Page 3 - Summer 13

Welcome to the Summer issue of the mag.
It’s always a pleasure after the BAHVS con- ference to look through all the articles that have been submitted for the mag and we have lots of good stuff this time – thanks to all who contributed. Thanks also to the sponsors and advertisers this year. We do appreciate your support and hope in return that your products are well-recieved and reach a wider audience.
There’s lots of talk in this issue about mov- ing onwards as homeopaths and I believe that as an international group we can make much progress in the eyes of the general public and hopefully also within the profes- sion but it will take some effort from all.
Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Committee – BAHVS
President – Mark Elliott homeopathicvet@btinternet.com
Malene
Senior Vice-President – Sue Armstrong health@balancedbeing.com
Junior Vice-President – Jane Keogh j.keogh5@btinternet.com
Hon. Secretary – Stuart Marston sec@bahvs.com
Treasurer – Wendy McGrandles wendy@glenbrae-vet.co.uk
Magazine Editor – Malene Jørgensen malene@laforcevitale.eu
Communications Officer – Nick Thompson nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
IAVH Representitive – Peter Gregory pg.ahimsa@virgin.net
Faculty Veterinary Representitive
John Saxton
john.saxton@talk21.com
Mag distribution – Cheryl Sears cheryl.sears31@btinternet.com
Committee – IAVH
President – Peter Gregory pg.ahimsa@virgin.net
Treasurer – Don Hamilton donhamiltondvm@gmail.com
General Secretary – Helene Widmann helene.widmann@chello.at
Coordinator subcommittee for education:
Stefan Kohlrausch
stefan.kohlrausch@arcor.de
Head of IAVH Office – Markus Mayer office@iavh.org
Newsletter subcommittee
Malene Jørgensen
malene@laforcevitale.eu
IAVH Communications Officer
Nick Thompson
nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
LIGA contact – Marc Bär info@homeopatte.ch
Guest Editorial by Stuart Marston, UK
So another conference has come and gone and so has another year. I won’t go into detail about the event as a report will appear elsewhere [p5], but it was, as usual, a real pleasure to be spending time with friends and learning from excellent speakers. The association has become smaller over the last year for reasons that are not easy to explain, but this nucleus is the heart of veterinary homeopathy in the UK, and still beats strongly. As you know we decided early on to invite non-members to the con- ference. There were several reasons for this depar- ture in form. Over the past year homeopathy has been regularly disparaged – mostly by the same culprits with the same old arguments – but with access to the media. These blinkered people will never be convinced of the value of homeopathy. So
physical consultation given choice. If we are to move veterinary homeopathy forward my feeling is that it will be only be done by us actually making a physical effort. Advertising to the profession seems to be pretty futile. The pet owing public need to be engaged and a demand for homeopathy created from them. We need to ask ourselves, whether we actually want veterinary homeopathy to advance and whether we are prepared to do something about it – or are we content to sit tight, keep doing what we’re doing and hope someone else does something. We have colleagues, who are unable to practice homeopathy in the places, where they work. In some cases it is being practiced ‘under the table’ so to speak. What an awful strain this must put upon them and how must it be making them
no matter what arguments are placed before them, ‘it can’t work so it doesn’t’ – end of...!
We decided that another approach would be to offer the profession at large the opportunity to come to Arundel to find out for themselves what we are about and not just take the totally biased word of the same detractors quoting the same mantra. We did manage to get a total of 23 non-members reg- istered – mostly vets – who said they would come along. This was after extensive advertising and direct invitation. On the day several did not turn up – including Simon Baker, who had asked to come (for those, who do not know, he is one, along with Niall Taylor, who persistently hides behind the pen to criticise homeopathy). In his case we were not surprised. It would take a brave man with his stated position to engage with a group of homeopathic vets. So what can one deduce from that low figure? Is it that the rest of the profession believe what they have read – if they have read anything? Is the rest of the profession not bothered one way or another? Is the rest of the profession secure in thinking that their way is the only way? I really don’t have an answer. John Saxton at the conference stressed that we are not homeopaths. ‘We are’ he said ‘vet- erinary surgeons who use homeopathy’, and I think that this is something, we really must get across to the profession at large.
We need to think again. I agree with Don Hamilton, who said: “I do not believe that attempting to prove that homeopathy works via double-blind studies or other methodologies of the “old-school” will be effective. Our focus should be on good practice, conscientious care, and a positive attitude, not only towards our patients and our homeopathic col- leagues, but also and especially towards our con- ventional colleagues. We must not alienate them through any negative criticism of their methods, even if we believe some of them are detrimental to health”.
However is this enough? From the correspondence I get, the demand for veterinary homeopathy is increasing. We are spread pretty thinly and there are not many of us and, although distant consulta- tions are an option, I think, clients would prefer a
feel? The situation is intolerable.
I feel our way forward, apart from Don’s sugges- tions, is to foster a demand for homeopathy in the pet owning public. The main journals and daily newspapers are unlikely to publish success stories – often because the editorial control is biased against homeopathy. However I do believe that local papers and periodicals would be an avenue, we could use at no charge. The regular publications of successful cases, along with the rough cost, in the local press could do an enormous amount of good. Over 30 million people read local papers each week, and trust them more than the nationals (though I’m not sure why!).
Also: There are 1,100 local newspapers and 1,600 associated websites in the UK (Source: NS Database). Local media websites attract 62 million unique users each month (Source: Newspaper Society). 11.5 million people read a local newspa- per but do not read a national newspaper (Source: BMRB/TGI 2012). 61% of adults read a local news- paper (Source: BMRB/TGI 2012). Over 60% of peo- ple act on the ads in local newspapers (Source: CrowdDNA/ Loving Local). Advertising on local newspaper websites is 77% more likely to be believed and relied upon than advertising on other websites (Source: the wanted ads III). 11.3 million more UK adults read a local newspaper (30.9 mil- lion) than listen to commercial radio (19.6 million) (Source: BMRB/TGI 2012). Local press is the most effective media channel for generating word of mouth conversations (Source: IPA Touchpoints 4 2012).
So in addition to the clients you deal with, who, one hopes, will spread the good word, we have access to a huge resource, we could use. To advance homeopathy will take effort – not apathy. We have plenty of experience of curing chronic cases and now the science is catching up to show why. Public opin- ion favours us and will support us. We have nothing to fear and can make our presence felt.
While buoyed by the energy of the conference, think about how you could make a difference to the future, and the future of homeopathy.
The British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons (BAHVS) was formed in 1981, to advance the understanding, knowl- edge and practice of homeopathy. It aims to stimulate professional awareness of homeopa- thy and to encourage and to provide for the
training of veterinary surgeons in the practice of homeopathy.
It is an open forum for differing approaches to the subject of veterinary homeopathy and it’s application, allowing for constructive inter- changes of ideas.
This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Material published does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the BAHVS or the Editor.
The BAHVS does not necessarily endorse products or the companies advertised.
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