KEITH SOUTER

I first became interested in homoeopathy after using the Bach Flower Remedies many years ago, while I was still a medical student. Then when I qualified as a doctor I found that when I introduced them into my practice they hugely increased the range of things that I could help people with. I then started using biochemic tissue salts. That proved a stepping stone into the amazing potential of homoeopathy. My training has been eclectic and self determined over many years. That is, I have studied and practiced acupuncture and herbal medicine along with homoeopathy. My homoeopathic training was mainly at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital in Scotland. I gained my MFHom with the Faculty of Homoeopathy in London and then went on to take specialist accreditation in 2003. Although he is known as the originator of his own system of flower remedies, Edward Bach was a homoeopathic physician and bacteriologist. He went from homoeopathy in search of a simpler form of medicine, yet he stimulated me to go from the flower essences into homoeopathy. In reading his biography I was intrigued by his intuitive approach. My own approach to homoeopathy is in many ways intuitive rather than analytical. Indeed, I developed an interest in heuristics, which formed the subject of my specialist dissertation and also my book Prescribing Methods - Rules of Thumb and Bias in Homoeopathy. I would like to see homoeopathy be accepted alongside conventional medicine. To do that the profession needs to produce high quality research studies that demonstrate both the similar principle and the effect of potentisation. It is an irony that the amazing healing power produced by potentisation is the very stumbling block to the method's acceptance, because scientifically it seems implausible. I would like to see us bridge this gap. Keith has written two other books: Homoeopathy for the Third Age: Treatment for People in Middle and Later Life The Art of Homoeopathy: Remedy Selection Made Easy with Flow Charts Keith Souter MB ChB FRCGP MFHom MIPsiMed DipMedAc is a part-time GP in Yorkshire. He also has a private holistic medicine practice and is a newspaper columnist