Homoeopathy may be defined as the Therapeutic Method of Symptom-Similarity. In the medical field, Homoeopathy deals only with Therapeutics or treatment of disease. Moreover, this Homoeopathic treatment of disease is further limited to the use of pharmacologic preparations according to certain well defined principles.
One among the Stalwarts of Homoeopathy Garth Boericke has given appropriate explanation to support the Homoeopathic concepts in treatment of diseases in a scientific manner in comparison with other systems of medical practice.
The relation above referred to is two-fold : On the one hand, we have a group of symptoms expressing the disease and, on the other hand, we have a group of symptoms caused by the effect of some drug on the healthy human body. Given these two separate but similar phenomena, and it is spoken of as Homoeopathic relationship. The existence of a Homoeopathic relationship makes possible a cure by Homoeopathic medicine provided the disease is curable and the medication is given in conformity with the Homoeopathic rules of practice.
So Homoeopathy is a special form of using drugs. The practice of Homoeopathy is in conflict with nothing, in the great field of modern medicine. It is purely additional and supplemental. There are a great many sincere and successful gentlemen of the medical profession who know nothing about Homoeopathy, but it is also true that, had they knew this special knowledge, it would certainly have added something to their appreciation of medicine and vitally more satisfaction from the practice of their art.
Certain branches of medicine might be called sciences, especially diagnosis, preventive medicine and immunology. Therapeutics however is still an art-and cannot be dignified by calling it a science except in certain narrow fields.
Homoeopathy itself is not a science, but in its application pursues a scientific method. The art of Therapeutics depends too much upon the personal equation of the physician and, at best, any method which has a basic principle is much to be desired. The physician in his practice of the art of healing had little to guide him until the advent of three great advances in medicine.
Our reason for existence as a separate school of medicine is only on account of our different attitude regarding the scope and usefulness of drugs in the treatment of disease.
Homoeopathic medicine, offers an unlimited application depending on the knowledge of the physician. A definite law for their administration and absolutely no danger whatever. It is easy to see from this what the place of Homoeopathy is in the field of medicine.
Briefly, It is a practical method of using drugs backed up by the only worthwhile criterion that is time. What Homoeopathy has shown to be true a century ago is true today, for symptoms of disease and symptoms of drugs do not change and that is the rock on which the basis of Homoeopathy rests.
It has been said by learned critics of this school that Homoeopathy does not progress and further that Homoeopathy fails to avail itself of the advances in the medical field and has been negligent of research work. This is a very inaccurate statement and the Homoeopathic attitude toward medical “progress” is simply this : ” Advances,” ” new discoveries” are too often shown to be but the fad of the hour. This is not confined to drug Therapeutics, although most frequently seen in this field.
Homoeopaths resent being told their business by salesmen from Pharmaceutical houses. Any man in the active medical practice knows that hardly a day goes by but that he has been urged to try a new combinations, a new serum, and a new ” sure shot.” It is unfortunately true in most cases, as far as regular medicine is concerned, that these new preparations are largely the research of professional pharmaceutical houses. Interest in drug therapeutics is at such low ebb among high-class physicians and internists that the majority of them are frankly therapeutic nihilists. Homoeopathy takes the stand that a rapidly changing Materia Medica is prima facie evidence of an inefficient Materia Medica and further insists that the newest is no evidence per se that it is the best. A remedy to be efficient must stand the test of time. It must have a good clinical record before adoption.
Research, of course, takes the promising path. And so we find research at medical centers is almost exclusively devoted to immunology and bacteriology in the broadest sense and search in Homoeopathy has taken the form of drug experimentation so called ” proving ” and deductive clinical applications.
The question arises if Homoeopathy has been reliable and successful for a hundred years certainly its tenets and principles should have made some impression on medical practice and education.
The founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Hahnemann, advocates careful histories and written records of each case. Such is the universal practice now-a-days. He paid much attention to personal hygiene, correct food, fresh air-all of which are the A B C’s of medical practice today.
The inductive Method in Science is the application of the principles of inductive logic to scientific research. This method was originated by Lord Bacon, and set forth in his Novum
Organum. It was further developed by John Stuart Mill in his great System of Logic. It has been the inspiration for the basis and the instrument of every modern science.
“The inductive Method in Logic is the scientific method that proceeds by induction.
It requires (1) exact observation;
(2) correct interpretation of the observed facts with a view to understanding them in relation to each other and to their causes;
(3) rational explanation of the facts by referring them to their real case or law; and
(4) scientific construction; putting the facts in such co-ordination that the system reached shall agree with the reality.”
Much confusion has arisen among those not conversant with Homoeopathy as to where the latter stands with reference to the branches of medicine. Do Homoeopaths teach and believe in surgery, preventive medicine, diet and so forth?
Briefly stated, Homoeopathy concerns itself only with drugs and their scientific use in the treatment of disease.
Homoeopathy holds, first, that the cause must be removed, if such be known. It endorses surgery and emphasizes the fact that every surgical case has a medical aspect and, as such, may often be a candidate for a Homoeopathic remedy. This applies, particularly, to post-operative convalescence.
The growth and development of bacteriology and immunology shed a great light on the teachings of Homoeopathy. The text of the “Organon,” the original treatise setting forth the principles of Homoeopathy, is quite unintelligible, unless viewed in the light of modern discoveries. Largely, for this reason, it was misunderstood and vilified but, as we shall see, can best be explained when we have a knowledge of these sciences.
Chemistry.- Chemistry, has done much to throw light on the principles of Homoeopathic drug action. The action of extremely minute doses of medicine is explained on the theory of surface development and also the opposite action between small and large doses of the same agent. In the past, Chemistry and Pharmacology have been called upon to explain the action of a drug by its chemical, pharmaceutical analysis. A remedy like Podophyllum, for instance, is separated into its resin, glucoside, etc.
The active principles of a drug like ergot have been isolated and distinguished separately. The arbitrary separation of a remedy into its component parts on the assumption that wider and more clear-cut action is to be obtained is not tenable from a biologic point of view. We have no right to say because a drugs contains three alkaloids that there are three different actions when the drug is taken as a whole. Recent studies reveal the potentized homoeopathic medicines demonstrate nano particles and there is definite action pattern of these on human system.
Prophylactic and Preventive Medicine – Prophylactic and preventive medicine is practiced by all medical men to a large extent. To this end, knowledge of the causal features is paramount. A strict interpretation of the symptoms-similarity relationship of Homoeopathy does not admit the use of Homoeopathic remedies for Prophylaxis, for it is obvious that in order to prescribe a Homoeopathic drug we must have symptoms. These do not make their appearance until a disease is established. Thus, a man cannot be allergic until he has been exposed to a particular allergen. A child has no teething difficulty until he starts to cut teeth. It has been found, however, that practically certain Homoeopathic remedies do also exert a prophylactic action. Certain symptoms are anticipated, as it were, and assumed to take a certain course-then a remedy which pictures this syndrome can be given with every chance of benefit.
It should be remarked in passing that undoubtedly Homoeopaths make use of a great deal of inadvertent preventive medicine in their daily round of practice due to the abortive effects of the clearly prescribed remedy. Thus, a cold in the head does not turn into severe Bronchitis. A streptococcic throat is not fraught with long convalescence and possible complications. Influenza, too, runs a relatively mild course. We have observed such results in the recent outbursts of Chikungunya wherein Homoeopathic medicines were used as curative, palliative and preventive. Observations suggest that the Homoeopathic medicines are effectively used as Preventive and Curative in Chicken Pox.
Medical men are fond of speaking of the ” regular course of a disease ” and discount reports of medical results along any other line other than their orthodox methods. One of the commonest comments which a physician meets, if he has the timidity to quote a successful Homoeopathic result, is, ” Oh well, he would have got well anyway.” But now we have documentation of cases and analysis done as per the criteria of research methodology and biostatistics which proves efficacy of Homoeopathy therapy. Changes observed before and after the treatment are supportive of scientific application.
Immunology.- With a praiseworthy desire to afford a comprehensive and modern explanation of the modus operandi of the curative action of our medicines, the theory has been advanced that our drugs act like antigens.
The soundest conception at the present time is simply to regard the Homoeopathic action of our drugs as an aid to body resistance. No one knows what the mechanism of body resistance really is. It has its roots in a number of factors : Morphology, Inheritance, Habits, Endocrines, Previous Illnesses, Nourishment, Will to Live, etc. More concretely, we know that, if specific immune bodies are present (artificial or natural), this helps. Also in certain infections the elaboration of the bacteriophage helps. Again, certain specialized cells for defense purposes are developed and, of course, all are familiar with the protective action of leucocytosis. The body must turn the scale against the disease and agents that best accomplish this without being themselves destructive to some organ or system are the best therapeutic tools.
Homoeopathic medicine fulfills this requirement. Physiologic medicine may do so but often is handicapped from excessive doses that are used and also from possible false grounds of diagnosis (assumed pathology, deficiencies, and mal-functions of certain organs). Any system of Therapeutics, except Palliation, which bases its treatment on diagnosis, must fail if the diagnosis is incorrect.
Palliation – This important part of Therapeutics is really one of the three branches of medicine-that is, palliative, preventive, and curative medicine. Palliation in disease becomes necessary in all hopeless disorders and medical emergencies.
Proper palliation is one of the most priceless services of the physician. For this purpose the correctly prescribed Homoeopathic remedy is used which, if it does not cure, often relieves. This high-pressure modern life with its insistence on instantaneous relief has resulted in a great deal more palliation than is permissible. It may be set down as a rule that all patent medicines are merely palliative at best.
So in conclusion Homoeopathy is a young system of medicine which is about 250 yrs compared to other systems in Medical History but growing rapidly and becoming popular in its therapeutical management. It fulfils the criteria of scientific application in all dimensions to substantiate as a Rational System of Medicine.