HOW HOMEOPATHY WORKS
What Homeopathy is.-
Homeopathy, from Greek: "homoion"-similar and "pathos"-suffering, and defined as "a system of human medical practice that treats a disease especially by the administration of minute doses of a remedy that would in healthy persons produce symptoms similar to those of the disease," was founded and developed between 1790 and 1843 by a German physician and chemist named Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843.) This practice stimulates the body to heal itself through its own energy, or "vital force," by using medicines, called remedies, prepared with microdosis of substances derived from all sources of nature (animal, vegetal and mineral worlds,) highly diluted and potentialized which lack any chemical action, thus not having any side effects. In spite of this, their effect is rapid and prolonged stimulating the immune system to achieve selfhealing. Hence, the name of natural remedies, as they stimulate the organism naturally to restore its own equilibrium. This is one of homeopathy's characteristics: the organism stimulated by the right remedy reacts as a WHOLE in the same energetic level where disease is. Hence, it is a holistic, from
Greek "holos"-whole or wholeness, therapeutic method. However, homeopathy should not be confused with herb therapy, naturopathy nor other holistic methods.
Homeopathy is commonly used by physicians, veterinarians, dentists, nurses and non-medically qualified practitioners all over the world. For instance, in England there are exclusively homeopathic hospitals and the Royal Family has used this type of medicine for decades and continues to do so, in France homeopathic medicines can be found in nearly every pharmacy, and in Germany homeopathy is included in the National Health Plan.
Homeopathy, from Greek: "homoion"-similar and "pathos"-suffering, and defined as "a system of human medical practice that treats a disease especially by the administration of minute doses of a remedy that would in healthy persons produce symptoms similar to those of the disease," was founded and developed between 1790 and 1843 by a German physician and chemist named Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843.) This practice stimulates the body to heal itself through its own energy, or "vital force," by using medicines, called remedies, prepared with microdosis of substances derived from all sources of nature (animal, vegetal and mineral worlds,) highly diluted and potentialized which lack any chemical action, thus not having any side effects. In spite of this, their effect is rapid and prolonged stimulating the immune system to achieve selfhealing. Hence, the name of natural remedies, as they stimulate the organism naturally to restore its own equilibrium. This is one of homeopathy's characteristics: the organism stimulated by the right remedy reacts as a WHOLE in the same energetic level where disease is. Hence, it is a holistic, from
Greek "holos"-whole or wholeness, therapeutic method. However, homeopathy should not be confused with herb therapy, naturopathy nor other holistic methods.
Homeopathy is commonly used by physicians, veterinarians, dentists, nurses and non-medically qualified practitioners all over the world. For instance, in England there are exclusively homeopathic hospitals and the Royal Family has used this type of medicine for decades and continues to do so, in France homeopathic medicines can be found in nearly every pharmacy, and in Germany homeopathy is included in the National Health Plan.
How Homeopathy works.-
Over the years, Hahnemann experimented different substances in his development of this therapeutic method, and established some Principles or Laws to be followed. Some of these are discussed below.
Medicines must be experimented on Healthy Human Individuals. Unlike drugs in conventional medicine, which are experimented on animals, homeopathic remedies are experimented on human volunteers, who should be perfectly healthy. These experiments are called provings, and all the symptoms - physical, mental, and emotional - reported by these people are recorded. Then all the remedies with their provings are compiled in a book called Materia Medica.
The Law of Similars or 'Similia Similibum Curantur' ("like cures like") is the key to homeopathy. Stated in a simple way, if a large dose of a raw material were given to healthy individuals their effect would create an illness similar to that which the corresponding homeopathic remedy (made of that raw material) would help to correct or heal. This also differs from conventional medicine, called allopathy, where drugs are used against the disease or symptoms. In
homeopathy, the correct remedy for an individual patient would be that which has been recorded to produce a picture of symptoms in a healthy person most similar to the picture of symptoms that the patient presents.
Homeopathic remedies are used in minute doses, since they are attenuated and dynamized. The homeopathic remedy is attenuated by dilution in alcohol and water (for soluble substances) and/or grinding in lactose (for insoluble materials.) Dynamization is the development of medicinal strength by succusion or agitation in liquids, and the rubbing of grinding in solids. There are several ways of preparing the remedies, all recorded by the pharmacopoeias By successive diluting and succusing, we have the different potencies of the remedies, e.g., 6c, 15c, or 30x. Basically, the number tells us how many times it has been diluted and vigorously agitated, and the letter behind the number indicates the preparation system used: decimal (x) or centesimal (c).
Over the years, Hahnemann experimented different substances in his development of this therapeutic method, and established some Principles or Laws to be followed. Some of these are discussed below.
Medicines must be experimented on Healthy Human Individuals. Unlike drugs in conventional medicine, which are experimented on animals, homeopathic remedies are experimented on human volunteers, who should be perfectly healthy. These experiments are called provings, and all the symptoms - physical, mental, and emotional - reported by these people are recorded. Then all the remedies with their provings are compiled in a book called Materia Medica.
The Law of Similars or 'Similia Similibum Curantur' ("like cures like") is the key to homeopathy. Stated in a simple way, if a large dose of a raw material were given to healthy individuals their effect would create an illness similar to that which the corresponding homeopathic remedy (made of that raw material) would help to correct or heal. This also differs from conventional medicine, called allopathy, where drugs are used against the disease or symptoms. In
homeopathy, the correct remedy for an individual patient would be that which has been recorded to produce a picture of symptoms in a healthy person most similar to the picture of symptoms that the patient presents.
Homeopathic remedies are used in minute doses, since they are attenuated and dynamized. The homeopathic remedy is attenuated by dilution in alcohol and water (for soluble substances) and/or grinding in lactose (for insoluble materials.) Dynamization is the development of medicinal strength by succusion or agitation in liquids, and the rubbing of grinding in solids. There are several ways of preparing the remedies, all recorded by the pharmacopoeias By successive diluting and succusing, we have the different potencies of the remedies, e.g., 6c, 15c, or 30x. Basically, the number tells us how many times it has been diluted and vigorously agitated, and the letter behind the number indicates the preparation system used: decimal (x) or centesimal (c).
About Veterinary Homeopathy.-
Even though Hahnemann developed homeopathy for human beings, at the beginning of 1800 he himself tried it on his own horse and cured him of an eye condition, still today known as periodic ophtalmia. Later in 1815, he publicly recommended doing provings on animals. However, he didn't develop this idea. Thus, Veterinary Homoeopathy uses the human remedies in exactly the same way, by means of adaptation of the symptoms from the human provings to those symptoms of animals. A very full and thorough history of the nature of the condition and the nature of the patient is taken, and then analyzed to find the closest possible match. All physical, mental, and emotional symptoms are taken into account here, hence, the caretakers' accurate report of these details make their role a critical one in the homeopathic treatment of our animal companions. The remedy selected is usually administered orally in the form of granules, pellets, powders, drops or tablets.
European countries such as France, England, and Germany, have a path in Veterinary Homeopathy of around 100 years, working in constant research. Horses, dogs and cats have been found to respond very well to homeopathic
remedies. Homeopathy may on many occasions be useful for a wide variety of canine conditions, including: Skin, musculoskeletal, developmental, respiratory, arthritis, and intestinal conditions, also circulatory problems, behavioral or phobic conditions, infertility, liver, urinary tract conditions, etc. Thus, it is a true alternative to conventional medicine. Obviously, it is not a panacea nor a miracle cure, so conditions where there is dead tissue such as irreversible organ failures cannot be cured. Also, in many instances such as a fractured bone, surgery might be required, and the surgeon still has his rightful place. In these cases, homeopathy can be used as a complementary aid to speed the recovery by stimulating the natural healing of the organism.
Finally, it should be also understood that, in homeopathy, we do not treat diseases, but rather dis-eased individuals. For example, a dog with an "allergic dermatitis." We do not consider that he has a disease of the skin, but rather the skin symptoms are a physical manifestation of the internal energetic imbalance, the WHOLE dog is a diseased individual, even when the caretakers might not perceive it this way. By looking at the whole picture, the veterinary homeopath will, with the right prescription for that particular individual (and not for the condition called allergic dermatitis), be able to restore the energetic balance, and thus, health to that dog. Then the skin symptoms will eventually go away, but not because they have been fought against or suppressed by any medication, rather because the dog is healthy. Understanding the patient as a whole involve understanding not only the physical aspects of disease, but also his/her mind and emotions or behavioral manifestations towards his/her environment. It is only this way we can recognize each dog differs from the rest of dogs, and this individualization is the key to cure. Anyone who has had dog companions for a certain period of time will easily understand that they can be individualized the same as humans can: why one dog is shy, another is sensitive, loving, or loves swimming, and yet another one loves music instead or has a strong character, same as in people, we do not know. But these symptoms are the most essential manifestation of disease, and it is through this valuable information that, in homeopathy, we can select the appropriate remedy.
Even though Hahnemann developed homeopathy for human beings, at the beginning of 1800 he himself tried it on his own horse and cured him of an eye condition, still today known as periodic ophtalmia. Later in 1815, he publicly recommended doing provings on animals. However, he didn't develop this idea. Thus, Veterinary Homoeopathy uses the human remedies in exactly the same way, by means of adaptation of the symptoms from the human provings to those symptoms of animals. A very full and thorough history of the nature of the condition and the nature of the patient is taken, and then analyzed to find the closest possible match. All physical, mental, and emotional symptoms are taken into account here, hence, the caretakers' accurate report of these details make their role a critical one in the homeopathic treatment of our animal companions. The remedy selected is usually administered orally in the form of granules, pellets, powders, drops or tablets.
European countries such as France, England, and Germany, have a path in Veterinary Homeopathy of around 100 years, working in constant research. Horses, dogs and cats have been found to respond very well to homeopathic
remedies. Homeopathy may on many occasions be useful for a wide variety of canine conditions, including: Skin, musculoskeletal, developmental, respiratory, arthritis, and intestinal conditions, also circulatory problems, behavioral or phobic conditions, infertility, liver, urinary tract conditions, etc. Thus, it is a true alternative to conventional medicine. Obviously, it is not a panacea nor a miracle cure, so conditions where there is dead tissue such as irreversible organ failures cannot be cured. Also, in many instances such as a fractured bone, surgery might be required, and the surgeon still has his rightful place. In these cases, homeopathy can be used as a complementary aid to speed the recovery by stimulating the natural healing of the organism.
Finally, it should be also understood that, in homeopathy, we do not treat diseases, but rather dis-eased individuals. For example, a dog with an "allergic dermatitis." We do not consider that he has a disease of the skin, but rather the skin symptoms are a physical manifestation of the internal energetic imbalance, the WHOLE dog is a diseased individual, even when the caretakers might not perceive it this way. By looking at the whole picture, the veterinary homeopath will, with the right prescription for that particular individual (and not for the condition called allergic dermatitis), be able to restore the energetic balance, and thus, health to that dog. Then the skin symptoms will eventually go away, but not because they have been fought against or suppressed by any medication, rather because the dog is healthy. Understanding the patient as a whole involve understanding not only the physical aspects of disease, but also his/her mind and emotions or behavioral manifestations towards his/her environment. It is only this way we can recognize each dog differs from the rest of dogs, and this individualization is the key to cure. Anyone who has had dog companions for a certain period of time will easily understand that they can be individualized the same as humans can: why one dog is shy, another is sensitive, loving, or loves swimming, and yet another one loves music instead or has a strong character, same as in people, we do not know. But these symptoms are the most essential manifestation of disease, and it is through this valuable information that, in homeopathy, we can select the appropriate remedy.