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Chapter 1 - What is Homeopathy?

Definition - Homeopathy is a therapeutic system of medicine that is based on the principle of

similars- like cures like - which means that a substance that can cause certain symptoms in ahealthy person can cure similar symptoms in an unhealthy person. Homeopathy aims to aid and

stimulate the body's own defense and immune processes. Homeopathic medicines are derivedfrom a variety of plants, animal materials and minerals. These medicines are prescribed to fit

each individual's needs, given in much smaller and less toxic doses than traditionalmedications, and are used for both prevention and treatment. Established 200 years ago by

German physician Samuel Hahneman, and is recognized by the World Health Organization asthe second largest therapeutic system in the world.

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Homeopathy is a system of medicine, which was discovered and developed by a Germanallopathic physician, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, between 1792 and 1842.

The then prevalent system of medicine was not at all scientific (in its modern sense). The

knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology etc. was not advanced enough. Most of thesesciences were still in their infancy in the 18th century. Most of the disease causing organisms

and conditions were still unknown to the medical fraternity. So the treatment for most diseaseswas eclectic. Everyone treated their patients according to their own whims and fancies.

Methods like bloodletting, leeching, purging, giving crude doses of mercury etc. were thecommon treatment for most disorders.

Dr. Hahnemann was very dissatisfied with the limited knowledge of human organism, disease

process and the effects of medicines being used. So, he left his medical career and took up

translation work to support his family.

While translating Dr. Cullen's book of medicine (Dr. Cullen was a professor of medicine inuniversity), Dr. Hahnemann came across a line in which Dr. Cullen attributed the curative

action of Cinchona bark (from which quinine is prepared) in malarial fever to the fact that itwas bitter. Dr. Hahnemann was not satisfied with this explanation as there were so many bitter

substances around but none other showed any curative action in malarial fever.

To find the truth, he decided to investigate the action of Cinchona bark extract by taking themedicine himself. After taking the medicine for 2 days, he found that symptoms similar to

malaria developed in him. He was amazed with this observation. He repeated the experiment

on many friends and family members and found the same results. So from this observation hededuced that Cinchona bark is able to cure malaria because when taken by a healthy humanbeing, it can create malaria like symptoms.

Then he started working on this concept further to find if this a specific observation or a

general truth applicable to all drugs. He tested medicines with known therapeutic values on hisfriends and family and discovered that this is a general law which decided the curative action

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