This is Dr. Leon Hammer's contribution to the 2015 Integrative Fertility Symposium. It contains a 90 minute lecture, along with 70+ Page Document to supplement the lecture.
As per Dr. Hammer:
This handout is my contribution for the Integrative Fertility Symposium and is in three parts.
The first is of my own limited experience with fertility as a practitioner of Chinese medicine in a general practice emphasizing the Chinese medical diagnosis of an individual, especially pulse diagnosis and including the tongue, color, abdomen and eyes. Dr. John Shen’ s work, [with whom I apprenticed] is included as indicated.
My concern was and is not pregnancy alone- an empty victory with a deficient parent and a defective offspring. My concern is life, lived to its fullest and highest level.
In deference to the expertise of our audience I do not attempt to address issues about which those contributing directly to this conference about fertility are far more expert and experienced than me, but rather to share the results of my clinical experience and thoughts that are ‘Outside of the Box’.
The second and third parts is the work of Jeane-Claude Darras, M.D., a French Ob-GyN physician who I encountered in 1975 at the First World Acupuncture Conference in NYC where we both spoke. During the next fifteen years , until I retired, I occassionally applied his concepts successfully when I encountered gynecological problems, but only as a subsidary to my own diagnositic work. On this occasion twenty-five years later, I make no attempt to recall or reclaim that personal experience.
Dr. Darras was Director of the’ Institute and Center of Acupuncture Research Grup of France’. He was also Vice-President of the French Acuppupncture Assoication and Chief Editor of the International News Review of Acupuncture. Dr. Darras was one of the world's foremost experts in Acupuncture research and theory, specializing in gynecologic and sexual disorders.
In this paper I have first outlined [Part II] to the best of my ability from what he has written and primarily information from my notes. His handout from 1975, Part Three [Appendix I] is attached to this document at the very end in PDF format [I have not succeeded to transpose it to the Word format.
Dr. Darras had an entire course in France that should be redeemable but is beyond my ability to retrieve. I apologize for the fragmented presentation of his material but feel it is worthwhile reporting in the hopes that your interest might lead to further investigation, perhaps in the French literature, of his much larger contribution. I would love to hear about it.
~ Dr. Leon Hammer (April 2015)
Leon I. Hammer, M.D., is a graduate of Cornell University, Cornell Medical College, and the William A. White Institute of Psychoanalysis and Psychiatry. Until 1971, he practiced psychiatry and psychoanalysis, directed a child guidance clinic and Drug Abuse Councils on the Southeast Shore of Long Island, taught at Adelphi University, and was Psychiatric Consultant and associate professor at Southampton College in Southampton, New York.
After working with Fritz Perls and Gestalt therapy for three years and with Alexander Lowen and Bioenergetics over a period of eight years, he began a study of Chinese medicine. He studied in England with J.D. Van Buren during 1971-1974 and in 1981 traveled to study in China. Dr. Hammer studied with the internationally acknowledged Chinese master Dr. John HF Shen over a period of 27 years.
Dr, Hammer practiced Chinese medicine from 1973 to 1990 and continues to do consultations for practitioners. He is the author of “Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies,” a study of the relationship of Chinese medicine and Western Psychology. His second book, “Chinese Pulse Diagnosis, A Contemporary Approach,” is published by Eastland Press. Dr. Hammer's third book is called “The Patient-Practitioner Relationship in Acupuncture.” Dr. Hammer has taught workshops in various aspects of Chinese medicine, especially pulse diagnosis, in the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan.
In April 2001, Dr. Hammer helped found the Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. He is Chairman of the Board, provides guidance and direction, and is a faculty member of the College. The College curriculum, Contemporary Oriental Medicine, emphasizes psychology and integrates into a unique whole aspects of various models of Chinese Medicine, including TCM and Five-Element. It has a strong focus on diagnosis, especially Contemporary Chinese Pulse Diagnosis and Asking Diagnosis.
Over the last few years, Dr. Hammer has decided to restrict his travels. Currently he is engaged in writing, but continues to teach a small, select group of advanced students, and conducts an ongoing teacher training program for Certified Teachers.
After several years of intensive individual training, instructors are certified by Dr. Hammer to teach Pulse Seminars. For a current list of certified teachers who continue to pursue intensive advanced continuing education with Dr. Hammer and are qualified to present his material, see Certified Teachers onhttp://www.dragonrises.edu