Definition: Homeopathy Remedies

Homeopathy (also homœopathy or homoeopathy; from the Greek, ὅμοιος, hómoios, "similar" + πάθος, páthos, "suffering" or "disease") is a controversial form of alternative medicine, invented in the late 18th century by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Homeopathy is a vitalist therapy, claiming to act by treating imbalances in a hypothetical vital force. Substances, which in large quantities would cause symptoms similar to the disease, are administered in heavily diluted formulations, with shaking at each stage of the dilution. This process of serial dilution, called potentization, is claimed to remove any negative side-effects of the treatment, but to retain some therapeutic powers. Although at many of the higher dilutions no molecules of the original substance are likely to remain, homeopaths contend that the shaking causes some memory of the diluted substance to remain, and that this imprint has medical effects on the body.nnIn Homeopathy, practitioners often follow detailed and preset procedures when treating patients. Homeopaths generally begin with a comprehensive examination of a patient's history, body type, temperature, food preferences, sleep habits, menstrual and emotional factors. One of a wide variety of substances, including various minerals and botanicals, is then selected, based on the similarity of its effect on a healthy person to the symptoms found, and diluted by the process described above. These remedies, if properly selected, are purported to be able to treat any conceivable type of human sickness. The usage of homeopathy varies widely from country to country: with up to 25-50 percent of Europeans having used homeopathic remedies, to less than 2 percent of Americans.nnRemediesnn"Remedy" is a technical term used in homeopathy to refer to a substance prepared with a particular procedure and intended for treating patients. Homeopathic practitioners rely on two types of reference when prescribing remedies. The Homeopathic Materia Medicae which is comprised of alphabetical indexes of "drug pictures" organized by remedy and describe the symptom patterns associated with individual remedies. They also rely on homeopathic repertories which consist of indexes of symptoms of diseases and listing remedies associated with specific symptoms.nHomeopathy uses many animal, plant, mineral, and synthetic substances in its remedies. Examples include Natrum muriaticum (sodium chloride or table salt), Lachesis muta (the venom of the bushmaster snake), Opium, and Thyroidinum (thyroid hormone). Homeopaths also use treatments called nosodes (from the Greek nosos, disease) made from diseased or pathological products such as fecal, urinary, and respiratory discharges, blood, and tissue. Homeopathic remedy prepared from healthy specimens are called Sarcodes.nnSome modern homeopaths have also considered more esoteric substances, known as "imponderables" because they do not originate from a material but from electromagnetic energy presumed to have been "captured" by alcohol or lactose. Examples include X-rays, sunlight, and electricity. Recent ventures by homeopaths into even more esoteric substances include thunderstorms (prepared from collected rainwater). Today there are about 3,000 different remedies commonly used in homeopathy.nnSome homeopaths use techniques that are regarded by other practitioners as controversial. These include paper remedies, where the substance and dilution are written on a piece of paper and either pinned to the patient's clothing, put in their pocket, or placed under a glass of water that is then given to the patient, as well as the use of radionics to prepare remedies. Such practices have been strongly criticized by classical homeopaths as unfounded, speculative and verging upon magic and superstition.nnWikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)nThis article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.