What is Homeopathy?

Origins. Homoeopathy is a system of complementary medicine that dates from the early 19^th century. It was founded by a German called Samuel Hahnemann. An orthodoxly-trained medical doctor, Hahnemann became disillusioned with conventional medicine and began to search for more effective forms of treatment. In the early 1800s he began practicing his new form of medicine, and built up a highly successful practice. He lectured at Leipzig university and won over many converts to his new system.

Key ideas. Homoeopathy is based on the idea of ‘like cures like’. Hahnemann observed that some substances, when taken, produce symptoms that ‘match’ certain disease states. For example, the bark of the cinchona plant when ingested produces symptoms similar to those of malaria. Hahnemann prepared such substances (usually from vegetable, mineral or animal sources) using a special process of extreme dilution know as potentisation. This made them safe to take and yet highly-effective remedies.

Arnica

These remedies can then be used to cure the disease state which (in their crude form) they mimic. So the homoeopathic preparation of cinchona bark can be used to treat malaria. Similarly Belladonna (deadly nightshade) produces hot, dry flushed skin, thirst and hallucinations. So homeopathically-prepared Belladonna can be safely used to treat fevers that match these symptoms.

This idea is not that off the wall! We can see a similar use of this idea in many conventional medicines. For example, the extract of cinchona bark (known as quinine) is also used in orthodox medicine to treat malaria. Digitalis (foxglove) produces high blood pressure, and is used by doctors to treat this symptom. Conventional vaccination works on a similar principal, as does conventional allergy-desensitisation treatment. However in all these cases, the dose used in conventional medicine can produce many unwanted side-effects. In comparison, homoeopathy is an extremely safe form of medicine. The dilutions used are such that there is no risk of toxicity from the substances the remedy is made from. And unlike conventional medicine, there are no side-effects of homoeopathic medicines.

There is another aspect of homoeopathy that we must mention. In choosing a homeopathic remedy, care is taken to match the remedy not to the disease, but to the person who has the disease. For example, in conventional medicine we may take aspirin for a headache. However the symptoms of one person’s headache may differ greatly from those of another person’s headache. In homoeopathy the remedy chosen will be the one that most closely matches the symptoms of the individual person. So it is often said that a homeopath ‘treats the person, not the disease’. The symptoms are not seen as something to be treated in themselves, but as symptoms of an imbalance in the person. It is the person themf who need treating. This individualisation of the choice of remedy means that  homeopathic remedies often produce a permanent cure, as they address the underlying cause of the symptoms.

What can homoeopathy treat? Hahnemann believed that homeopathy was a complete system of medicine. Few homoeopaths today would agree with that; most accept that homoeopathy has some limitations, and that there are times when other forms of treatment (including conventional medicine) are necessary. At the Integrative College we certainly believe that homoeopathy practiced well should be a complementary medicine. This is reflected in our broad curriculum. This being said, it is astonishing the range of things that homoeopathy can treat. Because it is treating the person, not just the disease, homoeopathy can be effective in almost any condition. So homoeopathy can be effective in a huge range of acute conditions, ranging from accidents and injuries, through to acute infections such as colds, ‘flu, and childhood infections such as measles and chicken pox. It can be highly effective, often producing permanent cure, in a huge range of chronic conditions, from recurrent infections through to allergies, asthma, eczema and even cancer. Moreover homoeopathy can be used to treat the general constitution, enhancing immunity and overall well-being.

As well as its effectiveness in physical ailments, homoeopathy can be effective in a wide range of mental and emotional complaints. It can be useful in everything from insomnia, anxiety, exam nerves, shyness and depression.

Sounds great! But does it work? Yes! If homoeopathy was not effective, it would have faded away with Hahnemann’s death. Instead it has continued to grow in popularity for two hundred years. It grew in the 1800s partly due to its success in treating the infectious diseases of the time, including cholera, typhoid and scarlet fever. The death rate in homeopathic hospitals was as low as one eighth of those in conventional hospitals. The practice of homoeopathy has spread throughout the world. It is especially popular in Britain, France, Germany, Greece, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, the USA, Mexico and South Africa . Today, realising the limitations and side-effects of conventional medicine, increasing numbers of people are turning to homoeopathic medicine. Approximately 40% of the French public use homoeopathic medicines. A British Medical Journal (June 7^th 1986) showed that 42% of physicians refer patients to homeopathic physicians.

Its popularity is testament to its effectiveness. Homeopaths thrive because their clients are happy with the results and refer family members and friends. This effectiveness cannot be dismissed as merely placebo effect. This can be demonstrated by how effective homoeopathy is with small babies and animals, neither of whom are susceptible to the placebo effect. Numerous clinical trials have also shown the beneficial results of homoeopathic medicines. A report in The Lancet (September 20th, 1997), in a review of eighty-nine placebo-controlled or double blind trials, concluded that homeopathic remedies had an effect 2.45 times greater than a placebo.