APPENDIX
Efficacy Research Project for Anthroposophical Medicines
Questionnaire and Interview Questions
This research project is based on the following assumptions, and the first question is to ask to what extent you
agree with these assumptions.
Fundamental Assumptions of this Project
Rudolf Steiner implies that although Spiritual Science can suggest medicines, the doctor's own observations and
experience of their effectiveness are the ultimate criteria of their value. Although every anthroposophical doctor
makes his own observation and experience with the medicines, comparatively little has been done to
systematically gather these observations. Within anthroposophical medicine there is general acceptance that the
physician's own relationship to the substance and the doctor/patient relationship may be therapeutically effective
in themselves, alongside the direct effect of the substance. These are all seen as fully justified aspects of the
healing process, rather than regarded as in some way dubious, which is often implied by the term "placebo
effect". However, while acknowledging that these elements are involved in the healing effect of a medicine, few
would regard them as the sole agents of healing. They would also consider that the medicine has its own effect
in evoking a healing response from the human organism when correctly prescribed.
I fully agree with this statement
I largely agree with this statement but would like to add to it
I feel this statement misses the point somewhat
I consider this statement misses the point substantially
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Please tick the box which is nearest to your view and if you do not fully agree with these assumptions please use
the space below to either add to what has been said or say how you would amend or express your opinion.
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Please use an additional sheet of paper if more space is needed.
The prime task of this project is to identity a list of medicines whose efficacy is most certain, based on the
experience and observations of anthroposophical doctors.
It is common practice with anthroposophical medicine to prescribe more than one medicine for a particular
problem, as well as prescribing compound preparations. This tends to make it more difficult to get a clear
impression of the efficacy of a medicine or of a particular medical substance. In spite of this, practitioners may
have quite definite experiences of the efficacy of specific anthroposophical medicines, possibly through their
having been prescribed singly for a particular condition or where the addition of a particular substance seems to
have quite a dramatic effect. It may also be possible for practitioners to have a degree of certainty about a
particular medicine through prescribing it very frequently, thus being able to observe a reliable effect. It may be
that compared to the number of medicines anthroposophical doctors prescribe, the number of medicines for
which efficacy has been observed with a degree of certainty, may be rather small.
Please list up to ten medicines about which you feel most certain that they are efficacious on the basis of your
experience from patients for whom they have been prescribed. If possible it would be helpful if they were the ten
(or less) that you feel most certain about.
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10……………………………………………………………………………………………
If there are more than ten medicines for which on the basis of experience you have a high degree of certainty
about their efficacy, please add to this list, if possible roughly in order of certainty.
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12……………………………………………………………………………………………
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39……………………………………………40……………………………………………
For each of the medicines that you have listed in your "top ten", please fill in the questions on one of the
following ten sheets. If you have listed more than ten, more sheets will be provided later.
Additional Questions
Are there a number of medicines to which you have either a very strong or fairly strong relationship, but never
directly observed any therapeutic effectiveness?
Yes  No 
If "Yes", can you give ten or more examples and the indications for which you prescribed them?
Medicine
Indication
Effect expected
1…………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
2..…………………………………. …………………………………….. Yes/No
3…………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
4..…………………………………. …………………………………….. Yes/No
5…………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
6..………………………………..... …………………………………….. Yes/No
7………………………………..…. …………………………………….. Yes/No
8..……………………………..…... …………………………………….. Yes/No
9…………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
10..………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
11…………………………………. …………………………………….. Yes/No
12.……………………………….... …………………………………….. Yes/No
13..………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
14…………………………………. …………………………………….. Yes/No
15.……………………………….... …………………………………….. Yes/No
16..………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
17…………………………………. …………………………………….. Yes/No
18.……………………………….... …………………………………….. Yes/No
19..………………………………... …………………………………….. Yes/No
20…………………………………. …………………………………….. Yes/No
Would you have expected to see an effect with these indications? Please delete accordingly.
Have you found any surprising new indications for any medicines?
Yes 
No 
If "Yes", can you give examples?
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Have you looked for any difference in efficacy between a substance given as a standard Weleda preparation, an
Rh. preparation or as Wala preparation?
Yes 
No 
Have you observed any difference in efficacy?
Yes 
No 
If "Yes", can you give examples and details?
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The follows questions were to be answered for each of the top 10 or more medicines listed on pp 2 & 3.
Name of Medicine:……………………………………………………………….…………………..……….
Most frequently used potency(ies) or strength(s)………………………………………………………………
Main pharmaceutical form prescribed, (i.e., dilution, trituration, tablets, pillules, ampoules, essence, ointment,
gel) ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Please give the indication or indications for which you find this medicine most definitely efficacious. (You may
wish to answer this question in anthroposophical terms, or purely as a symptomatic indication, in terms of
physicals signs, and allopathic illness diagnosis, a homoeopathic drug picture or homoeopathic characteristic
symptom).
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Please give an indication of your degree of certainty of the efficacy of this is medicine.
Absolutely
certain
5
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Very certain.
Very probable.
Probable.
4
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3
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2
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I think efficacious
but uncertain.
1
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For Office
Use only.
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Can you give me some indication of the number of patients for whom you have used this medicine?
1-3
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4-10
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11-30
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31-100
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101-300
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over 300
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Can you give me some indication of the number of patients for whom you have experienced this medicine to be
efficacious?
1-3
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4-10
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11-30
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31-100
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101-300
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over 300
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Please give an indication of how dramatic its efficacy was in the most successfully treated cases.
Very dramatic
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Dramatic
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Fairly Striking
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Moderate
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Slight
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Roughly what percentage of cases treated responded to this degree? …….%
Can you give some indication on generally what was the basis on which you formed your judgment? Please tick
one of the boxes which has been the most important basis of observation.
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Patient's reported symptomatic improvement.
Doctor's direct observation.
Some kind of external measurement.
Indirect signs such as temperature reaction or other reactions
Suggested by Steiner, e.g., buzzing in the ears.
Other, (please note)
Have you encountered any "side effects" with this medicine?
Yes 
No 
If "Yes", please describe and say whether you consider these therapeutically desirable or undesirable
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Have you observed any changes in the efficacy of this medicine over the years?
Yes 
No 
If "Yes", please give details……………………………………………………………………………………
Can you give me an indication of the strength of your inner relationship to this medicine?
(Note: The following is a suggested guide to indicate the spectrum of possibilities. If one has read some of
Rudolf Steiner's descriptions of the substance and has trade one's own phenomenological study of the substance
itself and has spent some time living or meditating on it, I think this could qualify as a very strong relationship.
At the other pole, if you have just prescribed it on the basis of its listing in a medicines list and possibly have no
idea of what the substance is in nature, I think this could be described as superficial. Perhaps if one has a
traditional herbal or homeopathic picture of the medicine, without a phenomenological or anthroposophical
picture, this could qualify as a more than superficial relationship to the medicine, and if one has at least made a
beginning to take this relationship further, phenomenologically and/or anthroposophically, this might qualify as
a fairly strong relationship to the medicine.)
Very strong.
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Fairly strong.
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More than superficial.
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Superficial.
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Have you prescribed this medicine for indications other than the ones you have listed and not experienced it to
be clearly efficacious?
Yes 
No 
If "Yes", please state these indications
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