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o discussion is complete without the story of its founder Fr Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Hahnemann graduated from medical school in 1779 and soon became disillusioned with the prevailing beliefs and practices of his time. Hahnemann was taught, as were all doctors of his time, that disease was due to an overabundance of one of the body’s fluids or ‘liquor’s’ and that treatment consisted of draining these excesses. The most accessible ‘liquor’ was blood and it was drained profusely. The goal was always the same, drain as much blood as possible. Doctor’s advocated drawing blood until no more came from the vein. Children were supposed to be bled until four-fifths of their blood was drained. Other ‘liquors’ were drained through a variety of purging methods including large dosed of laxatives and emetics. All sorts of poisons such as arsenic and mercury were also used. Mercury for example, was thought to effectively treat syphilis and was administered until the patient experienced copious salivation (which we recognise now as a symptom of severe mercury poisoning). Is it so different now? Our methods may not be as barbaric, but doctors give children antibiotics for a minor cold, a practice that eventually destroys the immune system leaving them more susceptible to further illness/dis-ease. Hahnemann rebelled against prevailing practices and openly criticised those who followed them, unlike his colleagues, Hahnemann was not blinded by unquestionable faith in his profession and he simply quit medicine altogether. While translating a book by a popular doctor (Cullen’s Materia Medica,) that discussed the use of cinchona bark (quinine) in the treatment of Malaria, Hahnemann decided to experiment on himself by taking large doses of cinchona. He developed a fever, sweats, body pains and other symptoms similar to those of malaria. These symptoms lasted some time before he recovered. Hahnemann formulated a hypothesis: cinchona appears to cure malaria because it produces malaria-like symptoms in healthy people. He proceeded to test other substances, taking them himself, giving them to his family and anyone else brave enough to visit his home. He carefully recorded any symptoms produced. Hahnemann started seeing patients again and administered substances that produced in healthy people, the same symptoms for which the patient sought treatment. These patients improved enough to remove any doubt about the validity of his hypothesis. The Latin phrase Similia similibus curentur defines the one and only principle of homeopathy “Let likes be cured by Likes”. This is what homeopathy is all about, a homeopathic physician’s goal is to find a substance that produces in an healthy person the same symptoms the patient is suffering from. He or she gives the substance and waits for a reaction in many cases, the reaction can be quick and miraculous.
Remedies Homeopathic medicines/remedies are prepared in a specific way by a potentising or activating process involving dilution and succession (shaking hard) which renders the remedy non-toxic and free from side effects. However, taking a higher potency remedy over a prolonged period can cause what we call an aggravation or proving of the remedy. During this aggravation the patient can experience a worsening of the original symptoms, but this soon passes on cessation of the remedy and usually lasts no longer than a couple of days.
Homeopathic medicines are provided in either pilules or drops. But granules or diffuser sprays can be used. The potency and dose varies depending on each person’s individual need. The remedies are safe to use and will not interfere with or influence medicines prescribed by your Doctor.
Choice of Potency
Time remedies should be taken
**See a qualified practitioner for remedies above 200c**
Potency Vs. duration of action The lower the potency, the shorter the duration of action. (acute conditions). The higher the potency, the longer the duration of action. Provided the analogy was clear and correct (chronic conditions). As opposed to pathogenic or specific symptom prescribing, constitutional prescribing does not treat the disease entity, but rather the symptom complex of the individual who has the disease. The purpose of constitutional prescribing is not to seek to change a patient’s character, but by modifying its tone balances it, thereby giving systematic, systemic support to the self-healing effort of the organism. By encompassing the sum total of the individuals physical, emotional, and mental picture constitutional analysis and prescribing performs psychotherapy while also working on the physical level. Homeopathy is an active medicine. It reinforces the body’s own healing powers and does not cause suppression the way antibiotic and steroids do. With homeopathy it is not the amount of chemical substance that matters but the energy released by potentisation of the remedy. Homeopathy gives a certain impetus and, if correctly applied, this set’s off natural healing regulatory processes in the organism that can overcome the disease. Its action is therefore safe and sure. The homeopathic system developed by Hahnemann is a form of medical treatment that is not subject to changing fashions, its basic principles have remained unchanged since they were first established early in the nineteenth century, though the method of application has changed. Scientists are coming to realise that gentle stimuli play an important role in vital processes and in metabolism, also, that tiny doses of certain substances such as hormones and vitamins can have very considerable effects. Homeopaths do not use powerful chemical agents to suppress troublesome symptom, instead, the small doses of natural substances are used in the highly diluted doses. In the present age, we find ourselves even more caught up in material things. Health is a great treasure and to maintain it in the face of all risks that life presents is a major achievement. This applies to all living creatures and homeopathy is effectively used on mice to elephants. All in all, a major part of happiness depends wholly on our state of health.
all copyright belongs to Lynne Wheatman, Natural-Homeopathy
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