About Dr. Edward Bach

By the Official Dr. Edward Bach Centre

Dr Edward Bach studied medicine at the University College Hospital, London, and was a House Surgeon there. He worked in general practice, having a set of consulting rooms in Harley Street, and as a bacteriologist and later a pathologist he worked on vaccines and a set of homoeopathic nosodes still known as the seven Bach nosodes.

Despite the success of his work with orthodox medicine he felt dissatisfied with the way doctors were expected to concentrate on diseases and ignore the people who were suffering them. He was inspired by his work with homoeopathy but wanted to find remedies that would be purer and less reliant on the products of disease. So in 1930 he gave up his lucrative Harley Street practice and left London, determined to devote the rest of his life to the new system of medicine that he was sure could be found in nature.

Just as he had abandoned his old home, office and work, so now he abandoned the scientific methods he had used up until now. Instead he chose to rely on his natural gifts as a healer, and use his intuition to guide him. One by one he found the remedies he wanted, each aimed at a particular mental state or emotion. His life followed a seasonal pattern: the spring and summer spent looking for and preparing the remedies, the winter spent giving help and advice to all who came looking for them. He found that when he treated the personalities and feelings of his patients their unhappiness and physical distress would be alleviated as the natural healing potential in their bodies was unblocked and allowed to work once more.

In 1934 Dr Bach moved to Mount Vernon in Oxfordshire. It was in the lanes and fields round about that he found the remaining 19 remedies that he needed to complete the series. He would suffer the emotional state that he needed to cure and then try various plants and flowers until he found the one single plant that could help him. In this way, through great personal suffering and sacrifice, he completed his life's work.

Dr Bach passed away peacefully on the evening of November 27th, 1936. He was only 50 years old, but he had left behind him several lifetimes' experience and effort, and a system of medicine that is now used all over the world.

Highly Recommend Books on Dr. Bach, his research and producing Flower Essence Remedies!

• The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies by Edward Bach - descriptions of the 38 remedies in his own words.
• The Bach Flower Remedies Step by Step by Judy Howard - an excellent all-round practical guide to the use of the remedies, now republished in a bright new format.
• The Bach Remedies Workbook by Stefan Ball - this illustrated Workbook combines games, quizzes and exercises into a complete hands-on course in using the remedies, and also introduces the basics of Dr Bach's philosophy of healing.
• Principles of Bach Flower Remedies by Stefan Ball - an introductory guide including real-life case studies and a guide to selecting and using the remedies.
• Teach Yourself Bach Flower Remedies - stories and scenes are used to introduce and explain all the remedies. Includes an overview of recent research into the remedies, an in-depth look at the remedy groups and opportunities to practice your remedy selection skills.
• Questions and Answers: The Bach Flower Remedies by John Ramsell - practical answers to questions about all aspects of the Bach therapy, from how to pronounce the name 'Bach' to the Bach Centre's approach to conducting consultations.
• Illustrated Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies by Philip M Chancellor - a compilation of in-depth descriptions of each remedy with case histories adapted from Nora Weeks's originals, and illustrated with colored prints of the flowers.
• Bach Flower Remedies for Women by Judy Howard - a thorough, practical and sympathetic book about how the remedies can help during the potentially turbulent milestones of life - menstrual cycle, pregnancy, infertility, dieting, screening, menopause, ageing, bereavement, sexual difficulties etc, by addressing the emotional aspects of these problems.
• Bach Flower Remedies for Men by Stefan Ball - a book which covers many aspects of the male experience: bullying, love and sex, work, redundancy, fatherhood, smoking, and the emotional issues associated with a range of health problems from acne to heart disease.
• Growing Up with Bach Flower Remedies by Judy Howard - a comprehensive book about how the remedies can help children and adolescents - difficult behavior, sleeping, feeding, going to school, family relationships, shyness, puberty, taking exams etc.
• Bach Flower Remedies for Animals by Stefan Ball and Judy Howard - this illustrated book draws on insights from animal behaviorists and vets to produce the most authoritative guide to using the remedies for animals yet produced. Includes many real-life case studies.
• Emotional Healing for Cats by Stefan Ball and Judy Howard - a definite guide to helping cats with flower remedies. Understand your cat's mind, select the right remedies, and deal with a whole host of behavioral and emotional problems.
• Emotional Healing for Horses and Ponies by Stefan Ball, Heather Simpson and Judy Howard - describes how complementary medicine and simple changes in handling and housing routines can immeasurably improve the lives of our horses. Anybody who has been inspired by the tales of horse whisperers will find in this book practical steps that we can all take to give our horses happier and more joyful lives.
• The Bach Flower Gardener by Stefan Ball - this book looks at the way people use the remedies to help their plants. It includes precise dosage instructions and help with selecting which remedies to use, as well as many case studies.
• The Medical Discoveries of Edward Bach by Nora Weeks - biography of Dr Bach's medical career and the story of the discovery of the remedies.
• Heal Thyself by Edward Bach - Dr Bach's philosophy of life and thoughts on the nature of disease and health.
• The Original Writings of Edward Bach compiled by John Ramsell and Judy Howard - a journey through Dr Bach's life in his own words, much of it reproduced from the original manuscripts and printed editions, with illustrations and photographs.
• The Story of Mount Vernon by Judy Howard - a tribute to the work of the Bach Centre since Dr Bach lived there, illustrated with full color photographs.
• >L'Histore de Mount Vernon by Judy Howard - a translation into French of the above book.
• The Dictionary of the Bach Flower Remedies by Tom Hyne-Jones - showing the positive and negative aspects of each remedy.
• Bach Flower Remedies Repertory by FJ Wheeler - suggested remedies to consider for various different moods and emotions. With substantial additions for this new edition.
• An Introduction to the Benefits of the Bach Flower Remedies by Jane Evans - a useful introduction for those new to the therapy.
• The Bach Flower Remedies: Illustrations and Preparations - for those interested in the botanical aspects of the plants used.