First, a bit about the man himself...
Dr. Edward Bach
Dr. Edward Bach pursued his medical studies in London at the University College Hospital, practicing for a time there as a Staff Surgeon, and later working as a General Practitioner, a Bacteriologist and a Pathologist. Yet throughout his career, Dr. Bach found himself increasingly frustrated with the single-minded focus of Western Medicine on the symptoms of disease alone, while ignoring the overall state of the patient.
Seeking a more all-encompassing approach to treatments, the study of Homeopathic medicines attracted his interest for a time. However, he soon found that the information available on the topic at that time was just as complicated as the traditional diagnoses and treatments he was seeking to simplify. Dr. Bach increasingly felt simplicity was key; that if he could but find the 'essence' of the cause of disease he could go directly to that cause and treat it with an equally specific measure. Convinced also that simplicity he was seeking must lie in nature, already the basis of both Holistic and Traditional medicines, he eventually gave up his private practice and devoted himself entirely to searching for a new system of plant based medicines, a study that would take a lifetime.
Dr. Bach was, of course, accused by many of his colleagues of having abandoned scientific methodology, relying instead on intuition and his own natural healing abilities to guide his research. It is known that one of his primary methods was to wait for, or manifest, a particular ailment himself, and then go about testing the effectiveness of a treatment. In this manner he slowly discovered and developed each of the treatment essences one by one, basing each diagnosis on the emotional or mental state of himself or his patients. Dr. Bach soon confirmed that this did more to bring about total relief from his patients' symptoms, rather than merely masking them while leaving the root causes untreated. He'd discovered, tried, tested and developed the exact plant properties that enhanced the inherent healing abilities of the individual, allowing the whole body to naturally correct the 'dis-ease'. Dr. Bach completed the final system of 38 Remedies we know today around 1934, and passed from this world peacefully on November 27th, 1936, leaving behind a true legacy to the Herbal and Holistic communities.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to 's Herbalism topic, please visit the Discussions page.