Homeopathy:
the Rest of the Story

Have you ever noticed a difference in how a cold or virus affects two different people? One may have fever--the other, not. One may be fatigued to the point of napping all afternoon; another, mild irritability with no change in sleep.

I look at that and see proof of the vast difference between individual bodies.

We may all catch the same flu in the winter, but it affects everyone a little bit differently.

Individual bodies, individual medicines. The beauty of homeopathic medicine--a natural health alternative medicine.

What?! you missed the introduction page? It's not too late to skip over to Homeopathic Introduction.

The Rise (and Decline) of Homeopathic Medicine

You may be wondering "If homeopathic medicine is so great, why is it so little known and used?" Two answers: history and time required. First, the history:

German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) was very disturbed by the medical system of his time. He saw its cures as crude. Some of its strong drugs and treatments did more harm than good to patients.

So, what did Dr. Hahnemann do?

Experimented on himself!

He used Peruvian bark, which contains quinine, a malaria remedy. Conclusion: in a healthy person, quinine creates the same symptoms as malaria: fevers and chills. That's why it's an effective malaria remedy.

This gave rise to Dr. Hahnemann testing remedies available in nature. He called these "provings."

Provings of homeopathic remedies

• Dose healthy adults with various substances
• Document the results
• Note how much is needed to produce the symptoms, and
• Note the length of the dose's effectiveness.

Together, this determines what dose is needed for a remedy. The provings are collected in large homeopathic references called "materia medica" (materials of medicine).

So, you're probably wondering what happened next! What we see today is conventional -- symptom-alleviating -- medicine, not holistic remedies like those made possible by provings.

Jump to early 1900s: homeopathy was popular in America.

• More than 15% of all doctors were homeopaths.
• Universities housed 22 major homeopathic medical schools--including Boston University and University of Michigan.

Then, the American Medical Association came on the scene, restricting and closing down alternative practices.

Until the 1960s...when back-to-nature trends were invigorated and distrust of artificial drugs and treatments grew. Homeopathy again began to grow in popularity.

Worldwide today--homeopathic medicine is much more popular in Europe than in the United States. French pharmacies are required to make these remedies available along with conventional medications. Homeopathic hospitals and clinics are part of the national health system in Britain, with adherents in India and Israel, among other countries.

In the next two sections, I'll address the time requirement.

What we mean by "Constitutional" Treatment

Medicine prescribed is chosen based on the whole personality of the patient. This includes:

• inherited predisposition
• emotional attributes
• intellectual attributes
• physical reactions to the environment

You can see why case-taking (for the definition, see Introduction to Homeopathy is so time-consuming, eh? For me, working with my children or myself, it takes at least 45 minutes...sometimes up to an hour and a half!

My own story

Still, I pursued treatment with homeopathic remedies because they are holistic in nature and more respectful than a symptom-suppressing drug.

At least three separate times, I'd take my middle son's case and end up with the same remedy: Pulsatilla (wind flower). Odd. One time it was the flu; once, a stomach ache; once, headache and fever. But, he was one and the same person! So, when I'd read the materia medica, it would point me to same remedy.

The homeopath who treats me constitutionally every Spring for allergies calls my remedy, "spider medicine." This matches my overall character: connected to those around me...

...and it has proven an effective allergy treatment for four years running! (I'm so glad, since I love to garden, especially in the Spring.)

Owning your Health Care

Who ultimately decides how to care for your body?

When you've answered that question, you'll have a key as to whether pursuing homeopathic medicine fits your plans well or not.

The Down Side: Yes, it's time consuming.

The Up Side: Holistic therapy custom chosen for you!

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