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The Law of Similars
states |
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A pharmacologically active substance
administered to a person in good health triggers a series of
symptoms. When these same symptoms appear in a sick person
they can be cured by administering the same substance in a
micro dose. A very common example of this is Ipecac. When
taken in a large doses Ipecac causes vomiting; when taken in
a very
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small dose it is one of the best remedies for
nausea and vomiting.
This principle was known to two ancient physicians,
Hippocrates (400 B.C.) and Paracelsus (1493), but it was not
until the last quarter of the 18th century that it was
actively investigated.
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Dr Samuel Hahnemann's
contribution |
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Dr. Samuel Hahnemann of Germany was so
appalled by the medical practices of the day, which often
did more harm than good, that he gave up his medical
practice to explore other alternatives. In 1790, while
translating the writings of the Scottish doctor, Cullen, Dr.
Hahnemann was drawn to an article discussing quinine. While
attempting to prove Dr. Cullen's homeopathic theory
incorrect, Dr. Hahnemann learned that by taking large
amounts of chinchona bark (from which quinine is taken)
fever attacks would occur. Fever attacks and other symptoms
were exactly what quinine cured, when given in small doses.
Thus, Dr. Hahnemann became a believer of the theory he had
set out to disprove.
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Dr. Hahnemann continued to experiment and was
able to verify that the reaction he observed with quinine
could be repeated with other substances. Hahnemann told
others of his discovery and they joined him in experiments
called provings.
Provings consisted of taking small doses of reputedly
poisonous or other medical substances and carefully noting
all the symptoms they produced. Patients suffering from
similar symptoms were then treated with these same
substances in minute doses, with outstanding results.
The theory was no longer a coincidence, but could be stated
as a valid law.
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The Smallest Effective
Dose |
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Having established the Principle of
Similarity, Hahnemann worked to discover the smallest
effective dose. He realized that this was the best way to
avoid side-effects. To his surprise he found that the more
the remedy was diluted, the more active it became, while
dissimilar remedies were ineffective. He called his method
of dilution potentization and numbered the potencies to
indicate the dilution ratio. This paradox, that a lesser
amount could be more effective than a larger dose of the
same substance, was unacceptable to the scientific community
in Hahnemann's time. He and his
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scientific community in Hahnemann's time. He
and his followers were ridiculed, but homeopathy survived
because it achieved remarkable results.
Provings (or pathogeneses) with the various substances were
always done on healthy subjects, and all reactions were
recorded. The first compilation of provings was published in
1810 as The Organon (The Art of Healing) by Hahnemann. Other
doctors have continued Hahnemann's work and today's
Homeopathic Materia Medica makes the records of years of
provings available to homeopathic physicians.
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Treating the Person not
the Disease |
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Homeopathic physicians consider it better to
treat the sick person rather than the disease. The orthodox
Homeopath will sit with his patient for one or two hours,
soliciting information on how the patient feels throughout
his entire body and mind. Once the doctor has a picture of
the whole person, he consults the Materia Medica to find the
one best remedy for all of the symptoms. Because homeopathic
doctors look at patients as whole persons, rather than a
series of symptoms or carriers of a disease, they often
prescribe different remedies for patients suffering from the
same disease. This makes controlled studies problematical,
but basic principles
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of homeopathy indicate clearly why this must
be so. The remedies which are made come from animal,
vegetable, chemical and mineral sources. However, the end
product contains only minute amounts of the original
sources.
Drugs like morphine, cocaine and arsenic can also be used,
but in their diluted forms to render them marvellously
effective for good. Even substances which in their natural
states have little or no obvious effect upon the human body
(i.e. sand, charcoal, common salt, etc.) develop powerful
healing properties when matched with the right patient and
after being diluted and potentized.
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Homeopathy is essentially
natural healing |
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Homeopathic remedies stimulate the body to
resist negative toxins and thereby heal itself. Adequate
rest, appropriate diet and a satisfactory environment will
also support recovery. Rapid results can be achieved in
acute illness, but if the patient's vitality is low,
long-term treatment may need to be undertaken. Sometimes
irreversible bodily changes have already taken place. In
these cases other forms of medical or surgical treatment may
be necessary to give the patient a fresh start. Then
homeopathy will help prevent deterioration or recurrence.
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In summary, homeopathy is a form of medicine
that assists the body in healing itself. It does not reject
the great discoveries of modern medical science, only their
commercial abuse. Homeopathy has stood the test of time,
helping people achieve health not only in the last 150
years, but since its discovery 2000 years ago. Take
advantage of the availability of this natural, non-abusive
treatment.
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