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HomeopathyThe homeopathic system of medicine was developed at the end of the eighteenth century by a German medical doctor, Samuel Hahnemann and it has successfully treated countless people for some two hundred years, for both acute (sudden) and chronic (long-term) illnesses. Yet, even today, homeopathy is seen as an 'alternative' system, and sometimes viewed with suspicion, despite the fact that some of the theories involved have an extremely long and respected history. At the time of its introduction, homeopathy certainly was a radical breakaway from the way in which medicine had been practiced in Europe for hundreds of years. This had culminated in an orthodoxy which advocated the use of leeches, cupping (using cups to draw the blood to the surface) and frequent blood-letting for almost any disease, together with strong cathartics (purgative medications), emetics (medications to cause vomiting) and other powerful medications of vegetable and mineral origin, often dispensed in extremely high doses and complex mixtures. Treatment could kill the patient as well as the disease. Hahnemann was so appalled by the dubious methods used by his profession that he abandoned his work as a doctor. However, he continued to be deeply interested in medical theory and in 1790 he hit upon the homeopathic principle that like could be cured (and should be treated) by like. Until the dawn of rationalism during the fifth century BC, illnesses were thought to be visited on human beings by external, supernatural causes (a view that is still widely held in primitive societies). Those with diseases had offended the gods, or were the victims of a spell on the part of an ill-wisher or of the work of a malevolent demon. Healing could take place only if the gods were placated or the spell removed and the practice of medicine was an occult art, sacred to priests and witch doctors. The early Greek thinkers began to see that no supernatural causes were necessary to explain the nature of human beings and the existence of disease. Hippocrates, the early Greek physician and 'father of medicine' developed the theory, practice and study of medicine into both an art and a science and he and members of his school were the authors of many works on the subject. In an attempt to explain human health and sickness in natural rather than supernatural terms, they adopted the philosophers' theory of the four elements, which were present in everything - earth, air, fire and water. Corresponding to these, they theorized, were the four bodily humors: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile, and an imbalance in these humors made itself manifest by disease. The art of the physician lay in restoring balance. The Hippocratic way of medicine was followed throughout the ancient world, but approaches to medicine in the west began to change with the growth of Christianity. In the first century AD Erotian compiled a glossary of Hippocratic terms, and the famous physician and theorist of the second century, Galen, still considered his work to be of great importance. However, he differed from Hippocrates in many ways. While Hippocrates believed that the physician helped the body to heal itself, Galen believed in applying contrary remedies to force out disease, and in the use of numerous medications. Galen dominated medicine throughout the whole of medieval Christianity -so much so that to go against his teaching amounted to heresy -and medicine itself became increasingly dominated by dogma and superstition. Religion preached that the human body was vile and worthless in comparison to the spirit and this led to its being held in contempt from a medical point of view also. Once again, disease came to be thought of as something that was visited from on high, and was seen as a sign of God's displeasure or a burden to be borne. The body itself, let alone the patient as a person, was of no interest to the physician -and instead the bodily excretions were examined for an insight into the nature of the disease. The Greek idea of the four bodily humors led to an increasing practice of blood-letting, in order to 'rebalance' the humors, and the production of pus, thought to be a necessary part of healing, was stimulated by re-opening and re-infecting wounds. Curing, which, in its Latin origins, meant caring, now meant driving out disease with violent treatment. At the end of the long medieval period, the Renaissance encouraged scientific study, as well as a renewal of interest in classical learning. Yet, despite a few dissident voices, such as that of Paracelsus, superstition and harmful practice continued to dominate in medicine. With the advancing spirit of investigation the ideas of the French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) and other rationalist thinkers gradually helped to sweep away medieval notions and to advance medical theory but to some extent also introduced new dogma. The study of the human body was limited by the fact that Christianity did not allow dissection, and investigations thus sometimes came up with misleading conclusions. The theory known as dualism, based on the Cartesian idea of the mind being separate from, but seated in the body influenced medicine to concentrate on the curing of the body alone, discouraging the return to the caring of the patient as a person, and there was still no understanding of hygiene. There was the tradition that Hahnemann inherited when he qualifieded as a physician in 1779. In practice, he quickly saw that such treatments as blood-letting weakened the body's powers of recovery and had convincing theoretical basis, while the multiple use of strong medications, often again without theoretical or empirical justification, caused bodily harm. He therefore abandoned the practice of medicine for fear, he said, of actually causing injury, and took to working as a translator. The new theoretical approach to therapy, advocated by Hahnemann's contemporary John Brown (1735-88), was that disease persisted through lack of stimulation, and that only 'heroic' doses of medications could stimulate the body back to health; Hahnemann's ideas are in complete opposition to this. Medications or remedies, should be used gently to stimulate the restorative forces of nature, and without provoking harmful side-effects which cause ultimate injury. The smallest possible doses should be given at the most widely spaced intervals possible, and of only one medication at a time, so that the patient's system is not overwhelmed by complexity. The word 'homeopathy', invented by Hahnemann to describe his system of medicine, is derived from the Greek for 'similar suffering' (homois pathos). The theory that underlies it is that substances which would cause symptoms of disease in a healthy person will cure a person who already exhibits the same symptoms. It came about because one of the substances referred to Peruvian bark (Cinchona officinalis), which is the source of quinine, was used for the treatment of malaria (then known as intermittent fever). Cullen said the substance worked 'because it was bitter', but Hahnemann was dissatisfied with this account and decided to test the bark on himself. Meeting his expectations, the symptoms of the fever occurred. Like could cure like. This was a part of Hippocrates' teaching and sprang from the notion that symptoms could be an indication that the body was struggling to overthrow a disease so it would be helped if the symptoms were encouraged. Hippocrates had been translated in Latin as saying 'Similia similibus curantur', or 'Likes are cured by likes'. Interestingly Hahnemann, a skillful linguist, slightly reformulated this to say' Similia similibus curentur' or 'Let likes be cured by likes'. Hahnemann had thus provided a theoretical basis for a known cure. In theory, cures could therefore be found for many symptoms, once he had discovered a substance that was capable of causing the same symptoms in a healthy person. In true scientific spirit he bravely prepared to experiment by testing the effects of various substances on himself, and such was his zeal that he found many willing volunteers, not just among his family but also among like-minded young practitioners anxious to find safer and more rational remedies. These experiments were known as provings (which simply means tests) and the first set of provings was conducted over about six years. Minute quantities of many substances were self-administered by the provers, and all symptoms provoked were carefully recorded in great detail. Any change whatsoever in the health and functioning of the body, including mental changes, the circumstances in which they arose, and even the time of day, were noted. At the same time an exhaustive enquiry was made into recorded cases of poisoning, taken from medical sources from various countries and dating back over several centuries. As the mass of information acquired was assimilated, clear patterns could be seen, and eventually it was possible to test substances as curatives on patients, with remarkable success. Later in the eighteenth century, the discovery of bacteria seemed to confirm the theory that disease was caused by forces outside the body (albeit no longer demons) and again led to the notion of treating disease by driving out its causes from the body, with little to say for the idea of treating the whole person or encouraging the body's own healing powers. In the main, this approach dominated medicine and homeopathy, although still adhered to by many followers, took a back seat. However, it is now becoming clear that microbes can become resistant to antibodies, and that orthodox treatment often has serious side effects, and there is a new interest in homeopathy as a gentle and effective way of treating many kinds of disease. Homeopathy is inviting. It arose out of a time of rigid, and certainly primitive medical practices, where heroic therapies such as bloodletting and strong doses of mercury were the rule of the day. It invited the entire world to experience a gentler, safer, more effective medicine, and its fame and effectiveness spread around the world. Common homeopathic remedies
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