Homeopathy
The
founder of homeopathy was Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Based
on his observations and extraordinary clinical experience, he formulated the
so-called principle of similarity, which states that a given substance can cure
in a diseased person the symptoms that it produces or causes in a healthy
person. Similia Similibus Curentur translates to the meaning "like can
cure like".
According
to homeopathic philosophy, a disease originates from a disturbance of the
patient's "vital force." Homeopaths describe this as the life
force energy that sustains us, much like the traditional Chinese medical term
life energy as "Qi" (pronounced "chi"). As
the origin of disease occurs on this energetic level, the homeopathic remedy
must be able to act on this level. Diluting the original active substance and
succussing (vigorously shaking) it makes it homeopathic medicine. All
homeopathic medicines are "potentized", i.e., diluted and
succussed. This method of preparation imparts considerable energy to each
substance.
Since
a homeopathic remedy corresponds only superficially if prescribed for a
specific disease or diagnosis, it must be customized to match the individual
with that disease, a process we call "individualization." The
very same illness in another patient will most often be relieved with an
entirely different remedy - thus we could have two different remedies that work
in two different patients with the same disease.
Classical
homeopathy means that only one homeopathic medicine is given at a time because
only one homeopathic medicine can correspond to the total picture of the
patient. A prescription that does not aim for this totality is not homeopathic.
The
total picture of the patient should be as similar as possible to the drug
picture of the selected medicine. This is known as similia similibus curentur
(let likes be cured by likes). The medicine should match the so-called
characteristic (striking, unusual, and uncommon) symptoms of the patient as
closely as possible.
Your
homeopathic doctor may change the prescription over time. As the presenting
symptoms change, so can the medicine given. But a prescription will tend to
change over time. By analogy, in homeopathic philosophy cases present
themselves somewhat like the layers of an onion, each with their own set of
symptoms, where all of the layers together represent the entirety of the
patient.
