THE DISCOVERY OF HOMEOPATHY
The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, wrote about 'the way of opposites' and the 'way of similars. The word 'homeopathy' means, in Greek, 'similar suffering', or 'like cures like'. Even though the principle of homeopathy was understood, the practices of medicine from early Roman physician Galen, to Paracelsus in the middle ages, were based around cure-all remedies which contained 60 or 70 remedies.
Homeopathy as it is practised today, was accidentally discovered by German physician, Dr Samuel Hahnemann, in the late 18th century. He was fluent in several languages and translating medical texts was a source of his income. In translating texts on treatments for malaria, it was stated that Cinchona, or Peruvian Bark was effective in treating malaria (and is to this day) due to the fact that it contains a bitter, in this case quinine. Dr Hahnemann didn't understand this statement, as in his translations, he was aware that many herbs contained bitter substances, but did not have any effect on patients suffering from malaria. In what is now an historical moment, he ingested some Peruvian bark so he could understand the effect of this herb, and consequently developed malaria-like symptoms. When he stopped taking the medicine, his malarial like symptoms disappeared. When he took more Cinchona, malarial symptoms reappeared. Since malaria was treated with quinine, he saw that possibly Cinchona cures malaria because it causes malaria-like symptoms in a healthy person. He explored his theory by testing other substances. He either took the substances internally himself or gave them to his colleagues and healthy volunteers, recording all of the symptoms his 'guinea pigs' experienced. He then tested these substances on patients suffering from the same symptoms represented by the drug picture recorded and found that people were being cured from diseases that had never been cured before. He described his theory by a single Latin phrase: Similia Similibus Curentur (let likes be cured by likes).
He tested enough substances to provide him with a pharmacy, with which he was able to treat a growing number of illnesses. Diseases like - scarlet fever, he treated with the herb belladonna. As he studied more substances, he created what became known as "drug pictures" also known as provings. It is from these humble beginnings that the pharmacy of over 2000 medicines which homeopaths use today, began. Today, the same substances tested in the same way as Samuel Hahneman did over 200 years ago, provide the same results.
Some examples of this principle:
Ipecac
- When given in full strength, a dose of Ipecac will cause the patient to vomit. Given in a dilute form, this medicine is given to treat nausea and vomiting.
Coffee
which can cause sleeplessness, is a common treatment for insomnia.
Apis Mellifica
a remedy made from the honeybee, is used for... well you know now - beestings.
Stinging Nettle
is used for skin rashes.
The Rhus tree
which causes severe skin reactions, is used for severe skin rashes
Red Onion
which when chopped makes our eyes water and sting, is a wonderful remedy for the sneezing and discomfort of hay fever. Allergic desensitising programmes consist of giving small amounts of the substance the patient is allergic to, so immunity develops. This is a medical example of the use of the homeopathic principle.
The Medicines
The medicines used in homeopathic treatment come from vegetable, mineral and animal sources. Some are poisons in their crude form (arsenic, mercury eg) and others are inert substances, like oyster shell and common salt. When properly prepared, these substances lose any inherent harmful nature and develop an ability to treat disease. For example, the remedy 'Natrum Muriaticum' prepared from common salt, is a common treatment for hay fever and headaches.
Preparing the Medicines
Preparing homeopathic medicines involves serial dilutions and shaking of the product between dilutions. After several dilutions, the initial substance is essentially washed out and cannot be detected chemically in the final product. This makes no sense whatsoever in light of present day science. But regardless of what our sciences tell us is impossible, in practice, the higher the dilution the stronger and longer lasting the effect. (See the research papers in 'Frequently Asked Questions on Homeopathy) All homeopathic remedies are government-approved medicines. They are manufactured in Australia and all over the world to strictly set standards.
Matching The Remedy To The Patient
Homeopaths assess which remedy is appropriate by conducting a very thorough interview. During this interview, the homeopath gathers information in order to match the patient's "disease" with one of the homeopathic "drug pictures." When the remedy is a good match, the client's symptoms improve. Homoeopathic medicines are taken in the form of drops or small pills.