An Introduction to Anthroposophical Medicine E-Book

Victor Bott

• Herausgeber: Rudolf Steiner Press
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

In modern times western societies have become increasingly familiar and at ease with many complementary and alternative types of medicine, often derived from eastern sources. Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophical medicine, founded in the early part of the twentieth century, is a renewal of the original sources of western medicine. However, unlike many modern medical practices based on reductionist, materialistic thought, Steiner's truly holistic system encompasses a picture of the human being as an entity of body, soul and spirit. Anthroposophical medicine seeks to bring harmony to these various aspects of the human constitution. Victor Bott, a medical doctor, gives a comprehensive overview of this remarkable system of medicine, and presents a new approach to understanding the various types of diseases. His survey includes a discussion of the stages of human development, the roles of various organs such as the lungs, liver, kidneys and heart, particular diseases of many kinds, and pointers as to why people fall ill in the first place. He also discusses the increasing prevalence of cancer, and gives insights into specific phenomena such as the menstrual cycle. This volume will be illuminating both for medical practitioners and therapists who wish to learn more about anthroposophical medicine, and for patients who would like a deeper understanding of a key medical approach.

Leseprobe

AN INTRODUCTION TO

ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MEDICINE

Extending the Art of Healing

Victor Bott, MD

Sophia Books

The information in this book is not intended to be taken as a replacement for medical advice. Any person with a condition requiring medical attention should consult a qualified medical practitioner or suitable therapist. The directions for treatment of particular diseases are given for the guidance of medical practitioners only, and should not be prescribed by those who do not have a medical training.

Sophia Books Hillside House, The Square Forest Row, RH18 5ES

www.rudolfsteinerpress.com

Published by Rudolf Steiner Press 2012

First published in English by Rudolf Steiner Press in 1978 and reprinted 1982. Translated from French by F.L. Wheaton and G. Douch. This edition has been edited, revised and updated by Matthew Barton. Originally published in French under the title Médicine Anthroposophique, Un élargissement de l’art de guérir, by Triades-Éditions, Paris 1972

Translation © Rudolf Steiner Press 2004

The moral right of the author has been asserted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 85584 313 4

Cover by Andrew Morgan Design Typeset by DP Photosetting, Aylesbury, Bucks.

CONTENTS

Foreword by Peter Grünewald

Introduction

PART ONEMAN IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOSOPHY

1. The Four Constituent Elements of the Human Being

Questions put by life—The laws of the mineral world cannot explain life—The etheric forces—Visualizing the etheric forces—Sensitive crystallization—The life of the animal—The interiorization process of the animal—The feeling or astral body—The work of Carrel—The upright posture—Speech and thought— The ego—Man and freedom—The human individual— The connection between the four elements

2. The Human Triad

Threefold man—The physiology of threefoldness—The general distribution of threefoldness—The complexity of the human being—The interaction of the two poles—Experimental confirmation—The pole of life and the pole of death—The metamorphosis of the etheric forces in thought—The two aspects of the metabolic processes—The connection of the astral body to the organism—The relationship of the astral body and the ego—Consciousness opposed to life

3. Health and Disease

Consciousness and illness—Displacement of the nerve-sense pole towards the lower pole—Its action on the physical body—Health: an unstable equilibrium—Displacement towards the upper pole—The effects of premature intellectuality—Deceptive symptoms—Normal reactions at the wrong time—The search for the cause of illness—Treating the cause, not the symptoms—An example: pneumonia—Medicine: an education in thought—The importance of psychological factors

4. Hysteria and Neurasthenia

The constituent elements at the upper and lower poles—Action of the upper complex on the organism— The hysterical tendency—The neurasthenic tendency— The origin of these tendencies—Migraine—How to avert a migraine—The danger from analgesics—Migraine treatment in depth—Diversity of the organism’s reactions—Sclerosis—The three modes of symptom development—Therapeutic proof—Avoiding the snare of a too rigorous classification—Treatment of hysteria—Albuminuria—Treatment of neurasthenia—Treatment of cramps—Argentum and phosphor

5. Sleeping and Waking

Insomnia: a significant illness—The rhythm of sleep— The ego and the astral body during sleep—Why do we sleep?—Causes of insomnia—Necessity for thorough history-taking—The treatment of insomnia—The role of cold—Digestive factors—Insomnia of the neurasthenic and its treatment—Insomnia of hysteria and its treatment—The snare of hypnotics—The treatment of insomnia in infancy and old age—Insomnia and materialism

6. Inflammation and Sclerosis

Characteristics of inflammation—Connections with the constituent elements—Fever and inflammation—Ageing and hardening—The processes of consciousness, the cause of ageing—The polarity of inflammation and sclerosis—Apis and Belladonna—Why are plants poisonous?—Astral processes in Belladonna—Belladonna and inflammation—Treatment of inflammation—The control of fever—How antibiotics work—Sclerosis—The processes of the birch—Its therapeutic applications—Lead in sclerosis

PART TWOTHE STAGES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

7. From Birth to the Age of Seven

Man is rich in potential—The seven-year developmental periods—Heredity and individuality— The proportions of the newly born—The role of the head—Forces of growth and imitation—The importance of surroundings and environment—Breast feeding—Growth and the composition of milk—Digestion in the nursing child—Meat and eggs—The pole of digestion and movement—Standing upright and walking—Speech—Thought—First dentition—Appearance of the ego—Bodily proportions at seven years—Predisposition to illness—Rickets—Vitamin D—Large and small heads—Scarlet fever and measles—Treatment of measles—Treatment of scarlet fever—Whooping cough—The psychological factors in whooping cough—Treatment of whooping cough

8. From Seven to Fourteen Years of Age

Metamorphosis of the etheric forces—Dyslexia— Neither too much nor too little intellectual activity—Development of the emotional life—The emotional life before seven years—The education of the emotions— The ego towards the ninth year—Movement and consciousness—Chorea, or St Vitus’ Dance—Treatment of chorea—Rheumatic fever and its treatment—Scoliosis and kyphosis—Prevention and treatment of scoliosis—Puberty

9. From Fourteen to Twenty-One Years of Age

The birth of the astral body—Man and animal—Chlorosis and its treatment—Tuberculosis— Predeliction of tuberculosis for the lung—The role of light—Treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis—The birth of the ego

PART THREETHE FOUR CARDINAL ORGANS

10. The Lung

The earth organ—Asthma—Asthma and tuberculosis—Asthma and the exudative diatheses—Asthma and bronchitis—Treatment of asthma—Hay fever and allergy—The treatment of hay fever—The difference between hay fever and asthma—The role of the lung in the mind and emotions—The melancholic temperament—Psychosis in relation to the lung—Treatment of depressive psychoses

11. The Liver

The liver, organ of life—The metabolic centre—The hot pole—Problems of water metabolism—Problems of biliary function—Gallstones—New medicines— Hepatodoron—Choleodoron—Tin—Liver and temperament—The fear of life—Hepatic psychoses and their treatment

12. The Kidneys

The mysterious imbalance—An astral organ—An arterial organ—Humanization of proteins—Kidney radiation and its treatment—Excretory problems and their treatment—Excess kidney radiation—The problem of salt—Oedema—Treatment of over-powerful kidney radiation—Chronic nephritis and its treatment—The suprarenals—Infectious processes and their treatment—Kidney stones and their treatment— The kidneys and the life of feeling—The kidney temperament—Schizophrenia—Treatment of renal psychosis

13. The Heart

The role of the heart in circulation—Blood and nerve—Diastole and systole—Changes in rhythms—Pulse and respiration—Origin of heart conditions—Conditions arising from over-active metabolism—An example—Infectious illnesses—Treatment of conditions of metabolic dominance—Conditions caused by nerve-sense dominance—Heart rhythms and cosmic rhythms—The arrhythmias—Paroxysmal tachycardia—Emotional tachycardia—Thyrotoxicosis and its treatment—The centre of the heat organism— The heart and the element fire—The heart and temperament—The cardiac psychosis—Cardiac neurosis—Treatment of cardiac neuroses and psychoses—Summary of treatment of heart conditions—Getting beyond the schemas—The various fears

PART FOURSOME SPECIAL PROBLEMS

14. The Problem of Cancer

The five aspects of the problem—Normal growth— Arndt’s experiments—Carrel’s experiments—Changes of balance with age—The metamorphosis of the etheric forces—Incomplete metamorphosis—The islets of organization—Cancer and schizophrenia—Inflammation, sclerosis and cancer—Cancer, an ectopic sense organ—The catastrophe of form—Traumatic influences—Psychological factors—The virus problem—The tumour: the beginning of the last stage—Localizing factors—Druckrey’s experiments—Chemical substances in digestion—The idea of a weak spot—The stages of the disease—The symptoms of the pre-cancerous state—The importance of early diagnosis—The second and third stages—The incubation period—Treatment of cancer—Classic treatments—Mistletoe—The importance of its method of preparation—Research into mistletoe—The results of treatment with Iscador—Action on the metamorphosis of the etheric forces—The role of the psyche—Additional treatments—Early treatment, the vital factor in cure—The role of education in the prevention of cancer

15. The Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle and the ego—An interiorized lunar rhythm—The two phases of the cycle—Pathological tendencies—Excessive proliferation—Excessive breakdown—Amenorrhoea—Primary amenorrhoea— Amenorrhoea caused by an overactive etheric— Treatment of menorrhagia—Treatment of hypomenorrhoea—Dysmenorrhoea and its treatment—Treatment of amenorrhoea

16. Diseases of the Skin

Threefoldness of the skin—Skin, a nerve-sense organ— The metamorphosis of the growth forces—Rhythmic processes—Metabolic functions—Metabolic problems—The dry dermatoses—Problems of rhythmic dysfunction—Warts—Skin and the internal organs— The polarity of the skin and the liver—Exudative diatheses and their treatment—The function of demineralization—The treatment of dry dermatoses— The treatment of pruritis—The treatment of psoriasis—Acne—Mycoses—Wounds and burns—External applications

Postscript

Note on the Pharmaceutical Preparations

Notes

Further Reading

Foreword

by Dr Peter Grünewald

In the early years of the twentieth century a group of doctors and medical students asked Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian scientist and philosopher, to develop a holistic approach to illness and the art of healing that encompassed the human being’s spiritual, emotional and physical existence. As a result Rudolf Steiner gave a series of lectures on illness, health and the art of healing from a spiritual and holistic perspective. Applying the methods of scientific and philosophical research to the spiritual dimension of the human being and the natural world, he collaborated with doctors to develop a system of medicine which has always regarded itself as an extension of mainstream medicine rather than an alternative. The method of diagnosis and therapy Steiner developed looks at the human being as a body, mind and spirit unity within the context of the person’s social environment. It tries to help patients find a personal understanding of the meaning of chronic illness as a vehicle for spiritual growth and personal transformation, empowering them where possible to overcome illness or otherwise integrate illness into their life in a meaningful way.

One of the aims of treatment can be to help the patient find a stronger relationship to his/her own inner self. It can facilitate the development of new, creative personal and social skills, and—if the patient wishes—enable him/her to develop inner freedom, self-determination and a caring approach to others and to life in general. In this context the art of healing can come to support the process of individual human development, whereby partial tendencies of our personality are integrated into the wholeness of our human experience.

Together with Dr Ita Wegman, one of the physicians close to him, Rudolf Steiner wrote and published a book called Fundamentals of Therapy: an Extension to the Art of Healing (now published under the title of Extending Practical Medicine).

Dr Wegman founded a clinic for inpatients and outpatients at Arlesheim, Switzerland, where doctors and a dedicated team of therapists have continued to practise the methods of anthroposophical medicine to this day, treating patients with chronic physical illnesses. This clinic, which is close to the Goetheanum—the general headquarters of the anthroposophical movement and the ‘School of Spiritual Science’ in Dornach—has now developed into a teaching clinic for anthroposophical medicine.

This medical system was one of the earliest to adopt a holistic approach, and it remains one of the most comprehensive to this day. Steiner always insisted that his medical approach should only be practised by or in cooperation with conventionally qualified doctors since his intention was to extend the art of medicine rather than substitute something quite different.

Worldwide and especially in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, more than a thousand general practitioners and consultants practise anthroposophical medicine. In free independent practice and in a number of hospitals and clinics, they are an integrated part of mainstream health care systems. There is also a university, Herdecke in Witten, Germany, as well as a number of teaching hospitals and training centres encompassing nearly all existing medical specialisms.

In Britain, some anthroposophical doctors work in private practice, some in the National Health Service, some in Steiner schools, and others in homes for children with special needs. There are two clinics providing anthroposophical medicine in the UK and there are many more in other parts of the world.

In Britain this type of medicine is regulated by the Anthroposophical Health Council, a self-regulatory organization for anthroposophical health professionals, which promotes education, training and quality assurance for its members.

One branch of anthroposophical medicine is devoted to therapeutic work with children and adolescents with learning or emotional and behavioural difficulties. In Britain and many other countries there is a large number of special needs residential schools. The approach adopted integrates care, education and medicine/therapy in a mutually enhancing, holistic way.

Anthroposophical medicine is a very comprehensive system, which encompasses a number of diagnostic and therapeutic methods and principles. Some of the more important ones are touched on in this book by Victor Bott.

Rudolf Steiner, in creating his system of medicine, drew on Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s scientific research method. Goethe’s writings on natural science are very little known, but in his studies on light, colour, botany, meteorology and human anatomy he developed a method of research that can help open a spiritual dimension in our experience of nature and the human being. Goethe’s method is less an analytical than a synthetic one. Rather than immediately judging the content of our perceptions, his approach allows the objects and phenomena of nature—such as the development of a plant or the changes of the clouds of the sky—to live within the human soul and sensibility, so that the changing images produced in us in this way develop, unfold and metamorphose in time. Experiencing this waxing and waning of organic life within the human soul allows the marrying of two opposite poles of human nature: active observation and exact sensorial imagination. Goethe called this new skill and research tool Anschauende Urteilskraft, which very loosely translated means ‘the power of intuitive judgement drawing on creative perception’. This refers, in other words, to our ability to come to insights by experiencing the content of perception in a dynamic way.

In applying this inner activity to researching organic nature one learns to experience the development of organic life in fundamental polarities, such as birth and death, waxing and waning, light and darkness, straight line and curve, etc.

Metamorphosis of organic life appears to result from a struggle between opposite form tendencies—such as straight line and curve. One can, for example, see this in the polarity between sperm and ovum or, in the plant, between upward-striving vertical tendencies (stem) and outspreading horizontal tendencies (leaf). The imaginative capacities of the human soul partake in this interplay of opposites and learn to inwardly recreate the world of natural phenomena, instead of just researching the dead products of life. This is, broadly, the difference between an understanding derived from dissection and anatomy and one which enters into the dynamic of living processes. In experiencing life as an organic development in time, nature’s laws and synthesizing forces can reveal themselves in a different manner, allowing the researcher to participate inwardly in the process of creation. Applied to researching the human constitution in illness and health, this method offers the researcher insights that complement modern scientific research. The same method applied to the human mind and emotions leads us to an understanding of human soul life between the polarities of cognition (perception, concept and image formation) and activity (force instinct, desire, drive).

This polarity between intellectual onlooker consciousness and active intuitive involvement in changing the world or satisfying our physical and emotional needs is mediated by our feelings and emotions. These themselves live within the polarity of sympathy, which embraces the world and stimulates activity, and antipathy, which creates an emotional distance and helps us to be awake and attentive in our cognition. (Steiner’s use of these two terms is far broader and less subjectively coloured than our common understanding of them. He sees sympathy and antipathy as fundamental forces imbuing all our activity in both conscious and unconscious ways.)

Anger and fear are also a polarity within human emotions, as are the feelings of courage and devotion. One can even speak of cold emotions and feelings, which create distance and thus support cognition, and warm/hot emotions and feelings, which can lead to will activity.

Mental health is therefore the ability to keep these extreme poles within a dynamic balance. Its absence can lead to illnesses in which one pole is predominant, such as the cognition pole in symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, phobia, anxiety disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, etc. On the other hand, the activity pole is predominant in conditions or symptoms such as ADHD, hyperactivity mania, delusions, and uncontrolled anger with aggression and violence.

Our feelings and emotions, which are based organically on the activity of the rhythmic system (breathing and circulation), balance the cognition process, which is based on the activity of the nerve-sense system (CNS), and the will processes which are based on the metabolic-limb system.

These concepts arise from an overall view in anthroposophical medicine that the human being can be regarded as having a threefold nature, related to the basic human functions of thinking, feeling and will. The author develops the organic aspects of human threefoldness in his second chapter ‘The Human Triad’ and lays herewith one of the foundations for a holistic and dynamic understanding of illness and health.

The rhythmic system, in balancing the opposite, polar functions of the other two systems described above, is inherently health-creating. It is thus evident that healing processes require a strengthening of this rhythmic system (see Chapter 3, ‘Health and Disease’).

Careful observation of patients with organic conditions will show that physical illness usually goes hand-in-hand with a distinct alteration of consciousness—such as weakness of the will and indecisiveness in acute or chronic liver disease; the swing between lethargy and over-emotionality in some forms of kidney disease; a tendency to obsessive thoughts or repetition in some forms of degenerative lung diseases; a tendency to delusions during the inflammatory and exudative phase of pulmonary tuberculosis; feelings of existential anxiety and abnormal conscience in some forms of heart disease, etc. (See Part Three, ‘The Cardinal Four Organs’, Chapters 10, 11, 12 and 13.) These emotional and psychological expressions of physical ailments have been well researched by writers, for example the pulmonary tuberculosis that figures in Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain.

At a physical level illnesses can be regarded as a disturbance of the dynamic functional balance of the three systems described above.

A predominance of the anabolic, warmth-creating and dynamic functions of the metabolic system can express itself in the tendency towards inflammatory illnesses and fever.

A predominance of the catabolic, cooling, form-creating and movement-inhibiting tendencies of the nerve-sense system can lead to degenerative ‘cold’ illnesses, like arteriosclerosis, cancer, lithiasis (stone-formation tendencies) constipation and other metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and gout, etc.

Some illnesses are combinations of both tendencies of inflammation and degeneration, such as in chronic rheumatism, pulmonary tuberculosis or chronic hepatitis. (See Chapter 6, ‘Inflammation and Sclerosis’.)

It is the task of anthroposophical medical research to explore the relationship between nature and the human being in illness and health. The research method of Goethe outlined above is one of the central tools to do this. The work of exploring the relationship between man and nature was done prior to Rudolf Steiner by Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), the famous Swiss physician and pharmacologist. He delved into ancient spiritual wisdom with a modern scientific consciousness, relating to the connection and interrelation between nature (macrocosm) and man (microcosm). By applying his scientifically trained mind to this research, he obtained a number of deep insights into the relationship between certain minerals, metals or plants and human illness and consciousness. These insights led to the production of natural remedies and their application in moderating and healing patients’ ailments.

Although Steiner’s research is not based on Paracelsus’ insights, they agree with each other in many areas. Anthroposophical medicine, like the medical system of Paracelsus, also distinguishes a fourfold structure of the human being (see Chapter 1, ‘The Four Constituent Elements of the Human Being’). The fourfold system, as distinct from the threefold system described earlier, is as follows.

Firstly, there is the physical body which is filled out by the material substances of the natural world.

Secondly, the human being has a ‘body’ of life forces, the so-called etheric body, which he has in common with the plant world. The life forces, known as etheric forces, operate through the medium of water—hence life is dependent on water. Life forces cannot work without it, e.g. seeds will not germinate without water. In the human being the etheric body is responsible for regeneration of the human organization, which is affected by exhausting and illness-creating stimuli from within (strong, sometimes destructive emotions, such as anger, fear, anxiety) and from without (e.g. environmental influences, poor nutrition and toxins). In sleep the regenerating activity of the etheric organization is predominant. During waking these forces are partly transformed into consciousness, such as memory, concept formation, etc. This leads to a tiring of the human organization during waking along with the need to regenerate again in sleep (see Chapter 5, ‘Sleeping and Waking’). The etheric body contains formation and growth forces for the human organs. These forces are transformed into consciousness, and during early childhood become the organic base for the concept-forming process within the brain. The etheric body sustains memory, routine and habit formation. A flexible routine can help to recreate new life forces, which in turn sustain health.

Thirdly, the human being possesses a ‘body’ of soul forces which rules, informs and structures the physical and etheric in such a way that these become capable of sensation and feeling. The human being has this third feature in common with the animals. In contradistinction to plants it gives them movement and the ability to experience sensations. This body is called the astral body, and the so-called astral forces operate as consciousness-building forces via the gaseous constituents of the body, i.e. the air or dissolved gases. The astral body is the carrier of emotions, drives, desires and instincts; if these are destructive or too extreme, the human organization can become exhausted and fall ill with time. To stay well, it needs the counterbalance of the etheric organization and the moderating, regulating and balancing effect of the ego, the fourth aspect of the human being (see below).

The fourth part of the human being, and the one which distinguishes us from all the other kingdoms of nature, is the ego. This, as we have seen, endows human beings with individuality. The ego holds the balance between the other forces, particularly the astral and the etheric. The medium through which ego forces can operate is warmth. The ego expresses itself in a number of specific human skills, such as the ability to walk upright, to speak and to reflect, as well as through the ability to develop self-awareness, self-knowledge and increasing self-determination. The ego gradually transforms the forces at work in other parts of human nature and individualizes the influences of inheritance and of the social environment. The ego as bearer of individuality is regarded as the essential kernel of the human being. Illnesses we have experienced can be transformed into skills and abilities through the activity of the ego.

Anthroposophical medicine tries to support individual development by attempting to strengthen the ego as the human being’s innermost nucleus in his striving for developing freedom (self-determination) and empathy. It is ego-orientated—in other words, it helps the ego to balance polarities offerees and extremes, and to gradually transform human nature.

Potentized anthroposophical remedies from the three kingdoms of nature, either as single remedies or in specifically developed composition, as well as herbal (non-potentized) remedies can help bring about transformation of the (sick) human constitution.

A number of anthroposophical remedy compositions for specific conditions, such as the treatment of migraine digestive disorders, liver disease, etc., as well as remedies for the treatment of mental illness, were either developed by doctors and pharmacists in cooperation with Rudolf Steiner or have been based on his research.

These anthroposophical remedies seem to stimulate and strengthen the ego in its attempt to overcome the one-sidedness of the human constitution. Instead of suppressing symptoms they stimulate the development of new personal and human skills. At the end of a successful treatment cycle for a chronic condition, over several weeks or months patients often remark that they not only feel better in themselves but feel much more in charge of their own life. They frequently seem able to deal with adverse life circumstances more creatively and no longer feel themselves to be victims of circumstances. Extreme thoughts, emotions and fixed pathological habits can be lifted into consciousness and, if wished, be transformed. Symptoms of physical illness can be moderated and sometimes even overcome.

In this book, Victor Bott, gives a systematic introduction to anthroposophical medicine. In Part One, he outlines the basic constituents of the human being, and shows how a dynamic understanding of them provides insight into the diagnosis of illness and what is the most effective therapeutic intervention. Thus, for example, he introduces elements of an understanding of the human constitution in its one-sidedness or disharmonies that lead to a predisposition to developing particular diseases. He shows how these insights aid in the understanding of the nature and treatment of insomnia, and also of inflammation and sclerosis (two polar conditions).

Part Two consists of an introduction to the development of the human being during his/her first 21 years of life. In each of the three seven-year periods, outlined in Chapters 7, 8 and 9, the young human being needs different challenges and different means of support for his/her cognitive, emotional, will and moral development. The child’s consciousness is reflected in his/her parallel physical development.

A disturbing influence arising from the physical and social environment and/or from the inherited forces can either lead to the characteristic illnesses of this age group or to particular diseases later on in life. Some of these illnesses, their treatment, and also their meaning, i.e. possible beneficial effects in human development, are discussed.

Part Three introduces the four main organ systems—lung, liver, kidney and heart—as connected with the four basic constitutional elements, and shows how they underlie both physical and mental illness. Looking at the relationship between organ processes and health, and human temperament and consciousness, Dr Bott examines specific organic illnesses as well as specific mental health problems, such as schizophrenia, mania and depression.

Part Four concludes this book by introducing an extended understanding of the causes underlying constitutional factors leading to conditions like cancer, disturbances of the menstrual cycle and diseases of the skin. The implications for therapeutic interventions extending conventional approaches are outlined.

Victor Bott’s book is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the principles behind anthroposophic medicine, allowing the reader to gain a deeper insight into the nature of the human being, and of illness and health from a holistic point of view.

Peter Grünewald

April 2004

INTRODUCTION

‘So that all the paths which lead to goodness should not be closed.’

Solzhenitsyn

The art of healing has always reflected man’s ideas of his own nature. Modern medicine has thus been strongly influenced by the materialistic thought of the nineteenth century, tending to regard the human organism as a sort of test tube in which certain processes analogous to laboratory experiments take place. But the practitioner called to his patient’s bedside knows that this way of looking at things is inadequate, in the face of day-to-day reality. Perhaps we can consider this as demonstrating that our scientific picture of man is incomplete. This book aims to recreate this picture and widen our conception of the human being, so as to create an art of healing more in harmony with tangible human reality—a medicine really able to encompass that reality.

This wider picture of man has already been given to us by Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. The practical results he obtained in spheres as diverse as agriculture, the art of education and medicine vouch for the validity of the path he pursued. Anthroposophy is a way of knowledge which can be followed with the same rigour as that of modern scientific research.

When beginning the study of anthroposophy one is struck by the link, or synthesis, it creates between disparate human disciplines. For example, is it not surprising to find a link between two fields as divergent as geology and medicine? Yet, if we consider that earth and man have evolved together, we can understand more readily why certain rocks provide a basis for a remedy for an organ which began to develop during the same epoch as that rock. We shall find other examples of this kind later.

We are all familiar with the amazing technical progress that the modern development of the intellect has brought about. But this intellectual discipline can itself sometimes hamper development of a sound knowledge of man and the universe. We find it hard to be unprejudiced in the spheres that lie outside our weighing, measuring and reckoning, for we have all become so accustomed from our school days to think in terms of physics, chemistry and mathematics. To declare that the spheres outside the reach of our physical senses simply do not exist is a dogmatic belief with as little basis as a blind belief in the opposite opinion. In his present state of consciousness Western man has estranged himself from the idea of a spiritual world because he tends to think he can only study objectively what presents itself through the senses.

Rudolf Steiner found other ways of working, and he described them in detail. Through his research in supersensible spheres he has shown, among other things, that man cannot be described as consisting of a physical body only, but that he also has a soul and a spirit. His extensive works include close on six thousand lectures which have nearly all been taken down in shorthand, and many of them published.