Similia Similibus Curantur
“By similar things a disease is produced and through the application of the like is cured”. Hippocrates (460-377 BC), ‘Father of Medicine’. Homeopathy, or homeopathic medicine, is a medical philosophy and practice based on the idea that the body has the ability to heal itself. Homeopathy was founded in the late 1700s in Germany by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann and has been widely practiced throughout Europe. Homeopathic medicine views symptoms of illness as normal responses of the body as it attempts to regain health. Homeopathy is based on the idea that "like cures like." That is, if a substance causes a symptom in a healthy person, giving the person a very small amount of the same substance may cure the illness. In theory, a homeopathic dose enhances the body's normal healing and self-regulatory processes. A homeopathic health practitioner (homeopath) uses pills or liquid mixtures (solutions) containing only a little of an active ingredient (usually a plant or mineral) for treatment of disease. These are known as highly diluted or "potentiated" substances. Like Cures Like To answer the question "What is homeopathy?" it's helpful to understand the principle underlying homeopathy "Similia Similibus Curantur" - Let like be cured by like. Homeopathy demonstrates that a substance that produces a certain set of symptoms in a healthy person can cure a sick person experiencing those same symptoms. For instance, onions make your eyes water when you cut them. If you have a cold or allergies and your symptoms include watery eyes, the likely remedy to treat your cold or allergies would be Allium Cepa, which is made from onions. Simplex Similimum Minimum This principle consists of three words. The first is Simplex i.e : simple medicines not compound should be prescribed. This is the doctrine of single remedy. Mixture of medicines or polypharmacy is not allowed. Only one medicine must be given at a time. Similimum - As discussed previously the totality of symptoms of the patient must be taken. This will yield a picture which corresponds to one medicine, the similimum, which must be given. That medicine which has been tested on various provers and has produced similar symptoms as that of the patient is the similar remedy. Minimum - A low dosage of medicine is recommended. In homeopathy less is more, so medicines of low potency and given at long intervals have a better impact. Hahnemann, in fact used to give just one dose of the medicine and wait to see the reaction over a period of time. Principle of IndividualisationTreat the patient, not the disease. This is the most important doctrine of homeopathy. Not two human beings are alike and so the medicines used for their treatment need not be alike. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on the totality of symptoms of that individual. So, the name of the disease is not important to the doctor who tries to get a complete picture of the patient - his symptoms,the modalities of symptoms, his likes and disliked, his environment, etc to arrive at the individualised remedy - which is the similimum.
Principle of PotentisationHomeopathic medicines are diluted in alcohol or milk-sugar(lactose) to make them more palatable and also to reduce the harmful effects. It has been found that the more the medicine is diluted, the more effective and powerful it becomes. So, the process of the dilution is called as potentisation and the medicines are referred to as potencies.The crude homeopathic medicine(eg : Cinchona/Lachesis) is triturated in alcohol to yield the mother tincture. The mother tincture is denoted by the symbol ø. Potency : 1x potency of the medicine signifies 1 part of mother tincture diluted with 9 parts of alcohol / milk sugar. 2x potency is 1x of medicine diluted with 9 parts of sugar milk / alcohol. 1C potency is mother tincture diluted with 99 parts. 1M potency is mother tincture diluted with 999 parts. Low potency : 1x, 3x , 6x (3c), 12x (6c) Medium potency : 12x, 30x, 30c High potency : 200c, 1M, 20 M , CM, LM, etc.