cover image Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook

Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook

Alan V. Schmukler. Llewellyn Publications, $17.95 (351pp) ISBN 978-0-7387-0873-7

Though the idea behind his guide to homeopathic medical treatment is worthwhile, its execution is lacking. Schmukler, the founder of the Homeopathic Study Group of Metropolitan Philadelphia and a 14-year homeopathic practitioner, begins with a breezy history and thumbnail sketch of how homeopathy works before delving into which cures to use for which ailments. And while the ailments are easy to search through (they're listed alphabetically), Schmukler's remedies read like riddles sent via telegram. (On using Belladonna to treat a cold: ""They are worse from light, noise or being jarred. They may be thirsty or not""; on using Pyrogenum to remedy Typhoid fever: ""Bed feels too hard. Restless. High pulse with low temperature or the reverse. Foul diarrhea. Better from motion."") Readers well-acquainted with homeopathy may find the book helpful, but the book's intended audience-those unfamiliar with the practice-will likely be lost.