Homeopathic Remedies
Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, is considered to be the father of homeopathy. In the late 1700s, he was translating a treatise by a Scottish physician, and being skeptical of this physician's conclusions, he decided to test them on himself. He ingested some bark that was often used to treat malaria, and was soon overcome by fever, joint aches and shivering, the exact early symptoms of malaria. This helped him form the theory of the Law of Similars, which is the foundation of homeopathy. By 1796 he was publishing his theories on homeopathy, and he first used the name homeopathy in print in 1807.
The law of similars, or "like cures like" means that if you are suffering from a problem with specific symptoms, the medication prescribed would cause similar symptoms in a healthy person. This medication would help the body overcome these symptoms and the patient would be cured. Hahnemann believed this to be a basic tenet of healing.
Homeopathic remedies are taken from plants, animals and minerals. The remedy is diluted through a process of potentisation or dynamisation. In this process the remedy is diluted by either water or alcohol, and then shaken vigorously by ten hard strikes against an elastic body. This part of the process is called succussion. This dilution was necessary to make the remedy capable of aiding the patient rather than causing more illness. During this potentisation process, Hahnemann believed that the vital energy of the remedy was activated, and the shaking released this energy. Insoluble ingredients like quartz or oyster shell are ground finely and diluted with lactose.
Potency of homeopathic remedies is measured by the levels of dilution. The more levels of dilution, the more potent the remedy. Remedies are commonly used at 6C, 30C and the professional potency of 200C. Later, other homeopaths developed a decimal system of potency, and you may find some remedies marked as 12X, for example, which would be the same as a 6C potency.
New remedies had to be determined through proving. Hahnemann would use healthy subjects, and if a remedy produced certain symptoms in them consistently, it would be used as a remedy for patients exhibiting those symptoms. His methods of proving later evolved into what we know today as clinical trials. He was the first to use control groups, systematic and quantitative procedures, and the application of statistics to his findings.
When a patient goes to see a homeopath, the first thing that will happen is the practitioner will take a thorough history of the patient. This history will include the emotional, mental and physical states of the patient, their current life situation as well as any physical or mental illnesses. The homeopath takes all this information and applies it to a formula of all symptoms, likes, dislikes, predispositions and body type. They will then determine the remedy for the problem at hand.
Homeopathy is used more frequently in some countries than others. For instance, it is used as a treatment for illness in the United States or Great Britain by about 1% of the population, while in India, it is used by at least 15%. In India, it is included as a method of traditional healing.
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