Homeopathic Principles In Present Time

Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann ( 10 April 1755 – 2 July 1843) a German physician best known to us as Father of Homeopathy.

“My sense of duty would not easily allow me to treat the unknown pathological state of my suffering brethren with these unknown medicines. The thought of becoming in this way a murderer or malefactor towards the life of my fellow human beings was most terrible to me, so terrible and disturbing that I wholly gave up my practice in the first years of my married life and occupied myself solely with chemistry and writings”.(1)

And than he told the true duties of a Physician§ 1physician's high and ONLY mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed.(2) §2The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles. (2)

Samual Hahnemann started the translating the botanical Materia Medica of the Scottish physician William Cullen from English into German in 1790. Richard Haehl has written that Cullen’s Materia Medica was the first milestone in the invention of this new system of medicine named Homeopathy. Twenty pages in his work are devoted to Peruvian cinchona bark which is used to prepare the medicine quinine. As this substance produced fever-like symptoms while being used to cure intermittent fever or ague and this led Hahnemann to conceive the principle of similars: that like may cure like. He went on to develop the materia medica along these homeopathic lines and others then continued this work to produce great volumes of potential ingredients(1).

Hahnemann started experimenting further ,what effects substances produced in humans, a procedure that would later become known as "homeopathic proving". These tests required subjects to test the effects of ingesting substances by clearly recording all of their symptoms as well as the ancillary conditions under which they appeared. He published these proving in 1805, and a second collection of 65 preparations appeared in his book, Materia Medica Pura, in 1810.These proving on healthy human beings made it different from proving of other therapeutic systems.

Hahnemann tried to find out the direct or remote cause of all chronic diseases (miasms) originally presented only three, psora (the itch), syphilis (venereal disease) or sycosis (fig-wart disease). Of these three the most important was psora (Greek for "itch"), described as being related to any itching diseases of the skin, supposed to be derived from suppressed scabies , and claimed to be the foundation of many further disease conditions. Hahnemann believed psora to be the cause of such diseases as Epilepsy, cancer , Jaundice, Cataracts. Since Hahnemann's time, other miasms have been proposed, some replacing one or more of psora's proposed functions, including Tuberculosis and cancer miasms.(1)

Artificial Chronic Diseases are the diseases produced by allopathic Non- healing art and the modern life style.Dr Hahnemann was the first who explained Natural Morbific Agents and Artificial Chronic Diseases . In today’s time of over drugging by medical fraternity and patients (self medication) and modern life style, complaints have become chronic and recurrent in its own way .

Dr. Hahnemann described psora as one of the oldest diseases in existence. It was mentioned as the most infectious miasm. According to Hahnemann, psora originated from suppression of leprosy by modern system of medicine.He described psora as the mother of all disease. He quoted it as stem root of all other diseases

But there is nothing wrong in saying that masters were also troubled with partial results and recurrent complaints in chronic diseases like us and so they also experimented with different methods in own way. Dr Hahnemann was never tired of experimenting and so kept on exploring for new horizons in homeopathy.

As mentionned in his biography written by Richard Haehl , Dr. Aegidi experimented with combinations of medicines in 1833, and forwarded them to Dr Hahnemann ,233 cases of his method. Dr Hahnemann appreciated his efforts. Aegidi was in contact of Baron von Boenninghausen who used his influence with the Founder to support the new method. The Hofrath was also impressed by the enthusiasm of Dr .Aegidi ,so much that he promised to make his double remedies experiments a part of Organon even without experimenting further .

Though Dr Hahnemann did not tried Aegidi's method yet but he was very hopeful that it would prove a milestone in his new healing art and would be beneficial in successful treatment of chronic diseases and recurrent complaints.. And so decided for testing the hypothesis in the clinic as soon as possible. As mentioned in his biography, he himself started experimenting with double medicines expecting good results.He agreed that even two remedies can be given together as we take Sulphur and Calcarea together when we cause our patients to take or smell Hepar sulph, or Sulphur and Mercury when they take or smell Cinnabar.

§ 272 (foot note)”Some homoeopathists have made the experiment, in cases where the deemed one remedy homeopathically suitable for one portion of the symptoms of a case of disease, and a second for anther portion of the symptoms of a case of disease, and a second for another portion, of administering both remedies at the same time; but I earnestly deprecate such a hazardous experiment, which can never but necessary, though it sometimes may be of use.”(2)

But after five months trial he was not very convinced. Aedigi proposed to Hahnemann that a mixture of two highly potentized remedies each corresponding to different parts of the disease can be adminstered , so that no chemical reaction takes place but would each act separately in its own spheres.Dr. Boenninghausen approved Dr Aegidi’s idea but Dr Hahnemann was not somehow convinced with the results and had a feeling that this would probably lead to the polypharmacy of the old school, and he decided to exclude this doctrine from the new edition of the 'Organon’

Foot note [78] “Some of these causes that exercise a modifying influence on the transformation of psora into chronic diseases manifestly depend sometimes on the climate and the peculiar physical character of the place of abode, sometimes on the very great varieties in the physical and mental training of youth, both of which may have been neglected, delayed or carried to excess, or on their abuse in the business or conditions of life, in the matter of diet and regimen, passions, manners, habits and customs of various kinds. “

We are living in world where chemicals have become an important part of our life .Our day starts with plastic bottles and finishes with packaged food. Our patient is gulping so many medicinal combinations in the name of health improvers and treatment of life style diseases like Diabetes Hypertension ,Insomnia , Thyroid complaints, deranged hormones and stress. As patients are learning about different modes of treatment , they are experimenting with all medicinal treatments i.e. Allopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani ,Homeopathy ,Naturopathy and many more , at the same time. Our kids are growing in a environment where even milk and vegetable are poisonous, they are living in a virtual world of video games and internet.

If we go through the history and analyze all therapeutic system of medicine, they are changing and experimenting with new principles and theories for the changed surroundings and needs of the society. Those medicines which were giving miraculous results are resistant in today's allopathic system, so much that use of antibiotics gradually and slowly decreasing. Every day new theories and experiments taking place in modern therapeutic system. In today's world even allopath are accepting Homeopathic System , every one recognizing this peaceful and painless therapeutic system .This is the time to celebrate and also to analyze our limitations. There are changes in disease manifestations and its causes since Master Hahnemann invented this wonderful system of medicine.

[132] What I said in the fifth edition of the ORGANON, in a long note to this paragraph in order to prevent these undesirable reactions of the vital energy, was all that the experience I then had justified. But during the last four or five years, however, all these difficulties are wholly solved by my new altered but perfected method. The same carefully selected medicine may now be given daily and for months, if necessary in this way, namely, after the lower degree of potency has been used for one or two weeks in the treatment of chronic disease, advance is made in the same way to higher degrees, (beginning according to the new dynamization method, taught herewith with the use of the lowest degrees). (2)

After more than 200 yrs of discovery of homeopathy everything has changed and we have become used to it as we can not fully avoid the harmful effect of changed envionment.There is need to give a thought. Artificial Chronic disease superseding True chronic disease . In today's world Pseudo chronic diseases and Artificial chronic disease are a important factor due to which patients complaints become more complicated than ever, and so recurrent or chronic diseases ,which result in palliation or suppression of patients complaints, and that is the reason we as a Homeopath have to Explore and Experiment our master’s principle once again. He was never against experimenting rather always experimenting with his own principles till death.

References (1)Wikipedia Homeopathy 26/5/16(2) Hahnemann , S . Organon Of Medicine ,(3) Life and works of Samuel Hahnemann by Richard Haehl

Thank You

Dr Sunita SinghB.H.M.S.,D.H.M.&A.M.O.I/C, Dte of AYUSHDGHD, Bank Enclave Homeopathic Disp

“Aude Sapere”