| What is homeopathy?
This mysterious system of healing is based on the idea that ‘like cures like’. Anne Woodham explains the philosophy behind this increasingly popular therapy In homeopathy, a substance that causes certain symptoms in a healthy person is said to cure someone who has developed similar symptoms as a result of disease. For example, arsenic is a common homeopathic remedy for diarrhoea and food poisoning. Stimulating self-healing Despite using plant, animal and mineral substances that in full-strength would be toxic, homeopathic remedies are completely safe because they are diluted thousands of times over until there are only a few molecules left, if any at all, of the original substance. Nevertheless, homeopaths believe that sufficient ‘likeness’ remains to stimulate self-healing processes. Hippocrates, the ‘father of medicine’, outlined the principle of ‘like curing like’ in the 5th century BC, but it was more or less forgotten until a German physician, Dr Samuel Hahnemann, rediscovered the principle in the 1790s. He dosed himself with quinine and found it produced the symptoms of malaria. The more he diluted the solution to make it safe, the stronger the response. In 1810, Dr Hahnemann published his theory of homeopathy, from the Greek homoios (same) and pathos (suffering), and went on to test other substances such as arsenic and to use them as cures. Fit for a queen How does it work? Remedies are diluted on the decimal scale (x) with a dilution factor of 1:10, or on the centesimal scale (c) with a dilution factor of 1:100. A decimal dilution of 6x is said to equal one part in a million; roughly equivalent to a pinch of salt in a bath of water. On the centesimal scale, a 12c potency is comparable to a pinch of salt in the Atlantic Ocean. After each dilution, the mixture is shaken vigorously (known as succussion) to transfer ‘energy’ from the substance and potentiate its healing properties. Although homeopathy is one of the most mainstream complementary therapies and available on the NHS through a homeopathic doctor, its principles are beyond current scientific understanding. Yet several clinical trials at Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital, published in The Lancet, found that homeopathic remedies alleviated hay fever and allergic asthma. According to one theory, the diluted liquid keeps an electromagnetic ‘footprint’ or ‘memory’ of the original substance. Another theory put forward by two scientists and reported in the New Scientist, claims that when a solution is diluted to the point where you would think nothing remains, the molecules actually clump together to form even larger clusters and become biologically active. The right remedy for your personality Remedies come in many different forms, including lactose pills, tablets and powders, as well as ointments and tinctures. Treatment is said to work according to the ‘laws of cure’: symptoms improve from the top of the body; from inside before the outside; and in reverse order of appearance. The longer a condition has taken to develop, the longer it takes to treat, and remedies may be changed according to how symptoms progress. The homeopath may dispense the remedy, or you may buy it from a health shop or chemist. Less common remedies are available from a homeopathic pharmacist. Practitioners usually advise taking remedies between meals, on a spoon to avoid body contact, and avoiding coffee and other strong-tasting substances. What is it good for? What to watch out for
How much does it cost? How can I find it? The Faculty of Homeopathy British Homeopathic Association The Society of Homeopaths |