Homeopathy's topics - tribe.net

Anyone ever dealt with a chronic situation with homeopathy?

Leslie — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 23:05:22 GMT

I've treated alot of things successfully with homeopathy, but they were relatively small and acute. I'm going through something that began as severe anxiety and then moved into insomnia that won't go away even with HUGE doses of regular pharms...which I don't really like to take anyway. One MD is prescribing prozac right now I know all these people are trying to help. One naturopath I saw gave me a constitutional dose of arsenicum to help with the anxiety and I don't know how good of a job it did. But now things are different and I totally need some sleep. I'm considering seeing a professional homeopath here in my area though the first visit if very high but she feels that she can help me. I know this is multi layered. I am working hard at hanging on to hope and functioning. This is all very perplexing to me.

Just wondering if anyone has successfully worked with a chronic situation before.

posted in Homeopathy - 13 replies

Can you suggest a thorough Homeopathic website?

zenutopia — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:26:42 GMT

Hello all,
I haven't found a good database for this subject yet. Looking for one with general info for beginners, remedies, self-diagnosing tools & recommendations for a Homeopathic Dr.
Can you help?
Thanks!

posted in Homeopathy - 3 replies

flu remedies...

mamatoto — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:31:09 GMT

what to take mid flu and end of flu with deep chest cough, burning in the chest when cough, exhaustion

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

How does homeopathy work?

Dom — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:17:38 GMT

I am not trained at all in homeopathy, but my basic understanding is that homeopathy is a form of vibrational medicine. The substances used as remedies transfer their molecular vibrations to the solution/sugar pill and that is imparted to the overall vibration of the patient to effect a transformation. Is this essentially true?

If so, how is this affected by other vibrational mediators such as crystals, tuning forks, etc? Also, check out this web site and tell me what you think: www.thebritteam.com (not my web site, by the way; I'm not trying to plug myself or anyone else).

Any feedback is helpful.

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

A Case of Asperger Syndrome

Mary Ellen — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:33:03 GMT

A Case of Asperger Syndrome

A very delightful girl, age 5, adopted from China at 9 months old. She was diagnosed as high functioning Asperger.
Her mother is concerned about her ability to function in Kindergarten based on her pre-school experience. She is also exhausted with the time demand of this child she is so dedicated to.

The girl has a difficult time regulating her emotions (group/school setting) which has an extreme element to them (anxiety, frustration, over stimulation and obstinacy). She is > being held tightly. She is self protecting in groups (school). If left to her own devices when over stimulated, she will crawl under a desk and curl into a ball while repeating “doodle-bug, doodle-bug, doodle-bug.”

Motor planning is difficult as she has no sense of time or space and plows into people. She was diagnosed with Dyspraxia (aural motor) at 2 yrs old she couldn’t bite down on a cracker. Previous to talking (age 4) she used sign language.

She has trouble with sensory integration and responds with anxious intensity – an acute response to an exciting factor (clenches with excitement and glee, then straight to irritable, then flops around). She becomes excited and anxious (anticipatory) when startled and clings to mom with eyes shut. She does not respond to voice or eye contact. Her hearing is acute and is able to categorize music by style and composer. She responds to soft noise, not loud. At her first visit she said “Oh, mom, it’s a Jackson Pollack” (pointing to a painting done in the Jackson Pollack style).

She has a great focus of attention and “binges” on things of interest, working a topic or a particular food to death and then she is done (all things aquatic, avocados, balloons -prefers Mylar as “latex; may pop in my hand”, roly- polies, butterflies). At each consultation she spends the time busily doodling elaborate pictures with many fanciful (smiling) characters from fairy tales or movies (Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach), origami, pop-up pictures (whatever she is “into” at the time).

Her imaginary playtime seems to revolve around conflict (tub toys fighting over sharing), or where she is in charge and makes the rules (“I’m making a jail…the big time-out for adults…a nice jail for people”.) She hates being small “I’d rather be a fairy godmother than Cinderella; the boss; policeman; Queen, God”. “Everyone gets to make the rules but me.” Fascinated with power: the bad witch in Wizard of Oz, tornados, hurricane Katrina (fearless). < Lightening and thunder (fearful).

Themes & Characteristics:
She is a light sleeper and is cranky when she wakes.
History of ear inflammations (alternating sides) – 5 ear infections/sinusitis between 16-18 months.
Runs hot – profuse perspiration - < damp, humid; < sun = itchy, sweaty.
Lethargic with fevers.
Strong reaction to vaccines – tantrums, goes rigid.
<< transitions (difficult to break her intense focus); sniffles with weather change; needs to know she has access to food (provided snack when she arrived or she would disregulate/panic).
Want’s to go home. “Can we go home now? I want to go home now.” Crawls into a ball on her mom’s lap.
Psychology report “The most sensory seeking and most sensory avoidant child she had encountered.
Bossy/demanding nature – “My way or the highway” (mom); screams for attention.
“I need to know NOW.”
Self protecting in groups.
Enchanted (pictures filled with fairytale character from different stories, films, etc.) “I’m into fairies now. It’s nice to celebrate on your hand. If they land on your hand you can love them.”
Interest in animals in a scientific way (nose to nose with an ant).
Lactose intolerant.
Frustrated ambition – had an interest in pop-up books, but could not replicate perfectly. Tantrums at pre-school when she can not “do it perfectly.” (Cancer Miasm?)
Bitter taste in mouth.
Hypersensitive (noise, odors, light, change of weather, transitions).
Jealousy – Interrupts other’s performance if she is not included.

Analysis:
I was looking for a small animal that self protects by crawling into a ball and is held together (relieved) with hard pressure (hug). Although her demanding nature can be considered “buggy”, she is very cute and her imagination is very enchanting. She is sensitive to noise (deregulates), high humidity (sniffles) sun (sweat, itch, overheat) and transitions. She is a very busy doodler. There are themes similar to insects (small, organized, busy, industrious, constant intense activity, attention seeking). She does not have the violence and aggressiveness one often sees in these remedies, and her self protection/sensitivities are similar to a shelled sea creature, protecting a soft underbelly.

Astacus Fluviatuilis (Crawfish) has themes of overpowering panic attacks, impulsivity, and the desire to go home.

Mollusks have the duality that the outside is threatening so they go into their shell, but inside they are claustrophobic.

Pediculus Capitus (head lice) are bothersome, industrious and have a mania for work. They have ailments from excessive joy as well as indifference and apathy.

Armadillidium Vulgare
Self protection, Mimicry, Small vs. Powerful, Bothersome.
Armadillidium is a genus of the small terrestrial crustacean known as woodlouse. They are commonly known as pill bugs, roly-polies and doodlebugs. They are a hard-shelled creatures, resembling a miniature armadillo that are characterized by their ability to roll into a ball when disturbed. Being Isopods, they have segmented bodies and jointed legs (7 legs that are alike); they are not insects, but rather land dwelling relatives of crabs and lobsters. Similar to these creatures, they have gills and need water to breathe. However too much water, sun or heat can be deadly, as their metabolic rate is temperature dependent: the external environmental temperature relates directly to their rate of respiration.
The coloration resembles the red hourglass marking of the Mediterranean black widow (Latrodectus Tredecimguttatus). This is probably a kind of mimicry to ward off predators that mistake the harmless animal for a venomous spider.
They are mainly nocturnal, preferring lime-rich soils which they need for making their shells. Females carry approximately 2 dozen eggs in a pouch called “marsupum” on her underside until they can fend for themselves. Although a male is usually involved, they can reproduce by parthenogenesis (partheno = virgin, genesis = creation) as well. There can be 2-3 broods per year and their lifespan is about 2 years.
The immature isopod molts 4-5 times (discarding its exoskeleton to accommodate its growth. Molting is in 2 stages. First the back ½ molts, then 2-3 days later the front ½ molts.
They eat fungus, decaying plant matter, young plant growth and sometimes dead animal matter. Predators include ants, spiders (Sow Bug Killer), shrew, toads, frogs, newts, lizards, small owls, fox, centipedes, harvestmen, beetles and other isopods.

They also have seven pairs of short legs.
Isopods have two pairs of antennae; one pair feels along the ground.
This animal is a crustacean, so its cousins are crabs, crayfish, and shrimp. Just like those creatures, Isopods have gills and need water to breathe. Since they live on land, and not in the water, Isopods must stay in moist places.

Scientific classification
KINGDOM Animal
PHYLUM Arthropod
CLASS Crustacean
ORDER Isopoda
FAMILY Oniscidae
GENUS Armadillidium
SPECIES Armadillidium vulgare

Follow-up – one month:
200C Armadillidum Vulgare.
The most prominent change is a greater connectedness with her surroundings (spontaneous “good byes” and “thank you” without mom’s prompting, greater awareness/sensitivity to animals, more color to her art). Mom mentions that their cuddling is a bit more reciprocal and that her requests are less demanding. When watching a movie where the characters are dancing, she’ll jump up and dance with them (to be apart of the fun). Note to the tooth fairy: “Dear Tooth Fairy, Please take me up to Neverland.”

Follow-up – 4 months later:
Gave 1M Armadillidium Vulgare
Melt downs are infrequent and she is able to calm down and recover more quickly. Her threshold has changed (a higher threshold). Her school year is going well (Kindergarten). She is reading at a First Grade level and is able to construct a story with a beginning, middle and end. A nice steady improvement (mom). She is interested in Robert Sabuda’s pop-up books and is busy replicating pop-up art. “I want to be smarter than God. Am I smarter than Robert Sabuda? I want to be a policeman with strong arms, able to lift a very heavy book over my head.”
She has had a jump in motor skills. Her balance has much improved and she is able to hop on one foot and catch and throw. Her movements are more deliberate; less of a “bull in a china shop”.

One year later:
There is a marked reduction in obsessive behaviors. Her ability to deal with groups (camp, school) as well as her ability to self regulate has much improved. She has made a friend at school and is able to interact rather than her typical “parallel play”.

Note: There was a proving of Oniscus Asellus (Sow bug) by Hering. This Isopod differs from the pill bug in that it lacks the rear appendages necessary to curl into a ball. Characteristics include a pale face with a wild expression. Symptoms include inflammation of the right ear (boring pain), mastoid process, and cutting, burning pain in urethra (Cantharis) with tenesmus of bladder and rectum with absence of stool/urine. It has also been used to treat asthma with bronchial catarrh.

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Homeopathy In India

alternate-realities — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:16:48 GMT

It seems that Homeopathy is gaining more widespread acceptance in India. I've heard that there are even Homeopathic hospitals & colleges there. Does anyone know anything about these schools and the possibility of studying/interning there?

http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/homeopathy/homeopathic-treatment.asp

Though it is still being challenged there:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1241713.cms

posted in Homeopathy - 2 replies

braces, bone healing

liabear1 — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:55:02 GMT

Hi folks,
I'm new here and trying to find out more about homeopathy.
I'm 40 and have dental braces. my teeth are being moved in my jawbone quite dramatically,( two are moving an entire space over). I've seen some homeopathic remedies for "growing pains" and "bone trauma", does any one know if something like that would be helpful? I don't want the bone to get denser because, presumably, as you get older, the bone already gets less malleable.

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Warts?

Leslie — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:34:33 GMT

Looking for some good info for warts. The books I have are pretty basic and don't have anything. I'm currently using other modalities to treat and it seems to be working, but I'd still like to see what homeopathic blends could be useful.

posted in Homeopathy - 2 replies

Dry eyes?

Leslie — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:59:28 GMT

Hi everyone. So I recently had this thing going on where my eyes were twitching alot. Alot of it was liver Chi stagnation, but it also must have been a magnesium deficiency..because I've been taking more of that and the twitching has lessened. I do, however, still have the feeling of very dry eyes. It's like I don't have enough moisture and I want to continually blink or keep my eyes closed to keep them moist. It's not very comfortable.

Any recommendations? I have some chrysanthymum flower that I make an eye wash with that I use occasionally. But I know the moisture needs to come internally.

thanks in advance.

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

hives? Itching?

babysolomon — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 09:39:35 GMT

Any suggestions? I itch everywhere. Little bumps. Never had this before. It's worse at night. it keeps me up. I do have stress as of recent and broke out. It's like a histamine type thing.

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

A question regarding flower essences.

Dom — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 15:24:56 GMT

Hello, All. I just joined this tribe to learn more about homeopathy. I have studied many different forms of healing, but have only a basic understanding of homeopathic medicine. I hope you can increase my understanding. My basic understanding of homeopathy is the whole "like cures like" theory put forth by Dr. Hahnemann.

Yet, this does not seem to be the principle behind the flower remedies, though they still seem to be related to the practice of homeopathy. I have spoken to some Anthroposophical physicians, who seem to relate an alchemical principle to the energetics behind their homeopathic-like remedies, and I have spoken to a shaman, who speaks of the spirits of the flowers being the power withing the flower essences. Neither of these are of the "like cures like" principle.

I would love to hear from any homeopaths who use flower essences and ask what is the current theory behind the flower essences. I appreciate any information that may increase my understanding. Thank you.

Dom

posted in Homeopathy - 4 replies

here's one for you...

ms sweet — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:22:38 GMT

can we get a discussion going here about homeopathy? i've just responded to dom prior to linking over to the flower essences tribe and can see why he is confused from the blurb i read over there....

homeopathy is very clear about creating disease states in healthy people as trial for potential medicinal actions. this contrasts strongly with the very gentle and nature of essences. not to mention that they really only appear to act on the emotional/mental plane. what do other practitioners think?

posted in Homeopathy - 2 replies

garden

buddyboy76 — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 19:06:39 GMT

howdy.
i'm going to be starting a garden (Zone 23) pretty soon, as well as just planting some random stuff around the yard.

i'm curious what plants you would consider essential.

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Homeopathic Training

tristinmock — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 23:10:32 GMT

I was wondering what people’s backgrounds in homeopathy are. Are you learning homeopathy on your own, through a correspondence course, at a physical school, from a homeopath? Let’s get some action going in this group and share our knowledge and experience.

posted in Homeopathy - 8 replies

(practically) FREE homeopathy teachings in Riverside

zenutopia — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:02:42 GMT

HI,
I just started to attend an informal group learning The Caduceus Effect that meets on Monday nights at Unity Church. The teacher doesn't charge for her knowledge, but we donate whatever we can for the use of the room.
Come on out!

Unity Church
3730 Elizabeth St
Riverside, CA 92506
951.686.9247

K-Zen

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

my cold won't go away

dragonfly420 — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 14:48:40 GMT

blessings, all,

i've had a cold for going on two weeks now, and i'm wondering if any of you have any recommendations for remedies. i thought it was a simple little cold, it hardly bothered me, but in the last 4 days or so, it's gotten so much worse! now it hurts when i swallow, in addition to constantly having to blow my nose. feels like my throat is a little swollen, maybe, when i swallow. i have a bit of a cough, too. and right after i blow, and i think i'm good, i have to turn right around and blow it again! sometimes blowing my nose so much literally makes me dizzy! ... no noticeable aches or pains associated with it, except neck pain and a headache for maybe 3 days, and my throat is a little soar. no itchy or watery eyes or any other symptoms i can think of.

it's been so long since i've had a cold, i don't even remember how to treat it. i don't know what i should avoid, either.

is my lifestyle hindering my body's ability to heal? i usually smoke a doobie at least every other day with friends, and in the last two weeks or so, i've had at least one alcoholic beverage almost every night (usually a cosmo. i don't really know what kind of liquour they use. i'm not even really a drinker, man, i'm more inclined toward mary jane, but the friends i've been hanging out with lately are so hot that we get treated to drinks every time we go some place). i know i don't drink enough water, but i'm working on it, and my mom said i should drink some oj, too. oh, also, i usually get between 3-5 hours of sleep at night. and in the past two weeks or so--ever since i decided to hang out with mary jane only in the presence of friends--my appetite has decreased tremendously, and if i'm not hungry, i don't usually eat anything, but then go out and end up having a drink or two. i know that's wacko.

but for the drinking and not eating very much (a big meal in the afternoon, usually salmon and broccoli and sweet potatoes, or something close to it, is it), which are recent phenomena, these have been characteristics of my life for the whole summer... does drinking mess up your immune system or something?

i feel kinda silly for not knowing what affects my immune system and stuff, but i've just never really given it any thought because i NEVER get sick. it's been years and years. what would you recommend to increase the healing or at least treat the symptoms? it's starting to be a drag...

thanks, everyone. i appreciate any input or advice you have!

peace and love,
dragonfly 420

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

anxious dreams

lynx007 — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:45:25 GMT

i'm 25 weeks pregnant and being rather tormented by anxious dreams. any suggestions? i'm also looking for labor support by someone knowledgable in homeopathy in late september or early october, in the vancouver area. thanks for your time.

xx

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

successsss?

Mary Anne — Wed, 28 Jan 2004 22:13:26 GMT

I am wondering if any of you out there have used homeopsthy to treat others or who have been successfully treated, if you would like to share any stories?

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

Vancouver -- looking for a willing volunteer

Friz — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 23:46:22 GMT

Hello all. I am currently attending the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster. My second year homeopathy instructor is looking for a volunteer to have his or her case taken in front of our class. She is an amazing women who is an expert in homeopathy. She knows her medicine!! This is a great opportunity for someone as she will continue on with your case for free!! The catch: you have to be willing to share all in front of 12 students (the first interview and one of the followup interviews). We did the same thing last semester and it worked great. Manon, our instructor, does the interview while the students are silent observers. We need someone for this coming Tuesday(April 25), or if need be, we can push it back a week to the following Tuesday afternoon (May 2).

Let me know!!

Thanks, Friz.

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Homeopathy and COPD

Baha'uddin — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 01:54:12 GMT

Namaste'!
Does anyone in this tribe have any information on the treatment of COPD with homeopathy?
Thanks.
Peace,
Baha

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Famous Quotes Reg'd Homeopathy

alternate-realities — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:10:44 GMT

"Homeopathy cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of
treatment." -Mahatma Gandhi-

"Homeopathy is the safest and most reliable approach to ailments and has
withstood the assaults of the established medical practice for over 100
years." -Yehundi Menuhin-

"The introduction of Homeopathy forced the old school doctor to stir around
and learn something of a rational nature about his business. You may
honestly feel grateful that Homeopathy survived the attempts of the orthodox
physicians to destroy it." -Mark Twain-

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Remedies For Migraines?

buGG — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 06:09:23 GMT

I would like to know if anyone knows of any remedies for migraine sufferers.
I am currently taking IMITREX to abort the migraines but would rather
get rid of them naturally ... thanks for your replies!!!!
.....buGG

posted in Homeopathy - 8 replies

anything new in Homeopathy?

Mae — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 16:29:49 GMT

What is new in Homeopathy as it relates to Tribe, or just general practice?
There haven't been any posting for a month, what's up with that?

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Homeopathic Constitutions

chetana — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 00:30:55 GMT

Hi all,

I just went to a medical intuitive/energy field therapist who prescribed me a couple of different things, one including Arnica for my homeopathic constitution. Can anybody tell me where to find information on what an arnica constitution is, and does therapy balance this constitution or change it to a different one? There doesn't seem to be much info on this on the web.

Thanks,
Chetana

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

Hobo Spider bite!

averymilieu — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:13:26 GMT

Tuesday in the early hours.... On my face, yet. Right temple. I've taken arnica 30c for the sensation of bruising (woke up feeling like I'd slammed my face into the wall), but the swelling (and pain) is spreading to the left side of my face, the low fever still persists.
I'm still yawning. I yawned and slept all day Tuesday. Seemed to help at the time.
Swelling is puffy and blue tinged, affects the eye sockets, lymphatic system, paratid glands. My ears ring like I've been eating aspirin (which I don't).
EVERY joint in my body - especially the ones that have been impacted by swelling in the past - has become painful and uncertain (knees and hips are not reliable, sciatica is aggrivated, shoulders, elbow....)
My teeth hurt .
My eyes water.
I've developed a slight cough (but that could be seasonal allergies), my liver aches when I cough.
I am grumpy and irritable (is this from pain or frustration?), my appetite is seriously declined, no thirst, I prefer warmth to cold, but cool, moving, open air feels good, if I'm warm in the first place - but not if I'm chilled. The shower isn't hot enough to suit me at the moment.
Last night I broke a sweat for the first time since the bite happened - and I've been sleeping under blankets in a loft that runs 80 to 90 degrees until nearly midnight. Not much of a sweat, you understand and I'm one who sweats easily, profusely on the head.
My constitutional fluctuates - Arsenicum, Nux, Sepia, even Sulfur have been useful in the past. This is an accute condition at the moment...
I was wondering (because of the joint involvement and the blue tinged swelling) if Apis Mel would be the one to work here....
ANY suggestions would help.

Thanks.

Avery.

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

Holistic Hindu Healer..

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 10:09:16 GMT

Hi everyone......

I'm new to this tribe. Hence, the introduction.

I was directed to this by a dear friend and wellwisher Mike DeVito. Everything about me can be gathered, both, from my profile, as

well as from my website.

With the humble knowledge that I have in esoteric sciences, my main aim of my visits to US for past few years (on a regular basis)

is to create a 'true awareness' among people about 'what lies ahead' as the FUTURE for my friends/clients...

Yes, after having spent a huge amount on tickets, stay & other expenses, the remuneration also has to be considered.

Unlike other visits, this time I intend to do things on individual basis. Starting with their Vedic Astrological Chart and moving on to

'solving' all kinds of problems through Mantras, Tantra, Gem Therapy and personal teachings based on ancient Hindu tenets.

I'll be coming to U.S around Feb/March.& having base mainly in L.A.& Colorado .

Going to other places is still tentative....All depends on the 'economic' factors listed above...Pl.do let me know if that is possible

and how.
>
> Sincerely;
>
> Chandan

IM's: Yahoo & AOL: ceegee29
MSN: tantrik29
eMail address: iamtantrik@yahoo.com
Website: www.newspiritservices.com/gems.html

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

hyper cousin

shareeta — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 03:03:51 GMT

my 5 year ols cousin is extremly hyper and disobedient. other than going to a doctor and having him prescribe some numbing drug does anyone else have any suggestions?

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

science of emotos water crystals

aLphA — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 20:00:15 GMT

I am a physicist and we have been working on a number of theories about subtle energy.

We recently developed a theory about how emotions can affect water (which has been presented to Emoto to look over last month). Basically the hearts have different currently flowing though it. When you are feeling more negative emotions the currents are incoherent with each other. When you are feeling more positive emotions the currents are coherent.

The currents give off this electromagnetic field. This field can be likened to the wave pattern generated by dropping stones at regular intervals into slightly different places in the lake. Some of the places the waves add up some not. At the strongest places in the field is where water molecules will migrate to.

Check out this theory at www.angelfire.com/folk/vision

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

Super Homeopathy?

Mon, 09 May 2005 13:33:47 GMT

www.gulligo.com

posted in Homeopathy - 0 replies

I am new to Tribes.

Donna — Sun, 14 Dec 2003 18:19:32 GMT

I am studying through a correspondence course, homeopathy. I have found all sorts of ways it can be utilized. Tell me your experiences with homeopathy.

posted in Homeopathy - 2 replies

Homeopathy Information

Greg — Mon, 01 Mar 2004 11:53:34 GMT

Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician, began formulating homeopathy's basic principles in the late 1700s. He declared that diseases represent a disturbance in the body's ability to heal itself and that only a small stimulus is needed to begin the healing process. He also claimed that chronic diseases were manifestations of a suppressed itch (psora), a kind of miasma or evil spirit. At first he used small doses of accepted medications. But later he used enormous dilutions and theorized that the smaller the dose, the more powerful the effect -- a notion commonly referred to as the "law of infinitesimals." That, of course, is just the opposite of the dose-response relationship that pharmacologists have demonstrated.

Homeopathic products are made from minerals, botanical substances, and several other sources. If the original substance is soluble, one part is diluted with either nine or ninety-nine parts of distilled water and/or alcohol and shaken vigorously (succussed); if insoluble, it is finely ground and pulverized in similar proportions with powdered lactose (milk sugar). One part of the diluted medicine is then further diluted, and the process is repeated until the desired concentration is reached. Dilutions of 1 to 10 are designated by the Roman numeral X (1X = 1/10, 3X = 1/1,000, 6X = 1/1,000,000). Similarly, dilutions of 1 to 100 are designated by the Roman numeral C (1C = 1/100, 3C = 1/1,000,000, and so on). Most remedies today range from 6X to 30X, but products of 30C or more are marketed.

A 30X dilution means that the original substance has been diluted 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times. Assuming that a cubic centimeter of water contains 15 drops, this number is greater than the number of drops of water that would fill a container more than 50 times the size of the Earth. Imagine placing a drop of red dye into such a container so that it disperses evenly. Homeopathy's "law of infinitesimals" is the equivalent of saying that any drop of water subsequently removed from that container will possess an essence of redness. Robert L. Park, Ph.D., a prominent physicist who is executive director of The American Physical Society, has noted that since the least amount of a substance in a solution is one molecule, a 30C solution would have to have at least one molecule of the original substance dissolved in a minimum of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules of water. This would require a container more than 30,000,000,000 times the size of the Earth.

Oscillococcinum, a 200C product "for the relief of colds and flu-like symptoms," involves "dilutions" that are even more far-fetched. Its "active ingredient" is prepared by incubating small amounts of a freshly killed duck's liver and heart for 40 days. The resultant solution is then filtered, freeze-dried, rehydrated, repeatedly diluted, and impregnated into sugar granules. If a single molecule of the duck's heart or liver were to survive the dilution, its concentration would be 1 in 100200. This huge number, which has 400 zeroes, is vastly greater than the estimated number of molecules in the universe (about one googol, which is a 1 followed by 100 zeroes). In its February 17, 1997, issue, U.S. News & World Report noted that only one duck per year is needed to manufacture the product, which had total sales of $20 million in 1996. The magazine dubbed that unlucky bird "the $20-million duck."

Actually, the laws of chemistry state that there is a limit to the dilution that can be made without losing the original substance altogether. This limit, which is related to Avogadro's number, corresponds to homeopathic potencies of 12C or 24X (1 part in 1024). Hahnemann himself realized that there is virtually no chance that even one molecule of original substance would remain after extreme dilutions. But he believed that the vigorous shaking or pulverizing with each step of dilution leaves behind a "spirit-like" essence -- "no longer perceptible to the senses" -- which cures by reviving the body's "vital force." Modern proponents assert that even when the last molecule is gone, a "memory" of the substance is retained. This notion is unsubstantiated. Moreover, if it were true, every substance encountered by a molecule of water might imprint an "essence" that could exert powerful (and unpredictable) medicinal effects when ingested by a person.

Many proponents claim that homeopathic products resemble vaccines because both provide a small stimulus that triggers an immune response. This comparison is not valid. The amounts of active ingredients in vaccines are much greater and can be measured. Moreover, immunizations produce antibodies whose concentration in the blood can be measured, but high-dilution homeopathic products produce no measurable response. In addition, vaccines are used preventively, not for curing symptoms.

Stan Polanski, a physician assistant working in public health near Asheville, North Carolina, has provided additional insights:

* Imagine how many compounds must be present, in quantities of a molecule or more, in every dose of a homeopathic drug. Even under the most scrupulously clean conditions, airborne dust in the manufacturing facility must carry thousands of different molecules of biological origin derived from local sources (bacteria, viruses, fungi, respiratory droplets, sloughed skin cells, insect feces) as well as distant ones (pollens, soil particles, products of combustion), along with mineral particles of terrestrial and even extraterrestrial origin (meteor dust). Similarly, the "inert" diluents used in the process must have their own library of microcontaminants.
* The dilution/potentiation process in homeopathy involves a stepwise dilution carried to fantastic extremes, with "succussion" between each dilution. Succussion involves shaking or rapping the container a certain way. During the step-by-step dilution process, how is the emerging drug preparation supposed to know which of the countless substances in the container is the One that means business? How is it that thousands (millions?) of chemical compounds know that they are required to lay low, to just stand around while the Potent One is anointed to the status of Healer? That this scenario could lead to distinct products uniquely suited to treat particular illnesses is beyond implausible.
* Thus, until homeopathy's apologists can supply a plausible (nonmagical) mechanism for the "potentiation"-through-dilution of precisely one of the many substances in each of their products, it is impossible to accept that they have correctly identified the active ingredients in their products. Any study claiming to demonstrate effectiveness of a homeopathic medication should be rejected out-of-hand unless it includes a list of all the substances present in concentrations equal to or greater than the purported active ingredient at every stage of the dilution process, along with a rationale for rejecting each of them as a suspect.
* The process of "proving" through which homeopaths decided which medicine matches which symptom is no more sensible. Provings involved taking various substances recording every twitch, sneeze, ache or itch that occurred afterward -- often for several days. Homeopathy's followers take for granted that every sensation reported was caused by whatever substance was administered, and that extremely dilute doses of that substance would then be just the right thing to treat anyone with those specific symptoms.

Dr. Park has noted that to expect to get even one molecule of the "medicinal" substance allegedly present in 30X pills, it would be necessary to take some two billion of them, which would total about a thousand tons of lactose plus whatever impurities the lactose contained.

For more information, see...

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

how it works

Mary Anne — Wed, 28 Jan 2004 22:11:15 GMT

I never can seem to remember how homeopathy works,the premise behind it, the succussions and how it all differs from say a polio vaccine or rabieswhere they use like to like.

Thanks,

mary anne

posted in Homeopathy - 1 reply

HELP constant muscus draining nose???

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 18:54:58 GMT

anyone know of any homepathic remedys for a constantly draining nose? no other allergy symptoms... no cough no itchy or water eyes... its all in the nose... sometimes clear, mostly thick dense...sometimes white, some yellow...some green... sorry for being so gross... its for my 9 year old son.... do i really have to go back to zyrtec? thanks if you have any suggestions... Tamu

posted in Homeopathy - 2 replies