" Nearing the end of 4 of the most exciting, stimulating and encouraging years of my life, I can say that the Allen College is going to stand proud in the world of Classical Homoeopathy and I am privileged to have been a part of it's early growth. The course is very professionally run by the most caring and experienced tutors - everyone is aiming for the same goal, to spread the word of homoeopathy as Hahnemann taught, with emphasis upon miasmatic prescribing, led by our dynamic Principal Dr Subrata Banerjea. " ....... UPDATES IN JULY, 2002 : Nearly 3 weeks have passed since we completed our last college weekend - it was a strange weekend, with many different emotions between the 4 of us in the Hahnemann Year, the first 'graduates to be' of the college - & in a way I still can't believe that we have finished - it has been so much a part of my life for 4 years … Once the exams were complete (which didn't bring out the best in any of us, but when do they?!) I was determined to spend the remaining few hours on a 'high' rather than a 'low' … I think I managed to, because my 8 yr old daughter thought that I was tipsy when they picked me up at 5pm, such was my elation! I suppose in the end I didn't really feel as though I was leaving the college, more that I was moving into a different role (hopefully as a graduate!) The first week passed by in rather a blur - I stayed rather excited for days to be honest! I have found it difficult to relax properly because I think that it has been hard to relax at all for the last 4 years, there has always been something to do - whether it be for the family or for my college work - & not always in that order of priority I have to admit - But now things are calmer - I have become a 'lady-who-lunches' recently, catching up with old friends who have patiently stayed in the wings for months, if not years! but good friends will always be there … This week the 4 of us met up for the first time (yes, for lunch!) & I felt that we are all finally beginning to unwind properly - we were buzzing with ideas about our new practices - today I have been busy composing letters to patients, existing & potential - information leaflets for new patients - diet information sheets, etc … & I have really enjoyed it - My husband Dave has now got stuck into building my room - a garage 'conversion' - & I feel that it is now going to really happen - The last 4 years have been exhausting & I am very relieved to have finished college - but they have also been the most exciting, challenging & rewarding years which I would not have missed for anything!!! Watch this space for case notes … Corinne Snowling July 2002..... MAGICAL RESPONSE OF HOMOEOPATHY : A CASE OF RECURRENT PILONIDAL SINUS This was one of my cases during my 4th year, which Dr Banerjea supervised as a paper case (actually via e-mail!) The patient, a 25 yr old man, in otherwise good health, had suffered with this problem for 3 ½ years - the original manifestation was difficult for him to detail but it had become evident by pain & swelling, obviously << sitting down - his job involves computer work this was obviously unavoidable. Allopathic Rx involved antiobiotic therapy+. Eventually surgery was performed - the problem again surfaced about 20 months later & again antibiotics + surgery, followed by a period of non-healing & more antibiotics. Finally, another year on the problem occurred once more & the same process followed - except that the wound failed to heal again & he was offered quite dramatic plastic surgery to try & cover the wound over. He declined at that time & I saw him for 1st consultation some 5 months after the 3rd operation - the wound was still about the size of a 1p coin & there was a sinus, the depth of which could not be determined. It continually oozed blood & serous fluid, there was minimal inflammation & it did smell. It was also surrounded by keloid tissue from the previous 2 operations. In himself he felt quite well but was becoming increasingly fed-up & worried about this problem - also it was hindering his usually active lifestyle, he had not played football for many months & had had much time off work due to surgery etc… Case-taking did not reveal anything clearly as a constitutional picture & I decided anyway that the best POA would be to address the wound directly (organopathically) & cover the surface miasm well. Repertory work re. the wound (keloid, wounds from 'foreign bodies', tendency to heal slowly, chronic absesses, fistula after operations) directed me strongly towards SILICEA. It also covered the surface miasm, which I took to be TUBERCULAR from his nails, the recurrence of the sinus, his general disposition, general fearlessness, his thermal reaction, the food desires (love of meat, constant chocolate snacking) love of sour) recurrent headaches, strong Tubercular f/h. He was given SIL. 1m x 2, in water over 7 days each, with a 7 day gap - (potency decision made because he had energy+ & because of the chronicity of the problem) Within 4 weeks there was a marked improvement generally - the sinus had virtually closed & the surrounding skin looked much healthier, much pinker rather than inflamed, the keloid scars had also diminished by about 50%. This was so exciting I can't tell you!!! How interesting also (although I should not be surprised I know) that several other things had also improved - his recurrent headache had not surfaced, nor had a recurring rash under his arms & most importantly for him he had played football that day! Some 14 weeks later, watching & waiting of course - the wound is completely healed, the keloid scarring virtually disappeared - he has not had a headache nor has the underarm rash appeared - he is back to playing football weekly & is chuffed about it - so am I! We have agreed that constitutional treatment is the next step. This was a brilliant case for me to have, to really see with my own eyes the wonder of the single remedy working - I only wish I had taken photos 'before & after' - but there is such a thing as dignity I think, isn't there?!? Corinne Snowling (July 2002) AN ACUTE CASE : DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT WITH ARNICA IN HIGH POTENCY ALSO REFLECTING THE BEAUTY OF CLASSICAL APPROACH ! During the summer holidays this 15 yr old young lady sustained a severe impact injury to her inner thigh – it happened while she was driving a go-cart which stopped suddenly & caused the steering wheel to squash her leg – at the time she could not move out of the cart because she was completely stuck – the skin was not broken but the resulting bruise stretched from her knee to her upper inner thigh & covered ½ the width of her leg. It was very painful at the time & her Mum treated her with ARNICA 200c over several days. Some 4 weeks later the bruising had cleared but she was left with a hardened palpable but not visible area in the centre of the original injury site, about the size of a walnut, deep within the subcutaneous tissue layer; it was very painful, she did not want it touched & had stopped her horseriding because of it - I gave her ARNICA too - on the basis of the original injury being a severe impact & because of it’s severity I gave her 2 doses of 1m to be taken in water, shaken & sipped over 3 days with a 3 day rest period between – because the medicine was taken in water this meant that the dose was altered every sip & therefore in keeping with Hahnemann’s teaching re deviation of doses, instead of repetition of the same dose (ref. Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine aphorisms 247, 269-270) 3 weeks later there was no change at all. I did consider looking at another medicine – several came to mind, Bellis Perennis, Hamamelis, Ledum, Silicea – but I was certain that Arnica was the most indicated remedy, especially because the severe pain was preventing this lass doing normal activities which she loved - & I also considered the wisdom of our college Principal Dr Banerjea who also taught that we should never leave an indicated remedy until 2 potencies have been explored – I was aware that she had originally had Arnica 200c but not given in water, which I do not consider to be quite so beneficial – So with this in mind I gave her one dose of Arnica 10m, this time to be shaken & sipped over 10 days – by day 9 the lump was reduced to pea-size & much less painful - & finally disappeared completely during the following week – How easy it would have been to change the medicine – how much harder it is to be patient with the patient (!) but I have been clearly taught at the Allen College to always WATCH & WAIT – WITH WISDOM. The rewards are far greater, for the patient, for the practitioner – for homoeopathy. Corinne Snowling, DipHomACH, October 2002 NOW CORINNE IS A GRADUATE AND ENJOYING HER HOMOEOPATHIC CAREER ! 6 MONTHS INTO PRACTICE… … life has been very busy to be honest! October 1st was the 'official' beginning date of my own practice. I was still quite high in spirits following college graduation & I had the thought that I would just let things go at their own pace for a few months without too much advertising so that I could slow my life pace a little following the last busy year of study. Infact this didn't happen at all! 'Word-of-mouth' proved the best means of encouraging new patients & during the first few months I was feeling a quite Mrs 'overwhelmed' Calc Carb! Over the Christmas holiday I took time out to organise more structure with my working hours & generally took control of everything before it took control of me! However, my main point is that I have been busy, certainly as busy as I can be at this stage of my life… which is of course brilliant after all the hard work over the last 4 yrs study. Patients seem to come at a fairly steady pace & I know I have gained more confidence in my abilities because I have been busy & had to make decisions. I attend supervision sessions, through ACH, which I find invaluable - my grounding from college is very firm, but it is a big world of mixed ethics out there - & it is so good to bounce cases & ideas with colleagues & come back to my classical homoeopathic roots on a regular basis. I have felt well supported as an ACH graduate, I know that I can always ask advice/ideas if I need to. CORINNE SNOWLING DipHomACH APRIL 2003