ACHENA Approved for 13 Hours - Available Online Only

Poales are in the news again.

Currently, an increasing number of illnesses and allergies are being attributed to gluten. With the proliferation of the label "gluten-free" on an ever-increasing list of foods, it is clear how prevalent this issue has become. This trend points to our need as homeopaths to understand this group of remedies more fully. It is also worth noting that grasses are the most common cause of allergies, surpassing even the Asteraceae. While the Poales, or grasses, have received little attention in homeopathy, they have been pivotal in human history.

For thousands of years members of the Poales have been a main support of life for humanity. They are the basic diet, the Staff of Life, the Daily Bread. Not only are humans sustained by grains, but animal food, fodder and forage are provided too. Nutritious and wholesome, the plants strengthen, invigorate and enrich. Not only do they provide calories, carbohydrates, protein and other essential nutrients, they are useful as fibres, cloth, paper, mats, baskets, thatching and serve many utilitarian functions. Food, forage, fibres - what more could any civilization want?

Pinales, or conifers, contain the well-known and often used basic remedy, Thuja. However, there are a great many misunderstandings and misuses of this remedy. Much of what has been ascribed to Thuja belongs to the entire group, and each individual member needs differentiation and clarification as to its symptoms. The conifers and the grasses also comprise many aromatic oils, which have a variety of uses in homeopathy.

Conditions to be covered in this course include:

• Skin - acne, psoriasis, boils and other skin problems

• Neurological - locomotor, staggering, incoordination, multiple sclerosis

• Respiratory tract - allergy and hypersensitivity, hay fever, respiratory infections, asthma and cough, catarrhal complaints

• Digestive disorders - heartburn, indigestion, food allergies, gluten intolerance, malnutrition and eating disorders

• Hypoglycemia, diabetes, gout

• Urinary and reproductive organs problems

• Low sexual power

Dr. Johnston is a licensed medical doctor who has been practicing and teaching homeopathy all over the world for nearly three decades. Her husband, Frans Vermeulen, is recognized as an authority on materia medica and is the author of many desktop references for homeopaths, including both the Concordant and Synoptic materia medica series. The pair co-authored an epic four-volume set, Plants, that promises to be the definitive text on botanical remedies for years to come. Bringing together clinical observations, provings, toxicology, botany and more, they have broken down the homeopathic plant kingdom into more than 140 botanical families.

This course on Poales and Pinales will explore these two important and under-used groupings. Group themes as well as individual remedy characteristics will be presented and discussed. As always, Frans and Linda will present cases, provings and clinical observations to exemplify the complete picture of these two unsung heroes of our materia medica. Combining Vermeulen's clarity and detail with Johnston's years of clinical expertise, they will share with participants very precise uses of the Poales and Pinales to bring about more accurate and successful prescribing with this invaluable group of remedies.