How does it work?
Homeopathy works on the principle of “like cures like” – this simply means that a substance which causes symptoms in a healthy person can be used to treat a sick person with the same symptoms. For example, onions cause stinging, watery eyes and a runny nose so a remedy made out of onions (called allium cepa) is used to treat someone who is suffering from a cold or hayfever and is displaying the same symptoms. Homeopaths aim to match a remedy as closely as possible to the symptoms of a patient and have around 6000 remedies to choose from! Unlike conventional medicine which has its basis in chemistry, homeopathy is ‘energy’ medicine and scientists are only now discovering breakthroughs in quantum physics that are helping us to discover a deeper understanding of how homeopathy works.
How are remedies made?
Remedies are made from a wide range of substances. A small quantity of the chosen substance is taken and is either crushed (triturated) or steeped in alcohol (macerated). A small quantity of this is then taken and further diluted. It is then shaken vigourously (succussed) in order to release its energy. The process of dilution and succussion (potentisation) can be repeated many times – each time the substance becomes materially weaker but energetically stronger and therefore more effective.
When was it first used?
The concept of homeopathy (like cures like) was first expounded by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, over 2000 years ago. This was then developed over 200 years ago by a German doctor called Samuel Hahnemann. He gave up practicing when he become concerned by the toxic affects of the medicines he and his colleagues were using and he experimented by using smaller and smaller doses. He found that these smaller doses had the same curative effects but without the harmful side effects.
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