The word homeopathy comes from Greek (homoios – similar, pathos – disease). According to the dictionary homeopathy means the treatment of an illness with substances that in large amount give a person the conditions characteristic of the same illness. The principles of homeopathy come from German doctor Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) who was disappointed in the medicine of the time and its incapability to help the sick – often the frequent enemas, bloodletting and sulphur ointments burdened the exhausted body even more instead of helping.
Hahnemann’s theses were following – 1) Treat similar with similar; 2) The smaller the amount the more powerful the treating substance is; 3) All chronic diseases are caused by an infectious agent in the body, the psora. Hahnemann’s ideas had many followers, for instance doctor Hering founded the American Homeopathy College in 1848.
But the doctor is better known for his use of nitro-glycerine in curing heart disease. Hering discovered the treating characteristics of the substance thanks to diluting it greatly, i.e. thanks to homeopathy!
Today, one of the leading representatives of homeopathy is George Vithoulkas, who was awarded the so-called alternative Noble prize in 1996. Homeopathic practices have been applied to almost all diseases and several doctors have started advocating it. In issue number 6/1998 of the Estonian Doctors Association magazine, Saima Tisler says that homeopathy is a highly systemised method for stimulating the body’s will to live with the purpose of curing the person completely and 42% of doctors in England forward their patients to homoeopathists.
If your doctor forwards you to a homeopathic specialist then you should probably change your doctor.
Dr. Sven Lindström, General and internal medicine doctor.
Additional information – Quackwatch