REPORT OF THE 52nd LIGA CONGRESS IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
From Nicholas Nossaman, M.D., D.Ht.*

Attendees from all parts of the world converged in the cosmopolitan city of Seattle, in late May of this year, for the 52nd Congress of the Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis. The Sheraton Hotel, in the heart of the downtown area, provided the gathering place for the international convention of delegates. The Liga annual congress returned to the United States for the first time in a decade, the previous meeting having been in the Washington, D.C. area. It was fortuitous that the meeting coincided with the LMHI presidency of the first woman and the second American to hold that position, Dr. Sandr M. Chase. The meeting was organized and orchestrated by Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, with the help of an able committee headed by Dr. Dean Crothers. The Scientific Committee of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Carles Amengual, Dr. Corrado Bruno, Dr. Diwan Vijay Chand, Dr. Peter Fisher, Dr. Sandra M. Chase and Dr. Jacobs, reviewed numerous papers submitted for presentation at the scientific sessions and fashioned a stimulating program with the participation of the many presenters.

On the morning of May 29th, the Liga President, Dr. Sandra M. Chase, welcomed the delegates and guests to America as she officially convened the meeting, citing the importance of U.S. homœopathy in the development of this wonderful art and science. A lovely musical presentation by the Seattle Girls' Choir was followed by greetings by Maggi Fimia, King County Councilwoman and by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (via video presentation). Comments by Dr. Jacques lmberechts of Belgium–current Prime Vice-President of the Liga and next in line for the Presidency–preceeded the keynote address by Dr. Wayne Jonas. Dr. Jonas, the Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, spoke of "The Future of Complementary and Alternative Medicine".

The formal scientific sessions were convened that same afternoon and continued for the succeeding two and one half days, until noon Sunday. The overall theme of the meeting related to homœopathy and its interface with Public Health, and a number of papers were presented relating to that topic, including studies of outcome measures, cost-effectiveness, relation to Managed Care and homœopathic endeavors in developing countries. The magnesium salts were this year's focus of the materia medica presentations, and a number of papers were presented from the point of view of analysis of commonalities within the magnesium family, as well as descriptions of experiences of the magnesias in individuals' clinical practices.

The delegates heard of the continuing proliferation of clinical studies of the use of homœotherapeutics, in such areas as asthma (studies from the Netherlands and Venezuela), childhood diarrhea, traumatic brain injury, migraine prophylaxis, chemotherapy-induced stomatitis, epidemic conjunctivitis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Other studies focused on the continuation of basic science research into the possible mechanisms of the effects of homœopathic medicines, further demonstration of the basic principle and strategies for design of clinical studies. Results of provings (of Angelica Sinensis [known better as Dong Quai, in Chinese medicine], Pertussis vaccine and Hydrocyanic Acid) and a plan for re-proving (Bryonia) were also presented.

Other topics included individuals' clinical experiences with medicines (Carbo Animalis, the Ranunculaceae group), with specific issues (suppression, the process of transformation and individuation in the patient), with overviews of the homceopathic approach, and with clinical syndromes (naso-respiratory allergies, mental disability, infectious mononucleosis and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease). Also presented at the congress were historical topics-regarding the roots of the Liga itself, of homœopathy's roots in America, and a recounting of Hahnemann's rejection of polypharmacy. It was exciting and enjoyable for me to see once again, representatives from all parts of the planet, together in this conference, from England, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scotland, Greece, Germany, India, Israel, Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico, and many I have probably forgotten to acknowledge.

A majority of the delegates, and their family members who had accompanied them, took a beautiful sunset cruise across the bay to nearby Blake Island, to attend a Salmon bake and a dramatic performance at Tillicum Village, portraying the preservation and respect of Native American values and beliefs, by the tribe who inhabit the island. It provided one of the opportunities for the delegates to mix outside the context of formal presentations, and resulted in the renewal of many acquaintances and formation of new ones. The trip back after dark, with the beautiful Seattle skyline as backdrop, rounded out a beautiful day. On Friday night a special fund-raising event was presented jointly by the American Institute of Homeopathy and the International Foundation for Homeopathy (sponsors of the concurrent Case Conference at a separate location). The event was in honor of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in British Columbia and Homeopathy Without Frontiers, of France.

On Saturday night, the eve of the final day of the congress, in a beautiful banquet room of the hotel, we witnessed downtown Seattle retiring into the dusk, graced by the rich light of a beautiful sunset. This was all the more poignant in view of the weather having been generally rainy and overcast up to that point, and our having been visually insulated from it in the meeting hall. The beauty and excitement of the evening continued in the form of an extraordinarily delicious buffet supper and a performance of tap-dancing by the instructors of a class taken by Dr. Jacobs, who later joined her teachers in two numbers, to the delight of the audience. True to my sentiment that the best homœopathic meetings involve a good dance, the group of delegates and partners responded enthusiastically to the tunes of a versatile and talented musical group, the Fred Schactler band, who repeatedly reminded us they were enjoying themselves as much as we were. The evening ended with members of the Brazilian contingent singing to the informal accompaniment of one of the delegates at the piano, witnessed by those who were reluctant to bid the lovely evening adieu.

Sunday morning was for final presentations, acknowledgements and some last photos of and with colleagues, preserving the moment and looking forward to the next time together, sooner for some and later for others.

The only disappointment was the relatively sparse attendance, compared to other Liga congresses, including limited participation by United States physicians. It seemed to me attributable to the distance of travel involved, the fact that the International Foundation for Homeopathy had their case conference concurrently and a seeming relative indifference to this facet of international homoeopathy, by physicians in the United States.

The next congress of the Liga will be held in the Netherlands, April 25-29, 1998. Stay tuned for the formal announcement and invitation to present papers.

*Nicholas Nossaman, M.D., D.Ht., is a past-President of both the National Center for Homeopathy, a non-profit, public membership organization to promote homeopathy and homeopathic education and the American Institute of Homeopathy, the oldest national medical professional association (1844) in the United States.