Concepts of Homoeopathy with its Principles, Doctrines and Laws: Co-Relation with Modern Views

1* Corresponding author; MD (Hom.)(PGT) National Institute of Homoeopathy (Gov. of India) ; Ex- House Physician (Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital,Govt. of West Bengal) ; B.H.M.S ; Residence : 57/1/3 Kasundia Ist Bye Lane; P.O- Santragachi, Howrah – 711104; email: [email protected]

2. Head Department of Pathology and Microbiology; BHMS, MSc, MD (Hom), PhD (Scholar)

 

ABSTRACT:

Homoeopathy is a combination of both art and science based on certain fixed laws and principles. There is a definite co-relation between the concepts of homoeopathy and emerging modern views.

KEYWORDS:  Homoeopathic Law, Principles, Doctrines, Modern concept.

INTRODUCTION:

Homoeopathy is based on the natural or Fundamental laws. These laws are in accordance with the established scientific laws of the universe. The same laws apply and hold well in homoeopathy; hence it is called a scientific system of medicine. The laws of nature cannot be changed or cannot change. They remain forever and so do the homoeopathic laws. Homoeopathy must work in harmony with all the natural realms and the laws which apply to those realms must apply also, in some degree and relationship, to homoeopathy.

Understanding of Homoeopathic laws, principles, hypothesis and doctrines

Law – A statement of fact to the effect that a particular phenomenon always occurs if certain conditions are present. Specifically in the scientific sense, a law is the connecting link between two series of phenomena, showing their relation to each other.

There are two tests of the validity of any law that is claimed to be a natural law, or law of nature.

1. That it is capable of connecting and explaining two series of natural phenomena.

2. That it is in harmony with other known laws.

 

Principle –

A general scientific theorem or natural law or rule that has to be or usually is to be followed or can be desirably followed or is an inevitable consequence of something.     Empirically found out facts, relations of causality have too, their raison d’être. They derive from more general laws and have their principles. Understanding these principles, insofar as they can be positively established, is the highest mission of science. On the limit of these positive principles, experimental science stops. If we exceed that limit, we enter the domestic domain of philosophy, the domain of primary and metaphysical causes.

 

Hypothesis –

An assumption or concession made for the sake of argument, a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences.

• Ø Kotschau’s type effect hypothesis – suggests that the course of biological effects may be classified into three distinct types according to the character of response noted. Curve A or the weak monophasic effect following slight stimulation or a small dose. Curve B, a medium dose, a double phased curve with a stronger effect at the beginning followed by a reversible depression. Curve C, while a strong or a very large dose causes a short, very intensive effect followed by irreversible injury.(page 132 of chapter 8 of “The Homoeopathic Principle in Therapeutics” by T. H. McGAVACK.

 

• Ø Silica hypothesis in homoeopathy- Succussion releases silica and monomers into the solution. For potencies above 12C structured silicates themselves act as the catalysts for perpetuation of the remedy specific patterns. In a variant on the hypothesis, silica delaminates from the glass walls in the form of nanoparticles rather than Si(OH)4 monomers and the information is carried via silica surface alterations.

Doctrine –

• Latin in origin- Doctrina
• It is a codification of beliefs or instructions,principles of law or rules, especially when established by precedent. (A branch of knowledge or belief system).

Examples are as follows –

v The Christian doctrine of trinity defines God as 3 divine persons the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy spirit. The 3 persons are distinct, yet co-exist in unity and are co-equal, co-eternal. According to this doctrine,”it is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten and the Holy spirit who proceeds.”

v The Doctrine of signatures is a metaphysical method of discovering pharmaceutical value. It is a very old notion which predates homoeopathy and was already mentioned in the writings of the Paracelsus (1493-1541). It proposes that GOD gave everything in nature its unique healing powers and left a clue for us to discover in the appearance of each plant or substance.

 

DEVELOPMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL LAWS.

• BEFORE THE ERA OF HAHNEMANN

Treatment by similars is not new. It is as old as civilization’s records are available from the time of Sushruta, 19^th to 18^th century B.C. who proclaimed Samah samam shamayati, similar cures similar. Certainly Aristotle recognized it and the history of western medicine begins with Hippocrates (460 B.C) who sensed the possibilities of this law of similia.

T.B. Von Hohenheim Paracelsus (1493-1541 B.C) also mentioned it.

Basil Valentine, a pseudonym of a Benedictine monk, believed to have lived 1410 B.C. also wrote:

“Likes must be cured by means of their likes and not by their contraries, as heat by heat…….”

Later physicians like Boulduc, Detharding, Bertholon, Thoury, Von Stoerk, Stahl (a Danish army physician) have also felt and expressed the truth of the homoeopathic method of cure.¹

 

• DR. SAMUEL HAHNEMANN (1755-1843):

The homoeopathic system of medicine is promulgated by our master Dr. C. F. S. Hahnemann. The law “similia similibus curentur” has its origin in antiquity. But  Hahnemann was the first who established and applied it as a system of treatment. Homoeopathy as a science of medical treatment has a philosophy of its own and its therapeutics is based on certain fundamental principles which are quite distinct and different from those of other schools of medical science.

These fundamental principles were discussed by Hahnemann in different sections of his Organon of Medicine and Philosophy. They are as follows:

 

1. Law of similia

2. Law of simplex

3. Law of minimum

4. Doctrine of drug proving

5. Theory of chronic disease

6. Theory of vital force

7. Doctrine of drug dynamisation.

 

The doctrines of homoeopathy were attempted to be formulated for the first time by Hahnemann in his article “The Medicine of Experience” published in 1805 till the complete systematization of the principles and practice of the homoeopathic art of healing was effected with the publication of Organon of medicine in 1810.

Hahnemann (1755-1843) was among the first to recognize the role of bacteria for disease development. Jenner (1749-1823) was the first to use vaccines (based on Hahnemann’s ‘Law of similar’) in the year 1796.

`Hydrophobinum’ prepared from rabid dog’s saliva, was used by homoeopaths long before Pasteur introduced vaccine prepared from a rabid dog’s saliva. A homoeopathic medicine called `Tuberculinum’ was in use before Robert Koch (1843-1910) discovered TB organisms. Of course, Tuberculinum was prepared from TB germs. Von Behring (1854-1917), who was called the father of vaccine therapy, was born 12 years after Hahnemann’s death. In fact, Von Behring had acknowledged his debts to Homoeopathy.²

Before the concept of bacteria as a cause of disease was brought forth, bacteria were recognized and also used as medicinal agents by Dr. Hahnemann and his followers. The concept of vaccination has it’s roots in the principles of Homoeopathy. Dr. Hahnemann must be recognized as one of the foremost Bacteriologists and it would be without any exaggeration to call him the real father of vaccination.³

 

Era of Post HahnemannianStallwarts:

-Hering(Father of American Homoeopathy)(1800-1880)

-Prof. Ernst Albert Farrington (1847-1885)

-Dr. Henry C Allen (1836-1909)

-Dr.Timothy Field Allen (1837-1902)

-Dr. J.T.Kent  (1849-1916)

-Dr. Nash (1838-1917)

-Dr. William Boericke (1849-1929)

-Dr. Clarke (1853-1931)

-Dr. J.H.Allen (1854-1925)

-DR.S.Close  (1860-1929)

-Dr.Boger (1861-1935)

-Dr.H.A.Roberts (1868-1950)

-DR. Hubbard (1896-1967)

 

HOMOEOPATHIC   LAWS   OF  CURE:

 

– Similia Similibus Curentur:

This full form has been used only once in the “Introduction” and in the letter to the French Minister of Public instruction (1835).⁴  Selection of medicine should be done according to its symptom similarity or homoeopathicity to the disease condition. Hahnemann, by his fine observations and inductive method of reasoning, became convinced of this law of cure. In sec. 26 of Organon of medicine Hahnemann gives the therapeutic law as follows:

“A weaker dynamic affection is permanently extinguished in the living organism by a stronger one, if the latter (whilst differing in kind) is very similar to the former in its manifestations.”

The laws and ways of Nature are uniform and harmonious. ( S. Close)

– Cure takes place from above downward, from within outward, from the more important to the less important organ, and in the reverse order of the onset of the symptoms. (Hering’s law of cure)

Cure doesn’t simply mean the disappearance of symptoms. Their disappearance must be as per the above law. Every true cure that has taken place has followed this law of direction and will follow the same in the future.

Energetically, the crown chakra, the chakra representative of one’s wisdom and spiritual connectedness is situated at the top of the body, the head, while the base (root) chakra, the chakra representative how at home one feels in ones physical body and how grounded and secure one feels, is situated lower down the body. This also illustrates how healing (cure) would progress from a mental to a physical level. Healing needs to travel down the body through the heart chakra, thus mental healing, then emotional healing and then physical healing is taking place.⁵

In “Analytical Repertory of the Symptoms of the Mind” by C. Hering – (How to use this book, page 24)—In all chronic and lingering cases, the symptoms appearing last, even though they may appear insignificant, are always the most important; all symptoms between have to be arranged according to the order of their appearance. Only such patients remain well and are really cured who have been rid of their symptoms in the reverse order of their development.^6,7

Sec 17 of Organon of Medicine-it follows that the physician has only to remove the whole of the symptoms in order to cure.

 

OF  ACTION:

(Law of Mutual action-Newton’s Third Law of Motion))

Action and reaction are equal and opposite.

In the 18^th century i.e. the stage of the Newtonian model of the universe-the mechanistic concept of the universe dominated all scientific thought. In the Newtonian view, God has created, in the beginning, the particles, the forces between them and the fundamental laws of motion and it has continued to run like a machine, governed by immutable laws. But later the classical concept of solid substances had ceased by the discovery of relativity theory and quantum theory.⁸

To the primary action of medicine there is secondary action of the vital force.(sec 63,64,65 in Organon of Medicine).

According to S.Close – Action and reaction are ceaseless and transformation continuous.

 

OF QUANTITY AND DOSE:

The quantity of the drug required is in inverse ratio to the similarity. This means in patients where there is greater similarity between the indicated drug and disease symptoms, then the less quantity of drug is required.

 

OF  QUANTITY:

The quantity of action necessary to effect any change in nature is the least possible; The decisive amount is always a minimum, an infinitesimal.

This is the law designated as the law of least action, which was formulated by Maupertius, the French mathematician.

Health is a state of perfect equilibrium. Trifling circumstances may disturb the equilibrium. The same may be set right with the least possible medication.

Sec 246 of Organon -The minute dose means that quantity of medicine which is smallest  in quantity produces the least possible excitation of the vital force and yet sufficient  to effect the necessary change in it.

Sec 272 deals with this.

 

OF   QUALITY:

The quality of the action of a homoeopathic remedy is determined by its quantity, in inverse ratio. This is a problem of the susceptibility of the patient and the similarity of the drug; the laws of quality and quantity go hand in hand.

 

OF  USE:

The dose and quantity that will thoroughly permeate the organism and make its essential impress upon the vital force is that which will affect the functional sphere of the individual.

 

OF  BIOLOGICAL  DEVELOPMENT:

Function creates and develops the organ. In the first stage of the disease when the vital force is affected, there are only functional symptoms. But when pathological changes occur the functional symptoms gradually recede. This means that the damage is in a deeper aspect. The human body can be considered as a sort of confederation of organs, tissue, cells, systems-animated by a vital immaterial principle. The control of all the functions is affected from the centre to the circumference, so as to secure harmony and fulfill the purpose assigned to the organism. The morbific agent always affects the centre of government first, and it produces at first functional disorders before producing organic diseases.⁹

 

OF  DISEASE  DEVELOPMENT:

Functional symptoms are produced by the vital force in exact proportion to the profundity of the disturbance. The functional symptoms precede structural changes.  As functions create and develop organs, similarly when there is damage in the functional level (due to derangement of vital force), there results pathological changes in organs. That means, prior to structural changes there are functional damages.

 

OF  PROVING:

These laws deal with various types of substances for proving. These laws are in accordance with the above laws of action, law of quantity and dose, law of quantity and law of quality.

• Ø Any drug which in its natural state affects the vital energy but little will develop a proving only in a high potency.
• Ø Any drug which in its natural state disturbs the vital energy to functional manifestations only may be proven in a crude form.
• Ø Any drug which in its natural state disturbs the vital energy to destructive manifestations should be proven only in a potentiated form.

§105-145 of Organon of Medicine deals with drug provings. By drug provings, pathogenetic powers of medicines are known, which are the curative powers of a medicine.

Planetary movements have a definite relationship to life. The power of the moon over the tides, the earth and sun relationship offers the planetary influences. Like this, moon phases also influence some mental conditions and nervous complaints. By this cyclic manifestations without having a definite cause and effect relationship, we perceive the dynamicity, the outline of a great truth.

This is also substantiated by Hahnemann in FN to §11of Organon of Medicine.

 

OF  REPETITION  (for proving):

Never repeat the dose while symptoms are manifest from the dose already taken.

The above law guides the physician while proving the drugs in healthy human beings, to discover the symptomatology of the drug. The symptoms are developed in natural cycles during provings. If the drug is frequently administered then this cycle is interrupted and the true symptom picture of the drug is not obtained.

Hahnemann instructs us to prove medicines in the 30^th potency (4-6 very small globules) several days until the production of symptoms(§ 128 of Organon).

If the effects are slight, a few more globules should be taken daily (§129 of Organon) Further, he endorses the use of strong doses to ascertain the genius of medicine (it was first said by Farrington in his Materia Medica) as in § 130.

 

OF  REPETITION  (for cure)

Never repeat your remedy so long as it continues to act.

Every remedy administered to treat the patient has it own duration of action. The remedy should never be repeated till the action of the previous given remedy is over. This is important because it gives us correct judgments as to how much the earlier given remedy has made its effect on the symptomatology. Sec 245 of Organon Of Medicine-“Every perceptibly progressive and strikingly increasing amelioration in a transient (acute) or persistent (chronic) disease, is a condition which, as long as it lasts, completely precludes every repetition…”

Sec 246-251 deals with repetition.

Hahnemann changed the concept in the 6^th edition.

§246-…that the degree of every dose deviate somewhat from the preceding and following in order that the vital principle which is to be altered to a similar medicinal disease be not aroused to untoward reactions……

§247-“it is impractical to repeat the same unchanged dose of a remedy once…the vital principle does not accept such unchanged doses without resistance that is without other symptoms of the medicine to manifest themselves than those similar to the disease to be cured…”

 

Other  laws  related  with  homoeopathy

• Law  of  constancy of matter and force
• Law of cause and effect- effect follows causes in unbroken succession. James Krauss  said “ Cessat effect us cessat causa” in introduction to Doctor Boericke’s translation of the 6^th edition of Hahnemann’s organon. But Hahnemann said in chronic disease it is necessary to remove the internal disease, the fundamental cause in the treatment of Psora -“cessante causa, cessat effectus”.¹⁰
• Law of vis inertiae – all internal changes of bodies are the results of an external cause, for without this all bodies would remain in the same state in which they were placed. The cause or reason of the state of the body, therefore are the conditions (age, sex, constitution, predisposition, etc) under which it can be changed by any external cause.¹
• Arndt Schulz law-Paracelsus who declared:”All things are poison and nothing is without poison.”It is the dose that makes a thing a poison. That insightful statement was later formulated into a law by Arndt and Schulz. What this law states is that, large doses kill, moderate dose paralyze and small dose stimulate.
• Now hormeosis established the similar effect of Arndt-Schulz law.

 

CO-RELATION WITH MODERN CONCEPTS:

The discovery of relativity theory and quantum theory (the theory of atomic phenomena) in the 20^th century ceased the classical concept of solid substances of the Newtonian model. The light quanta, which gave the name of quantum theory, have since been accepted as bona fide particles and are now called photons. At the subatomic level, the solid material objects of classical physics dissolve into wave- like patterns that represent the probabilities of interconnections. In modern physics the universe is thus experienced as a dynamic, inseparable whole, interconnected, there are no completely independent parts and that human consciousness is not independent of the Universe either.⁸

Nano particles of the homoeopathic medicines have recently being detected by TEM (Trans Electron Microscope) ( Jayesh  R Bellare et al) and the capacity of bacterial sequencing in high dilutions of aqueous  solutions which is  also being detected by EMW (Electro magnetic wave signaling system) (Luc Montagnier et al.) , these two researches strongly support that Nano structured Homoeopathic medicines act dynamically where Super Avogadro numbers dominate.

 

Bright-field and corresponding dark-field TEM images of nanoparticles and aggregates observed in Zincum met: (a) 30c (SBL),

(b) 200c (SBL) Inset e SAED patterns of the corresponding nanoparticle/aggregate.

 

Proving that the starting materials were retained even with extremely high dilutions.

During the succussion process, the pounding of solutions against a rubber stop generates numerous nanobubbles as a result of entrapment of air and cavitations due to generation of ultra-sound waves. The particles of the starting material instantaneously get adsorbed on the surface of these bubbles and cavitations. This Nanoparticle-nanobubble complex rises to the surface and can be within a monolayer . It is this 1% of the top layer of the solution which is collected and added to the next vessel, into 99 parts of fresh solvent and the succussion process is repeated. This transfer of the top 1% layer in each step will ensure that once we reach below a certain concentration, i.e. well within a monolayer, the entire starting material continues to go from one dilution to the next, resulting in an asymptote beyond 6c.^12,13

 

CONCLUSION:

As per Dr. Hahnemann’s wish, the following words were engraved on his tombstone : `Non inutilis vixi’ which means “I have not lived in vain.”  Through the discoveries of quantum theory, the interconnectedness of the dynamic universe and nano particles, modern physics has come to conclusions similar to those that Hahnemann arrived at more than 200 years earlier.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am indebted to my guide Prof. L.M. Khan for his kind co-operation and constant support for writing this article.

 

REFERRENCES

1.Hahnemann Samuel, Organon of Medicine,5^th and 6^th edition, translated from the 6^th and 5^th edition with an appendix by R.E. Dudgeon, with additions and alterations as per 6^th edition translated by William Boericke and introduction by James Krauss.

2. Homoeopathy online :Fundamental laws of homoeopathy.

3. Longo,Fauci,Kasper,Hauser,Jameson,Loscalzo :Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicines 18^th Editions.

4. Joardar .R.R “The Dictionary of Organon”:parts(combined)-I,II,III..

5. Hering C,”Analytical Repertory of the symptoms of the mind”,PG24

6. Hering’s law of cure by Dr. Roger Schmidt Homoeoint.org/cazalets/Schmidt/law of cure.htm.

7. Articles on understanding Hering’s law of cure. Author Lela

8. Homoeopathic society-Seeking the truth about Hering’s law of cure by Sue Muller.

9. Capra Fritjof,”The Tao Of Physics” Third edition 1991,Thompson pres India limited

10. Hahnemann’s “The Chronic Diseases, Their peculiar nature and their homoeopathic cure”. First NCBA Edition 2007:ISBN 81-7381-530-5.

11. Close Stuart, The Genius of Homoeopathy..B Jain publications

12. Montagnier Electromagnetic signals.pdf

13.2010 Paper 1-Extreme homoeopathic dilutions retain starting materials- A nanoparticulate perspective.pdf.

14. McGAVACK. T. H.   The Homoeopathic Principle in Therapeutics.

15. Roberts H. A. ,”The Principles and Art of Cure by Homoeopathy”, B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi