PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHY
People say that homeopathy has no scientific proving or backing, they say it is more of a placebo effect or in layman’s language a psychological effect and nothing more.
In clinical drug trials, some of the test subjects are given a genuine, active medication, while others are given a placebo—an inactive medication, often a sugar pill, which is given in place of genuine treatment. Test subjects do not know whether they are receiving the active drug or the placebo. Research into the immune system has revealed that the expectations of patients can actually influence their healing processes. Thus, since they expect their medication to work, the placebo may have a therapeutic effect. Clinical trials test active drugs against a control group receiving a placebo to ensure that any positive effects take into account this placebo response. The experimental group must perform significantly better than those taking the placebo for the test drug to be deemed effective.
If that is the case and if homeopathy is just a placebo, what about the clinical drug trials of allopathic medicine that are conducted against placebo. In most cases during the trials even in allopathic medicine more than 40-50% results are due to placebo effect.
If clinical drug trials are the criteria then clinical trials conducted by Dr. D. Taylor-Reilly in 1986 in Glasgow, Scotland, demonstrated a clear, statistically significant improvement in patients treated homeopathically that could not be attributed purely to a placebo response. He concluded that either homeopathy does work or clinical trials do not.
There have also been meta-analyses, in which a large group of similar trials are analyzed as if they were one huge study, often yielding more significant results than small-scale trials might do individually. Three of the most important meta-analyses to date are that led by Prof. J. Kleijnen, published in the British Medical Journal in 1991; that led by Dr. J. P. Boissel, which was carried out for the European Commission and published in Brussels in 1996; and that by Dr. K. Linde and others, published in The Lancet in 1997. All three meta-analyses were done by skeptical, independent researchers, none of whom were practicing homeopaths, and all three concluded that, despite their best efforts to show otherwise, homeopathy has an action above and beyond that of merely a placebo.
To say that homeopathy has no scientific proving is not correct in fact ‘proving’ is there the question is what you call scientific?
The homeopathic remedies are proved on healthy humans unlike allopathic which are first proved on animals and then on humans. Even once they are proven on humans and declared safe, it is only after 20 to 30 years of use that medical community realizes there serious life threatening side effects and withdraws the drug from the market but the harm is already done.
Homeopathy may not be as scientifically proven as some scientific brains think but is based on a simple fact that the mind and body are strongly linked that physical conditions cannot be successfully treated without an understanding of the person’s constitution and character and it surely follows certain principles which if one think are quite scientific. The 4 main principles are:
1. Principle of Similia Similibus Curantur
2. Principle of Potentization
3. Principle of Individualization
4. Principle of Simplex Similibus Curantur
First let us look briefly at the principles. We will talk on the scientific aspect in some other article.
Principle of Similia Similibus Curantur
This is the law of similar. It means ‘like cure likes’ or ‘that which can cause can cure’. As an example take the common onion, which produces tears in the eye and irritation (similar to a cold), this same onion by following the principle of potentization can be used as a homeopathic remedy to cure colds, which have irritating tears. Vishasya Vishamevam Aushadam and Samaha Samena Shanti
In the ancient Indian literature we find similar principles that mean something like poison treats poison, or iron cuts iron, but it was not until Dr.Samuel Hahnemann who during one of his translations stumbled upon the claim of ‘Peruvian bark’ as being effective in treating malaria because of its astringency.
He questioned that if it is astringency then there are many other astringent substances that are unable to treat malaria. To prove this he started taking ‘Cinchona’ (the bark of the Peruvian tree) and was amazed to find that the substance induced the same symptoms as that of malaria, this led him to believe that any healthy individual will get the same symptoms by taking Cinchona.
He than tried to reduce the dose by diluting the substance and soon got rid of all the malarial symptoms. This led him to postulate a healing principle: “that which can produce a set of symptoms in a healthy individual, can treat a sick individual who is manifesting a similar set of symptoms. This he gave the name as ”Homeopathy – like cure likes.”
Thus according to law of similars “substances that are capable of provoking certain symptoms in an otherwise healthy body can also act curatively on similar symptoms in a sick person”. For instance, belladonna can be used to treat scarlet fever, since the symptoms of belladonna poisoning closely resemble those of scarlet fever.
2. Principles of Potentization
According to this principle the more diluted a remedy, the stronger it is and the higher the number, or “potency.” A less diluted remedy is not as strong and has a lower number, or potency. In homeopathy precise guidelines are laid down for the preparation of a remedy. Measurement and methods are strictly and scientifically controlled. There is a unique process called “potentization” that allow the full strength or potency of the substance to be mapped on the vehicle.
Since many remedies are based on highly active or even poisonous substances, Hahnemann established that remedies needed to be diluted to a very great degree to avoid side-effects. To his surprise he discovered that, paradoxically, the more diluted the remedy, the longer its action, the deeper its effect, and the fewer doses needed. Because the remedies are diluted to such a great degree, it is highly unlikely that even a single molecule of the original substance remains. This means that, although remedies may be based on highly poisonous substances, they are completely safe to use, even on children. However, this is also the main reason why homeopathy is still viewed with such skepticism by many orthodox doctors and scientists.
Potentization takes place by the method of ‘dilution and succusion’ base on one of the two main scales: Decimal denoted by ‘X’ after the numbner or Centisimal denoted by ‘C’ after the number. Remedies usually have a number, such as 6c or 12x, after the name. This number indicates how many times it has been diluted and succussed, and on which scale. In the decimal scale, the dilution factor is 1:10, and in the centesimal scale it is 1:100.
First step is to make a mother tincture of pure alcohol and distilled water, The ratio of alcohol to water varies depending on the base substance of the mother tincture. To produce a 1c potency, one drop of the mother tincture is added to 99 drops of an alcohol-and-water mixture and succussed. To producea 2c potency, one drop of the 1c mixture is added to 99 drops of an alcohol-and-water mixture and succussed. To manufacture the 6c potency illustrated below, this process is repeated a further four times. for example, the remedy Allium cepa 6c has been diluted and succussed six times on the centesimal scale.
More rarely, however, scales such as millesimal (m) and quinquagintamillesimal (lm) are prepared. According to these scales, remedies are diluted by factors of 1:1,000 and 1:50,000 respectively. The former is used mainly when a single, high-potency dose of a remedy is considered appropriate by the practitioner, while the latter is given when regular gentle dosing is needed in stubborn, chronic cases.
REMEDY STRENGTHS
According to Hahnemann’s theories, the more diluted a remedy, the stronger it is and the higher the number, or “potency.” A less diluted remedy is not as strong and has a lower number, or potency.
The potency prescribed is gauged by the homeopath according to the condition to be treated, the strength of the patient, and the circumstances. Not only must the remedy given be suitable, but the potency chosen must also be appropriate for the individual.
3. Priciples of Individualization
Treat the patient, not the disease. This is the most important doctrine of homeopathy. No two human beings are alike and so the medicines used for their treatment need not be alike.
Homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on the totality of symptoms of that individual. So, the name of the disease is not important to the doctor who tries to get a complete picture of the patient – his symptoms, the modalities of symptoms, his likes and dislikes, his environment, etc to arrive at the individualized remedy
Individualization include an extremely detailed case history. Patients are asked to describe their medical history and current symptoms. Particular attention is paid to the “modalities” of presenting symptoms that is, whether they change according to the weather, time of day, season, and so on. Information is also gathered about mood and behavior, likes and dislikes, responses to stress, personality, and reactions to food.
The overall aim of the history taking is to build up a “symptom picture” of the patient. This is matched with a “drug picture” described in the homeopathic Materia Medica. On this basis, one or more homeopathic medicines are prescribed, usually in pill form. Sometimes treatment consists of only one or two doses. In other cases a regular daily dose is used.
For example there are nearly 5,000 headache symptoms, a different remedy may be prescribed depending on symptom, when it occurs, the type of pain, where in the head it is, what may have bought it on, what other symptoms are experienced, etc. This also makes practice of homeopathy as art than science.
4. Simplex Similimum Minimum
This principle consists of three words.
The first is Simplex i.e.: simple medicines not compound should be prescribed. This is the doctrine of single remedy. Mixture of medicines or polypharmacy is not allowed. Only one medicine must be given at a time. However this is more of a classical apporach to homoepathy in the complex approach many homeopaths employ more than one medicine or a mixture.
The second is Similimum – As discussed previously the totality of symptoms of the patient must be taken. This will yield a picture, which corresponds to one medicine, the similimum, which must be given. That medicine which has been tested on various provers and has produced similar symptoms as that of the patient is the similar remedy.
The third is Minimum – A low dosage of medicine is recommended. In homeopathy less is more, so medicines of low potency and given at long intervals have a better impact. Hahnemann, in fact used to give just one dose of the medicine and wait to see the reaction over a period of time.