What is Homeopathy?

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What is Homeopathy?

_http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/articles/view,35_

(http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/articles/view,35)

June 20, 2006

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is based on the Law of Similars. The

truth of this law has been verified experimentally and clinically for the

last 200 years.

Let's look at an example: If your child accidentally ingests certain

poisons, you may be advised to administer Syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting.

Ipecac

is derived from the root of a South American plant called Ipecacuanha. The

name, in the native language, means " the plant by the road which makes you

throw up. " Eating the plant causes vomiting.

When a group of healthy volunteers took this substance to determine the

effects of this drug, they found that the drug induced other symptoms as well.

The mouth retained much saliva. The tongue was very clean. There was a cough so

severe that it led to gagging and vomiting. There was incessant nausea.

While it is expected that vomiting would usually relieve the nausea, this was

not

the case.

Such an experiment, using healthy volunteers, is called a proving, and it is

the homeopath's source of information about the action of a drug.

Of what use could this plant be? If a person were suffering from a gagging

cough after a cold, or a woman were experiencing morning sickness with

incessant nausea that is not relieved by vomiting, then Ipecacuanha,

administered in

a minute dose, especially prepared by a homeopathic pharmacy in accordance

with FDA approved guidelines, can allay the " similar " suffering.

Samuel Hahnemann described this principle by using a Latin phrase: Similia

Similibus Curentur, which translates: " Let likes cure likes. " It is a

principle that has been known for centuries. Hahnemann developed the principle

into a

system of medicine called homeopathy, and it has been used successfully for

the last 200 years.