Homeopathy uses an array of medicines whose source ranges from animals to plants and chemicals.

Common homeopathic medicines include those made from plants such as Belladonna, Arnica, and Chamomile; Plants like Onion (Allium), Capsicum, Belladonna, Cactus, etc are used for preparation of homeopathic medicines.

A large number of chemicals like Nitric acid, Arsenious acid, Iron, Phosphorous are popular homeopathic remedies, and, more rarely, biochemical substances such as histamine or human growth factor.

There are also a large number of animal sourced medicines like Naja & Lachesis, which are snake poisons. Medicines are also prepared from substance like milk (Lac def) and sand (Silica), minerals such as mercury and sulphur.

The products of diseases are used to prepare homeopathic medicines called as nosodes.These nosodes include Carcinosin (prepared from the cancer cells), Tuberculinum (prepared from the cells of the lungs of cow infected by tuberculosis), etc.

While there may be a few people who are apprehensive of taking such medicines, they need not fear, because the process of preparing homeopathic medicines ensures that they are diluted such that they lose their original form and are rendered harmless.

Prescribing strategies in homoeopathy vary considerably. In what is often termed “classical” homeopathy, practitioners attempt to identify the single medicine that corresponds to a patient’s general “constitution”a complex picture incorporating current illness, medical history, personality, and behavior.

Two patients with identical conventional diagnoses may receive very different homeopathic medicines

Other practitioners prescribe combinations of medicines (“complex homeopathy”) or prescribe on the basis of conventional diagnosis alone.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Examples of “drug pictures” of commonly prescribed homoeopathic medicines

Aconite (Aconitum napellus) – Shock

Sudden or violent onset

Ailments from shock, fright, or fear

Intense fear. Terror stricken. Predicts the time of death

Restlessness with fear of death

Ailments from exposure to cold, dry wind

Worse with violent emotions, cold, night (especially around midnight)

Better with open air, wine

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) Teething infant

Child wants to be carried and is then quieter

Twitching and convulsions during teething

Frantic irritability with intolerance of pain

Ugly, cross, uncivil, and quarrelsome

Colic after anger

Worse with anger, night, dentition, coffee

Better with being carried, warm wet weather

Rhus toxicodendron

Joint pains worse with first movement and rest and better with motion

Pain and stiffness worse in damp weather

Irritability and restlessness at night, driving out of bed

Back pains and stiffness compelling constant movement in bed

Urticaria, vesicles. Cold air makes skin painful

Asthma alternating with skin eruptions

Worse with exposure to wet, cold, before storms, rest, first movement

Better with heat, continued motion, rubbing, hot bath

Examples of symptomatic homoeopathic prescribing

Remedy	Condition
Cuprum	Leg cramps
Chamomile	Teething
Arnica	Bruising and trauma
Cantharis	Cystitis
Aconite	Croup
Colocynth	Infantile colic
Rhus tox.	Joint pain