Homoeopathy Basics
A. Brief History of Homoeopathy
Hahnemann born in Germany in 1755. In 1779, was awarded the title 'Doctor of Medicine' In 1790, he went on to describe the effect of cinchona (china) had which he deliberately took doses of it himself. All those symptoms which to me are typical of intermittent fever - all made their appearance. So he put the new principle - 'Like cures Like'. The paper was published in 1796. This was the beginning of Homoeopathy.
He did research on 'dosage' & 'strength'. He developed a more comprehensive list of medicines, carrying out experiments known as proving, from the German word 'prufen' to test. In 1805, he produced a work describing the properties of 27 remedies, all tested on himself, & volunteers.
In 1812, he used Homoeopathy effectively to treat 'typhus'. Napoleon’s retreating army had been struck down with the disease and spread the infection through Europe. Homoeopathy proved more effective that conventional remedies of the time and its popularity & use spread.
Locals, probably jealous physicians had conspired against him to prevent him preparing his remedies. A patient of his, Prince schwarzenberg of Austria, had died as a result of intemperate living. Hahnemann opponents had taken the opportunity to seize on the prince’s death as evidence of the failure of Homoeopathy
He went to Coethen city where under the patronage of a patient of his, the Duke of Anhalt Coethen, he was allowed to prepare and dispense remedies without opposition. He remained there for 11 years. During this time he published his work - 'Chronic Disease's'.
In 1831, a cholera epidemic swept across Europe. In many centers, Homoeopathy was used and the death nates were significantly less than those of the allopathic. The epidemic ensured that the reputation of Homoeopathy spread further.
In the latter years of his life (i.e. after 1834), he went to Paris & set up practice there and become internationally famous. He died in 1843.
B. Homoeopathy & it’s Principles
The word Homoeopathy literally means 'similar suffering' and is based on the law of similars. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of the formal therapeutic system of Homoeopathy came up with the theory that a substance which can also cure those same symptoms in a sick person. This is called the 'Law of similars - similia similibus curentur', and occurs throughout nature.
For instant on unpleasant smell can be destroyed by a stronger smell, not by loud music. You can drown a nasty noise by another noise, not by switching on light expiriments have shown that engine noises can actually be silenced by exactly mimicking the wavelength of the noise produced starlight is obliterated by a stronger light of daylight at dawn. Diseases only co–exist when they are dissimilar. When they are similar, they destroy each other (provided they are not interfered with). Once Hahnemann had made his discovery, then he experimented with other drugs and substance on his family and friends and built up a comprehensive Materia Medica.
The second principle of Homoeopathy found out by Dr. Hahnemann is 'The minimum Effective Dose' i.e. the least amount of the remedy required to have the desired therapeutic effect. Homoeopathic remedies are prepared using a process of multiple 'dilutions' & 'successions'. This process is known as 'Potentization'. The greater the number of stages of potentization, the greater the therapeutic potential of the remedy.
C. Homoeopathic approch to treating. (Whole patient concept)
D. Method of Homoeopathic treatment.
- Past Medical history.
- Accurate recording of symptoms.
- Grading of the important symptoms.
- Use of repertory.
- Choosing the remady & the dose
E. Homoeopathic remedies.
Sources of Homoeopathic remedies.
1. Plant
- Plant Whole - Pulsatilla, Aconite, Chamomilla.
- Plant Leaves - Rhus Tox
- Plant Roots - Ipecac, Bryonia
- Plant Seeds - Nux Vomica, Iganatia
- Plant Bulbs - Alium cepa, Colchicum
2. Animal Kingdom
- Honey bee - Apis mel,
- Spanish fly - Cantharis
- Cuttlefish - Sepia,
- Venom - Tarentule , Lachesis
3. Chemical elements & minerals
- Minerals - Silica, Calcarb, Arsenicum Al & Natrum Mur.
- Metal elements
- Insoluble - Plumbum, Aurum, Stannum in water / Alcohol
- Non - metals - Sulphur, Graphites.
How are remedies prepared?
- Maceration
- Extraction
- Ageing
- Filtration
There common scales of potencies Decimal (X or D) Centesimal (C) with 1000 C represented as 1 M . LM (1 in 50,000)
Two main methods of preparation :
- Hahnemannian - multiple vial method
- Korsakoff - single vial method.
Starting solution known as Mother Tincture.
Insoluble substance rendered soluble by trituration - grinding & mixing substance with lactose powder.
Potentisation.
Essential charactristics of a remedy.
F. Advantages of using homoeopathy.
- No effective allopathic alternative exists. There are many clinical conditions for which there are no effective allopathic treatments. On a daily basis, we find ourselves unable to come up with a cure or even a treatment, for both acute and chronic diseases.
Homoeopathy remains the only option.
- The clinical situation makes an allopathic option unsafe - Pregnancy, breast feeding, impaired renal or hepatic function often requires that the allopathic option is chosen only with great care. Homoeopathic remedies are completely safe in these areas. They can be used without risk of toxicity.
- The side - effect profile of the allopathic option makes it unacceptable. Many allopathic drugs are toxic or have side - effects. Non – steroidal anti–inflammatory are notorious for their damaging effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Homoeopathic remedies have no such side effects or toxicity.
- Reduction in amount of chronic allopathic treatment – Many chronic conditions can be suppressed with allopathic drugs to enable an improved quality of life and even life expectancy. However, all allopathic drugs are toxic and often attempt to find long term remedy regimes which involve the smallest amounts or shortest courses of these necessary remedies.
A good example of this is Asthma where steroids have shown enormous benefits but due to their toxicity , it is important to use as little of them as possible while allowing the patient to receive the maximum benefits . In the situation, Homoeopathic remedies can be used to minimize the need for the more toxic drugs, in a complimentary manner.
G. Conclusion.
Modern allopathic medicine actually is not working too well. Europe and America are losing the war against cancer despite early detection, excellent scanning equipment, & best of surgical treatment. The nates of cancer have increased 18 % since 1991 and the mortality grown by 7 %. The mortality statistics of heart attacks are stubbornly refusing to fall despite thousands of prescriptions of anti – cholesterol drugs & best of high cholesterol food being avoided In fact, heart attack rates in the west (and now in east also) are increasing alarmingly.
Despite super specialization and computer medicine, diseases like asthma, arthritis, diabetes, rheumatism, cancer and autoimmune diseases are thriving & modern medicine has not affected their incidence by even one percent.
With the hundreds of drugs in the market, mothers still go to the kitchen and prepare specific food for the sick. Why do they go through all the trouble when a
'pill', as recommended by the allopathic should do ? The answer is that these home remedies work without the danger of poisoning the system. And that is where the popularity of Homoeopathic Healing comes in. Homoeopathy treats the whole individual without any side effects, without any incision, with a single dose.
Hahnemann maintained that poor living conditions, damp, hunger, lack of fresh air & light, dirt and overcrowding contribute to illness. Today, while some of these factors still contribute to disease in developing nations, some other factors are newly coming up. Now these can be the toxic load acquired by overeating, drinking, pollution as well as faddy diets or living off junk foods, lack of exercise or even sudden hard exercise, aluminium lead, chromium, mercury traces and other additions (such as pesticides) to the water supply in poor countries allopathic & pleasure drugs and all the hundreds of chemical put on the land as well as the hormone growth promoters and antibiotics supplied to farms & cattle’s, prolonged use of television & computers, the pace of modern life & consequent stress.
Homoeopathy is the only solution to maintain health using homoeopathic remedies without any side effects.