What is Homeopathy?
Introduction
Homoeopathy is a science of alternative medicine invented by German Physician & Scientist Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843)., rebellious allopath in 1826 in Germany. Master Hahnemann, at peak of frustration , conceived a unique idea which laid foundation of Homeopathy. He gifted the medical world with golden rule of ” Similia Similibus curenture” which means let likes be cured by likes .By this he meant that a drug cures in the diseased person, what it caused in healthy persons. He exemplified this with his first drug china . He demonstrated that china [ cinchona bark, having quinine ] cured malaria, because it had ability to produce malaria like symptoms in healthy persons. He perfected this analogical model in next 50 years against all vociferous allopaths. He perfected A to Z of homoeopathy with saintly devotion.
System of Homeopathy
Homeopathy is based on few Hahnemannian principles.
- Law of similimum – a drug cures those symptoms in diseased person, which it may cause in healthy persons. To find a remedy, we need to compare symptoms in a patient, to symptoms of remedies in MATERIA MEDICA, which is data bank of symptoms collected by reputed past homoeopaths. It is like applying a key suitable to our lock from a given bunch of keys.
- Law of minimum dose – it says that minimum possible single dose may be used to minimise side-effects of any medicine.
- Medicines are prepared by potentisation.
- law of miasms – if indicated remedy do not work, despite the best possible selection, look for obstruction in cure, which he defined as a miasm [ vitiated atmosphere in body, not conducive to cure by similimum]
- Hering’s law of cure – during perfect cure, symptoms may shift from above downward or from vital organs to less vital structures.
Pharmacology of Homeopathy
Medicines are prepared strictly in a standardized manner by combining medicinal dilution with potentisation. Serial dilutions reduces quantity of medicines, while simultaneous potentisation raises its efficacy to unbelievable heights . Extreme dilution renders medicines free of side-effects , whereas potentisation render it with million fold efficacy It is paradoxical that despite reduction in medicinal quantity, its curative powers are multiplied due to potentisation. By repeating the process , it achieves phenomenal powers to cure . With reduction in medicinal material , side-effects are zeroed and only healing powers are left in higher potencies .This is the greatest Hahnemannian gift to the ailing world ,simultaneously , the greatest medical puzzle to modern medicine . Sources of medicine ranges from inorganic salts, minerals, metals , herbs , vegetations, plant juices, biological products, animal products, energies[ x-ray] ,inert materials and many others. It was really a wonder that even sand gave excellent medicine — siliceae . Medicines are prepared with dilution and potentisation in inert vehicles like lactose sugar, alcohol, or water etc.
Medicines are named according to its source and method of dilution and potentisation . For example, Arnica 30 means So original 1 ml of arnica plant juice is diluted by a factor of 1/100 every time , for 30 times, with potentisation . So original 1 ml of arnica plant juice is diluted serially with zillions of liters of alcohol for dilution with potentisation . This method of preparation of homeoe medicines seems controversial to Modern Pharmacology or Chemistry because according to Avogadro’s number , no substance can found above trillionth dilution. In other words, even the most sensitive laboratory can hardly detect any drug substance in /above 12 potency. They think medicines cannot work this way. Till today, we have no answer, why it should work at all. Despite this unanswered enigma, it cured millions of patients, all types acute / chronic / serious / injuries /burns/allergies/ psychiatric/ pediatric and what not. So, it works definitely and works still better with higher dilution. Arnica works from zero dilution to cm dilution [ diluted 100,000 times ] Best results are not with undiluted arnica , but 1000 or 10000 or 50000 times diluted arnica. It seems that medicine produces imprints on the vehicle [alcohol or sugar] and with repeated process though medicinal quantity is reduced materially ,but its imprint on vehicle is sharpened for longer life [ homeopathic medicines have no expiries except if heated. Heat destroys medicinal image on the alcohol /sugar. One drop of medicine can cure millions of patients .
Dispensing of Medicines
Homoeopathic medicines can be dispensed in alcoholic drops, lactose powders, sucrose pills and many more. The original potencies are kept in alcohol and from it is dispensed further in form of powder, pills, tablets etc. Sugar base may be cane sugar or milk sugar. Its dispensation is non-glamorous as pills may be too small to believe its fabulous curative powers. Medicines are always taken on empty stomach .Avoid any food /liquid before and after half an hour. Take on tongue and let it be dissolved there. Do not swallow it. Alcoholic drops are mixed with plane water and are to be swallowed . WHO has accepted it as an alternative system of medicine. It is practiced in many counties like India, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland U.K. , France etc., but it has highest number of followers in India, millions every year.
Resurrection of Homeopathy
MASTER HAHNEMANN proposed homoeopathy with a single remedy in minimum spaced doses and waited for days to months for remedy to act . His disciples followed him saintly , though differed in choice of potencies , some used very high [ above 1000] and some very low [ less than 30] . and some medium [30 and 200] . With experience, Hahnemann felt difficulty in chronic diseases, he gave a theory of miasms. For about 100 years, HOMEOPATHY enjoyed popularity with slow but gentle cures in America , U.K. and other European countries. With advent of master antibiotic Penicillin and sulfa drugs, homeopathy went into back stage. Miraculous jet -fast antibiotic cures flooded medical bulletins and glory of homoeopathy faded.
Last 50 years, allopathy touched new horizons of researches in medicine, surgery , genetics , pathology, microbiology and allied sciences. Today , laser surgery and endoscopic surgeries are routine. It seemed that homoeopathy was gone forever . Allopathic seemed to cure everything fast and superbly. Then there came a halt to its march . Antibiotics and excessive surgery created more patients of different types . Resistant cases of bacterial infections like TB , resistant malaria, viral diseases , diabetes, coronary heart diseases, stress related psychiatric disorders and many diseases sprang up , which made allopathy shine dull .and challenged its supremacy. Medicinal side-effects and exorbitant medicinal costs made allopathy dreadful.
Classical Homeopathy versus Polypharacy in Homeopathy
Master Hahnemann and his disciples stuck to one remedy in a limited doses and then waited . It was and is the most desired attitude in homeopathy, but they were compiler and originator of materia medica , so they remembered symptoms by heart . They were master prescribers , not found today . We are left with average prescribers with low patience and our patients of are from jet age wanting faster disposing of cases. Added to these are pollution, junk food habits, heavy drugging and confusing modern diagnosis. All above factors moulded resurrection of homoeopathy . Some classical purist re-interpreted homeopathic philosophy and gave a new versions of using miasms, repertories [ dictionary where symptoms are arranged for easy finding ] and potencies. This created new classes of classical homeopaths . There were many who mixed few remedies to tailor a readymade formulae to suit fixed pathologies or diseases . It is difficult to comment who is superior of them , but they have advantages and disadvantages. Crowded OPD and limitless patients with thousands of diseases is a challenge to classical homoeopathy. In INDIA , we have 1 crore pt of TB , 2 crores pt of Diabetes , 5 million pt of malaria , 1 crore pt of heart diseases 1 million pt of diarrhea and so on . With classic approach we can never finish all pts . Here polypharmacy is better. It is difficult to take history from unwilling pt for hours , then prescribe a single individual dose to wait for a cure or a failure . So new generation of doctors and pharmacies willingly or unwillingly turned to Polypharmacy. It worked satisfactorily in many hands . Advantages of combinations were—
- They cater to specific pathology or diseases nicely ,with reasonably fair success.
- Quick clearance of crowded OPD s with quick dispensing.
- We can compare different Pathies for evaluation of success.
- Epidemics can be handled easily [ Here remedy of genus epidemics from classic homeopathic may also help ]
- Plant diseases / veterinary diseases helped better.
- Mental symptoms of pt are difficult to take as well as pt may not be intelligent enough.
- Master prescriber with success rate above 30% can be counted on tip
Advantages of Homeopathy
- It has no side-effects, whatsoever.
- Easy to be taken even by non co-operative children. Small sweet pills, drops, powders – a dream of patient and doctor!
- Easy to manufacture on mass level in large quantities, even at short notices as in epidemics. No panic of shortage.
- It is cheaper. So suitable for mass distribution and government and charity supplies.
- It is holistic in approach, so cures pt perfectly. Gentle cures, no medicinal hang over. or after-effects.
- In an expert’s hands , it is very accurate and fast [ though many thinks it to be slow].
- It has prophylactic value with more accuracy than vaccinations and that too without side-effects of vaccines.
- It has a great working in trauma, burn, stroke ,mental shock .
- It is very much effective in veterinary field . Since, animals have higher body weight than man , so medical doses and costing are forbidding .
- It has a potential of wide coverage of specialities like paediatrics, skin, gynaec and obstetrics, orthopaedics, psychiatry, etc.
- It has scope in agriculture and fertilizers
- It is the best alternative and complimentary to allopathy. In France , it used by surgeons to potentiate allopathy.
Disadvantages of Homeopathy
While enumerating, its advantages, it questions why homoeopathy is not Darling of all. Why not on top ?
- Practitioners are in lacs, but master or expert prescribers are few ! Educational system has produced half cooked , low confidence doctors .Top teachers and teaching are missing. Literature is outdated and has not been updated.
- The system has no agreeing on important subjects like potency selection, handling acute or chronic diseases So no standardisation regarding doses , selection of remedies , follow ups etc. Everyone has his own method claiming superior to all , learnt from his own exposures. Ego clashes are many ,” he is holier than others” attitude is detrimental.
- Homeopaths hesitate to share experiences , they think others are too naive to be shared with. Many times their secrets die with them , hence lost forever.
- Serious researches are few . The literature in depth is not coming forth.
- Success rate especially , replicable is poor .
- Government is indifferent , takes homeopathy for a ride.
- Medicines have too simplistic look and lacks commercial glamour of today.
- Medicines are not available easily , only few stores in any city; none in small places.
- It is impressed heavily on people ‘s psyche that homeopathy is extremely slow and with poor efficacy.
Future Scopes of Homeopathy
- It will be the second most sought after system , second to allopathy.
- After superb conquest of bacterial infection by antibiotics , in future viral infections will rule and homeopathy is best with viral infections.
- With increasing medicinal costs, for poor it will be the only option left.
- Increase in stress and psychiatric diseases and allergic diseases , it will be an ideal choice.
- In prevention of diseases, it will be used more.
- It will be a drug of choice in veterinary field.
- Agriculture and fertilizers will use it more. And so on
- It will help in superhumanisation of mankind – better height and statures sound mental health low criminality anti miasmatic treatment helps in normalising criminals so on.
Homeopathy
had many miraculous cures in last 2 centuries. Our touch with
homeopathy was not for rare miracles to make happen ,but for mass cures .
We may cure a case of malaria miraculously , if we leave millions of
malarias untreated, it leaves no credit as a science of medicine. So we
always concentrated on mass , never a. single isolated case with
fabulous diagnosis. Below , we summaries what we did ourselves , rather
what others cured. Though we believe that homoeopathy can help any
curable disease ,but we concentrated solely ,where allopathy falters or
gets stuck. We want to be complimentary to it , rather than substitute
it . We realized that allopathy had its faltering moments in almost
every specialty .These medicinal junctures are critical both for
patients and doctors . Patients lose hopes and doctors feel agony of
humiliation. We noticed that nightmares of medical failures of allopathy
had many easy solutions in homoeopathy. in terms of cures or patient’s
satisfaction .For example , mumps is a headache to pediatricians / ENT
specialists . We saw that it cured it in 2 to 3 days with ease. in
hundreds.
In
obstetrics, recurrent abortions is a dilemma .Our treatment gave live
issues to more than 1000 woman in last 20 years . Autism and dyslexia
are a great concern to a psychiatrist , we cured hundreds of them
without sweat .
Obstetrics Obstetrics has many nightmares
- IUGR [ poor foetal growth ] homeopathy helped us in hundreds , all born with normal weight.
- Recurrent abortions – except uterine anomalies we succeeded in toxoplasma / rubella/ CMV / HABITUAL ABORTIONS/ UNEXPLAINED causes – all succeeded in 95% cases.
- Pre-eclampsia – homeopathy clears oedema / high B P / placental insufficiency in all cases within 2 to 3 days All live issues.
- Pregnancy with jaundice has high risk . Hom served well.
- Threatened abortion has best treatment success rate in hom . If baby is alive at beginning of treatment , saving it after 24 hours is almost 95%
- PCOD has excellent results.
- Homeopathy has helped secondary infertility in high numbers.
- Oligospermia – it is fastest and 1st choice.
Neonatology has many dilemmas —
- Low birth WEIGHT babies / premature babies / twin —– homeopathy can raise 35 to 40 gms of weight per day till desired weight.
- Hyperbilirubinemia if threatening , homoeopathy can clear within 7 days without fail.
- Cephal haematoma / birth injuries – – homoeopathic medicine is unfailing.
Pediatrics and homeopathic are made for each other. Without kids, charm of homeopathy is unimaginable.
- Mumps / chickenpox/ measles/ URI / ac tonsillitis/ malnutrition / teething / diarrhea / infective hepatitis/ primary complex homeopathy is better than allopathy.
- Height problems.
- Autism / dyslexia / cerebral palsy —- homeopathy is the only answer.
- Delayed speech/ delayed milestones
- Pediatric Neurology Disease, Uncommon Genetic Disorder like Prader Willi Syndrome PWS, Angelman Syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Mentally Retarded Children, Down Syndrome 21 Trisomy and other Genetic Disorder with Chromosomal Abnormalities.
Orthopedics —- EXCEPT pain killers , orthpaedics success on manipulations. Homeopathy helps
- Injuries / fractures / muscle or tendon injury / sprains / rheumatoid arthritis.
- Osteoporosis and stress fractures hom is the best.
- Disc prolepses , sciatica and cervical spondylosis — in our hand hom was number one.
MEDICINE —- has many problems for hom.
- Infective hepatitis — hom is 100% successful even 2000 reading of SGPT can be cleared in 7 to10 days. Allopathy has no answer. Ayurved helps, hom is first choice.
- TYPHOID seems to monopoly of allopathy . In our hand , fever clears within 24 hours and 5 days’ treatment clears completely even without steroids.No relapse.
- Malaria [vivax] it clears faster than chloroquin /quinine even resistant.
- Anaemia – surprisingly hom is faster 2 gm % rise in 15 days without iron medication.
- Burn cases in less than 35% burn , it heals 3 times faster than allopathy without scarring.
- Cerebral stroke and post myocardial infarction has surprisingly faster recovery. Initially, in serious, unstable patient may need ICU CARE, but after stability of general condition, hom aids in faster recovery.
- Gall stones – here surgery is a choice , but if patient avoids surgery , homeopathy in all pts stones were dissolved in 10 to 12 months and were asymptomatic after 15 days’ treatment.
- TB Tuberculosis — Allopathy has been the first choice of patients due to great terror of the disease , so majority of our share of patients was from resistant TB or too poor patients for allopathic costing or patients reactive with allopathic drugs. Our results were excellent . We avoided terminal cases.
Ophthalmology
- We saw 3 severe epidemics of eye flu serving thousands for complete cure and prevention to other family members with same combination . NO eye drop or antibiotics.
- Recurrent stye or Hordeolum.
ENT – has many stops
- Allergic rhinitis
- Recurrent tonsillitis
- Vocal nodule has only choice except risky surgery
- Epistaxis in children – best.
Skin –HOMOEOPATHY is made perhaps for skin only. We did not try for skin much , because other homeoepaths are master of it and allopathy does not want to surrender.
- Atopic dermatitis had high number of cures in our hands.
- In bites by wasp / bee/ caterpiller —- homeopathy clears in 2 to 3 hours with 15 min doses . NO failure.
Surgery has many traps , but surgeons loves surgery so much that it is rare they can be helped.
- Delayed op wound healing
- Burns for healing
- beurger’s disease
- Burn scar / keloid.