A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO
HOMOEOPATHY
THE SCIENCE OF
HEALING AND A MEDICINE FOR THE NEW ERA
By
Pl.Vellaichamy
INTRODUCTION:-
Human beings have
thousands of needs. Among them, the most essentials are very few. The first and
foremost one is air, what we inhale, without which we cannot live even more
than 30 seconds. This utmost essential necessity is obtained freely, without
any effort. Next one is water which is also obtained freely with least effort,
without which we can live some days. Next one is food. Our mother Nature has
bounty of wealth. That too can be obtained from Nature freely with some more
effort. Due to ignorance, our distraction from Nature and our unnatural way of
living brings separation and disharmony. So we are struggling for want of food.
The health is in the fourth place of our essentialities. Except man all beings
are always healthy. Healthiness is natural, but we , the ignorant six
sense-beings are all unhealthy, because we are against the law of Nature. As
Health is natural it is to be obtained easily and freely. In Nature essentiality
and cost are inversely proportional- more essential more freely, less essential
more costly. Now Health is like ‘pulling a cat up a hill by the tail’.
In ancient times
men were healthy. Rarely they were sick. If so, they treated themselves. When
he has moved towards modernization, he has moved towards ill health. Acquired
ill health requires medicines.
Except modern
medicine, all medicinal systems have definite philosophy. Our so called
scientific medicine, before the advent of the antibiotic and the steroids, was
unscientific and based on empirical theories. Purging , sweating and
bloodletting were medical treatment in those days when Hahnemann, the founder
of Homoeopathy, was practicing medicine. People died more due to treatment
rather than disease. Many great men
such as King Leapord II of Austria, Goethel, Raphael, Lord Byron, and George
Washington were among the victims of
bloodletting.
“It is said that
the hour is the darkest before dawn. The
dark hour of medicine gave away to a new light – Hahnemann’s Homoeopathy”.
After the advent of
antibiotic and steroids, the death rate due
to infectious diseases were reduced. But the side effects are unbearable. The
haphazard administration of antibiotics and steroid has brought great hazard to
the health, destroyed our immune systems, killed the inner doctor and
disordered the inner harmony. Presently, the infectious diseases were replaced
by new disabling conditions such as heart diseases, tumours, diabetes,
hypertension, renal failures, allergic condition like asthma etc. Where Modern medicine has failed, there
Homoeopathy stands successfully. For
Homoeopathy is the highest order of
science of Healing in the evolution of
medicine. It is based upon concrete law of Nature. Its principle is indisputable.
ORIGIN OF HOMOEOPATHY:-
Dr .Hahnemann is
the founder of Homoeopathy. He was a celebrated physician and chemist
(1755-1843) born in Germany. He was a M.D. graduate in medicine. He was a
doctor for royal families in Germany. His was a roaring practice. His name was
popular. Many knew of him as a rational doctor. But he was not satisfied
himself. The person once considered as cured returned to him for the same
disease. He doubted on it, whether he treated him falsely or therapy itself was
wrong. His mind was restless. He analysed many cases. Finally he came to the conclusion that he had treated them
well, but the system was insufficient and unprincipled. So ,as soon as he felt
that the system which he had practiced was a false one he stopped the practice.
As a lover of human, with profound compassion, he did not like to do harmful
treatment for money sake. He considered
that it was better to die rather than doing harmful treatment. He closed his
clinic and threw away the key of the clinic.
Hahnemann
,as a versatile genius, for his livelihood, translated books and did some more
experiments in order to find out rational medicine. While he was translating a
book Materia Medica written by Dr.Cullen from English to German, he has come
across a statement, that Cinchona bark has cured malaria fever, because of its
bitterness. It doubted him why should cinchona only cure malaria while so many
substances in Nature have bitter taste. Before Hahnemann, there is a theory
that a medicine which cures the disease,
can produce the same.
Hahnemann wanted to
study it. So he took juice of the bark of cinchona. There was great surprise to
him. Malarial symptoms such as fever and chill developed on him. Then it was
given to his family members and his friends. All who had taken produced
malarial symptoms. In the same manner, he experimented with many medicines on
healthy human beings. All have produced symptoms which that they have cured in
sick people. Finally after 6 years, confirmed his experiments with various
medicines, he proclaimed the law of cure to the world – “Similia Similibus
Curentur” ie. Likes are cured by likes.
“ This means the
disease is cured by a drug that can produce a similar disease.”
It is not a new
discovery. It was known even by our ancient Indian physicians. We can see this
idea in the epic poem ‘Singara thilaka of Kavi Kalidass (57B.C),in which he
says. “It has been said of old time in the world that poison is the remedy for
poison”.
The origin of this
law of cure attributed to Hypocrites, the father of medicine. This law, is a
law of Nature. In Nature everything has two action equal but opposite. So a
medicine which has to cure the diseases, has to produce the same disease. Based
on this eternal law, the law of similar
is originated. Hence Homoeopathy is philosophically as well as scientifically
the highest order of therphy in the evolution of medical science.
HEALTH AND CURE
Nowadays the modern
medicine palliates the disease instead of curing the disease. But Homoeopathy
insists the cure of the patient. It emphasizes that the cure is the only and
high mission of physician. He has to restore the sick to health.
Now we have to know
what is health. Whether health is the
mere disappearance of symptoms or mere killing
of micro –organisms or make him alive. No ,nothing at all. Health is the state
of well being, mentally, physically,socially, politically, economically and
ethically. Who alone is healthy? Healthy he is, who lives for the highest
purpose of his existence! Otherwise he is sick. That’s why, most of us are
sick. To rise the man to the highest purpose of existence is the highest ideal
of cure. His highest purpose is love and compassion.
Homoeopathy
achieves this highest ideal of cure rapidly, gently and permanently.
It has removed or
annihilated the disease in its whole extent in the shortest
way,in the most reliable way and in the most harmless way.
It has obtained the
cure not by any means, but based on easily, comprehensible, principle ie.,
“Similia similibus curentur” or likes are cured by likes.
MAN NOT THE DISEASE:-
Homoeopathy treats
not the disease but the man, not mends organ but the organism as a whole. Man
is not a life –less machine assembled with many parts. He is born as a whole.
He lives as a whole. He functions as a whole. He gets sick as a whole and has
come to the doctor for his treatment as a whole. So Homoeopathy treats man as a
whole.
Dr.Alexis C arrel,
one of the greatest modern physiologist and author of the book ‘Man the
unknown’ says. “The physicians lack of success comes from his living in an
imaginary world. Instead of patient he sees the illness described in the
medicine”.
CONCEPT OF DISEASE:-
When man is sick,
not a single part like nose, head or eye is affected. He is affected both
mentally and physically as a whole. This affection is revealed as symtoms. The
symptoms which have been observed by the unprejudiced observer with his power
of penetration – that’s physician. The symptoms told by the patient as he has
felt. The symptoms remarked by person
who accompanied him. All these total collection of symptoms represent disease
and they give a portrait of disease. How these symptoms are formed?
SYMPTOMS –
LANGUAGE OF DISEASE :-
Symptoms are
language of disease .They are nothing but result of altered sensation and
altered function of the man. These alteration in inner man is informed through
symptoms as warning that he should be rectified otherwise he will be completely
ruined. So symptoms are language of disease.
How is there
alteration in the sensation and function
of the man without any cause? The altered sensations and altered functions are
nothing but result of deranged vital force.
VITAL FORCE:-
What is vital force? The spiritual force (autocracy) the
dynamics, animates the material body. It rules the entire organism with
unbounded sway. It retains all parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious
vital operation both sensationally and functionally.
Then our reason-
gifted mind can make use of this healthy instrument for
the highest purpose of our existence.
If there is no vital force, the material organism has no
sensation, no function and no preservation. Without which, the body is dead and
disintegrated. So the vital force is the immaterial being , the inner man,
animates the material organism in health
and in disease. It is the centre of the man. Unless the innerman is sick, the
outer man is never sick.
So the disease is
sick vital force, or deranged vital force. This derangement is reflected as
altered sensation and altered functions. These altered sensation and altered
function are revealed as symptoms. These total collection of symptoms are
called as disease or result of disease.
Now we have to face
the new questions. How is it deranged? Why is it deranged?
In nature similar
acts only on similar. So if the vital force is deranged, it is not by any
material phenomena but by similar force that is inimical to the life. So the
vital force is deranged by external inimical force. This affection is revealed
as morbid symptoms.
(Why is it affected?
When the man, for whom the vital force
has provided sensation,function and preservation, fails to live for the highest
purpose of his existence, then the vital force is susceptible to the external
inimical force and affected. ) (My own version). “Expectation is the cause of
suffering” –Saint Ramana.
CAUSE OF DISEASE:-
While the concept of disease is like that as explained above,
the modern medicine considers the disease as local entity. It’s cause is ascribed on micro-organisms such as virus
and bacterias.
Dr.J.T.Kent, one of
the stalwarts of Homoeopathy, considered next to Hahnemann, the founder of
Homoeopathy, has called micro-organisms as scavengers who have come into the
man when he is sick. The sickness of the man attracts micro-organism, not the
micro-organisms which become cause to sickness.
This fact is now
reluctantly accepted by the modern medicine. Hilary Hoprowskin in his book “Man
and his future” writes “It is well known that these germs do not exist in a
healthy man. The sickness of the individual process habitat, the poor soil,for
their growth, hence they can not be the cause of disease. Therefore destroying
an effect and not the cause of disease.” Not only this author, but
many greatmen of medicine now have accepted this fact. Even then this mockery,
the killing of micro-organism is triumphantly continued in the name of science.
Let them be so, to live at the mercy of micro-orgnisms!
MEDICINE:-
Already we have seen
that the disease is nothing but deranged vital force. Then the cure is nothing
but deranged vital force. Then the cure is nothing but re-establishing the vital
force once deranged through medicinal force. Force only acts on force.
What is medicine?
Any matter in the universe can be a medicine. A thing which has the capacity to
cure the disease must have the capacity to produce the same disease. So to find
out the curative property of a medicine we have to find out the disease
producing property of that medicine.
According to the law
of Nature, every action has equal but opposite reaction. Every matter has two
actions equal but opposite. Hence the drug, which cures the disease,has to
produce the same disease.
PROVING OF MEDICINE:-
In Homoeopathy drugs
have been proved by giving them to healthy human beings. Every drug when given
to healthy man affects his mind and body. This affection differs inaccordance
with susceptibility, hereditary and conditions of living. This affection is
revealed as symptoms of mind and body. While producing symptoms each drug has
revealed its peculiar nature inorder to distinguish itself from other drugs.
Thus each drug has proclaimed of its curative properties to the world.
In modern medicine,
drugs have been tested with dogs,monkeys,cats,mice and guinea pigs. Then they
have been given to human beings. This is called as scientific study. How can it
be a science? How are man and animals equal? The constitution of one animal
differs from other. Animals eat things which are poisonous to human. Then how
can it be a correct one that the drug tested on animals is given to man? How
bold he is to tell, it is scientific! Due to this so called scientific study
there was a great tragedy. It is called as thalidomide tragedy. “six years
before it was marketed, this tranquillizer (sleeping pill) was tested on every
type of laboratory animals-cats,mice,rabbits,guinea pigs and monkeys. After
this extensive tests it was concluded that it was harmless to human beings. It
was made popular as a tranquilizer for pregnant woman. The result , thousands
of babies born without hands, legs and with all kinds of deformities . Over
three thousand died and over seven thousand were crippledfor life. “Not only this one example, there are hundreds of
evidences. Even then it is bodly called as scientific. Let them be so!.
HOMOEOPATHY IN LAY MEN
LANGUAGE:-
In Homoeopathy every
drug is proved by giving it to healthy
man. Symptoms produced are recorded as felt by tested persons in their own
language. Neither in any technical language nor in any empty speculation.
All are recorded in lay-man’s language.
Dr.Hahnemann was very particular in it. He had decided that this system must
reach even to a layman.
DISEASE AS FEELING:-
Drugs are proved on human beings, because, the disease is not
any pathological change, it is prior to it. First –disease is a feeling . can
animals tell their feelings. Not it can not tell. Human being alone can tell
their feelings. So, for this foremost
important reason, drugs are proved on human beings.
MEDICINES IN
HOMOEOPATHY:-
In Homoeopathy, there are medicines from animal kingdoms. Eg.
Tarentula,Lachesis, Cantharis, Bufo rana etc.
Medicines from plant
kingdom
Eg. Aconite, Belladona, Bryonia, Lycopodium etc.
Medicines from
mineral kingdom
Eg Sulphur,Calcarea carb, Nitric acid, Natrum
muriaticum etc.
Medicines from
disease products (nosodes)
Eg. Psorinum (from
psoriasis), Hydrophobinum (saliva of the rabid dog).
Medicines from
healthy tissues (sarcodes)
Eg Thyroid, Pituitary etc.
Medicines from
imponderables:-
eg Magnet, X-ray, Moon light etc.
Drugs which are in Homoeopathy are drugs in other systems
also. When are they Homoeopathic? When drugs are proved on healthy human
beings? When drugs are potentised?
When drugs are given on the
principle of similars?
POTENTISATION:-
Why drugs are
potentised, and how drugs are potentised are more important in Homoeopathy. As
we have seen the disease is a deranged vital force, the cure is
re-estabilishing of vital force through medicinal force. Why not through medicinal substances as in other
systems. For the similar acts only on similar.
The inner man is a
immaterial being, the vital force, which is deranged by external inimical force
and it requires not a substance, but a force for its re-establishment. So,
Homoeopathic drugs are potentised. In short, we can say Homoeopathy deals with
three forces: vital force, disease force and medicinal force.
How is it potentised?
What is the meaning potentisation? The greatest of all discoveries of Hahnemann
is the discovery of potentisation. Potentisation is the process of trituration
and succession based on arithmetic procedure, by which the inner stored energy
of a substance is released. This may be compared to the tremendous energy
stored in the small atom. Even after more than 200 years, still it is a puzzle
to the science, how potentised drugs in minute dose are acting. In what way and
how it is questions unsolved. In Homoeopathy there are three kinds of
potencies.
1) centesimal potency
2) Decimal potency
3) Millesimal potency
For example in centesimal potency a drug in 30 potency means
that a drop of substance is diluted to the level of 10 raised to the power of
-1 followed by 60 zeroes that is just like one drop of medicine is dropped in a
lake of water and stirred the lake and out of which one spoon is given to the
patient. (readers are requested to refer a detailed book on potentisation for
full details.)
CHOICE OF REMEDY:-
In Homoeopathy as
stated above, we treat the sickman not the disease. No two diseases are alike.
No two sickmen are alike. The disease by its totality of symptoms demands a
remedy which has the capacity to produce those symptoms in healthy human being.
So, the total sum of symptoms of each individual case is sole guide to the
choice of remedy. For natural disease similar artificial disease in the form of
medicine is given.
INDIVIDUALISATION:-
In Homoeopathy each one is a new case. Each one differs from
another one. So we have to individualize each patient. Even though two persons have
same complaint as labeled in modern medicine, they differ from each other by
their characterstics. In Nature everything by its peculiarity, not by any
means, individualizes itself from other things.
So every patient is
individualized,based upon peculiar uncommon, characteristic symptoms. For the
selection of a remedy, these peculiar and characteristic symptoms are solely
kept in view.
Leo –tolstoy says,
“Doctors talked much in French, german and latin, blamed one another and
prescribed a great variety of medicines for all diseases known to them, but a
simple idea never occurred to them that every person has his own peculiarities
and always his own peculiar novel, complicated disease,”
The famous French
revolutionary and poet Voltaire cried out “ Doctors pour drugs of which they
know little, to cure disease of which they know less, into human beings of whom
they know nothing”.
Half a century before Tolstoy, Hahnemann
said, “ There are no disease, only sick people”. Homoeopathy has no specific
medicine for all patients of the same diagnosis. It treats the patient
individually.
What Hahnemann said before two hundred years
has been emphasized by
Dr .Alexis
Carrel, Nobel prize winner in his marvelous book “Man and the unknown”. “ A
disease is not an entity. disease is apersonal event. It consists of the
individual himself”.
So ,individualization of the patient as well
as the remedy is the predominant task in Homoeopathy.
DIFFERENT
SYMPTOMS:-
Homoeopathy treats the patients based on
symptoms. Symptoms are classified as general symptoms ie, mind general symptoms
and physical general symptoms, common symptoms, uncommon symptoms, peculiar
symptoms, rare symptoms, singular symptoms and characteristic symptoms
represent the whole patient and symptoms individualize the patient, rather than
disease, are more important. Totality of these symptoms alone help to select
the remedy.
MIND IN
HOMOEOPATHY:-
In homoeopathy ,the most important one is mind. A century
ago, Dr.J.T.Kent, a pioneer Homoeopathy said that “Most of the diseases originate in the mind”.
Mind never represents any particular organ. It represents the entire man.
Unless mind is sick the body is never sick. A man is sick means he is sick both
mentally and physically. In proving too, each medicine, in accordance with its
peculiarity affects both mind and body. Then only it is called as proved
medicine.
So, in Homoeopathy, the state of mind of the
patient determines the selection of a Homoeopathic remedy, for , it is decided
a characteristic symptom of the patient. Rather than other symptoms it is
easily revealed to the keenly observing physician.
MINUTE
AND MINIMUM DOSE:-
After the selection of a remedy, in
appropriate potency, a minute and minimum dose is administered to the patient.
It cures him completely. What it does in human frame and where it functions is a matter of puzzle
to the science but it cures the sick man, is the inevitable truth. Mere
disappearance of symptoms is not considered as cure. The cure emphazises
healthy well being both mentally, physically and socially.
WHAT TO
BE KNOWN BY A PHYSICIAN:-
Restore the sick to health is the high and only mission to
the physician. To fulfil his mission physician must know
1) What is to be cured in
disease.(peculiarity of disease)
2) What is curative in medicine.(ie.
Peculiarity in medicine)
3) How to select the medicine.
4) How to administer the medicine.
5) When to repeat the medicine.
6) How to remove the obstruction which
prevents the cure.
7) As a preserver he must know what
things derange health and cause disease and how to remove them from persons in
health.
8) He must know the exciting cause in
acute disease and basic and fundamental cause in chronic disease.
9) He must know patient’s present life,
past life and his ancestor’s life.
DOES HOMOEOPATHY ACT SLOWLY:-
It is a false accusation on
Homoeopathy that it cures the disease slowly. It is groundless. It is nothing
but false propagation against Homoeopathy by people who know nothing about
Homoeopathy. Homoeopathy cures disease naturally as sun rises in the east.
Homoeo-medicines acts as quickly as light burns immediately after switch on.
STANDS AHEAD OF TIME:-
Homoeopathy as the most advanced scientific system of
medicinal treatment, stands ahead of time. Science strives to test the
scientificacity of Homoeopathy.
CONCLUSION:-
Homoeopathy, the healing science is a medicine for new era
because
1)
It
cures the disease rapidly, gently and permanently.
2)
It
cures without any side effect.
3)
It
cures not only disease but makes the man sociable.
4)
As
the medicines are sweet pills, administration is very simple.
5)
Children
like Homoeo-medicines. Gives no harm even to pregnant women.
6)
Through
Homoeopathy we can treat all diseases not only at present but also in any long
future.
7)
Homoeo-medicines
are proved medicines so they are highly scientific.
8)
Symptoms
are recorded in lay-man language. So anybody can study and practice Homoeopathy.
HOMOEO-HEALTH SERVICE
MAN:-
As it is the most scientific one, and as well as a
simple one, it is more suitable to our nation. Especially to the rural people,
it is more beneficial. Simple training and slight perseverance is more than
enough to create a Homoeo Health service man in each house of our Nation.
Books for reference:
1)
Organon
of medicine –by Dr.Hahnemann.
2)
The
Science of Homoeopathy –by Dr.Rajan Sankaran.
