NHC Article: Introduction to Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a complete medicinal system designed in Germany by Dr Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Historians described how homeopathy moved overseas by the number of references to homeopathic medicines (remedies) in medical supplies of religious missionaries, emigrating families and doctors.

Homeopathy and the Law of Similars

Homeopathy students learn how Dr Hahneman discovered that European missionaries brought back Peruvian tree bark used by South American natives to treat intermittent malarial fevers.

Dr Hahnemann did an experiment on himself in 1790 to test what might be in the bark's ingredients to stop malarial types of fevers. After taking a little powdered bark he experienced symptoms similar to the types of intermittent fevers he observed in his patients living in low-lying marshy regions. This was the first of more than thirty remedy provings Dr Hahnemann conducted and in fact homeopaths today still use Cinchona (China)- Peruvian bark remedy in certain intermittent fevers.

Dr Hahnemann derived the name for Homeopathy from the Greek words, "Homoios" -'similar," and "Pathos" - "suffering." Homeopathy means - suffering from "a like or similar disease."

Canada and Global Homeopathy

Dr. Joseph J. Lancaster was Upper Canada's first homeopathic practitioner around the 1830s. Most North American practitioners received their training in Pennsylvania, Chicago and New York homeopathy institutions and hospitals. By 1869, Canada homeopaths were unified with herbal (eclectic) and conventional (allopathic) medicine leading to the gradual decline in homeopathy practitioners. North American pharmaceutical companies began funding universities and hospitals to determine if chemically based medicines worked better than any of the medicines being used.

The return of homeopathy began in early to mid 1970s when public interest returned to older traditional methods of health prevention and care like homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese medicine. Now a North American family may consult a homeopathic practitioner and family pet a homeopathic veterinarian.

In some countries homeopathy has been included in national health care systems such as United Kingdom, European Common Market countries, India and Pakistan. European royalty have consulted homeopathic practitioners beginning with Dr Hahnemann in Germany and the Queen of England has her own homeopath.

Foundation of Homeopathy

Dr Hahnemann in his initial medical practice was concerned about toxicity of certain medicines and harmful effects of methods known as purging and blood-letting. In Hahnemann's six editions of The Organon of Medicinal Art he outlined integral aspects for his own more gentle homeopathic system of medicine he used over a fifty year span -researching potential remedy materials, making remedies and teaching case taking techniques for selecting the correct remedy.

Making and Proving a Remedy

Homeopathic remedies made from plant, mineral or animal material are macerated, ground and diluted in alcohol/water making the Mother Tincture. Each sequential dilution - potency is thoroughly shaken with impaction (succussed). At a certain point in the dilution procedure the original material no longer is detectable as the ingredients are highly diluted. Potencies: X & D = ten times dilution; C = hundred; M = thousand.

Homeopathy remedies are proven one at a time only with healthy individuals and never on animals. It is readily understandable to homeopathic practitioners why Hahnemann instinctively decided to test Peruvian bark on himself first and that he recognized and wrote down the resulting symptoms in the very first homeopathy proving journal. These individual and characteristic symptoms of the remedy he could to depend on to treat certain types of similar intermittent fevers. Peruvian bark also known as Cinchona officinalis and China, and today we can read about this first remedy proving in Dr Samuel Hahnemann's Materia Medica Pura.

Practitioners using single remedies

Homeopaths prescribing single remedies are internationally known as Classical and Hahnemannian practitioners, there are societies and organizations of classical homeopaths world-wide.

Public Interest Groups

Homeopaths try to assist people improve their health and well being and there are public homeopathy interest groups assisting practitioners improve public understanding of homeopathy.

Throughout the world there are classical organizations and associations promoting the practice of homeopathy on websites.

Homeopathy public and practitioner association

When looking for a homeopathic practitioner the Internet is a valuable tool. Classical homeopathic associations have practitioner directories. A Canadian classical association is the West Coast Homeopathic Society (undergoing a name change reflecting Canada wide membership) website: www.wchs.info

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