Dr Edward Bach, a physician and homoeopath, was born in Mosely in 1886. He qualified as a medical practitioner in 1912. Throughout his career, Dr Bach observed that peoples’ personalities and attitudes affected the way they reacted to illness and he became increasingly dissatisfied with conventional medicine, with its emphasis on curing symptoms. He set out in search of a natural type of treatment that addressed the root causes of illness in different types of people.
His own health was never particularly good and he was expected to die in 1917. However, his determination to complete his life’s work led to a complete recovery and enabled him to go on to develop his remedies.
Bach’s flower remedies are very simple but their ability to heal is astounding. They can be given to adults of all ages, children, babies and even plants and animals. Results obtained with very young babies, horses and repotted houseplants confirm that the remedies are not merely placebos.
Personality Types
It was an observation at a dinner party, of people falling into distinct personality types, that led Dr Bach to start developing his flower remedies. Starting with just two plants, Mimulus and Impatiens, he made his first tinctures and effected immediate cures in people according to their personality, as predicted.
Over the years he went on to develop 38 different remedies, and a Rescue Remedy made of a mixture of five of them, for emergency situations. He knew that no further remedies were required, since all the negative states of mind he had identified as being underlying causes of illnesses were now covered. He self treated as he went and finally died in his sleep in 1936, satisfied that his work was complete. He trained others as he worked and his legacy continues to this day. His home, Mount Vernon, in Oxford has become The Bach Centre and its trustees continue with his work, preparing the remedies and training others.
Emotional Condition
The 38 flower remedies don’t treat the symptoms of illness but concentrate upon the emotional condition of the patient. The remedies change negative attitudes into positive ones and stimulate self healing. They can be split into seven groups, according to the emotions that they are associated with:
• Fear
• Uncertainty
• Insufficient interest in present circumstances
• Loneliness
• Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
• Despair
• Over-care for the welfare of others
Each group is subdivided into specific concerns and each remedy is associated with one of them. For example, fear can be divided into: terror, specific everyday fears, fear of losing one’s mind, inexplicable fear and fears for others. These are treated by Rock Rose, Mimulus, Cherry Plum, Aspen and Red Chestnut, respectively.
Simple to Use
Using the remedies is very simple. They are bought as concentrated tinctures preserved in brandy and supplied in glass dropper bottles. Two drops of each required remedy (they can be taken alone or in a mix of up to seven) are either placed directly in the mouth or added to a glass of water and sipped as required. Alternatively, two drops of each remedy can be added to a 30ml bottle of mineral water and four drops of this mixture can then be taken a minimum of four times a day.
The Rescue Remedy is for use in extreme situations, e.g. after bad news, surprises and accidents, before exams or interviews, and is taken differently – 4 drops are placed either straight onto the tongue or into a glass of water and sipped. It is also possible to obtain Rescue Remedy as a spray or skin salve.
The remedies may start to take effect immediately or it may take several weeks for you to notice a change. However, if you have seen no effect after two weeks you may need to consider changing the remedies used in your treatment. If you continue to see no improvement you must consult your doctor.
If you would like to learn more about the individual Bach’s flower remedies, please get in touch with Hygeia’s Herbs We will put you in touch with a qualified Bach’s practitioner who will be delighted to help.