Page 7 - Summer 15
P. 7
...it is surprising, if not shocking, to recognise how many members of the public do not even know that homeopathy for animals exists.
President’s letter
by Jane Keogh
It seems to me that the months have flown by even faster than they did last year. Due to the vagaries of writing and publication, I sit writing these words in early June, with, as yet, only the vague promise of hazy Summer days to come. In contrast, you will be reading this at some point in August or September, when the feel of late Summer cannot be ignored. Hopefully you will be looking forward to a very exciting conference in Dublin at the end of September – and if you still haven't booked, get on with it fast. You really don't want to miss what promises to be a fantastic weekend.
In our homeopathic world we continue to shine a light. A very successful Spring meeting took place in March, organised by Stu Marsden, a bright light in his own right. Then there is the news that Geoff Johnson has been made a fellow of the Faculty of Homeopathy. Many congratulations to Geoff for an honour well deserved and I'd like to add the thanks of our veterinary community for everything that he has done, and continues to do, to promote homeopathy on all levels and for taking on the sceptics at the front line of attack.
Let us also extend a warm welcome to Sally Ryan, who became a member of the Association in April. With membership numbers scraping the 70 mark, we welcome all new members with open arms, and those of you, who know Sally, will recognise a valuable addition to our small, but select Association.
The 4H group I talked about in the last Mag is working hard on behalf of us all. A consumer research report, commissioned by the group has been published with interesting results. It would appear that more than 75% of people in the UK are open to homeopathy, which is a good start, though as ever, there seems to be public confusion as to what homeopathy actually is. It seems to be frequently confused with herbal medicine and organic cosmetics. I find that latter one slightly disturbing! As a result, the 4H committee are working on a definition that is simple and easily understood- watch this space.
Interestingly the public do not seem to like the concept of homeopathy as a "medicine" preferring the idea of something "natural" and complementary. Although this goes against how we promote homeopathy, certainly to our colleagues, and doesn't help our homeopathic
pharmacies, it is a piece of information that might be worth noting, especially when addressing those members of the public not already using homeopathy.
It was also apparent that the most likely area to increase UK use of homeopathic remedies was for so-called "soft" conditions. These are ailments such as colds/flu, skin conditions, headaches and insomnia, areas where people tend to self medicate.
The 4H committee are using this information to create posters and information that highlight "choice" i.e. the freedom to choose a modality of treatment that is safe, effective, readily available and natural. Although this does not promote the greatest work of homeopathy – individualised treatment working with a qualified homeopath, it starts to address the important issue of public awareness. It could also be questioned: how relevant is this to veterinary surgeons? I would point out that it is surprising, if not shocking, to recognise how many members of the public do not even know that homeopathy for animals exists. Any campaign that widens the awareness of the existence and use of homeopathy has to help the homeopathic veterinary world.
By the time you read this, Homeopathy Awareness Week will be long gone (June 14- 21), but next year the date is moving to April to coincide with World Homeopathy Awareness Week. Perhaps it is not too early for those of you, who work within a practice, to start thinking about how you can use the campaign to your advantage and spread the word a little. Those that already seek us out are the tip of the iceberg; the more we can stimulate curiosity and interest in the general public, the more the demand for homeopathic services will increase. The more that happens, the more difficult it becomes for the sceptics to bury the facts beneath a blanket of confusion and ignorance. And maybe I'm living in fantasyland here, but if veterinary practices experience an increased demand for veterinary homeopathy, then maybe the demand for training in homeopathy for vets will increase. Maybe.
So it is in all our interests to widen the awareness of homeopathy in the public arena in whatever way we can, in particular to bring understanding that it does indeed "work on
animals". So get thinking in the next few months, when the energy of late Summer and Autumn encourage going within and germination of ideas, about how to spread the word in whatever way you can. Meanwhile I look forward to seeing a large number of you in Dublin. Sláinte!
Think outside the box!
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