INTRODUCTION TO HOMOEOPATHY

Homeopathy is a complete and unique medical system which works on the principle of 'like cures like' (Similia Similibus curanter), that is: a substance that is capable of evoking certain symptoms in an essentially healthy human being may become a potentially effective therapeutic agent when prepared according to the specifications of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia and prescribed in accordance with homeopathic principles.  It treats the whole patient whose disorder or disease is expressed by a complex of symptoms, which involve emotional and/or mental symptoms as well as physical symptoms.  This system of holistic healing was founded by Dr.Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician.  It is thus a system based on sound principles and as a result of solid experiments.

The theory behind the working of homeopathy is that the body of every human being contains a vital force within the body which regulates the functioning of the body.  Due to reasons such as heredity, environmental conditions, stress etc, weaken of this vital force causing disease.  So, disease is nothing but a complex of certain symptoms observed in the human body.  The homeopathic physician make a study of not only the symptoms the patient is complaining of, but of the entire patient himself.  This leads to a picture of the patient.  The physician then prescribes homeopathic medicine, which matches this picture.  Now, the medicine so prescribed would have caused the same symptoms in healthy person during 'drug provings'.  This medicine is given in a highly diluted dose, so as to prevent side effects.  This minute dose creates a similar disorder in the vital force and provokes the vital force to react to the symptoms and overcome. (The same system is used in vaccines, where vaccination against small-pox is done by injecting the small-pox disease-causing organism, so that the body can build up its natural immunity).

All homeopathy medicines are given in a very low dosage.  This is called as 'potentisation'.  Hahnemann discovered that the more the medicine was diluted (with alcohol or lactose), the more potent it became.  So, homeopathy makes use of medicines in a very low form.  For example: a doctor may prescribe a medicine with potency C. It means that the medicine has been diluted to C (100 times), that is: for every ninety-nine parts of the diluents, there is one part of the medicine.  The medicines contain an internal energy which is transferred to the vital force leading to cure.  Generally, there is a canard against homeopathy, that it relies on placebo treatment, which is totally false.  While the medicines may contain so less of the substance that it cannot be detected in a lab, it has been proved that these medicines are highly effective.  While, it is easy to say that men who take the medicine may feel that they are getting better due to auto-suggestion, homeopathy has just as effective in curing animals.  Can anyone say that animals can be cured by placebo treatment?

Homeopathy uses an array of medicines whose source ranges from animals to plants and chemicals.  Plants like Onion (Allium), Capsicum, Belladonna, Cactus, etc are used for preparation of homeopathic medicines.  A large number of chemicals like Nitric acid, Arsenious acid, Iron, Phosphorous are popular homeopathic remedies.  There are also a large number of animal sourced medicines like Naja & Lachesis which are snake poisons.  Medicines are also prepared from substance like milk (Lac def) and sand (Silica).  The products of diseases are used to prepare homeopathic medicines called as nosodes.  These nosodes include Carcinosin (prepared from the cancer cells), Tuberculinum (prepared from the cells of the lungs of cow infected by tuberculosis), etc.  While there may be a few people who are apprehensive of taking such medicines, they need not fear, because the process of preparing homeopathic medicines ensures that they are diluted such that they lose their original form and are rendered harmless.