< Homeopathy

Invention by Dr.Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843)

Hahnemann was educated in medicine, science and linguistics. He wrote a book on his research, "The Organon of the Medical Art", and received 6 editions over his life.

That book explains what he thought was the nature of disease, the way homeopathic remedies may work and how to apply them. That is the core book for homeopaths when studying.

Homeopathy is very widely used now and homeopaths operate in many countries regardless of how affluent or poor the country is. There are now over 3000 remedies ostensibly "proven" and available for treating all types of disease.

We will later look more at homeopathic theory on a basic level, the principles of homeopathy and more importantly how homeopathy is supposed to be used with the intent of restoring health. You can purchase homeopathy kits to have at home or when travelling cheaply for application to acute diseases or minor accidents. For longer term diseases, deeper rooted emotional, mental and/or physical problems, homeopaths advise you to visit a professional homeopath and attend a number of times.

Note that no generally accepted scientific study has shown homeopathy works at all.

Homeopaths claim that their remedies are useful for a wide range of minor ailments, from cuts and bruises to coughs and colds. Patients often come to homeopaths with long-term problems which have not responded to conventional medicine, and homeopaths prescribe remedies to people with these conditions. Some of the common ailments for which patients seek homeopathic care are eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, allergic disorders, arthritis, fibromyalgia, hypertension, Crohn's disease, premenstrual syndrome, rhinitis, anxiety and depression. They also treat patients with the most serious diseases, including multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and AIDS. For gangrene, for example, homeopathic remedies are prescribed to strengthen a person's own defenses and to initiate healing; a very different approach from medical therapy. Some homeopathic remedies for gangrene include Arsenicum Album, Secale (from rye/ergot), and Carbo vegetabilis (from charcoal), amongst many others[1].

Homeopaths claim that there is objective evidence that some of their treatments are beneficial. Some other researchers also claim that there is scientific evidence that homeopathy helps in many problems and diseases[2]. Common homeopathic preparations are diluted to the point where it is statistically unlikely that there are any molecules from the original solution are present in the final product; the claim that these treatments still have any pharmacological effect is thus scientifically implausible[3][4] and violates fundamental principles of science,[5] including the w:law of mass action.[5] Critics also object that the number of high-quality studies that support homeopathy is small, the conclusions are not definitive, and duplication of the results, a key test of scientific validity, has proven problematic at best.[6] The lack of convincing scientific evidence supporting its efficacy[7] and its use of remedies without active ingredients have caused homeopathy to be regarded as w:pseudoscience;[8] w:quackery;[9][10][11] or, in the words of a 1998 medical review, "placebo therapy at best and quackery at worst."[12]


Dr. James Tyler Kent

Dr. James Tyler Kent was born in 1849, a native of woodhull, new York. He graduated from Electic Medical institute, cincinnati, ohio in 1871 and the Homeopathic medical college of missouri, St. Louis, where he was awarded the Diploma in 1889. He was Professor of Anatomy in the American Medical College St. Louis, 1877-78 about which time his attention was forcibly directed to Homeopathy through the serious illness of his wife, whose case refused to yield to any other treatment except Homeopathic. He then became a careful student of Hahnemann's Organon which resulted in his complete conversion to Homeopathy. He was one of the ablest teachers and exponents of the Homeopathic school in America. His contribution to the Homeopathic literature are known by their strength rather than their length and include more prominently his Repertory, Homeopathic Philosophy, Lectures on Materia Medica and Lesser Writings. Lectures on MM Lectures on Philosophy How to study Repertory Lesser Writing


Dr. Hering

Dr. Constantine Hering was born on 1st Jan. 1800 in Oschath in Saxony. He studied Medicine and then at the request of his teacher Dr. Henrich Robbi studied Homeopathy in order to write a book against Homeopathy. But since his infected hand which was to have been amputated was healed by Homeopathy, he became converted to Homeopathy and became one of the most famous Homeopaths. After getting his degree from Woodsburg he went to Surinam on an expedition. There he extracted the poison of the Lachesis snake and proved it. From then on he practised, taught and wrote on Homeopathy for the rest of his life, so much so, that Hahnemann called him as one of his 'most efficient disciples' and 'as the truest and most zealous propagator of our art.' When he died on July 23rd 1880 his friend Dr. Nickle said of him "He who never rested, rests".

Guiding Symptoms The Homeopathic Domestic Physician Model Cures Condensed Materia Medica Analytical Repertory of the mind

Dr.M.L. Sircar

Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar, C, I .E" M.D.. D. L., was not only the greatest Homeopath of his time in India, but also a great scientist. He was born on Nov. 2, 1833 in Paikpara, near Howrah. He appeared at the M.D. Examination in 1863 and came out first. He devoted his life wholly to the propagation of the principles of Homeopathy. The Calcutta Journal of Medicine, edited by him, was started in Jan. 1868 for this purpose. In the field of physical science, Dr. Sircar has made great contributions and was' a pioneer of .scientific research in India. Dr. J. C. Bose and Dr. P. C. Ray were also inspired by him. Recurrent malarial fever and bronchial asthma clouded the evening of his life and he died on Feb. 23, 1904.


Boger Prominent as a physician and author of a number of medical text - books, Dr.Boger came to Parkersburg U.S.A. in 1888 and had since been engaged in the practice of medicine. He graduated from the Philadelphia College of Medicine. He later studied at the Hahnemann Homeopathic Medical College in Philadelphia, from which also he graduated. During his long career in medical practice and research, Boger contributed important scientific text-books including the Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica addition to his authorship of a number o" articles for medical journals. His authorship of several scientific textbooks, his analysis and construction of Repertory, his lively translation of several medical books from notable German authors and his indefatigable labour for the production of original works, like the Times of the Remedies and Moon phases and his provings of Samarskite etc. made him universally recognised as an author and physician of great eminence. Dr. Boger passed away on 2nd Sep, 1935, at the age of 74.

Synoptic Key to Materia Medica BB Characteristic Materia medica Times Of Remedies & moon phases Studies in the philosophy of Healing Study of Materia Medica and Case taking

Homeopathy in the 20th century

BBC Horizon Show and the current status of Homeopathy

  1. ↑ Homeopathy for everyone
  2. ↑ Van Wassenhoven, Michel (June, 2008), "Scientific framework of homeopathy: evidence-based homeopathy", Int J High Dilution, http://www.feg.unesp.br/~ojs/index.php/ijhdr/article/viewFile/286/354
  3. ↑ Shang A, Huwiler-Müntener K, Nartey L, et al (2005). "Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy". Lancet 366 (9487): 726–732. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67177-2. PMID 16125589.
  4. ↑
  5. 1 2 "When to believe the unbelievable". Nature 333 (30): 787. 1988. doi:10.1038/333787a0.
  6. ↑ Toufexis, Anastasia Is Homeopathy Good Medicine?, Time, Sep. 25, 1995, page 2 (page numbering given from online version, accessed 20 April 2008)
  7. ↑ Jerry Adler. "No Way to Treat the Dying" - Newsweek, Feb 4, 2008
  8. ↑ National Science Board (April 2002) Science and Engineering Indicators, Chapter 7, "Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Public Understanding" - "Science Fiction and Pseudoscience" (Arlington, Virginia: National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences)
  9. ↑ Wahlberg, A. (2007) "A quackery with a difference—New medical pluralism and the problem of 'dangerous practitioners' in the United Kingdom," Social Science & Medicine 65(11) pp. 2307-2316: PMID 18080586
  10. ↑ Atwood, K.C. (2003) "Neurocranial Restructuring' and Homeopathy, Neither Complementary nor Alternative," Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 129(12) pp. 1356-1357: PMID 14676179
  11. ↑ Ndububa, V.I. (2007) "Medical quackery in Nigeria; why the silence?" Nigerian Journal of Medicine 16(4) pp. 312-317: PMID 18080586
  12. ↑ Ernst E, Pittler MH (1998). "Efficacy of homeopathic arnica: a systematic review of placebo-controlled clinical trials". Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 133 (11): 1187–90. doi:10.1001/archsurg.133.11.1187. PMID 9820349. http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/133/11/1187.
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