HOMEOPATHY

is a system of medicine which is used for a wide range of  conditions.

Updated 8th December 2011

'The physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed'. - Dr. Samuel Hahnemann

'The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles'. - Dr. Samuel Hahnemann

1. Hippocrates, the ‘Father of Medicine’ stated that there were two laws of healing – the Law of Similars (homeopathy) and the Law of Opposites (orthodox medicine).
2. Homeopathy was first developed by Samuel Hahnemann, a German doctor and chemist, over 200 years ago. 
3. Homeopathy is the second most widely used medicine in the world today with 400,000 homeopathic doctors in India alone!
4. Homeopathy is practised in countries all over the world and is especially popular in France, South America and India. 
5. A six year Study of 6,500 Patients at the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital published in 2005, showed 70% overall improvement of symptoms.
6. There are up to 4000 homeopathic medicines including most of the elements on the periodic table.
7. Homeopathic medicines are non-addictive, non-toxic and can be taken alongside prescribed drugs. They are used by old and young alike, as well as during pregnancy because there are no dangerous side effects. 
8. Homeopathic prescriptions are individualised, as every patient is unique.
9. Homeopathic medicines are not tested on animals.

When Samuel Hahnemann began experimenting, he found that by giving himself repeated doses of Peruvian Bark (quinine), it brought on all the symptoms of malaria!  He then wondered whether giving a minute potentised dose of a substance that caused a disease, might in fact heal it (the Law of Similars), which he found to be the case. 

He noticed that by diluting and succussing (repeatedly shaking) a substance, it became safer as a medicine than by giving the material dose.  He then set about discovering the healing properties of plants, metals and minerals by testing them on himself and on healthy volunteers (‘Provers’).  Hahnemann observed that dilution/succussion, which he called potentisation, reduced unwanted side effects and made medicines more powerful, with beneficial long lasting effects.

Homeopathy was extremely popular and used extensively in Europe and America during the 1800s and early 20th century, especially by Royalty and the Aristocracy. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles are great advocates. ‘As I got older I became more and more aware of the effectiveness of homoeopathy’, Prince Charles has said. 

The list of famous people who were treated is impressive.  Writers such as Dickens, Goethe, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Thackeray, Yeats, Shaw, Tennyson, as well as the musicians Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Menuhin.  Artists who favoured it were van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Gauguin.  In addition, numerous Prime Ministers, Presidents and Popes consulted homoeopathic physicians. 

Nowadays many celebrities enjoy its benefits, such as Susan Hampshire, Jane Fonda, Michael Caine, Jane Seymour, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Collins, Olivia Newton-John, Michael York, Paul McCartney, Cindy Crawford, David Beckham, Cher, Annie Lennox, Jerry Hall, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Cattrall, Orlando Bloom.

In a 2008 Global TGI survey, people were asked whether they ‘Trust Homoeopathy’.  The following percentages of people living in urban areas said YES:  India 62%, Brazil 58%, Saudi Arabia 53%, Chile 49%, United Arab Emirates 49%, France 40%, South Africa 35%, Russia 28%, Germany 27%, Argentina 25%, Hungary 25%, USA 18%, UK 15%. 

Year on year, the Popularity of Homeopathy is growing fast!

References:

1.    The Homeopathic Revolution by Dana Ullmann, MPH.  www.homeopathicrevolution.com

2.    A-Z of Famous People who used Homeopathy – Sue Young, RSHom.   http://www.homeopathy.wildfalcon.com/archives/2009/05/18/homeopathy-a-z-2/
3.    Savvy marketing sees surge in alternative therapies Press Trust of India / New Delhi June 30, 2009   http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/savvy-marketing-sees-surge-in-alternative-therapies/66042/on
4.    Global TGI survey 2008 http://www.tgisurveys.com/documents/TGIbarometerhomeopathy_Jan08.pdf
5.    Homeopathic hospitals SAVE money for the NHS, as the Smallwood report commissioned by Prince Charles has demonstrated.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4312780.stm
6.    A study of 6500 patients at the Bristol Homeopathic hospital was conducted showing that over 70% of patients reported complete cure or significant improvement of their symptoms.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4454856.stm  http://www.trusthomeopathy.org/research/homeopathic_hospitals/Bristol_study.html

7.    A History of Homeopathy in Britain by Peter Morrell, Honorary Research Associate in the History of Medicine, Staffordshire University, UK.  www.homeopathyhome.com/reference/articles/ukhomhistory.shtml  http://www.homeoint.org/morrell/articles/pm_arist.htm
8.    Hahnemann Revisited by Dr. Luc De Schepper
http://www.wholehealthnow.com/homeopathy_pro/hahnemann_rev1.html
9.    A Condensed US History of Homeopathy by Dana Ullman, MPH.  http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?id=860
10.    Samuel Hahnemann by R. E. Dudgeon, MD.   http://www.hpathy.com/biography/samuel-hahnemann1.asp

'Come forth into the Light of things, Let Nature be your teacher'. William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)