Basics on Homeopathy
The introduction of homeopathy during Samuel Hahnemann’s time (1755-1843) was a completely new healing method based on the science of experience. Together with anthroposophy and phytotherapy, homeopathy (Greek: homousious = similar and pathos = disease) has been anchored in the special therapy approaches in German health care.
In the year 1976 homeopathy was officially acknowledged in the German drug law (AMG). Today compounds are manufactured in compliance with the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia (GHP). Just like any other pharmaceuticals, homeopathic remedies have to be officially reviewed by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medicinal Products (BfArM) prior to marketing.
The homeopathic healing principle stands in opposition to the philosophy and approach of allopathy – the latter is characterized by the central principle “contraria contrariis curentur” (cure contrary symptoms by contrary measures). A major finding of Hahnemann’s experiments was that diseases should not be ‘suppressed’ but treated regulatively, since suppressing them led to substantially stronger reactions. The disease process has to be treated, the vital power restored to balance to reinstate the performance of the organs and to prevent new formations.
Principle of Analogy/Principle of Potentiating
The development of homeopathy was launched with a self-experiment by Hahnemann. He ingested a larger quantity of cinchona bark and thereby triggered symptoms similar to those of malaria. He was able to soothe these symptoms by taking diluted cinchona bark. click here for details
Efficacy in Homeopathy
With homeopathic remedies, the so-called clinical study is not necessarily the medium of choice to prove efficacy, since the individual body on the one hand and the regulative influence of the ingredients on the other hand can hardly be integrated into one completely comparable study design, due to the fact that “an organism is not a machine, since it grows [ … ] an organism is an open energy system.
