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Heresy, Help or Hindrance? Signatures and other connections John Saxton, UK
THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES
The broad idea of the ‘Doctrine of Signatures’, or as it is called on occasion the ‘Doctrine of Correspondences’, is not a concept that is excusive to home- opathy. It has been part of mankind’s thinking for many centuries, although derided over the years by many within the orthodox scientific community. Even among homeopaths there are dif- ferences of opinion as to its significance and usefulness.
The Doctrine has been defined as ‘symbolic parallels and correspon- dences between nature and disease processes. A doctrine which attributes therapeutic properties to plants on the basis of some correspondence between their characteristics (Eg. form, colour) and the characteristics of the disease or the afflicted organ’ (Swayne 2000). Constantine Hering (1800-1880) stated that ‘things in nature are words and colour in form: a language which expresses itself to those who can read’. Although the doctrine is broadly defined in terms of plants in practice its application is not confined to the plant world.
The doctrine has its roots in ancient cultures, and its early significance was not linked just to medicine. Its wider function can be regarded as providing a way for those cultures to understand their world in both its physical and spir- itual aspects. The soothsayers of ancient times observed a range of natural phenomenon on which they based their predictions; the weather, the flight patterns of birds and the entrails of animals were all held to give important indications of the future. The doctrine also holds that the dynamics of life at all levels are linked to and influ- enced by each other. In the medical context this indicates the healing potential of substances and closely linked to this is the idea of cure by sim- ilars. Ancient Hindu texts contain examples of cures by applying natural substances considered to have charac- teristics similar to the disease. Another aspect of the idea was the creation of the myths and legends preserved in a
people’s traditions, as a way of explain- ing their past and hence not only the physical features of their lives but also their culture and the more spiritual aspects of their existence.
The ancient Egyptians incorporated much symbolism into their view of the world. This resulted in concepts of what were later defined as both the Law of Similars, which acquired a special sig- nificance for homeopathy, and the Doctrine of Signatures being linked in their medical approach. However, their interpretation of similars incorporated aspects such as the symbolism of colour, sound and analogy such as the time of year in which a plant would flower. In common with most other cultures of early times the Egyptians did not make the distinction between the material and the religious that has developed in many modern societies. Their priests were their healers and their gods were invoked as healing agents along with more mundane aids. Their God ‘Sekhmet’ was considered to be able to cause disease, and by an application of the Law of Similars was often called on to assist in its cure. In contrast the Doctrine of Signatures was applied to ‘Horus’, the son of Isis and Osiris, who legend maintained was born as a sickly child but became a strong and fit adult – hence his help was considered particularly valuable in childhood illness. The cat Goddess ‘Bast’ was deemed to possess many of the characteristics found in the cat, notably quietness, calmness and caution and her aid was sought in cases, such as hysteria, where these qualities were needed by the patient. Another aspect of the invocation of the gods’ aid in healing was based on events told in the legends that surrounded them, as in the story of Isis relieving the pain of the injured Horus, leading to pleas from earthly healers for the Goddess to exer- cise her analgesic prowess to assist their work. Such an approach reflects the essentially dynamic interpretation of the Egyptian version of the Doctrine of Signatures.
Both the Roman and Greek approaches to medicine incorporated the doctrine. Its influence can be seen in the writings of all the major medical figures of those times such as Aristotle and Hippocrates, but most particularly in those of Dioscorides and Galen. In
addition to the
Doctrine of
Signatures both Aristotle and Hippocrates included statements relat- ing to the Law of Similars in their texts although Hahnemann considered that their efforts only ‘vaguely surmised’ the principle in a less scientific manner than his own precise thinking.. However, it was in the works of all these authors that a correlation was noted between the characteristics of a plant and the human illnesses for which it was thought to be of benefit. Those plant characteristics would involve its physi- cal appearance- its shape, the colour of its leaves and flowers, and the colour and taste of its sap. The yellow coloured juice of the Greater Celandine and the yellow flowers of the Dandelion led to both being used for the treatment of various liver complaints, particularly if accompanied by jaundice, and these are established in homeopathy as the remedies Chelidonium Major and Taraxacum respectively. A correspon- dence between the shape of a leaf, fruit or other part of a plant and an organ of the body could provide the pointer to a medical indication, as in the case of walnuts being used for afflictions of the brain based on the similarity between their physical appearances.
BROADENING THE CONCEPT
At first the doctrine was applied only to plants, these being the obvious readily available agents to use against disease. The well known medical logos of modern times derive from this stage of medicine’s development, based on the staff and serpent carried by Aesulapius the Greek god of healing and incorpo- rating the believed ability of the serpent to ascertain the healing powers of plants. The association of the physician with the wisdom of the animal in this regard was symbolic of the transference to the physicians of the serpent’s ability to find healing agents. The term ‘panacea’ derives from the Greek panakeia meaning ‘all- healing’ and was the name of the daughter of Aesulapius who was considered to be gifted with special powers to heal using plants.
The ideas behind the doctrine, however, were not confined to the western world. The Chinese recognised the energies of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ in the
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The first chapter from John Saxton’s latest offering ‘Homeopathy as History’.
Continued