I wake up at 6 o’clock, Mostar is still asleep, later people are called to prayer by the imam. A quick shower, a cup of tea, then I start studying the records of today’s patients. Polaroid pictures show me what the patients looked like when we started treating them, today 10 follow-ups will show up, 10 records, each containing up to 30 pages of history and suffering. I learn to appreciate my predecessors’ work, each one of them had a distinctive style.

Like the wind it is 8 o’clock. My assistant calls me for breakfast (before a homeopath works as solely responsible therapist in Mostar he should have assisted as a co-pilot). We sit outside in the sun in the courtyard. The most important data of the day are exchanged between sandwiches, coffee and jam made by patients with a view to river Neretwa. We enjoy the calm before the storm

At 8.30 a.m. first Nermin, our good-humored translator, arrives telling us the latest jokes, then our assistant for this morning. Today two to four new patients will be admitted, like yesterday, like tomorrow, like every day things happen differently than planned. Today the new patient scheduled for 9 o’clock does not show up, instead a nonscheduled patient needing urgent treatment shows up at 9.15 a.m. Time barely suffices.

Up to 1 p.m. I see follow-up patients together with my assistant and translator, explain the choice of remedies, differential diagnosis about follow-up remedies, answer arising questions. Bright eyes follow this live tutoring – learning by assisting and understanding. At 2 p.m. replacement of assistance is scheduled.

There is a one-hour lunch break with Juergen, we hurry to our favourite café for coffee and burek. At 2 p.m. treatment continues. The patients show their gratitude for the free treatment by self-made schnaps and food. This afternoon our assistant, twice my age, brings an enormous platter of delicious self-made cheese burek. His diabetes had normalized within two days after taking a homeopathic remedy. Who said remedies act slowly? We all share his happiness.

At 6.30 p.m. my regular work day is over. Moments of joy about recovery or healing took turns with dismay and tears, not only of the patients. We laughed, we cried, it was a good day. Up to 8 p.m. I study the new patients’ records, justify my prescriptions for the following colleagues, and then I have to get out, into the roads of this town, walk, walk, walk, all these people, mediterranean climate, uncountable sidewalk cafés.

I have dinner with Juergen, finally we get cold beer, currency is Deutsche Mark! Up to 11 p.m. we exchange experiences, then I fall to my bed and wake up again at 6 a.m. On weekends we teach from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., now and then we are invited by patients or students, and my two weeks spin away. On the Air Bosnia plane I look forward to my home and to the next stay in Mostar. I love this job and my place in this unique team consisting of homeopathic physicians and nonmedical practicioners.

Manfred