Page 7 - Winter 13

Veterinary Homeopathy and Homeopathy in general have lost one of the ‘greats’. Francis is no longer with us and his leaving affected many of us very deeply.
I first met Francis on a Faculty-run homeopathic course at the then Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in late 70s or the early 80s (last cen- tury and last millennium). I had gone along to see if there was something that could be mod- ified into a training course for vets. Francis had gone along as a result of badgering by Dr David Williams. Of course, as two vets in a doctors’ course, we shared many happy times during the three-year run. We struck up a reasonable acquaintance with the hostelries around the hos- pital and enjoyed the occasional curry together.
It was at about this time that we two, plus George Macleod and John Saxton, set up the BAHVS. George ran as President for many years, ably succeeded by Francis, who put his mark upon the organisation. When I retired as Hon. Sec., a few years ago now, it was Francis who made a kind presentation to me (photo).
After his guidance of the BAHVS, Francis went on to take the helm at the BHA. This was a job he undertook with great enthusiasm, energy and effectiveness. Many will remember him in that role and have reason to miss his calm and gentlemanly diplomacy. When the BHA merged with the Homeopathic Trust, Francis made way for a new chairman and put his back into the Friends of RLHH.
Throughout this time, Francis was an able and valuable Veterinary Examiner for the Faculty of Homeopathy.
Francis was author and co-author of a number of key books in the veterinary homeopathic library. His manner of writing in a very personal way endeared him to many readers and he was probably responsible thereby for setting young veterinary homeopathic recruits on their path. Certainly, his books have proved very support- ive to untold numbers of pet owners.
John Saxton has written: “Although Francis was ‘formally’ introduced to homeopathy by Dr David Williams, he always told the tale of his first job as an assistant in general practice. Clients would come in asking for ‘a bottle of the cough mixture’. This was a red liquid prepared by one of the partners in the practice and sup- plied on demand directly to clients (this was in the 50s, in the good old days before the VMD). Francis found that it was effective in many geri- atric cases but was never told what was in it: it was only as he was leaving that it was revealed that the active ingredient was Spongia, although he wasn’t told that it was a homeo- pathic remedy; this he only found out after his later involvement.
In the days when faculty courses and meetings were held at RLHH Francis and a group of us would always retire to ‘The Lamb’ just round the corner for Francis’s favourite beer – Young’s Bitter. On occasions, he and I would stay there so long we both missed our trains home, which our wives came to expect.
Such was his devotion to the Faculty and the BAHVS that, during 2010-11, in spite of his spinal problems being at their height he still insisted on attending the Faculty AGMs and the
BAHVS conferences. In 2012 immediately after surgery he still attended the BAHVS conference and participated in the lectures while lying on a portable day bed. Even in June 2013 after his final problems had begun he was still planning on attending the conference (although he unfortunately never made it) and talking about 2015 in Ireland!
One feature of Francis was his quiet but firm guidance and diplomacy. When discussions became heated, he said little but made his interventions quietly yet firmly and at the end of the day you found that you had done things Francis’s way – a very iron fist in an immaculate velvet glove!”
I was fortunate enough to have been able to attend the service for Francis, in Pulborough. At the heavily-attended service and at the wake that followed, the affection for Francis from so many quarters was clearly expressed. We each have our memories of this remarkable man and each of us in homeopathy has lost a champion and a friend. He was ex-RAVC and very clearly belonged to a chivalrous and courteous back- ground that is now sadly not in fashion. Francis had the ‘gen’. He was gentle, he was gentle- manly, he was genteel, he was generous, he was genial, he was genuine and he was, in his quiet and understated way, remarkably humor- ous and great fun. That is how I shall remember his friendship and companionship. I somehow expected shares in Young’s to take a dive, when he passed away.
Christopher Day/John Saxton, 2013
Francis Edgar Hunter (27th May 1930 - 30th September 2013)
Francis Hunter and Chris Day in 2007