Homeopathy and Electro-Dermal Screening

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Jan, 2001 by Allen M. Kratz

My introduction to homeopathy was in the late 70's. A physician friend invited me to his office to experience a "unique machine" that was able to evaluate the need for homeopathic products by measuring the energy of acupuncture meridians. No, this was not Dr. Spock from Star Trek, but an MD with an inquiring mind. Needless to say, I was duly impressed with this "machine" which at that time was called an EAV (Electro-Acupuncture according to Voll) unit. Since then, this equipment has evolved through several generations and is now more commonly termed -- Electro-Dermal Screening or EDS.

Dr. John Milovich was an early pioneer in EAV/EDS. He is an acupuncture physician who has been involved with Chinese acupuncture since 1971 and EAV/EDS since 1978. I had a chance to talk with Dr. Milovich about EDS, homeopathy and the natural pharmacist.

Allen Kratz (AK): Tell us about EAV/EDS and your PEP test.

John Milovich (JM): Electro-Dermal screening and the PEP test are biofeedback systems; that is, similar to the lie detector or polygraph test, in which an operator observes involuntary changes in the electrical resistance of the skin in response to various questions. EKG and EEG tests are, in fact, types of biofeedback. By observing changes in the electrical properties of the skin, the operator can determine an imbalance within an energy line of a specific system.

According to Dr. Fritz Popp of the University of Marbush in Germany, all of the cells of the body possess resonant frequencies and emit electromagnetic waves. "Disease," says Popp, "is caused by electronic oscillations which hinder the unrestricted flow of energy in an organ or organs. These energy congestions can lead to blocking, which can significantly impair the unrestricted flow of the healthy oscillations. These can be detected before symptoms can occur."

The human body is the best example of an integrated circuit. It may have many parts, but each part affects the entire circuit board. If there is an interruption, bad connection, or blockage, this can be detected electronically. It requires an instrument that has the ability to "trace" body parts and indicate this departure from "normal" functioning of whatever is being examined.

A common example of this is an EKG. Pads are placed on the person's body, connected to an instrument that has been designed for the measurement of cardiac function, which then reports whether the heart is functioning in a proper manner.

AK: What type of equipment is used?

JM: The instrument that is used is designed as a communication processor; and, because it only requires the measurement of a very small change of skin resistance with a sensitive meter, it is extremely safe. It is important to note that not all instruments are the same. Just because the manufacturer makes a claim does not mean that the instrument will produce repeatable information. Voltage, current and polarity must meet strict specifications. Just because it looks impressive, is expensive, or even computerized does not insure these vital standards. These instruments have been designed as a type of universal translator to trace many other outputs of the body. The results from the information harvested from their output may then be examined and compared with other tests, symptoms and examinations, which then serve as second and third opinions. This is important, as there is no system that is 100% accurate.

AK: What does this equipment tell you?

JM: The results of such testing may then be translated into specific treatment for the dysfunction of the patient. The beauty of this is that the results of the treatment may then be re-tested to see the degree of success or failure. This is true, whether the treatment used by the doctor or therapist is drugs, chiropractic, surgery, manipulation, acupuncture, massage or nutritional supplementation, etc. The human body is an intelligent creation throughout, not just in its brain. This type of testing can ask the body what it really needs. Through the body's feedback of its bioinformational processing system, we can test in a non-invasive way to determine the bio-electrical reaction to many of the stress-producing substances and influences of daily living, allergies, drug and chemical toxicity, as well as vitamin and mineral needs.

AK: Are there various types of testing?

JM: Some systems are capable of performing more than one type of test. For example, the type of test originally known as EAV is now often referred to as Electro-Dermal Screening. It is extremely sensitive, so as to be able to test the patient's compatibility of nutritional products, homeopathics, herbs, any substance. However, the technique is more difficult to learn and requires considerable practice to be accurate, and not "cheat" as to which substances (vitamins, herbs, homeopathics, etc.) the operator "matches" for the patient. Because it is more of an "art" form, it has a rather long learning curve. The actual time required to perform the screening test on the patient may take from one-to-two hours. Computerizing the system is excellent for visual display, printout information, and graphs, but does very little to speed up the acquiring of the sensitivity needed by the operator. Considerable time, patience and practice is needed to properly and consistently perform this test. Many feel that when properly performed, this type of testing appears to be much deeper and more accurate than muscle testing (Applied Kinesiology).