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Homeopathy

Homeopathy was developed by the great German chemist and doctor, Samuel Hahnemann (1755 – 1843) Although the system of homeopathy he refined and developed is over 200 years old, the healing principle upon which it is based is universal and goes back thousands of years to the time of Hippocrates - the founder of modern medicine. Homeopathy could be summed up as, ‘Treat like with like.’

In other words, instead of ‘attacking’ or ‘fighting’ disease, homeopathy focuses on building health and strengthening the immune system with individualised, carefully selected remedies.

Like cures like.

This simple statement conceals a great truth. To be healed we need to be faced with a mirror that reflects back to us our individual suffering and also provides the impetus to begin self healing. In homeopathy the healing impetus is through the action of the carefully matched ‘potentised’ remedy.

This of course is an over simplification, because in the treatment of chronic disease remedies are prescribed, not on the basis of a single symptom, but on a much larger picture, which includes the person’s constitution, past medical and life history, mental and emotional state, life-style and much more. Most disease is not a single isolated event but is an expression of disharmony in the whole person. This disharmony expresses itself through psychological and physical discomfort which we call symptoms.

In order to make a successful prescription a homeopath needs to spend some time with the patient. A homeopath needs to know as much as possible about the patient and their medical and life history. In fact the initial consultation can take up to two hours. Homeopathy does not treat diseases as such – rather it treats the whole patient. This explains, for example, why six people diagnosed as having ‘arthritis’ may each receive a different homeopathic remedy. Unfortunately, trials investigating the effectiveness of homeopathy by using only one remedy, such as Rhus Tox, do not reflect the true healing potential of homeopathy. A deep understanding of the relationship between symptoms and the person’s life expression is essential in order to make an effective prescription. Individuality and uniqueness are the essence of homeopathic treatment.

The minimal or smallest dose

‘If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've obviously never been in bed with a mosquito.’

- Michelle Walker, artist -

‘The atom is very small – but split it and see what power is released.’

Many people will accept that the principle of treating like with like can be an effective method of healing. In fact some substances that are used by homeopaths are also used in modern medicine; such as gold in the treatment of arthritis or the herb Ipecacuanha in cough medicine. The real stumbling block to a larger acceptance of homeopathy is the disbelief that such small doses can be effective

However, experience repeatedly shows us that a single dose of the remedy Chamomilla can quickly cure a child with symptoms of painful teething and Arnica is well known for it's effectiveness in the effects of physical trauma and bruising.

So how can such small doses possibly work?

The answer to this question is all to do with sensitivity (or susceptibility) to the remedy and may be compared to the phenomena of ‘allergy’. When someone is allergic to something, such as house dust, shellfish, wheat, milk, nuts etc, it only requires a very small amount of the allergen in order to provoke an exaggerated and violent response, sometimes even death, as in the case of nut allergy. Animal hair producing an asthma attack is another example. The response is out of proportion to the quantity of the substance and is due to the fact that this particular individual is extremely sensitive to this substance.

Curative Allergy

In a similar way, we are extremely sensitive to our individual healing agent or homeopathic remedy. If, for example, we have the symptom picture of Belladonna (high fever, hot dry skin, dilated pupils, throbbing headache, sensitivity to light, etc) then we only require the smallest dose of Belladonna to stimulate self-healing. The remedy provides just enough impetus to stimulate a healing response.

Next: What does Homeopathy treat?