Homeopathy

Basics:

Homeopathy is based on the "law of similars". To site an easy example: to neutralize snake bite you inject same snake poison.

How medicines are discovered:

Practitioners seek to find substances that cause the same symptoms in healthy individuals as the sick. All these substances of known effects are documented in a collection called materia medicas (encyclopedia of drug effects).That same substance is then given to the sick in safe doses. It gives dramatic results.

Potency:

The principle is generally accepted by most medical sciences but the principle of potentiating the medicine is very controversial.

This is done by serial dilution. One part in 99 parts of water or alcohol is labeled as "C". When a medicine is labeled "X" or "D" it means 1:9 parts. Thus, 30x means 30 times 1:9 dilutions. When a medicine is labeled "LM", it was diluted 1:50,000.

It is a pure observation by homeopaths that the more a medicine is potentiated this way (diluted in this fashion) the more effective the medicine is.

Why a controversy?

Scientists often refer to the Avogadro's Law, which states that there should not be any molecule left after a substance is diluted 6.02 times 10 raised to the power 23. In that case a medicine with potency 24x or 12c will have no parent molecule left in it!!! Then how does it work? Well, they believe that the substance may not be there, but its energy, its resonance, its essence, remains.

Well, the only way to explain how small doses act, here is a beautiful analogy with music: when C is played in a piano, all other piano in the same room will all vibrate in C. How is that possible?

Note:

• In today's world, there has been many computer programmes designed to manage this kind of knowledge database. They are easy to use and help you to know which drug helps in which condition. However, this science is too complicated to have a single solution for everyone. It is preferable that you do not administer yourself without proper knowledge or medical help.
• It is often believed that homeopathic medicines are safe and free of side effects. But it is not true.
• It is not true that drug interaction is not possible.

Compiled by: Indrajit Sinha; Last updated: 19.11.07 © Medhospital Foundation

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