What is Homeopathy?
     The word homeopathy is derived from two Greek words, OMIO (meaning "same") and PATHOS (meaning "suffering").   Homeopathy is a medical theory and practice that was developed more than 200 years ago. In the late 1700s, Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician began to develop a theory based on three principles: the law of similars, the minimum dose, and the single remedy. With the law of similars, Hahnemann theorized that if a large amount of a substance causes certain symptoms in a healthy person, smaller amounts of the same substance can treat those symptoms in someone who is ill. The basis of his theory took shape after a strong dose of the malaria treatment quinine caused his healthy body to develop symptoms similar to ones caused by the disease.

      Hahnemann continued to test his theory on himself as well as family and friends with different herbs, minerals and other substances. He called these experiments "provings". Hahnemann began decreasing the doses to see how little of a substance could still produce signs of healing. With the minimum dose, or law of infinitesimals, Hahnemann believed that a substance's strength and effectiveness increased the more it was diluted. Minuscule doses were prepared by repeatedly diluting the active ingredient by factors of 10. Essential to the process of increasing potency while decreasing the actual amount of the active ingredient is vigorous shaking after each dilution. Remedies are prepared from many sources - including plants, herbs, minerals or animals.

The System and Practice

A System of Treatment!

          Homeopathy is a system of treatment which is based on natural laws which have always existed but discovered, understood and applied therapeutically only 200 years ago. The Latin phrase 'Similia similibus curentur' was then chosen to describe the 'law of similars' which emphasizes homeopathy's application - simply put, it means 'like cures like'.

          According to the laws of similars, the homeopathic principles, a patient who has a set a of particular symptoms which illustrate their condition, is given a minuscule dose of a substance which in big doses causes parallel symptoms of an artificially inflicted anomaly in a healthy person. e.g. in certain cases, to treat hay fever, where the symptoms are similar to the effects of inhaling the fumes of a fresh chopped onion, homeopathically prepared doses of onion (allium cepa) is used. To treat certain types of sleeplessness which is similar to the sleeplessness caused by drinking coffee, homeopathically prepared coffee (coffea tosta) is used.

          A standard procedure called 'proving' is used to discover remedies for each set of symptoms, where a substance is tested on a group of healthy volunteers for its effects.  The symptoms are then recorded and compared to produce the information that defines a particular remedy for those symptoms. All homeopathic remedies have their unique symptom expressions that are recorded in the homeopathic 'materia medica'

Field of Practice

          Homeopathic remedies are widely used throughout the world by members of the public. The remedies are used for the treatment of minor injuries and simple self-limiting ailments in the home. Many books on the market offer indications on such treatment.

          Throughout the world certified homeopaths, who train exclusively in homeopathy as a distinct clinical discipline, and a growing number of doctors, who have done additional training in homeopathy, treat patients for a wide range of conditions. Although, as with any therapy, homeopathy has certain limitations, however, it is probably true to say that homeopathy is one of the therapies with the broadest reach in terms of the variety of illnesses it can treat as well as the severity of pathology being suffered. However It is particularly useful in a whole range of conditions for which conventional medicine either has nothing to suggest or only suggests means of 'symptom control' or 'disease management e.g. certain mental illnesses, allergic complaints, eczema, asthma, arthritis, digestive problems etc.

Homeopathic Remedies

          Homeopathic remedies are prepared from source substances derived from nature, i.e. vegetables, minerals, and animals as well as from energy where remedies have been produced from different forms of radiation. The process of 'potentisation', involving repeated serial steps of dilution and succession by which all homeopathic remedies are prepared, has been standardized.  The process renders all original source materials harmless to the human system. The potentised remedy retains the curative values of the original source substance.   Potentised remedies are prepared according to the homeopathic 'law of similars' and instructions recorded in homeopathic pharmacopoeia.

          Currently, there are some 3000+ remedies listed in the homeopathic materia medica. This list is continuously being expanded, as new remedies are 'proved' i.e. tested, for their therapeutic potential on groups of healthy humans.