Basics of

HOMEOPATHYPresented by

Gregory Peechatt DHM, ND, PhDDr. of Homeopathic Medicine (UK), Naturopath &

Certified School Psychologist

(Everything contained in this hand-out is meant for educational purposes only and as such should not be taken as medical recommendations for any diagnosed disease. This may be reproduced and distributed only with the author's permission)

Session I

Recent changes in the practice of medicine

‘Happy’ Facts & ‘Sad’ Realities

Birth of Homeopathy

History of Homeopathy

Resurgence of Homeopathy

Homeopathy defined and some words explained

Electromagnetic and Homeopathic spectrum

Preparation of remedies & scales of dilution

Scientific basis of Homeopathy

Principles of Homeopathy: Classical & Modern

Recent changes in Medicine and Health‘Happy’ Facts:

‘Sad’ Realities:• Steady decline in Americans satisfaction with their health• More and more people getting sick & tired of getting sick• Increase in number of heart disease, cancers, joint pains, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue etc.• Dx. of childhood diabetes, Arthritis, Asthma, Allergies, ADHD, Autism, Bipolar disease, Depression etc. on the rise• Americans are becoming the heaviest people in the world.• More persons depend on Rx. to get through their day.• Thrill for education is declining among the youngsters.

• Advanced technology & multimillion-dollar machines show all our insides right before us on computer screens.

• Bio-chemical synthetic drugs effect ‘miracle’ cures.

• Organ replants are rescuing thousands from death.

Birth of HomeopathyHomeopathy was originated by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann a German

Physician and Biochemist towards the end of the 18th century.Dr. Hahnemann after his graduation in 1782 he practiced traditional

medicine for 9 years. He was quite disenchanted by the then treatment methods of heavy drugging, purging, blood letting etc. which didn’t have much scientific and clinical bases. He quit practicing and went on the mission of finding gentler treatments & scientific basis of the healing power of many medicinal substances.

Besides being an MD, he was a brilliant bio-chemist and linguist who spoke 22 languages. Translating books was his ‘work cum study’ at med. School. He still continued it and while translating a work by William Cullen a leading physicist of his time, he was startled by Cullen’s claim that the bitter property of Peruvian bark (Cinchona) which contained quinine was responsible for the healing of Malaria by the use of Cinchona

He found that it is the ‘whole profile of cinchona’ is what is responsible for the amelioration of Malaria by Cinchona, because he experimentally disproved the first and proved that repeated intake of cinchona in somewhat large quantity produced Malaria symptoms in healthy individuals.

This made Dr. Hahnemann to coin the basic principle of Homeopathy “Similia similibus curantur” = “similars are cured by similars”

Historical Overview

• Homeopathy stood the test of time for more than 200 years.

• From early 1800s on, it rapidly gained momentum in the field of medicine.

• It started spreading all over the world including United states.

• The end of the 19th century was the golden era of Homeopathy in U.S.

• The 1st AMA was the American Institute of Homeopathy founded in 1884.

• By the time there were 22 Homeopathic medical schools and several Hospitals

• Many illustrious Drs. are from the U.S. Constantine Herring, James Kent et al.

• Mary Alcott, Daniel Webster, Rockefeller and royal family in UK were patrons.

• 20 – 25% of MDs identified themselves as Homeopaths which boosted income

• In spite of all the above it started declining by the early 1900s. Some reasons are

• AMA making it against code of ethics for its members to include Homeopathy

• Orthodox physicians influencing legislations which limited its study & practice.

• Industrial revolution and the origin of big pharmaceuticals with ‘quick fixes’

Resurgence of Homeopathy

• In spite of all the above Homeopathy did not die out. It stood the test of time.

• From mid 1980s there is a surge in the acceptance of homeopathy among the general public.

• Lately it is getting approved to practice legally in some of the states and lobbying is going on for approval in many more states.

• It is becoming increasingly popular in Europe where it is no longer considered ‘alternative medicine’, instead it is an integral part of mainstream medicine.

• In France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland etc. almost 50% pf family physicians prescribe homeopathic medicines.

• In Britain it is the Royal Family’s medicine. (WHO) World Health Organization has qualified it as the medicine of the 21st century.

Homeopathy defined and words explained:• Dr. Hahnemann combined two Greek roots ‘homoios’ = similar and ‘pathos’ = what one feels or suffers to create the word Homeopathy. Hence the literal definition is ‘Similar suffering’

• Homeopathic medicines are natural substances which are ‘proven’ to have the ability to produce a totality of sufferings very similar to those the given patient is currently going through. Homeo. medicines are made from all the three (plant, animal, mineral) kingdoms

• What is Homeopathic ‘proving’ and ‘repertorization’?• What is the theory of ‘signatures’?• What is ‘potentization’? ‘mother tincture’?, ‘Avagadro limit’?• What do the numbers/letters like 6x, 9c, 12x, 1M, CM etc. mean?• What is ‘trituration’ and ‘succussion’?• What is a ‘nosode’?• Why few homeopathic medicines have names of poisons & toxins• How safe are homeopathic Rx? What is a ‘healing crisis’?

Preparation of remedies & scales of dilution• Preparation processes and the names of the remedies (in Latin) remain the same.

• Processes are serial diluation, succussion and trituration

• Serial dilution means each dilution is made from dilution that immediately precedes it. This is what reduces the toxicity of the original crude substance.

• Succussion and Trituration are the methods by which mechanical energy is delivered to the preparations in order to imprint the pharmacological message of the original (plant, animal, mineral) substance upon the molecule of the diluent. Succussion (violent shaking) is used for soluble drugs and trituration (prolonged grinding to the level of 1/10 6) for insoluble drugs (silica or aurum). The diluents used are alcohol water and lactose. Samples scales of dilution

Potency # of succuss/trituration Dilution

1 c 1 1/100

2 c 2 1/100 X 100

1 x 1 1/10

1 M (= 1000 c) 1000 1/100 1000th power

CM (=100000 c) 100000 1/100 100000th power

Scientific Basis of Homeopathy

• According to Trevor Cook, DHM, PhD, principal of the British Institute of Homeopathy and the President of the UK Homeopathic Medical Association, the scientific basis for the therapeutic action of highly diluted homeopathic remedies appears to lie in the domain of quantum physics.

• A study by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed distinctive reading of sub-atomic activity in 23 different remedies used in the study. Placebos did not show this.

• Other studies in Italy and Germany revealed electromagnetic signals in specific frequencies in different homeopathic remedies.

• Conclusion can be that a homeopathic remedy may convey an electromagnetic ‘message’ to the body that matches the specific electromagnetic frequency or pattern of an illness in order to stimulate the whole person’s natural healing response.

Principles of classical & modern Homeopathy• Likes are cured by likes – similia similibus curantur – law of Similars

• Higher the dilution, greater its potency – law of Infinitesimal Dose

• An illness is specific to an individual – law of Wholistic Medical Model

3 more laws (Hering’s laws of cure) were added in the mid 1900s

Healing progresses from:

• inside to outside (from the psychological/emotional aspects to the physical)

• the upper parts of the body (head, neck ears, throat) to the lower parts (arms, hands, fingers, abdomen, legs, feet, toes) of the body.

• the most recent maladies to the oldest (in the reverse of chronological order)

Classical Homeopathy is the one which strictly adheres to all the above principles starting one constitutional remedy in a somewhat high potency and increasing the potency using the ‘plusing’ technique.

Modern Homeopathy is the one which uses many remedies, or combination of many at the same time mostly based on the symptoms or differential diagnosis. This is very popular in Europe, India etc. It is becoming popular in US also.

Session 2• Survey findings on Homeopathy

• Some myths surrounding Homeopathy and the facts

• Principles of Homeopathy

• Difference between Allopathy and Homeopathy

• Suppressive versus supplementary

• Bio-chemical medicine versus Bio-energetic medicine

• Basis for Homeopathic prescription

• Practical tips for everyday dis-ease free living by Homeopathy

Pediatrics ENT Cold & Flu

Female problems Psychiatric First Aid

• Where do we find Homeopathic Remedies? How much it costs?

Survey Findings

• All over the world more and more people use Homeopathy occasionally.

• Lately an increasing number of people have heard about or read about it.

• World Health Organization has called it ‘the Medicine of the 21st Century’.

• In spite of the above, only very few select a Homeopath as their primary health consultant or use homeopathic medicines as the first line therapy of choice in every-day living.

Certain Myths and Facts:Myth 1. Homeopathy is an unproven science

Fact: Homeopathy is based on experimental pharm-calogical and clinical data. Over 200 years homeopathic medicines have been studied for their efficacy in a variety of indications. In fact the term ‘Allopathy’ was coined by the founder of homeopathy, whom the allopaths regard as the founder of experimental pharmacology.

Myth 2. Homeopathy has no medicinal value, they are just sugar pills which act merely as ‘placebos’

Fact: Although many homeopathic medicines are in the form of white sugar pills/alcoholic drops and from the appearance or taste can be misunderstood as having no medicinal value, in fact those pills/drops are just base materials or vehicles for the said medicines which are sugar/alcohol based.

Homeopathic medicines have been scientifically studied the world over and found to be effective in a wide range of

diseases. Thus they are in no way just ‘placebos’.Myth 3: Homeopathy is slow acting and cannot be used in acute cases of

diarrhea, fever, cough, cold, ear infections, tonsillitis etc. Fact: Homeopathy is fast acting in acute cases and can be

effectively used in treating infections, Cold & Flu, fever etc. Unfortunately, people go to a homeopath only when the acute problems become chronic or the conventional approaches fail to be effective. Naturally these cases take longer time to treat. Also most people take recourse to homeopathy in cases of arthritis, allergic asthma, chronic skin conditions like psoriasis etc. which take longer time to treat with any other medicines. Myth 4: Homeopathy is a ‘magic remedy’ which can treat any disorder.

Fact: Homeopathy like any other field of medicine, has its limitations. For example, it cannot treat cases where surgery is unavoidable, dental cases etc.

Myth 5: Homeopathy is only useful in chronic cases

Fact: Very often it is - where everything else has failed! But the true reason for this perception is because people turn to homeopathy so late when everything else has failed! After years of allopathic treatment often an illness becomes chronic. The treatment can now naturally take longer time than usual. It may be also because Allopathy was initially used.

Myth 6: Homeopath gives the same white pills in all types of illnesses. How can they be really effective?

Fact: Depending on the illness, homeopaths medicate with different medicines. The sugar pills serve only as a vehicle for transfer of the medicine. The selected medicine, out of a range of more than 1200 different medicines, is targeted to the individual problems.

Myth 7: Diabetic patients cannot use Homeopathic medicines.

Fact: Yes, they can. The minute amount of sugar globuli taken daily does not matter. Sugar intake in daily diet is much higher than that.

Myth 8: One has to follow strict dietary restrictions while on Homeopathic Medicines

Fact: Some patients are asked to abstain from coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol etc. as these substances interfere with the action of certain homeopathic medicines. This is true only of very few medicines. Moreover, restricting alcohol and tobacco is also safe and healthy.

Myth 9: Homeopaths give the same white pills for all types of illness. How can they be really effective?

Fact: Depending on the illness, Homeopaths medicate with different medicines. The sugar pills are only the vehicles for the transfer of medicines. The selected medicine, out of a range of more than 1200 different dilutions, is targeted to the individual problems.

Myth 10: Homeopathic Doctors are quacks who have no formal training in the field of medicine.

Fact: In most parts of the world qualified doctors practice Homeopathy. For example, in India there are over 160 medical colleges which offer degree and post-graduate studies in Homeopathy. Sometime back that was the story here in U.S. too. But now it is different, although most of the genuine and immensely effective Homeopaths here are still well trained.

Myth 11: Homeopathy also has side effects as any Rx.

Fact: False with homeo medicines potentized 3c or higher. Can be true with medicines which are in mother tincture form or triturates of 2c or lower. Also be aware that potencies 200c or higher should be used only by professional homeopaths as they can bring on ‘healing crisis’ which layman cannot handle.

Principles of Homeopathy • ‘similia similibus curantur’ = ‘likes are cured by likes’

This means, the disease syndrome which is caused by the intake of a substance in large enough quantity can be cured by the very same substance when administered in the Homeopathically prepared from.

• The more a substance is diluted, the greater its potencyThis is done through an alchemical process called potentization. In this, a substance is systematically diluted (sometimes even to the point of leaving no original molecule in it) and then either by grinding it a certain number of times (trituration) or by shaking it vigorously in liquid solution (succussion). This decreases the material part of the drug and increases its effectiveness as a remedy. This is the reason why there is no side effect.

• An illness is specific to an individual (wholistic model)

Difference between Allopathy & Homeopathy

- Allopaths often prescribe the same medicine (at least generically) for all the persons who has the same diagnostic disease name.

- Homeopaths almost always recommend entirely different medicines for persons with the same diagnosis.

- This is because homeopathic prescription is based on the matching of the profile of a whole person with the total symptom picture of a remedy. Homeopathy focuses on the whole person than the differential diagnosis.

Matching patient’s Profile with Remedy Picture is the basis for a Homeopathic Prescription

For determining the patient profile data relating to many areas are crucial:

- In the area of physical health & development- Psycho-social history,- Any particular physical or psychological symptom

which stands out as a hallmark.- Responses relating to ‘modalities’. It means

collecting the answers to the questions like whether the prominent symptoms get aggravated or ameliorated by heat/cold, covered/exposed, by rest/movement, by soft/hard touch on the body,while sitting/standing/lying down, in different seasons, during day/night etc.

Supplementary Versus Suppressive• Homeopathic Rx. is supplementary to the immune system and

concurrent with the vital energy (Chi) and healing process.• Conventional Rx. is said to be mostly suppressive• A Classical Homeopath does not prescribe one Rx. For headache,

another for upset stomach and a 3rd for depression etc.• Although one may have numerous physical and psycholog. symptoms

simultaneously, she/he has only one disease, namely the underlying susceptibility. If the right remedy (similimum) is given it effectively stimulates the person’s natural defense and vital energy (Chi) and helps to heal the current illness and raises the general level of health.

• Single remedy approach shows whether it works or not.• Research has shown that hospital patients receive an average of nine

medicines at the same time. The synergetic and side effects of many medicines at the same time to an already disordered physiology may be frightening.

Practical tips for everyday ‘dis-ease’ free living: A. Pediatrics: Homeo is proven quite effective in Pediatrics (i) Ear Infections - Mercurius Solubilis 6th –30th tid (ii) Otitis Media with fever - Hepar Sulf. & Ferrum Phos 15c alternate it. (iii) Fever with Cold & Flu Symptoms - Give the following three meds. in 30c potency one after the other every hour – Aconitum, Belladonna & Chamomilla known as the ABCs. (iv) Tonsilitis – Start with Phytoplaca 15 c and do plusing. (v) Enuresis (bed wetting) – Enukind – a combination Rx. From India

(vi) Sleep disturbance with vivid dreams –Stramonium 30 bd (vii) ADD/ADHD – CSE (Cell Signal Enhancers) 14 & 15 with a constitutional remedy (1M+) prescribed by DHM. (viii) Autism spectrum Disorders – CSE 12 & 20 together with Chelation, diet changes and behavioral approaches.

• Whooping Cough

• Petrussin 30, bd. Additionally, Dorsera 30, 4-hourly, especially if the cough is worse after the midnight. Give Ipecacuana 30, 4-hourly, if much vomiting associated with it.

• Acute Bronchitis: If this develops as a complication of cold or flu, at the very early stage few doses of Ferrum Phos. 30, or Phosphorus 30, 4-hourly may abort the descent of infection.

• If Bronchitis is established with dry cough and if the patient is thirsty and if the chest is sore when coughing, it is usually treated by alternating Bryonia 30 and Phosphorus 30, 2-hourly

• Influenza (Flu) In its very earliest stages may be arrested by the timely administration of Oscillococcinum 200 4-hourly 2 to 3 doses. If it has deveoloped and tends to be the chameleon-like behavior of common cold, have recourse to classical way.

B.Diarrhea & Acute Gastrointestinal affections of all ages

• Generally used homeopathic medicines are the following:

• Arsenicum Album 6 to 30th : every hour when the pt.has violent vomiting and diarrhea followed by a great deal of pain in the stomach and intestines.

• Ipecacuana is indicated when there is persistent dry, unproductive cough and extreme nausea.

• Colocynthis and/or Magnesia Phos. are indicated when the person has cramping and clutching pains ameliorated by pressure and warmth.

• Podiphillum is one of the most common medicine in cases of acute diarrhea.

• Bryonia is the remedy for acute gastroenteritis.

C. For first aid and other conditions of all ages:

• Arnica Montana for bumps and bruises in any accident or after surgery (by Rx. Intake & external gel application)

• Calendula cream : for skin rashes, minor burns, eczema, sun burn

• Rhus Toxicodendron: best remedy for poison ivy.

• Sulphur : the major remedy for different kinds of eczema

• Arsenicum Album : for several skin problems

• Arsenicum Iodatum: best known remedy for psoriasis

• Sanguinaria Canadensis, Bryonia, Belladonna, Gelsemium Pulsatilla: different kinds of headaches including migrane

• Arsenicum, Euphrasia, Nux Vomica or Sabadilla: are indicated if the allergic symptoms of upper respiratory tract symptoms progressing to mild wheezing or Asthma

• D. Female problems: Apis Mellifica, Belladonna (pain), Cantharis (cramps, burning pain, UTI), Colicynthis (sharp pains in overies), Cimifuga (menstrual cramps), Chamomilla (PMS with extreme mood swings), Pulsatilla (PMS & during period very irritable, sensitive, moody, weepy, depressed), Caulophillum (problems during pregnancy and with delivery)

E. Psychiatric/psycho-somatics : Ignatia : ill effects of prolonged grief, rapid alteration of mental state, hyterical, hypersensitive, globus hytericus, more functional than organic. Pulsatilla: mild, yealding, tearful, passive, girlish women, better for consolation, changeable and delicate, easily ‘tipped’. Sepia: ‘he woman’, control freak, depressive, irritable, no interest in sex etc. Natrum Muriaticum: Can never be free of sickness, can’t stop complaining, victim complex, depressed. Aurum Metalicum :Chronic depression with suicidal ideations.

Where do I get the Homeopathic medicines from?

• Dolisos America in Las Vegas : 1-800-876-9505 : They have many

combinations besides the single one we discussed.

• Boiron: in California : 1-800-264-7661 www.boiron.com They carry many poly pharmacy Rx. like Oscillococcinum

• Sinusalia : for Sinus problems and associated headaches

• Roxalia : for Sore throat and hoarseness

• Sedalia : for stress, Alleraide : for allergies

• Optique 1: for eye irritation, Camilla : for teething of babies

• Similisan – Eye drops (Swiss made) – excellent for most eye problems

• Biomed in Seattle for CSEs 1-888-637-3516 www.biomedcomm.com

• Emerson Ecologies in N.H. 1-800-654-4432 has homeopathic Rx

You can also get many of the medicines locally from

1- LORI’S Natural Foods Center, 900 Jefferson Road, (Genesee Valley Mall) 585-424-2323

2- Dr. Peechatt has a collection of many remedies.

They include : (a) high potencies (200c - cm or infinitesimal), (b) rare or hard to find remedies and (c) combination remedies

from India, France, Germany, Switzerland and USA

Tel: (585) 242- 8565 or (585) 281-0899,

(585) 436 - 2560 Ex. 1350 only in emergency

E-mail: drPeechatt@aim.com

website : www.homeopathyweb.org