What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is based on the Law of Similars. The truth of this law has been verified experimentally and clinically for the last 200 years. It has been postulated before that by Hyppocrates and Paracelsus.
Let us look at an example: If a child accidentally ingests certain poisons you may prescribe Syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting. Ipecac is derived from the root of the South American plan Ipecacuanha. The name, in the native language, means “the plant by the road which makes you throw up”. Eating the plant causes vomiting.
When a group of healthy volunteers took this substance to determine the effects of this drug, they found that the drug induced other symptoms as well. The mouth retained much saliva. The tongue was very clean. There was a cough so severe that it led to gagging and vomiting. There was incessant nausea. While it is expected that vomiting would relieve the nausea, this was not the case.
Such an experiment, using healthy individuals, is called a proving, and it is the homeopath’s source of information about the action of the drug.
Of what use could this plant be? If a person were suffering from a gagging cough after a cold, or a woman were experiencing morning sickness with incessant nausea that is not relieved by vomiting, Ipecacuanha, administered in a minute dose, prepared in accordance with the processes described in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States – the official manufacturing manual recognized by the FDA – can allay the “similar” suffering.
The German physician Samuel Hahnemann described this principle by using a Latin phrase: Similia Similibus Curentur, which translates “Let likes cure likes”. Hahnemann developed this principle into a system of medicine called homeopathy, and it has been used successfully for the last 200 years.
What are the medicines?
The substances that are used in homeopathy may be made from plants, minerals, animals (such as venoms from spiders), or chemical drugs. These substances are mixed in alcohol to obtain a tincture. Then they are diluted in a special manner called potentization. One drop of the tincture is mixed with 99 drops of alcohol (to achieve a ratio of 1:100) and the mixture is strongly shaken. This shaking process is called succussion. The resulting product is labeled as “1C”. One drop of this 1C is then mixed again with 99 drops of alcohol and succussed to make a 2C. By the time the 3C is reached, the dilution is 1 part in a million! Small globules made from sugar are then saturated with the liquid dilution. These globules constitute the homeopathic medicine.
Homoeopathic medicines are ultra-dilute using a method of dilution called potentization. This involves a dilution process and a succussion process (ie vigorous shaking).
To make a ‘C’ potency the dilution ratio is 1: 99 (ie 1 drop of substance to 99 drops of water/alcohol). Between each dilution step the medicine is succussed eg 30C means the dilution step followed by succussion is done 30 times.
Take 1 part of the original substance (mother tincture) and dilute it with 99 parts of water or alcohol, then shake it. This is called a 1C dilution. Then take 1 part of the 1C dilution and dilute it with 99 parts of fresh water or alcohol and shake it. This yields a 2C dilution. The concentration of this dilution is o.oo1%. Doing this step by step 30 times gives you a 0.0000000000000000000000000000001% dilution – ridiculously small. However the potentization (making it more effective) lies in the shaking/succession.
You can see from this homeopathic medicines are extremely dilute. Converse to conventional medicine, the more dilute the medicine the greater the potency or strength (because it has been succussed more times).
A homeopathic remedy does not work on the physical, it restores the vital force, which governs the healing of the physical body. The physical symptoms are the last manifestation of a “dis-ease” in the vital force. When the trauma to the vital force is addresses in the proper way the body has the innate capacity to heal itself.
How can homeopathic medicine be integrated into an allopathic practice?
Homeopathy lends itself well to be used in a primary care setting. In my practice I use homeopathy successfully to treat acute conditions such as infections (acute otitis media, sinusitis, tonsillitis, cystitis, etc), allergies, soft tissue injuries, as well as chronic conditions such as serous otitis media or other chronic infections that do not respond to antibiotics anymore, arthritis, colitis, and other inflammatory, degenerative, endocrine and psychiatric disorders. I personally have no success in treating migraines and bipolar disorders, however. The homeopathic remedies can be give in conjunction with allopathic drugs or alone. They are very well tolerated.
Where can I learn more about homeopathy?
National Center for Homeopathy
801 North Fairfax Street, Suite 306
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone 703 548-7790
Fax 703 548-7792
The NCH can answer all your questions regarding homeopathy (education, manufacturers, providers, study groups, etc)
Profiling homeopathy’s health care providers
According to Maryland law any health care provider must be licensed by the State. To my knowledge all health care providers in the Baltimore/Washington area that practice homeopathy are well trained in homeopathy. Health care providers who use homeopathy include M.D.s, D.O.s, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopaths.