Homeopathy

Homeopathy is an Age Old Method of Healing based on the Law of Similars.

It is a therapeutic method which clinically applies the Law of Similars and which uses medicinal substances in weak or infinitesimal doses.

Homeopathy is a form of medicine that is not habit-forming; nor does it cause side effects, as is frequently the case in conventional medicine.

A pharmacologically active substance administered to a person in good health triggers a series of symptoms. When these same symptoms appear in a sick person they can be cured by administering the same substance in a micro dose. A very common example of this is Ipecac. When taken in a large doses Ipecac causes vomiting; when taken in a very small dose it is one of the best remedies for nausea and vomiting. This principle was known to two ancient physicians, Hippocrates (400 B.C.) and Paracelsus (1493).

Homeopathy is a safe, effective, scientific system of healing, based on the principle of "like cures like," which assists the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. It is a principle that has been known for centuries. Dr. Hahnemann developed the principle into a system of medicine called homeopathy, and it has been used successfully for the last 200 years. Homeopathic treatment is directed at the whole person; mental, emotional and physical aspects. Let's look at an example: If your child accidentally ingests certain poisons, you may be advised to administer Syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting. Ipecac is derived from the root of a South American plant called Ipecacuanha. The name, in the native language, means "the plant by the road which makes you throw up." Eating the plant causes vomiting. Each homeopathic medicine is tested on healthy humans in what is known as a "proving." The symptoms produced in provings form the basis of the homeopathic Materia Medica — the information about the medicines. It is these symptom pictures that enable the homeopath to choose the most similar medicinal substance matched to the individual patient's symptoms.

Dr. Hahnemann continued to experiment and was able to verify that the reaction he observed with quinine could be repeated with other substances. Hahnemann told others of his discovery and they joined him in experiments called provings. Provings consisted of taking small doses of reputedly poisonous or other medical substances and carefully noting all the symptoms they produced. Patients suffering from similar symptoms were then treated with these same substances in minute doses, with outstanding results. The theory was no longer a coincidence, but could be stated as a valid law.

Having established the Principle of Similarity, Hahnemann worked to discover the smallest effective dose. He realized that this was the best way to avoid side-effects. To his surprise he found that the more the remedy was diluted, the more active it became, while dissimilar remedies were ineffective. He called his method of dilution potentization and numbered the potencies to indicate the dilution ratio. This paradox, that a lesser amount could be more effective than a larger dose of the same substance, was unacceptable to the scientific community in Hahnemann's time. He and his scientific community in Hahnemann's time. He and his followers were ridiculed, but homeopathy survived because it achieved remarkable results. Provings (or pathogeneses) with the various substances were always done on healthy subjects, and all reactions were recorded. The first compilation of provings was published in 1810 as The Organon (The Art of Healing) by Hahnemann. Other doctors have continued Hahnemann's work and today's Homeopathic Materia Medica makes the records of years of provings available to homeopathic physicians.

Homeopathic physicians consider it better to treat the sick person rather than the disease. The orthodox Homeopath will sit with his patient for one or two hours, soliciting information on how the patient feels throughout his entire body and mind. Once the doctor has a picture of the whole person, he consults the Materia Medica to find the one best remedy for all of the symptoms. Because homeopathic doctors look at patients as whole persons, rather than a series of symptoms or carriers of a disease, they often prescribe different remedies for patients suffering from the same disease. This makes controlled studies problematical, but basic principles of homeopathy indicate clearly why this must be so. The remedies which are made come from animal, vegetable, chemical and mineral sources. However, the end product contains only minute amounts of the original sources. Drugs like morphine, cocaine and arsenic can also be used, but in their diluted forms to render them marvellously effective for good. Even substances which in their natural states have little or no obvious effect upon the human body (i.e. sand, charcoal, common salt, etc.) develop powerful healing properties when matched with the right patient and after being diluted and potentized.

Homeopathic remedies stimulate the body to resist negative toxins and thereby heal itself. Adequate rest, appropriate diet and a satisfactory environment will also support recovery. Rapid results can be achieved in acute illness, but if the patient's vitality is low, long-term treatment may need to be undertaken. Sometimes irreversible bodily changes have already taken place. In these cases other forms of medical or surgical treatment may be necessary to give the patient a fresh start. Then homeopathy will help prevent deterioration or recurrence.