ABC of Homeopathy

Homeopathic FAQ

Common questions about homeopathy answered here.

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine, which was founded by the German physician Dr. Hahnemann in 1790. Dr. Hahnemann  was a very famous physician of the then dominant school of medicine. He was a successful practitioner, but deep within he was very troubled by the limited amount of useful medical knowledge of his times. He realized that, very ironically, the ‘medical science’ is not based on any fundamental scientific laws. And the theories on which the medicine of his time was based were vague and hypothetical. And the treatment often caused more harm than good. So he left his medical practice and started translation work instead.

While translating Cullen’s Materia Medica, he decided to probe into the action of Cinchona bark, which was known to have curative power in malarial fevers. To do this, he took some extract of Cinchona bark himself. To his utter surprise, he soon developed symptoms similar to those of malaria. It occurred to him that Cinchona bark can cure malaria because it has the power to produce a similar state in a healthy human being.  To test this idea further, he did similar experiments with various substances on himself and others. And he found all his experiments confirming his idea. And so he concluded that this is a general law and called it ‘Similia Similibus Curantur’ , i.e.; ‘Like Cures Like’ – the fundamental principle on which Homeopathy is based.

This law has been confirmed by thousands of people since then and has been found to be rock-solid.Dr. Hahnemann then further developed this idea, proved hundreds of new medicines, developed methods of preparation and administration of medicines and also gave many guidelines regarding health and disease, thus giving birth to a complete and new system of medicine. This was a strong foundation and a lot of work has gone into further development of Homeopathy in the past 200 years. The work and growth of Homeopathy is still going on and at a very rapid pace. And as the physical basis of this science is becoming clear, i’s acceptance is growing in all ranks of society. It won’t be wrong to say – ‘The Future Belongs to Homeopathy.”

If you want to know more about Homeopathy then read:

History of HomeopathyCardinal Principles of Homeopathy

What ailments can be treated by Homeopathy?

Almost all ailments are amenable to homeopathic treatment. But Homeopathy is best known for its ability to treat chronic ailments. The reason for this is that Homeopathy is the only system of medicine which offers curative treatment (not palliative) in many chronic ailments which have been declared ‘incurable’ by other schools of medicine. Be it skin disease, chronic gastric and intestinal disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, asthma, allergic disorders, menstrual complaints, other hormonal disorders, arthritis, psychological disorders etc etc. All these and many more chronic ailments have been affected curatively by Homeopathy. The only major limiting factors are 1. Gross structural and pathological changes. 2. Very low vitality of the patient. 3. Unavoidable presence of certain causative or maintaining factors.

Then Homeopathy is also known to make surgery unnecessary on many occasions. Many tonsils, adenoids, appendices etc have been saved with Homeopathy. Benign tumors and renal stones also respond well to homeopathic treatment.

Even in cases where curative treatment is not possible, like advanced cases of arthritis, malignancies etc, management and palliation with homeopathic medicines is very effective and improves the quality of life of such patients without making them suffer the side effects of the modern wonde -drugs ( ! ).

Homeopathy is also very effective in acute ailments. And the action of a rightly selected medicine is usually faster than any other medicines. Not only this, under proper homeopathic treatment the tendency to frequent recurrence of acutes and their tendency to become chronic is aborted.

One last thing! In Homeopathy it is said that Homeopathy never fails, it’s the Homeopath that fails. And although Homeopathy has its limitations, most ‘curable’ cases that do not respond to Homeopathy are due to improper selection of medicine or potency and case management. So if you don’t get benefit from Homeopathy at first, don’t dump Homeopathy; dump the Homeopath. 😉

Are homeopathic medicines safe?

Absolutely! Homeopathic medicines are given in sub-physiological doses. They do not have any chemicals or added colors in them. Usually they do not have any side effects and they cannot cause any structural damage in general. They are safe for infants and pregnant women too. But homeopathic medicines often have very profound action on human economy, so they should not be taken without consultation with a qualified homeopath.

Homeopathic medicines act by stimulating body’s own defense mechanism to correct the process which has lead to the disease condition. According to our current understanding, the medicines act as a electromagnetic signal, which is picked up by nerves and relayed to higher centers of the brain, which in turn stimulates our bodies healing powers to take specific corrective measures. Medicines tell the body ‘What to do?’ – the actual work is done by the body itself.

How does one take homeopathic medicines?

Homeopathic medicines are available in sugar pills and in liquid form. The exact way of administration depends upon the medicine, its potency, the condition being treated, and the sensitivity of the patient. At one time a few sugar pills or a few drops of liquid medicine may be given. But the exact method and the repetition of medicine depends upon the above mentioned factors. So ask your homeopath before taking any homeopathic medicine.

What dietary measures and life-style changes are required under homeopathic treatment?

This varies from physician to physician. Some restrict too many things like coffee, tobacco, spices etc, while others do not put any restrictions. In general, if a food-substance is playing a causative, maintaining, or aggravating factor, only then it should be avoided. Some substances like camphor are considered a general antidote to many homeopathic medicines and should therefore be avoided or taken into account. Life-style changes are also required only if life-style is contributing to disease condition. Homeopathic medicines act on a very deep plane; so they are usually not affected by routine dietary articles and the routine stress of our lives.

Where can I find more information?

Want to learn more about homeopathy? Enroll in our Homeopathy Course for Beginners.

Also you can look at the following sections of our web-site:

History of Homeopathy, Benefits of Homeopathy

Cardinal Principles, Future of Homeopathy, Homeopathy Articles

You can also ask questions in our Homeopathy Discussion Forums

About the author

Dr. Manish Bhatia

- BHMS, BCA, M.Sc Homeopathy (UK), CICH (Greece), MD (Hom)
- Associate Professor, Organon & Homeopathic Philosophy, SKH Medical College, Jaipur
- Founder Director of Hpathy.com
- Editor, Homeopathy for Everyone
- Co-author - Homeopathy and Mental Health Care: Integrative Practice, Principles and Research
- Author - Lectures on Organon of Medicine vol 1, 2, 3. CCH Approved. (English, German, Bulgarian)
- Awardee - Raja Pajwan Dev Award for Excellence in the Field of Medicine; APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Excellence in Homeopathy Education
- Visit Dr. Bhatia's website

1 Comment

  • Your article definetely explodes the myths and clears the doubts about the art and science of homoeopathic system of medicine.However,it is discouraging to note that publicity for the miraculous homoeopathic treatment at affordable cost leaves much to be desired.Hail homoeopathy!

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