Supplementary memorandum by Mr Don Harrison,
Principal, British Institute for Allergy and Environmental Therapy
I am grateful for the opportunity to offer additional
material to the Committee as a number of the questions that I
was not asked to answer at the meeting are within my sphere of
interest and knowledge.
I am a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
of Great Britain, having a degree in pharmacy; a graduate Member
of the British Psychological Society, with an honours degree in
psychology. I have worked in community pharmacy, holistic medicine
and homoeopathic pharmacy since 1954.
I trained extensively in physical therapy, psychotherapy,
kinesiology, use of the Vegadevice, Bowen therapy and NLP, and
have worked for the past 30 years as an holistic allergy therapist
and homeopathic pharmacist, during which time developing holistic
techniques for allergy identification and treatment. As Founder
and Principal of the British Institute for Allergy and Environmental
Therapy, I believe that if I briefly describe the work of the
Institute this will answer, in context, many of the questions
that were raised by the Committee in relation to alternative and
complementary therapy.
During the development of the techniques used
by members of the Institute in the identification and treatment
of allergic conditions, a number of testing techniques were evaluated.
These included the tests commonly used in NHS allergy clinics
as well as the Vega test and Applied Kinesiology (Muscle testing).
It was found that, of these, Applied Kinesiology
was the most simple, inexpensive, comfortable and accurate test
in the hands of a trained practitioner, and the most easily understood
by the patient, including children.
Treatments were developed along homoeopathic/isopathic
lines, and these treatments are matched with the results obtained
from the testing procedure. The remedies used are prepared using
the techniques of homoeopathic pharmacy, the starting point being
a sample of the offending allergen in each case, usually prepared
and succussed to a dilution of 100-30.
The difference between a homoeopathic and an
isopathic remedy is not one of substance but one of prescribing.
Homoeopathic medicines are prescribed following an examination
of the symptoms presented by the patient, and an attempt is made
to match those symptoms to the "symptom picture" of
the remedy according to the Materia Medica whereas Isopathic remedies
are prescribed by identifying the causative agent and matching
the remedy to this as an oral immunization.
Following the initial treatment, a re-test and
consideration of changes in symptomatology indicates the progress
of treatment and following the re-test further treatment is given
if required, dealing with the offending allergens in a logical
progression, the aim being to normalise the patient's response
to potential allergens.
Because allergies are caused by a number of
different physiological reactions, and are exacerbated by stress,
by dietary insufficiencies of vitamins and minerals and genetic
absence of certain enzymes, attention is also paid to correct
functioning of glandular systems, the effect of mercury amalgam,
residual bacteria, viruses, yeasts and other parasites and a number
of other factors. The patient is encouraged to make beneficial
lifestyle changes if necessary in order to reduce both physical
and emotional stress.
The Institute is a group of some 300 like-minded
therapists drawn from the medical, nursing, pharmaceutical, osteopathic,
chiropractic, homoeopathic, herbal, nutrition and other health
professions, many dedicated to allergy work, but some who practice
allergy work in addition to their original orientation.
As an estimate, at least 2,000 patients are
treated annually.
Admission to the Institute membership is by
Diploma Course and examination. The members are regulated by a
code of ethics based on that of the British Complementary Medicine
Association, and all carry professional liability insurance. There
is a complaints procedure available to patients, who have easy
access to the Institute if needed. The Institute has been in existence
since 1987 and has dealt with only three complaints in that time,
all minor and all satisfactorily resolved.
Patients are mainly drawn from those whose mainstream
treatment has been less than satisfactory, are either self referred,
or referred by their GP.
A system of Continuing Professional Development
is in place.
It is believed that the cost of treatment as
outlined is affordable by most patients and that the total cost,
which may be funded by health insurance, is usually of the order
of £100 to £150 and represents a fraction of the cost
of allergy treatment as undertaken by the NHS.
12 March 2007
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