A tribute to Edward Christopher Whitmont, M.D. 1912-1998 - Whitmont-an appreciation

-  Misha norland

What's in the inner man that makes him large or small, if it be not his quality of soul? Quality of soul is certainly what Edward Christopher Whitmont had. Add to that a great mind, interested in everything and everyone, a vast storehouse of knowledge and the means with which to express it, and you have some measure of the man. He came out of Austria to America, an immigrant Jew, carrying with him the intellectual riches of a culture which had been all but totally dismembered and holocausted. He confided in me that he never felt fully 'at home' in America, much as he appreciated its beauty and the many friends he had there.
 His genius was evident in his work, as a therapist and as a writer. Those who knew him will miss the personal touch and the wit that he brought to any situation. Yet within the pages of his books, filled as the later ones are with anecdotes and details of life experiences, you may find him. Books which cover major themes of humankind: the soul's integration, in The Symbolic Quest; the feminine, in Return of the Goddess; alchemy; dreams; healing; homœopathy. Whitmont felt that he had a duty to write, in the sense of 'offering up '-and boy, didn't he do a good job!
 It is a quality of greatness to beget greatness while retaining humility, and this he did
 It is a quality of greatness to beget greatness while retaining humility, and this he did, about his far from modest achievements. Entering his living room, shelved in books and a friendly jumble of objects-driftwood, feathers, stones, family photos, and paintings-you notice that the dominant feature is the grand piano. Whitmont had set his early career sights upon being a concert performer, but changed direction when he realised that this was not his greatest talent. It is evident that he delighted in far ranging interests and philosophical enquiry. He was always fascinated with other people's quirkiness, honouring what made them that way, and working with them towards unfolding their potential. And towards this end homœopathy came in, helping to usher out the old and stale when the time was ripe.
 Perhaps his supreme achievement was as a clinician and teacher, for here he worked with a master's subtlety and boundless enthusiasm. When I told him that Psyche and Substance had been a required book for students at the School of Homœopathy since we began in 1981, he was amazed. Why, he wanted to know, had we selected it when he had written it so long ago, before he knew better? Better than what, I had asked. He laughed.
 Whitmont passed on an assignment to me, to write a book in the vein of 'substance signature'. I am personally dismayed that he has left this Earthly plane before I could set the first drafts before him. Yet I feel privileged to have known him, albeit briefly; privileged to have rested upon the bow of his wisdom and enjoyed the sparkle of his humour and insights, impish and always compassionate. I shall remember the spring in his gait and his intelligence with joy, and I expect to continue to draw upon his inspiration upon the 'formative' plane!
 Misha Norland, FSHom, is the Founder and Director of The School of Homeopathy, Devon, England. For information on his Flexible Learning Program in North America, call (203) 624-8783; for the Attendance Program in New York, call (212) 570-2576.
 By Catherine R. Coulter
 With the passing of Dr. Christopher Whitmont, Homoeopath and Jungian Analyst, the homoeopathic community has lost one of the pioneering minds of this century. At a time when homoeopathy was at its lowest ebb, struggling to survive in a world of modern ("miracle") drugs, Dr. Whitmont infused new life into the discipline by bringing to bear his knowledge of the occult and traditional sciences, together with his Jungian insights, on homoeopathic reasoning and the Materia Medica.
 Through his writings, teachings, and seminars, Dr. Whitmont was able to guide others to an understanding of the concepts of healing as profound as his own, in this way serving as an inspiration to many younger homoeopaths. Significantly, his prime commitment was to the personal growth of both patient and physician. He was not one to focus attention on himself as master or leading light, but always he pointed to the truths he was propounding-and to the necessity of continuing to search for the highest methods of healing.
 A rare intellect has passed away. Those who were fortunate to have heard Christopher Whitmont lecture will always remember his keen reasoning powers and novel ideas; and, above all, his masterly ability to tie in the different branches of scientific knowledge with homoeopathic philosophy. But even for those who were not privileged to know or hear him personally, his legacy lives on in his written works-as well in his powerful example of an ever-active, ever-questioning, pioneering human spirit.
 By Maesimund B. Panos, M.D.
 Ifirst met this remarkable man in a remarkable way-demonstrating his principle of synchronicity. In March 1948 my mother and I were visiting New York City, and she became very ill. I had read Dr. Whitmont's paper on Natrum muriaticum and boldly went to his downtown office to ask his help. He said he would come to her hotel room as soon as his office hours were completed, and so he did. He also made several follow-up visits when we moved to a friend's apartment in Parkchester in the Bronx.
 Christopher was a student of Jung, and in later years his practice moved more into psychoanalysis than clinical medicine. He told me once of visiting Carl Jung, and interesting him, to a degree, in homeopathic medicine.
 It was Christopher who encouraged my dubious ambition to undertake medical training, who introduced me to Dr. Hubbard and many other classical homeopaths, and who finally pushed me into becoming a preceptee of Julia Minerva Green, M.D. , in Washington, DC.
 A fond memory is of a visit to the Whitmont home, where I took Christopher to task for not publishing his collected papers in book form. Said he, "I really don't have time for that, and besides, with experience, I've changed some of my ideas." Said I, "If I can collect all your papers and have them typed up in editing format, will you edit them so we can bring out a book?" Said he, "I'll try." Well, it was quite a task, but a pleasant one, and the book was eventually published.
 Is it any wonder that after a warm friendship of 50 years, I honor this remarkable man? 

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