Reviewed by Glythyn Sprengel Dip Hom RCHom (review reprinted from NZCH eNews)

I have heard homeopaths on some of the international Facebook groups talk about the remedy Buddleia more than a few times. Give Buddleia for this trauma or after that shock, they said.
I had no idea what remedy they were talking about as I had never heard of it! After seeing it mentioned many times, I decided I had to find out more about what sounded like a remarkable remedy. I finally found out that there was a book of new materia medica that had Buddleia in it, along with many other newer remedies. So I purchased the book “The New Materia Medica” by Colin Griffith. It has not disappointed! I love this book! Why?

Because it is a new and refreshing layout compared to all the older, classic materia medica that I am familiar with. It is easy to read and has such wonderful descriptions of the mental/emotional sphere of each remedy. The author starts by acknowledging the provers of the remedies and mentions how many of the remedies were made from scratch by Helios Pharmacy in the UK. He goes on to explain that each remedy that is included in the book had potential enough to warrant a proving. The way the provings were conducted was different to how a remedy has been traditionally proved. They were conducted by mediation after taking or even just holding the remedy in the hand. Before the materia medica section there is a chapter on chakras. This is very new to me and to the traditional homeopathy materia medica books! There is an outline of each chakra and corresponding colour and a diagram of a body showing where each chakra is located. Then there is detailed information on each chakra, starting with the base chakra and the body parts associated with it and the miasmatic influence. Very interesting!

Each remedy description is set out in a logical order starting with background information of the substance whether it be plant, gem or animal, telling us the source and history. Then there are Keynote effects which is a broad expectation of prescribing the remedy. Next are the general symptoms followed by mental/emotional symptoms and physical symptoms. We are then informed about the considerations for use of the remedy with comparisons of the old familiar remedies and also the new remedies in the book. Esoteric therapeutics and chakras are the next topics and are given to show the reader different ways of looking at remedies. There are case examples with each remedy which is super helpful so the reader can glean how they have been successfully used by the author and other practising homeopaths.

As for the remedies themselves, there are all sorts of gems, literally! Amethyst, Rose quartz, Ruby and Emerald to name a few. If you are anything like me and have a love for crystals, then this makes for a fascinating read. I can’t wait to try some of the gem remedies on myself and my clients! Then there are remedies like Berlin Wall, Chalice Well Water, Goldfish, Sycamore Seed and Winchelsea Sea Salt. They all have such a weird but wonderful sound to them!

I have also seen Sycamore Seed brought up in conversations around teeth and mouth shape and how homeopaths have prescribed this remedy as part of constitutional treatment to loosen bony structures of the head. It allows the shape of the mouth to develop properly and is great to use alongside orthodontic work. I was thrilled to see Acer Pseudoplatanus (Sycamore Seed) in The New Materia Medica book too! And then there is the reason why I bought the book and that is Buddleia Davidii (Butterfly Bush). Colin Griffith says “Buddeia is one of the great shock and trauma remedies. The effects of terrible events are sometimes present reminders of what has been long held in the psyche and tissue memory or even inherited, unresolved ancestral grief”. He goes on to say that the remedy can be used where other trauma remedies like Arnica have failed to complete the Healing. Other uses are injuries to the spine and head and it is particularly indicated for a forceps delivery where the force had been on the temples and sides of the head. It is also used for ‘never been well since’ cases of an electric shock or anaesthetic and can be considered years after the event took place.The keynote effects says that Buddleia “engenders remarkable peace and serenity after a time of great shock”. I have recently prescribed this remedy for a client with a history of trauma and abuse. I received a message today saying “Just took the dose of Buddleia and felt my body relax. Like my spirit took a deep breath”.
It looks like my purchase of The New Materia Medica has paid off already!

Review from Book cover –

The New Materia Medica is a source book of information on some of the most exciting new crystal, botanical, and animal remedies now in use by practitioners of the Guild of Homeopaths. These remedies, proven through the practice of meditation and with a reputation for remarkable success, are extraordinary for their depth of action, reaching far into a patient’s psyche and history. Each entry gives a description of the original substance in its natural state and an outline of its medicinal and traditional uses, along with crystal essence cures where applicable and explanations of the remedies’ affinities for the chakras and the associated glands and organs. All the remedies also include detailed information on their mental, emotional, and physical effects on the individual parts of the body. Summarized case notes show clinical evidence of efficacy of these therapies and illustrate their day-to-day use.

Published 2007

Remedies in this book are –

Sycamore Seed, White Chestnut Flower, Silver Birch, Hornbeam, Hazel. Copper Beech, Common Ash, Holly, Oak, Crack Willow, Amethyst, Ayahuasca, Berlin Wall, Black Obsidian, Goldfish, Chalice Well Water, Clay, Emerald, Heliodor, Jet, Lactrodectus Mactans, Silverfish, Moldavite, Moonstone, Lotus, Okoubaka Aubreville, Spectrum, Rhodochrosite, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Sandalwood, Thymus Gland, Winchelsea Sea Salt, Sea Holly and Earthworm.