MatMed Cards - Pack 1

Overview

Pack 1 (of 2) covers 60 remedies spanning many polychrests, and the most commonly used acute remedies.

A good study resource for all students of materia medica.

Also see Pack 2

Details

This is a good resource for all students of materia medica. Essential elements of materia medica, plus some clinical insights are presented in a handy format.

Cards are stored in a sturdy box. Dividers keep cards organized.

Rachel Roberts

Rachel Roberts graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1994 with a first class degree in Biological Sciences, specializing in Physiology.

In 1997 she graduated from The College of Homeopathy, London, and in 1999 was awarded their advanced qualification Member of The College of Homeopathy’ (MCH).

Rachel has been lecturing in both Homeopathy and Medical Sciences at various colleges in the U.K. and overseas for several years. Although she is in general practice she has a special interest in treating physical pathology.

Reviews

From American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine
Reviewed by George Guess MD DHt

Mat Med Cards are materia medica flash cards, one side of each card containing several characteristics of a remedy organized in any of five categories:

• Modalities
• Foods
• Miasms
• 'in a nutshell' (a one sentence summary)
• 'top tips' (clinical hints, comparative materia medica, and remedy re¬lationships)

The other side containing 'mini-pictures' - abbreviated materia medica descriptions - of the remedy.

The cards are divided into two packs, each containing 60 cards.

The cards contain only keynote and leading symp¬toms of each remedy; they are color-coded, blue indicating chilly remedies, red, warm remedies, and black, those with no strong temperature sensitivity.

The remedy information seems accurate, though rather sparse.

For students unfamiliar with basic materia medica, these cards can serve as useful study guides and self-test tools.

Practitioners might use the cards to refresh their memories of basic materia medica. Used for these purposes, Mat Med Cards would be a useful purchase.

From The Homeopath - Journal of The Society of Homeopaths
Reviewed by Janet Robinson-Banerjea

These boxed cards are aimed at students to address the problem of 'overwhelming materia medica'.

Students may enjoy owning a set of beautiful, if expensive cards, which are good to feel and play with. However I feel that the real business of learning can only be achieved by addressing what Rachel is temptingly offering to avoid, materia medica.

In my fifteen years experience as a teacher, I have found that one of the very useful ways to revise and retain remedy pictures is to produce cards such as these, based on lectures and clinic information which is relevant to the students' own experience.

On the whole the cards contain useful, accurate information however as I was transporting them to the classroom to give students the opportunity of contributing to this review, I slipped with the boxes and unfortunately the loose cards exploded onto the floor far too easily!

On one side of the each card there is a 'mini-picture', whilst on the reverse of the card the remedy is presented in five categories: modalities, foods, miasms, a rubric called 'in a nutshell' and top tips.

Although there is a heartening mention of miasm on each card, this is not always in line with my understanding of the miasmatic representation according to Allen and Dr S.K Banerjea, known to be leaders in this area; e.g. Ruta is represented as Psoric, when in fact it is predominantly Sycotic.

Baptisia claims to be Cancer, I would prefer to see Psoric, Syphilitic and Tubercular. The references to Rachel's own clinical practice are bold, however they could spoil or dilute the otherwise trusted information provided from reliable sources tried and tested over years.

The concise summaries on the cards do give a balanced representation of the medicine. However to encourage practitioners that they will provide a 'quick and easy reference source' is disappointing, as surely experienced practitioners should know this basic information and turn to the books for wider detail.

The idea of 'conducting a quick differential materia medica by placing different cards next to each other' is useful, especially for the student who may not yet have grasped the nuances of differentiation.

The presentation is appealing and the space for additional notes useful; the mini dictionary of terms enclosed is useful, but contrary to the cards themselves, cumbersome and has to be removed from the box. A source from which to have surreptitious glance at medical terms would probably be useful to have on the desk!

In conclusion: great source and I would recommend these cards for revision to beginners but would like to see a second edition in a ring binder book format at a more affordable price for students.