Dr. R.P. Patel- A Legendary Homoeopath

Dr. R.P. Patel

Homoeopathic fraternity is deeply saddened at the passing away of an Internationally renowned Homoeopathic Physician, who was fondly known as a living Hahnemann in India. A legendary figure in Homoeopathy, Dr. Ramanlal P Patel- passed away on the morning of 25^th December 2019 at Vadodara due to cardiac arrest. His contributions to Homoeopathy are incredible which made Dr. Patel immortal.

Born on 1^st August 1926 in a small village, named Subhanpura, Baroda, Gujarat State, India, he joined Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College in 1947. As a student, he took an active part in the improvement of the college and the hospital.

He cleared D.M.S. of General Council and State Faculty of Homoeopathic Medicine, Calcutta in 1951 to attend Post-Graduate course at Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital, London England.

He worked in Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital, Glasgow, under Dr. T.D. Ross, Dr. Boyd and Dr. Paterson. He also attended children Homoeopathic Hospital under the care of Dr. Hactor Machwill, Dr. H.E. Boyd and Dr. Thomas Ferguson Stewart.

In 1952 he went for a Post-Graduate course in Homoeopathy at Robert Bosch Hospital, Stuttgart, where he studied under late Dr. Otto Lesser for 9 months and afterwards visited Homoeopathic Institutions in Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and returned to India in 1954. He also attended Post Graduate course in Homoeopathy conducted by the American Institute of Homoeopathy and American Foundation of Homoeopathy, the U.S.A. in 1962.

He was appointed as Chief Homoeopathic Physician to Fr. Muller's Homoeopathic Hospital, Mangalore in 1954 and was invited to serve the cause of Homoeopathy in Kerala by Late Dr. A. R. Menon, Health Minister of Kerala to take charge of the Athurasramam Homoeopathic Medical College in 1958 as Principal.

He created a three-storey building named ‘Hahnemann House-Meissen’ which resembles Dr. Hahnemann's birthplace in Meissen in its reflection and architecture. Hahnemann's statue stands in the front garden, bust in the waiting hall and portraits in the entrance wall, showing the love and affection toward Dr Hahnemann. I had occasion to visit his clinic and museum at Baroda a few years back along with late Dr. D.P. Rastogi, Former Director Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). We were amazed to see a very rare collection of books, materials pertaining to the history of Homoeopathy.

‘The Art of case taking and practical Repertorisation in Homoeopathy’, ‘My Experiments with 50 Millesimal Scale Potencies’, 'Chronic Miasms their cure and classification of their Repertorial Rubrics in Dr. Kent's Repertory', ‘Dr. Kent's Repertory of Homeopathic Materia Medica and Breast Cancer and it's treatment by Homoeopathy are some of his famous works.

He promoted and propagated Homoeopathy by his masterly writings on Organon, Miasm, Repertory, 50 millesimal potencies. He successfully treated a large number of cases of Cancer with a good success rate and had a long follow of them. The treated cases with evidence-based documents have been preserved at the Kent's Documentation Centre at the museum founded by him.

He was a multifaceted personality. Some of his virtues were commitment, silent worker, pursuing excellence through hard work, sharing attitude, motivator, innovator, a passionate Homoeopath and above all a great human being.

Let the new generation imbibe good qualities for the advancement of Homeopathy.

I salute Late Dr. R.P. Patel a noble soul and karma Yogi who spent his whole life for the cause of Homoeopathy.

‘A great soul concluded his journey for this world and transcended to the next….he shall live in our hearts forever.’

• References

• 1 https://www.homoeotimes.com/april06/html/hahnemann-museum.htm [Last accessed on 2020 Jan 06] 
• 2 Vital Informer, Vol. 28, No. 01, Jan 2020: pg 01