Dr. Mitrachandra Laxman Dhawale (MLD) was the son of the famous Indian homoeopath Dr. Laxman Diwakar Dhawale. He was born on 14th July 1927 and belonged to a family of teachers, physicians and scholars. He was lovingly dubbed ‘MLD’ by his colleagues and students. This acclaimed physician has left behind a rich legacy and a plethora of ideas which were gradually implemented by his students.
Early Childhood
As a child, Dr. Dhawale had developed a great interest in reading. He was an avid learner. He had a great ability to grasp things and explore complex subjects quickly. He was a prodigy of sorts and passed his school-leaving examination at the tender age of 14, two years earlier than usual.
His childhood was greatly influenced by his teacher, Mr. Hari Vinayak Gurjar, a visionary in education. Mr. Gurjar was one of his earliest mentors, who instilled in him the values of spirituality and emphasised the quality and importance of hard work.
Conversion to Homoeopathy
Dr. M.L. Dhawale was the famous Homoeopath who had planned all his life to become an allopath but destiny had something else in store for him. Being the son of Dr. L.D. Dhawale, it was obvious that Dr. M. L. Dhawale had been closely associated with Homoeopathy since his childhood. However, he had plans to pursue an MBBS degree and become a physician of modern medicine. He enrolled in the Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital with aspirations to become an MBBS doctor. Dr. M.L. Dhawale obtained his undergraduate medical degree in 1949 from this college. He then completed his M.D. (Medicine) in 1952 under the guidance of Dr. Nathoobhai Patel with whom Dr. Dhawale formed a very close relationship. This association continued long after Dr. Dhawale’s education was over.
His interest in Homoeopathy dates back to his early years, but it grew significantly when he personally experienced the benefits of timely Homoeopathic treatment during a bout of acute appendicitis. He was then in his first year of medical college. It was his father, the late Dr. L.D. Dhawale, who administered the treatment and forestalled medical and surgical complications. While recovering, Dr. M.L. Dhawale came across a copy of the Organon of Medicine, which he started reading and found inspiring. This experience led him to choose Homoeopathy as his life’s calling and dedicate his life to similia.
The Homoeopath
The next thirty-five years of his life were completely immersed in Homoeopathic practice, teaching and development of concepts.
Dr. Dhawale joined his father in clinical practice soon after completing his post-graduation. Between the years 1952 to 1957, he took up the work of planning and teaching at the Homoeopathic Post-Graduate Association of Homoeopathy (HPGA) an organization founded by his father in the year 1931. Dr. M. L. Dhawale undertook the important task of revitalizing the lecture series of the HPGA. In 1957, the course was reinstated, and by 1959, it had undergone a complete reorganization to align with the contemporary advances in modern medicine. This comprehensive effort culminated in the publication of “Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy Part 1: Homoeopathic Philosophy and Repertorisation” in 1967. This book received wide acclamations in a short time. In this book, he introduced a new method for using Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book. He found that this precious work was neglected by practitioners because of the time-consuming location, sensation, modality, and concomitant methods. He hence revised this 4-step method into a 7-step comprehensible method.
With the association of his colleagues Drs. K.N. Kasad and M.D. Phalnikar, the Institute of Clinical Research (ICR) was founded in 1975 in Bombay. The heart of the association’s functioning lay in dealing with the threefold ‘Care of Patient, Care of Student and Care of Knowledge’. The integration of these three elements was driven by the physician’s concern for the well-being of all.
Dr. Dhawale maintained his philosophy that to fully comprehend Homoeopathy, a homoeopath must embody the first six aphorisms of the Organon and live by them. He advocated for the concept of the impartial observer and acknowledged that complete freedom from prejudice is unattainable. Instead, he emphasised the importance of recognizing and navigating one’s own biases.
He developed the Standardized Case Record as a tool to record and analyse a medical case and its follow-up care, aiming to find the most appropriate treatment. This tool allowed others to understand a case as deeply as he did, by channeling his extensive knowledge and experience. This Case Record was first published in 1970. In addition, he introduced the concept of the Observer, which was based on Hahnemannian principles but presented in a new way.
Contribution to Homoeopathic Literature
After becoming a homoeopath, he authored many books relating to the course and study of the subject. He co-authored Samachikitsa Shastra: Tatvaddhyan Va Paddhati in Marathi, which was authored by his father late Dr. L.D. Dhawale.
In 1967, he published the Principles & Practice of Homoeopathy: Vol. 1: Homoeopathic Philosophy & Repertorization. There was also the presentation of the Trilogy of Papers on Homoeopathic Medical Education by Dr. M.L. Dhawale, Dr. K.N. Kasad and Dr. M.D. Phalnikar at the same conference.
The publication of Life and Living in 1981 marked the presentation of abstract case studies and the acquired knowledge. Each page of this influential book still holds profound significance for those who delve into the subtext.
In 1983, a book named “Perceiving 1” was published.
Landmarks in his Homoeopathic Career
In 1974, Dr. M. L. Dhawale became a member of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH) and was one of those responsible for its constitution. He was one of the panellists who constructed the syllabus of the first course of the course Dip. NIH.
One year later, in 1975, the Institute of Clinical Research (ICR), Bombay, was established. In 1977, the first Summer School of the ICR was started.
In 1978, a Symposium on Integrated Evolutionary Hahnemannian Totality was held. Here, a total of 47 papers were presented. This led to the publication of the voluminous ICR Symposium Volume on Hahnemannian Totality. This was a collective presentation. Dr. Dhawale helped contribute to the evolution of the clinician through ICR. This vision was Dr. Dhawale’s unique contribution to the Homoeopathic world. In 1979, ICR Nagpur was established. In 1980, the Pune branch was established and the Operational Manual of ICR was published.
Dr. Dhawale completed writing Advancing Frontiers in 1984.
He was invited in 1980 to help in the establishment of Father Muller’s Homoeopathic Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka. Dr. M.L. Dhawale was appointed as Hon. Director (Homoeopathy) of Father Muller’s Charitable Institutions in 1985. He dedicated himself to creating the perfect student-teacher education model. Sadly, his health became a barrier to continuing this impactful work.
He was appointed as the Principal of the Bombay Homoeopathic Medical College in the year 1968-70. He held the post for two years but later resigned due to differences. Despite this, his dedication to promoting Homoeopathy continued unhindered.
In his final years, Dr. Dhawale took on the task of writing a book in Marathi about the Principles of Homoeopathic Practice. Unfortunately, it could not be completed. Later, his son finished writing the book, published posthumously in 1963.
Demise
In the final two years of his life, he grappled with the worsening effects of long-standing Pulmonary Fibrosis. Tragically, he passed away on 16th January 1987, an untimely death, leaving behind his wife, three sons, and a daughter.
In honour of his memory, his devoted students and colleagues came together to establish the Dr. M. L. Dhawale Memorial Trust on 14th July 1987, coinciding with what would have been his 60th birthday.
Author
Prof. (Dr.) Subhas Singh1, Dr. Jyotidarshanee2, Dr. Rumsha Tamkeen2, Dr. Vignesh S.2, Dr. Binay P. Singh2, Dr. Vaishnavi Achrekar
- Director, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata
- PGT, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata
