- Why Choose Homeopathy?
- What is Homeopathy?
- History of Homeopathy
- Treatment Questions
History of Homeopathy
Foundations of Homeopathy
Homeopathy was founded by Samuel Hahnemann, a medical doctor born in Germany in 1755. Medicine in the late 18th century was rooted in many dangerous practices. The era is known as the "age of heroic medicine" due to the use of such therapeutic methods as bloodletting, purgation, and the administration of crude poisons and chemicals such as mercury.
Soon after Hahnemann began his medical practice, he grew apprehensive and distrustful of prescribing drugs with unknown and possibly dangerous effects to his patients. Instead of treating patients, Hahnemann decided to translate medical texts for a living while learning everything he could about public health and drug chemistry.
While translating A Treatise on the Materia Medica by William Cullen, Hahnemann stumbled across what he would later term the homeopathic action of drugs. He read that cinchona, or quinine, was effective in treating malaria due to its stringent and bitter qualities. Hahnemann wasn't convinced of this explanation, since there were many other astringent and bitter plants that didn't have any medicinal effect against malaria.
He decided to experiment on himself by taking repeated doses of cinchona and noticed he developed fever, malaise, and chill, which were all similar to the symptoms of malaria. He concluded through this experiment that cinchona was an effective treatment for malaria since it was capable of producing symptoms similar to those of the disease it was treating.
The experiment was an illustration of the law of similars, a concept previously described by Hippocrates. Hahnemann, however, took this concept further and developed an entire medical system around it, calling it Homeopathy, which means "similar suffering". During the following years, Hahnemann tested other drugs of the day such as belladonna and ipecac to learn the symptoms they produced. He began to treat patients with this new medical system based on the principle of cure by similars.
His methods were met with opposition by the old-school medical societies, since Hahnemann's use of a single and minimum dose was threatening the financial stability of the powerful pharmacies. The efficacy of homeopathic medicines, however, compared with conventional treatment of epidemics such as scarlet fever, typhus, and cholera, helped affirm homeopathy as a legitimate medical system in Europe, Great Britain and North America.
The Significance of Homeopathy Today
Homeopathic medicine is practiced in every corner of the world. Its largest acceptance is in Great Britain, India, and parts of Europe where homeopathy is integrated into their national health services. In North America homeopathy is enjoying increasing acceptance and use, especially in the last 15 years. The World Health Organization sites homeopathy as the second most widely used traditional medical system, and recommends its worldwide integration with conventional medicine in order to provide adequate global health care.
In this climate of increasing chronic disease and a growing disillusionment of the pharmaceutical industry, people are questioning the quality of their health care and seeking safe and effective ways to treat illness. People are choosing homeopathy because it is a non-invasive form of medicine without risk of toxicity, resistance, or addiction.
Homeopathy is a Self-Regulated Profession
Homeopathic medicine is practiced legally in Ontario. On January 1, 1994, Ontario passed the Regulated Health Professions Act. Under this act, the system of medical licenses that existed since 1974 was revoked and replaced with a system that allowed the right to practice all forms of medicine. The only form of government control is in the form of regulation for those medical disciplines that pose a significant risk of harm to the public.
Of the two dozen disciplines currently regulated by the government, almost all involve the practice of conventional medicine, except acupuncture and naturopathic medicine. Homeopathic medicine is not considered to represent any risk of harm to the public and therefore does not require government regulation.
National professional associations set standards of homeopathic training. Homeopathic practitioners must meet the association's specific education qualifications, practice according to a strict code of professional ethics, and meet continuing education requirements.
Under Federal law, homeopathic medicines can be legally prescribed and sold in Canada and are regulated by the National Health Products Directorate.
For more information about the regulation of homeopathy please read the article by Raymond Edge attached to the following link:
