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Homeopathy is a system of natural medicine founded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, an 18th century German physician and chemist.
The word homeopathy comes from two Greek words: homeos – similar; pathos – suffering. Homeopathy is a method of healing which uses a similar medicine to treat a similar suffering. The birth of homeopathy heralded one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of medicine. For the first time in western history, medicine was provided with a rational philosophy of healing and a scientific method of treatment. In 1789 Dr. Hahnemann made an astonishing discovery. While investigating the medicinal properties of cinchona bark, the herbal remedy for the treatment of malaria, curiosity led him to ingest a small amount of the bark. Through the course of that day and night, he developed intermittent chills, fever, sweating and malaise - symptoms identical to malaria. The bark had produced in him an artificial expression of malaria. He went on to test numerous medicines to determine their effect on healthy individuals. He found that every medicine produces its own unique medicinal effects or signature. By understanding these unique effects, a medicine can be used to treat individuals suffering with the same symptoms – like treating like. He called this principle the Law of Similars. For example, peeling an onion caused red, itchy, watery eyes. According to the Law of Similars, homeopathic onion can be used to treat allergic conditions such as hay fever. The homeopathic onion produces a similar expression to the hay-fever symptoms and the suffering is relieved. According to homeopathy, health is a state of equilibrium maintained by a life force or essence. Under the influence of mental and physical stresses, the life force becomes disturbed and expresses its imbalance in the form of symptoms. Symptoms are the outer expression of this inner state of disturbance or disease. The role of homeopathy is to stimulate the life force to re-establish a state of equilibrium. As the life force is restored to balance, the symptoms recede and the individual returns to a state of health. In homeopath, every person is unique and requires individualized treatment. A 1˝ hour initial interview includes a thorough assessment of the client’s overall health status. Attention is paid to family health history, personal health history, health issues, personality traits, stress patterns, motivations and goals, relationships, diet and lifestyle, sleep patterns, and environmental influences. A medicine is selected which best matches the unique expression of the individual. The homeopathic prescription is based on the expression of symptoms rather than on the diagnosis. Take the common cold, for example. Despite having the same disease, no two cold sufferers have exactly the same symptoms. The same is true for every diagnosis. Everyone has his or her own personal disease. Because the treatment is based on the expression of the individual, homeopathy helps the whole person, not just specific health issues. Improvements in sleep, mood, focus, and energy are typical outcomes. Acute illnesses respond quickly to homeopathy, usually within a few hours to days. Chronic conditions require more time because the healing process occurs more gradually, from weeks to months. Homeopathic medicines are derived from plant, animal and mineral sources. They are prepared via a twin process of diluting and vigorous shaking which releases the full range of curative properties latent in the original substance. Because of this unique preparation, homeopathic medicines are highly energized and are able to stimulate a process of healing more readily than can their crude sources from nature. In 1810 Dr. Hahnemann published the 1st edition of the “Organon of Medicine”, his thesis on homeopathy. In it he outlined the principles of the art and science of healing. In addition he described both an evidence-based system of testing medicines on healthy individuals and a reliable method of assessment and treatment. Dr. Hahnemann continued his research until his death in 1843 by which time homeopathy had spread throughout Europe and North America where it proved to be highly effective in the treatment of the influenza, cholera and yellow fever epidemics of the 19th century. His life work, for the most part, had been ignored and ridiculed by the medical and scientific communities of the era. Perhaps a no more befitting response to the harsh scepticism which he endured was the following phrase written on his gravestone in a Paris cemetery: “Aude Sapere”- Dare to taste, to understand.The 1st female physician in Canada, Dr. Emily Stowe, graduated from the New York College for Women, Homeopathic, in 1867 and founded the Women’s College Hospital of Toronto. Homeopathic hospitals were established in Toronto and Montreal in the 1890’s. Homeopathy soon reached Asia where its effectiveness prompted Mahatma Gandhi to comment in a 1936 speech: “Homeopathy cures a large percentage of cases, more than any other method of treatment and it is, beyond all doubt, safer and more economical and the most complete medical system.” Today homeopathy is widely available in Canada. Its recent growth has been driven, in large part, by public interest. In an era in which more than 50% of Canadians are turning to natural therapies for complementary health-care, the future of homeopathy appears promising. Since its meteoric birth over 200 years ago, homeopathy has continued to defy its critics. It’s safe and effective track record has inspired generations of peoples throughout the world. Homeopathy has withstood the test of time. Dr. Cam Dodds is a naturopathic physician and classical homeopath. He lives in a beautiful setting on Vancouver Island, B.C.,Canada, where he is exploring a path of personal growth and awareness. |
