrote about 25 little books. The book is quite well bound for an Indian text, and about as free from misprints as the Grauniad on a bad day.

Dr Chitkara is an old hand at editing. He has even done a word index to the Synthetic Repertory, and worked on the New Delhi monthly Homoeopathic Heritage for years. So from this wealth of experience it is chastening to see what he really thinks of his own work.

'After I had finished writing ... as a final act of exorcising the magnificent obsession of completing this assignment out of my system, I read through one of the treatises of Burnett again.

I confess, compared to the beauty, the wholeness and the brilliance of Burnett's individual works, my exercise of trifurcating his works to the present shape appears to be a cruel dissection amounting to mutilation, like the action of a botanist who smothers the fragrance, the colours and the wholesomeness of a flower in pursuit of his studies.

As an expiation, I earnestly request the readers to go through at least one whole title of Burnett, in order to taste the real flavour.

And I urge you to obtain this ingenious volume for study, and grasp the real clinical significance of the genius of Burnett.

FRANCIS TREUHERZ

British Homoeopathic Journal Vol 82, Number 4, October 1993,
Reprinted with permission from the Faculty of Homeopaths

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Contents

Acute diseases- Sequelae -- 1
Allopathy: Allopathic poachings, Allopathic Practice and Homeopathy -- 1
Anaemia- Vaccinosis and Gonorrhoea -- 2
Angina- Fag and Shock- The modes of thought in therapeutics, Angina pectoris -- 2
Assessment in Private Practice -- 4
Biochemistry -- 5
Blood Count -- 5
Breast feeding and Mother's health -- 5
Cancer- Medicinal approach -- 6
Case Taking- the Last Expressions -- 6
Cataract- Aetiology- Causes, Curability, A cutaneous affection, Diabetes, Holistic treatment, Prevention, Salt, Sugar consumption -- 6
Cervical glands and surgery -- 10
Child bearing no disease -- 11
Children: Delicate, etc.- Treatment, Glumness: a taciturn boy, Treatment, diet and air, Incontinence of urine considered as retarded developments -- 11
Children: Delicate, etc.,- Moral obliquity in children, Treatment, oil massage, Treatment, post natural growth -- 13
Chronic diseases- series of medicines -- 14
Clinical symptoms -- 15
Congenital defects and diseases -- 15
Constitutional disease- its treatment -- 15
Consumption- conclusions -- 16
Contraception- the nemesis of physical wrong-doing -- 17
Convincing the unconvinced -- 18
The Curable and Homeopathy -- 18
Curable and Incurable- Curable and medicable, Cure- time factor, Cure: what it is, Curing- trying and pretending -- 19
Dermatology -- 20
Diet- value of fruits in gout -- 21
Diet- value of vegetables and fruits in health -- 21
Discharges- their meaning -- 22
Disease- Dynamic vs. material- Disease and heredity, Disease- incurable disease and incurable stage, Disease and its causes -- 22
Disease- Dynamic vs. material- Disease and personal and family history -- 23
Disease and Personal and Family History- Diagnosis and prognosis -- 23
The product of disease -- 25
Douches- an evil -- 26
Drug action- similarity and range -- 26
Drug action- similarity and range- Drug dynamisation -- 26
Dysmenorrhoea not normal -- 28
Evil habits -- 28
Excreta inimical to the excretant -- 28
Exploring the dark -- 29
Eye doctors -- 30
Fasting -- 30
Favus- Local disease- case of generalized fever -- 31
Fistula and lime-water application-and liquor, and other organs, and skin, constitutional cause, individualization and surgery, and surgery -- 31
Fistula and lime-water application- a tubercular diathesis, tubercular fistula by infection -- 34
Food and work -- 35
Full stomach- mild genesis -- 35
Generation and sin -- 35
Genius has no gender: girls and boys -- 36
Good intentions -- 37
Gout- aetiology- and alcohol, and exhaustion, surfeit, and offspring, and ordinary homeopathic treatment, and spleen and faulty excretion, arthritic nature -- 37
Gout- aetiology- the acute attack, treatment: uric acid and alkali, true treatment, two phases -- 41
Grand diseases and grand remedies -- 43
Haematocele and Haemorrhoids- constitutional -- 43
Haemorrhoids and surgery- constitutional disease, surgery and cataract, surgical treatment, sequelae, treatment, treatment local -- 44
Hahnemann- and Hughes, and Paracelsus, and Rademacher, glory of -- 47
Hahnemannian provings -- 49
Harelip treatment -- 49
Hay fever -- 50
Health- height, weight and diet -- 50
Herpes- pain, the after-pain of shingles -- 51
High and low dilutions- dilutions, potency and pathology -- 52
Homeopathic remedy, a stimulus -- 52
Homeopathic milk for allopathic babes -- 53
Homeopathic treatment- infrequent dose and tissue salts -- 53
Homeopath, the onus of not being a -- 54
Homeopathy- and aggravation, and deafness, and difficult cases, and faith healing, and the homeopath, and morbid anatomy, and numbers, and organopathy -- 54
Homeopathy- and Orthodox medicine, and pathology, and posology, and truth, widening of definition, high potencies, individualization, like a game of chess -- 56
Homeopathy- makes one master, prescribing on symptoms alone, ridiculing it, rule or law, single vs. series of remedies, the grand therapeutic, the law -- 60
Homeopathy- the little David, the mighty weapon, proven fact, symptom covering: stop-spot of the action, treated with disdain, what good is it in tumour-curing -- 65
Homeopathy- why sneered at? -- 68
Homoeophylaxis: some remarks- Dr. Skinner on M. Pasteur's homeopathy, Nature of -- 69
Hydrocephalitis -- 74
Ignorance and error -- 74
Illness and vanity -- 74
Factors for improvement of the human race -- 75
Incurable and difficult cases- a lure -- 77
Insanity and cancer -- 77
Insanity- treatment -- 78
Internal affections and outward manifestations -- 78
Jenner vaccine and its efficacy -- 78
Kidney disease and wens -- 80
Leucorrhoea- its significance- and spleen, and tuberculosis -- 80
Life is what remains- death and disease -- 81
Liver and cheerfulness- and skin, brain and skin -- 81
Local diseases -- 82
Low potencies -- 82
Man and environment -- 83
Marasmus and eczema -- 83
Marriage counselling -- 83
Materia Medica, study of -- 84
Medicine: a fresh approach- and surgery, extending its domain, giving it a chance, minister or master, the old silly teaching, vs. surgery -- 84
Menopausal ailments -- 86
Menopause and cataract- and flushes of heat, and health, and leucorrhoea: their relation, days of reckoning, tumour of the breast at -- 87
Menorrhagia and arthritic rheumatism -- 90
Menses and longevity -- 90
Motherhood -- 91
Muscle power and brain power -- 91
Myopia and glasses -- 91
Neuralgia and homeopathy -- 92
Neuralgia and materia morbus- treatment with higher potencies -- 92
Nutrition and medicine -- 93
Ophthalmologist- no grudging -- 93
Organopathy- and constitutional ailments, and diagnosis, and homeopathy, and organismic diseases, and skin diseases, and totality, and historical -- 93
Organopathy- and its limitations, and simple diseases, sphere of action -- 102
Pain- the warning signal -- 103
Pathological prescribing -- 104
Pursuit of perfection -- 104
Phthisis and popgun stools -- 105
Physician's duty -- 105
Physician's true role -- 105
Portal congestion and liver -- 106
Possible and impossible -- 106
Pregnancy- ailments, troubles of -- 106
Pretended non-believers -- 107
Primary point of disease -- 107
Prolonged periods -- 107
Provings -- 107
Pruritis- its treatment -- 108
Pseudo large structure -- 108
Psora- what it means: The Hahnemannian doctrine of psora re-stated -- 109
Psora- not clear, but real -- 110
Rectal symptoms and head symptoms -- 111
Remedies- their rise and fall -- 111
Repertory- the final court of appeal -- 111
Retarded growth- treatment -- 112
Retracted nipples- their significance -- 112
Ringworm- allopathic and prevention- and internal disease, and tuberculosis, true nature -- 113
Simillimum- varieties -- 115
The Simile and Simillimum -- 116
Single and multi-remedies -- 116
Skin and cataract- and heart: sternal patch, and internal treatment, diseases- local treatment, the course of treatment, treatment -- 117
Skin diseases, true nature- correspondence with specific organs, local applications -- 119
Spleen diseases- Clinical picture -- 121
Sterility and hysterectomy -- 122
Sternal patch and "liver and heart" -- 122
Stop point -- 123
Surgeons- the mad persons -- 124
Surgery and Medicine- the reward -- 124
Surgical treatment -- 124
Swelling of lower extremities- of one leg and spleen -- 125
Symptom covering and diagnosis -- 125
Therapeutic insights -- 125
The three in medicine -- 126
The True Physician -- 126
Tonsils treatment- What are they: my private view of them, rheumatic tonsils -- 126
Totality of symptoms- animal provers- Pathology and morbid anatomy -- 129
Treating ill-health and not disease -- 130
Treatment- from simple to complex -- 130
Treatment- many approaches -- 130
Trigeminal neuralgia and hemicrania -- 131
True Pathy -- 131
Truth and the apparent truth -- 131
Tuberculinum and Koch's vaccine -- 132
Tuberculosis and piles- signs -- 132
Tuberculous state -- 133
Tumours, cancer and suppressed skin disease- and injuries, and post-operative treatment, and surgery, and vaccinosis, and vitality, difficulties in treatment -- 133
Tumours, cancer and suppressed skin diseases- fatty, living and old, medical treatment, mode of treatment, no small disease, of the breast, diet restrictions -- 138
Tumours, cancer and suppressed skin diseases- of the female breast, causes, of the breast, true nature, of the eyelids, treatment and hope, treatment, lessons -- 142
Typhoid and tuberculosis -- 145
Uterus and Breast -- 146
Vaccination and hair- and prophylaxis, and skin diseases, and styles, unsuccessful -- 146
Vaccinosis bars the way to the cure of ringworm- forms of, latent, manifold disease -- 147
Vaginal douche -- 149
Varicose veins- treatment -- 150
Varicosis -- 151
Venous congestions- general constitutional venosity -- 152
Women and operations -- 152
Acne remedies -- 153
Aconite -- 153
Acorn water -- 154
Aurum -- 154
Proving of Aurum Foliatum -- 157
Gold in the treatment of pining boys -- 159
Aurum and Mercury -- 160
Bacae Juniper (Juniperas communis) -- 160
Bacillinum-and Clarke, and Constitutions, and Consumption, and Ringworm, and Thuja, and Tuberculinum, its sphere, Parenteral and Low dilutions -- 160
Badiaga -- 166
Bellis Perennis- Traumatic swelling of the right breast cured, Malignant growths -- 166
Brassica Muralis (nupus) -- 168
Bursa Pastoris (same as Thaspi bursa pastoris) -- 168
Calendula -- 169
Carduus marianus -- 169
Ceanothus Americanus -- 170
Ceanothus americanus in heart disease -- 171
Cedron -- 171
Chelidonium, Myrica Cerifera and Hydrastis Canadensis -- 171
Cholestrine -- 171
Chelone Glabra -- 172
Colchicum -- 172
Colocynth -- 172
Conium Maculatum -- 173
Cundurango -- 174
Cupressus Lawsoniana -- 174
Dental Neuralgias -- 175
Ferrum phosphoricum -- 175
Ferrum phos. and acid fluoricum -- 175
Glinicum -- 176
Gout remedies-Have we a remedy or remedies essentially homeopathic to the gouty attack? -- 177
Gouty eczema remedies -- 178
Urate of sodium in the treatment of gout -- 178
Haemorrhoid remedies -- 179
Mucous piles -- 181
Heart -- 187
Helonias -- 187
Hepatics -- 187
Herpes remedies -- 188
Hydrastis canadensis -- 188
Hydrastis and opium -- 189
Jaborandi -- 189
Juglans cinerea -- 189
Leucocythemia- splenic remedies -- 189
Levico -- 189
Lyssinum -- 190
Medorrhinum- in Angina Pectoris, in Morning Sickness -- 190
Mercurialism and Aurum -- 191
Mercury -- 191
Mercury and Aurum -- 191
Natrum Muriaticum -- 192
Nettles Bellis perennis -- 192
Neuralgia, hypochondria and enteralgia remedies -- 193
Neuralgia remedies -- 193
Neuralgia of the stomach- remedies -- 194
Nitric acid -- 194
Nosoda -- 195
Nux Vomica -- 195
Nux vomica and Chelidonium -- 195
Oleum succini -- 195
Onions, Hypericum -- 196
Ophthalmic diseases- important remedies -- 196
Phosphorus -- 201
Picric acid -- 202
Post-influenzal remedies -- 202
Pyrogen -- 202
Quercus -- 204
Ringworm and Bacillinum -- 204
Ringworm, Sepia and Tellurium -- 204
Rubia Tinctoria -- 205
Sanguinaria -- 205
Sanguisuga -- 205
Sciatica remedies -- 205
Scilla -- 206
Spigelia -- 206
Splenic flexure remedies -- 207
Spleen remedies -- 207
Thuja -- 208
Thuja and vaccinosis -- 208
Tonsil remedies -- 209
Triticum repens -- 209
Tuberculinum Kochii -- 209
Tumour remedies -- 210
Tumour remedies- of breast remedies -- 210
Urea and Hecla -- 213
Urticarial remedies -- 214
Urtica urens -- 214
Urtica urens and Natrum mur -- 215
Varicocele remedies -- 215
Viscum album -- 216
Zincum aceticum -- 216
Case report: Natrum Muriaticum as test of drug dynamisation -- 217
Case report: Gold as a remedy in disease -- 231
Case report:On the prevention of hare-lip, cleft palate and other congenital defects -- 241
Case report: ECCE Medicus, or Hahnemann as a physician --
Case report: Curability of cataract with medicines -- 248
Case report: The medicinal treatment of diseases of the veins -- 259
Case report: Diseases of the skin -- 277
Case report: Diseases of the spleen -- 321
Case report: Fifty reasons for being a homeopath -- 341
Case report: Fevers and blood poisoning, and their treatment -- 381
Case report: Tumours of the breast -- 394
Case report: On Neuralgia: its causes and remedies -- 421
Case report: On Fistula and its radical cure by medicines -- 441
Case report: Eight years experience in the new cure of consumption -- 459
Case report: Greater disease of the liver -- 512
Case report: Ringworm: its constitutional nature and cure -- 542
Case report: Vaccinosis and its cure by Thuja -- 547
Case report: Curability of tumours by medicines -- 567
Case report: Gout and its cure -- 629
Case report: Delicate, backward, puny and stunted children -- 639
Case report: Organ diseases of women -- 668
Case report: The change of life in women -- 690
Case report: Enlarged tonsils cured by medicines -- 713

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