Homeopathy Essay, Research Paper

I am familiar with Homeopathy because my mother is a homeopath. She has been studying and practicing homeopathy for over 20 years. I have been cured many times by homeopathic remedies prescribed by my mom. From colds to first aid homeopathy has worked for me. The sources I used in doing this report were: Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, Interview with my Mom, Conventional, Homeopathic & Alternative Treatments: Sports & Exercise Injuries by Steven Subotnick, Family Guide to Natural Medicine by Readers Digest, and Homeopathic First Aider by Barbara Reed.

Samuel Hahneman, a German physician and chemist developed homeopathy in the early 19th century. The word Homeopathy comes form the Greek words, homoios and pathos meaning “similar sickness”. Homeopathy is an alternative medical practice, which uses very small amounts of plant, animal, and mineral matter to make remedies for treatment of people, animals, plants, and soil. It is used for almost any problem including, first aid, acute illnesses, chronic conditions, and promotion of overall health.

Homeopathy is based on three principles: the law of similars, the single medicine, and the law of infinitesimals. The 1st Principle is the law of similars is based on the concept “like cures like”. This concept states that a substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person, will, in specially prepared tiny amounts, cure a sick person who has similar or the same symptoms. Remedies aid the body in healing by stimulating the body’s Vital Force to heal itself. For example, in a bee sting the virus of the bee creates burning, stinging, and swelling. The remedy for such a sting would be Apis a bee virus, because the virus causes similar symptoms. The 2nd Principle is “the single medicine”. This means that one remedy will cover all the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms the patient is suffering. The 3rd Principle is the law of infinitesimals. This means that if large amounts of the prescribed substances were used, negative side effects will occur. If very small amounts of the substances are used it is more potent and has a longer effectiveness. Homeopathy treats the patient not the disease. Conventional medicines treat symptoms. The main concept of homeopathy is that remedies are to help the body to heal itself. A homeopath refers to the Materia Medica when choosing the right remedies for their patients. The Materia Medica is a listing of homeopathic remedies with descriptions of what kind of symptoms they aid as well as other similar remedies. There have been many ways that homeopathy has been proven. There is empirical proof from the use of remedies for over 200 years in the Materia Medica. Clinical and laboratory studies have shown the effects of homeopathic remedies on living systems. Lastly, new scientific theories about the nature of energy and matter support the principles of homeopathy. In studying the effectiveness of remedies the testers use blind tests and double blind tests. In these tests placebos are used. A placebo is an inactive substances used to avoid bias in testing drugs. In blind testing the patients don’t know if they are taking the remedy or the placebo. In double blind testing the test result observers also don’t know who has taken the placebos’. In double blind tests, homeopathic remedies have proved to be useful in many health problems like, allergies, mustard gas burns, and arthritis.

There are hundreds of remedies in the Materia Medica. Here are ten common first aid remedies and what symptoms they help aid:

Arnica- bruises and sprains.

Belladonna- insect bites, pulsation’s in neck, pupils are contracted or dilated, headaches, earaches, and teething.

Calenduala- clean cuts, incised wounds, and bleeding.

Hepar Sulph- coughs and colds, hoarseness, abscesses, boils, and aggravation by dry, cold air.

Hypericum- lacerations, crushed fingers, and used for injured nerves.

Ledum- puncture wounds, black eyes, bruises, and swelling.

Nux Vomica- diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, and overindulgence in food.

Rhus Tox- sprains, strains, itchy skin, poison oak, and sore muscles.

Ruta- strained tendons and deposits around joints.

Urtica Urens- burns, scalds, itching, and chicken pox.