Ep 479: Special therapeutics of Bruce Barwell - with Mary Glaisyer

Some homeopaths leave a lasting impression not only through their own work, but through the people and ideas they pass on, and Mary Glaisyer has certainly had that experience with Bruce Barwell. A former lecturer and longtime homeopath from New Zealand, Mary shares her memories of working alongside Bruce and the unusual way he approached cases and remedies. We talk about her book The Special Therapeutics of Bruce Barwell, how it brings together his clinical insights, and some of the lesser-known remedies featured in it. Mary also shares her own journey into homeopathy and how, at 74, she found a new outlet for her love of laughter and storytelling through stand-up comedy.

Episode Highlights:
03:10 - Mary's Journey into Homeopathy
05:41 - Mary's Move to New Zealand
06:52 - Bruce Barwell: A Phenomenon
09:19 - Learning from Bruce
12:25 - Bruce's Generosity and Success
14:49 - Bruce's Teaching Style
17:38 - The Legacy of Bruce Barwell
19:10 - Sources of Information for the Book
22:25 - Unique Remedies and Insights
25:49 - Desmodium for Kidney Stones
29:12 - ADHD Remedies
31:05 - Pulsatilla for Torsion
35:07 - PMS Treatment
39:47 - Comedy at 74
45:29 - Protocol for Treating Broken Bones

About my Guests:
Mary Glaisyer graduated from the College of Homeopathy in London in 1986 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1988. She settled in Nelson, where she has been practising homeopathy ever since. She has also taught at several homeopathic colleges in New Zealand. She is the author of The Special Therapeutics of Bruce Barwell and Homeopathy for Childbirth. While passionate about homeopathy, Mary also believes in the power of laughter to promote health. That is why, at the age of 74, she became a stand-up comedian and storyteller, a role she has continued for the past six years.

Who was Bruce Barwell?
Bruce was an influential New Zealand homeopath and polymath. He was originally a journalist who went to India to train to be a homeopath. He was President of the New Zealand Homeopathic Society for the 13 years before his death and edited its journal Homeopathica. He worked for 35 years in his clinic in down town Auckland latterly assisted by his wife Ruth. He treated many thousands of patients in his lifetime which ended in 2008 at the age of 67.

My time with Bruce Barwell
I sat in with Bruce at his clinic in the early 90’s. I was there for 5 days. I met Bruce and Ruth at a conference at the Bay of Plenty College of homeopathy and tentatively asked if I could sit in with him. I was very fortunate to be able to do this as he rarely allowed anyone to sit in with him. Bruce was just lovely with his patients but to homeopaths he could be aloof and sometimes acerbic. Bruce suggested that I stay at a pub (which turned out to be very noisy) near to his clinic. He told me that I should turn up at his clinic in time for the first patient at 7am. This I did but after a couple of days I got an awful head ache – the early start and no breakfast – I asked if I could come in a bit later. Bruce and Ruth worked out of a tiny clinic in an old building with an antiquated lift. I think you took your life in your hands when you got in that lift! When I arrived Ruth was in her position in the waiting room behind her desk and Bruce reading behind an open door. “Go in” said Ruth. I thought it better to wait until summoned. I was very impressed by Bruce’s success rate using the most unusual remedies. He did not repertorise in the conventional way but drew on his prodigious memory of Materia Medica to prescribe.

What led me to compile “The Special Therapeutics of Bruce Barwell”?
I was aware that Bruce had used many remedies successfully that were unusual and that if noone did a compilation then this knowledge would be lost. I contacted the NZ Homeopathic Society and they were keen that I should take the job on. I remember that my husband had a kidney stone that was causing him considerable pain as it passed down the ureter. He was told that if he had not passed it within 3 more weeks he would have to have an operation. I rang Bruce up and Bruce sent down Desmodium Styracifolium 6x to be taken twice a day for a while. My husband did not need the operation as he sieved his urine and found tiny fragments of stone in it. Desmodium is a herb used in Chinese medicine and it is not yet available in potency. I thought the homeopathic community should know about Desmodium. It would be great if a pharmacy would make up this remedy so the world could use it, and the other remedies that only Bruce used, so I set about trying to bring the information together. One would think that patients’ notes might be a useful source but that was not to be. I knew what his notes were like having sat in with him and they were something like this: name of patient, address, phone number, name of the patient’s cat ( so he could ask after it at subsequent interviews) name of condition and remedies given – no indication of the reasons for giving the remedy or how the patient responded. So my sources were his published writing, cassette tape recordings of lectures to the homeopathic society, some private correspondence, notes that students made of his lectures and some things that Bruce told me himself.

How long did the work take you?
5 years. This was because it stalled for quite some time. I found it a chore. The fact that it ever got finished was owing to a woman I met to whom I confided my frustration and difficulty in getting down to the work. She said,” Well can you do something for 20 minutes?”

“Yes” “so just do 20 minutes.” So I did and gradually found the 20 minutes stretching and finally I finished the book. There were some funny moments. I was listening to a taped lecture and Bruce said, “ You may remember at the end of the last session I asked you for your religious affiliation – it turns out that in this group we have 3 Christians, 4 Buddhists, 2 Muslims, 4 humanists and a Sikh ( I am making up the numbers but you get the idea.) There was then a pause. Then Bruce said, “ So we will not be beginning the session with a prayer.”

Another time I was listening to a tape and transcribing it. Bruce asked the group to remind him of a mineral water remedy he had used. There was a silent pause punctuated only by my loud interjection in the privacy of my study. “Skookumchuck” I called out. Then Bruce resumed his lecture, “ No it’s not Skookumchuck” Bruce said drily. I nearly jumped out of my skin!

Some remedies that I have used by referring to the book:
Procaine Pennicillin 200 – available from Simillimum Pharmacy in Wellington. Wonderful for post tooth extraction.Story of gardener.

Bovista – patient after general anaesthetic, feeling flat, no energy, super tired but not sleeping, can’t get to sleep until 1am, wakes 2.30am and takes a while to get back to sleep, coated white tongue. For after anaesthetic he lists: Strontium Carb, Bovista, Carbo Veg and Phosphorus. My patient did not want company nor fresh air. Bovista picked her up very quickly. 

Bruce taught that Pulsatilla isn’t just useful in turning a breech baby in utero but could be used for tortion of any body part – he had success with twisted testicles and I suggested Pulsatilla high to someone whose stomach was twisted – a most unusual thing – they opened her up and found that the stomach had returned to normal.

I have a protocol which I would like to share because it works so well. It’s for broken bones. You do it for a fortnight. I have had nothing but positive feedback for this protocol which you start once the bone has been set.

Symphytum 9. This is Comfrey and the 9th potency recommended by Misha Norland – he said it had an affinity for the etheric. You take this twice a day.

Calc Phos 6x – a tissue salt. This you take twice a day. So you wake up and take a Symphytum, then at about 11am two pills of New Era Calc Phos, then mid afternoon another Symphytum and at bedtime two more pills of Calc Phos.

If you experience pain - Eupatorium Perfoliatum 30. This was Bruce’s suggestion. Story of my husband.

Some protocols may be useful but the way I generally work is to take the case and find the single remedy that the patient needs at that particular time.  Indivdualisation is the keystone of homeopathy. Story of shingles patient.

Find out more about Mary
Website: https://www.maryglaisyer.net/

How to buy the books:
Contact Mary at mary@glaisyer.com
“The Special Therapeutics of Bruce Barwell” $30 plus postage and packing
“ Homeopathy for Childbirth” $10 plus postage and packing. (New Zealand dollars)

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