HOMEOPATHY

Starting in the 1800s, minuscule amounts of “substances” were given to healthy humans over and over. Vigilante observations of developing symptoms were diligently noted. Today, these substances (homeopathic remedies) with known characteristic symptoms are now given to patients with like dis-ease of similar symptoms. Thus, these homeopathic remedies stimulate the body’s own natural healing mechanism giving the body a chance to cure.

“The concept of treating the ‘whole person’ is an essential element of classical homeopathy. The basis of this belief is that symptoms, diseases or pains do not exist in isolation, but are a reflection of how the person as a whole is coping with stress. It is the whole person that counts – not just the physical body but also the mental and/or emotional ‘bodies’. The homeopath looks beyond the ‘presenting complaint.’ Beyond the label of the disease (for example ‘tonsillitis’ or ‘migraines’ or ‘food poisoning’) to the ‘totality of symptoms’ a person experiences.”

“I always ask myself, “How is this person different from another with this particular complaint?” The homeopath individualizes the prescription to fit the patient – rather like a tailored suit. Imagine that the whole person is like a jigsaw. Prescribing on one symptom alone is like seeing only a small part of the jigsaw; it does not give you enough information to work out what the whole picture is.”

-Miranda Castro’s The Complete Homeopathy Handbook

To better understand the healing modality of homeopathy, Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs & Cats references the following: Homeopathy was founded on one basic unifying principal, “Like is cured by like.” (Similia similibus curentur), known as the Law of Similars and recognized by Hippocrates and many others. Medicines are used that stimulate similar symptoms in the body. What is found that an herb (or other substance-we will get to that) that could produce mild but similar symptoms to the disease condition being treated acted to stimulate the body’s healing mechanism. He had actually found a way to enhance recovery from disease by using the body’s own natural processes. So this is the basic principal: the medicine used is known to cause similar symptoms to what the patient has, and when given in very small doses, it will trigger a reaction that allows the body to heal itself.