![<span class='actxxlarge'>Rules</span>]() | Rules
Like Cures Like
The term “Homeopathy” originated from the joining of two Greek words meaning “like disease” or words to that effect. By the nature of these words, the term homeopathic can be seen as the treatment of illness with a like or similar illness. So Homeopathy does not use the exact same disease to treat an illness (aka, isopathy), but a similar disease or “like” disease. It may seem like splitting hairs to those new to the ideas of Homeopathy, but it makes all the difference in what it is and how it works.
Hahnemann (the founder of homeopathy) recognized that no two similar diseases could coexist within an organism. Also, he stated that if two diseases were found to be active within an individual at the same time, they must be dissimilar. The reasoning behind this comes from the law that like disease cures like disease. Therefore, an organism (human or animal) could not have two “like” diseases simultaneously. In fact, the stronger of the like diseases would overpower the lesser of the like diseases (like cures like).
This is the basic premise of homeopathy.
Individual Patient/Individual Illness
Homeopathy sees the patient as a true individual. A specific ailment is only specific to that patient and no other. So a flu or cold in one person, even though it may look the same as a cold or flu in the next patient, is quite different because of the individual person experiencing it. Each patient is treated with the remedy that most closely “fits” that individual with those specific symptoms. This is a considerable change to allopathic medicine that treats most ailments with identical remedies. In allopathic medicine, all colds are relatively equivalent (the same) and in Homeopathy all colds are relatively individual (different as expressed differently by the individual person). So, Bob with a runny nose and cough is treated completely different than Sally with a runny nose and lack of cough. Each person is treated differently than the next as each has a differing set of problems from the next. And, the homeopathic remedy for each person no matter how similar the illness in a different person will also most likely be different.
One Illness/One Remedy
Another rule of Homeopathy is that each particular ailment (set of symptoms) has ONE remedy that most closely matches that ailment in its symptoms. Even in its infancy, Hahnemann experimented with prescribing multiple remedies simultaneously and quickly abandoned this form of medicine. He just couldn’t be sure which remedy acted upon which symptom and this made it too confusing. Also, homeopathic remedies can and do counteract one another. To this day if you meet a homeopath that prescribes more than one remedy simultaneously, he is not following the sage advice of the father of Homeopathy and thus is not treating homeopathically.
The Minimal Dose
Hahnemann proved by careful experimentation that a properly potentized (powerful) remedy should only be given in the smallest possible dose to affect a cure. This theory is borne out by any good homeopath in the practice of watching potentized remedies perform their action. It doesn’t take long to realize that homeopathic remedies are very powerful and need to be used with some care. The idea of only giving the “minimal dose” is the foundation behind keeping this care uppermost in mind. Patients are often amazed that such a small amount of homeopathic medicine is needed to affect a considerable amount of healing. In fact, there really is no material quantity to homeopathic remedies as they are diluted until only the energy of the original material is left.
Modern chemistry can find no real material product in homeopathic remedies. This does not mean that there is nothing to them. To those that have experience, the existence of the remedy energy is obvious. Also, highly potentized remedies are very powerful and should only be prescribed by experienced homeopaths; they are nothing to be toyed or experimented with.
Also be aware that such a small or minimal dose is very safe in its effect. Because homeopathic remedies are natural, given in small quantity and work to stimulate the Vital Force, they are MUCH safer than pharmaceutical medicines. They cause no long term effects unless incorrectly prescribed over a very long term (months or years) or flagrantly misused. They are not addicting and can be antidoted if needed. Antidoting is rarely if ever necessary if prescribing specific to the rules dictated by Hahnemann. |
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