Homeopathic Drainage, Michel Bouko Levy, MD.
Editor: Francoise Becquey
Publisher: HDRB Publishing, Stow, Ohio, USA
Date: July 2015
Paperback. 310pp.
Price: $95 US.
ISBN: 978-0-9969007-1-3
Reviewed by Jenni Tree
If only all allopaths reasoned in the way that Dr. Michel Bouko Levy did. In his first medical clinic, after graduating from the Faculty of Medicine in Marseille in the 1970’s, he came across a case for which he had prescribed appropriately, and yet the patient’s disease moved from bad sinusitis, to stomach pains, to terrible headaches and severe cystitis. He said: “I wanted to understand why the patient developed such a sequence of symptoms, and how I could help. I bought my first book on homeopathy.”
The French understand drainage remedies and organotherapy better than any other nation using homoeopathy. Indeed, Kate Birch’s book, also reviewed in this edition, is based on the work of Dr. Mauritius Fortier Bernoville, who is also mentioned, along with Vannier, in Levy’s Bibliography.
This is a gem of a book, filled with very useful and connected information on every page. Dr. Bouko Levy said it is the book he should have liked to have in his clinic when he began in practice, and I agree. Somehow I have managed in practice for 30 years without every hearing about Emunctories – you will find them in this book, along with Schüssler Salts (and a neat diagram that links each salt to a sign of the zodiac), Phytogemmotherapy (with a very clear diagram showing how these remedies are made), Organotherapy and Oligotherapy.
There is materia medica of fourteen central remedies, and common satellite remedies, which are prescribed for affected organs and their function. As an example, an ‘association’ of three remedies, in equal parts, for chronic pelvic inflammation in women might be: Aletris farinosa 1DH, Helonias 3DH and Hydrastis 3DH. [DH = Hahnemann Decimal].
I knew nothing of Oligotherapy and its language (Allergic equates to Psoric; Hyspotenic to Depressed Tuberculinic; Dystonic to Luetic or Excited Tuberculinic; Anergic to Sycotic , Old Psoric; and Auto-poisoning to Cancerous, Sycotic) and its use of trace elements for treatment.
There is information that can easily be applied in daily practice. It is not particularly for Sensation practitioners, but for those who want to use hands-on, low potency methods (the French seldom use above a 30c potency), connecting emotional and mental states with physicals and drainage, support and nutritional remedies. A strong contender for a naturopath’s library.
It is paperback; has full contents pages, and many useful indices – general; modalities (fabulous); mind; neuroendocrine; anatomic; drainage; remedies; and trace elements. This makes it easy to navigate. I’ve marked all the useful illustrations with post-it notes for quick reference (new moon aggravation: Croc., Kali-br., Natrum-carb., Plat., Puls., Sil. – and all the other moon phases are covered too.)
If you have patients whose organs are ravaged by chronic disease, this book enables you to help those patients support, clean and drain their systems, and rebuild their vitality using low potency homoeopathics; gemmotherapy medicines made from buds – [see also Dr. Joe Rozenkwaig’s Gemmotherapy, if this interests you], and trace elements [ref. also the work of Jon Gamble]. I have found these therapies and know-how infinitely useful in practice over many years, and am pleased to add Dr. Bouko Levy’s book, already well-thumbed, to my bookshelf.
Jenni Tree is the Editor of Similia, the Australian Journal of Homœopathic Medicine. She has written and delivered lectures internationally on homeopathic materia medica and philosophy.
