In most respects this is the widest ranging first aid guide for travel and home that I have seen. Unique in this genre, there are short sections on 23 tropical and infectious diseases, and 5 tick-borne diseases.
As many readers will know, I have spent 2 or 3 days a week for the last 17 years on call on a telephone helpline dealing with distant patients with acute illness*, where I have gained much experience. This book goes right to the top of my list of suggested reading for patients. I do not know how Richard did it but he has crammed in 18 useful chapters, including well written introductions to homeopathy in the context of natural medicine, and being prepared for sudden ill-health at home and abroad. Only last month a young man, known to me since he was a toddler, consulted me. He needed a personal session to prepare him for gap year travel to tropical Asia; if only I had had this book for him.
Richard studied homeopathy in England well over 30 years ago - we were contemporaries as students. He moved to USA and played a great part in teaching, the regulation of homeopathy qualifications and editing a journal: The California Homeopath. Richard's experience as an international traveller and as a prescribes particularly in Africa, shine through the book. His advice is concise and to the point. In addition to plain homeopathy there are references to herbs and naturopathy and the prevention of illness with commonsense procedures. He also suggests combining remedies if, as a layperson, you cannot find the right remedy. He is realistic, especially if the patient is a lone traveller, that if and when homeopathy is not appropriate or is not effective, that allopathic help should be sought.
I did find some lacunae. The first condition I looked for in the index is DVT; not mentioned there. DVT is briefly described in a section about travel but with no homeopathic therapeutics. Having survived embolisms after DVT, I am certain that homeopathy can help and this should be included. Today in The Guardian a whole page was devoted to problems with jellyfish on holiday; again not much in This book. I think Medusa as a homeopathic remedy and urine as a natural solution might be mentioned**. While expressing concern about the effects of X-rays on remedies he does not suggest lead film-protection bags. Finally the Society but not the Faculty is mentioned in the resources chapter.
This book is written in an easy and accessible style, always authoritative yet modest and realistic where homeopathy may or may not help. Unlike some of the huge tomes sent to me for review I have read all of it. It deserves to be your favourite first aid and travel book to suggest for patients.
*The Helpline at www.homeopathyhelpline.com/artides-resources/ **Smal! remedies: the struggle to escape, The Homeopath, 1994
We use cookies, pixels and similar technologies to provide and continuously improve our services, for usage analysis,
statistical and marketing purposes and to display external content and advertisements on our website, social media and
partner sites in a personalised manner (see our privacy policy). These services include the use of service providers in third
countries that do not have a level of data protection comparable to the EU. If personal data is transferred there, there is a
risk that authorities may collect your data and that data subject rights cannot be enforced. By clicking on Disagree,
only essential services are active. By clicking on Agree, you consent to the rest of the data collection.
Your consent is voluntary and you can revoke or change it at any time.