Table

of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Chapter 1: Homeopathy Revealed
Homeopathy's prominence in 19th-century America; Homeopathy returns; Homeopathy - the "black
sheep" medicine; What you will find in this book
Chapter 2: The Law of Similars
Hahnemann the rabble-rouser; Discovery of the Law of Similars; Drug provings; Philosophical
consequences of the Law of Similars; Hahnemann's personal life; Hahnemann the scientist;
Homeopathy as empirical medicine
Chapter 3: Testimony to Cure
The warning signs; The search - without and within; Homeopathy; Initial changes; Skepticism;
Osteopathy, Reiki, and prayer; Joining the crowd; Remedy adjustments, and a hint of vaccination
damage; An ongoing process; Why autism?; The path to cure; The many lessons learned
Chapter 4: What Is Disease? What Is Cure?
The body machine; We are more than machines; We are intrinsically self-healing; Symptoms are our
friends; Cure versus suppression; Antipathy, homeopathy, and allopathy; The Law of Cure;
Susceptibility; Susceptibility is individual; Center of gravity; History and environment
Chapter 5: Symptom Patterns: Humanity Reflected in Nature
Psychosomatic symptom patterns; Arnica - the trauma remedy; The mechanics of matching symptom
patterns; The center of the case; Modalities and concomitants; Causation; Situation; The doctrine of
signatures; Animal patterns; Plants and minerals, too; Symbolism and structure
Chapter 6: The Development and Evolution of Homeopathic Practice
Hahnemann's development of the homeopathic system; Potentization - the creation of the ultradilute
remedies; The centesimal, decimal, and LM potencies; Remedy administration: how, how much, and
how often; Potency selection; One remedy at a time; Related applications and methods; Loosely
related methods and modalities
Chapter 7: Science and Skepticism: Does Homeopathy Really Work?
Existence proof; The randomized placebo-controlled trial - the only proof of effectiveness?; It does
work, and it works well; Meta-analysis; The message and the medium; Homeopathic models of
remedy action; Putting it all together
Chapter 8: The Experience of Homeopathy
Selecting a homeopath; Preparing for your first visit; The interview; Case analysis tools;
Repertorization and remedy selection; Taking your remedy; Antidoting; Remedy response; Follow-
up visits; When to report back to your homeopath; Mixing homeopathy with other types of treatment;
Stick with it!
Chapter 9: Cure Is Possible
Alzheimer's disease reversed; Cancer cures and expulsion of tumors; More expulsion anecdotes;
Some serious acutes; Chronic disease; Helping our animal companions with homeopathy; Fighting
starvation and disease in the Third World; Oh, my aching *#$&(#!; The emotional and behavioral
realm; Miracles happen
Chapter 10: The Road Ahead
Licensure versus certification; The fight for legal practice; New hope: legalization of unlicensed
 therapies; Homeopathic training; Other issues: insurance, access to remedies, and recognition; Our
right to health freedom
References
Suggested Reading
Helpful Resources
Copyright and Legal
Acknowledgments
Praise for Impossible Cure
About the Author
Index







Impossible Cure
The Promise of Homeopathy


Amy L. Lansky, PhD
With a foreword by Richard Pitt, CCH, RSHom (NA)

R.L.Ranch Press





For Steve, Izaak, and Max

Dare to know
That the source of all miracles
Lies within you.
 Foreword

Homeopathy is one of the most enigmatic of medical arts. Born out of 18th-
century medical and scientific thinking, steeped in a tradition of empirical
rationalism, and coming to light at a crucial crossroads in Western thought,
homeopathy has never been widely accepted within mainstream medicine. Even
though it achieved remarkable popularity in the 19th century, both in Europe and
the United States, its very existence challenged the established Newtonian view
of the world, one defined by a mechanistic view of the human body.
The founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann — a chemist, scholar, and
physician — was influenced not only by the “new” way of thinking about the
body entailed by enlightenment philosophy, but also by a more alchemical view
of the world, where the mystery of the hidden meanings, functions, and
interconnections of all things needed to be acknowledged. These influences led
to the development of his concept of vital force, a quality of energy that is both
immaterial (cannot be seen) and also all encompassing in its influence over
biological function. By no means the first to speak of such phenomena, qi being
understood by the Chinese for three thousand years and prana being recognized
by the Indian philosophers for a similar time, Hahnemann integrated this concept
into a rational system of medical healing, which was unique in the West. The
15th-century alchemist/physician Paracelsus attempted a similar synthesis, but
he never got far beyond the empirical drawing board.
Therefore, even if thinkers could accept the apparent contradictions of the
homeopathic law of cure, “Let Likes Be Cured by Likes,” when it came to the
concept of a vital force permeating and influencing the anatomy and physiology
of human organisms, this was too much for most to bear. Two hundred years
later, we are faced with the same dilemma, although cracks are continually
appearing in the dam of scientific materialism. Homeopathy is but one of the
wedges forcing these cracks, its philosophy and position as a legitimate medical
art practiced by physicians being a recurring irritation in the attempts to
constrain medical doctrine to only that which we can see and control.
There is now a tidal wave of change occurring within the fields of medicine,
psychology, physics, and the panoply of healing modalities available, with ample
evidence suggesting that people are looking for alternative models of healing,
even if they don’t know how they work. In many ways, science and medicine are
now catching up with what many people already know and have experienced.
These things do work. Also, faced with the exploding costs and health
complications of conventional medicine, new models of healing are coming to
the forefront of people’s attention. Homeopathy is one of them.
However, the challenge that homeopaths have always grappled with is how
to demystify its approach to healing and help people understand what embarking
into homeopathic treatment is all about. While on the surface it seems like
Western medicine, with tablets being given as the remedy, the process of
homeopathic treatment is a mix of visiting your doctor, psychiatrist, therapist,
and a private detective. Part of the confusion seems to be that it is all of these
things at the same time. It is hard to categorize into convenient boxes. It is
medicine and healing, incorporating mind, body, and soul, physical disease and
mental conditioning, fusing energy and matter into an inseparable whole.
How to communicate this amazing science and art? Many books have been
written on homeopathy, some good and others not, often attempting to cross the
bridge between the esoteric workings of the profession and a more mainstream
understanding of its process. However, homeopathy is still not understood by
most people, even two hundred years later. Even in more enlightened spheres,
anything more than a superficial understanding of homeopathy is hard to find.
In Impossible Cure, Amy Lansky is going one step further in enlightening us
to the potential of homeopathy and its fascinating history. Her personal
experience of finding a homeopathic cure for her son’s autism is extraordinary
enough. However, she has laid out one of the most complete pictures of
homeopathy ever written. The book is extremely well researched, and Lansky
has managed to make it accessible to an average reader in a way that will open
people’s minds about homeopathy. It will also help others already in the health-
care field to learn about the potential of homeopathic treatment and to recognize
that, in homeopathy, we have one of the most unique and complete systems of
medicine available. Like a hidden treasure sitting in a basement for two hundred
years, the jewels of homeopathy need to see the light of day. Impossible Cure
will help do this. It is a superb document, and for those of us who practice and
teach homeopathy, it is an exciting development — one that will help
homeopathy take its appropriate place in medicine today.
Richard Pitt, CCH, RSHom (NA)
Homeopath and Educator
Director, Pacific Academy of Homeopathy
San Francisco, California
November 2002
 Preface

Ten years ago, I would never have imagined myself sitting here, in an office
nestled among the trees behind my home, writing a preface to a book about
homeopathy. Back then, in November of 1992, I was caught up in my computer
science research work at NASA, trying to play the academic game. Between my
family and my job, life was busy and often stressful.
Of course, things can change. As the bumper sticker says, “Life Happens.”
And nothing is more transformative than a crisis with one’s children. Children
come first, and if things go wrong for them, the fabric of life can easily unravel.
When my son Max started manifesting symptoms of autism, I, like most parents
faced with this kind of situation, was caught between two feelings: that things
were “fine” and would blow over, or that something was terribly and inexorably
wrong. The feelings of dread in my gut told me that the latter was correct.
My husband and I pressed forward as best as we could. I was determined to
help Max recover, not just for his sake, but for my own sake and for the rest of
my family as well. I was searching for — and open to — a solution. When I read
about homeopathy, it somehow struck me as the way. God was certainly
watching over us that day and over the course of the next several years, as we all
walked the winding road back to health.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that my son’s miraculous cure from
autism was far more revolutionary than any computer program or technological
gadgetry. Just as the dot-com revolution hit Silicon Valley, a disenchantment
with Silicon Valley hit me. My work in computer science suddenly seemed banal
and trivial in comparison to what had happened to Max. I began to study
homeopathy myself and soon became enthralled and enchanted. I could not
believe that such a marvelous medical science could be so unknown to most
people. Eventually, I realized that I had to write a book to let everyone know
about it. And I also had to let other parents know that there was hope for their
kids too. If one other child could be helped the way Max was, all my efforts
would be worthwhile.
Today, after many years of research and writing, studying homeopathy to
prepare for my own future practice, and treading political waters in an effort to
legalize homeopathic practice in my own state of California (with success!), I
realize that the most effective way to let people know about the treasure of
homeopathy is to present a firsthand view — not a theoretical convincement.
Dear reader, the homeopathic vista is there for you to behold and enjoy if you’re
willing to travel there and hike its trails and hills and valleys. This book is an
attempt to describe its panoramic beauty and potential. It is up to you to take the
next step and experience homeopathy for yourself. I hope you will.
Amy L. Lansky, PhD
Portola Valley, California
November 2002

Many people have written to me since Impossible Cure was first published to
find out how Max is doing today. I am happy to report that he is an outgoing
young man attending a top American university. In fact, he is enrolled in one of
the top film school programs in the world, studying animation. Max shows no
signs of his former autism, has no dietary restrictions, and, I can say with great
joy and gratitude, has found true freedom in body, mind, and spirit thanks to
homeopathy.
Amy L. Lansky, PhD
Portola Valley, California
November 2009
 Chapter 1: Homeopathy Revealed
“Aude Sapere”
(“Dare to Know”)
—Samuel Hahnemann, MD
Title page epigraph, The Organon of the Medical Art, 1810 [Hahnemann]

It may seem unbelievable, but it’s true. My son was cured of an incurable
illness with a form of medicine that supposedly contains nothing — at least
according to conventional scientific thought. But, as history has repeatedly
shown, the accepted scientific and medical wisdom of an era can be wrong.
It all began in January of 1995. I was a computer scientist leading research
projects for NASA. My husband Steve also worked in the computer industry, as
a researcher for Apple Computer. I had done my doctorate work at Stanford
University in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and since that time, both Steve and
I had been active participants in the whirlwind of technology and innovation that
is Silicon Valley. As we labored away in our cloistered research labs, friends and
acquaintances were busy starting companies destined to become household
names.
I also just happened to be a fairly knowledgeable devotee of modern
medicine. An avid “Dr. Mom,” I slept with a medical reference, the Merck
Manual, on my night table. As I pored over this tome in the wee hours of the
night, Steve would often ask, “Amy, why don’t you just go to medical school?!”
Our two young sons, Izaak and Max, were six and three years old at the time.
Naturally, we took their health needs very seriously. We would never hesitate to
go to doctors when a problem arose, and we would invariably follow their advice
without question. Unfortunately, we were also in the midst of a medical crisis.
Our younger son Max was inexplicably afflicted with autism. This tragic and
supposedly incurable disorder dramatically limits a child’s ability to
communicate and connect with others. And for some reason, it is mysteriously
striking more and more children each year. Given the limited options for
treatment, we were coping as best as we could.
By January of 1999, only four years later, everything had changed. I was
now the mother of two sons progressing nicely through grade school. Max was
no longer autistic — he was bright, talkative, and sociable. His autism had been
cured with a controversial medicine of the past — homeopathy.
 There were other changes as well. After two decades of research work, I had
left computer science completely. I was now a student, editor, writer, and
promoter of homeopathic medicine. The rest of my family was healthier than
they had been in years. We used homeopathy as our primary form of medicine
and viewed conventional medicine as appropriate only in life-threatening or
time-critical emergency situations. I would no longer dream of doing things I
had done routinely for years — suppressing fevers with aspirin or
acetaminophen, coughs with cough suppressant, skin problems with cortisone, or
combating ear infections with antibiotics.
What happened?
This book will reveal to you my own journey of discovery and healing, as
well as that of my family and many friends. My goal is to share with you some
surprising and truly revolutionary information that I have learned about the
medical philosophy and healing power of homeopathy. In general, I have found
that most Americans know very little about this form of alternative medicine.
Though many people have heard the term “homeopathy,” most confuse it with
the use of herbs or think it is some kind of catchall term for natural or holistic
medicine.
Of course, homeopathy is holistic (i.e., it understands and treats disease as a
whole-body phenomenon), and homeopathic remedies are derived from natural
sources. But it cannot simply be equated with these concepts. Homeopathy is a
very distinct and complete system of medicine based on a simple principle of
healing called the Law of Similars. This law states that a disease can be cured by
a substance if that substance can cause, in a healthy person, symptoms similar to
those of the disease. In fact, that is what the word “homeopathy” literally means
— similar (homeo) suffering (pathy). While other holistic health-care systems
are based on different principles or on accumulated experience and folklore,
homeopathy, by definition, is the system of medicine based on this one cardinal
principle.
As a medical discipline, homeopathy is certainly much better known and
better accepted in other countries than it is in America today. It is widely
practiced in Europe, India, Pakistan, and Latin America. In France, it is
estimated that 32 percent of family physicians use homeopathy [Bouchayer]; in
England, 42 percent of physicians refer patients to homeopaths [Wharton].
Homeopathy is integrated into the national health-care systems of many
countries, including Germany, India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and
the United Kingdom. Indeed, homeopathy is one of the four most widespread
approaches to medical treatment in the world, alongside traditional Chinese
medicine, herbal medicine, and conventional medicine [Poitevin].
 Homeopathy is also a proven medical system. Hundreds of double-blind,
placebo-controlled studies have been conducted over the past few decades,
especially in Europe and India. They have proven that homeopathic remedies are
indeed effective medicine. Wayne Jonas, MD, former director of the Office of
Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, is one of the American
medical researchers actively studying homeopathy. He has coauthored a book
about homeopathic research studies [Jonas&Jacobs] and was also a member of a
research team that analyzed 89 double-blind studies of homeopathic treatment;
they found that homeopathy was, on average, more than twice as effective as
placebo [Linde]. Jonas’s work, as well as several other research studies, will be
discussed at length in Chapter 7 of this book. That chapter also takes a deeper
look at just how homeopathic remedies might work. For now, though, let’s take a
closer look at what homeopathy is all about.

Homeopathy’s Prominence in 19th-Century America

Ironically, homeopathy was quite familiar to Americans of the 19th century.

In the late 1800s, there were more than 20 homeopathic medical schools in the
United States. Homeopathy stood alongside allopathic (conventional) medicine
and eclectic medicine (similar to today’s herbalism or naturopathy) as one of the
three accredited and accepted branches of medicine in this country. In fact,
America was the world’s leader in homeopathy at the time.
Where did homeopathy come from? Unlike many other alternative therapies
that have become popular in America today, homeopathy is a Western medical
system. It was developed by European physicians of the early 1800s who were
discouraged with the results of the accepted medical practices of their time. A
whole community of these homeopaths made their way to the United States in
the 1830s and built strong practices and medical societies. In fact, the very first
medical association of any kind in the United States was a homeopathic medical
association — the American Institute of Homeopathy, founded in 1844.
Many of America’s homeopathic medical schools still exist today, though all
were converted to allopathy (conventional medicine) in the early 1900s. For
example, the highly respected Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia was
named for the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, MD. The study of
homeopathy was still required at this school up until 1940, and homeopathic
electives were taught until 1955. Other existing medical schools that began as
homeopathic medical colleges include New York Medical College, the Boston
University School of Medicine, and the medical school at the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor [Winston].
The very first woman’s medical college in the United States was also
homeopathic — the New England Female Medical College, founded in 1848.
Homeopathy was the favored medicine among educated women of that period,
and most of the early women physicians in this country were homeopaths. Even
suffragist and feminist philosopher Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a talented lay
homeopath. She was probably introduced to homeopathy by her brother-in-law,
Edward Bayard, MD, a prominent homeopathic physician. Stanton’s famous
colleague, Susan B. Anthony, was also a proponent of homeopathy, her personal
physician being homeopath Julia Holmes Smith, MD, of Chicago.
It is amazing that a medicine that was such an intrinsic part of 19th-century
America became nearly forgotten in the 20th. Pioneers carried homeopathic
medical kits as they traveled across the continent. Indeed, homeopathic remedies
were often the only effective medicine available to them. The first American
domestic manual (a medical reference for use in the home) was a homeopathic
reference — The Domestic Physician, published in 1835 and written by
Constantine Hering, MD, the father of American homeopathy.
Several American presidents, politicians, and the social elite of the late
1800s and early 1900s also used homeopathy. It was particularly favored by
members of the new Republican party that swept into Washington in the 1860s.
To this day, a statue of Hahnemann stands in Washington, D.C. — one of the
only monuments in that city dedicated to a nonmilitary or nonpolitical figure.
The statue was erected in 1900 at the intersection of 16th Street and
Massachusetts Avenue, and its site was selected personally by President
McKinley so that it could be seen from the White House. An avid supporter of
homeopathy, McKinley was also the guest of honor at the monument’s opening
ceremony [HomeopathyToday].
In the early 1900s, homeopathy was still sanctioned and powerful enough to
merit official status within the armed forces. For example, during World War I,
there was a homeopathic medical corps — U.S. Army Base Hospital No. 48 —
staffed by 100 nurses, 22 physicians, and two dentists, nearly all homeopaths
[Bautista]. In 1922, President Harding, whose father served as a homeopathic
physician in the Civil War, hosted a convention of homeopaths at the White
House.
Homeopathy’s popularity in the United States grew rapidly during the 1800s
despite vigorous political and social opposition from allopathic physicians. This
was largely because of its superior results. In the late 19th and early 20th
century, homeopathic physicians and hospitals were known to have greater
success in treating epidemics than their allopathic counterparts — for instance,
in the 1832 cholera epidemic. In the deadly flu epidemic of 1918, the “Great
White Plague” that claimed over 500,000 lives in America alone, homeopaths
had a death rate of only 1.05 percent, whereas, overall, allopaths had a death rate
of 30 percent — with reports of 60 percent not uncommon [Perko]. The charity
hospital on Wards Island in New York City had the lowest percentage of deaths
in that city. It was overseen by health commissioner (and later U.S. senator)
Royal Copeland, MD, who used homeopathy for all cases [Winston].
Unfortunately, for reasons political, financial, and social, homeopathy was
attacked and suppressed in the United States. The American Medical
Association (AMA) was formed by the allopaths in 1847, partially in response to
the threat of homeopathy. Its charter implicitly forbade members to associate
either socially or collaboratively with homeopaths. Throughout the mid and late
1800s, the bans on contact with homeopaths escalated, and several allopaths
were expelled from medical societies upon failure to comply. In his excellent
book on the history of homeopathy in the United States, Julian Winston writes:
“By the mid 1850s all state medical societies except the Massachusetts
Medical Society had purged their homeopathic members. In 1856, the
American Medical Association resolved that homeopathic works should
henceforth no longer be discussed or reviewed in allopathic periodicals.
After this time there was no formal communication whatever between the
two branches of the profession; allopaths were forbidden to consult with
homeopathic physicians or to patronize their pharmacies... In 1878 a
physician was expelled from a local medical society in Connecticut for
consulting with a homeopath — his wife... One of the leaders in
Washington was Tullio Verdi, the first homeopath appointed to the bureau
of health in Washington, D.C., and the physician to Secretary of State,
William F. Seward. When Lincoln was assassinated, there was also an
attempt on the life of Seward. The White House doctor attended Seward,
and informed Verdi, when he arrived, of what he had done. For ‘consulting
with a homeopath,’ the White House doctor was severely censured by the
Washington Medical Society.” [Winston, pp. 51, 57]

Homeopathy was a threat to allopaths not only because of its therapeutic

successes, but also because homeopathy’s ranks were filled with MDs who had
abandoned allopathy for homeopathy. They were rebels from within the fold. In
contrast, eclectic physicians were primarily lay (non-MD) practitioners who
posed less of a threat to the allopathic establishment. This legacy of acrimony
between homeopaths and allopaths is forgotten by the American public today.
But the history remains.
By 1950, there were barely 100 physicians practicing homeopathy in the
United States, and they were, for the most part, old and close to retirement. The
reasons for this decline are multifaceted and still debated among homeopathic
historians to this day. Most agree that there were several contributing factors.

The introduction of new allopathic medicines and techniques (aspirin,

antibiotics, and the use of X rays and vaccination) made allopathy much
more successful than it had previously been. Allopathy was also easier to
practice and much more financially lucrative. Because homeopathy requires
individualized treatment for each patient, it tends to be time-consuming.
There are very few circumstances in which a homeopath can say, “Just take
this medicine for that condition.” Instead, remedy selection is tailored to the
unique symptomatic profile of each patient. This makes homeopathy a
much more arduous medical art, as well as much less financially profitable
than allopathy.
Social and political pressures on homeopaths to stop practicing homeopathy
were enormous, fed financially by the growing power of the AMA and the
allopathic drug manufacturers.
There was infighting among the homeopaths themselves. Much of this was
fueled by the increasing tendency of some homeopaths to use the new
allopathic medicines, which supplied a much easier and quicker “fix,” even
if they did not cause as profound and long-lasting cures. As a result, a
growing rift appeared between the classical “pure” homeopaths and the
“half” homeopaths. Over time, allopathic-homeopaths also began to use
homeopathic remedies in ways that were not in accord with classical
homeopathic philosophy.
Educational opportunities for the proper training of new and competent
homeopaths declined precipitously due to decreased funding and school
closures. Much of this occurred after the release of the Flexner Report in
1910. Commissioned by Andrew Carnegie in cooperation with the
American Medical Association, the goal of the report was to rate or assess
America’s medical schools. Because the chosen standards were biased in
favor of allopathy, the homeopathic schools were destined to lose out.
Harris Coulter, PhD, a leading historian and writer about the politics of
American medicine, and an expert on the homeopathic/allopathic rift,
writes:
“The findings of the Flexner Report, and the ongoing evaluation of
medical schools by the American Medical Association, were soon accepted
 by state examining boards which decided to bar the examination to
graduates of schools receiving a low rating — regardless of the candidate’s
own knowledge or proficiency. The refusal of examining boards to admit
the graduates of schools which the AMA held in disfavor was the death-
knell for these schools, and in this way the AMA acquired a whip hand over
the whole medical education system, not only allopathic, but homoeopathic
and Eclectic as well, a power which it had been seeking for decades.”
[Coulter73, p. 446]

In essence, the results of the Flexner Report barred those who attended
homeopathic medical schools from obtaining medical licensure at all. But it
wasn’t only the Flexner Report that caused the demise of the homeopathic
medical schools. The truth is, after the turn of the 20th century, less and less
“pure” or classical homeopathy was taught even at these homeopathic
institutions. Although there were still quite a few classical practitioners in the
early 1900s, the majority of homeopathy’s ranks had become allopathic-
homeopaths. As a result, their therapeutic results began to suffer. Over time, the
classical homeopaths died off and homeopathy became coopted by allopathy.

Homeopathy Returns

Today, in a world dominated by a medical establishment that is increasingly

technological and yet also increasingly unsatisfying, homeopathy is finally
making a comeback. In the early 1970s, several young American doctors, most
of them from the San Francisco Bay Area, were frustrated with the inability of
allopathy to cure chronic disease. In the afterglow of the Sixties, they
rediscovered the forgotten texts of the 19th-century homeopaths — and their
discovery was revelatory. They saw in the old medical art the potential for a new
way.
These aspiring new homeopaths quickly realized that there was no time to
waste; they sought out the few remaining homeopaths in the United States and
studied with them. They also made their way to Europe to study with teachers
there, where homeopathy had remained a small but flourishing community.
Indeed, it was the royal families — particularly the British royal family — that
still championed homeopathy. Several of these young doctors also traveled to
India, where homeopathy had become a popular medicine for the masses.
Largely due to their efforts, as well as a growing interest in homeopathy among
other kinds of alternative practitioners, a renaissance in American homeopathy
began to emerge.
Today’s small but growing group of American homeopaths is a varied bunch.
There are licensed MDs, acupuncturists, osteopaths, and chiropractors who have
begun to use a bit of homeopathy in their practices after some limited training.
Some of these practitioners have delved deeper and now practice exclusively as
homeopaths. Another group of practitioners are naturopaths — eclectic
practitioners trained in a variety of healing modalities including homeopathy.
Finally, there are professional homeopaths. These practitioners train specifically
as homeopaths and are certified and represented by organizations such as the
Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC) and the North American Society
of Homeopaths (NASH).
Unfortunately, there are also many individuals who market themselves as
“homeopaths” but possess no homeopathic education or credential and, in fact,
utilize techniques that have nothing to do with homeopathy. One reason for this
is that homeopathic certification standards are not yet legally recognized by any
state. In fact, there are still very few states where anyone, even a licensed
medical practitioner, can practice homeopathy legitimately. Indeed, there have
been MDs who have been charged with “unprofessional conduct” for practicing
homeopathy, since it represents a “departure or failure to conform to the
standards of accepted and prevailing medical practice” [Winston, p. 440].
Given this situation, it isn’t surprising that there aren’t many homeopaths
practicing in America; there are currently fewer than 400 certified professional
homeopaths in all of the United States and Canada. Despite the public’s steadily
increasing use of alternative medicine [Kessler] and the popularity of
homeopathic remedies in health food stores, the serious professional practice of
homeopathy in the United States is still very much in its infancy. Indeed,
homeopathy’s ranks are much smaller than those of other unlicensed alternative
therapies. Why? One reason may be the extensive education and effort required
for effective homeopathic practice. Another reason may be more political and
cultural: lingering acrimony from the allopathic-homeopathic rift of the past.

Homeopathy — The “Black Sheep” Medicine

Homeopathy’s “black sheep” status among alternative therapies became clear

to me one evening in 1996, when I attended a conference on consciousness
studies in Tucson, Arizona. I had ended up in the company of a group of
allopathic physicians who were deeply interested in psychic phenomena. Over
dinner they discussed amazing things they had witnessed or heard about —
healings by shamans, distance healing with prayer, and more. I felt certain that
these allopaths would at least be open-minded about homeopathy. When I
proceeded to tell them about the miraculous cure of my son and about my
intention to begin studies in homeopathy, they stared at me blankly. “Oh Amy.
Don’t study that! Study Chinese herbalism or acupuncture instead.” Their
reaction startled me. These doctors could accept the potential validity of
“psychic surgeons” from the Philippines, but they could not even consider a
form of medicine that had been practiced with success for two hundred years,
largely by MDs, in Europe and America. But perhaps that was why they could
not consider it. It wasn’t exotic enough. It wasn’t Oriental or shamanistic. It was
a Western alternative that had sprung up in their own backyard — a rebel from
within.
Actually, there are many reasons why today’s allopaths tend to be skeptical
about homeopathy. On a superficial level, allopaths claim that homeopathy
cannot possibly work because there is no known explanation for its mechanism.
Most homeopathic remedies are made from mineral, plant, or animal substances
that have been diluted using a process called potentization. Because these
remedies are so dilute (they contain, from a biochemical standpoint, not even a
single molecule of original substance), most doctors and scientists cannot see
how they can be anything but ordinary water. But recent studies (which will be
discussed in Chapter 7) show this not to be the case — something about the
water in these ultradilutions has been discernibly altered.
Of course, the skeptics are also partially right — it is most likely that
homeopathic remedies do not operate biochemically and according to any known
mechanism. Their action is probably like that of other forms of energy medicine
— for instance, acupuncture, which also does not operate biochemically or
mechanically (despite the use of needles); Qigong, a Chinese meditative system
that improves body energy flow; and hands-on healing methods like Reiki.
Requiring the mechanism of homeopathy to be scientifically explained
before it can be deemed acceptable is also a bit hypocritical. Very few of today’s
alternative therapies have a known or accepted mechanism of action. The
mechanism of action of many allopathic medicines is not understood either.
Indeed, if every scientist believed that something could work only if they knew,
a priori, how it worked, most scientific discoveries would never have been made.
Did we know how electricity worked before we harnessed and used it? Do we
deny that gravity “works,” even though we still don’t know exactly how it
works? As Aristotle wrote in his Nicomachean Ethics (I.vii.17–18):
“Nor again must we in all matters alike demand an explanation of the
 reason why things are what they are; in some cases it is enough if the fact
that they are so is satisfactorily established.”

Invariably, when skeptics find that homeopathic remedies do actually cure,

they resort to the next most popular argument against homeopathy — that its
effectiveness is due to the “placebo effect.” In other words, they claim that the
remedies are irrelevant; the patient has healed themself by “the power of
suggestion.” Tell that to the victims of the 1918 flu epidemic! Obviously, the
placebo effect of homeopathy was far more effective than the “real” medicines
and suggestions of allopathic doctors. And tell that to the many sufferers from
chronic illness who have recovered completely under homeopathic treatment,
when the best that allopathy could offer was years of increasingly ineffectual
symptomatic relief.
Why would the placebo effect work for homeopaths when the suggestions of
allopaths hadn’t? How does the placebo effect work on herds of cows that are
cured of mastitis when homeopathic remedies are put into their drinking water
[Spranger]? How does it cure newborn infants? Indeed, why do homeopaths
often have to try several remedies before they find one that actually cures? If it
was all “suggestion,” wouldn’t the first remedy work, regardless of what it was?
Of course, the so-called placebo effect is, in fact, a powerful healing force —
the ability of the body to heal itself. And it is used by all healers, including
allopaths. From this standpoint, the skeptics are probably right. Homeopathic
treatment most likely does operate by harnessing the body’s innate ability to heal
itself. But a recent research study that collectively assessed a group of
homeopathic clinical trials found that, overall, homeopathic remedies were more
than twice as effective as simple placebo — a rate of success that would be
enviable in many conventional allopathic drug trials [Linde]. And, increasingly,
more successful studies are being done by medical researchers each year.
Naturally, the bottom line is that most of today’s allopaths don’t know very
much about homeopathy. This was certainly true of the doctors I had dinner with
in Tucson. But even if they were better educated, most allopaths would have
difficulty accepting homeopathy — because its basic tenets and philosophy are
at odds with everything they have been taught.
For one thing, homeopathy is not “complementary” to allopathy. It can’t
merely be viewed as a helpful adjunct to conventional treatment, like massage or
chiropractic can be. Rather, homeopathy is a complete and alternative system —
one that is able to treat the full range of physical and mental afflictions, from ear
infections to allergies, from asthma to tuberculosis to psychosis. Although the
two systems of medicine can often be made to work together at a practical level,
homeopathy and allopathy are intrinsically incompatible at an ideological level.
This makes homeopathy difficult for many people, and especially allopaths, to
accept.
For instance, if homeopathic doctrine is correct, two of the primary tools of
allopathy — suppressive medications (which remove the symptoms of disease,
even if they cannot actually cure it) and routine use of vaccinations — are
destroying our collective health in slow and insidious ways. According to
homeopathic philosophy, suppression or repeated palliation (i.e., temporary
removal of symptoms) can lead to deeper, more intractable forms of disease. For
example, it may be this year’s use of cortisone cream for eczema that eventually
leads to the development of asthma next year. Homeopaths also believe that the
routine and blanket use of vaccines, without a threat of imminent infection to
balance their effects and without attention to the individual characteristics of
each patient, can lead to damaging and lasting ill effects on health. What
allopathic doctor wants to believe this? And yet there are a growing number of
young American physicians, trained in the best of modern allopathic medicine,
who have abandoned their training and embraced homeopathy, just as their
counterparts did in the 1800s.
Ask yourself. As a society, are we healthier than we were 50 years ago?
Today, a majority of Americans suffer from some form of chronic condition — a
condition that, according to modern medicine, can only be palliated or
suppressed, not cured. The Journal of the American Medical Association
reported in 2002 that 80 percent of adults in the United States now take some
form of medication each week, with 50 percent taking a prescription drug
[KaufmanD]. Rates of chronic childhood disease have skyrocketed; asthma,
attention deficit disorder, autism (once incredibly rare), learning disabilities,
chronic ear and respiratory infections, severe allergies, and diabetes have
become commonplace. Among adults we have an increasing number of cases of
lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, depression, fibromyalgia, and chemical
sensitivities.
What is going on? Could it be that our societal tendency to take a pill to
suppress every cold and cough, an antibiotic to stamp out every infection
(whether necessary or not), a cream to suppress every eruption, and a vaccine to
combat every disease (whether or not the disease is typically benign or the
person is actually at risk), has created this situation? The scary answer may be
yes. And let’s not forget the increasing levels of toxins, antibiotics, and hormonal
agents in our food and environment. Even farm animals are subjected to
vigorous suppressive drugging regimes.
Unfortunately, the increased trust and reliance of the public on modern
medicine has led us into a reckless willingness to ingest scores of pills without a
second thought. We even buy weekly pill organizers to keep it all straight. Why?
Many of us find reassurance in scientific tests of efficacy. But the truth is, the
therapeutic effects deemed acceptable for many drugs are often quite weak —
only two or three percent improvement over placebo in some cases. Moreover,
the assessment of side effects for most treatments is usually quite short-lived —
just a matter of days or weeks. What are the real consequences down the line?
Can we even measure them? Even more frightening, it has been increasingly
acknowledged that many drug studies are biased because the researchers who
perform them are financed by the manufacturing drug companies.
Sadly, we find all too often that yesteryear’s “scientifically tested” and much
heralded treatment is now considered to be horribly dangerous. It stands to
reason then, that treatments considered essential and safe today may be
considered extraneous or dangerous next year. Indeed, the pace of this turnover
seems to have accelerated with the increasing number of drugs that are turned
out by the pharmaceutical industry. It seems that nearly every week some
previously touted “wonder drug” later emerges as a threat to public health. A
study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002
predicted that nearly 20 percent of new prescription drugs will ultimately be
recalled or will be shown to produce unacceptably harmful side effects [Lasser].
Even the most standard treatments for ailments like asthma can change radically
in a short period of time. Will Taylor, MD, an American allopath-turned-
homeopath, wrote in 1998:
“The half-life of conventional medical knowledge, and consequently
of any standard of care, is approximately three years and growing shorter. It
is rather amusing to me to watch the trends of therapy proposed by a
discipline that, at any point, insists so vociferously on its omniscience. Back
in my residency (in the 1970s), in treating asthmatic crises, we used to pay
so much attention to theophylline levels and intravenous theophylline drip
rates — a medicine that recent controlled clinical trials tell us is not
effective in the treatment of asthma. That doesn’t help me feel too confident
in the therapies that have been proposed to replace it.” [WT1]

Of course, allopathy can be a lifesaver when it is truly needed in an

emergency. And some form of vaccination or prophylaxis may be appropriate in
some circumstances. But our increased willingness and desire to pop a pill to
suppress all symptoms, stamp out all germs, and artificially build up our
antibodies with vaccines may be making us all sicker. And what about the new
and more virulent diseases emerging each year — diseases for which there are
no vaccines or treatment?
The real solution to our ever-increasing health problems might actually be
found if we redirect our focus: from the “bugs” and stress outside ourselves, to
our own ability to cope with them. How can we strengthen ourselves?
It is interesting that the philosophical tenets of homeopathy, known in the
1800s, would have easily predicted our current situation: an increased use of
suppressive medicines ultimately leads to an increase in chronic disease.
Luckily, homeopathy also provides a solution. The route to cure is the
appropriate use of a remedy that is homeopathic to a sufferer’s symptoms. This
remedy can strengthen and enable an individual to heal. It can also provide a
patient with a greater ability to meet the physical and emotional challenges that
occur each day. Ironically, homeopathy, the “black sheep” medicine of the
1800s, may actually be one of the only means available to us for strengthening
ourselves so that we can survive the challenges of the new millennium.

What You Will Find in This Book

To date, most popular books about homeopathy have focused on the curative
powers of specific homeopathic remedies or on the treatment of specific
ailments. In contrast, the primary goal of this book is to introduce you to
homeopathy’s way of thinking about health, disease, and cure. You will also read
many amazing cure stories — the homeopathic experiences of my own family, as
well as the experiences of many other people, suffering from a variety of
ailments. This book will also provide guidance to you if you decide to seek
homeopathic care for yourself. You will learn what to expect and how you can
best benefit from homeopathic treatment.
Structurally, I have tried to organize the book as a journey of discovery. You
will learn about homeopathy in a way that parallels the path of development of
homeopathy itself — following in the footsteps of Samuel Hahnemann as he
discovered and developed the tools and concepts of the homeopathic system.
Let’s begin with a short summary of what’s in store for you. (Or, feel free to turn
right away to Chapter 2.)
Chapter 2 begins with the story of Samuel Hahnemann, MD, the founder of
the homeopathic system. It includes colorful details about his life and the times
in which he lived, and provides insight into the tenacious and brilliant nature of
his mind — a mind that never stopped searching for a true path to cure.
Ultimately, it was Hahnemann’s tenacity that led him to discover the central
tenet of homeopathy, the Law of Similars. As mentioned before, this law states
that if a substance can cause the symptoms of an illness in a healthy person, it
can cure those symptoms in a sick person. For example, suppose that a particular
substance, X, is given experimentally to a set of healthy test subjects. During this
test, X is found to temporarily cause symptoms of asthma such as tightness in the
chest and difficulty breathing. It is also found to cause other physical, mental,
and emotional symptoms — for example, certain kinds of digestive problems,
headaches in a particular location and at particular times of the day, and a feeling
of depression each day after lunch. Now, suppose that we have an actual asthma
sufferer, Ms. Jones. If Ms. Jones experiences the same kinds of physical and
emotional symptoms that X caused, then X has the potential to cure her asthma
as well as her other matching symptoms.
The Law of Similars essentially defines what homeopathy is. The word
“homeopathy” (sometimes spelled “homoeopathy”) literally translates to
“similar suffering.” In the example above, substance X is homeopathic (i.e.,
causes a similar state of suffering) to the disease state of Ms. Jones. Therefore, X
has the potential to cure (i.e., remove) this state, not just control or palliate its
symptoms. A homeopath, by definition, is a practitioner who treats people
according to this principle.
After exploring the context in which the Law of Similars was discovered,
Chapter 3 brings you back to today’s world and reveals to you my own family’s
homeopathic experiences. The story of my son’s amazing cure from autism is
fully described, along with anecdotes about the healing of other friends and
family members. These healing stories, along with others provided throughout
the book (and especially in Chapter 9), illustrate the philosophy and principles of
homeopathy in practice.
Chapter 4 then asks you to take a step back and consider some fundamental
questions. What is health? How and why does disease develop? What are the
signs of true cure? Homeopathy views the body and mind as an integrated
dynamic unit rather than as a set of individual plumbing parts. This body/mind
unit is seen as a physical and energetic system that acts as a whole, responds to
stimuli, and changes over time. By carefully observing how patient health tends
to evolve over time, homeopaths have been able to gain a deep understanding of
how disease develops and how it recedes. As a result, they are more able to
accurately assess a particular patient’s present state of health, as well as the
success or failure of treatment.
For example, suppose that a patient’s gastrointestinal problems seem to have
been cured by some treatment. How do we know if this person has been truly
cured and is becoming healthier, or is actually getting sicker in the long run?
Rather than viewing the patient’s gastrointestinal problems in isolation, a
homeopath will watch to see what symptoms arise next. What if the patient next
develops a deep depression that was never experienced before? Or, alternatively,
he or she begins to manifest skin problems that had occurred two years ago?
These two outcomes would mean completely different things to a homeopath.
The development of depression would be a sign of deepening disease and
therefore unsuccessful treatment of the gastrointestinal problems. The return of
old skin problems would be a sign of return to greater health. The reasons why
this is so is the subject matter of homeopathic philosophy — the primary topic of
this chapter.
Next, Chapter 5 focuses on the singular nature of disease. Not only is each
person a dynamic, holistic entity, but he or she is unique. Because of this, each
patient will express their sickness in their own way — through the lens of their
personality, their habits, and their unique state of being. This is easy to see on an
emotional level. Everyone knows that when a person falls sick, they will tend to
react in a way that is individual to them. Some people withdraw, some beg for
consolation, some become fearful, some go into denial. Everyone is different.
Individualization occurs on a physical level as well. For instance, some people
feel better when lying down and wrapped up in blankets. Others are relieved by
moving about or from a nice cool breeze.
Of course, most people have unique peculiarities, even when they are well.
For example, they may have food cravings and aversions, a preferred sleep
position, or a particular pattern of sweating. Some people dress warmly, even on
a hot summer day. Others run around in shorts in the middle of winter. Each
person has a unique psychological approach to life as well, influenced by their
experiences and the adaptations they have made to survive those experiences.
It is specifically this unique physical/mental/emotional gestalt that a
homeopath is looking for when they try to find a matching remedy for a patient.
Although the typical symptoms of a patient’s diagnosed disease are taken into
consideration, these symptoms carry less weight in making a homeopathic
prescription than they do in making an allopathic prescription. For example, a
homeopath who treats a hyperactive child will not be so interested in the fact that
the child runs around a lot and has trouble staying focused. That is how most
hyperactive children behave. Instead, the homeopath will try to understand this
child’s individual expression of hyperactivity. What situations make her worse or
better? What are her peculiar mannerisms, fears, likes, and dislikes? It is these
symptoms that form the basis for a homeopathic prescription. There may be 50
remedies that can be helpful for hyperactivity. Which remedy will cure a
particular child will depend on his or her unique traits and habits. Because of
this, homeopathy is a very individualized form of medical treatment. Each
person, no matter what their diagnosed disease, will receive a remedy that
matches them as an individual.
How did Hahnemann develop homeopathy as a complete system of
therapeutics? Chapter 6 takes us back once again to the early 1800s, the time in
which Hahnemann and his growing group of followers expanded the
homeopathic system. The chapter begins by describing how the ultradilutions of
homeopathy were discovered and how Hahnemann developed principles for
administering them. These include the use of the single remedy (only one
remedy at a time) and the use of the minimum dose (the smallest amount
necessary). Chapter 6 also briefly describes various schools of homeopathy that
have developed over time and how they differ from one another.
Next comes Chapter 7, a chapter that will be of particular interest to the
skeptical or scientifically minded reader. It begins with a description of several
scientific studies that support homeopathy’s efficacy. It then addresses the
question: how does homeopathy work? The current answer is, we don’t really
know. But recent research studies seem to indicate that electromagnetic effects
may be involved, and that the structure of water in homeopathic ultradilutions
may actually carry a characteristic electromagnetic signature. If this is true, it
doesn’t matter if there is no molecule of original substance left in a remedy;
some form of signature of that original substance may be present.
Even though the action of homeopathic remedies remains unexplained, most
homeopaths have developed a variety of models or ways of understanding how
they operate. Most of these models rely upon a construct called the vital force or
dynamis— a concept analogous to Chinese medicine’s qi or Indian medicine’s
prana. The vital force is considered to be an energy that animates each living
creature and is the place where physical, mental, and emotional problems
originate. Thus, a physical symptom — for example, a tumor — is viewed as the
end result of a disturbance in the vital force, not as the root cause of disease in
itself.
It is also in this dynamic realm that the remedies are considered to operate.
Somehow, they are able to restore an adaptability that the vital force has lost, and
enable it to function normally once again. Unlike traditional Indian or Chinese
medicine, however, homeopathy does not structure the vital force into any kind
of “energy anatomy” consisting of chakras or meridians. Nor does a specific
model of the vital force form the basis for treatment — as it does, for example,
in acupuncture. Rather, the only basis for the selection of a homeopathic remedy
is the Law of Similars. Thus, homeopathy is a system of energy medicine based
purely on the observed empirical effects of remedies on the human body and
mind.
At this point, you will have come to understand much more about the history
and philosophy of homeopathy. Chapter 8 will then describe the experience of
homeopathy — what it’s like to be a homeopathic patient. A person coming to a
homeopath for the first time will be surprised to find that this experience is much
more like seeing a psychologist than a physician. An initial appointment
typically takes one or two hours. During that time the homeopath will try to
elicit as much information as possible about the patient’s psychological and
physical states and how they evolved over time. The goal, of course, is to
understand the patient’s symptoms deeply and completely enough to enable the
selection of a remedy that is homeopathic or similar to them.
Because of this, a good homeopathic patient is one who facilitates the
process by conveying as much information about themselves as they can —
habits, fears, eating habits, sleep position — you name it. Indeed, information
that would seem irrelevant to an allopath — a peculiar fear of dogs, a nail-biting
habit, or the exact hour that symptoms tend to occur — can be critical to the
selection of a homeopathic remedy. In fact, the more unusual or striking a
symptom is, the more likely it will lead to the simillimum — the precisely
matching remedy for a patient.
Chapter 8 also covers the line where allopathy and homeopathy inevitably
meet. Some patients cannot be taken off their allopathic medications. And
sometimes allopathic treatment is completely appropriate and necessary, even
from a homeopathic point of view. Luckily, homeopaths are almost always able
to work with patients under these circumstances, in collaboration with the
treating allopath.
This chapter will also provide you with guidance in navigating through the
homeopathic healing process. Many people come to a homeopath with chronic
problems, after years and years of unsuccessful allopathic treatment. Ironically,
such patients often expect to be cured quickly and easily, overnight. It is
important to remain realistic. A disease state that has developed over several
years will occasionally yield quickly to homeopathic remedies, but usually not.
The process of homeopathic cure often has many ups and downs. For all of these
reasons, homeopathic patients need patience, confidence, and sufficient
education about homeopathy to determine if their case is truly progressing and is
being handled appropriately.
This brings us to Chapter 9, chock-full of amazing cure stories. While the
entire book is sprinkled with anecdotes of homeopathic cures, this chapter
provides several additional stories that will hopefully convince you further that
homeopathy is a complete and effective system of medicine.
 So where does homeopathy stand today, and where should it be going? This
is the focus of Chapter 10. Among the many challenges facing the American
homeopathic community are the low numbers of well-trained classical
homeopaths and the lack of educational facilities for training homeopaths in a
complete and proper fashion. On top of this, little or no insurance coverage is
available for homeopathic treatment, and there are very few states in which the
practice of homeopathy, as a discipline in its own right, is truly legal. All of
these problems must be addressed if homeopathy is to grow and flourish in this
country, alongside the many other alternative therapies increasingly being used
by Americans today.
The consumers of health care in the United States and around the world
deserve the right to control how their bodies are treated and which form of
medicine they choose. It is time for the powerful medical monopolies to be
broken. In the 19th century, homeopathy, an inherently energetic system of
healing, was perhaps before its time. Now that the philosophical ramifications of
modern physics and quantum reality are beginning to enter our collective
consciousness, it may finally be time for homeopathy to take its rightful place as
a leading energy-based medicine of the 21st century. Indeed, homeopathy may
be one of the only truly effective means we have for overcoming chronic disease
and restoring our mental, emotional, and physical health. Shouldn’t we have it
available to us?
As Hahnemann said, “Aude Sapere” — Dare to know! So, read on and find
out more about the fascinating and revolutionary world of homeopathy and how
it could bring dramatic healing into your own life.
 Chapter 2: The Law of Similars
“The physician’s highest and only calling is to make the sick healthy, to cure,
as it is called.”
— Samuel Hahnemann, MD First Aphorism, Organon of the Medical Art,
1810 [Hahnemann]

The creator of the homeopathic system, Christian Frederich Samuel
Hahnemann, was born on April 10, 1755, in Meissen, Germany. The
Hahnemanns’ family trade, the painting of porcelain, was severely disrupted by
wars in that region and time. As a result, young Samuel had to be educated
mostly at home. Nevertheless, his exceptional abilities soon became widely
known. He had an extraordinary ability for independent study and critical
thought. Rima Handley, a biographer of both Hahnemann and his second wife,
Melanie, writes:
“Days of studying on his own at home, and even at school, for he was
always far in advance of the other students, provided him with the
inclination as well as the capacity for independent thought, a trait which
was both to torment and sustain him in the years to come.” [Handley, p. 51]

When Hahnemann was 20 he embarked on his medical studies at the

university in Leipzig, which was considered to have the best medical faculty at
the time. He made his living by tutoring German and French to wealthy foreign
students and by translating scientific texts. An adept student of languages (he
was fluent in German, English, French, Italian, Latin, and Greek, and was also
knowledgeable enough to translate Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Arabic), scientific and
medical translation became Hahnemann’s stopgap means of earning a living for
many years. Ultimately, one of the texts he translated would lead him to his
discovery of the fundamental principle of homeopathy, the Law of Similars.
From the start, Hahnemann found the medical practices of his time to be
questionable. Medical theories of that period focused on the balance of
“humours” (fluids) in the body. Clinical techniques were primarily based on the
idea that health could be restored by removing supposedly noxious fluids from
the body. Thus, the most popular treatments tried to encourage sweating,
vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding via cutting of veins (venesection) or the application
of leeches, or the creation of blisters to draw inflammation from one part of the
body to another. Sedation via opiates was also popular, as was the use of toxic
doses of mercury in the treatment of venereal diseases.
One positive aspect of Hahnemann’s medical studies was the influence of his
teacher Hermann Boerhaave of Leyden. Boerhaave “maintained that the most
important thing for a physician to do was to sit at the bedside of his patient and
observe him in the manner recommended by Hippocrates.” [Handley, p.52] This
emphasis on an intense observation of the patient’s symptoms became the
foundation upon which Hahnemann based all his future work. It was his
penchant for observation, coupled with a propensity for critical thought, that
enabled Hahnemann, even at the start of his career, to see through the veneer of
his time’s accepted medical practices. He quickly realized that they were not
only ineffectual, but even harmful.
By the time he was 29, Hahnemann decided that the best option for his
patients was to simply let them heal on their own, rather than to administer the
standard treatments. He became an outspoken proponent of natural healing
techniques such as the adoption of a proper diet, the employment of good
hygiene, and the improvement of poor living conditions — all common sense
today, but not at the time. Pasteur’s germ theory and antiseptic surgery were not
to be discovered for another 80 years. Hahnemann soon gained a reputation as a
dietician and wrote publicly about the importance of hygiene. This technique of
cure came to be called “Hahnemann’s Method” — long before his discovery of
homeopathy. Hahnemann also became a proponent of the humane treatment of
the insane, who were handled with utter brutality in that period.
By 1790, at the age of 35, Hahnemann had grown so disgusted with the
methods of medical practice of his time that he completely gave up practicing
medicine altogether. Instead, he turned to translation and his skills as a chemist
to make a living. He wrote:
“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 a 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 writing.” [Haehl, p.
64]

As I will describe later, it was also in 1790 that Hahnemann got his first
inkling about the Law of Similars.

Hahnemann the Rabble-Rouser

As the years passed and Hahnemann began to develop his own ideas about
medical treatment, he spoke out more and more vehemently against the
established medical profession. For example, in 1792, when Emperor Leopold II
of Austria was bled to death by his doctors, Hahnemann wrote publicly about his
views and caused quite a stir in the process.
“We ask, from a scientific point of view, according to what principles
has anyone the right to order a second venesection when the first has failed
to bring relief? As for a third, Heaven help us! But to draw blood a fourth
time when the three previous attempts failed to alleviate? To abstract the
fluid of life four times in twenty-four hours from a man who has lost flesh
from mental overwork combined with a long continued diarrhoea, without
procuring any relief for him! Science pales before this!” [Haehl, p. 35]

Americans may be surprised to find out that their first president, George
Washington, was also the victim of the same questionable but accepted medical
practice of the late 18th century. In fact, Washington suffered the same fate as his
counterpart in Austria.
“On December 14, 1799, President Washington fell ill with a severely
sore throat. One physician after another was called in to tend to him. Over
the course of that day and after much discussion and argument, they agreed
to drain the president of at least four pints of blood. To add insult to injury,
they also gave him doses of calomel (a mercury compound used as a
laxative) and tartar (to promote vomiting), and applied blistering agents to
his legs and feet. Not surprisingly, this ‘heroic treatment’ — the common
term used for this kind of medical care — led to Washington’s death that
night.” [Kaufman]

Of course, it seems obvious to us today that bloodletting isn’t such a great

idea. But at the time, any recovery that just happened to follow this procedure
was attributed to the success of the method. When it failed and the patient died, a
doctor could at least claim that he had done “all that he could.” In truth, the same
might be said of some of today’s accepted medical practices. How often do we
find that it is really the medical treatment that kills a patient rather than his or her
disease? Is doing nothing the better option in some cases?
A chilling statistic reported in the Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) in 2000 provides support to this possibility; at least 225,000
deaths occur annually in the United States from the negative effects of medical
drugs (106,000 deaths), hospital errors (27,000 deaths), hospital infections
(80,000 deaths), or unnecessary surgery (12,000 deaths). This makes allopathic
treatment the third leading cause of death in America [Starfield]. Only two years
earlier, in 1998, another study reported in JAMA found that allopathic drugs
were the fourth leading cause of death [Lazarou]. While most people trust that
today’s medical treatments have been proven safe and effective, the fact is, this
is often not the case. Indeed, a 1978 report, “Assessing the Efficacy and Safety
of Medical Technologies,” compiled by the Congressional Office of Technology
Assessment, found that only 10 percent to 20 percent of the techniques used by
allopathic physicians are empirically proven [OTA].
Thus we can see that the struggle to find safe and effective medical
treatments continues to this day. While the medical context in which Hahnemann
lived may have been even more extreme and harmful than the one in which we
find ourselves today, the impetus that propelled him to find a better way, a more
gentle and effective method of true healing, bears similarity to the quest of many
people today for medical alternatives. And being of brilliant mind and stubborn
temperament, he persevered in this quest, regardless of the consequences.
Another striking parallel between Hahnemann’s time and our own is the
enormous power of the orthodox medical establishment and especially the drug
manufacturers. Just as it is today, medicine was big business in Hahnemann’s
time. Naysayers to the orthodoxy were not very popular, and they were often
ridiculed and run out of town. Hahnemann suffered this fate for much of his life,
especially after he began to practice homeopathy. He moved his family from
town to town at least 18 times between 1782 and 1821. His most vociferous
opponents were usually the apothecaries (pharmacies), not the doctors
themselves. This was because Hahnemann prepared his own medicines. As a
result, his popularity posed a threat to their business.
The same phenomenon can be seen today, with the financial stakes being
even higher. Alternatives to expensive and toxic allopathic drugs, such as those
used for cancer or AIDS, are routinely belittled and suppressed. In some cases,
their proponents, even respected scientists and doctors, are threatened with legal
prosecution and imprisonment. Two examples of this phenomenon are discussed
at length in a fascinating article by medical historian Harris Coulter, PhD. One is
the case of world-renowned physician and professor Andrew Ivy, MD, who was
persecuted in the 1950s for his use of Krebiozen as an immunologically-based
(rather than chemotherapy-based) cancer treatment. Another more recent case
involved the harassment of Stanislaw Burzynski, MD, PhD, for his development
of antineoplastons as a cancer treatment [Coulter98].
Sadly, throughout medical history, political and financial motivations have
often outweighed therapeutic ones. Hahnemann was all too acutely aware of this
phenomenon. Given the societal pressures to which he was increasingly
subjected and the hardships his family suffered as a result, it was remarkable that
Hahnemann maintained his views and continued to forge his own path.

Discovery of the Law of Similars

Once Hahnemann gave up practicing medicine, he soon became well known

for his translation of a number of important medical and scientific texts. His
translations were unique and sought after because he often added his own
opinions and suggestions as footnotes. Throughout this period he also kept
searching for a better method of healing — a system of medicine that made
sense to him and worked in practice.
Luckily, fate was soon to catch up with Hahnemann when he translated the
Treatise on Materia Medica, by William Cullen, a professor of medicine at the
University of Edinburgh. Cullen described the use of Peruvian bark for malaria.
This bark, also called cinchona or china, was a wonder drug of the 18th century.
It is the source of quinine, a primary treatment for malaria to this day. Cullen’s
explanation for the successful action of cinchona was that it had a tonic effect on
the stomach. But this did not make sense to Hahnemann. An avid student of
Hippocrates, whose dietary, hygienic, and observational recommendations he
had taken so seriously, Hahnemann was also aware of Hippocrates’ statement
that cure could be achieved in one of two ways: through the action of
“opposites” (i.e., using a medicine that creates the opposite effect of the patient’s
symptoms) or through the action of “similars” (using a medicine that creates the
same symptoms experienced by the patient).
Armed with Hippocrates’ hypothesis, Hahnemann decided to put cinchona to
the test. He systematically took overdoses of the drug and noted the results. He
described these as follows:
“I took, for several days, as an experiment, four drams of good china
twice daily. My feet and finger tips etc., at first became cold; I became
languid and drowsy; then my heart began to palpitate; an intolerable anxiety
and trembling (but without rigor [fever]); prostration in all the limbs; then
pulsation in the head, redness of the cheeks, thirst; briefly, all the symptoms
usually associated with intermittent fever [malaria] appeared in succession,
yet without the actual rigor. To sum up: all those symptoms which to me are
typical of intermittent fever, as the stupefaction of the senses, a kind of
 rigidity of all joints, but above all, the numb, disagreeable sensation which
seems to have its seat in the periosteum [a membrane that covers bones]
over all the bones of the body — all made their appearance. This paroxysm
lasted from two to three hours every time, and recurred when I repeated the
dose and not otherwise. I discontinued the medicine and I was once more in
good health.” [Haehl, p. 37]

This experience supplied a flash of insight to Hahnemann. He saw in it the

potential for a general principle of cure — a medicinal law that always applied
and worked, rather than a theory about how the body functioned or about a
particular drug. This principle would become known as the Law of Similars. It
states that,
A substance that causes, in a healthy person, symptoms similar to those of a
disease state, can cure a sick person in that disease state.
In Latin this principle is written similia similibus curentur (i.e., “let likes be
cured by likes”). Thus, just as cinchona caused the symptoms of malaria in the
healthy Dr. Hahnemann (note: it did not cause malaria itself), cinchona could
also cure a person afflicted with malaria.
Of course, Hahnemann wasn’t the first to use this principle; Hippocrates
himself had suggested it. Paracelsus, a renowned medieval alchemist and doctor,
was also known to have achieved cure through the use of similars. In
Hahnemann’s own time, the writings of Antoon de Haehn (another pupil of
Boerhaave) and a Danish professor, Georg Stahl, also emphasized the utility of
this principle. Hahnemann, however, unlike the others, decided to put the idea to
a full test and explore its limits. It became his life’s work and the central tenet of
his method of healing, which he called “homoeopathy” (now typically shortened
to homeopathy) — “similar suffering.”

Drug Provings

Critical to the successful application of the Law of Similars was developing a

method for testing potential drugs and determining the symptoms that they could
cause — and by inference, the symptoms that they could also cure. Hahnemann
called these tests provings (derived from the German word for test, pruefung),
and his test subjects provers.
From his experience with cinchona as well as the many other provings he
conducted later on (during his lifetime he was involved in 123 drug provings
[Provings]), Hahnemann found that it was important that these tests be
conducted on healthy humans, not on sick humans or animals. Note that this
strategy is the opposite of the one used by allopathic medical tests, which are
conducted only on sick people or animals. Hahnemann wrote,
“If, in order to perform this investigation, medicines are only given to
sick persons (even when only one simple and singly prescribed medicine is
given) one sees little or nothing definite of their pure actions since the
particular condition-alterations expected from the medicines are mingled
with the symptoms of the present natural disease, and are therefore seldom
distinctly perceptible.
Therefore there is no other possible way to unerringly experience the
peculiar actions of medicines upon the human condition — there is no
single sure, more natural arrangement for this intent — than to administer
each single medicine experimentally, in a moderate amount, to healthy
persons in order to learn what alterations, symptoms, and signs of its
impinging action each medicine particularly brings forth in the condition of
body and soul, that is, what disease elements each medicine is able to and
tends to arouse. As has been shown, all of a medicine’s curative power lies
in its power to alter the human condition; this is illuminated from
observation of the human condition.” [Hahnemann, Aphorisms 107 and
108]

Thus, as Hahnemann explains, there are several reasons for conducting

provings on healthy humans. First, if the true action of a drug is to be
determined, it must be tested on a clean slate. If a prover is healthy, it is
relatively easy to see what deviations from their original state are caused by a
drug. In contrast, if a sick person takes a drug, their symptoms may be cured,
aggravated, or new symptoms may result. In essence, the effects of the drug
become mixed with the person’s initial state of disease and a clear picture of its
precise action becomes difficult to determine.
The disadvantages of using animals for provings are also clear. For one
thing, determining the precise mental and emotional symptoms caused by a drug
becomes almost impossible when provers are animals. Animal provers are also
unable to describe the precise nature, location, and sensation of their physical
symptoms. As I will discuss later on, homeopaths have found that emotional,
mental, and precisely described physical symptoms are the most critical pieces
of information gathered in drug provings — because these symptoms enable the
most effective selection of remedies for patients. Animal provers simply cannot
provide this kind of information.
Another disadvantage of animal testing is that we cannot be completely sure
that the effects of a drug on an animal will be exactly the same as they would be
in a human. Since homeopathic treatment is based on symptom similarity, it is
critical that provings be conducted on creatures who are as similar as possible to
patient clientele — i.e., humans. Nevertheless, homeopathic veterinarians have
been fairly successful in using human proving symptoms to select appropriate
remedies for their animal patients. In fact, several astounding veterinary cures
are described in Chapters 7 and 9.
Over time, Hahnemann continued to further develop his proving
methodology and to conduct new provings. He also enlisted the help of his
colleagues. In 1813, when Hahnemann was a lecturer at the University of
Leipzig, his core of followers formed a Provers Union. All of the myriad
symptoms gathered during these provings were compiled as books called
materia medica. As a translator, Hahnemann also had access to much of the
medical literature of his time, and in particular, to records of accidental
poisonings. These provided yet another source of information about the
symptoms caused by potential drug substances. Over time, the homeopathic
materia medica also grew to include clinical symptoms — i.e., symptoms that
had been repeatedly cured by remedies in clinical settings.
From Hahnemann’s time until this day, new provings continue to be
conducted each year. Remedies are tested on healthy human subjects (usually
volunteer homeopaths) and observations are made over a period of several
weeks. In keeping with modern scientific methodology, today's provings are
almost always double-blinded and include a placebo control group; neither the
test subjects nor the people collecting proving data know the nature of the
substance being tested or who is taking placebo instead of the remedy itself.

Philosophical Consequences of the Law of Similars

Because the practice of homeopathy is defined by an underlying law of

therapeutics, its very nature as a medical system is fundamentally different from
allopathic medicine. Think about it. The Law of Similars specifies, in a general
purpose way, which medicines will cure which disease states. In particular, to
cure any disease with symptoms x-y-z, a homeopath must simply find a remedy
that causes x-y-z in a healthy person. Because a fairly well-matching remedy can
usually be found among the existing set of about 1,000 remedies, a new type of
treatment need not be found for every new type of disease.
Indeed, because it uses a fixed and general-purpose law of treatment, the
same homeopathic method can be applied in any case of disease and that method
of treatment never changes over time. Though the number of available
homeopathic remedies has increased over the years as a result of new provings,
the fundamental principle of homeopathic practice has remained the same — the
Law of Similars. As a result, the medicines tested and used by Hahnemann in the
early 1800s still work today for the same disease states. And even though new
diseases may be discovered each year, new remedies need not necessarily be
developed to combat them.
In contrast, no overarching law of therapeutics exists for allopathy.
Treatment is based either on theories about how the body or a disease agent
works (theories that are inevitably incomplete and change over time), or on
medicinal knowledge that is developed in an ad hoc fashion, through folklore
and experience — whatever seems to work. A good example of this is Viagra, a
medicine developed for treating circulatory problems that also just happened to
cause erections. As a result, Viagra is now marketed for impotence, despite the
fact that it may cause dangerous circulatory side effects.
What are the consequences of the allopathic approach? First of all, a new
therapy must often be developed for each new disease or condition that is
discovered. Second, the approach tends to create a medical system with
constantly changing conventions of practice. This is as true (or perhaps more
true) today as it was in Hahnemann’s time. Back then, bloodletting seemed to
have the desired effect and was therefore considered a well-grounded practice.
Today, we have a never-ending stream of new drugs, many of which were
developed almost by accident and many of which will be declared useless or
harmful in just a few years.
The grounding of homeopathy in the Law of Similars also has an impact on
the need to conduct conventional drug trials for homeopathic remedies.
Homeopathy is often criticized by allopaths for being insufficiently tested with
respect to specific diseases. Aside from the fact that such tests are now
increasingly being conducted and successfully so (see Chapter 7), from a
philosophical standpoint, conventional drug trials for homeopathic remedies are
actually unnecessary. Because allopathic drugs are not applied according to a
specific principle and are often discovered in an ad hoc way, it is clearly
necessary to test them to see if they actually work. In contrast, the testing of a
potential homeopathic remedy on healthy humans (a proving) is not only the
most accurate method of determining what it will be useful for, but it is also a
completely sufficient method of testing; provings are homeopathy’s drug trials.
There is no need to test remedies on sick people, because the Law of Similars
specifies exactly which ailments a remedy will effectively treat — those whose
symptoms match those caused by the remedy. And the Law of Similars has been
proven valid — time and time again, over the past two hundred years of
homeopathic practice.

Hahnemann’s Personal Life

After his experience with the malaria drug cinchona in 1790, Hahnemann
spent the next several years conducting drug provings on himself and on
interested colleagues. Hahnemann and his followers also began to test the
efficacy of the Law of Similars on patients. In 1796, he published his first
treatise on his new method, Essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the
Curative Powers of Drugs, and Some Examinations of the Previous Principles.
Finally, in 1797, at the age of 42, Hahnemann officially resumed his practice of
medicine as a homeopath.
Unfortunately, life for the Hahnemann family became even more difficult
after Samuel resumed his practice. The region was torn by unending wars and
his large family moved frequently, due to financial problems and, increasingly,
friction with the local apothecaries. Despite these disruptions to his personal life,
Hahnemann worked tirelessly to develop new remedies and methods for
administering them. He also “wrote article after article attacking what he called
‘old school’ medicine and advocating the new homeopathy, and published them
in widely-read medical journals.” [Handley, p. 68] This period culminated in the
publication of the first edition of his full treatise on homeopathy, the Organon of
the Medical Art, in 1810. It did not go unnoticed.
“By its very nature, the whole of Hahnemann’s new system threatened
the prevailing system of medicine. He was no longer willing to
accommodate the ‘old school’; ... there was no compromise. Medical
treatment which is not homeopathic is dangerous, he says, not merely when
it is abused and used carelessly, or to excess, but when it is used at all...
According to Baron von Brunnow, a young law student who later became a
patient of Hahnemann’s in Leipzig, ‘The appearance of the Organon was
the signal for the actual breaking out of the war against Hahnemann. If the
physicians had, up to that time treated his writings with haughty disrespect,
and had regarded them as too insignificant for notice, they now felt for the
first time that a dangerous antagonist was making head against them... They
directed a broadside from all the great cannons of criticism against the
daring revolutionist.’” [Handley, pp. 72–74]
 In 1811, Hahnemann moved his family into the eye of this storm — Leipzig
— after gaining faculty status at the university there. Considered an eccentric
troublemaker, he nevertheless built up a loyal following. His popularity
increased even further after the typhoid fever epidemic in 1813.
“The efficacy of homeopathy became particularly apparent in 1813,
after the terrible Battle of Leipzig between the Prussian forces and
Napoleon’s army, retreating from the fiasco of Moscow. After three days of
fighting just outside the city, there were 80,000 dead and 80,000 wounded.
The streets were choked with refugees, it rained incessantly, food supplies
were short and the drinking water polluted. Of the one hundred and eighty
victims whom Hahnemann was able to treat, only two died... Hahnemann’s
success, however, only increased the anger of the orthodox. His flourishing
practice in Leipzig also aroused opposition.” [Handley, p. 76–77]

Eventually, the allopaths of Leipzig had their way. Because he prepared his
own medicines, Hahnemann was brought to court in 1820 and accused of
encroaching upon the apothecaries’ privileges there. Eventually he had to leave
Leipzig, and finally, in 1821, settled his family in Koethen in eastern Germany.
Hahnemann was now 66. And despite these setbacks, his fame continued to
grow. Students and open-minded physicians came to study with him from all
over Europe. Patients flocked to him from afar. Eventually, Hahnemann’s system
spread to all of the countries of the European continent as well as England,
America, and even India.
The following account, also by Von Brunnow, provides a glimpse of what
Hahnemann was like as a man. Although he was definitely opinionated, strong-
willed, and self-disciplined, he was also compassionate, somewhat eccentric,
very sociable, and beloved by all who knew him.
“‘A very peculiar mode of life prevailed in Hahnemann’s house. The
members of his family, the patients and students of the University, lived and
moved only in one idea, and that idea was Homeopathy; and for this each
strove in his own way’... Hahnemann was able to relax at home in this
supportive company, usually in his favorite ‘gaily-figured dressing-gown,
the yellow stockings and the black velvet cap. The long pipe was seldom
out of his hand, and this smoking was the only infraction he allowed
himself to commit upon the severe rules of regimen. His drink was water,
milk or white beer; his food of the most frugal sort... After the day had been
spent in labour, Hahnemann was in the habit of recruiting himself from
eight to ten o’clock, by conversation with his circle of trusty friends. All his
friends and scholars had then access to him, and were made welcome to
 partake of his Leipsic white beer, and join him in a pipe of tobacco. In the
middle of the whispering circle, the Aesculapius reclined in a comfortable
armchair, wrapped in the household dress we have described, with a long
Turkish pipe in his hand, and narrated, by turns, amusing and serious stories
of his storm-tossed life, while the smoke from his pipe diffused its clouds
around him.’” [Handley, p. 76]

Hahnemann’s life took an interesting turn in his last years. His wife Johanna
died in 1830, when Hahnemann was 75, and he settled into a somewhat reclusive
life with two of his daughters. Even so, homeopathy’s fame continued to spread,
especially after it met with great success in treating the European cholera
epidemic of 1831–1832. In 1834, a beautiful and wealthy Parisian poet and
artist, Melanie d’Hervilly, appeared in Koethen. She had read Hahnemann’s
Organon and had traveled in men’s clothing across Europe (a custom in vogue
among women of the intelligentsia) to receive medical treatment by the doctor.
They instantly fell in love, despite their age difference — Hahnemann being 79
at the time, and Melanie, 34. Within three days he had proposed to her, and
within three months, they were married.
Much to the surprise and consternation of his followers, Hahnemann moved
with Melanie to Paris. She quickly became one of his best students and one of
the first lay practitioners of homeopathy — and one of the first women to
practice medicine in Europe. With her help, Hahnemann built a thriving practice
that served both the rich and illustrious (among them, Paganini and Balzac) and
the Parisian poor, in a clinic that Melanie ran herself. During these Paris years
Hahnemann also continued his experiments, and he developed new and
improved methods for remedy dosing.
Thus it was in Paris that Hahnemann, perhaps for the first time in his life, felt
happy and relaxed. Compared to the difficult life he had lived up until that point,
in Paris he enjoyed luxury and the company of high society. And he was deeply
in love. As he wrote to Melanie in January of 1843, just months before he died:
“I have no need to repeat to you that I love you with all my heart as I
have never loved anyone throughout the whole of my long life. You are
superior to everyone I can imagine loving because both your soul and your
moral sense correspond to my own feelings. We shall never be parted
throughout all eternity.” [Handley, p. 153]

Samuel Hahnemann died on July 2, 1843, with Melanie by his side. He was
88 and she was 43. Melanie never remarried. She continued to practice
homeopathy, despite years of harassment by the medical establishment, until she
died in 1878. She is buried next to Hahnemann in Père Lachaise cemetery in
Paris.

Hahnemann the Scientist

At this point, I hope that I have conveyed to you at least some feeling for
what Hahnemann was like as a man, as well as the core essence of his medical
system, homeopathy. Hahnemann was a scientist in the truest sense of the word.
He began with observations and a theory and then set out to verify it. Whatever
the outcome, he left preconceptions behind and went with experimental fact.
And, being of stubborn temperament, he stuck by his findings, despite the
criticism of his peers.
Throughout his life, Hahnemann kept experimenting and refining his system.
It is through these experiments that he came up with the ultradilute doses that
homeopathy is known for today. Because many of the remedies he used were
innately poisonous, Hahnemann tried to find dosages that could be both effective
and gentle. Toward this end, he began to dilute them to a greater and greater
extent. Eventually, in 1810, Hahnemann developed a method for creating
effective doses that were so dilute that not even a molecule of the original
substance would likely be present. This point is reached when the ratio of water
to substance is in excess of Avogadro’s number (approximately 1023).
Interestingly, Avogadro’s first hypothesis about molecular weight was first made
soon thereafter, in 1811 [Furtsch].
Hahnemann’s method for creating ultradilute yet effective medicines is
called potentization. It involves not only diluting a substance, but at each step of
dilution, succussing or violently shaking the solution. Homeopaths have always
believed that it is this process of potentization that enable remedies to touch and
affect the energetic realm of the vital force — the place where disease is believed
to arise and where true cure must take place. However, it is only in the past 20
years that physicists and medical researchers have confirmed that succussion
may be the essential step necessary for transmitting the signature of a substance
into an ultradilution [Benveniste88, Ennis]. This research will be discussed in
Chapter 7.
In addition to developing the potentization process, Hahnemann also
experimented with a variety of methods of remedy preparation and
administration. For example, he tried various different dilution ratios, amounts of
succussion, and administration methods — dry pills, liquid, and olfaction
(sniffing). As a result of these experiments, Hahnemann was able to delineate a
set of principles for safe and effective homeopathic treatment. These include the
use of the single remedy (administering only one remedy at a time, not in
mixtures), and the use of the least amount of remedy necessary to cure — the
minimum dose. Hahnemann’s experiments with potentization and other aspects
of remedy creation and administration will be described in more detail in
Chapter 6.
Hahnemann’s relentless desire to improve his system also resulted in many
improved editions of the Organon, still the most comprehensive text on the
principles and practice of homeopathy to this day. The first edition of the
Organon appeared in 1810; ensuing editions appeared in 1819, 1824, 1829 (the
first to be translated into English), and 1833. Today’s homeopaths use the Sixth
Edition, which was completed in 1842 but was not published until 1921, long
after Hahnemann’s death.

Homeopathy as Empirical Medicine

In many ways, Hahnemann can be considered a “radical empiricist” — a

term coined by the late psychologist and philosopher William James. This means
that he allowed for all forms of scientific evidence and that he was led by this
evidence rather than by preconceptions or accepted scientific doctrine. For
instance, like James, Hahnemann was willing to utilize subjective information
from patients and provers — not just information that could be gathered by an
outside observer. Indeed, Hahnemann found subjectively experienced symptoms
to be more important than measurable or observable ones. For example, he found
it more useful to know that a person subjectively felt hot or cold (and the exact
nature of that hot or cold feeling) than to know the person’s precise temperature
reading on a thermometer.
One reason for the importance of subjective symptoms in homeopathy is that
treatment is determined by matching the subjective symptoms of patients to the
subjective symptoms experienced by provers — i.e., subjective feelings and
expressions are matched to subjective feelings and expressions. For example,
let’s suppose that two remedies, A and B, are known to be useful in cases of
fever. However, in the proving of A, a feeling of dry heat was accompanied by
thirst and anxiety. In contrast, the provers of B felt sweaty, thirstless, and
apathetic. By taking into account these subjective proving symptoms and
comparing them with the symptoms of a feverish patient, a homeopath can
prescribe A or B as the situation warrants. As a result, treatment can do more
than just temporarily palliate a fever — it can cure it.
The homeopathic emphasis on subjective experience also points to another
fundamental difference between homeopathy and allopathy: homeopathic
remedy selection is based on the idiosyncratic symptoms of a person’s disease
state, not on its physiological cause. In allopathy, treatment usually depends on
making a causal diagnosis. Disease must be reduced to some measurable
pathology or dysfunction before treatment can begin. In homeopathy, a
physiological explanation for disease is only a small piece of the disease puzzle.
In a case of stomach ulcer, for example, the real question is, how does this ulcer
fit within the patient’s larger pattern of disease — a pattern that incorporates a
variety of mental and physical symptoms, and of which the ulcer is only a small
part. It is this pattern that is treated by the homeopath, not the ulcer.
This brings us to one final observation. Given the fact that the homeopathic
remedies are probably operating on some kind of quantum or energetic level, it
is quite fitting that Hahnemann’s methods were focused on symptoms rather than
on causal explanations. If, as homeopaths believe, disease truly originates and is
ultimately cured in the realm of an intangible vital force, then all we can do is
observe its manifestations; we can never hope to completely know its true cause,
because it lies at a level of reality we cannot perceive. In his treatise on the
relationship between homeopathy and psychotherapy, Psyche and Substance,
Jungian psychiatrist and homeopath Edward C. Whitmont, MD, wrote:
“...in modern physics we have come to realize that phenomena cannot
always be explained in terms of a cause and effect chain... they can be
predicted in their arrangement only statistically; and a field is defined not as
it ‘is’ this or that, but only indirectly — that is descriptively — through the
patterns and forms of matter that manifest its influence... We [homeopaths]
assay the expression of an energy field of the illness, unknown per se, but
found and manifesting itself in the way it arranges the symptoms.”
[Whitmont, pp. 4–5]

In other words, at the quantum level, all we can do is observe patterns. We

cannot explain why such a pattern exists — we can only observe it. The
homeopathic approach to disease reflects this principle by focusing on a patient’s
symptom pattern rather than on trying to determine its cause. The Law of
Similars then asserts that bringing together similar patterns — the disease pattern
of the patient and the disease pattern of a similar drug — will cause the patient’s
disease pattern to be annihilated. As a result, it is not necessary to know what
caused a disease in order to cure it. It is enough to know that bringing together
similar patterns will do so.
We opened this chapter with the Organon’s first aphorism. We now conclude
with a portion of Hahnemann’s footnote to that aphorism. It touches directly
upon this very same subject: the goal of finding a cause for disease versus the
goal of actually curing it.
“The physician’s calling is not to concoct so-called systems from
empty conceits and hypotheses... it is not to make countless attempts at
explanation regarding disease appearances and their proximate cause... Of
such learned fanaticism... we have had quite enough. It is high time for all
those who call themselves physicians, once and for all, to stop deceiving
suffering humanity with idle talk, and to begin now to act, that is to really
help and to cure.” [Hahnemann, Footnote to Aphorism 1]
 Chapter 3: Testimony to Cure
“In the hands of a true Master, homeopathy holds the answer for the vast
majority of chronic disease sufferers... It may seem too good to be true, but
humankind’s centuries of searching for a non-toxic, truly curative medicine have
finally come to completion in the homeopathic system.”
— Bill Gray, MD, Foreword to Homeopathy: Medicine of the New Man,
1979 [Vithoulkas79]

One of my first teachers of homeopathy told me that a person’s views about
homeopathy’s curative powers tend to be colored by their first experience with
it. For some, it is a cure of intransigent warts that suddenly dry up and drop off.
For others, a case of shingles, allergies, migraine, or chronic fatigue yields and
fades away, when years of other kinds of treatment had no effect. Then there are
the cases that truly defy explanation: expulsion of a tumor; a man awakening
from a coma minutes after taking a remedy; the discharge of mercury in the
menstrual blood of a dental hygienist, after years of accumulation in her system.
All of these have occurred with the correct homeopathic prescription.
Whatever the miracle may be, great or small, when you experience the power
of an accurately prescribed remedy, you are forever changed by it. You may
come away thinking, “Homeopathy is sure great for skin problems,” or “These
remedies can cure ear infections and stomach flus so quickly!” But no matter
what you think, you are changed by that first curative experience. If an
infinitesimal dose of plant, mineral, or animal matter can have such profound
effects — a dose that, according to current scientific understanding, contains
nothing at all — then things can’t be quite as they seem. And something
definitely must be lacking in the mechanical view of the body that we have all
been brought up with in the Western world.
Of course, most of us fall back into old ways of thinking. When the next flu
crops up, we just take an over-the-counter flu medicine without thinking that
there might be another way. Often we doubt that our cure was real at all. “Well,
surely that problem must have been all in my mind.” “Most likely it was that
new vitamin I took.” “Maybe the drug the doctors gave me a year ago finally
worked?” Or maybe we come away thinking that homeopathy is only good for
some things. “It seems to be good for ear infections, but surely it can’t cure my
asthma.” “It seems to be good for emotional or mental problems, but I don’t
think it could cure a bacterial or viral infection.” But the more you use
homeopathic remedies, especially under the direction of an experienced and
well-trained homeopath, the more expanded your view becomes. Each curative
experience renews a sense of wonder and awe at the kinds of healing that are
possible.
The power of homeopathy has repeatedly had its impact on every member of
my family and on many of my friends. I have seen long-standing warts suddenly
turn brown and drop off like scabs — this happened to both my husband and to
my older son Izaak. I have also seen fairly severe tics and twitching stop
overnight, a bout of cramping and diarrhea that had persisted for several days
disappear in minutes, and my own summer allergies suddenly vanish, after years
of growing increasingly more severe. I have seen an ear infection in my son
Max, visible with an otoscope, subside within hours; his outer ear went from
bright red to a normal color within minutes too. In another case, a six-week bout
of bronchitis — that did not yield to several homeopathic remedies — stopped
completely, overnight, when the correct remedy was given. I have seen sexual
arousal heightened, panic and anxiety allayed, and closed personalities open up
and become more connected, loving, and sympathetic.
Interestingly, when I tell acquaintances that I no longer have to take a daily
antihistamine to get through the summer, they are often more impressed than
when I tell them about my first and greatest homeopathic miracle. My younger
son Max was cured of an “incurable” condition — autism. Today, years later, I
sometimes have a hard time believing it myself. We were very lucky, you see.
Our homeopath found Max’s simillimum — his perfectly fitting remedy — on
the first try. Within a week, his therapist, my husband, and I were witnessing
noticeable changes in him. Whatever may be said about Max’s case, it is
certainly true that something remarkable happened to him in 1995. And this
initial experience with homeopathy most definitely colored my views about the
kinds of cures that are possible — nearly limitless — if the body and its vital
force still have the power to be led back and restored to health.

The Warning Signs

It all began in the spring of 1994, when Max was 2 1/2 years old. Something
wasn’t right. He wasn’t talking. Although he had about 10, maybe 20, words in
his vocabulary, most of the time he didn’t seem to understand language at all.
And it was getting worse. On some level, Max seemed to be slowly drifting
away.
On the bright side, Max did know all the letters of the alphabet and his
numbers 1 to 10. He could stack blocks with amazing dexterity and could build
highly intricate and perfectly symmetric structures. He even knew his way
around the computer — pointing and clicking, dragging the mouse, and opening
games. Max also displayed some amazingly advanced analytical skills. For
instance, he could play a “Concentration”-style game, matching pairs of
overturned tiles in a four-by-five grid, better than we could. And he could
definitely hear. He enjoyed television and danced rhythmically to music. Indeed,
for the most part, Max was a happy, though distant, toddler at home. He usually
had a smile on his face and liked to play with his older brother Izaak — a
precocious and mature 5 1/2 year old.
But when we all sat around talking and laughing in the evening and on
weekends, Max would prefer to be off on his own. He’d watch TV, play a
computer game, stack his blocks, and retreat into himself. He also wasn’t as
affectionate as Izaak. Although he didn’t push us away, he never reached out for
affection. For a long time I thought, “Oh, he’s just late to speak. He’s a more
self-contained, more private person than Izaak.” But it was more than that.
At school, problems began to emerge. I began to sense that the teachers at his
preschool were concerned. They greeted Max each morning with a kind of
hesitancy. Although he had started the school year exuberantly at age two, he
had never fully settled in. Instead, he would rely on his beloved “baba” — a
bottle of milk — for comfort. And though he enjoyed many of the toys in the
classroom, Max never interacted with any of the other children. He was also
unable to sit through story-time unless he was in a teacher’s lap. He was antsy, as
if there were a motor running inside him. It wasn’t like classic hyperactivity —
he didn’t run about. He just wasn’t paying attention. It was as if the story the
teacher was reading were in a foreign language. Left to his own devices, Max
would just wander away and play quietly with toys that interested him. He
wasn’t disruptive; he just wasn’t really “there.” When the children were outside
playing, the teachers would find him in a classroom raptly staring at some
animal in a cage or at a toy.
I knew that one of the teachers suspected autism. She told me that Max
manifested self-stimulation activities — for example, spinning in a circle — and
that he didn’t have good eye contact when spoken to. But I didn’t want to
believe it. He did have some eye contact with us at home. He didn’t really spin
around at home either; he was generally happy and content.
But increasingly, there were noticeable oddities. One morning while driving
to school, I asked him, “Do you know where we’re going now?” No response.
Max just stared into space. At night, when I’d try to read a story to him, he could
not sit quietly. He would fidget and squirm all over the bed. He’d stand on his
head, with his feet against the wall, or run his fingers up and down things — the
table, the wall. I also noticed that he had the habit of poking his finger against
people’s chests or butting his head against them — not to hurt them, but as a
kind of contact. Over a year later, I learned that these behaviors are all
characteristic of autistic children.
What to do? I began to grasp at straws. Perhaps it was attention deficit
disorder (ADD)? I read all the books. Perhaps it was the teachers? That they
didn’t “understand” him? But deep down, I knew Max had a serious problem.
And it seemed to be getting worse. He was growing more distant, more
disconnected. By the end of the school year, just before Max turned three, the
preschool called us in for a conference and advised us to seek medical help. One
teacher confided to us, “Max will never be able to attend the private school that
Izaak goes to. He will always need special education.”
And so our family embarked upon a quest. I knew that we would never rest
easy as long as Max had a problem like this; I knew that all of our lives would be
severely affected. I felt instinctively that Max’s entire future hung in the balance
and that I had to do everything in my power, leaving no stone unturned, until I
found the key.
My resolve was also deepened by another factor. This was one of my worst
nightmares coming true. For years my mother and I had been deeply affected by
my brother’s struggle with severe mental illness. This past propelled me even
harder to find a solution to Max’s problem. I felt a call to arms, and in retrospect,
it served me and my family well. I knew that there was no running away or
avoiding the issue — no room for resignation. I knew that problems like this
don’t just go away; they cannot be ignored. I’d explore every nuance of our
family dynamic, every food we ate, and examine every aspect of Max’s life with
a fine-toothed comb, looking for clues. This outcome for my son just didn’t seem
right to me. I was a mother on a mission.

The Search — Without and Within

In the summer of 1994, when Max had just turned three, we began to take
action. On the advice of a speech-therapist friend, my husband and I decided not
to take him to the local child-development clinic affiliated with Stanford
University that had been recommended to us. Our friend told us that they’d just
label Max and create a sense of hopelessness in us. Instead, we took him to a
highly respected speech and language therapist who runs a clinic in Palo Alto,
Donna Dagenais. Donna was (and still is) considered to be the best language
therapist in our area, with vast experience in working with children with
communication and language disorders. She didn’t label Max — she merely
assessed him and set to work. In addition to his private therapy sessions, she also
placed him in group sessions with two other children — including one who had
already been formally diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder
(PDD), mild autism. Of the three, Max was the best-behaved but the least verbal,
and certainly the most “spaced-out.”
Next it was food. In my reading about ADD, I had run across the
recommendations of the Feingold diet for improving children’s behavioral
problems [Feingold]. One of the most suspect problem-foods was cow’s milk.
That sure rang a bell! Max was addicted to it. He had formed a “lovie”
attachment to his bottle. When he’d watch TV, when we were in a car or plane,
at all times of the day, he’d request his “baba.” Some days he’d drink nearly
eight bottles — half a gallon of milk. Perhaps this attachment was
subconsciously related to the fact that, as an infant, Max had surgery for pyloric
stenosis, a condition that closes the valve that controls the flow of stomach
contents into the intestine. The most common symptom is persistent, violent
vomiting. Because of this condition, Max increasingly threw up all the breast
milk he drank during the first month of his life. Perhaps, after a month of not
getting enough milk, Max enjoyed his milk all the more now.
In any case, Max’s craving for and large intake of milk was certainly suspect.
We took him off cow’s milk and cut his consumption to one cup of goat’s milk
per day. This step alone had a dramatic effect. Before it seemed like Max was
behind a curtain, living in a different world. Now, the first veil lifted. He finally
began to talk and build two- to three-word sentences. And he was clearly more
present, more aware of his world. His behavior and language were still by no
means normal, but it was a start. By the end of the summer, we also began to
limit his intake of artificial food colorings, another recommendation of the
Feingold diet.
Interestingly, a recent study has linked some cases of autism to a kind of
brain-reaction to milk protein. This study will be discussed later on in this
chapter, as well as the possibility that this reaction might be triggered by
childhood vaccinations. Certainly, cutting down on Max’s intake of milk did
create a dramatic change in him. But it did not cure him.
In the fall of 1994, Max continued his speech and language therapy with
Donna and, after testing, qualified for special education benefits. He made slow
progress. Despite the fact that he could now talk, Max still had a decidedly
autistic interaction style. For example, he could only answer questions of the
most literal kind, and only about objects directly in front of him. Thus, he could
answer the question, “What color is this block?” but he could not answer an
abstract question like “What is your favorite color?” He also had another autistic
symptom — echolalia, or speech echoing. Rather than answer a question, he
would sometimes merely repeat the last few words the other person had said. For
instance, if you said to him, “Say good-bye,” he would reply, “Say good-bye.”
Sometimes this was a remarkably effective strategy for him: “Do you want to go
outside or stay inside?” “Stay inside.” But soon we realized that he was merely
parroting our words. If we asked the same question in a different way, his answer
would change: “Do you want to stay inside or go outside?” “Go outside.”
During the fall of 1994, we intensified our examination of our family
dynamic and other social factors in Max’s life. On Donna’s advice, we took him
out of his play-oriented nursery school and enrolled him in a Montessori school.
The Montessori framework is extremely structured and focuses on reading and
mathematical and manipulatory skills — things that Max was interested in. It
also encourages children to do their work completely on their own. This was
perfect for Max, who could not interact well with other children but could work
fine alone. The school did not see him as disabled but simply as quiet.
Next, we looked deeper at our family dynamic. At the time we were using a
nanny for child care three days a week. Steve and I each worked four-day
workweeks so that one of us could stay home with the children the other two
days of the week. Our nanny was a somewhat-distant young woman with health
problems of her own. Fortuitously, she left the area at just around this time, and
we were able to find a new nanny who was extremely sweet and loving. We
encouraged her to focus a bit more on Max than on his highly verbal and
engaging brother. Indeed, this was one of the challenges confronting me and
Steve as well. We realized that we had to make a concerted effort to spend more
concentrated and focused time with Max. It was often easy to “forget” him — he
was always wandering off to be by himself. So we decided to take turns, each
spending intensive time with one child or the other.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we examined ourselves — our own
feelings and attitudes toward Max. Deep down, I realized that I had feelings of
rejection toward him in his current state. It can be truly difficult to be genuinely
accepting and loving when dealing with this kind of situation. Yet children with
challenging problems are the ones who need the most from us. They are also the
ones who are most psychically sensitive to parental feelings and attitudes. I
instinctively knew that I had to cultivate a state of unconditional acceptance and
love toward Max, and that this acceptance was critical for his recovery. I also
knew that I had to truly believe, to have true confidence, that he would recover.
Steve helped me a great deal in this regard. Somehow, he always knew that
things would turn out all right.

Homeopathy

It was now January of 1995. Curled up in bed, I was reading the latest issue
of Mothering, a progressive parenting magazine. It included an article by Judyth
Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, about homeopathy for childhood behavioral problems
[Reichenberg-Ullman95]. She claimed that she was able to create substantial
improvement in ADD cases 70 percent of the time. Since then, Reichenberg-
Ullman, along with her husband Robert Ullman, have published a series of
successful books about homeopathic treatment, including Ritalin-Free Kids
[Reichenberg-Ullman96] and a new book about the treatment of autism and
Asperger’s syndrome [Reichenberg-Ullman05].
Back then I knew nothing about homeopathy. Although I had read Deepak
Chopra’s books about alternative methods of healing [Chopra], knew a bit about
ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine), and had taken classes in Qigong and Tai
Chi Chuan (Chinese disciplines to improve the flow of body energies), I thought,
like most people, that homeopathy was some kind of herbal medicine.
Occasionally I had taken over-the-counter homeopathic remedies for colds, but I
didn’t really know anything about homeopathy.
As I read Reichenberg-Ullman’s article that evening, I was filled with an
increasing fascination and excitement. I’ll never forget the moment I finished
reading it. A bell went off in my head. I knew that something important had
happened. Little did I know that our lives were about to change forever. “Read
this!” I said to Steve. The next morning I called an acupuncturist friend of mine
and asked her where I could find a homeopath. She referred me to John
Melnychuk, a professional homeopath new to the Palo Alto area. We quickly got
an appointment and went with high hopes and expectations.
John is now a close family friend. Many years later, he told me that he was a
bit stumped the day Steve, Max, and I walked out of his office in January 1995.
Max was surely in an autistic state, but what other symptoms did John have to
work with, besides those that were simply common symptoms of autism?
You see, although the nature of a patient’s chief complaint or disease can be
helpful in selecting a remedy for them, the symptoms that are merely typical
signs of the disease aren’t always that useful. As I will discuss in Chapter 5, the
most fruitful symptoms are those that are peculiar to the individual. For
example, nearly anyone with asthma will have difficulty breathing coupled with
some anxiety about their condition. What will be most useful to a homeopath in
choosing a remedy, however, will be that which is unusual about the patient and
their asthma. The more peculiar or characterizing of the patient, the more useful
a symptom will be in guiding a homeopath toward a precisely individualized
remedy. Symptoms as peculiar as “asthma, during the full moon” or “asthma,
worse when listening to music” can be found in the homeopathic literature. Such
symptoms are usually associated with only one or two remedies that could be
truly curative to a patient who experiences them. In contrast, a shallow or
“routine” prescription for asthma, based only on common asthma symptoms,
will most likely only palliate asthmatic symptoms, much as allopathic medicines
do. Only a remedy that truly matches the person as an individual will actually
cure them.
Given Max’s youth and withdrawn state, it was a bit difficult to find
symptoms that were particularly unique to him. However, some of the things that
stood out included: his strong craving for milk, coupled with the fact that it
aggravated his condition; his love of dancing and music; the tendency for his
head to become very sweaty when sleeping; his preferred sleep position (on his
back with his hands over the top of his head); his restlessness and intensity; a
family medical history of both cancer and diabetes on Steve’s side of the family
and schizophrenia on my side; and a stubborn, perfectionistic, yet sweet
personality. For example, during that first interview, Max became upset when he
didn’t successfully write “Mom” on a piece of paper just the way he wanted to.
All of the above characteristics are associated with the remedy that Max
ultimately was given — Carcinosin. It is a relatively unusual remedy, but it is
not uncommonly used in such cases. Of course, other remedies have been used
successfully in autism cases as well. The key is to find the remedy that best
matches a child’s unique symptomatic profile.
Ultimately, what clinched John’s recommendation for Max was a particular
symptom that he found in a homeopathic repertory — a reference book that
provides a reverse index to the materia medica. This symptom was associated
with only one remedy, and it read:
“Talented, very: Carcinosin.”
Apparently, I had mentioned 10 times during the initial interview that Max
was talented! Perhaps I was an overly proud mother, defensive of her “special-
needs” child. But I was quite certain of his innate talents. His observational skills
and memory for visual detail were (and still are) quite extraordinary. He could
watch television and perfectly imitate nuances in various characters’ behavior
and mannerisms. He could memorize dance routines and perform them for us.
Even today, Max has an extraordinary memory for visual detail. He can watch a
fast-paced cartoon and remember, days later, every bit of action that occurred. At
age eight, he saw an interesting geometric figure within a painting on the wall of
a restaurant, and remembered this same figure as the logo of another restaurant
we had eaten at only once before — a month earlier. In recent years, he has
emerged as a talented artist, with a flair for comic drawings.
As it turns out, Max had many other symptoms that are characteristic of
Carcinosin as well. Because this remedy turned out to be his simillimum, I went
on to study it further and write journal papers about his case for the professional
homeopathic community [Lansky]. Introduced as a remedy in the early 20th
century, Carcinosin was relatively unknown until D. M. Foubister, MD, a British
physician, began utilizing and writing about it in 1958 [Foubister]. Its many
symptoms include ones that Max also exhibited: bluish sclera (i.e., the whites of
the eyes have a bluish cast); a tendency to have numerous dark-brown macules
(large freckles); a hairy back and legs and heavy eyebrows; a craving for salt,
butter, and spicy foods; perfectionism and tidiness; oversensitivity to reprimand
or criticism; and a love of animals. Even Max’s “poking” behavior, so common
among autistic children, is described in one article about Carcinosin that
appeared in the July 1963 issue of the British Homoeopathic Journal:
“I have noticed that Carcinosin often has bizarre tics; one of my
patients constantly tapped his brothers’ skulls with his fingertips; another
used to gently bite the tips of children’s fingers, one after the other.” [Hoa]

Of course, my goal here is not to go over all of Max’s and Carcinosin’s

symptoms. It is merely to illustrate the kinds of symptoms that play a role in
homeopathic prescribing. It is not a formulaic “take this for that” medical
system. That’s what makes it so hard to practice well.

Initial Changes

Max began taking his remedy on a Thursday morning. John had

recommended a liquid dosing regimen — a kind of slow-and-steady approach —
where a small amount of remedy, diluted in water, is given on a regular basis. In
Max’s case, we gave him a teaspoon each morning. Each time we gave him a
dose, we also tried to imbue it with our love and good intentions.
Two days later, Steve and I began to notice some changes. Max was using
some phrases he had never used before and was somehow a bit more socially
aware. It was subtle, but something had definitely shifted. We also noticed that
his speech was slightly more fluid. Usually, he spoke in a kind of “cogwheel”
fashion — as if he had to think about each word he said. Over time, we found
that noticeable and sudden improvements in speech and social awareness
became Max’s earmark for the effects of the remedy upon him.
The following Tuesday, five days after starting the remedy, Max had a
session with his therapist Donna. We did not tell her about the remedy, but she
quickly noticed that something had changed. “What did you do?” she asked. One
of Max’s exercises was to try to follow a list of instructions, such as “Put the ball
on the red chair and bring the green block to me.” Usually he was able to follow
only a single command, rarely two. Suddenly he was able to perform two
commands consistently.
And the trend continued. Each day we saw just a bit more improvement. As
time went by and we went through successively increased potencies of the
remedy, we began to see a definite pattern of response. A bottle of the remedy
usually took a month to finish. When we began a new bottle, containing a
slightly higher potency of the remedy, Max would show some increased signs of
hyperactivity. These aggravations were not extreme, but they were noticeable to
me and Donna. This period would usually last three to five days. It was followed
by a sudden jump in verbal, cognitive, and social ability — a discrete and
noticeable step upward. At this point, the hyperactivity would also tone down.
Max would become more contained and relaxed. This was followed by a period
of gradual improvement for about two weeks. At the end of the month, as we
neared the end of the bottle, we would begin to see a gradual slipping backward.
Donna and I used to call this Max’s “end-of-the-bottle” behavior. This heralded
the need to move on to the next potency level.

Skepticism

After a few months, the changes in Max had become quite noticeable.
However, being scientists, Steve and I were naturally a bit skeptical about the
whole affair. Was it the remedy that was changing Max? Was it our own
expectations and attitudes? We decided to conduct a simple and, admittedly, not
totally rigorous test. For two weeks, I would make daily observations about Max
and write them down. Steve would give Max his morning dose, changing from
one potency level (bottle) to the next, at a time unknown to me. The bottle would
be hidden. Truthfully, I expected Steve to change bottles fairly early on in the
two-week period. Each day I made my observations and jotted them down,
straining to see that sudden shift, but seeing none. However, on the second to last
day of the experiment, it happened — I noticed a sudden improvement in Max’s
speech. And, indeed, Steve had changed bottles three days earlier.
As it turns out, our skepticism about the miracle happening before our eyes
was not that unusual. Over the past few years, I have seen several striking
homeopathic cures. In those cases where the true simillimum has been found, the
curative process is usually so natural and graceful that it seems that the person is
just “getting better” by themselves. Of course, this is what happens; a remedy
enables the body to heal itself. It does not “do” something to the body in the way
that allopathic medicines do. It does not force a chemical change, so the body
will not feel forced. For this reason, a person who is accustomed to the action of
allopathic medicines will often think that a remedy did nothing; they will feel
that they just “got better.” Or they might attribute their cure to something else.
But in truth, an appropriately selected remedy in the appropriate dose should be
so gentle and effective that the person feels they just got better.
Of course, there are also situations where an inappropriate remedy or an
inappropriate dose is given. In these cases, a person will either feel that nothing
has happened at all, or, if they are sensitive to the remedy, that something
unpleasant has come over them. For example, my mother once experienced a
week of recurring mild fevers that began an hour after ingesting a remedy given
in too high a dose. On another occasion, I found myself sitting and crying over
some cooked onions that had been thrown away by mistake. Puzzled by the way
I was overreacting, I suddenly realized, “Of course! I took a high dose of Ignatia
[a grief remedy] yesterday.” There I was, conducting my own personal proving
of Ignatia, grieving over lost onions.
Interestingly, people often do not attribute these negative effects to a remedy
either — they just don’t feel like allopathic-drug side effects. Luckily, such
reactions usually disappear soon after a remedy is discontinued or after potency
or dose is adjusted. However, such phenomena do underscore the importance of
treatment under the guidance of a trained homeopath.
Because Max’s cure seemed so natural and proceeded fairly gradually, it
seemed to many of our friends and family that he just grew out of his autistic
state. But those of us who saw him almost daily — Steve, Izaak, our nanny, our
housekeeper, Donna, and I — saw the direct correspondence between changes in
dose and improvements in behavior. Donna, who is extremely experienced with
children like Max, repeatedly assured me that what happened to Max was
atypical. When he was clearly better, after a year of daily dosing (at which point
we discontinued the remedy altogether), she confided to me that Max had been
autistic. She said that she had seen autistic kids improve before, but not lose their
autism like Max did. In fact, our pediatrician made the same confession. Once
Max was better, she admitted that he had been autistic. She was quite surprised
by the change in him. Many years later, when I brought the boys in for a
checkup, she commented that she was still amazed at what had happened to
Max.

Osteopathy, Reiki, and Prayer

Six months after starting on Carcinosin, Max continued to improve in his

ability to speak and understand language. His social awareness improved as
well. However, much of his inner restlessness and social distance remained.
When he was four, about six months after starting homeopathic treatment, I took
Max to see a traditional osteopath on John’s recommendation. While most
osteopaths in the United States (with the DO credential) function as allopaths, a
traditional osteopath heals only through hands-on manipulatory techniques. One
of the goals of treatment is to balance and free the flow of cerebrospinal fluid,
through very gentle, sometimes almost imperceptible, manipulations of the
cranium, spine, and sacrum.
Max had a course of three osteopathic treatments in a month, followed by an
occasional treatment once every few months. After his first examination, the
osteopath felt that Max had signs of cranial compression, which he was able to
correct. And indeed, Max’s initial response to treatment was striking. While the
homeopathic remedy had its primary effect on his language production,
comprehension, and social awareness, osteopathy created the first major shift in
Max’s desire for physical affection. It also seemed to create a calming effect in
him, quelling that sense of internal restlessness.
The night after his first osteopathic treatment, Max crawled into my lap and
said, “Mommy, sing me ‘Rock-a-Bye Baby’!” Although he did not usually push
me away, this was the first time he directly asked me for this kind of physical
loving attention. From that point on, Max did. Soon he began crawling into bed
with me in the morning and snuggling at bedtime. He also began to run after me
or my husband when we left the house to make sure he got that extra kiss good-
bye. What a change from the distant “self-contained” Max!
Throughout the healing process, I also prayed for Max on a regular basis.
When times were particularly rough, I would go into his room while he was
sleeping and use a form of therapeutic touch called Reiki [Stein]. I truly believe
that the effects of prayer and hands-on healing are not to be underestimated. In
fact, an increasing number of studies have proven the beneficial effects of both
on cases ranging from open-heart surgery to AIDS [Targ]. Many nurses are
training in the use of such techniques and are beginning to use them in hospital
settings. In my own experience, osteopathy, hands-on energy work, and prayer
all work marvelously with homeopathic treatment. They seem to be
complementary, boosting each other’s beneficial effects.

Joining the Crowd

In the fall of 1995, after nine months of homeopathic treatment, Max began
his second year at the Montessori preschool. At this point, his speech had
definitely become more complex, spontaneous, and fluid. Donna tested him
again and found that he was approaching his age level. She decided to
discontinue therapy but kept him “on the books” as far as eligibility for special
education.
Now that Max was talking, he was also trying to join in with the other
children socially. But he was behind. Having started so late, he was awkward in
his initial attempts at social interaction. He was stubborn and cried too easily
when he didn’t get his way. To get attention and acceptance, he often resorted to
excessive silly “toilet talk.” Of course, as a parent, I was thrilled that he was
beginning to reach out to other children. But the school was not as supportive.
They had pegged Max as a quiet child and did not like the new changes they saw
in him. They gave him no support in his awkward transition from social
withdrawal to social acceptance and savvy. One of his teachers said to me, “Max
was such a nice boy before. Can you put him back the way he was?”
Although it was difficult to change schools in the middle of the school year
and cope with this teacher’s attitude, I had learned by this point that not
changing to meet Max’s needs would stall his progress. It was clearly time for
some changes on the school front. So, at age 4 1/2, we found a new school for
Max — a more socially oriented school that followed the Montessori style, but
not as strictly. His new teachers had no preconceptions or biases toward him, and
they easily helped Max adjust. Within a few months he knew everyone at school,
was interested in what was going on around him, had a couple of friends, and
was having play-dates.
During that school year we also made some more changes on the home front.
When our nanny decided to leave her position to follow her dream to become a
beautician, Steve and I decided to stop using nannies altogether, opting instead
for after-school child care three days per week. This change had many beneficial
side effects for our family. For one thing, we finally began to eat dinner together
every night as a family. Given the hectic schedule of families with two working
parents, the institution of the family meal has gone by the wayside in many
American homes. Returning to it created a feeling of greater coherence and
stability in our lives. It also assured a better diet for our kids.

Remedy Adjustments, and a Hint of Vaccination Damage

By the end of 1995, it became increasingly clear that Max was being
aggravated more than helped by his remedy. He was consistently more hyper and
revved up. We began to decrease the frequency of his dose, but the aggravation
remained. Finally, in January 1996, a year after Max began homeopathic
treatment, we stopped it completely.
Sure enough, just like Max’s marked improvement with each monthly
change of dose, going off the remedy now led to a huge leap in language and
social ability. This leap continued for about four months until it evened out. Max
calmed down and his true personality began to emerge full force. He is an
entertainer. He is sociable and sensitive. Although he was still immature at this
point, he was ahead of his peers academically. He was respected and liked by
both his teachers and classmates. In May 1996, Donna tested Max once more.
He was testing above his age level! On the day that Steve and I joyfully signed
papers releasing Max from eligibility for special education, Donna told the
county social services representative that it was not her therapy that had done the
trick for him; it was homeopathy. She also invited John and me to present Max’s
case to her clinic, which we did that summer.
Max was now almost five years old, and it was tempting for Steve and me to
believe that he was fully cured. However, John was less sure, and he turned out
to be right. There were still vestigial signs of his former autism, though they
were not readily apparent. For example, his language production continued to be
awkward at times. In times of stress (for instance, if he was sick), he would
retreat into himself and use echolalia as a speech strategy.
But overall, Max was functioning extremely well. He engaged in real
discussions with family and friends. He asked for explanations about his body
and his environment. He related stories about his day at school and about TV
shows. He was also fascinated with fantasy play and dress up. Max was even
becoming popular at school, with children running up to him and greeting him.
He was able to adjust easily to new social situations in the summer of 1996,
readily adapting to two new summer camps. Max had also become an avid
reader — another Carcinosin quality. Before he began kindergarten he could
already read simple Dr. Seuss books.
However, by the end of the summer of 1996, I began to notice a slight
decline in Max’s speech and social awareness. It also happened to be time for his
five-year-old checkup at the pediatrician. And for the first time, I declined the
routine vaccinations. At age five, it is customary to give the full battery —
measles, mumps, rubella (MMR); diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT); and polio.
Having read about a possible link between autism and vaccination damage, I
didn’t want to rock the boat. Our pediatrician did not argue with my decision
either. But she did convince me to give Max the tuberculosis (TB) test that is
required for kindergarten entry in California — now administered as an injection
rather than the old tine test.
Unfortunately, this injection led to a marked aggravation and deterioration in
Max’s state. For the next week, he became increasingly sensitive, crying for no
reason. The teachers at his camp and at school remarked about the change in
him. He had become more withdrawn and fearful. He was not his new usual self.
This reaction made us wonder if, indeed, vaccination was the root cause of
Max’s problems in the first place. Years later, I discovered another hint of this.
After going through his medical records, I realized that at age 18 months, Max
had been given a dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine only one
week after recovering from roseola — an ailment related to measles. Perhaps he
had been in a compromised state. Indeed, the MMR vaccine has been highly
implicated in triggering autism [Wakefield].
Luckily, after a couple of tries with other remedies, our homeopath suggested
that we simply return to Carcinosin. After a single dose, Max was back to
normal within hours. We breathed a sigh of relief. Max started back on the
remedy and remained on it for another eight months, once again changing
potency level about once a month. Again we saw the same characteristic
monthly pattern of response. After eight months, in March of 1997, I readily
recognized the consistent aggravation and stopped the remedy. And once again,
this was followed by a long period of noticeable improvement.

An Ongoing Process
 Since that time, Max has no longer needed daily doses of Carcinosin. Just
like the rest of our family, he visits our homeopath and osteopath about two
times a year, or when the need arises. Sometimes he receives a remedy to deal
with minor behavioral or emotional problems that crop up. Sometimes he
receives a remedy when he gets an infection or virus and needs a bit of extra
help getting over it. The same is true for me, Steve, and our other son Izaak. We
are all part of an ongoing process of healing and growth.
In the fall of 1997, I felt that Max was ready to leave his Montessori school.
At age six, he entered first grade at the private school that Izaak attended. Since
then he has done well both academically and socially. He is an open-hearted,
sensitive, and somewhat-comedic fellow who loves drawing and art (he is
especially fond of the quirky and enigmatic paintings of M. C. Escher), playing
computer games, reading fantasy and science-fiction books, and writing and
illustrating his own works of science-fantasy.
But like all children, Max is growing and changing and occasionally needs
homeopathic and social supports. When he was in second grade, input from his
teachers alerted us to the fact that he was still having some difficulty processing
auditory input. For example, he sometimes missed parts of oral instructions or
key points in stories, especially when they were read out loud to the class. Being
quite sensitive to disapproval, Max tended to cover up for these deficits and did
not ask for help or clarification from the teacher. The result was sometimes an
excellently executed assignment or essay, but written about the wrong topic. The
teachers were puzzled. Max’s behavioral effect was normal, and his execution of
assignments was always excellent if he understood what was expected from him.
There seemed to be something askew to them.
You see, up to that point, I had not told Max’s teachers about his former
autism. I didn’t want to bias them in any way. And perhaps I wanted to forget
about these problems myself. When these new issues arose, I told the teachers
about Max’s history. As a result, they tried to provide visual or written
instructions for him when necessary, and occasionally would check up on him to
make sure he had understood class assignments. The net effect was excellent.
Max is now doing extremely well in life. After third grade, his auditory-
processing problems seemed to disappear, thanks to ongoing homeopathic
treatment. His teachers no longer report any problems at all. Today his behavior,
demeanor, and day-to-day interactions with friends and family are not in any
way autistic. He’s a sociable fellow with many friends and an excellent student
working at his age and grade level. He takes piano and tennis lessons. He attends
summer camps, including a monthlong sleep-away camp. He is resilient within
his peer group, always able to defend himself with a kind of entertaining humor
and charm. He is also a gentle soul, loved by his teachers. Of course, he still has
his issues, like any other child. But we continue to work on them, and Max
continues to improve. Invariably, his spirit and talents outshine any limitations.
Max is no longer autistic, but he is still a “talented, very” child.

Why Autism?

According to the Autism Society of America, between 500,000 and

1,500,000 Americans now have some form of autism. And the number is rising.
Check around your community — autism cases are popping up everywhere.
Every day I hear about more cases of this once incredibly rare and heartbreaking
condition. In a statement to Congress in 1999 supported by the Central Missouri
District School Nurse Association, Patti White, RN, estimated that the rate of
autism-related disorders had risen in her district from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 150
[White]. A 1999 California government report also found an alarming increase in
the number of autism cases in that state. Two California state senators, John
Burton and Wesley Chesbro, issued statements to this effect:
“‘In the past 10 years, California has had a 273% increase in the
number of children with autism who enter the developmental services
system — 1,685 new cases last year alone,’ Burton said. ‘What is generally
considered a rare condition is increasing faster here than other
developmental disabilities. We need to find out why.’ ‘The number of
children with autism greatly exceeds the numbers you’d expect from
traditional incident rates,’ Chesbro said.” [CalHealth]

In fact, in 2001, the U.S. Department of Health reported that the incidence of
autism is rising at a rate of more than 20 percent a year [Herald].
Where did this alarming trend come from? As mentioned earlier, one
proposed physiological explanation is a wayward reaction to milk protein. Two
studies conducted at the University of Florida [Sun1, Sun2] have found that
some autistic and schizophrenic individuals may lack the ability to break down
proteins found in milk, possibly due to a malfunctioning enzyme. Research by a
team that includes Dr. J. Robert Cade, the inventor of the Gatorade sports drink,
found that:
“When not broken down, the milk protein produces exorphins,
morphine-like compounds that are then taken up by areas of the brain
known to be involved in autism and schizophrenia, where they cause cells
to dysfunction... Preliminary findings ... showed 95 percent of 81 autistic
 and schizophrenic children studied had 100 times the normal levels of the
milk protein in their blood and urine... When these children were put on a
milk-free diet, at least eight out of 10 no longer had symptoms of autism or
schizophrenia.” [Ross]

Now obviously, the recent dramatic rise in autism cannot simply be

attributed to milk — something that children have always been consuming. What
has changed is these children’s ability to assimilate milk. Indeed, autistic
children are known to be sensitive to many other foods as well — for example,
wheat, gluten, corn, and food colorings — and their autism sometimes improves
when these foods are eliminated from their diet.
But why have these food intolerances developed? One very compelling
theory is that the ever-increasing use of vaccinations is to blame. Indeed, several
studies and books have directly correlated the rise in autism — indeed, the very
phenomenon of autism itself — with the introduction of the American vaccine
program. The earliest reported cases of autism in the United States were in 1943,
among affluent families — the families who were the first to give their children
all the benefits of modern medicine, including vaccinations [Coulter90].
Since then, the situation has only gotten worse. It is now an incontrovertible
fact that the incidence of autism, ADD, and other learning and behavioral
disorders has risen precipitously over the past twenty years, along with a sharp
increase in severe allergies and various other kinds of autoimmune disorders.
This rise has occurred at the same time as the increased and mandated use of
vaccinations for just about every childhood illness. Indeed, the number of
different disease antigens (vaccine constituents that trigger an immune response)
that are recommended for children by the time they are five years old has more
than tripled in the last two decades [Mercola].
Can this correlation between an increase in vaccination and an increase in
behavioral and autoimmune disorders be explained scientifically? Some
scientists are starting to believe the phenomenon can be explained by the fact
that vaccines stimulate a different branch of the immune system (the humoral or
Th2 function) than is stimulated by actually experiencing a disease (the cell-
mediated or Th1 function). As a result, it may be overstimulation of the body’s
Th2 function (by an ever-increasing number of vaccines) that may be causing
wayward autoimmune responses [Incao]. Another popular theory is that various
vaccine ingredients — mercury, in particular — are to blame. Some have also
suggested a synergistic explanation — that toxins used in vaccines (such as
mercury) increase the chance that wayward autoimmune reactions to
immunization will occur [Haley].
 Whatever the explanation, people are beginning to take notice. Missouri
nurse Patti White’s statement to Congress asserts her suspicions about the now-
popular Hepatitis B vaccine. Once a staunch advocate of vaccination, White has
seen a dramatic rise in childhood behavioral problems in her school district, as
well as asthma, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, ever since the Hepatitis B
vaccination was mandated for infants in 1991 [White]. Autism and other
behavioral problems have also been linked to the DPT vaccine (for diphtheria,
pertussis, tetanus), because of convulsions or cerebral inflammation that
occurred hours or days after administration of the vaccine [Coulter90]. More
recently, the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, rubella) has been implicated in
an English study by Andrew Wakefield, MD [Wakefield]. This vaccine is
suspected to cause abnormal intestinal problems in autistic children, and it is
also suspected as a trigger for Crohn’s disease. Although Wakefield’s work has
met with the criticism that one would expect for such an unpopular scientific
result, his suspicions about the MMR vaccine have been buttressed by other
studies. For example, American researcher V. K. Singh has found evidence that
autism may be an autoimmune disorder of the brain that is triggered by the
MMR vaccine [Singh]. Today, many parents within the American and British
autism communities feel that this vaccine, in particular, is the culprit for their
children’s condition. I have come to believe that this was the case for Max as
well.
It will be a shocking and sad day when we as a society admit to ourselves
that, in our effort to avoid the childhood illnesses (many of which are usually
benign) or to needlessly protect newborn infants from diseases primarily found
among intravenous drug users (Hepatitis B), we may be inadvertently crippling
many of our children, both mentally and physically, for life.
Luckily, homeopathy has a long-standing and successful track record in
repairing vaccination damage. It also has been successful in curing (not just
palliating) the allergies, asthma, and behavioral problems that may result from
this damage. Max’s story is a case in point. Homeopathic remedies are also
available for treating and preventing the very same childhood diseases that
vaccinations are trying to prevent. Thus, homeopathy provides not only a
remedial tool but also an alternative way to achieve disease prevention.

The Path to Cure

Max’s cure was a miracle. There is still not a day that goes by without my
thanking God for it. But Max’s healing was not without its ups and downs.
Invariably, overcoming a serious problem like autism is a process that takes
time.
In retrospect, I realize that we were amazingly lucky to find a perfect remedy
for Max right away. Because we were able to see at least some form of progress
throughout Max’s healing, it was easy to stick with the process. More often than
not, however, it takes time for a homeopath to find a good remedy for a patient.
This is especially true in complex, chronic cases. The net effect can be a sort of
zigzag path to cure, a gradual and more circuitous return to health. After all, a
homeopath can do nothing more than try to match a patient’s current symptoms
to the best fitting remedy they can find.
Of course, there are times when a quick miraculous cure does happen. I’ve
seen it myself. I’ve already described some amazing cures that have occurred
within my own family, especially in cases of acute disease. For example, I have
seen a slowly rising fever, which had continued for several hours, stop dead in its
tracks and resolve completely within a half hour after a remedy was taken. I
have also seen an inflamed and painful welt from a wasp sting disappear in just a
few minutes. A friend of mine was once prescribed a single low-potency dose of
a remedy to help her back pain. It must have been the simillimum. Within the
next couple of months, her rosacea (a skin problem that had troubled her for
many years) completely resolved, she was able to go off her antidepressants, and
her back pain resolved too!
But often, the path to cure is not so smooth. There may be periods of
aggravation to deal with and modifications of dose and remedy to be tried. It
takes patience, perseverance, and enough education about homeopathy to
cooperate effectively with the treating homeopath and to cope with the bumps
along the way.
Don’t forget, a homeopath needs to know lots of symptoms — including
some very personal ones — to make a good prescription. Without fully
understanding a person’s physical, mental, and emotional state, a homeopath can
work only on the surface and can have only a superficial impact on a patient’s
health. Even when all of the relevant symptoms are known, it is often difficult to
interpret a case correctly and find the simillimum. Because of this, the practice
of homeopathy, like that of many other holistic healing therapies, is an art that
requires years to master. In difficult cases, even the most experienced homeopath
may need some time to understand a patient well enough to find a path to cure.
Another story from my own family might illustrate this point. My older son
Izaak, a sensitive and intelligent child, suffered some ill-effects from our ordeal
with Max. When he was seven (and Max was four), Izaak began to experience
anxiety and tics. At times it was minor, but at times it was fairly severe. Of
course, we also took him to John for treatment. But for a long time, nothing
seemed to really work well or have a lasting effect.
At one point, Izaak’s tics and twitches became so troublesome that I
unilaterally gave him a dose of a remedy that is known as a “specific” for
twitching. In other words, twitching is a prominent symptom associated with this
remedy. The next morning, Izaak’s tics were gone. Once again, it was a
wonderful example of the rapid and dramatic effects that a remedy can have. But
the prescription was superficial. It was based only upon Izaak’s twitching, not on
his overall state. Within a couple of weeks, the tics were back. And his anxieties
were still there.
Over the next few years, we were eventually able to solve this puzzle and
find some good remedies for Izaak. The first remedy that made a true impact on
him was Kali Bromatum (potassium bromide). It is associated with an emotional
feeling that one has caused or may cause some harm to a family member. One
peculiar symptom of Kali Bromatum sums this up:
“Delusion, brother fell overboard in her sight.”
In other words, the person feels as if he or she has witnessed an event like a
sibling falling overboard from a boat. In truth, Izaak had deep feelings of
responsibility for Max’s problems. It is not uncommon for children to react this
way to family troubles. Izaak’s feelings were exacerbated by an actual event that
literally mirrored the “falling overboard” symptom. In the summer of 1994,
when we were visiting a large hotel, Max and Izaak ran down the hall to push the
button for the elevator. Max got there first, pushed the button, and much to
Izaak’s horror, got onto the elevator alone. The doors closed before Izaak’s eyes.
We quickly got on the next elevator and took it down to the lobby, hoping Max
had gone there as well. But he was nowhere to be found. I ran up and down the
nine floors of the hotel and couldn’t find him. Steve ran around outside the
building. Izaak stood alone and helpless, waiting obediently in the lobby as we
had asked him to do. Finally, after about 15 anxious minutes, hotel security
found Max in the basement in the laundry room. Oddly, the basement was
accessible only with a special elevator key. To this day, we still don’t know how
Max got there.
This event was extremely traumatic to Izaak, and he talked about it for many
years. Whenever he thought Max might run off and get lost, Izaak would go into
a panic. He also extended the same anxiety to our dog, needlessly worrying
about her running away. Despite years of discussing this issue with him, Izaak
continued to be anxious. But finally, after taking Kali Bromatum, he was able to
leave these concerns behind. And his tics abated — in fact, they never became
quite so severe again. Now, Kali Bromatum is not a common remedy for tics.
But it is a remedy that touched the core of his anxiety.
Since then, Izaak has taken a few other remedies associated with similar
emotional symptoms. Each has served to increasingly diminish his tendency
toward anxiety. The next remedy we tried was Cocculus Indicus, the Indian
cockle flower. It is well known for the treatment of people who are exhausted
from nursing other family members and who tend to be overanxious about the
health of others. I myself have also greatly benefited from this remedy. Another
remedy that has helped Izaak is Argentum Nitricum (silver nitrate). Rajan
Sankaran, one of the world’s most eminent homeopaths and teachers from India,
writes the following about this commonly used remedy:
“It is a compound of silver (Ag) or Argentum, whose main theme is
performance, and Nitrate, whose main theme is the feeling of sudden
danger. The two come together in Argentum Nitricum, whose main theme is
“Performance in sudden danger or crisis.” There is a feeling as if the person
will be accepted only if he can perform at the time of crisis.” [Sankaran97,
p. 16]

I have often felt that this must be exactly how Izaak felt as he anxiously
stood and waited in the lobby of that hotel. Izaak’s general level of anxiety about
schoolwork and life in general has decreased considerably since taking this
remedy. And, much to my own amazement, soon after taking his first dose, a few
troublesome warts dried up and fell off.

The Many Lessons Learned

Since I first published my original paper about Max’s cure in 1998 [Lansky],
I have been contacted by many parents of autistic children from around the
world. Recently, one parent called to tell me that because of this paper, he had
sought out homeopathic treatment for his autistic son — and that his boy was
now recovering. That one phone call made all of my efforts to spread the word
about Max’s case worthwhile.
However, in most of my conversations with these beleaguered parents, I have
discovered a great deal of resignation and fatalism about their child’s condition.
Despite my spending hours on the phone or E-mail with them, assuring them that
autism had been cured in Max’s case and had been treated successfully in other
cases as well [HerscuAut], most of these parents have not given homeopathy a
thorough trial. In one case, a mother sought out a homeopath and got a remedy
for her child, but was too afraid to give it to her. In other cases, parents
discontinued treatment after only a month, either because they didn’t see enough
effects from the remedy, or because they were scared by aggravations.
From these experiences I have learned the proverbial lesson — “You can
lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” It is my hope that, in the
case of humans at least, further education can lead to an awareness of the need to
take that first sip and keep drinking.
If someone comes to a homeopath because they are suffering from a chronic
illness, they must give the homeopath time — at least six months — to find a
good remedy and dosing regimen. Indeed, if an allopathic doctor has said that a
condition is incurable, why are people surprised or discouraged when they are
not cured quickly and easily by a homeopath? So often people turn to
alternatives like homeopathy when all hope is lost, and they expect a miraculous
cure to happen overnight. But cure usually takes time.
It also takes confidence. In the case of autism and other severe childhood
diseases, parents often become afraid and despondent, and understandably so. It
is hard enough for them to truly accept their child’s illness. It is even harder for
them to cultivate an attitude of confidence and trust that their child will be cured.
In many cases, it is also difficult for them to face the potential disappointment of
failed treatment. But what is worse? Disappointment, or a lifetime of caring for a
child with a crippling disability?
I believe that it is an attitude of loving acceptance coupled with confidence
in cure that is the key to recovery for anyone. I have read that it is not the
fighters who recover from cancer. Rather, it is those individuals who are able to
embrace their illness and its gifts, while still maintaining confidence that they
will get to the other side of it. A difficult state of mind to achieve — no doubt
about it! While acceptance of disease may be achieved by some, if it is not
coupled with confidence in cure, it can sometimes lead to psychological
investment in disease. When this happens, the positive intentionality that fosters
the curative process becomes derailed.
For example, I have met parents who have convinced themselves that their
children are just fine being autistic. While this attitude may help a parent feel
better about their situation, it does nothing to help a child recover. Certainly,
their child would be better off if they weren’t autistic. If we want our children (or
ourselves) to recover, it is imperative that our love and acceptance be coupled
with an inner vision of recovery. I believe this coupling of attitudes can be the
single most powerful force in achieving a cure — the second most powerful, of
course, being an accurately prescribed homeopathic remedy.
Being a homeopathic patient is invariably a journey of growth. It is a
transformation, not a Band-Aid; a fulfillment of potential and a return to proper
function, not a cut-and-paste operation. It may take effort, but cure (rather than
unending palliation or suppression) is worth that effort. It takes awareness of
one’s symptoms and a willingness to divulge all aspects of oneself to a
homeopath. It takes a “stick with it” attitude.
I hope that Max’s story has also illustrated another point — the need to
accommodate to improvement and growth as it occurs. Because a person
undergoing homeopathic treatment may actually change in fundamental ways, it
is important to make lifestyle modifications that accommodate that change. In a
child’s case, this may require changes in schooling or child-care arrangements.
In an adult, the movement toward health may require changes in work or
relationships. After all, in order to really heal, a person must often repair those
circumstances that contribute to their illness.
Finally, homeopathy is ideally a family affair. For one thing, the healing of a
child may actually depend on a parent’s ability to change and become well too.
Likewise, the healing of a child may free up family energy so that other family
members can fulfill their own potential. In the end, homeopathy can improve the
whole dynamic of a family, as a cycle of change and growth is set into motion.
In our family, once Max was better, Steve and I were able to work on ourselves
and our marriage. Eventually, Izaak was enabled to express his needs and have
them addressed too. And the cycle still continues. I hope that my telling you
about our experiences will help you, your family, and our society and world at
large to find true healing. Because cure is possible.
 Chapter 4: What Is Disease? What Is
Cure?
“We see disease as the disattunement of the dynamis [vital force] — which
will show up in the person not merely in one locale, but may manifest in diverse
manners that may not seem to be related to each other from the perspective of
reductionist pathology. As such, a person presenting with... athlete’s foot,
gastroesophageal reflux, and headache may have three ‘diseases’ according to
allopathic nosology; but for us, there is likely one ‘disease of the person’
manifesting simultaneously in these three diverse superficial expressions.
Homeopathy addresses the individual case of disease as it manifests diversely in
the whole person, rather than pathologically-defined diseases as things in
themselves.”
— Will Taylor, MD, 1999 [WT2]

The Body Machine

Fundamental to modern allopathic medicine is the view of the human body

as an elaborate biochemical machine. Over time, our understanding of this
machine has become more and more refined. With enough scrutiny, medical
scientists hope to uncover every mechanism and detail of the human operating
system. They have made great strides and the results have been truly impressive.
Because this model is so popular, most people believe that altering or
tweaking components of the body machine will be enough to repair its faulty
operation. The hope is that, just like an auto mechanic or a plumber, a doctor will
be able to cure us by sealing off a leaky pipe here, removing a flawed part there,
or by pouring in some chemical additives to increase operating efficiency.
As our understanding of the body has expanded, it has also become
necessary for doctors to specialize in its subsystems. It has simply become
impossible for any one person to achieve complete expertise on the whole
machine. A side effect of this partitioning of expertise is the common belief that
the body is partitioned in the same way. Thus, many people believe that their
headaches have no relationship to their indigestion, or that their skin has no
relationship to their respiratory system. Certainly applying cortisone cream to
eczema couldn’t lead to asthma?
But a plumber knows that sealing off a pipe will add pressure to the rest of a
plumbing system. And a car mechanic knows that plugging up an exhaust valve
or pouring some ill-advised additives into a gas tank will cause problems down
the line. Caution is certainly even more warranted in the case of the human body.
We are not machines. We are dynamic, integrated, and elaborate living entities.
Indeed, the results of a partitioned view of the body can be deadly. All too
often we hear about someone who is taking 10 medications prescribed by 10
specialists for 10 different problems, and as a result is suffering from untold side
effects and interactions. Below is a not atypical list of medications that was
taken daily by a 55-year-old woman with chronic back pain:
Kapanol (morphine sulfate for back pain)
Prozac (antidepressant)
Premarin (hormone replacement)
Lipitor (for lowering cholesterol)
Diaformin (antidiabetic)
Prinvil (antihypertensive)
Quinate (for night cramps)
Losec (antiulcer/reflux)
Urocarb (urinary retention)
Uremide (diuretic)
Alodorm (for sleep)
Can anyone truly claim that such a drugging regimen is safe? For some
people, just going off their numerous daily medications could bring total relief to
a body spinning downward, out of control. Such people are the victims of
iatrogenic disease — i.e., disease caused by prescribed medication and
treatment. As mentioned in Chapter 2, this kind of disease is now estimated to be
the third or fourth leading cause of death in America [Lazarou, Starfield] — far
more than the number of deaths from car accidents. Going to yet another
specialist to scrutinize yet another broken part of your body may be more
dangerous to your health than getting onto the highway.
Jan Scholten, MD, a Dutch homeopath, has pointed out that allopathic and
homeopathic diagnosis seem to stand at “right angles” to one another. The
allopath sees and treats supposedly unrelated fragments of disease — eczema,
pneumonia, an ulcer, depression. To a homeopath, these are only pieces of the
overall pattern of a single underlying disease state. Scholten writes:
“The difference between homoeopathic and allopathic diagnosis is
similar to the sort of difference between pattern and grade, between form
and size, between tone and volume. Allopathic medicine is concerned with
 measuring, whilst homoeopathy is concerned with shapes and patterns...
Nearly every allopathic diagnosis is not a diagnosis at all in homoeopathic
terms... The diagnosis of ‘bronchitis’ is only the beginning of a diagnosis in
homoeopathic terms. We could compare this to the diagnosis of ‘fever’ in
the middle ages. At that time fever was a real diagnosis which told you
exactly what the patient was suffering from, whilst to us this sounds absurd.
This is because we are so used to thinking: ‘Where does this fever come
from?’... This example may illustrate that the concept ‘diagnosis’ implies
the feeling ‘I understand, so I don’t have to look further.’ This same
situation exists in our present times with regard to a diagnosis of bronchitis,
rheumatoid arthritis, myoma, colitis ulcerosa, etc. They are not real
diagnoses, merely descriptions or syndromes. Homoeopathically speaking,
this is only the start of the whole process of diagnosis, i.e., what is the
remedy that belongs to this state? In fact we might say that in homoeopathic
terms, the concepts ‘disease,’ ‘diagnosis,’ and ‘remedy’ are all one.”
[Scholten, pp. 830–831]

Rather than diagnose and treat the various parts of a disease, a homeopath
will try to understand its overall pattern — composed of all of its symptoms, in
every area of the body and mind. Once a homeopath has understood this pattern,
he or she can try to match it to the pattern of a known remedy. And by giving
this homeopathic or similarly patterned remedy, the homeopath treats the whole
person — i.e., treats all symptoms at once.
It may seem incredible that a single substance could potentially cure all of
our symptoms — our headaches, our depression, our indigestion and
constipation, and our high blood pressure. But the holistic nature of homeopathic
cures are illustrated daily in every homeopath’s practice. Indeed, it is quite rare
for a remedy to cure only one part of a person. If a remedy is truly curative, its
effects usually extend to the whole person — because the remedy’s symptoms
match the whole person as well. In the following illustrative example, American
professional homeopath Steve Waldstein, RSHom (NA), describes his own cure:
“When I was given my first homeopathic remedy 25 years ago, my
chief complaint was bronchitis lasting four months, leading to cracking ribs
with coughing. The result of this remedy was: (1) The bronchitis went away
immediately; (2) Asthma and allergies went away; (3) Emotionally, gigantic
improvement; and (4) Moderate scoliosis that I had for 13 years —
resulting in me spending a number of my teenage years in a back brace —
disappeared over the next six months. It is amazing how deep the changes
from the correct remedy can be.” [SW1]
 Steve also describes the case of one of his patients:
“75-year-old with ulcerative colitis, osteoarthritis (one knee has been
replaced and the other is looking bad), myocardial infarction and aneurism
in past, hearing getting quite bad (wears hearing aid), emotionally no big
problems (though the emotional state was the main thing leading to the
prescription)... With aqueous doses of [remedy] over 18 months... The
ulcerative colitis is almost totally gone — he still has a bit of urgency but
only four bowel movements a day instead of 10–15, and always has time to
make it to the bathroom. Colonoscopy shows no problem at all anymore.
Hearing — dramatically better. Osteoarthritis — no longer any problem
with other knee. Blood pressure — down. Blood chemistry much better
(despite no change in diet). Much happier.” [SW2]

In other words, a true homeopathic cure is systemic. Rather than patching or

repairing a part of the body, a curative remedy can bring about a widespread
restoration of health to the entire organism — a fundamental change of state that
addresses the true root of a patient’s disease.

We Are More than Machines

“In the healthy human state, the spirit-like life force... that enlivens the
material organism as dynamis, governs without restriction and keeps all
parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards
both feelings and functions, so that our indwelling, rational spirit can freely
avail itself of this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our
existence.” [Hahnemann, Aphorism 9]

The limitations of the body-machine model and the folly of piecemeal

treatment of individual symptoms becomes even more apparent if we accept the
idea that there is more to us than just our physical body. Allopathic medicine is
nearly alone among the world’s medicines in its insistence that bodily disease is
completely physical. What if modern allopathy is wrong and Indian, Chinese,
and other medicines (including homeopathy) are right? If so, our physical body
is merely a veneer or surface view of an elaborate and dynamic energetic entity
— an entity that Hahnemann called the dynamis or vital force. This force
incorporates our bodies, emotions, mind, and spirit, and interacts in inexplicable
ways with other people, animals, plants, minerals, and even man-made creations.
Perhaps one day we may develop sophisticated instruments for detecting and
measuring the vital force. But for now, all we can do is observe how it manifests
itself in terms of physical and behavioral symptoms, and try to find reliable
methods for working with it. Certainly, accepting the reality of such a force
changes the whole medical equation.
Of course, many allopathic doctors have begun to acknowledge that disease
may extend beyond the physical — that a person’s emotions and thoughts can
interact with their physical body. For example, most people today acknowledge
that life’s stresses can affect blood pressure, bring out eczema, or trigger
asthmatic attacks. But the growing allopathic understanding of holism is still
quite partial and superficial. Although allopaths acknowledge that there may be
mind-body connections, most believe that these connections are strictly
biochemical. It must be neurohormones at work. It must be a brain chemical
imbalance that’s causing our depression. The response: prescribe antidepressants
or megadoses of vitamins — pour in some more additives.
But the body keeps breaking down — and we keep patching, adding, and
cutting. We invent new drugs, but bacteria and viruses mutate and keep up. We
dump in new vaccinations, but new and stronger diseases arise. We take
antidepressants, but are we really happy, deep down inside? In the meantime, our
bodies and minds are becoming weakened by all of these things. Our inherent
susceptibility to disease has become greater. The signs are everywhere. Just look
around you. Even children have become the victims of severe chronic diseases at
rates much higher than was true in the past.
These trends should be causing alarm bells to go off in our society. And,
indeed, some allopaths have begun to be concerned. For, despite our increasingly
technological medical capabilities, the tools available for treating chronic disease
are actually fairly limited in scope. The result is a kind of desperation in
conventional medicine today. But rather than genuinely looking “outside the
box” for true alternatives, the natural tendency for most allopaths is to believe
that developing more drugs, vaccines, and surgical procedures will eventually
overcome something they do not understand very well at all.
For instance, consider the modern practice of prophylactic hysterectomies.
These are sometimes recommended for symptom-free young women if their
family medical history indicates a strong tendency towards uterine or ovarian
cancer. But does removing a woman’s organs also remove her inherent tendency
to develop cancer? If a body copes with life stresses by developing cancer, won’t
it simply develop cancer in some other organ? And does this woman even have
the tendency to develop cancer? What will be the untoward effects of removing
key hormone-producing organs from her body? What happens to her if she is
given hormone replacement therapy, a treatment already known to increase the
chances of developing cancer?
In my view, a wiser approach would be to try to remove or reduce this
woman’s susceptibility to cancer. The way to achieve this can be found by
adopting an alternative medical view — that susceptibility resides in the energy
body, not in the physical body-machine.
A fundamental discovery of 20th century physics was that the building
blocks of our reality are much more subtle than they appear to be. True reality is
at the quantum level, where thoughts can have effects, and events and actions do
not have to be physically close to one another in order to interact. Clearly,
modern medicine has not kept up with these discoveries. It is still operating from
a Newtonian premise: that the human body — surely one of the most subtle and
complex systems that exists — is a big plumbing system. Modern medicine has
yet to incorporate the scientific outlook of the 20th century.
Amazingly, Hahnemann, even at the turn of the 19th century, was able to
come up with a radically different and intrinsically energetic viewpoint: that the
physical body is coupled to an invisible vitalistic force that is the true organizing
principle of life. Certainly, his successful use of ultradilute remedies reinforced
this view. But what really enabled Hahnemann to make such a cognitive leap
was a philosophical shift. Rather than trying to develop a new, more complex
model of the body machine, Hahnemann’s response to the medical predicament
of his time was to rethink everything. In particular, he accepted as a premise that
a complete understanding of how the body functions was impossible, and that, in
fact, this understanding was not necessary for the successful practice of
medicine. As a result, he was freed up to find a system of medicine that did not
depend on this understanding.
Of course, this seems odd to those of us with a mechanistic view of the body.
Surely, you can’t fix something unless you know exactly how it works. But what
if you can’t completely know how something works? In this situation, you will
focus on empirical observation and experience — in the case of medicine, on
what seems to consistently heal or improve the body’s functioning. Moreover,
your fundamental research goal will be different. You will try to determine what
actually cures, rather than figure out how the body works. And through your
experiments, you may eventually derive principles or laws about the relationship
between curative agents and the diseases they cure.
This is precisely what Hahnemann did. He focused on what actually cured —
not on what seemed logical from the perspective of a particular model of the
body — and ultimately he discovered a general-purpose law of cure, the Law of
Similars. When he applied this principle, he met with great success.

We Are Intrinsically Self-Healing

In Chapter 2, we discussed how Hahnemann was a naturalist when it came to

health, even before he discovered the Law of Similars. To him it was plain
common sense that the body is dynamic and integrated, and that when left to its
own devices, it will usually be able to repair itself. We are animals after all, just
like other animals on this planet, and we are probably even better equipped to
adapt and survive. Surely we must have evolved to be self-repairing, self-
healing. Our bodies have built-in mechanisms to maintain balance, even in the
face of physical and emotional challenges.
Unfortunately, a trust in the body’s inherent wisdom and strength seems to
have been lost in the modern world. So many of us think of ourselves as flawed,
fragile, disconnected machines. We think we need all kinds of props to hold us
up. “I have a brain chemical deficiency.” “I need more hormones.” “I need
antidepressants.” This view is a modern creation, an illusion we have all bought
into, largely due to the influence of the powerful medical and advertising
industries. For thousands of years, our ancestors had no access to antibiotics,
antidepressants, or antihistamines. Surely the human body is not as frail as we
think.
Of course, sometimes the external forces of life do become too much for us.
In response, we develop a state of being that is not perfectly balanced; we
become skewed. Perhaps our lungs become a weak spot. Perhaps a difficult
childhood leaves us prone to anxiety or paranoia. Once we become skewed
enough, we tend to become more severely ill as difficult situations arise. Minor
illnesses take longer to recover from. We become more allergic and sensitive to
our environment. What began as minor spells of the blues becomes a chronic
state of depression.
But even if someone is in a chronic state of disease, it is important to
remember that they are not without defenses. Within all of our bodies are
mechanisms whose entire purpose is to maintain life, heal our wounds, and
reachieve balance. All parts of the body are interrelated and working together to
create the best possible adaptation to every circumstance. How can we enhance
these mechanisms rather than supplant them with chemicals? One way to regain
and enhance this ability for self-repair is via homeopathic treatment. Somehow, a
properly selected remedy functions as an energetic stimulus or information
transmitter that enables the body to do what it has forgotten or become less able
to do: heal itself.

Symptoms Are Our Friends

“Disease is a unit. It is one disease for one person at one time. It

begins in a single place (usually the individual’s weakest spot) but it also
shows itself throughout the whole being in many ways, manifesting though
many signposts which we call signs and symptoms. Our job is to ferret out
that ONE disease for that one person. The vital force’s job is to help us find
it, by producing signs, or symptoms, that show us the pattern of the
disease.” [Herscu, p. 6]

So what about disease? What about those nasty symptoms? Once you believe
that the body and mind are always doing their best to accommodate to every
situation, symptoms take on a whole new meaning and significance:
Symptoms are usually manifestations of the body’s best attempt to heal itself.
This view of symptoms may seem odd at first. After all, machines can’t repair
themselves. When our car breaks down, its “symptoms” aren’t signs of self-
repair — they are signs of disrepair. But the body is not a machine. It does repair
itself. We would all die quite rapidly if this were not the case. Thus, when we
develop a fever or vomit, it is usually because the body is trying to kill off
invading bacteria or purge itself of toxic matter. When we become hysterical or
depressed after an emotional incident, it is the psyche’s way of coping and
healing from that incident. Symptoms, especially in acute disease, are signs that
our defensive system is working.
Consider this. If we did not develop symptoms — if we did not develop a
fever when it was warranted or become upset after a traumatic event — we
would be quite sick indeed. When a person cannot develop symptoms, it is a sign
that their inherent vitality is quite weak. We all know that elderly people do not
usually develop high fevers as children do. This is because a young child has a
good vital reactive system; a child can develop a high fever that enables them to
quickly heal. An older person can only put up a weaker defense, and as a result,
it is much harder for them to get well.
Now, if a symptom is a sign of the body’s attempt to heal, what are the
consequences of suppressing it? What if we suppress every fever with aspirin
and every rash with cortisone? Palliate every allergic reaction with
antihistamines? Quell every depression with antidepressants? This has become
the primary operative mode of modern allopathic medicine —temporarily
palliation or complete suppression of symptoms. But what is the effect of this
practice in the long run — or even in the short-term?
Consider the use of nasal decongestant spray. Such sprays only temporarily
alleviate congestion, they do not cure it. The congestion always returns after the
spray wears off. Indeed, we are warned not to use such sprays for too long; if we
do, our congestion will become even worse. This phenomenon illustrates a more
general point. If we palliate or keep pushing our symptoms down, the body will
rebel. It wants those symptoms. If you push them down, they will come back
with a vengeance, or perhaps pop up somewhere else, in some other form.
Now what if you go beyond palliation and succeed in completely
suppressing a symptom? A recent television ad for herpes medication
enthusiastically exclaims, “It’s all about suppression!” If you artificially suppress
a symptom so that it never reappears, you may have the illusion of cure. But in
reality, the underlying disease state that is causing that symptom will have to
find a different way to express itself. Don’t forget, if the body’s symptoms
reflect its battle against disease — a battle that is being waged in the most
benign way possible — then its symptoms will usually be ones that are least
damaging to health, given the circumstances. After all, the body’s underlying
“goal” is to survive. But if we completely deny and suppress these symptoms,
the body will eventually need to compensate — by expressing itself with more
serious symptoms elsewhere.
Hahnemann began to witness this phenomenon early on in his career. One of
his first observations about disease was that it tended to deepen after suppressive
treatments. This was particularly obvious when skin symptoms were suppressed.
For instance, Hahnemann noticed that suppressed eczema could lead to asthma
and other respiratory problems. The same observation can be made today.
Modern pediatricians have all witnessed the rise of allergies and asthma in
children, and they usually assume that pollution is the culprit. But what if the
true culprit is the overuse of cortisone and allergy medicines? The following
message, posted to a homeopathy Internet list by a concerned parent, provides a
typical example of this syndrome:
“My 17-month-old daughter is suffering from “childhood eczema” (as
diagnosed by her pediatrician). We have used “1% Hydrocortisone”...
ointment when needed, up to twice a day. The medication usually helps, but
is not a cure for the eczema which began during the first month or so after
birth. This was also when she received the first of many vaccinations
required or recommended in Illinois where we live...
My older daughter who is now nine used to have the same problem.
Her eczema went away around age four, but was replaced by occasional
asthma attacks. The asthma attacks now occur only once or twice a year. I
have severe pollen allergies. My wife has mild pollen allergies. I hope this
information helps.” [MC]
 From the homeopathic point of view, a weak spot in this family’s health
pattern is the tendency to develop eczema, allergies, and asthma. The children
both developed eczema early on, perhaps as a reaction to vaccination. When
their eczema was suppressed, their underlying disease tendency was forced to
express itself as asthma.

Cure Versus Suppression

After Hahnemann recognized the effects of symptom suppression, he began

to examine more deeply the links between disease episodes, and especially, the
effects of homeopathic remedies on symptom progression. He found that if
symptoms were treated and removed homeopathically, they would be cured
without further progression of disease. Moreover, earlier symptoms that had
once been suppressed would return. Thus, if a case of asthma was cured
homeopathically, the eczema that preceded the asthmatic state would most likely
return. And if the eczema was then cured homeopathically (rather than
suppressed), there would no longer be a progression into asthma.
Hahnemann also noticed proof of this in nature. He discovered that when
disease episodes were left completely untreated and proceeded naturally, their
interrelationships and patterns of progression and recession would reflect the
same phenomena. For example, Hahnemann observed that if a patient was
suffering from a disease and then contracted another dissimilar disease on top of
it, the first disease would often disappear; it would become temporarily
suppressed. However, once the second disease resolved, the first disease would
return. This pattern mirrors the use of palliative drug treatment. Hahnemann
wrote:
“When measles and smallpox were reigning at the same time, and both
infected the same child, the measles that had already broken out was
usually halted in its course by the smallpox that broke out somewhat later.
The measles did not resume its course until after the smallpox healed.”
[Hahnemann, Aphorism 38]

I’ve even seen this phenomenon myself. Izaak had a mild nose cold and
cough that disappeared completely when he contracted a 24-hour stomach flu.
When the flu resolved, the cold returned.
A second kind of disease combination that Hahnemann observed is
analogous to the use of homeopathic remedies. In this case, the second disease is
similar to the first. The result is that when the second disease resolves, the first
disease resolves as well and never returns. For example, Hahnemann made this
observation about the two similar diseases cowpox and smallpox — indeed, at
about the same time as Edward Jenner did. Jenner’s observation led him to the
use of cowpox as a vaccination for smallpox. Hahnemann’s observations and
conclusions ran deeper. He noticed that incurring and recovering from smallpox
could also cure deafness, testicular swelling, and dysentery that also just
happened to precede it. He realized that this happened because all of these
symptoms were also characteristic of smallpox; i.e., the process of getting and
recovering from smallpox enabled the cure of previously existing conditions
whose symptoms were similar to those of smallpox. Hahnemann also understood
that Jenner’s successful use of cowpox as a vaccination for smallpox was merely
an illustration of a much larger therapeutic principle — the Law of Similars.
(Nevertheless, as will be discussed later on, the way vaccination is practiced by
allopaths is very much at odds with homeopathic philosophy and practice; the
homeopathic approach to prophylaxis against disease is quite different.)
Finally, Hahnemann also observed cases in which two dissimilar diseases
combined and coexisted. This was particularly common when a natural disease
combined with an iatrogenic disease — a disease caused by toxic doses of
medicine. Hahnemann noticed that iatrogenic diseases tend to persist and
ultimately coexist with a patient’s original disease. In modern times, this can be
seen in people whose symptoms are suppressed with ongoing use of steroids;
ultimately, the patient develops a “steroid disease” that coexists with their
original illness.
Because of these observations, Hahnemann came to view the effects of all
medicines as diseases in themselves. A “medicinal disease” could be viewed as
either similar or dissimilar to a patient’s disease. Eventually, Hahnemann
concluded that the only way to cure a disease — not palliate or suppress it —
was to meet it with a similar medicinal disease. In other words, the only way to
cure was homeopathically.

Antipathy, Homeopathy, and Allopathy

Hahnemann’s observations about the various possible relationships between

disease states and medicinal states are fundamental to understanding the
difference between homeopathy and other forms of medicine. Indeed, it was
Hahnemann who coined the terms allopathy, antipathy, and homeopathy, in
order to distinguish among different ways of applying medicines to diseases.
 Anti-pathy is the application of medicines according to what Hippocrates
called the Law of Opposites. In other words, to counter a symptom, a
medicine is given that, if it were given to a healthy person, would create the
opposite effect of the symptom. For example, a drying agent might be used
in cases of excess mucus, or a constipating agent might be used for
diarrhea.
Homeo-pathy is the application of medicines to disease states according to
the Law of Similars. In other words, to cure a symptom, a medicine is given
that, in a healthy person, would bring about a similar symptom.
Allo-pathy is the application of medicines to disease states according to no
particular rule or law. In other words, the effects of medicines on healthy
people bears no fixed relationship to their use in sick people. An allopathic
physician may make use of antipathic medicines, homeopathic medicines,
or any other kind of medicinal substance or method; there is no guiding
principle of therapeutics.

Given the above definitions, it is clear that antipathic medicines are primary
tools of today’s allopaths. This is reflected in their use of antidepressants,
antihistamines, antiinflammatories, etc. From the standpoint of homeopathic
philosophy, all uses of antipathy are either palliative (i.e., they merely suppress a
symptom for a short time, after which it returns) or are completely suppressive
(they permanently suppress a symptom at the risk of developing deeper disease
later on).
Interestingly, some of today’s allopathic treatments are homeopathic. For
example, the heart medications nitroglycerin and digitalis are both tried-and-true
homeopathic remedies that were used by homeopaths in the 1800s for
cardiovascular disease. Because of the success of these remedies, they were
adopted by the allopaths and continue to be used for heart patients until this day.
Of course, when modern allopaths discover new drugs that happen to have
homeopathic action, they are puzzled. For instance, doctors are puzzled why
Ritalin, a stimulant, should have a calming effect on hyperactive children. Of
course, I’m not suggesting Ritalin as an effective homeopathic cure for
hyperactivity. From a homeopathic perspective, Ritalin is applied in a blanket,
nonindividualized fashion, and is given in toxic doses. But the reason why it
works at all is due to the homeopathic principle — likes cure likes. Another
somewhat amusing example of this phenomenon appeared in a recent article in
the Houston Chronicle:
“ An intriguing new study suggests coffee may prevent Parkinson’s
disease. How a product that makes people jittery could keep them from
 getting a disease that gives them tremors is not examined... but ... the study
found that men who didn’t drink coffee were five times more likely to
develop Parkinson’s than those who drank the most.” [HoustonChronicle]

Once again, heavy coffee drinking is not a recommended habit for anyone,
but its ability to prevent or reduce the incidence of Parkinson’s disease may also
be explained by the Law of Similars.
Allopathic medicines that are neither antipathic nor homeopathic are actually
considered the most dangerous by homeopaths. They are so strong that they
completely suppress symptoms by engrafting a new, stronger medicinal disease
onto a patient. The result is that patients now have two diseases — a disguised
but deepened version of their original disease (which will most likely take on a
new form) and an iatrogenic disease caused by the medicine. Typical examples
of this kind of therapy are the use of chemotherapy for cancer and psychotropic
medications for the severely mentally ill.
Over the past two hundred years, the Law of Similars has proven to be a
therapeutic strategy that consistently cures without suppression. It may seem
unbelievable, but it is true; homeopathic medicines can cure supposedly
incurable conditions like asthma — conditions that allopaths can only palliate or
suppress. And, when properly applied, homeopathic remedies do not engraft new
disease states. Indeed, they have the power to reveal previous layers of disease
that were suppressed before, thereby allowing for their homeopathic treatment as
well.
Of course, in serious cases, especially when many allopathic drugs have been
taken over a long period of time, complete homeopathic cure can be long and
complex — sometimes impossible. The curative process may require expert
monitoring and care from both an experienced homeopath and an allopathic
physician, to enable gradual and safe weaning off allopathic drugs. But if the
body is able, such cures do happen. And even if complete cure is not possible,
most people can attain a significant improvement in their health and a decrease
in their need for allopathic medication.
One final word of caution. Just because a medicine is ultradilute and
potentized does not make its use homeopathic. Potentized medicines can be
applied antipathically and allopathically in the hands of a person who does not
fully understand their use and cannot distinguish between suppression and cure.
For this reason, remedies should always be used with caution, preferably under
the supervision of a certified homeopath.

The Law of Cure

As I have already described, Hahnemann’s observational skills enabled him

to recognize causal interrelationships between disease episodes. He also noticed
that, depending on a person’s particular susceptibilities and areas of weakness,
his or her disease progression would usually take a fairly predictable path. Of
course, allopaths have also noticed that people tend to manifest typical pathways
of disease progression. But what about the reverse direction? What does a cure
look like? And how can it be distinguished from suppression?
As I mentioned earlier, the successful homeopathic treatment of disease is
often heralded by the reappearance of old symptoms. In essence, the progression
toward deeper disease is put into reverse; the outermost disease state is met by a
remedy and is lifted, revealing layers that had been suppressed before. These old
symptoms can then be treated homeopathically, or, in many cases, do not need
treatment at all — they simply “pass through” in lessened form and disappear by
themselves. I have seen this in my own case. After taking a remedy, I
experienced the return of precancerous cells on my nose that had been burned off
years earlier. However, unlike before, these cells now scabbed over and healed
completely on their own.
As it turns out, the old symptoms that return during a curative process tend to
occur in a particular kind of pattern or sequence. Homeopaths call this pattern
the Law of Cure. Although not a “law” like the Law of Similars, it can be viewed
as an observational guideline for recognizing a pattern of cure, in contrast to a
pattern of disease progression. The Law of Cure states that cure tends to
proceed:

From the center toward the circumference.

From above, downward.
From more vital to less vital organs.
In reverse order of appearance.

Thus, internal (and more important) organs tend to be healed first, with the
skin usually coming last. Symptoms also tend to return and be healed starting
from the head and torso and progressing outward toward the limbs. Finally,
symptoms tend to heal in reverse order of their appearance. Of course, this “top-
down, in-out, last-first” pattern of cure isn’t always strictly followed. The
underlying idea, however, is that symptoms tend to be healed so that the most
threatening symptoms are cured first. Since disease tends to progress by
following the least harmful path of symptom expression, it also makes sense that
the body will tend to heal its most important parts first.
The following case treated by Malaysian homeopath and physician Dr.
Suriya Osman, illustrates the Law of Cure beautifully. It also demonstrates the
dangers of suppression.
“This patient... was first seen in 1988 with what seemed to be a simple
case of dandruff. He later developed tinea versicolor [a benign loss of
pigmentation of the skin] both of which were treated in a suppressive
manner. In 1991 this patient developed a full blown case of psoriasis with
abdominal pain and also joint pain. He was referred to a skin specialist who
put him on steroids and the usual skin creams... This patient had been on
steroids, NSAID’s [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] (Ponstan), and a
paraphernalia of creams ever since, with a symptom picture getting worse
and worse... In March of 1998, he complained of bodyache in addition to
his usual joint pain and skin lesions. I looked over his records and was
alarmed at the amount of steroids he had consumed. I asked if he would
mind a slight aggravation and told him I was afraid that the steroids might
have weakened his bones. I gave him [remedy] for a week hoping to
antidote some of the bad effects of the steroids. I did not see this patient
until today. He told me he had not taken any Ponstan ever since my
treatment, had not needed any antihistamines and the only skin lesions he
had were tinea versicolor! The remedy had brought back the old problem
and miraculously taken away his joint pain, abdominal pain and psoriasis...
The amazing thing is that the patient did not appear to realize that a near
miracle had taken place! He did experience a very slight aggravation for
about two days when he started the remedy, but has otherwise been well.”
[SO]

And a follow-up:
“The patient came back today because he had a slight cold and cough.
I asked him about his psoriasis, to date, no symptoms at all. His skin still
shows the tinea versicolor. His joint pains only come during wet weather
and then only very slightly and only in the morning. I asked him about
mental symptoms. While he used to be very easily irritated and angry, was
anxious at night due to the pain from the joints, he is now an even tempered
fellow who sleeps soundly all night. It still amazes me that all he needed
was [remedy] for a week for a condition that spanned 10 years and was
labeled incurable by our orthodox specialists!” [SO]

Notice how the treatment of this man’s severe body pains (initially caused by
suppression of skin disease, coupled with iatrogenic disease due to prolonged
steroid use) led to a return of the original benign skin complaint of tinea
versicolor. This case also illustrates how important it is not to suppress skin
symptoms, including those that may reappear during the process of homeopathic
cure. Such symptoms are typically not life-threatening and may indicate that
deeper disease is simply on its way out. A homeopath should always be
consulted if there is any question or doubt about returning symptoms. Remember
that skin symptoms are often the body’s best safety valve for venting disease.
Unfortunately, in our vain and image-conscious society, they are also the first
symptoms we suppress.
Here is another illustrative case that describes the retreat of Lyme disease.
Notice how the disease regressed in the exact reverse order of its progression.
The patient was treated by Christian Kurz, PhD, an Austrian nuclear physicist
who is also a homeopath.
“A man came to me... with the diagnosis of Lyme disease. It was a
textbook case, with the wandering exanthema [skin eruption] and
accompanying pains. The skin symptoms had already subsided, and the
muscle pains set in. They were so severe that the pain caused him to
perspire so profusely that he would leave a little puddle wherever he was
standing for a few minutes. He couldn’t walk anymore and was sitting in a
wheelchair. The pain had started in the area of the right forearm and had
wandered up the arm, around the neck and had settled above the sternum on
the chest... After the remedy, the pain retraced the original path. There was
a hint of an exanthema on the original spot and all was over in a week.
After one week he was completely restored and went on a trip to Bangkok.
I have seen him several times since then (2.5 months ago) with no sign of
recurrence.” [CK]

Since homeopathy deals with the whole person, not just the physical body,
the Law of Cure actually applies on a much deeper and more complete level than
implied by these two cases. Even before remedies help to heal the physical body,
they often address the innermost part of our being — our psyche, our mind, and
our emotions. Thus, a common pattern of homeopathic cure begins with an
increased sense of inner well-being. This may then be followed by healing on the
physical level. A classic example might be a lessening of anxiety, followed by a
cure of asthma, followed by the return of eczema on the face. After this heals,
the eczema might migrate out to the limbs, and then finally leave totally. In
contrast, it would be a sign of suppression if asthma disappeared only to be
replaced by new and more serious symptoms, such as severe depression or heart
disease.
Homeopaths usually attribute the Law of Cure to Constantine Hering, MD,
the first leader of the homeopathic community in America. A colorful and
brilliant man, Hering was born in 1800 in Saxony, Germany. The pupil of the
prominent surgeon Robbi at the University of Leipzig, he first came to
homeopathy as a debunker; he was asked by his professors to write a paper
condemning Hahnemann’s new system. In his attempt to honestly do so, he
repeated Hahnemann’s original experiment with cinchona and found it to be
successful. Shortly thereafter, he was cured of a potentially fatal dissecting
wound with a single homeopathic dose of Arsenicum Album (arsenic trioxide).
Soon he began to study and utilize the homeopathic system, and he quickly
became an ardent supporter. As he himself wrote:
“My enthusiasm grew. I became a fanatic. I went about the country,
visited inns, where I got up on tables and benches to harangue whoever
might be present to listen to my enthusiastic speeches on homeopathy. I told
the people that they were in the hands of cut-throats and murderers. Success
came everywhere. I almost thought I could raise the dead.” [Knerr]

Hering arrived in America in 1833 and became the leader among the few
homeopaths there at the time. He settled in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and started
a homeopathic college in that city in 1837. Later, in 1844, he founded America’s
first medical society, the American Institute of Homeopathy.
Hering was an avid enthusiast of collecting symptoms that had not only
appeared in provings, but had also been verifiably cured by remedies. Indeed, he
published his own 10-volume materia medica, whose remedy symptoms are still
considered some of the most reliable to this day. Hering was also an inveterate
prover of new medicines. He proved more than 100 remedies on himself,
including the snake remedy Lachesis (made from the poisonous venom of the
bushmaster snake) and Glonoine — the medicine today known as nitroglycerin.
As mentioned before, nitroglycerin is one of several homeopathic medicines that
are still used by today’s allopaths. Every heart patient with a little bottle of
“nitro” under his or her pillow (my mother being one of them) owes a debt of
thanks to Constantine Hering.
Unfortunately, knowledge of Hering’s Law of Cure — simple yet critical
observations about the signs of true cure — has yet to reach today’s allopaths.
Consider the following story from my own family. My older son Izaak had
minor eczema as a baby, which we suppressed with cortisone cream. He then
went on to develop allergies. As our pediatrician wrote out a prescription for
allergy medicine, she commented, “He will probably develop asthma.” Did she
ever stop to think that the previous cortisone treatment had led to Izaak’s
allergies and that the suppressive allergy medicine she was prescribing might be
the ultimate cause of asthma?
Doctors may notice that progressions tend to occur and that symptoms tend
to become deeper and more significant, but they never ask why. It just happens.
It’s a “tendency.” Yes, it’s true that people have tendencies toward specific kinds
of disease progressions. But because symptoms are routinely suppressed rather
than treated homeopathically, doctors never get to see what a real cure looks like,
with the return of older and lesser symptoms. They do not even know that such
cures are possible.
Thankfully, we discontinued allergy medicines for Izaak, and he never
developed asthma. He still suffers from some minor allergies, but he manages
without antihistamines or any other kind of allergy medicine. He even has a bit
of eczema return now and then. I am happy to see it! We just let it be, and
eventually it resolves on its own or as a result of ongoing homeopathic
treatment.
Another anecdote concerns a friend of mine. She has suffered for many years
from respiratory problems, including asthma and bronchitis, which she routinely
suppresses, mostly with over-the-counter medications. Because she cannot afford
health insurance, she is forced to go to the emergency room in crises, where she
is given antibiotics, steroids, and a growing stack of medical bills that she cannot
afford to pay. Eventually, her condition worsened. Although she no longer had as
many respiratory symptoms, she developed severe emotional agitation and chest
pain and subsequently suffered several minor strokes. The medical bills racked
up further. I could see she was in grave danger — at the age of 45. I helped her
pay some of her medical bills and convinced my family homeopath to take her
on without a fee. He was able to find a good remedy for her quickly. Her chest
pains, headaches, and sleeplessness subsided considerably for the few months
she stayed on the recommended remedy. However, her bronchial and asthma
symptoms returned, which she soon suppressed. Months later, her heart
problems returned as well. Unfortunately, I have not been able to convince her to
return to the homeopath.
My friend’s story is the story of many Americans. They cannot afford to take
even a few days off from work in order to heal, nor can they afford health
insurance or the services of a doctor that is able to follow their case carefully. In
the end, they take too many ill-advised medications and develop even more
serious chronic problems than most people do.
Homeopathy could be a cost-effective way to help the poor. Although the
consultation rates are not inexpensive, the remedy costs are negligible and the
results, in the long run, are more satisfactory and cost-effective. But the current
legal status of homeopathic practice in this country, as well as the fact that it is
not usually covered by insurance, makes treatment of the poor a risky and
unviable option for most homeopaths. In addition, the “quick fix” mentality of
most Americans makes homeopathic treatment problematic. Most people expect
immediate results — usually immediate palliation or suppression — which
homeopathy cannot always provide.

Susceptibility

So why do we get sick? From an allopathic standpoint — the one most of us

were indoctrinated with — we are the victims of “germs.” Those pesky bacteria
and viruses are everywhere, lurking on every doorknob and stranger’s hand. If
we are unlucky and get attacked, we are their hapless victims.
But wait! That can’t be the whole story. Not everyone exposed to a virus or
bacteria gets sick. The kids may all get the cold going around, but the parents
might not. And doctors don’t get every disease they are exposed to; they know
how to put up some kind of “energetic” barrier to disease, and it usually works.
Besides, we know that germs are everywhere. There is no escaping them. If
becoming sick were simply a matter of exposure, we would all be sick all of the
time.
The fact is, a person isn’t necessarily the victim of every bacterium that
jumps into his or her nose. Even in the most virulent epidemic, not everyone gets
sick or dies. Some people can swim in frigid lakes without getting sick; others
fall ill when exposed to a cool breeze. Some people can endure gruesome
abusive childhoods and come away stronger; others are left permanently scarred
by comparatively mild upsets. It’s all a matter of our individual susceptibility —
our ability to defend ourselves, to regain and retain equilibrium in the face of the
onslaughts of daily life. That’s why a physically and mentally healthy person is
able to deal with most bacteria, viruses, and the natural ups and downs of life
without much help. After all, the human world is and always has been full of
germs, pollution, poor foods, grief, fear, and poverty. There’s no escaping it all,
and no spray will sterilize sufficiently.
So if disease isn’t simply and irrevocably caused by an enemy outside
ourselves, what is the cause? The answer is that there are at least two forces at
work: the external world of the environment and the internal world of the
patient. If a patient falls sick, it is because the world has dealt them a blow and
they were susceptible to it; their mind/body was simply not able to adapt and
regain equilibrium. That is why homeopaths think the best defense is prevention:
observing sound hygienic and dietary practices, and enhancing the body’s
physical and emotional ability to cope more effectively with whatever life does
bring — i.e., decreasing susceptibility.
This is precisely what homeopathic treatment can do. Somehow, a remedy
that is truly homeopathic to the state of a patient can not only cure them, but can
also reduce their susceptibility and improve their ability to adapt and recover in
general. For example, before undergoing homeopathic treatment several years
ago, I was increasingly prey to every cold or flu going around. Each year, I
found myself getting sick more and more often, and taking longer and longer to
recover — often weeks. Today, I rarely get a cold — at most two or three times a
year. When I do, it usually takes me only two or three days to recover — without
the aid of any conventional medicine.
Of course, the allopathic model of disease treatment is quite different.
Bacteria and viruses are cast as enemy agents and treatment as warfare. The
result is a never-ending and often escalating series of battles. First there is the
skirmish, where symptoms are patched over and suppressed. Then there is
warfare — with ever-stronger drugs. We creep about stealthily, avoiding “the
enemy” as much as possible. We spray each crevice with protective antibacterial
soaps, or dose ourselves prophylactically with antibiotics. But unfortunately,
these practices just serve to strengthen the bacteria that surround us, whether we
like it or not; the enemy knows how to adapt.
The truth is, by avoiding all aggravating influences, we may actually be
depriving ourselves of the opportunity to learn how to deal with them. For
instance, if children are sheltered so completely that they never experience
sadness, jealousy, or anger, they won’t know how to operate very effectively
when they leave the family nest. Likewise, if we suppress every disease and kill
every germ artificially, our bodies won’t learn how to deal with these disease
factors on their own. Remember: people were once able to recover from many
infections without antibiotics. We should be reserving our big guns for the real
battles.
The same argument can be made about vaccination. Medical scientists are
developing more and more types of vaccines against viruses each year. But
invariably, new and more vicious diseases are discovered as well. While the goal
of vaccination may be to stimulate the immune system, research has also shown
that the immune mechanisms they create aren’t exactly the same nor as
beneficial as the mechanisms developed by actually contracting and recovering
from a disease [Parish]. As discussed in the preceding chapter, vaccines boost
the humoral or Th2 function of the immune system; actually getting (and
recovering) from a disease boosts cell-mediated or Th1 immunity. To
overstimulate one type of immunity at the expense of another may be ill-advised.
Indeed, there is a very real possibility that overvaccination of today’s children
may be inadvertently triggering a variety of allergic and autoimmune disorders
(because of overstimulation of the Th2 immune function). It may also be
diminishing the ability of the Th1 immune functions to fight disease in general.
As immunity researcher Philip F. Incao, MD, points out, “There is no system of
the human being, from the mind to muscles to immune system, which gets
stronger through avoiding challenges, but only through overcoming challenges.
The wise use of vaccinations would be use them selectively, and not on a mass
scale.” [Incao]
As it turns out, the childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, and chicken
pox used to be regarded as beneficial by pediatricians. Doctors of the past
noticed that, after experiencing and recovering from these diseases, children
tended to make developmental leaps in cognition and physical robustness. The
natural experience of these childhood diseases may even be necessary for our
children’s normal development. They certainly do exercise the immune system
and develop a natural and permanent form of immunity — something that cannot
always be said of vaccinations. So what is the effect of removing these
experiences from our children’s lives?
Unfortunately, the rate of vaccine use is only accelerating. As recently as
1985, the recommended vaccination schedule in America delivered 25 antigens
[disease agents] to children by the time they were five years old. By 2002, that
number had increased to 77 antigens [Mercola], and the numbers are increasing
each year. Our societal reliance on vaccinations for every kind of virus may
ultimately come at the cost of terrible side effects and a greater susceptibility to
chronic disease. Though well-intentioned, these programs may ultimately have
grave consequences for humanity.

Susceptibility Is Individual

As will be discussed in more depth in Chapter 5, one of the most important

philosophical concepts in homeopathy is that disease and health must be
analyzed and understood on an individual basis. Each person exists in a
dynamically changing state that is unique to them. This state determines their
most appropriate remedy as well as their individual susceptibility and reactivity
to their environment.
Suppose that we have a man, woman, or child in a normal state of health.
Along comes an exciting cause — a virus, bacteria, parasite, physical accident,
emotional event, or stressful situation — that could potentially create a
disturbance in their energetic and physical state. How will they react?
Partly, this depends on the strength and nature of the exciting cause. The
stronger it is, the more likely that anyone, no matter who they are or what state
they are in, will react to it in more or less the same way. For example, if
someone hits their finger with a hammer, they will cry “ouch!” and develop a
nasty bruise or broken finger. Their reaction will be quite predictable and less
unique to them. For this reason, their treatment will also be more uniform, even
within the homeopathic system; there will usually be a short list of commonly
used homeopathic remedies for such situations. In the case of the hammer blow,
the best remedy would most likely be Arnica Montana — a remedy derived from
a mountain flower called leopard’s bane. It is well known for its effectiveness in
treating bruises, shock, and other kinds of physical trauma.
Another example of a strong exciting cause is a virulent epidemic. In such
situations, most people develop similar symptoms, regardless of their individual
constitution. For this reason, homeopathic treatment of epidemics is also less
individualized. The homeopath’s goal will be to find a small set of remedies that
covers the symptoms that most people are experiencing — a set called the genus
epidemicus. In a strong flu epidemic, for instance, the genus epidemicus will
usually consist of two or three remedies that match the symptoms of that
particular epidemic. Given such a small set of remedy choices, selecting the
appropriate remedy for a particular patient is not very difficult. These remedies
can also be used prophylactically if the threat of infection is imminent. Sandra
Perko, PhD, has written an excellent book that discusses the success of
homeopathy in the 1918 flu epidemic as well as potential remedies for future flu
epidemics [Perko]. In my view, the information in this book would be far more
effective and beneficial to the public than the yearly flu vaccination programs.
Indeed, a brilliant aspect of homeopathy is that a genus epidemicus can be found
for any epidemic — even of an unknown disease.
Since fairly uniform homeopathic treatment is possible in situations like
trauma and epidemics, it is not surprising that conventional clinical trials of
homeopathy have met with the greatest success in those situations that are also
provoked by strong exciting causes and characterized by uniform patient
responses. A good example is a study on the use of homeopathic remedies for
severe pediatric diarrhea [Jacobs] that will be discussed at length in Chapter 7. It
is only natural that a study constrained to using only a single predetermined
remedy (or a small set of remedies) for a specific condition will be most
successful when that condition can be characterized by predictable, not
idiosyncratic, symptoms. In such situations, successful treatment is also much
less dependent on the skill of the treating homeopath. Both of these factors make
the outcome of conventionally designed trials more uniform and predictable.
But the forces that cause disease on a day-to-day basis are usually not as
strong as a hammer blow nor as severe as an epidemic. In most situations, people
will react differently to an exciting cause of disease, and their reaction will
depend on their personal areas of weakness. Indeed, whether they react at all will
depend on their susceptibility to the nature of the exciting cause. James Tyler
Kent, MD, one of the most important American homeopaths of the late 1800s,
wrote:
“The one who is made sick is susceptible to the disease in accordance
with the plane he is in and the degree of attenuation that happens to be
present at the time of the contagion. The degree of the disease cause fits his
susceptibility at the moment he is made sick.” [Kent, p. 107]

In other words, there must be some kind of affinity between the disease
cause and the state of the person who is susceptible to it. Another American
homeopath of the early 1900s, Herbert A. Roberts, MD, wrote:
“In analyzing susceptibility we find it is very largely an expression of
a vacuum in the individual. The vacuum attracts and pulls for the things
most needed, that are in the same plane of vibration as the want in the
body... susceptibility has an attractive force which draws to itself the
disease which is on the same plane of vibration and which tends to correct
this... deficiency.” [Roberts, p.151]

Roberts is implying here that the illnesses a person gets actually meet some
kind of need within the person. Another way of thinking about this is in terms of
a shaped hole (susceptibility) that is filled by a similarly shaped peg (disease).
This type of reasoning, though certainly controversial, is worthy of some
consideration. Many people feel that their disease experiences are also their
teachers. Personally, I have found it quite instructive to consider why and how I
get sick each time I do, and from more than just a physical point of view. What is
the symbolism or meaning of a particular disease episode to the individual who
experiences it?
For example, consider the modern scourge of lower back pain — or the more
recent popular affliction, carpal tunnel syndrome. Why have these problems
emerged in our society? Recent work in rehabilitative medicine by John Sarno,
MD, links these types of conditions to emotional stress rather than to repetitive
hand motions, bad seating choices, or hard physical labor [Sarno]. From a
symbolic point of view, it makes sense that a person under severe work stress
(unconsciously) develops the exact symptoms that will prevent them from
continuing to perform their work — typing at a keyboard, sitting at a desk all
day, or lifting heavy objects.
Rather than resorting to the normal diagnosis of slipped disc or repetitive
stress injury and the resulting surgical treatment that goes along with it, Sarno
has developed a “mind over pain” approach. The treatment simply consists of
getting a patient to truly acknowledge and accept the actual root cause of their
pain — stress. Sarno has found that this step alone can result in great therapeutic
success and relief for a majority of his patients — even those who have suffered
for many years and who manifest measurable signs of physical damage to their
anatomy.
From a homeopathic point of view, Sarno’s mind-cure requires patients to
psychologically confront their emotional state head on, rather than suppress their
feelings and hide behind a physical diagnosis. Indeed, Sarno has found that the
surgical approach, which does not address the true root of the problem for many
sufferers, is often unsuccessful in the long-term. I’ve used Sarno’s technique
myself. Several years ago, I mysteriously developed a case of “carpal tunnel
syndrome.” I had been typing at a computer terminal for 20 years without ill
effect. Why were my wrists and hands aching and tingling now? After some
thought, I realized that this condition developed after I had found out that my
son Izaak would need surgery. I accepted the stress factor, and after his surgery,
the pain completely left my hands and wrists.

Center of Gravity

Another way of understanding individual susceptibility is to view each

person’s energetic state as having a center of gravity — a general zone of
susceptibility to certain kinds of diseases. This notion was introduced by George
Vithoulkas, a Greek homeopath who won the Right Livelihood Award in 1996,
an alternative Nobel Prize conferred by the Swedish parliament. In his text, The
Science of Homeopathy [Vithoulkas], Vithoulkas describes the center of gravity
as a combination of states or vibratory levels in the emotional, mental, and
physical realms. Within each of these realms is a range of diseases, from simple
and largely benign, to serious and life-threatening.
 Vithoulkas maintains that individuals resonate only with those diseases that
have an affinity to their center of gravity. For example, a psychotic person’s
center of gravity is weighted very strongly in the mental and emotional realm,
but not as strongly in the physical realm. This explains why psychotic patients
do not get as many minor physical illnesses as other people. While they are very
susceptible to stimuli that affect their minds, they are not as susceptible to
factors that affect their bodies. In contrast, a cancer patient’s center of gravity is
very severe in the physical realm, but may be quite benign in the mental realm.
According to Vithoulkas’s theory, a person tends to remain at the same center
of gravity until they are shifted by some event to either a more severe level (by
suppressive treatment or by some physical or emotional shock) or to a less
severe level (by homeopathic treatment, for example). The center of gravity may
also shift from one realm to another — for instance, from a primarily physical
focus to a mental focus, or vice versa. Vithoulkas writes:
“The principle of resonance renders the organism susceptible to
influence on basically only one level at a given moment... Each level
represents, for example, susceptibility to a particular range of diseases. If a
person treated on Level B for gonorrhea receives antibiotics, his resonant
frequency [may] change; over time, he will become susceptible to illnesses
on, say, Level C. While experiencing symptoms of illness on this level, he
will not acquire gonorrhea, even though he may be exposed... If however,
such a person were to be treated homeopathically, the vibration rate would
again move back down the scale, and the patient may well become
susceptible to gonorrhea once again.” [Vithoulkas, p. 82]
(Copyright © 1980 by George Vithoulkas. Used by permission of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.)

Assessing the movement of a patient’s center of gravity is one way of

determining whether they are getting better or are being suppressed by treatment.
For example, it would be considered an excellent sign of improvement if a
patient went from having chronic kidney infections to having minor skin
problems, or from having schizophrenia to having severe allergies. But a
progression from benign skin disease to severe depression would be a poor
indicator — a sign that the center of gravity had been shifted in the wrong
direction. Indeed, the grave side effects of many of today’s “wonder drugs” are
quite telling in this respect. For example, the acne medication Accutane is
known to have the potential side effect of suicidal depression. Homeopathic
philosophy clearly explains why this is so: because the suppression of acne shifts
the center of gravity inward to more serious emotional disease.
Another interesting corollary of Vithoulkas’s model is that it would be
unlikely for a mentally and emotionally healthy person with minor physical
ailments to suddenly and without cause develop a severe disease. Most people
who become seriously ill have a history of increasingly poor physical or mental
health, or they have experienced a severe jolt to their system — perhaps an
extreme emotional or physical trauma or ill-advised drugging. Vithoulkas’s
model also implies that a lack of susceptibility to a particular ailment can be
indicative of two things: that a person is too healthy to be affected or that they
are too sick to be affected. Thus, just as a person who is healthy may not yield to
the flu, a person who is very sick — for example, a psychotic patient — may not
either. One might say that psychotic patients get sick less often. But the fact is,
they are extremely sick all of the time, but in a different way.

History and Environment

What influences mold a person’s state and create their unique susceptibility?
One factor that both allopaths and homeopaths agree upon is basic physical
constitution and inheritance. Each person is born with inherent weaknesses and
proclivities. These are influenced by genetic makeup — inherited familial or
racial tendencies. The susceptibilities of parents, and even of previous
generations, are related to a person’s current susceptibilities.
However, the homeopathic view of inherited susceptibility goes beyond
genetics. For one thing, a person is viewed as inheriting not only genetic
material from their parents, but also aspects of their vital forces. For this reason,
many homeopaths believe that if an ancestor suffered from a serious disease
(such as tuberculosis or venereal disease) or if their vital force was severely
affected in some other way, a taint or effect from this experience may be
transmitted to their descendants. For example, the descendants of a person who
experienced tuberculosis might acquire the tendency to develop respiratory
problems. Fortunately, homeopaths have also found that inherited disease
tendencies can be cured homeopathically. Thus, even if a person’s genes can’t be
altered, the proclivities of their vital force can be.
Curiously, research on the human genome has now revealed that the genetic
code is far too simple to explain everything about us. Perhaps this provides
further proof that it really is the vital force that is directing the show. Genes may
only be receivers of information transmitted by the vital force, much like a
television is only the receiver of a broadcast transmitted over the airwaves. Thus,
just as fixing your television won’t improve the quality of the shows you can
receive on it, replacing or removing your body parts won’t repair underlying
problems with the vital force. And even if you can’t replace your television
(your genes), there is still the possibility of improving the quality of the
programs it receives (the activity of the vital force).
Another factor that greatly influences a person’s state and susceptibility is
their life history. What physical and emotional experiences have they had? What
drugs, vaccinations, and other medicines have they taken? All of these factors
help to shape the current state of a patient’s mind, emotions, and body. If a
person was repeatedly assaulted as a child, it will color the way they look at the
world and the way they interact with others. Similarly, if a person has taken a
great deal of drugs or has experienced severe physical traumas, specific systems
of their body will be left weakened.
From a homeopathic point of view, a person’s life history also includes their
gestation in the womb. Indeed, homeopaths have found that the experiences of a
child’s parents during conception and pregnancy can provide invaluable
information about the child. For example, it is not unusual for a pregnancy
fraught with parental anxieties about work or money to result in a child that is
chronically anxious and susceptible to anxiety-provoking situations, even if the
parents themselves are not anxious by nature.
One illustrative case described by homeopath Julian Jonas, CCH, involved a
child whose mother was abused by her spouse during pregnancy. The result was
a child who was fearful, defensive, and violent. Ultimately, he was cured with a
remedy that has the mental symptoms: “Delusion: is being injured” and
“Delusion: will receive injury.” The homeopath wrote, “What struck me as the
clearest expression of his state was his statement that he feels people are trying
to hurt him. This was the feeling that caused him to strike out to protect himself.
It also probably reflects, to a certain extent, the mother’s feeling during the first
half of her pregnancy, while she was in the abusive relationship.” [JJonas]
Another important factor that affects a person’s susceptibility is their current
living conditions and life habits. If a patient is living in rooms that are cold,
damp, or unsanitary; is eating poorly; or is repeatedly exposed to chemicals via
food or environment, their vitality will be weakened and their general
susceptibility to disease will be greater. Indeed, their disease may simply be a
direct result of these environmental factors. Homeopaths call these kinds of
disease-provoking influences maintaining causes. Maintaining causes can be
mental and emotional as well as physical — for example, a stressful job, an
inappropriate school, or difficult family relations. Part of a homeopath’s job is to
inquire about such factors and to encourage patients, as much as possible, to
remove maintaining causes from their lives.
 As you can see, susceptibility is a complex thing, and understanding it is an
important part of successful homeopathic treatment. A homeopath must consider
the entire physical, emotional, and mental makeup of a patient and the full
historical context of their case. From maintaining causes to exciting causes, from
family inheritance to life history — all of these factors play roles in a patient’s
disease state. And when it comes to patient treatment and the quest for a true
cure, the whole person must be addressed as well — a whole that is integrated,
dynamic, and unique.
 Chapter 5: Symptom Patterns:
Humanity Reflected in Nature
“How can a plant or mineral contain within its nature, the similitude of a
human psyche, a human ego, a human spirit? The fact that such a relationship
does exist, and that this information is — somehow — within each separate
species of plant, is a startling revelation, one that turns our understanding of life,
biology, evolutionary theory and the nature of the manifest world itself on its
proverbial ear... Shamans, seers and visionaries, both ancient and modern, have
already voiced these connections for us. Still, all this might be idle speculation
were it not for homeopathy itself. Homeopathic research or provings have given
us the key to both prove and verify that such patterns of meaning exist... and
have gone further to define the exact nature of this meaning. Homeopathy takes
us out of the realm of subjectivity and overactive imagination and presents
startling facts about how the natural realm mirrors our body and mind.”
— Asa Hershoff, ND, DC, 2000 [Hershoff]

Psychosomatic Symptom Patterns

People often tease each other by saying, “Oh, that problem of yours is
psychosomatic. It’s all in your head.” But there is actually truth to this statement.
Homeopathy and all other holistic medical systems acknowledge that nearly
every illness is “psychosomatic” — that is, incorporating aspects of both the
psyche (mind) and soma (body). Moreover, each person manifests a
psychosomatic pattern that is unique to them. It is the homeopath’s job to discern
this pattern and to match it to the symptom pattern of a remedy.
Of course, each remedy in the homeopathic materia medica has a distinctive
psychosomatic pattern as well. This is true no matter what the remedy is made
from — animal, plant, or mineral. The nature of a remedy’s pattern is discovered
by conducting a proving or remedy test. According to the Law of Similars, this
remedy will be able to cure any patient whose pattern closely matches its own.
Thus, in many ways, homeopathy is all about pattern discovery and pattern
matching.
Jungian psychiatrist and homeopath Edward C. Whitmont, MD, wrote
extensively in the area of psychosomatics. He felt that homeopathy was the only
medical system that made a true science of this realm, and saw the homeopathic
proving as an experimental method for determining the precise nature and range
of human psychosomatic typology. In his book Psyche and Substance he wrote:
“Our task would seem to lie in ... finding the dynamic categories or
laws which represent the common elements of ... complementary psychic
and physical evolutions. In short, we are looking for a ‘generalized field
theory’ of psychosomatics. In order to avoid mere speculative theories, we
must base our hypothesis upon observable or, still better, upon experimental
material which would encompass psychic as well as somatic phenomena...
The only such large-scale controlled psychosomatic experiments upon
human beings are to be found in the so-called homeopathic ‘provings.’”
[Whitmont, pp. 14–15]

Whitmont actively researched the deeper meanings of psychosomatic remedy

patterns and their relationship to the substances from which remedies are
derived. Ultimately, he came to believe that a remedy’s pattern reflects the
underlying state of the originating substance. For example, the mental and
physical symptoms elicited by a remedy made from animal matter can tell us
something about the archetypal state of the animal itself, corresponding not only
to its behavior and experience, but also to the mythology surrounding it. This
fascinating area of study will be discussed at the end of this chapter. For now,
let’s begin by taking a look at some psychosomatic patterns.

Arnica — The Trauma Remedy

As mentioned in the previous chapter, one of the most commonly used

remedies in the homeopathic medicine chest is Arnica Montana — a remedy
made from a little yellow mountain flower called leopard’s bane. Arnica is
usually one of the first remedies to be considered in cases of trauma and shock.
Indeed, it is sometimes called the “fall herb,” because it is so commonly needed
after a nasty fall. If your child has just tumbled out of a tree, or you’ve just
bumped your head and feel bruised and disoriented, consider Arnica. Indeed, any
situation in which the body feels sore and discombobulated may be a call for this
remedy. For instance, it is a favorite for postoperative shock and soreness, jet
lag, and for use after a dentist’s appointment, when the jaw feels sore and the
nerves feel rattled. Allopathic surgeons have also been known to use Arnica; a
prominent Manhattan plastic surgeon once confessed to me that he uses it
postoperatively for many of his patients. Of course, this remedy should only be
used when a patient’s symptoms actually match those of Arnica.
Mentally, the Arnica state is characterized by either a dazed, numbed-out
apathy, or by fearful anxiety — a common polarity found in shock cases.
Sometimes, the patient may say that they are “just fine,” even if this is clearly
not the case. They may even answer questions correctly, despite the fact that they
are nearly unconscious. On the other hand, they may be shouting and delirious.
The typical Arnica patient also wants to be left alone; in fact, they may fear
being approached or touched. Just think about how you feel after you’ve just
fallen off a bicycle or walked into a wall, and you might get the idea. The Arnica
symptom pattern also includes dizziness that occurs upon closing one’s eyes — a
symptom commonly found in such situations.
A textbook case of Arnica once presented itself to me on a school field trip.
A child in my son’s class fell and bumped his head. He just sat there in a dazed
stupor, even after several minutes had passed. Although he said he was fine,
something was clearly amiss. After discussing the situation with some other
parents and the child, I gave him a single dose of Arnica. Much to everyone’s
amazement and my delight, he was up again within a minute, running about and
getting into lots of trouble once more.
In the materia medica compiled by Indian homeopath Dr. S. R. Phatak (a
compact materia medica that is a favorite among practitioners), the mental
symptoms of Arnica are described as follows:
“MIND: Fear; of being struck or touched; or approached; of sickness;
of instant death; with cardiac distress at night; of space; on awakening; of
crowds, public places. Morose, repentant mood. Mentally prostrate and
apathetic, but physically restless; says nothing ails him. When spoken to,
answers slowly with effort. Feels well in serious cases. Forgetful, what he
reads, quickly escapes his mind. After rage sheds tears and makes
exclamations. Hopeless; indifferent. Violent attacks of anguish... A sudden
fear that rouses one from sleep at night, especially after an accident. Coma.
Muttering delirium. Sensation of being good for nothing. Easily frightened,
unexpected trifles cause him to start. Sits as if in thought.” [Phatak, p. 66]

Of course, an Arnica patient need not exhibit all of these symptoms. What is
important is that their symptoms be included within the remedy’s larger pattern
of symptoms and that the two patterns match overall. Phatak’s description of the
Arnica mental state also illustrates the kinds of symptoms that are associated
with remedies in general. Nearly every remedy has a unique mental pattern of
this kind.
 Naturally, Arnica has many physical symptoms too. The materia medica for
this remedy (and for most remedies) includes detailed symptoms for all areas of
the body, including: head, eyes, ears, nose, face, mouth, stomach, abdomen,
urinary tract, genitals (including sexual behavior), respiratory system, heart,
neck and back, extremities, skin, and fever-related symptoms. Another important
aspect of a remedy symptom pattern is its modalities — general conditions or
situations that improve or aggravate symptoms. For instance, symptoms may
improve or become aggravated in certain types of weather, at certain times of the
day, or from eating particular foods.
Because remedy patterns are so vast in scope, committing them to memory
can be a formidable task. One helpful strategy is to try to find a theme that links
all of the symptoms of a remedy together. In the case of Arnica, this theme or
thread of meaning is trauma. Thus, not only is Arnica a potential remedy in
actual cases of trauma, but it is also a likely remedy when a patient’s symptoms
resemble a traumalike state.
For example, one trauma-related theme that runs through many of Arnica’s
physical symptoms is blood. These blood-related symptoms include: bloodshot
eyes; redness of the cheeks and throat; a tendency to hemorrhage or bleed (from
the retina, ears, nose, or the uterus after sex); bruising in general; vomiting of
blood; bloody stools; and profuse menstruation. Arnica’s modalities also reflect
a traumatized state. A person who will benefit from this remedy is generally
aggravated by touch, motion, damp coldness, mental or physical shocks, and
from lying on the left side (because of heart symptoms). Their sleep will tend to
be restless and punctuated by night terrors. On the flip side, Arnica patients
generally feel better from clear, cold, stimulating weather and from lying down
with the head in a lowered position — not a surprising modality for actual
trauma states, but it also holds true in other situations calling for Arnica.
Given all the accidents that can occur in everyday life, the Arnica pattern is
clearly a commonly occurring one. Nearly anyone who uses homeopathy has
their own amazing Arnica stories to tell. Here’s a typical anecdote from
homeopath Will Taylor, MD:
“Three years ago my sons were tearing around the house, and Caleb
slammed the dining room door while Ben had his hand in the jam (the hinge
side). There was a horrible crunching sound and I opened the door to see
his hand with three fingers fractured and deviated... I took advantage of that
‘Arnica moment’ between injury and full consciousness and set his fingers
by distraction, and gave him a 1M [dose] of Arnica. The next couple of
days he tended to protect the hand... a bit, but used it for Legos now and
then without complaint, and there was only some minimal purpura
 [bruising]. That was it. I have no idea why we might need a double-blind
trial. If I could do that with placebo, I’d be wicked pleased.” [WT3]

Note that a “1M dose of Arnica” means that a tincture of the Arnica flower
was repeatedly diluted in a ratio of 1:100 (1 drop combined with 99 drops of
water) 1,000 times. That means that the Arnica flower was diluted to a ratio of
1:102,000 — that’s 1 followed by 2,000 zeros! Avogadro’s number — the point at
which a molecule of substance would no longer likely be present — is merely
1023. Here is another Arnica story:
“I had a case of a little boy who fell on his face and severely loosened
one of his front teeth. It remained loose and began to darken. The dentist
wanted to remove it. The parents called me, and I suggested Arnica. Not
only did the gum tighten around the tooth in very short order so that it was
no longer loose, but also all discoloration in the tooth faded, and it is now
white and beautiful, and appears totally healthy.” [VCD]

The next Arnica anecdote, which describes the experiences of a student

attending a course on homeopathy, illustrates the wide-reaching effects that a
remedy can have.
“One of the main things that I took home with me the first day is to
minimize use of drugs that suppress the body’s own healing process. That
evening, I strained my knee. I’d had off-and-on knee pain for a year. It
really hurt and scared me. Instead of heading for the anti-inflammatory
medicine, I used Arnica Montana... During the second day... Dr. Shevin was
talking about his own case of poison ivy. He had tried the typical
homeopathic remedies without success. During his explanation he
demonstrated his computer program’s search capabilities for homeopathic
remedies. His main sensation was that of ‘soreness.’ The search yielded the
remedy Arnica. As he was describing this, I thought about how I itched this
morning from the rash on my neck that the dermatologist had diagnosed as
eczema the day before class started. I reached up to feel for it. It was gone!
My mouth dropped open in amazement. Since the class, my knee has stayed
painless and the rash has not returned. What could be better than that?
Homeopathy works.” [Evans]

Of course, I have Arnica stories of my own to tell, and some are less typical.
It turns out that Max’s mental clarity and ability to communicate was often
helped somewhat by Arnica. I noticed this early on, even when he was taking his
daily doses of Carcinosin, because we would usually give him some Arnica after
dental appointments. Of course, Max’s response to Arnica also made sense, since
Arnica is homeopathic to a dazed and unconscious sort of state, which is also
characteristic of autism.
Arnica also came in handy for Max in a mild case of whooping cough. We
tried a few common whooping cough remedies, but they only had a temporary
effect on him. Finally, I noticed that his eyes had become bloodshot from all the
coughing. I could find only two remedies listed for this particular symptom
(bloodshot eyes from coughing), and one of them was Arnica. It also just
happened to be a minor whooping cough remedy. A dose or two of Arnica ended
the whooping cough completely.
By this point, you should have some feeling for the Arnica state and how it
manifests itself as a cohesive psychosomatic pattern. Personally, I wouldn’t go
anywhere without this remedy; I always carry some in my purse, just in case.
But despite the fact that Arnica can be truly wonderful in most trauma situations,
it isn’t always the answer. The patterns have to match up. And this homeopathic
pattern matching game — matching remedy pattern to patient pattern —
becomes even more difficult when patient responses to disease are more
individualized.
For example, consider the treatment of coughs. There are hundreds of ways
that a cough can present itself if you truly examine its precise characteristics.
Indeed, almost every remedy in the materia medica has its own unique cough
symptoms. How to choose the best one for a particular case of cough? There are
really two answers to this question. One involves the mechanics of homeopathic
practice — the techniques that homeopaths use to select a remedy. The second
involves the art of homeopathy — the ability to understand the nature and
meaning of a patient’s pattern and find its analogue in a remedy. We will now
consider each of these important aspects of homeopathic prescribing in more
detail.

The Mechanics of Matching Symptom Patterns

When my family first started using homeopathy, our homeopath told us that
it was a much more complex system of medicine than allopathy. I didn’t really
believe him at the time, but now I do. It is easy to get lost in the myriad
symptoms of patients and remedies; matching patient patterns to remedy patterns
can often be elusive. Long-term case management can be even more difficult.
Of course, homeopaths have come up with a variety of strategies and tools
for effective practice. First and foremost, a homeopath must master the art of
case-taking — i.e., gathering information during a patient interview. He or she
must also become an astute observer of patient appearance and behavior. Don’t
forget: without high-quality information about a patient, a homeopath will have a
hard time finding their matching remedy. For this reason, an important part of
homeopathic training is learning how to elicit as much reliable psychological
and physical information as possible. Homeopaths also learn how to distinguish
between a patient’s true inner state and the superficial mask they may hide
behind.
After case information has been gathered, a homeopath’s next task is to
select a patient’s most important and useful symptoms — the symptoms that will
most likely guide them to the curative remedy. This step alone can take years to
master. It requires insight (for instance, recognizing that a particular symptom
might be symbolic of a larger portion of the patient’s overall case) and
experience with the materia medica (knowing that certain symptoms are more
likely to lead to fruitful remedies than others). In fact, it is not unusual for a
master homeopath to select only three or four symptoms to analyze. In contrast,
a novice homeopath may sit with dozens of symptoms and not quite know how
to make sense of them.
Finally, the homeopath must analyze the chosen symptoms and make a final
remedy determination. Naturally, experienced homeopaths know a great deal of
materia medica by heart and will have a good idea of which remedies to consider
right after the patient interview. But even if they have vast experience, no
homeopath can memorize the entire materia medica, which encompasses
thousands of pages of remedy descriptions. At best, they can maintain solid
familiarity with a hundred or so commonly used remedies. While one of these
remedies may be able to provide relief to most patients, it is not unusual for a
more obscure remedy to be the simillimum.
To cope with this problem, homeopaths have devised a reference tool that
enables quick access to all of the remedies associated with a particular symptom
— a repertory. A repertory contains a listing of symptoms, organized in a
methodical and logical fashion. Each of these symptoms is then followed by the
list of remedies associated with that symptom. This symptom/remedy-list pairing
is called a rubric. For example, in the “Cough” chapter of Kent’s repertory
(compiled by turn-of-the-20th-century American homeopath James Tyler Kent,
MD [KentRep]), a homeopath can look up the rubric for whooping cough and
find the names of 118 remedies. Many of the rubrics in homeopathic repertories
are amazingly specific. For example, in the “Hearing” section of Kent’s
repertory we have the rubric:
 “Hearing: Impaired, before a storm: Nux-m.”
In other words, the remedy Nux Moschata (made from nutmeg) is associated
with hearing impairment that occurs before a storm. This rubric illustrates how
odd rubrics can be. Interestingly, it is unusual symptoms like this one that can
lead directly to a remedy choice for a patient.
Using repertories, homeopaths can look up thousands of symptoms, ranging
from common cold symptoms to ones as obscure as the nutmeg symptom above,
and they can get ideas about potential remedies for their patients. By looking up
several symptoms at once and intersecting the sets of remedies associated with
them, the prospective remedies for a patient can be narrowed down further. In
the days before computers, homeopaths used special “repertorizing sheets” to
perform this task manually. Today, computerized repertory programs enable
homeopaths to quickly perform complex analyses that would have taken hours in
the past. Once this repertorization process is complete and the set of likely
remedies has been sufficiently narrowed, a homeopath will finalize his or her
analysis by reading the materia medica descriptions of the top contending
remedies. They will then select the one that seems the most suitable overall.
Now, this may all sound simple in concept. But in truth, even with today’s
computerized repertory programs, one can easily get lost. What if the chosen
symptoms are so common that each is associated with hundreds of remedies, and
intersecting them gets you no closer? What if you pick an extraneous symptom
that really isn’t that important and it unnecessarily limits your view of the
possible remedy choices? Invariably, repertorization is only a means toward an
end for the homeopath. The real problem lies in knowing what’s important in a
patient’s case in the first place. It’s knowing how to look at a patient’s life story
and recognize where the golden thread lies — the center of the case, the meaning
that underlies a patient’s unique symptom pattern.

The Center of the Case

In the last chapter we discussed the holistic nature of disease — how disease
is a body-mind phenomenon, not just a pile of isolated physical symptoms.
Because disease is a state of the whole person, the most significant and fruitful
symptoms will be those that tell us something about the whole person as well,
not just about a particular part of their body. For example, consider the symptom:
“My elbow is sore.” This symptom would not be very helpful in finding a
remedy because it says nothing about the person as a whole. But a symptom like
“When it rains, I get sore joints and feel depressed” is much more useful. It may
even lead directly to the simillimum, because it says something about the entire
body and mind and how it responds to a particular situation.
Why are general, holistic symptoms so important and useful? Remember that
the true root of a person’s disease lies in a disturbance to their vital force. As a
result, the most fruitful therapeutic strategy will be to cure this root, this central
disturbance in the patient’s energetic state, rather than its various outward
physical manifestations. Dr. Rajan Sankaran, an Indian homeopath, writes:
“The central disturbance... comes first and this is followed by changes
in the various organ systems depending upon each individual’s pathological
tendencies. Pathology grows on the central disturbance like a creeper on a
stick. What we have to do is remove the central disturbance.” [Sankaran, p.
6]

So how can we discover this central disturbance? The answer is to search for
those symptoms that most characterize it. Usually, these will be the symptoms
that the person identifies with as part of their whole being; for instance, the
symptom “I get depressed when it rains.” Homeopaths call these general
symptoms. In contrast, particular symptoms are those symptoms that pertain to a
particular part of the body — “My elbow is sore.”
There are many kinds of general symptoms. For example, the tendency to be
hot or cold; to have a certain sweating pattern, sleep pattern, or sexual proclivity;
and to have certain intense food cravings and aversions are all examples of
general symptoms. Notice that when describing any of these symptoms, a patient
will usually use the word “I”: “I sweat on my chest at night,” “I can’t sleep
between 3 A.M. and 4 A.M.” “I hate sex,” “I love spicy food and I absolutely
hate fish.” In contrast, when describing a particular symptom, the word “my” is
used: “My knee hurts,” “My eyes are itchy.” However, when several particular
symptoms form a repeating pattern, they begin to take on the characteristics of a
more general symptom. Thus, “My elbow is sore” and “My knee is sore” and
“My wrist is sore” start looking like the more general symptom “I have sore
joints.”
Many general symptoms can be directly observed by a homeopath. For
instance, is a patient thin or flabby, dry or sweaty, nervous or calm, quick or slow
moving? General characteristics like these are important in all holistic medicines
because they say something about a person’s overall physical and emotional
nature.
Of course, some symptoms are more important than others. Intense and
frequently experienced symptoms are given more weight than fleeting or less-
reliable ones. Homeopaths also tend to give greater weight to subjectively
experienced symptoms. Thus, it is more useful to know that a patient feels hot,
along with details that describe the experience of heat — its sensation, what
makes it better or worse, etc. — than to simply know a patient’s thermometer
reading. Subjective symptoms also tend to be “I” symptoms; they relate to how a
person feels within themself. For example, “I feel very hot and clammy when
I’m about to meet new people.” In contrast, a temperature-reading is a particular
symptom, because it measures only a particular feature of the body — “My
temperature is 100 degrees.”
Perhaps the most important of the “I” symptoms are mental and emotional
symptoms. After all, they lie closest to the core of a person. Indeed, if mental
and emotional symptoms are highly pronounced and characteristic of a person, it
is not unusual for a homeopathic prescription to be based primarily on them.
Such a prescription can even cure physical pathology that is not otherwise
associated with the prescribed remedy. A typical case that illustrates this point
was related by Dr. Sankaran.
“A case of severe cough in a boy taught me much about the
importance of mental symptoms. The cough would not subside even after
several remedies were tried. The parents were getting anxious. The child
was restless, very stubborn and did the very opposite of what he was told to
do. On the basis that Tuberculinum is a good remedy for persistent
respiratory complaints, restlessness and obstinacy, it was given but did not
work. One day when the boy was sitting in my clinic, suddenly he did
something very funny. He shouted at me, ‘Hey, Sankaran, your medicines
are useless; better give me some good medicine, else I will not come here.’
This, coming from a boy of five, uttered in a violent, threatening tone was
shocking. I gathered from the parents that his behaviour at home was funny.
He was disobedient, shrieking, mocking, quarrelsome. He was intensely
restless. He threw things or destroyed them. However, he reacted to music
favourably, would dance to tunes. I was not accustomed to think of
Tarentula [a remedy associated with these behavioral symptoms] for cough.
Maybe, I thought, when Tarentula covers the mind so well, it may cover the
rest of the symptoms too. The response to Tarentula was magical in two
days, whereas I had struggled over it for weeks with other remedies, and
failed. Even his behaviour improved.” [Sankaran, p. 82]

This case illustrates the importance of prioritizing symptoms when choosing

a remedy. After many failed attempts to cure this boy’s cough with cough
remedies, Sankaran decided to focus more on the boy’s striking and perhaps
even more problematic mental and emotional symptoms. This case also
demonstrates that an important criterion for prioritizing symptoms is their
peculiarity. In this instance, it was the boy’s behavior that was most peculiar, not
his cough. If homeopathic prescribing can be likened to solving a mystery, with
symptoms as the clues, the words of Sherlock Holmes are most apt: “That which
is out of the common is usually a guide rather than a hindrance... That which
seemingly confuses the case is the very thing that furnishes the clue to its
solution.”
Homeopaths call a truly unusual symptom a “strange, rare, or peculiar”
(SRP). Mental, emotional, behavioral, or physical SRPs (for example, the
unusual hearing symptom of nutmeg) can be remarkably helpful in homeopathic
prescribing, not only because fewer remedies are associated with them, but
because such symptoms tend to more closely represent or symbolize the central
disturbance of a case. If nearly everyone experiences an ailment in the same way,
its symptoms won’t be very revealing about a patient as an individual. But if a
symptom is very unusual and striking, it says something interesting and unique
about the patient — and it is often symbolic of their inner state.
Consider, for example, the symptom: “Delusion, that he walks on his knees.”
This odd symptom is associated with the remedy Baryta Carbonica (made from
carbonate of barium), a remedy that is also associated with strong feelings of
inferiority. The Baryta Carbonica patient’s delusion that he is walking on his
knees is most likely symbolic of his inner feelings of inferiority.
Physical SRP symptoms can provide invaluable insight into a case as well.
Consider, for example, the following symptom from Kent’s repertory [KentRep]:
“Eye: Moonlight ameliorates: Aurum.”
In other words, if a patient has the unusual experience that their eye
symptoms are ameliorated by moonlight, they may also be a candidate for the
remedy Aurum — made from potentized gold. Now, why would an Aurum
patient’s eye symptoms be ameliorated in this way? What is the meaning of this
symptom? How does it fit into the Aurum symptom pattern?
Aurum patients tend to set high standards for themselves. They are also
inclined to be overly responsible, prideful, and guilt-laden. They can even
become suicidal if they do not meet their self-imposed goals and responsibilities.
Just like a king who wears the golden crown, Aurum, made from potentized
gold, tries to bear the full burden of his or her kingdom and would rather die
than fail.
Interestingly, in most cultures, gold is also symbolically linked with the sun.
And, as it turns out, the sun is associated mythologically with many of the
symptoms of Aurum. Whitmont writes:
 “Astrologically, the solar [sun] principle stands for the life will in the
individualizing human consciousness, the sense of self-value, honesty,
responsibility, pride, willpower, vital strength and the capacity to exert
control, all vested in the heart.” [Whitmont, p. 158]

Aurum is a well-known remedy for heart problems. It also has an affinity to

the eyes, the receivers of the sun’s light. Given the intense responsibilities and
self-expectations that Aurum patients tend to take upon themselves, perhaps it
makes sense that their eye symptoms are ameliorated by the lesser and perhaps
more comforting light of the moon — the sun’s less demanding sister.
Now, I know that this will sound like a stretch to most readers. “You mean,
the mythology associated with gold or the sun has something to do with Aurum’s
symptoms?” Well, yes! But the real point is, these correspondences are not
merely speculative — they have been borne out by remedy provings. The
homeopathic use of Aurum for heart or eye symptoms is not based on
mythological speculations about gold or the sun — it is based on the symptoms
that have arisen during provings of Aurum. Nevertheless, these mythological
connections do exist, and they certainly make for fascinating and illuminating
study. As I will discuss later on in this chapter, they may also provide insight
into deeper phenomena that may be going on in the world that surrounds us.

Modalities and Concomitants

If unusual symptoms are so useful, how can we find more of them? One
strategy is to gather more and more information about a symptom until it
becomes unusual or characteristic in some way. For example, we can try to
identify the precise location and sensation of a symptom, the way it tends to
begin and end, and the speed at which it develops: “The pain is like the sting of a
needle in my left shoulder. It comes on suddenly, and then shoots down to my
left elbow.”
Another fruitful strategy is to collect symptom modalities. As described
earlier, a modality is something that aggravates or ameliorates a symptom; for
example, the person whose joints are sore when it rains. There are many kinds of
modalities. Symptoms may become worse or better at certain times of the day or
in certain locales like the mountains or seaside. They may also be affected by
specific seasons and types of weather, phases of the menstrual cycle, physical
positions or motions, or emotional or other kinds of situations.
Another feature that can provide distinctiveness to a symptom are its
concomitants — coexisting symptoms that, on the face of things, seem unrelated
to the symptom in question but somehow always occur at the same time. It is this
coupling of symptoms that makes them unusual and distinctive. Concomitants
may link physical and emotional symptoms (for instance, indigestion and
depression) or seemingly unrelated physical symptoms (vertigo and thirst).
The treatment of simple coughs provides an excellent illustration of the
importance of symptom modalities and concomitants. There are hundreds of
cough remedies, with at least 20 that are commonly used. Each one of them has
its own unique cough characteristics. Table 1 provides just a few examples
(derived from [Castro, Panos]). It will give you a feeling for the kinds of
information that are needed to fully individualize a symptom and may also give
you an idea of how difficult homeopathic prescribing can be, even for a simple
cough. And yet, with the right remedy, a cough can be quickly and completely
cured — not simply palliated or suppressed.
Table 1: Characteristics of Four Common Cough Remedies
Aconitum Napellus
(Monkshood flower)

Cough after exposure to cold, dry wind.

Sudden onset.
Constant, short, dry, croupy.
Wakes in night with cough, feels anxious and fearful.
Worse in the evening and night, in a warm room, or from dry cold wind.
Better from open air.
Important for the first stage of croup.

Antimonium Tartaricum
(Tartrate of Antimony and Potash, mineral)

A persistent cough with a rattling chest; can’t spit up mucus.

Feels cold and sweaty with a pale face.
Weak, drowsy, gasps for breath.
Worse in the evening, from lying down, from warmth, from damp cold
weather, from sour foods and liquids, and from milk.
Better from sitting up, in a cold open room, from expectoration.

Phosphorus
(The element)
 Hard, dry, tickling, exhausting cough, with trembling.
“Clergyman’s Sore Throat”; violent tickling while speaking.
Sensation of heaviness, weight on chest.
Feels cold, weak, anxious, hoarse, sweats at night.
Worse in the evening, from inhaling cold air, laughing, talking, touch,
warm food or drink, change of weather, getting wet in hot weather.
Better in open air, after sleep, from cold food.
Thirsty for ice cold drinks.

Pulsatilla
(Windflower)

Loose in morning, with thick yellow mucus; dry at night.

Coughing fits with gagging or choking.
Cough disturbs sleep.
Thirstless, with dry mouth.
Weepy, wants sympathy, clingy, changeable mood.
Craves fresh air, which ameliorates. Also better from moving around and
from cold applications.
Worse from warm room, in the evening, from lying down, or from
becoming overheated.

Causation

Another aspect of a symptom that can make it more characteristic (indeed,

perhaps its most important feature if it’s available) is its causation — the
physical or emotional event that seemed to have triggered or preceded it. In my
own experience, simply reflecting on what happened just before a symptom
appeared can sometimes get rid of it. The next time you get a cough or headache,
think about what happened just before it began — perhaps an upsetting or
aggravating event. If you process this information rather than suppress it, it is
often enough to remove the physical symptom entirely. The following story from
my own experience underscores the importance of causation in homeopathic
prescribing.
Several years ago I received a very disturbing phone call from my
schizophrenic brother. Right afterward, I developed a short tickling cough. Just
an hour later, I seemed to be really coming down with something. Soon, I
developed a fever and was feeling quite sick. I called my homeopath, and he
recommended a low dose of Aconite, a remedy that can quickly nip colds and
coughs in the bud, especially if they come on quickly and if the remedy is given
right at the onset. Somehow, though, I had forgotten to tell him about the phone
call from my brother; it had slipped my mind.
The Aconite helped quite a bit that evening, but the next day, everything got
worse again. I developed a high fever and was completely prostrate. Rather than
redosing with Aconite again, my homeopath decided to switch me to a new
remedy. Over the course of the next few weeks, the remedies he recommended
helped somewhat, but they never cured what eventually turned into a persistent
bronchitis. Each night, I would cough and cough, and the remedies only
palliated.
After a month of this, I began to reflect more about the whole episode.
Suddenly, I remembered how it all began — with that phone call from my
brother. I called the homeopath, and he suggested that I try Aconite again — this
time in a much higher dose. By the next morning, my bronchitis and cough were
completely gone. Why?
Besides being an excellent remedy for the early stages of acute coughs and
colds, Aconite is also one of the most important remedies for ailments resulting
from fear. Remember, Aconite had helped me considerably that first night. But
the single low dose I had taken was not enough to cure me. If my homeopath had
been aware of the causative event for my cough, he would probably have
followed that initial dose with another — because Aconite embodied the state
that led to my illness. As Phatak writes in his materia medica,
“The rapidity of action of Aconite determines its symptomatology. Its
symptoms are acute, violent, and painful. They appear suddenly... Mind is
affected by such emotional factors as fright, shock, vexation. Nerves are
excited and the patient remains under emotional and nervous tension...
Great anxiety. Agonizing fear and restlessness accompany every ailment
however trivial.” [Phatak, pp. 5–6]

My main reaction to my brother’s call had been fear. And just as Aconite
causes quick and dramatic physical effects, often in reaction to fear, my reaction
to my brother’s phone call immediately triggered a cough that quickly developed
into bronchitis. I was in an Aconite state. Even after I had erroneously taken
other remedies for my cough, I was still in an Aconite state, weeks later. For this
reason, another high dose of Aconite terminated the whole affair. Afterward, I
began to feel stronger and less fearful about my interactions with my brother as
well.

Situation

One of the reasons why a causative event can be the key to finding a curative
remedy is that, quite frequently, this event says something about the nature of a
person’s central disturbance. Perhaps the causation is a traumatic physical
accident, an acute illness, an upsetting emotional event, or exposure to a toxic
chemical or drug. All of these things can dramatically alter a person’s state.
Often, a patient will report that they have never been quite the same since that
time. In cases like this, the triggering event has actually caused the patient’s
energetic state to become frozen. They have assumed a psychophysical “stance”
or response in order to deal with the event, but they have remained in that stance
long after the event has passed. As a result, they now see the world through a
lens that doesn’t quite fit anymore. Eventually, their psyche and body will
become distorted by this unsuitable posture, and the net effect will be disease.
Indian homeopath Rajan Sankaran calls this frozen or erroneous stance
toward life a person’s situation. In his books The Spirit of Homoeopathy
[Sankaran] and The Soul of Remedies [Sankaran97], he describes the situation of
many remedies in the materia medica. For example, a person who needs Kali
Bromatum (potassium bromide) acts like a person who “has to be extremely
vigilant not to do anything wrong. It is as if his survival depends on it; as if he
will be cast away if something goes wrong... As a child... in a family where the
parents are very strict morally.” [Sankaran, p. 284]
Now, a person need not have had such a childhood to assume a Kali
Bromatum stance towards life. But something must have happened that caused
them to feel this way. As a result, they develop the characteristic pattern of Kali
Bromatum. This pattern includes an anxious restlessness (especially restless,
fidgety hands and a tendency to constantly look around); suspiciousness; a fear
of people; and the feeling that something terrible is going to happen. Mentally, a
Kali Bromatum patient may be foggy, with memory loss and trouble speaking or
writing. They will also tend to feel guilty — as if they have committed a crime
or are about to commit one.
The physical symptoms of Kali Bromatum also mirror its tense, anxious, and
guilty mental nature. These symptoms include many neurological problems —
paralysis; epilepsy; spasticity (for example, spastic colon, persistent hiccough,
and stammering); and feelings of numbness. Just reading these symptoms creates
a vivid image of this kind of person, doesn’t it? Indeed, these symptoms form a
coherent pattern of meaning — a pattern that can be understood as an underlying
situational stance toward life. If a homeopath can tease a situation like this out of
the many mental and physical symptoms reported by a patient, and then match it
to a remedy, they will be very close to finding the patient’s simillimum.

The Doctrine of Signatures

It is truly amazing that the totality of symptoms caused (and cured) by a

highly diluted substance can actually take the form of a coherent pattern. Who
would imagine that ingesting some incredibly dilute and potentized potassium
bromide could cause such related mental and physical phenomena? Somehow,
the potentization process seems to be able to bring out strong characteristic
effects from even the most mundane and otherwise benign substances — for
instance, Natrum Muriaticum is an important and powerful remedy made from
ordinary salt.
What is even more amazing, however, is that the pattern caused by a
potentized remedy can be symbolically related to the material substance from
which it was derived. This can be seen most easily with animal remedies. The
mental and physical symptoms of such remedies are nearly always related to the
behavior or mythology associated with the animal from which they were made.
But the same is true for plant and mineral remedies too. The environment and
climate in which a plant grows best, the soil nutrients it prefers, its relationship
to other plants, its physical shape, and especially the mythology surrounding it
— all of these factors are usually related to the mental and physical symptoms
associated with a plant remedy. Mineral remedy symptoms can also be related to
where the mineral is found, what it is typically used for, and the myths
associated with it.
This phenomenon — the relationship between a remedy’s symptoms and its
source material — is called the doctrine of signatures. In medieval times, the
doctrine of signatures was understood and used in a fairly superficial way. For
example, the heartlike shape of a flower was taken as a sign that it might be
useful for heart ailments. Today, however, many homeopath’s view the doctrine
of signatures as a much deeper phenomenon. It seems to imply that the universe
is inherently symbolic; that somehow, inherent patterns of meaning are
embedded within us and within every plant, animal, and mineral — patterns that
can have causal effects upon one another. Moreover, this phenomenon is not
merely speculative. It has been repeatedly borne out by blind provings (provings
in which the source substance was not revealed) and by the Law of Similars
itself. While homeopathic doctrine clearly dictates that this phenomenon not be
used as a basis for treatment (treatment must be based on proving data), many
homeopaths do use this kind of information as an intuitive aid for understanding
remedies and their patterns.
Consider this. If the doctrine of signatures really holds true — if the
archetypal meaning of a substance is somehow embedded physically within it
and is released by the process of potentization — it may enable us to understand
the universe in a whole new way. To discover the inherent meaning hidden
within any plant, animal, or mineral, we need only potentize it and test it in a
proving. The proving process might be an entryway into unbelievable
knowledge.
While it may seem like a mere trick of the imagination to many people, on
some level, I believe that the doctrine of signatures also makes sense. After all,
humans are biological organisms that evolved within the web of meaning of this
world. Perhaps it is no accident that, mirrored within some other substance
within that web, is our own counterpart — a substance whose very essence
mirrors our own distortions and diseased state. For example, is it really a
coincidence that a woman who was later cured by Lac Felinum (cat’s milk) also
happened to be so “catlike” that her friends called her “a cat”? If such a person
manifested physical symptoms that were caused in a blind proving of cat’s milk,
is it any wonder that she seemed catlike to the people who knew her?
Whitmont had much to say about this phenomenon in his book, Psyche and
Substance. For example, in the following, he relates it to alchemy:
“Medieval alchemists held man to be a microcosmic replica of the
macrocosmos of nature... This contention is experimentally and clinically
borne out by Homeopathy. Every disturbance of health, be it organic or
merely functional, is... a cry for the process that is its macrocosmic form
analogon and that can restore balance when brought into confrontation with
the disease process.” [Whitmont, p. xiii]

Whitmont also tried to relate the doctrine of signatures to Carl Jung’s notion
of synchronicity. Jung believed that external events can have inherent meaning
that correspond synchronistically to inner psychic events. For example, he
believed that it was no accident that a clock would stop ticking the instant its
owner died. Whitmont similarly speculated that it was no accident that a
person’s disease pattern reflects the symbolism associated with the substance
that will cure them. He wrote:
 “When one’s course of life passes through a ‘field of meaning,’ this
field manifests itself through events on various levels (for instance, psyche
and soma), all of them in their own different fashion giving expression to
that same formative factor.” [Whitmont, p. 85]

Thus, the Aconite flower and the fear-related ailments it can cure are both
parts of the same field of meaning — a field into which a person enters after
experiencing a frightening event.
Whitmont also believed that the Law of Similars was a general principle,
applicable to all analogous or synchronistic phenomena, even beyond the realm
of healing. He wrote, “The law of similars is the law of the basic relationship of
analogous phenomena.” [Whitmont, p. 32] What if this is true? What other
discoveries might be made if the Law of Similars were applied to other purposes
besides medicinal ones? What exactly is going on in the energetic realm when
we bring two similar fields of meaning together?

Animal Patterns

There are many homeopaths who shy away from discussion of the doctrine
of signatures. Certainly, the concept is controversial, and it is not necessary for
effective homeopathic practice. But it is fascinating. Consider, for example, how
it manifests itself in animal remedies. One of the most striking new remedies is
Androctonus. Derived from scorpion poison (but, of course, administered in
dilute nonmaterial doses), Androctonus was proved in 1985 on 31 volunteers.
The proving was blind — both the provers and the supervisors who recorded
their symptoms did not know what substance they were testing — but it still
yielded the following emotional symptoms [Vermeulen]:

A heightened feeling of overconfidence.

Contemptuousness and defiance.
A lacking in moral feeling.
Quarrelsomeness.
Unsympathetic feeling. Cruel and unfeeling.
Deceitfulness.
A delusion that one is about to be assaulted.
A malicious desire to injure others.
Suspiciousness.
A lack of control over one’s impulses.
 Indifference to pleasure or to one’s surroundings or to other people’s
welfare or opinions.
Anxiety and fear, ameliorated from walking around.
Aversion to company, with a feeling that one is alone or separated from the
world.
Emotions that are easily excited.

Notice how evocative many of these symptoms are of the impressions most
people have about scorpions — violent, cruel, and antisocial. Indeed, scorpions
are generally loners that are so aggressive that they will eat one another. When
hunting, they usually let their prey come to them, and they can accurately detect
a potential victim’s location by sensing the vibrations caused by their
movements. These characteristics are echoed in the case described below. A
truck driver who was later cured with Androctonus describes his passion for
hunting:
“Nothing stops me from doing what I want to do. I spent a lot of my
early years alone. I entertained myself... As a child, my father was away at
war. We used to play soldiers and I was better at it than the other kids. I was
the only kid on the block with a bow and arrow and a tomahawk... Two
brothers — I kicked their butts... As a child I spent a lot of time with my
grandmother. She was part American Indian... I learned about being in tune
with nature, about animals. I learned how to manipulate situations... Killing
is not a sport. I’m dead serious about it. I know I can catch them if I want
to. I knew where to go and I stayed there patiently until the buck came near.
I can communicate psychically with animals. I said to it, ‘I’m going to kill
you’ and it turned its head because it knew I had it.” [Daly]

After taking Androctonus, this hunter became much calmer and happier. His
severe allergies and headaches disappeared, his arthritis was greatly ameliorated,
and his blood sugar problems and high blood pressure were lessened
considerably (“My doctor said to me, ‘What happened?’”). He also became less
interested in his extensive collection of knives and guns.
Androctonus is just one of many animal poisons that have become
indispensable homeopathic remedies. Other poison remedies include snake
venoms — invaluable remedies during menopause and for heart disease — and
spider remedies like Tarentula, a remedy that is often used for hyperactive
children. Of course, all of these remedies are given in highly dilute doses.
Animal remedies have also been derived from other, less obvious sources.
For example, remedies made from sea animals include: Sepia (ink of the
cuttlefish); Homarus (lobster); Ambra Grisea (a secretion of the sperm whale);
and Spongia Tosta (roasted sponge). Another important class of animal remedies
are those made from mammal milks, including: dog’s milk, cat’s milk, dolphin’s
milk, goat’s milk, lion’s milk, wolf’s milk, monkey’s milk, and human milk (a
powerful remedy that has been successfully used in cases of severe mental
illness).
One of the very first milk remedies to be proved was Lac Caninum or dog’s
milk. Its symptoms, especially its mental symptoms, reflect the situation of the
domesticated dog. Rajan Sankaran writes:
“This remedy has in it the nature of the dog, an animal that has been
totally controlled and civilized so that it has to suppress its basic nature... It
is dependent on its master for food and so it is out to please him. Its
survival depends upon keeping its master happy by its performance, its
affection, etc. It has to perform or it won’t be wanted anymore and its
master will kick it out... But the dog knows that no matter how much it tries
to please, it will never be equal to the human. It feels inferior, knows that it
is at the bottom of the hierarchy... The animal side is also malicious... They
can be quite aggressive and defensive... The main theme of Lac Caninum
[the remedy] is dominance... and who is going to be on top. Lac Caninum
persons can be irritable and ferocious, but if someone is more irritable and
ferocious, they give up, they submit. Then arises the conflict within
themselves: ‘Do I want to be what I am?’ They develop a feeling of low
self-worth: ‘I am not good enough. I feel dirty and horrible,’ and become
contemptuous of themselves... They try hard to please, to be liked, cared for
and accepted because they feel left out and rejected. They can develop
malice and hatred because they hold somebody else responsible for their
condition.” [Sankaran97, p. 109]

Sankaran points out that the Lac Caninum state can arise in a person as the
result of societal racism, child abuse, or being a child in a home where other
children are preferred for being better looking. For whatever reason, whether
real or imagined, a person in a Lac Caninum state feels that they are inherently
deficient and unacceptable. Moreover, they sense that there is nothing they can
do about it — their situation is not their own fault, but rather, lies in others’
judgment of them. Certainly, the derisive use of the word “bitch” in our society
says a lot about our collective subconscious view of the female dog. Isn’t it
astounding that ingesting an infinitesimal potentized dose of dog’s milk could
cause a prover to develop these kinds of feelings? And that a dose of dog’s milk
could cure a person experiencing these same feelings?
 On the physical plane, other symptoms of Lac Caninum also echo dog-
related themes. Like the dog, Lac Caninum patients feel better out in the open air
and from drinking cold drinks. They tend to be nervous, oversensitive, restless,
and can suffer from prostration. One of the most important spheres of action for
Lac Caninum is the throat, which can be sore, red, and glistening, or covered
with white patches. In fact, Lac Caninum had one of its first significant uses as a
curative remedy for a diphtheria epidemic. Swallowing and talking can be
difficult in Lac Caninum cases, and there may be profuse salivation and
drooling. Being derived from milk, it is also not surprising that Lac Caninum
(like most milk remedies) has effects upon the female genital organs. Patients
may have menstrual periods that are too early, hot, and gushing. They can also
have severely swollen and painful breasts before menstruation, and dried up or
scanty milk while nursing.

Plants and Minerals, Too

It is amazing enough that animal remedies seem to echo themes so obviously

related to their source material. But the same is true for plant and mineral
remedies. A few years ago, one of my homeopathy teachers began class by
showing us a video of lava pouring out of a volcano. He asked us to volunteer
our impressions; what did we think the state of lava might be like? How does it
“feel” as it erupts, flows, hardens, and meets the sea? Words came to us such as
“hot,” “relentless,” “unstoppable.”
Next, the instructor described the results of a blind proving of lava. Even
though the provers didn’t know what substance they were testing, some of them
had sensations of intense heat the moment the remedy hit their tongue! Others
developed the feeling of being carried away by some force, as though nothing
could stop them. One prover, who was by nature very quiet and demure, became
so unfeeling and strident that she just blatantly began to say whatever she
wanted at all times. Another prover experienced dreams of falling off an abyss,
with bits and pieces of herself being knocked off as she descended — just as one
might imagine lava fragmenting and hardening as it falls off a cliff into the sea.
This was a powerful lesson to all of us about the mysterious nature of the
doctrine of signatures.

Symbolism and Structure

 The world of homeopathy today is burgeoning with efforts to better
understand remedy symptom patterns and themes, and to utilize this information
clinically. In recent years, many homeopaths have begun to examine families of
remedies, with the hope that related remedies will manifest similar themes. As it
turns out, this has been largely borne out.
Homeopathic remedy families are usually based on natural concepts such as
groupings of related animals and plants. Thus it is common today to see
homeopathy workshops given on the “Sea Remedies,” “Conifer Remedies,”
“Sunflower Remedies,” “Snake Remedies,” “Milk Remedies,” etc. Each of the
remedies in these families exhibits similar symptom patterns and themes. For
example, most snake remedies tend to be hot, talkative, jealous, and suffer from
circulatory problems. Once the themes of a family are understood, they can
provide useful clues for remedy selection. For example, if a patient is extremely
loquacious, jealous of her spouse, and suffers from high blood pressure and hot
flashes, a homeopath will likely determine that she is a candidate for a snake
remedy. The patient’s case can then be analyzed in more detail in order to select
the best matching snake.
This strategic use of families enables today’s homeopaths to broaden the
range of remedies they can effectively use. Though the homeopaths of the 1800s
recognized many kinds of relationships between remedies, they tended to study
and understand each remedy one at a time. Unfortunately, most people can
master only one or two hundred remedies in this way. If, however, a homeopath
can master 100 remedy families, each with about 10 remedies in it, they can
expand their effective knowledge to 1,000 remedies. Thus, a snakelike patient of
the past would most likely have received Lachesis — the most commonly used
snake remedy. Today, a homeopath is more likely to say to herself, “This looks
like a snake remedy. But which one? Maybe it’s Crotalus Horridus (rattlesnake)
or Cenchris (copperhead)?”
Of course, animals and plants are fairly easy to cluster into groups because
they belong to natural biological families. But homeopaths have also found ways
to cluster remedies made from minerals and other elements. A prominent
theoretician in this area is Dutch homeopath Jan Scholten, MD, who has
popularized the notion that remedies made from elements in the same row or the
same column of the periodic table tend to have symptoms in common
[Scholten]. Other types of groupings include the metal remedies, the noble gases,
and salt families such as the sodium salts or potassium salts. Each of these
families has its own distinctive symptom themes and characteristics.
Clearly, this realm of exploration is as broad and fascinating as nature itself.
But for now, let’s take a step back in time again, to the 1800s. The next chapter
will take you on a short guided tour of the development of homeopathy — how
it evolved from Hahnemann’s discovery of the Law of Similars to the many
methods and ideas that exist in the homeopathic world of today.
 Chapter 6: The Development and
Evolution of Homeopathic Practice
“The highest ideal of cure is the rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of
health; that is, the lifting and annihilation of the disease in its entire extent in the
shortest, most reliable, and least disadvantageous way, according to clearly
realizable principles.”
— Samuel Hahnemann, MD, Aphorism 2, Organon of the Medical Art, 1810
[Hahnemann]

In Chapter 2 you learned about Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, and
his discovery of the Law of Similars. But that was only the beginning. While
Hahnemann planted the seeds from which homeopathy sprang (and, indeed,
much of his work is still being unearthed and incorporated into current practice),
the homeopathic medical system continued to develop and expand after
Hahnemann’s death in 1843.
Over the past two centuries, homeopaths have confronted nearly every
imaginable disease in almost every possible context. They have treated infants,
children, adults, and the elderly; those with chronic disease and those with acute
disease; the mentally ill; birthing women; and animals. In the cholera, typhoid,
scarlet fever, and flu epidemics of the 19th and early 20th centuries, homeopaths
were usually much more successful than their allopathic counterparts. The same
was true of homeopathic treatment of venereal disease and tuberculosis. At the
turn of the 20th century, many British and American homeopaths were even
having success in treating a variety of cancers.
Today, at the dawn of a new millennium, homeopathy is practiced all over
the world. It is most prevalent in Europe, India, and Pakistan. But it is also well-
known all over South and Central America, Cuba, Mexico, Australia, New
Zealand, Malaysia, Israel, and South Africa. Homeopathy has also developed an
increasingly large presence in Eastern Europe and Russia and, of course, is
undergoing a rejuvenation in Canada and the United States.
With the passage of time and homeopathy’s spread worldwide, homeopathic
practitioners have developed a multiplicity of methods. In Europe, homeopathic
methodology ranges from the polypharmacy of France, where low-potency
combination remedies are used, to the more classical single-remedy homeopathy
of the United Kingdom. In the United States, we have naturopaths who combine
homeopathy with herbalism, acupuncturists who combine homeopathy with
Chinese medicine, and classical homeopaths who practice much like their
counterparts in England. This same spectrum can be found in other English-
speaking countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In South America,
homeopathic physicians have successfully experimented with massive programs
of homeopathic “vaccination” — i.e., the use of remedies as prophylaxis against
disease, in lieu of traditional vaccines.
Interestingly, the most intensive and widespread use of homeopathy in the
world today is probably taking place in India, where a whole system of
homeopathic medical schools exists and licensed practitioners can treat in full
hospital settings. Each day, the bustling clinics of India treat hundreds of patients
suffering from just about any disease — meningitis, tuberculosis, even leprosy.
Several Indian homeopaths have also become known for their experience in
treating cancer. This kind of treatment for cancer is nearly impossible in the
United States because of laws that limit cancer treatment to surgery, radiation,
and chemotherapy. Indian homeopaths have also had astonishing success in
treating patients with HIV — so much so, that the Indian government has begun
to take notice and invest more research money in their work [India].

Hahnemann’s Development of the Homeopathic System

So how did we get here — from Hahnemann to the homeopathic world of

today? It all began with Hahnemann’s unwavering goal: to attain an ideal form
of cure — one that was rapid, gentle, permanent, and reliable. All the work he
did to further develop the homeopathic system was motivated by this medical
ideal.
Of course, the crude medical practices of Hahnemann’s time were anything
but gentle and reliable. And when Hahnemann began his practice of
homeopathy, his cures, though perhaps more rapid and reliable than those of his
allopathic counterparts, also lacked gentleness. Don’t forget, he was using
mostly poisonous substances, and he had not yet begun to experiment with high
dilutions. While undiluted remedies could bring about cure if their application
was homeopathic, they could also cause difficult aggravations. Although such
reactions were accepted by the patients of that time (who, after all, were
accustomed to being bled and taking toxic doses of mercury and opiates), they
were not acceptable to Hahnemann. Being a man who believed that God would
not have placed humanity on Earth only to suffer, he was confident that a better
way existed. He only needed to find it.
For the last 40 years of his life, Hahnemann experimented with every
possible method of applying the Law of Similars that he could think of. He tried
many new ways of preparing medicines (diluting and potentizing them to
various degrees and in various ways); methods of dosing (varying dosage
amounts and repetitions of dose); and avenues of administration (dry pills,
liquid, inhalation, and external application). He also experimented with a variety
of remedy sequences. In so doing, he discovered many kinds of relationships that
exist between remedies — for example, that certain remedies tend to follow one
another well, while others have negative interactions. Along the way,
Hahnemann also continued to develop and test new remedies so that he could
build up his underlying repertoire of treatment options. Let’s look at some of
these developments now in more detail. (If you are not interested in the specifics
of homeopathic practice, you can safely skim this chapter or move directly to
Chapter 7 or Chapter 8.)

Potentization — The Creation of the Ultradilute Remedies

Once Hahnemann convinced himself of the utility of the Law of Similars, he

began to try and make its application more gentle. The most obvious strategy
was to lessen the doses of medicine he gave to his patients. At first, he simply
tried to dilute his remedies, usually in a mixture of water and alcohol. But
eventually, they had no effect. Being a chemist, he then tried to make sure that
these dilutions were truly well-mixed. He did this by succussing or vigorously
shaking them. Hahnemann found this to have an incredible effect. Not only did
the succussed dilutions now work, but they seemed to have even greater curative
power than more concentrated doses. In the first edition of the Organon, he
wrote:
“There is no small difference in the effects of a dilution which is, as it
were, only superficial, and a dilution which is so intimate and uniform that
every smallest part of the fluid medium contains a due proportion of the
dissolved medicine; the former is much less powerful than the latter.”
[Hahnemann1stOrganon, Aphorism 250]

Hahnemann came to call this method of preparing medicines, which

combines both dilution and succussion, potentization. He used this term because
he found that this method actually made his remedies more potent. Indeed, it
could render otherwise nonmedicinal substances medicinal. For example, foods
such as onion, garlic, salt, cinnamon, asparagus, tomato, potato, and milk
become powerful remedies when potentized.
Of course, being a chemist, Hahnemann realized that very little if any
original substance was likely to be found in these high dilutions. While
Avogadro’s number — the point at which there is not a single molecule of
original substance likely remaining in a dilution — was not established with
certainty until 1909, Avogadro’s first hypothesis about molecular weight was
first made in 1811, about the same time that Hahnemann began to experiment
with the higher potencies [Furtsch]. Hahnemann suspected that the effects of
potentized remedies were likely not to be biochemical at all — that is, acting on
the material body alone. Instead, he hypothesized that they were acting on a
more “energetic” or insubstantial plane — what he called the “life principle” or
vital force, or what the Greeks called the dynamis. For this reason, Hahnemann
also used the term dynamization for potentization. This implied that the dilution
and succussion process somehow enabled a remedy substance to reach the
dynamic plane.
Hahnemann also experimented with dilution and succussion in a dry
medium. He found that a dry medicinal substance could be “diluted” by mixing
it with milk-sugar powder and “succussed” by vigorously grinding or triturating
the two together. In fact, this strategy worked just as well as liquid potentization.
Hahnemann surmised that the amazing effects of liquid and dry potentization
were due to some kind of friction between the medicinal substance and its
diluent, be it liquid or solid:
“This remarkable alteration in the properties of natural bodies is
achieved through mechanical action on their smallest particles by trituration
and succussion while these particles are separated from one another by
means of an intervening, indifferent substance that is either dry or liquid.
This procedure develops the latent dynamic powers of the substance which
were previously unnoticeable, as if slumbering.” [Hahnemann, Aphorism
269]

It has taken nearly two hundred years for science to catch up with
Hahnemann. Recent physics and medical experiments have been able to
demonstrate that succussion is indeed the key to potentization; without this step,
a high-potency liquid dilution is merely water. Although potentized
ultradilutions may not contain even a single molecule of original substance, they
have now been shown to contain some kind of residual energetic signature that
can cause the same changes in living tissue that the original substance could
cause [Benveniste88, Elia, Ennis].
The ramifications of this discovery are astounding. Just think about it. A very
small amount of medicinal substance could yield, via potentization, billions of
effective doses! Imagine how the pharmaceutical industry would be impacted if
expensive drugs could be used in this way; a very small amount of medicine
could yield low-cost doses for everyone on the planet. Given the potential
financial consequences, this work is controversial to say the least. Researchers
who work on ultradilutions are routinely ridiculed and debunked. But they have
persisted and have returned with more confirmatory results.
Interestingly, most of the research on ultradilutions is not being done by
homeopaths. In fact, many of the scientists involved in this area know very little
about homeopathy as a medical system. Instead, their goal is to create other
kinds of potentized substances, such as potentized allopathic drugs. It is
fascinating, however, that many of their discoveries have confirmed those made
by Hahnemann two hundred years ago. For example, they have found that
extreme heat can diminish the effects of a dilution — as did Hahnemann.
Chapter 7 will discuss these experimental results in greater detail and will also
present several modern clinical trials of homeopathy.

The Centesimal, Decimal, and LM Potencies

In his efforts to create gentle and effective remedies, Hahnemann

experimented with a variety of dilution ratios and amounts of succussion. He
found that one of the most effective dilution ratios was 1:100 — i.e., 1 unit of
medicinal substance combined with 99 units of diluent. This ratio yields the
centesimal or “c” potencies. Another common dilution ratio, 1:10, yields the
decimal or “x” potencies (also called “D” potencies). The decimal potencies
were first introduced in 1838 by both a German homeopath, Vehsmayer, and an
American homeopath named Dubs. However, this dilution ratio did not come
into vogue until well after Hahnemann’s death.
To give you a better idea of how homeopathic dilutions are created, let’s go
through the process in more detail. Suppose that we wanted to create a 3c
potency of Arnica. We would start with a mother tincture of the Arnica flower.
Usually, tinctures are made by placing a flower directly into a vial of alcohol; in
other cases, the substance is ground up or its juice is squeezed out. Each
homeopathic remedy is associated with precise instructions for the creation of its
mother tincture. These instructions must be followed by all pharmacies that
abide by the homeopathic pharmacopoeia of their country. In the United States,
we have Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the U.S. (HPUS), which was first
published in 1882 and was given formal legal status in 1938, via the same
legislation that created the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [Winston, p.
234].
After creation of an Arnica mother tincture, the potentization process
continues by combining 1 drop of tincture with 99 drops of diluent (a mixture of
alcohol and water). This mixture is then vigorously shaken by hand, typically by
striking it against a surface between 2 and 100 times. Today, machines are
sometimes used instead of hand succussion. Once succussion is complete, the 1c
potency of Arnica has been created. To create the next higher potency, the
process is repeated — but using the preceding potency solution instead of the
mother tincture. Thus, combining 1 drop of Arnica 1c solution with 99 drops of
diluent, followed by succussion, yields the 2c potency of Arnica. Then, mixing 1
drop of Arnica 2c solution with 99 drops of diluent followed by succussion
yields the 3c potency. And so on.
If a remedy is made from insoluble material, it is potentized by triturating or
grinding it with milk sugar. Thus, instead of mixing 1 drop of remedy or tincture
with 99 drops of water and alcohol, 1 unit of solid matter is ground into 99 units
of milk sugar. The succussion step is then replaced by one hour of grinding.
Hahnemann found that nearly any dry substance — even insoluble substances —
could be successfully dissolved in liquid once they had been triturated up to the
3c potency. Thereafter, higher potencies could be created via liquid dilution and
succussion.
Now, if you do the math, you will find that potentization quickly yields
dilutions in excess of Avogadro’s number (approximately 1023). This point has
already been passed by the time a 12c or 24x potency has been made — i.e., a
dilution of 10012 or 1024. Homeopaths call potencies below this threshold
material doses, because there is still some possibility that some of the original
material exists within them. Potencies above this threshold are called
nonmaterial or dynamic doses.
Naturally, the use of nonmaterial doses has always been controversial and
sometimes a source of ridicule — even in the time of Hahnemann. The issue has
caused infighting among homeopaths themselves over the past two hundred
years. In the early 1900s, for example, most of the American allopathic-
homeopaths used only material doses. Hahnemann himself was also skeptical of
higher potencies in his early years as a homeopath. Initially, he favored potencies
such as 3c, 6c, 9c, and 12c. Later on, however, he began to favor 18c, 24c, and
30c, simply because he found them to be more effective. In the last 10 years of
his life, he began to experiment with doses as high as 200c. Eventually,
potencies as high as 1,000c (also called 1M), 10,000c (10M), 50,000c (50M),
and 100,000c (CM) became popular, especially in the United States. These
extremely high potencies were popularized by James T. Kent, MD, an American
homeopath of the late 1800s, and were produced using specially designed
machines. Today, the use of these ultrahigh potencies is common and well-
accepted by nearly all homeopaths.
Near the end of his life, Hahnemann devised one more potency scale as a
complement to the centesimal potencies. These are the LM potencies, created
using a dilution ratio of 1:50,000. (LM potencies are sometimes called “Q”
potencies, because of the Latin term quinquagintamillesimal, which means “1 in
50,000.”) Hahnemann developed LM potencies to be used in conjunction with a
liquid dosing regimen, which I will describe in the next section. But because a
description of them did not appear in the Organon until its last (sixth) edition,
which remained unpublished until 1921, they remained unknown to homeopaths
of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a result, the homeopathic system
that spread around the world during that period focused solely on the use of
centesimal and decimal potencies. Today, LM potencies are finally coming into
greater use.

Remedy Administration: How, How Much, and How Often

Once he created a potentized remedy dilution, Hahnemann applied small

drops of it to tiny sugar pellets and let them dry. These are the little white pills
that homeopathy is known for. Up until the time of the fourth edition of the
Organon in 1829, Hahnemann always administered his remedies in this pill form
— the dry dose.
Hahnemann’s ideal, of course, was to use the least amount of medicine
necessary to cure: the minimum dose. This meant that the number of pills used
for each dose and the frequency of dosing was to be minimized. Indeed,
Hahnemann found that frequent dosing was often unnecessary and sometimes
ill-advised. If a remedy was repeated too frequently or too soon, beneficial
effects could be undone, or a patient could develop unnecessary aggravations.
For this reason, Hahnemann’s use of the dry dose followed a kind of “wait
and watch” approach. A single dose was given and the patient’s symptoms were
closely watched. Based on the nature of a patient’s response, Hahnemann could
determine if the remedy was correct or incorrect, and, if correct, whether the
dose was too high or too low in potency. In general, another dose of the remedy
would not be given until the effects of the previous dose had worn off — i.e.,
until symptoms began to return. Repeat doses of a remedy might be of the same
potency, or the potency might be adjusted upward or downward based on patient
response.
Hahnemann’s “wait and watch” approach has always been hard for many
patients to accept. In the treatment of chronic disease, the effects of a single 200c
dose can sometimes last for months; the effects of a 30c dose, for weeks. When
patients are accustomed to taking pills every day (or several times a day) for
their maladies, taking a single pill and waiting weeks for another dose may seem
a bit strange. But if a patient is sensitive to a remedy, frequent repetitions of a
high-potency dry dose can lead to aggravations.
This phenomenon (as well as our modern tendency to overdose ourselves
with medications) was used to literary effect in a recently published novel
[Bohjalian]. The main character is a lawyer who is treated by a classical
homeopath and is cured of his chronic cough with the remedy Arsenicum Album
(arsenic trioxide). Unfortunately, under the misconception that “more is better,”
the lawyer surreptitiously takes a vial of the remedy from the homeopath’s
office. After popping pill after pill, he soon develops a full-blown proving of
Arsenicum. Of course, according to modern chemistry, this vial did not contain
even a single molecule of arsenic. Nevertheless, the lawyer is soon jittery,
anxious, restless, suspicious, and feels tingling in his soles and palms — all
symptoms of Arsenicum. Once the homeopath discovers what has happened, she
urges him to discontinue his pill popping — and all of his symptoms soon
disappear. This story certainly underscores the importance of not self-treating for
serious conditions, not taking remedies indiscriminately (they aren’t vitamins!),
and seeking out a trained practitioner who knows what they’re doing.
Of course, sometimes frequent repetition of a remedy is called for. It all
depends. In acute ailments such as ear infections or the flu, the body uses up a
remedy faster and may require more frequent repetitions, even of high potencies.
Lower potencies, which tend to cause less aggravations in sensitive or weak
patients, are also generally used more frequently. In all cases, however, it is
important that the treating homeopath be made aware of both negative and
positive responses to a remedy so that appropriate adjustments can be made. In
contrast to the use of allopathic drugs, there are no fixed dosing regimens in
homeopathy; a great deal depends on a patient’s individual response. I have even
seen a long-lasting and comprehensive cure of chronic disease take place with a
single 12c dose.
 Unfortunately, even with his “wait and watch” approach, Hahnemann
continued to see aggravations in some of his most sensitive patients. Because he
wanted to achieve painless and effective cures for all, his experiments continued.
Shortly after the publication of the fourth edition of the Organon in 1829,
Hahnemann began to try a new strategy — administering remedies in liquid
form. He simply placed one or more remedy pills in a small amount of water.
The patient could then take more frequent doses (usually a teaspoonful) from
this solution after succussing or stirring it. Hahnemann found this approach to be
highly successful. It embodied a more gradual way of stimulating a sensitive
patient’s vital force, with smaller, more frequent nudges toward health.
Eventually, he also came to believe that liquid dosing was a more natural way for
the energy of a remedy to enter the body.
During the remaining 14 years of his life, Hahnemann experimented with
every possible parameter of the liquid dosing method: using a different number
of pills to create a remedy solution; adjusting the size of the solution; varying the
number of succussions before each dose; and varying the number of teaspoons to
be taken. He also found that succussing the solution before each dose raised its
potency slightly. This caused the doses being taken by a patient to be gradually
increased in potency over time. Hahnemann felt that this gradual increase
enabled the fastest and most gentle cures of all.
Hahnemann applied the principle of the minimum dose to liquid dosing as
well. This meant that the minimum number of pills should be used to create a
solution, the minimum number of succussions should be applied, the minimum
number of teaspoons should be given, and the minimum number of repetitions of
dose should be used. If a stronger effect was required, these parameters could be
increased; decreasing them helped to remove aggravations. Indeed, Hahnemann
found that a remedy solution could be diluted even further if it was required. He
developed the practice of using dilution glasses — the dose taken from the
medicinal solution bottle was diluted in yet another glass of water (a dilution
glass), and the dosage amount given to the patient was administered from the
dilution glass instead. This step could then be repeated again and again, using
successive dilution glasses, if it was necessary for an extremely sensitive patient.
Thus, in liquid dosing, Hahnemann finally found his most adaptable strategy for
attaining rapid, gentle, and reliable cures.
A description of liquid dosing made its first appearance in the fifth edition of
the Organon in 1833. At this time, Hahnemann was still using centesimal
potencies in liquid. But when he moved to Paris with his new wife Melanie, he
was reinvigorated once again (at the age of 78) to begin experimenting anew.
While the liquid doses worked well in most cases, he found that low centesimal
potencies were sometimes too weak and high centesimal potencies were at times
too strong. To deal with this, Hahnemann first experimented with a new method
of administration — olfaction (inhalation). This method required a patient to
take a deep sniff of the remedy. Olfaction did turn out to be effective, but the
remedial effects of inhaled doses were usually not as long-lasting.
Eventually, Hahnemann decided to devise a new dilution ratio more suited to
liquid dosing. The result was the LM (or Q) potencies — created by using a
dilution rate of 1:50,000. He wrote:
“This method of dynamization, I have found after many laborious
experiments and counter-experiments, to be the most powerful and at the
same time the mildest in action, as the material part of the medicine is
lessened with each dynamization 50,000 times and yet incredibly increased
in power.” [Hahnemann, Footnote 270g]

One of the most powerful aspects of LM dosing is the flexibility and

adjustability of the liquid dosing method. Of course, liquid dosing can also be a
bit daunting and complex to patients, at least initially. It requires more
communication between homeopath and patient as well, so that an optimal
dosing regimen can be achieved. Nevertheless, in my experience, liquid dosing
is easy once it has been done a few times.
Another important and distinctive aspect of LM dosing is how LM potencies
are used in sequence over time. While centesimal potencies are typically
sequenced in large jumps (for example, a patient may first be given a 12c, then a
30c, and later a 200c), LM doses are usually given in a gradually increasing arc
of potencies — LM1, LM2, LM3, etc. Since the remedy solution is also
succussed a bit before each administration (thereby slightly raising its potency),
this strategy truly achieves Hahnemann’s ideal of a gradual increase in potency
each time the remedy is given. In fact, it was this dosing regimen that we
followed daily with Max. Over the course of his first year on the remedy, we
progressed up the potency scale from LM1 to LM13, changing from one potency
to the next about once a month.

Potency Selection

The criterion for selecting a patient’s remedy is fairly well-defined in

homeopathy — pick the remedy whose symptoms best match those of the
patient. But how is potency selected? And how often should a dose be repeated?
Answers to these questions are much less well-defined. Indeed, I have found that
every homeopathic practitioner seems to have their own personal ideas about
dosing. Some use the dry-dose “wait and watch” approach exclusively. Others
repeat dry doses frequently and routinely, even in high potencies. Many
homeopaths are beginning to use LM dosing as well. However, there are a few
guidelines that are generally accepted by most homeopaths:

The more certain you are that you have selected the correct remedy, the
higher the potency.
For mental/emotional symptoms, favor higher potencies; for chronic
physical symptoms, favor lower potencies.
For young, vigorous people, use higher potencies; for older, weaker people,
use lower potencies.
For acute diseases with strong symptoms, use higher potencies.
For people who are very sensitive (for example, those who suffer from
severe allergies), use lower potencies or LM potencies.
If a patient is on allopathic drugs or there is some part of their routine that is
likely to interfere with the action of a remedy, use LM potencies, liquid
dosing, or repeated dry doses of low potencies.

One way of unifying all of these rules together is with the following
principle: match the potency of the remedy to the vitality of the patient. In other
words, the higher the vitality of the patient, the higher the potency. The lower the
vitality, the lower the potency. This principle unifies the others because each of
the other principles can be explained in terms of it.
For example, if a person has a very high vitality, they are likely to develop
more well-defined, clear symptoms. As a result, their remedy picture will be
clearer and they will get a higher potency. People with a higher vitality also tend
to develop mental and emotional symptoms along with their physical symptoms,
and sometimes even before physical symptoms appear; they get a higher potency
too. In contrast, people with severe physical pathology and few mental or
emotional symptoms have often taken a great deal of allopathic drugs; they get
lower potencies. Finally, if a person is extremely sensitive to their environment
or is routinely taking allopathic drugs that potentially weaken their system or
lessen the effects of a homeopathic remedy, they are also likely to have a
lowered vitality; they get lower potencies too.

One Remedy at a Time

 As I have already mentioned, Hahnemann experimented not only with
potency and dosing, but with remedy sequences as well. At one point, he even
tried using small combinations of remedies. In the end, however, Hahnemann
held firmly that remedy combinations should never be used. Even if it was
sometimes necessary to alternate or change remedies quickly (even on the same
day), he felt that two different remedies should never be used at the same time.
In the last edition of the Organon he wrote:
“In no case of cure is it necessary to employ more than a single simple
medicinal substance at one time with a patient. For this reason alone, it is
inadmissible to do so. It is inconceivable that there could be the slightest
doubt about whether it is more in accordance with nature and more
reasonable to prescribe only a single, simple well-known medicinal
substance at one time in a disease or a mixture of several different ones. In
homeopathy — the only true and simple, the only natural medical art — it
is absolutely prohibited to administer to the patient, at one time, two
different medicinal substances.” [Hahnemann, Aphorism 273]

Why such vehemence? Just as it is today, it was common practice in

Hahnemann’s time for allopathic physicians to prescribe drug mixtures. Often,
the contents of these medicines were known only to the pharmacies. Hahnemann
felt that these medicinal concoctions were quite dangerous. He spoke out
publicly against them and also about the lack of hygiene evident in their
manufacture. But because drug mixtures were so popular, it was quite tempting
for homeopaths of Hahnemann’s time to mix homeopathic remedies together,
especially if several different remedies seemed to be likely candidates for a
patient. Hahnemann’s experiments, however, demonstrated that this practice was
simply unnecessary.
As was characteristic for him, Hahnemann’s rationale for using only one
remedy at a time was fundamentally scientific. First of all, he felt that it was
simply impossible to know what the effects of a combination remedy would be
without actually proving it as a distinct substance. The Law of Similars states
what effects a single proven remedy will have. It says nothing about a
combination of remedies. If Hahnemann really wanted to try out a combination
substance as a possible remedy, he proved it as a distinct entity. One such
remedy was Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum, made from a mixture of sulphur and
calcium. However, the sulphur and calcium were first combined under extreme
heat and pressure to form a distinct material substance. This substance was then
potentized and proved as a single remedy so that its precise effects could become
known.
 Even more important to Hahnemann, however, was the fact that it was
impossible to accurately assess the response of a patient to a combination
medicine. Which constituent remedy was having the curative effect? What
effects were each of the constituent remedies having and how did they interact?
Did they interfere with one another? How should treatment proceed if a
combination failed? Hahnemann felt that it was important to try one remedy at a
time and see if it worked. If it did not, he could then try another remedy, based
on the new symptom picture.
Despite Hahnemann’s edicts, the principle of the single remedy became a
contentious one in homeopathy, and it remains so to this day. During
Hahnemann’s lifetime, there were already many homeopaths who used
combination remedies. Combinations were also popular in 19th-century
America. One of the first American pharmacists to sell them was Frederick
Humphreys, MD, a graduate of the Homeopathic Medical College of
Pennsylvania. In 1855, his membership in both the American Institute of
Homeopathy and the New York State Homeopathic Medical Society was
withdrawn because of his manufacture and sale of these combinations. However,
his remedies continued to be popular and lucrative. Indeed, as Julian Winston
reports in his history of American homeopathy, “Humphreys veterinary products
were used by the Ringling Brothers Circus throughout the 1930s and, according
to the United States Department of Interior, by the United States Calvary.”
[Winston, p. 85]
Today, combinations are the mainstay of many French homeopaths, who
utilize standardized combinations for specific diseases and as well as
combinations that are formulated on an individualized basis. Combinations are
also immensely popular in the burgeoning natural health product industry. Even
mainstream pharmaceutical companies have begun to market over-the-counter
remedy combinations for common ailments such as hay fever, insomnia,
premenstrual tension, arthritis, teething, etc. For the most part, these popular
combinations contain only a few low-potency remedies. However, more broad-
spectrum combinations are starting to be sold that include remedies in very high
potencies. For example, one combination recommended for “skin problems” that
is now sold by a major pharmacy contains 23 different remedies, some in very
high potencies. Other combination formulas I have seen include remedies that
are known to be harmful when used together, or are actually known to antidote
or nullify one another. It is unfortunate that these concoctions are marketed
under the banner of “homeopathy.” Naturally, they are also quite alarming to
most homeopaths.
So why use mixed remedies (polypharmacy) at all? In general, there are two
different kinds of thinking behind this practice. In individualized polypharmacy,
a set of remedies is chosen based on a patient’s symptoms. If the practitioner
cannot find a single remedy that matches a patient, a few remedies are given in
combination, each of which covers different aspects of their case. These
combinations usually contain only a small set of remedies (two or three) and are
based on the past therapeutic experience of the homeopath, who is (hopefully)
also aware of possible remedy interactions.
The other approach to polypharmacy, exemplified by over-the-counter
combinations, is non-individualized disease-based polypharmacy. In this case, a
set of remedies is chosen, all of which are known to have some relationship to
the targeted condition or disease — for example, hay fever. These remedies are
thrown together with the idea that one of them will cure — a “shotgun”
approach.
Since disease-based combinations are sold or prescribed without attention to
the specific symptoms of an individual patient, they are usually only loosely
homeopathic to a patient’s disease. As a result, while such products can be
helpful, they are usually merely palliative or suppressive — much like allopathic
medicines. One proof of this is that combination remedies must often be taken
on an ongoing basis and that symptoms return after they are discontinued. This is
not surprising; since disease-based combinations are only superficially
homeopathic to a patient, their effect is only superficial as well. The danger in
their use is the same as the danger inherent in the use of over-the-counter
allopathic medicines. If a person takes them for an extended period of time, they
may permanently suppress their symptoms, leading to the same kinds of chronic
disease that allopathic medicines can cause.
Despite the fact that classical homeopaths consider combination remedies to
be a substandard form of treatment, such remedies are, nevertheless, quite
popular. On the bright side, these products help to popularize homeopathy and
eventually convince many people to seek out more suitable professional
homeopathic treatment. Indeed, if a combination remedy contains only a few
well-selected low-potency remedies and is only used for a short period of time, it
is usually beneficial and benign. But treatment under the care of a qualified
homeopath is always preferable and will generally be more effective.

Related Applications and Methods

If you are currently under the care of a homeopath, you may have discovered
that they use techniques that I have not yet mentioned. Some of them may be
quite classical and “Hahnemannian”; others less so. Indeed, even the most
classical practitioner uses alternative strategies from time to time. For the
remainder of this chapter, I will describe some of the more commonly used
methods that lie outside of the basic homeopathic paradigm. I include this
information because I believe it is important for everyone to understand the
rationale behind the treatments they use. It is also important for patients to
understand which treatment methods are actually “homeopathy” and which are
not.

Homeopathic Prophylaxis for Acute Disease

I have already discussed the traditional homeopathic approach to treating and

preventing epidemic disease. This approach was outlined by Hahnemann
himself. As early as 1801, he published one of his first essays on the
homeopathic method entitled “Cure and Prevention of Scarlet Fever.” He
discovered that in a particular epidemic of scarlet fever, the remedy Belladonna
(made from the deadly nightshade plant) was effective in not only curing the
fever, but it could also be used as a prophylactic to prevent the disease entirely.
As described in Chapter 4, to determine the appropriate remedies for treating
and preventing an epidemic disease, homeopaths combine the symptoms of
several afflicted people together to create “the case of the epidemic.” The small
set of remedies that match these symptoms is called the genus epidemicus. These
remedies can then be used to cure those who have been infected, as well as
prophylactically — to prevent the disease entirely.
This kind of homeoprophylaxis lies well within the Hahnemannian paradigm.
A key aspect of the approach is that prophylactic remedies are given only when
the threat of disease is imminent and its characteristics are known with certainty.
This is very different from today’s blanket use of vaccinations, which are given
according to a prescribed timetable, even when the threat of disease is negligible.
Allopathic vaccination also uses the disease virus itself as the prophylactic agent.
This is not usually true of homeopathic prophylaxis; the genus epidemicus rarely
includes the remedy made from the disease matter itself.
Another important difference between homeoprophylaxis and vaccination is
that the remedies suitable for one particular instance of an epidemic (for
example, a whooping cough epidemic) may be different from the remedies
suitable for another instance of the same type of epidemic. This is true because
each epidemic has its own unique characteristics and symptoms. Because the
remedies that will be useful for a future epidemic cannot be precisely determined
in advance, most classical homeopaths feel that the best general-purpose
prophylactic against infectious disease is ongoing homeopathic treatment. This
helps to ensure that a patient is healthy and not susceptible to an epidemic in the
first place.
Of course, many homeopathic patients are afraid to forego vaccinations
entirely and are eager to find some kind of replacement for them within the
homeopathic paradigm. In response, some homeopaths have experimented with
the remedies made from disease matter — nosodes — as homeopathic
“vaccinations.” While this practice is not strictly within the confines of classical
homeopathy (nosodes do not always cause the symptoms of their respective
diseases in provings; in fact, nosodes are usually used to treat other conditions),
this method has proven to be effective in many cases. For example, in the early
1900s, when several outbreaks of smallpox were occurring in the United States,
Variolinum (made from a smallpox pustule) was used successfully to not only
prevent smallpox, but to treat it as well. In the state of Iowa, Variolinum was
even allowed to be used in lieu of traditional vaccination [Eaton].
Other nosodes that have been used as prophylactics include Diphtherinum to
prevent diphtheria, Pertussinum to prevent pertussis (whooping cough),
Morbillinum to prevent measles, Influenzinum to prevent the flu, and
Anthracinum to prevent anthrax. Indeed, a homeopathic nosode can be made
from disease matter for any disease. Remember, of course, that not even a single
molecule of actual disease matter exists within any of these highly potentized
remedies. Also note that the use of nosodes to treat (rather than to prevent) a
disease should be done with caution. The homeopathic literature of the 1800s,
for example, explicitly advised against the use of the nosode Tuberculinum in
active cases of tuberculosis.
As it turns out, the use of nosodes as prophylactics has been studied
experimentally in modern times. One active researcher in this area was the late
Francisco Eizayaga, MD, an Argentinian homeopath. Due to his influence, South
America has been the scene of several large-scale experiments. For example, in
August 1974, there was an epidemic of meningitis in Guaratingueta, Brazil. As
part of a trial, 18,640 children were given Meningococcinum 10c, while 6,340
children did not receive the nosode. Out of the 18,640 children, only 4 cases of
meningitis developed; out of the 6,340 children, 34 cases were noted. The net
effect: untreated children had 25 times the chance of contracting the disease than
homeopathically treated children [CastroNogueria]. Homeopathic prophylaxis is
also popular in Europe for domestic animals — for example, to control bovine
mastitis [Spranger] and kennel cough. Two recent studies on homeopathic
prophylaxis in animals will be discussed in Chapter 7.
Now that we are in an era in which biological warfare is truly a potential
threat, it seems only good common sense that homeopathic methods be given a
closer look by the medical establishment. In recent testimony given to Congress
on this subject, prominent researchers have specifically recommended
homeopathic methods of prophylaxis, not only because they are safer than
allopathic vaccines, but because they can be adapted rapidly to unknown
diseases as well as to diseases for which no vaccination is available [Jonas01].
For all of these reasons, prejudice must be overcome and financial interests must
be ignored; the safety and well-being of the public is at stake.

Isopathy/Tautopathy

The use of disease nosodes to treat or prevent diseases is actually an example

of a treatment method closely related to homeopathy called isopathy. Isopathy
treats disease by using a remedy made from a by-product of the disease or from
a substance that seems to have triggered the disease. Another example of this
method is the use of potentized allergens to help allergy sufferers. Isopathy is not
homeopathy in the strict sense because isopathic remedies have usually not been
shown to elicit the targeted symptoms in healthy provers. However, like many
therapies that utilize potentized substances, isopathy is closely associated with
homeopathy. Indeed, many homeopaths use this approach when other attempts to
find the simillimum have failed.
Another practice that is similar to isopathy, but is more in line with classical
homeopathic practice, is tautopathy. This method utilizes a potentized drug or
toxin in order to cure a person who is known to have been poisoned by it. For
example, a person who has been poisoned by ongoing use of steroids might be
given a homeopathic dose of steroid to help rid the body of its toxic effects. Or, a
potentized vaccine might be used to counteract vaccine damage. One amazing
example of tautopathy was described by one of my teachers, British homeopath
Simon Taffler. He gave potentized Mercury to a dental nurse who was showing
signs of mercury poisoning. Shortly thereafter, a large amount of mercury was
discharged in her menstrual blood. Her body had responded to the homeopathic
stimulus by cleansing itself.
Tautopathy is in line with classical homeopathic practice because the patient
is indeed experiencing symptoms that are known to be caused by the remedy
substance; i.e., tautopathy is clearly an application of the Law of Similars.
However, like isopathy, tautopathy is usually used by homeopaths only when
other remedies fail to cure. In such cases, the poisoning drug has created a
complicating factor that must be eliminated in order for a full cure to take place.
Here is a typical example of such a situation, described by British homeopath Ian
Watson:
“A woman in her sixties came to see me and told me her ‘gullet had
shrunk.’ When she tried to swallow, food became lodged behind the
sternum, causing a ‘hot’ pain which went through to the back. The pain was
relieved by regurgitating the food. On drinking she often had spasmodic
attacks of hiccoughs. She had frequent eructations [belching] of wind; a
sensation of a lump in the throat, not relieved by swallowing; easy satiety
and a tendency towards constipation.
About eight years previously she had an internal investigation of the
gullet which caused lacerations and punctured her right lung. The lung
collapsed and she developed pleurisy as a result. This had left her with a
tendency to get out of breath easily, and soreness in the chest on deep
inspiration. While I was studying the case I gave Arnica 200 [200c]
followed by Calendula 30 on the basis of the past trauma, and this relieved
the soreness in the chest but produced no other change. On repertorising the
symptoms Natrum Muriaticum [potentized salt] seemed best indicated but it
was given with no result. Kali carbonicum [potassium carbonate] and
Lachesis [a snake poison remedy] were also tried but without relief.
I decided to question her for further information about the onset of the
trouble. It transpired that approximately one year after the lung episode she
had ‘an attack of arthritis’ in the right hip. She was given Naprosyn (a non-
steroid anti-inflammatory drug). As soon as she started taking it she
developed the awful burning in the oesophagus. After a week the drug was
stopped, but ever since then she had had the difficulty swallowing, pain
behind the sternum and feeling of a lump in the throat. In fact, she assured
me she had ‘never been well since.’
On hearing this I obtained a bottle of Naprosyn 30 [the drug Naprosyn
potentized up to 30c] and sent her three doses to take over a 24-hour period.
The next day her husband called to ask ‘What the hell have you given to my
wife?’ He said she had never looked so ill since the Asian flu thirty years
ago! I tried to sound confident that all would be well, and said to wait
another day. The next day the woman rang me and proudly declared she had
just eaten toast without any problem for the first time in years. She had no
further trouble at all for about three months — she could swallow anything,
there was no pain or regurgitation, her wind disappeared and her general
health improved considerably. Then she had a partial relapse after the
 sudden death of a close friend, which Ignatia 200 [a grief-related remedy]
took care of very quickly. I sent further Naprosyn 30... but she never needed
to take it.” [Watson, pp. 109–110]

Organ Remedies

Another method associated with homeopathy is the use of remedies to

strengthen or “cleanse” specific organs. The use of these so-called organ
remedies is loosely homeopathic because provings have demonstrated their
affinity to particular organs. For example, Chelidonium Majus (a plant remedy
made from celandine, a yellow-flowered herb of the poppy family) is sometimes
used for cleansing or strengthening the liver, because its proving symptoms
include many symptoms of liver disease — for instance, jaundice and pain under
the right shoulder blade. Another kind of organ therapy is called organotherapy.
This approach uses sarcodes — remedies made from healthy organ tissue. For
instance, Thyroidinum, made from dried sheep’s thyroid gland, is sometimes
used in cases of thyroid disease.
Homeopaths who routinely use organ remedies believe that they help to
reduce aggravations. They are also used in cases in which an organ has been
severely damaged or removed. Here is another illustrative case by Ian Watson:
“I treated a boy who had a brain tumor removed and who recovered
generally but his growth was stunted. This was thought due to the tumor
having impinged upon his pituitary gland. Constitutional treatment helped
him generally but didn’t affect his growth, which was the main problem.
Consequently, I gave him Pituitrin 30... and he started to grow normally
soon after starting the remedy.” [Watson, p. 59]

In contrast to standard homeopathic treatment, organ remedies are usually

prescribed in low doses and are repeated frequently. Often, a mother tincture will
be used. For this reason, the use of organ remedies is viewed by many
homeopaths as more akin to herbalism than homeopathy. Nevertheless, if the use
of these remedies is based on the similarity of a patient’s symptoms to proving
data, the method does lie within the homeopathic paradigm.

Cell Salts

Very similar in flavor to organotherapy is the use of cell salt remedies. These
potentized remedies were popularized in 1873 by a German homeopath, Dr.
William Schuessler. They are made from mineral salts commonly found in the
human body. For example, the remedy Calcarea Sulphurica, made from calcium
sulphate, is known for its effects on connective tissue. Like organ remedies, cell
salts are usually given in low potencies and are repeated frequently. Some
homeopaths believe that they help to boost the body’s functioning. If they are
used because of the similarity of proving symptoms to those being experienced
by a patient, their use is homeopathic. If they are used as a kind of health tonic
or vitamin, such treatment lies outside the boundaries of classical homeopathy.

Specifics

Some remedies are used with such regularity and with such success for
certain conditions that they are called specifics for those conditions. Probably the
most well-known specific is Arnica for trauma-related injuries, which I
described in detail in Chapter 5. Not surprisingly, specifics are most often
associated with acute conditions. In quick-paced acute diseases (such as trauma
and many types of infections), most people develop the same symptoms. If those
symptoms match the symptoms of a particular remedy, that remedy will
naturally become known as a “specific” for that disease or situation. Other
examples of specifics are Kali Bichromicum (potassium bichromate) for sinus
infections and Cocculus (Indian cockle, a plant) or Tabacum (tobacco) for
motion sickness.
Of course, homeopathic practice is rarely quite as simple as the use of
specifics seems to imply. Though people may resort to specifics in a crunch, they
are usually not the answer in the long term. For one thing, they do not usually
address the underlying problem that is causing a person to experience their
symptoms. Why does a person have a tendency to get sinus infections or motion
sickness? That is the real problem to be solved.

Loosely Related Methods and Modalities

This final section discusses practices that tend to be associated with

homeopathy because they use some form of potentized medicine or because they
utilize substances that homeopathic remedies are also made from. However, they
are not based on the Law of Similars. As a result, they have no real relationship
to homeopathy.


Intuitive or “Energy-Reading” Machine Prescribing

Sometimes people approach me with stories that go something like this:

“Amy, I went to a ‘homeopath.’ He used a pendulum to decide on five remedies
— a unique combination just for me!” Or, “My chiropractor hooked me up to a
machine that tested my energy field and came up with this remedy.”
It should be clear to you by now that a remedy chosen on the basis of
anything else but a patient’s symptoms cannot be considered homeopathy. To my
knowledge, no device has ever been proven to measure a patient’s energy field
and to reliably match it to a remedy.
Of course, some homeopaths do use “intuitive” techniques such as dowsing
or applied kinesiology to select a remedy from a set of potential remedy choices.
This can be considered in the realm of homeopathy if the initial remedy choices
are actually based on the Law of Similars. But if remedy selection is based
solely on psychic techniques or “energy-reading machines,” it cannot be called
homeopathy, even if potentized remedies are ultimately prescribed.
As far as the success of such methods, I have heard that they are palliative at
best, rarely truly curative. Some have speculated that good results occur only
when a practitioner successfully taps into their own intuition about the correct
remedy. Such results are necessarily limited or enhanced by the practitioner’s
knowledge of materia medica and their understanding of a patient’s symptoms.
Here’s an anecdote from Marybeth Buchele-Moseman, CCH, RSHom (NA).
When she wrote this, she was still a student of homeopathy. Today she is a
professional homeopath practicing in St. Louis Park, Minnesota and
Menomonie, Wisconsin. The quote below describes her initial experience with a
“machine” prescriber who treated her for chronic fatigue:
“The first homeopath I saw did this exact type of treatment, so I’m
very familiar with it. That clinic I went to was (is) staffed with MDs and
had a waiting list. They did get results, but the question I would put to you
is the question that I did not get a good answer for until I saw a classical
homeopath: is this treatment healing the problem or is it just Band-Aiding
the symptoms? I used this treatment for over three years, making many...
expensive trips out-of-state... because the treatments just patched me up,
they never took care of the underlying imbalances that were really making
me sick.
I was a very vocal defender of that type of treatment (because I got
some results at a time when nothing else was available). But then I
 experienced classical homeopathy, meaning taking one remedy at a time,
the remedy chosen after an extensive interview with the homeopath. With
classical homeopathy I have experienced health in the form of freedom and
flexibility beyond anything I could have imagined. I am comfortable in my
own skin, I look very different and feel very different on the physical level
and on the mental-emotional level... The gift and challenge of homeopathy
is that even very bad homeopathy gets results of some type. And if a person
has been quite sick, with little or no help from the conventional docs, even
some results seem better than none. This type of treatment is often (but not
always) used by practitioners who are poorly trained, who are looking for
shortcuts, who want the income from being able to see a lot of patients in a
short time (otherwise known as running a patient-mill clinic).” [MB]

Bach Flower Remedies

Edward Bach, MD, was a British physician of the early 1900s who was
introduced to homeopathy around 1919, when he worked as a bacteriologist and
pathologist at the London Homoeopathic Hospital. About 10 years later, he
became deeply interested in flowers, and by 1930, he left his London practice to
wander the countryside looking for flowers that could be used for healing. His
selection of flowers was highly intuitive. Bach believed that he could sense the
special healing power of each plant.
The use of Bach flower remedies is a useful healing system in its own right
and many homeopaths utilize them as an adjunct to their practice of homeopathy.
However, Bach flower remedies have not been proved in homeopathic provings,
nor is their selection or reputed action based on the Law of Similars. Although
they are said to be “potentized” (a term Bach borrowed from homeopathy), the
preparation of Bach flower remedies is nothing like that of homeopathic
potentization. For all of these reasons, the use of Bach flower remedies is not
homeopathy.

Anthroposophic Remedies

Anthroposophic medicine is a healing system developed by Rudolph Steiner

(1861–1925) as part of a philosophical system called anthroposophy. You may
be familiar with the Waldorf Schools, whose philosophy is also based on
Steiner’s ideas. Steiner must have been familiar with homeopathy since he based
the preparation of his remedies on the homeopathic potentization process.
However, like Bach flower remedies, the use of anthroposophic remedies is
based on Steiner’s intuition, not on the Law of Similars. There is therefore no
relationship between anthroposophic medicine and homeopathy.

Herbalism

Many people who are unfamiliar with homeopathy tend to confuse it with
herbalism — i.e., the use of plant tinctures to treat disease. This confusion is
natural, since homeopaths also use plants as the source of many of their
remedies. However, unlike herbalists, homeopaths rarely use plants in tincture
form; homeopathic remedies are nearly always potentized ultradilutions.
Nevertheless, the primary distinction between homeopathy and herbalism is
actually the rationale for using a particular remedy or plant tincture.
Homeopathy’s application of remedies is based on the Law of Similars — i.e.,
the symptoms caused in provings and their similarity to the symptoms of a
patient. In contrast, herbalists choose their remedies based on accumulated
folklore and experience. In some cases, of course, the net effect is the same.
Through trial and error, people have discovered the healing powers of plants, and
in many cases, the plant is actually homeopathic to the targeted ailment.
In most cases, however, the traditional herbal uses of plants are quite
different from their use in homeopathy. A good example is St. John’s Wort — a
plant that is also the source of the homeopathic remedy Hypericum. The tincture
of this plant has become an extremely popular herbal remedy for depression. In
homeopathy, Hypericum is an important remedy for nerve damage and nerve
pain. Of course, on some level, both uses of this plant address problems with the
nervous system. But Hypericum would not even be on a homeopath’s top-50 list
for the treatment of depression.
One might wonder, of course, if herbal products have different effects from
homeopathic remedies since they are given in tincture rather than potentized
form. This may be the case. Nevertheless, from a homeopathic point of view, the
ongoing use of herbal products such as St. John’s Wort may simply be palliative
and, in some cases, may result in an eventual proving of the substance. Thus, it
would not be surprising to a homeopath to find that a person taking St. John’s
Wort for depression also develops symptoms of Hypericum. These include: a
feeling as if one were lifted high in the air and anxiety about falling from
heights; a throbbing headache and a feeling of heavy coldness at the top of the
head; thirst and nausea, with a feeling of a lump in the stomach; bleeding
hemorrhoids; darting pains in the shoulders, pressure along the side of the arm,
cramps in the calves, pain in the toes and fingertips, a feeling of crawling in the
hands and feet, and general neuritis; asthma worse in foggy weather; and
sweating of the scalp with loss of hair. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that someone
taking St. John’s Wort daily for depression would associate these symptoms with
their use of the plant tincture. While herbalism is a valid and important mode of
medicine, it should be used with caution and under the guidance of a trained
herbalist.

Energy Healing

Homeopathy is just one among several forms of energy medicine — systems

that focus on the vital force or energy body. Other energy-based therapies
include acupuncture and hands-on healing techniques such as Reiki or Quantum
Touch [Brennan, Gordon, Stein]. Hahnemann himself was fascinated by hands-
on healing; he even discusses such techniques in the Organon. He also described
the benefits of magnet therapy (magnets were also proved as remedies),
electrical therapies, hydrotherapy, and massage. However, none of these
practices is homeopathy.
Of course, according to conventional scientific thought, it is highly
implausible that the vital force exists or that energy healing or ultradilutions
could have any effect whatsoever. The next chapter addresses this skepticism
head-on — by providing convincing scientific evidence that homeopathy is
indeed a genuinely effective medical system.
 Chapter 7: Science and Skepticism:
Does Homeopathy Really Work?
“Clearly it is irrational to reject a therapy simply because it seems to lack an
underlying mechanism of action. Many of the therapies within conventional
medicine... are used both safely and expertly despite our lack of understanding
concerning how they work. The scientific community must therefore be honest...
with itself... Although painful in the short term, this position is scientifically
productive and provides an essential countercurrent to the academic and cultural
arrogance that appears to pervade some areas of conventional science.”
— George Lewith, DM, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 1999
[Lewith]

Science is the gospel of the modern world. Every advance in medicine, if it is
to be accepted, must be backed up by a scientific study. And any new technique
that is backed up by such a study is readily accepted — if it fits within the
medical framework accepted by most scientists.
But the truth is, science has only scratched the surface of the apparent
physical reality that surrounds us — let alone subtler realities that may lie
beneath its surface. Despite our modern tendency toward scientific arrogance,
we actually have a pretty weak grasp on many aspects of our world. This is
especially true of the human body. The brain and the immune system, for
instance, are still largely mysteries.
Nevertheless, our ignorance hasn’t stopped us from developing effective
healing techniques. Through trial and error, observation and inference, humanity
has developed many therapies that work, even if we don’t understand exactly
how they do. This is just as true of allopathy as it is of alternative medicine. In
fact, it is estimated that only 10 percent to 20 percent of allopathic techniques
are proven or supported by solid scientific evidence [OTA]. To say that a system
of medicine like homeopathy doesn’t work or can’t work, simply because it falls
outside the scope of our current level of scientific understanding, is hypocritical
— and bad science. It is reminiscent of the “experts” of the early 17th century
who refused to look through Galileo’s telescope to see the four moons of Jupiter
because they “knew” that those moons couldn’t possibly exist.
Of course, there has always been skepticism about frontier areas of scientific
inquiry — areas outside the boundaries of accepted scientific doctrine.
Allopathic skepticism about homeopathy is even understandable; after all,
homeopathy contradicts many of the basic tenets of allopathy and is threatening
to the livelihood of its practitioners. With their predominantly mechanistic and
biochemical orientation toward the human body, most allopaths are quite a long
way off from accepting the reality of a subtler energy body.
In recent years, however, the tide seems to have turned just a bit. Perhaps the
overthrow of the Newtonian view of the universe by Einstein and the new
realities of quantum physics have finally enabled some to open their minds. The
public’s embrace of alternative therapies has also forced the allopathic frontier to
expand a bit — even if the motivations have been largely financial. So perhaps it
is nearly time for homeopathy to break through. For despite the fact that it is
rooted in the 1800s, homeopathy is actually a medicine of the 21st century.
Recent scientific studies seem to indicate that the action of homeopathic
remedies may really be all about energy and information — realms of inquiry
that only now are beginning to take root and grow in the new millennium.
So where to begin? How can scientists approach a phenomenon like
homeopathy? The first step is to determine whether the phenomenon truly exists
— whether ultradilutions really do have effects. Once a sufficient existence
proof is attained, the next step is to try to determine how it works. Of course,
even if we don’t have the tools to discover the underlying mechanism of a
phenomenon, we can still try to understand it better. How can we make it work
for us? How does it impact us? Even if we can’t discover how gravity, the
genetic code, or homeopathic ultradilutions really work, we can still learn a lot
about them.
Scientific exploration of the homeopathic phenomenon has been growing
steadily over the past two decades. Despite the marginalized status of
homeopathy as a medical discipline in the West, extremely meager funding for
homeopathic research, and the disdain that inevitably falls upon anyone who
decides to explore this realm, science is finally starting to catch up with the
discoveries of Hahnemann. This chapter will describe some of these
developments in detail. It begins with several recent clinical trials and studies
that prove the reality of the homeopathic phenomenon and its utility in treating
disease. Next, work in biophysics and physical chemistry is examined that
provides glimmers of illumination about homeopathy’s underlying mechanism of
action. The chapter concludes with a presentation of several models of remedy
action that homeopaths have developed over the past two hundred years of
homeopathic practice.

Existence Proof

If you ask your allopathic doctor whether homeopathy is a valid form of

medicine, they are likely to say that “it hasn’t been proven scientifically” or that
“any effects are due to the placebo effect.” However, these statements have
already been shown by scientific studies to be false. There have been scores of
successful scientific studies of homeopathy in recent years. These studies have
collectively demonstrated that not only is the phenomenon of homeopathy real,
but it is not due to the placebo effect. In fact, ironically, it was homeopaths who
first introduced the idea of a placebo-controlled study. They developed this
method back in the mid 1800s in order to fend off naysayers and skeptics
[Dean].
Of course, it is not surprising that most doctors are unreceptive to or unaware
of growing scientific evidence of homeopathy’s efficacy. Not only does
homeopathic philosophy represent a revolutionary (and therefore threatening)
shift in medical thinking, but the latest homeopathic research is simply less
accessible to American allopaths since the vast majority of it is being conducted
in Europe and India.
Homeopathic research is also far less abundant than allopathic research. It is
largely unfunded or, at best, conducted on a shoestring budget. And even when
successful trials are conducted, there is a documented bias against their
publication in mainstream medical journals. Indeed, a recent study was
conducted specifically to test for this bias. Two papers, identical in form and
content, but one reporting the effects of an allopathic drug and the other
reporting the effects of the remedy Sulphur (potentized sulphur) on a particular
condition, were distributed to 400 unsuspecting reviewers. The “allopathic”
paper was recommended for publication and was rated as an important work.
The “homeopathic” paper was deemed unimportant and was generally not
recommended for publication. When the reviewers were asked to rate specific
aspects of the study, like method and reliability, they were less biased.
Nevertheless, the significance of the homeopathic paper was questioned. The
authors of this bias-study concluded that the “lack of open mindedness in the
peer review process could affect the introduction of unconventional concepts
into medicine.” [Hendersen]
The net effect of underfunding and bias is that fewer studies about
homeopathy are conducted and published where doctors can learn about them.
These factors also lessen the likelihood that existing studies will be replicated —
another requirement for scientific support of a new theory. Nevertheless, there
are hundreds of studies out there — at least 17 European research studies on
Arnica alone. And increasingly, trials of homeopathic remedies are being
conducted by established medical scientists who rigorously adhere to accepted
methodology — double-blinding, randomization, and placebo-controls.
Gradually, a number of study replications are beginning to appear as well.
One of today’s active homeopathic researchers is Wayne Jonas, MD, the
former director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), who left his post at the NIH to study the effects of ultradilutions.
He is now director of the Samueli Institute for Information Biology, whose
purpose is to explore the interaction between biological systems and
nonmolecular signals — i.e., the kinds of signals that may be transmitted by
homeopathic remedies. Jonas is coauthor of a book with Jennifer Jacobs, MD,
which describes many recent homeopathic clinical trials [Jonas&Jacobs]. He was
also part of a team that conducted a meta-analysis of homeopathic trials that will
be described later on in this chapter [Linde].
In 1999, Dr. Jonas published a paper that reported his use of a homeopathic
nosode (a remedy made from diseased tissue or a disease by-product) as a
prophylactic against infection [Jonas]. This study was conducted on mice in
extremely well-controlled laboratory conditions in the Department of Cellular
Immunology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, located in Rockville,
Maryland. The goal of the trial was to test the effects of a nosode prepared from
francisella tularensis–infected tissue on the mortality of mice later infected with
this same deadly organism. Fifteen trials were conducted, each on 142 age-
matched male mice. Various different potencies of the nosode were used: 3x, 7x,
14x, 30c, 200c, 1,000c, as well as combinations of these. All of the dilutions
were considered to be at levels below the point at which a classical vaccination
response could be expected. In fact, the dilutions were tested for presence of
viable bacteria and none had any. Obviously, the 30c, 200c, and 1,000c potencies
would not likely have even a molecule of nosode matter within it.
Jonas’s trial followed every possible protocol one would expect from a
rigorous medical experiment. The assignment of mice to control and test groups
was random, and every mouse was administered oral preparations through a
sterile pipette. The control group was given 70 percent ethanol, and the test
group was given the nosode. Dosing occurred 16 times over the period of a
month, after which all mice were challenged by a lethal dose of the deadly
organism. Afterward, each mouse was given the nosode or the control liquid
twice a day for 20 days, or until their death. What were the results? As Jonas
reports,
“Mean time to death for the [nosode]-treated mice was 18.6 days; for
 controls it was 13.7 days... Overall mortality was 53% in the nosode-treated
group and 75% in the matched control group... Therefore, the nosode
treatment prevented 22% of deaths... In the control group, exposure to
6,000 CFU (colony forming unit) per animal was required to kill half the
animals, whereas in the nosode group exposure to 20,000 CFU per animal
was required to produce the same mortality rate. No individual nosode level
[potency] disproportionately influenced the overall result.” [Jonas, pp. 39–
40]. (All results with at least 96% confidence, p < .04.)

As part of this trial, Jonas also gave three small groups of mice the standard
vaccine for this disease; all survived. Thus, while the nosode definitely afforded
a significant level of protection, it was not equal to that of standard vaccination.
Several important points can be made about this rigorous study. First and
foremost, it incontrovertibly demonstrates that potencies beyond Avogadro’s
number have strong effects beyond that of placebo. The phenomenon is real.
Second, the study demonstrates that homeopathic nosodes represent a potentially
lifesaving approach to public health emergencies. Despite the fact that
homeopaths do not generally consider nosodes to be the most effective
homeopathic prophylaxis against disease (remedies that match an epidemic’s
symptoms do better — see Chapter 6), the homeopathic literature of the past has
many illustrations of the success of this method. For example, as mentioned in
the preceding chapter, nosodes were effective in a smallpox outbreak in Iowa in
1902 [Eaton, Traub], and studies in the 1930s and 1940s demonstrated the
effectiveness of nosodes in creating immunity to diphtheria [Hoover]. In Jonas’s
study, a 22% degree of protection was afforded to the mice by taking the nosode.
This result alone should be of clinical importance to allopaths and the Center for
Disease Control, which do not have an effective vaccine for every disease. If an
inexpensive and easily prepared homeopathic nosode could save 22 percent of
the people infected with a deadly epidemic, it would certainly be worthwhile.
Indeed, as Jonas points out in his paper, this is “especially important as the world
becomes increasingly mobile, resistant organisms continue to emerge, and risk of
terrorist attacks with biological agents increases.” [Jonas, p. 40] In fact, Jonas
published this paper in 1999 — long before the September 11, 2001, attacks on
the United States. He subsequently testified before Congress in November 2001
about the importance of homeopathy in dealing with the threat of bioterrorism
[Jonas01].

The Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial — The Only Proof of

Effectiveness?

Of course, homeopaths know that the effects of their remedies are not due to
the placebo effect. Lasting cures of chronic disease, not an uncommon
occurrence in most homeopathic practices, do not often occur because of
“suggestion.” If that were true, most of the people who visit homeopaths would
have been cured long ago by their allopathic doctors.
Indeed, despite skeptical assertions that homeopathy is beyond the pale of
science, homeopaths regard their discipline as extremely scientific — indeed,
more scientific than allopathy. After all, rather than using a set of treatments
developed in an ad hoc way, homeopaths adhere to a specific law of therapeutics
that states exactly which remedies will help to cure a disease. And the basis for
application of that law — the effects of remedies on healthy individuals — has
always been determined experimentally in the homeopathic proving.
At the same time, however, many homeopaths rankle at using the standard
medical trial model — the placebo-controlled double-blind trial — to prove the
effectiveness of homeopathy. For one thing, the existence of the Law of Similars
makes such trials superfluous. If a medicine has been shown to have specific
effects on healthy provers, then its curative effects on the sick are already
known. Homeopaths also question the appropriateness of the conventional trial
model for homeopathy. The allopathic model usually tests the effects of a single
medicine that is given to all participants, regardless of their individual
symptoms. In contrast, a fair homeopathic trial must allow for individualized
treatment and the use of many possible remedies in different potencies.
The individualized nature of homeopathic treatment has two other features
that work against it under the standard trial model. First, and perhaps most
important, the success of homeopathic treatment is dependent on the ability of a
homeopath to find a correct remedy for a patient. How can a study control for
this factor? Practitioner skill is simply not a factor in allopathic studies, since
every patient is given the same medicine in the same dose. A second problem is
that good homeopathic treatment requires an extensive intake interview. Because
of this, a blinded trial must allow a control group to undergo an interview as
well. Since the interview process itself can have therapeutic effects, the control
group is given an added boost. Indeed, some homeopaths believe that the mere
intention of giving a particular remedy to a patient can have some effect in the
short term. If this is true, then some form of therapeutic information may be
passed to the placebo group as well.
Some medical scientists question the placebo-controlled trial method
altogether. If the placebo effect is a therapeutic phenomenon in and of itself, why
try to eliminate it? Dimitri Viza, director of the Immunobiology Laboratory at
the Facultés de Médecine des Saints-Peres in Paris writes:
“Today’s biomedical science oscillates between rigorous approaches,
with rational attitudes, and irrationality or incoherence. Thus, in the era of
molecular biology, psychoanalysis thrives and represents a multimillion-
dollar annual business, whereas other such ‘nonmaterialistic’ disciplines as
homeopathy, acupuncture, or hypnosis are a priori and uncritically rejected
by hard science... But if reason has partially freed us from medieval beliefs,
it is now proving to be self-destructive... For when facts are rejected as
unreasonable in the name of reason, we are adopting the same superstitious
approach to reality as people did in the Middle Ages.
The placebo effect is a perfect illustration of scientific exorcism of a
disturbing fact... All efforts are directed not toward studying its
mechanisms, but to subtracting its interference. To satisfy statisticians and
referees, constraints have become more stringent and ethics are bent — as
are coherence and logic — so that one is justified in wondering whether
randomized clinical trials, necessary for producing placebo-free data, are
not ‘the worst kind of epidemiology,’ deliberately ignoring the individual
patient’s welfare in the name of science...
If, for a number of patients, an inert substance with nil toxicity
produces the same beneficial results as a toxic pharmaceutical compound,
logic would require that the phenomenon be thoroughly investigated for the
patient’s benefit, and for its potential to reduce medical cost... In France, for
instance, where homeopathic drugs are used by one-third of the population
and paid for by national health insurance, their cost represents only one
percent of that of conventional drugs. Whether observed clinical
improvements are illusory or due to placebo effect, the results satisfy the
vast majority of patients and physicians who use these compounds, even if
it is shocking for well-thinking scientists to accept that high dilutions of
chemicals can display activity, as the homeopathy theory claims. In an era
when over-medication threatens the basis of health policies, the rationale
for encouraging the fashion for innocuous, low-cost, and yet effective
medicines is evident...
Nobody seems to be interested in exploiting homeopathy as a placebo
tool, or in funding bona fide research that should prove (or disprove) the
underlying theory. Here, again, the attitudes of the proponents and
opponents of the hypothesis evoke religious wars, irrationality, and
intellectual dishonesty. Yet, several clinical studies suggest genuine effects
 (K. Linde et al., Lancet, 350:824–5, 1997). But the debate being a
passionate one, it will probably never come to a head, every side
determined to debunk and ridicule the opponent’s position before even
considering the evidence.” [Viza]
(Copyright ©1998 by The Scientist LLC, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.)

It Does Work, and It Works Well

Despite objections to the standard trial model within the homeopathic

community, an increasing number of high-quality randomized placebo-
controlled trials of homeopathy are being conducted. One such trial was
published by Jennifer Jacobs, MD, and her colleagues in a 1994 issue of
Pediatrics [Jacobs]. It describes the use of homeopathic remedies for the
treatment of acute childhood diarrhea in Nicaragua. This disease was an
excellent study target for several reasons. First, severe diarrhea of this kind is an
acute process and has a fairly predictable course and suite of symptoms; as a
result, the set of likely remedy choices can be determined in advance fairly
accurately. While the treatment method in the study was, in fact, individualized
(18 different remedies were used and all at a high-dilution of 30c), 60 percent of
the children ended up being given one of three remedy choices: Podophyllum
(made from may apple), Chamomilla (made from German chamomile), and
Arsenicum Album (made from arsenic trioxide).
Another reason why acute childhood diarrhea was an excellent study target is
that it is the leading cause of pediatric death worldwide. In developing countries,
there are an estimated 1.3 billion cases and 5 million deaths each year among
children under age five. One explanation for this high death toll is the fact that
the standard recommended treatment — oral rehydration (i.e., administering
fluids to the child) — does not really cure the disease. While oral rehydration
can sometimes prevent death, it does not decrease the amount of diarrhea nor
shorten the duration of the disease. If homeopathic treatment could be shown to
be more effective than rehydration, even by a small amount, the positive impact
on mortality would be considerable. Moreover, because there is no allopathic
medicine that is routinely used for this condition in these countries, standard
allopathic treatment would not have to be withheld during the trial. Finally,
because acute childhood diarrhea is well understood — for instance, its duration
and course is fairly predictable — the impact of homeopathic treatment could
easily be measured.
The researchers in this trial took many steps in order to adhere to rigorous
scientific procedure. Originally, 92 children were entered into the trial, with 81
completing it satisfactorily. These 81 children ranged from age six months to
five years and were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups — 40 in
the treatment group and 41 in the control group. Children were admitted to the
study only if they had three or more unformed stools in the previous 24 hours.
Severely ill children (Type C dehydration), children who had diarrhea for more
than a week, or those who had been given allopathic medicines within the past
48 hours were excluded. All of the children, both control and treatment group,
were given oral rehydration therapy during the entire course of the study.
After being weighed, each child underwent a complete homeopathic
interview and was assigned a diarrhea severity index score that measured several
aspects of their case: amount of vomiting, abdominal pain, temperature, number
of unformed stools in the past 24 hours, and level of dehydration. Each child’s
symptoms were then characterized according to a set of predetermined symptom
specifications and entered into a computerized homeopathic expert system that
made the final remedy choice. The treating homeopath then prescribed the single
remedy that was recommended by the computer system in the 30c potency.
Identical looking remedy pellets and placebo pellets were used that had been
placed in randomized vials by a pharmacy in the United States. Thus, not even
the homeopaths knew which was which. Parents were then instructed to give
their child one pellet of medication after each unformed stool and to note their
actions on a treatment card. Follow-up home visits were made each day for the
next five days by community health workers, who examined both the child and
the treatment cards. After five days, each child was reweighed.
What were the results? Although the control and treatment groups had no
significant pretrial differences in age, height, weight, or severity of disease,
homeopathic treatment did make a significant difference in the outcome for the
two groups (all results are with 95% confidence, p < .05). Table 2 shows that
three important aspects of the disease course were reduced by one day: the
number of days until there were less than three unformed stools on two
consecutive days; the number of days until there was 50 percent improvement;
and the number of days until the first formed stool appeared. This is a significant
improvement for this disease, since its usual duration is only five or six days to
begin with. A guarantee of one less day of diarrhea could have a significant
impact on childhood mortality all over the world.
The stool of the children in the Jacobs study was also tested for the presence
of certain bacteria and viruses. Interestingly, homeopathic treatment had its most
dramatic effects on children who tested positive for these pathogens. I am sure
that many skeptics will not believe that homeopathy could have a measurable
impact on a disease where bacteria and viruses are measurable and present. But
this study provides evidence quite to the contrary. In fact, Dr. Jacobs went on to
successfully replicate her diarrhea study with a second trial conducted in Nepal
[Jacobs00].
Table 2:
Reproduced by permission of Pediatrics, Volume 93, Page 722, Table 5, Copyright 1994.
Homeopathic
Control
Treatment
Days to < 3 unformed stools

on 2 consecutive days
Median 2.5 4.0
Mean 3.0 3.8
Days to 50% improvement
Median 1.0 2.0
Mean 1.9 2.7
Days to first formed stool
Median 3.0 5.5
Mean 3.6 4.4
Weight/Height Percentile

Change
Median 6.0 1.0
Mean 4.6 2.8
Now let’s look at another clinical trial — this time with animal subjects. In
1999, a German study on commercially farmed pigs was published that has the
potential, like the diarrhea study, to have a great impact on world health
[Albrecht]. In modern livestock farms, it is routine to administer low levels of
antibiotics in order to prevent rampant disease. This study compared outcomes
for four randomly assigned groups of pigs that were administered either placebo,
homeopathic treatment (in this case, a combination of five different remedies in
various potencies), a standard blend of antibiotics and other allopathic drugs in a
routine low prophylactic dose, and a standard blend of allopathic drugs in a high
therapeutic dose. There were 1440 pigs involved in the study, which took place
at an intensive livestock farm in northern Germany. The primary outcome
measured was the incidence of respiratory disease, which normally affects 24
percent to 69 percent of pigs on such farms.
The results of this study were startling: homeopathic treatment was far
superior to prophylactic doses of antibiotics in preventing respiratory disease.
Prophylactic allopathic treatment made it only 11 percent less likely (than
placebo) that the pigs would become sick. But homeopathic remedies made it 40
percent less likely. When the allopathic drugs were raised to therapeutic levels, it
became 70 percent less likely that the pigs would become diseased. Now, it is
clearly impossible to keep farmed animals medicated at high levels of antibiotics
all of the time. Even at lower prophylactic levels, the entrance of these drugs into
the food chain has become a societal health problem. This study showed that
homeopathy provides a much safer and more effective solution than prophylactic
antibiotics.
I believe it is animal studies like this one that provide the most compelling
proof of the effectiveness of homeopathy. Can anyone seriously believe that pigs
taking remedies in their feeding trough are getting well because of the placebo
effect? Indeed, the improvement in this case was 40 percent better than placebo
— and 29 percentage points better than standard allopathic treatment. Yet has
this information been heeded? Or have the results of the Jacobs study been taken
seriously and made an impact on the treatment of childhood diarrhea around the
world? Unfortunately, the answer is: no.
There are a great many other studies out there — too numerous to be
discussed in detail here. The greatest percentage of them are being published in
Europe, where homeopathy is more accepted than it is in the United States.
Another exciting development in recent years is the initiation of several large-
scale multicenter studies in Europe that include thousands of patients
[GermanStudies]. A few short summaries of some notable trial results are
presented below. For those interested in finding out more, two books that are
easily accessible to an American audience are the aforementioned book by Jonas
and Jacobs [Jonas&Jacobs] and a more recent book by Bill Gray, MD [Gray].
Another book that reviews trials, but focuses primarily on scientific explanations
for how homeopathic remedies might work, was published by two Italian
physicians, Paolo Bellavite, MD, and Andrea Signorini, MD [Bellavite].

Rheumatoid Arthritis Study, 1980

Gibson and colleagues in Glasgow, Scotland, performed a double-blind

controlled trial of homeopathic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients with
careful assessment of progress. There were only 23 patients in each group. Both
had full homeopathic interviews but the control group got placebo instead of
remedy. Nineteen showed improvement in the treatment group compared to five
in the placebo group. [Gibson]

Allergy Study, 1994

David Reilly, MD, and colleagues in Glasgow performed a double-blind

controlled trial of a 30c potency of house dust mite, given to dust-allergy
sufferers. In the homeopathic group 77 percent showed an improvement
compared to only 33 percent showing an improvement with placebo. The study
was supervised by a consulting respiratory physician who recruited the patients
for the study. [Reilly94]

Trials of Oscillococcinum for Flu, 1989 and 1998

Oscillococcinum is a commercial flu remedy marketed by Boiron, a French

homeopathic pharmacy. The remedy is made from duck’s liver in the 200c
potency. A study in the April 1998 issue of the British Homeopathic Journal
reported that 17.4 percent of those taking Oscillococcinum were symptom-free
the day after treatment began, compared to 6.6 percent of those taking placebo.
In a similar study published in the March 1989 issue of the British Journal of
Clinical Pharmacology, 24.6 percent of those with mild to moderate symptoms
had recovered by the second day, compared to 11.9 percent of those taking
placebo. [Ferley, Papp]

Aconite for Postoperative Pain and Agitation in Children, 1990

Pain and agitation are common postoperative symptoms. Fifty children with
symptoms similar to those of Aconite (made from monkshood, a flower) —
violent, sudden, and intense anguish — were given either placebo or Aconite in
this double-blind study. The Aconite had good results in 95 percent of the cases.
The authors concluded, “This remedy has a place in the recovery-room and
should be in every physician’s emergency case.” [Alibeu]

Allergy Study, 2000

 In the summer of 2000, another allergy study by Reilly and his colleagues at
the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital was published in the British Medical
Journal. Fifty patients were treated with a homeopathic preparation or with
placebo, and were measured daily for nasal air flow. Those on homeopathic
treatment had 28 percent improved nasal air flow over the course of four weeks,
compared with just 3 percent improvement in the placebo group. [Reilly00]

Recovery in Alcoholics and Drug Addicts, 2000

In this study, 703 alcoholics and drug addicts in a large detox center were
randomized into three groups. One group received a single dose of an
individually prescribed homeopathic remedy, another received a single dose of
placebo, and the third group received nothing. All other medications and
modalities utilized were identical for the three groups. The study found that the
placebo and control groups had limited and similar results — 68 percent of the
placebo group had relapsed after 18 months, and 72 percent of the control group.
In contrast, only 32 percent of the homeopathic group relapsed. The
homeopathic group also had highly significant improvement in various
measurements of physical and psychological health. Interestingly, those who
received homeopathic treatment also experienced various “cleansing” reactions
in the first three days after treatment, such as nasal discharge and skin rashes.
[Garcia-Swain]

Otitis Media Study, 2001

Jennifer Jacobs, MD, and her colleagues have recently published another
trial in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal [Jacobs01]. It studied the
homeopathic treatment of acute otitis media (ear infection) in children, the most
common illness for which pediatricians are consulted. An estimated 55 percent
of children in the United States receive antibiotics for this ailment by the time
they are one year old. The 75 children in this randomized placebo-controlled
study ranged in age from 18 months to six years old and were experiencing
middle ear infection for no more than 36 hours. Only eight homeopathic
remedies were allowed for use, making the potential outcome slightly less
favorable for homeopathic treatment. What was the result?
There was a significant decrease in symptoms at 24 and 64 hours after
treatment in the group treated homeopathically. Overall, there were 19.9 percent
more treatment failures in the placebo group than in the homeopathic group.
Since an estimated 70 percent to 90 percent of otitis media cases resolve on their
own anyway, this amount of difference between the two groups is striking.
Although parents were permitted to administer analgesics if they felt it were
necessary, children in the homeopathic group were given such drugs half as often
as children in the placebo group. This study could be a potential breakthrough in
the management of pediatric otitis media, since pediatricians are currently trying
to forego antibiotic treatment unless it is really necessary. Indeed, homeopathic
treatment can provide pediatricians with a proven technique that could help them
to succeed.

The Indian Experience

The most extensive homeopathic research trials today are probably taking
place in India, where homeopathy is a fully accepted medical system, with its
own medical schools and hospitals. Many Indian homeopaths operate large
clinics where they see hundreds of patients each day. Unlike the quiet office
environments in which most Western homeopaths practice, a typical Indian
clinic is crowded with hundreds of people waiting in line with their families.
Intake interviews are conducted by resident homeopaths who are studying and
training there. When a patient finally speaks to the chief homeopath, it is usually
in a room crowded with other people who have been waiting in line for hours. It
is not unusual for the patient and family members to shout out the most personal
symptoms during this brief 5- or 10-minute interview. After such a long wait,
there is no time for beating around the bush!
Because of this environment, Indian homeopaths are able to see vastly more
patients than their European and American counterparts. They are also able to
treat a much wider range of diseases: tuberculosis, leprosy, malaria, cancer —
anything you can imagine. Because of the clinical freedom that Indian
homeopaths have, some fascinating large-scale research studies have been
possible. For example, they have been able to systematically experiment with
different potencies, remedies, and dosing regimens for specific ailments.
One exciting development in recent years is the success some Indian
homeopaths have been having in treating HIV disease. In April 1999, the British
Homeopathic Journal published a study by homeopaths from the Central
Council for Research in Homeopathy in New Delhi, and the Regional Research
Institute for Homeopathy in Bombay [Rastogi]. This randomized double-blind
placebo-controlled trial assessed the effect of homeopathic treatment on patients
with CD4-positive T-lymphocytes, a laboratory indicator of the severity of HIV
progression. One hundred HIV-positive individuals between the ages of 18 and
50 took part in the six-month study, with 50 cases at stage II (asymptomatic)
HIV and 50 cases at stage III. A single individualized homeopathic remedy was
prescribed in each case. The main outcome measure of the study was the
patients’ CD4-positive T-lymphocyte counts.
The net result of this study was that, in the more severely sick group (stage
III), there was a statistically significant improvement for the homeopathically
treated group, but no significant change for the placebo group. After the initial
six-month trial, the 100 participants were joined by an additional 550 HIV-
infected patients, who were then all treated. The May 1999 issue of Homeopathy
Today reported on the results. According to a press release by the Indian
government, “After a period of 3 to 16 months, many patients gave non-reactive
response to ELISA and some gave negative response to Western blot test [both
standard tests for HIV] indicating effectiveness of the therapy” [India]. As a
result, the Indian government has established new homeopathic research
laboratories for HIV research.

Meta-Analysis

One of the primary complaints lodged by skeptics of homeopathy is that

homeopathic trials have not been sufficiently replicated. While it is true that few
homeopathic studies have yet to be precisely repeated by independent teams, the
same can be said of many allopathic medical trials. For this reason, a statistical
method has been developed that enables researchers to overcome this problem:
meta-analysis. In a meta-analysis, several diverse experiments that study the
same phenomenon can be combined and analyzed collectively. This enables
researchers to determine whether the effects measured do indeed demonstrate
that a phenomenon is replicable.
Some of you may be familiar with the allopathic research finding that taking
a daily aspirin can help to prevent heart attacks. This discovery was the result of
a meta-analysis. The study, first reported in the British Medical Journal in 1988,
was widely acclaimed as a medical breakthrough and has been used as a model
for medical meta-analysis since that time. Twenty-five different studies that
examined the effects of aspirin on reducing heart attacks were combined.
Although only five studies were individually successful, when the results were
combined, there was no doubt left about aspirin’s benefits.
“Considered individually, the majority (80 percent) of the studies are
‘failures’... A reviewer who was skeptical of aspirin’s ability to reduce heart
attacks might examine these individual studies and go away unimpressed,
confident that there was no evidence that aspirin has any clear therapeutic
value... When the results of all the studies are combined, the overall result...
clearly excludes chance. Thus, even though the effect is uncertain when
considered in individual experiments, it was widely advertised (and rightly
so) that taking aspirin really does make a significant difference.” [Radin,
pp. 55–56]

Because existing studies on homeopathy are quite diverse — they use a

variety of different remedies on a wide range of conditions — meta-analysis is a
perfect way to test whether or not the effects of homeopathic remedies are real or
are merely due to the placebo effect. Two such meta-analyses have already been
conducted: one published in 1991 [Kleijnen] and another published in 1997
[Linde]. Both of these studies demonstrated that the effects of homeopathic
remedies dramatically exceed those of placebo. In fact, the latter study,
published by Klaus Linde and his colleagues in the highly respected British
medical journal, The Lancet, found that homeopathy, on average, performed
nearly 2 1/2 times better (was nearly 250 percent more effective) than placebo.
This astounding result would be enviable in most allopathic trials. For example,
in the aspirin study mentioned above, aspirin was only 75 percent better than
placebo Let’s take a closer look at what the researchers of the Linde study found.
Beginning with an initial set of 186 homeopathic trials, Linde and his
colleagues narrowed their focus to 89 trials that met prespecified criteria. These
included: the use of a placebo control group (119 met this criterion); a focus on
the treatment of a specific clinical condition in humans (rather than a tissue
study, animal study, or a study conducted on healthy subjects such as a proving);
the use of random assignment of the test subjects to the placebo or homeopathic
group, or the use of double-blinding; publication in scholarly form; sufficient
information for data extraction purposes; and exclusion of single-case studies.
Out of the 89 selected homeopathic studies, 13 used classical homeopathy
(individualized treatment according to the totality of symptoms), 49 used
“clinical” homeopathy (the targeted ailment was treated with a predetermined
remedy rather than according to the patient’s individual symptoms), 20 used
polypharmacy (combination remedies), and 7 used isopathy. In addition, out of
the 89 studies, 31 used high-potency remedies in excess of 12c (dilutions beyond
Avogadro’s number) and 51 used potencies in excess of 5c (with estimated molar
concentrations lower than 10-13). The average study was conducted on 118
patients, with a median of 60 patients per study. When study quality was
measured (two separate measures were used), 26 were deemed very high in
quality and 40 were of good quality.
Table 3 provides some of the pooled results of the meta-analysis. All results
are provided in terms of an odds ratio that measures the relative superiority of
the homeopathic remedy in comparison to placebo. Thus, a measure of 1 means
that placebo and the homeopathic remedy were equal in effect. A result that is
less than 1 means that placebo was superior to homeopathy. A measure of x,
where x is greater than 1, means that homeopathy was approximately x times as
effective as the placebo group. All of the results were deemed accurate with 95
percent confidence [Linde].
As shown in the table, the results for all of the 89 studies combined yields an
odds ratio of 2.45. Thus, overall, homeopathic remedies were found to be about
2.45 times as effective as (245 percent better than) placebo. If just the 26 high-
quality studies are included, homeopathy was still much more effective, with an
odds ratio of 1.66 — i.e., around 66 percent better than placebo. Interestingly,
the studies that had good patient follow-up did much better, with a ratio of 3.18.
The success of these longer-term trials provides further proof that homeopathic
effects are not due to placebo; placebo effects are notoriously short-lived,
whereas homeopathic effects are not.
Table 3:
Reprinted with permission from Elsevier Science (The Lancet, 1997, Volume 250, Page 838).
Number Odds ratio

of Studies (95% confidence interval)
All Studies 89 2.45 (2.05, 2.93)
High-Quality 26 1.66 (1.33, 2.08)
Adequate Concealment 34 1.93 (1.51, 2.47)
Double-Blinding Stated 81 2.17 (1.83, 2.57)
Adequate Followup 28 3.18 (2.14, 4.73)
MEDLINE Listed 23 1.70 (1.31, 2.20)
Corrected For Possible Bias 89 1.78 (1.03, 3.10)
Worst Case Scenario 5 1.97 (1.04, 3.75)
High Potencies 31 2.66 (1.83, 3.87)
High/Medium Potencies 51 2.77 (2.09, 3.67)
 Classical 13 2.91 (1.57, 5.37)
Clinical 49 2.00 (1.60, 2.51)
Isopathy 7 5.04 (2.24, 11.32)
Polypharmacy 20 2.94 (2.12, 3.08)
The Linde study also tried to examine the credibility factor in their analysis.
First, they tried to account for any possible publication bias in favor of
homeopathy, with the assumption that studies may have underreported bad
results. Even so, the odds ratio remained at 1.78. In fact, it was estimated that
there would have to be 923 missing trials of average size (118 patients) with
results demonstrating an effect equal to placebo in order to dismiss the results in
favor of homeopathy. Since there are probably not 923 homeopathic trials in
existence, this possibility seems very unlikely. The meta-analysis authors even
identified a worst-case scenario — grouping together only those studies that
were most likely not to favor homeopathy — i.e., those studies that were of high
quality, published on MEDLINE, and that used medium or high dilutions. Even
so, this small group of five studies got a rating of 1.97.
Another fascinating result of the Linde study was its assessment of the
effects of potency and homeopathic methodology on the results obtained. As it
turns out, the high- and high/medium-potency studies did better than the overall
result, with the high-potency studies yielding an odds ratio of 2.66 and the
high/medium-potency studies yielding a score of 2.77. As far as methodology,
isopathy got the highest score of 5.04 (i.e., five times better than placebo),
though with a wide confidence range since there were only seven such studies.
Classical homeopathy and polypharmacy did about equally well, with scores of
2.91 and 2.94 respectively. Clinical (nonindividualized) homeopathy, which was
used in the majority of the studies, did the worst, with a score of 2.00.
Not surprisingly, many objections to the Linde study were lodged in the
allopathic literature. Many people were quick to cite the following quote from
the paper: “There is insufficient evidence from these studies that any single type
of homeopathic treatment is clearly effective in any one clinical condition ”
[Linde, p.839] (italic emphasis is my own). In fact, most reports about this study
in the allopathic literature quoted this sentence alone — and eliminated any
discussion of the 2.45 odds-ratio result. Thus, they cleverly omitted the primary
result of the study — that homeopathy’s effectiveness is not due to placebo.
Of course, this quote from the study is completely true. There was not
sufficient evidence to state that any one particular type of homeopathic treatment
was clearly effective in any one clinical condition. That is because the 89 studies
collectively utilized four different kinds of homeopathic treatment, and
administered a myriad of different remedies and potencies for many different
kinds of conditions. The purpose of this study was not to test whether a
particular treatment was effective for a particular condition. Rather, its goal was
to find out whether the overall effects of homeopathy were better than those of
placebo. And it very clearly did demonstrate that fact.
The Linde study also brought out the debunkers, who were quick to question
the quality of the homeopathic trials that were included, despite that fact that
trial quality was measured as part of the meta-analysis. Such skepticism is,
unfortunately, quite typical, and it also reflects a severe double standard. In a
1998 Lancet article written by Canadian epidemiologist David Moher and his
colleagues, 127 allopathic trials conducted between 1960 and 1995 were
reviewed. They found that results reported by allopathic trials were often
exaggerated or flawed. For instance, treatment results were exaggerated by 30
percent to 50 percent because of experimental irregularities such as failing to
report when patients dropped out of a trial. In some cases, previously touted
results were found to have no validity at all. For example, studies that claimed
that the anticoagulant drug LMW heparin reduces deaths from blood clots by 47
percent were found, upon closer inspection, to provide no evidence at all that the
drug prevents death [Moher].
Indeed, more and more scandals in the allopathic medical research
community have emerged in recent years. An investigation reported in the New
York Times, for example, found that many highly lucrative allopathic drug trials
are being conducted by private doctors on their patients in unethical and sloppy
ways [NYTimes]. There has also been increasing evidence that research results,
and even the policies of the FDA, suffer from egregious conflicts of interest due
to the influence of pharmaceutical companies [Rosenstock, USAToday]. In
contrast, those who conduct homeopathic drug trials are painfully aware of the
scrutiny their work will be subjected to. Despite meager funding for their trials,
homeopathic researchers try to be even more disciplined, ethical, and scientific
than many of their allopathic peers.

The Message and the Medium

So the effects of homeopathic remedies are real and beneficial. But how do
they work? The truth is, so far, no one really knows for sure. There are many
models and theories that homeopaths have developed over the years, but modern
science is simply not yet able to determine exactly how homeopathic
ultradilutions do their job. Nor is there any real understanding of why treatment
according to the Law of Similars yields such effective cures. Nevertheless, there
are some glimmers of illumination beginning to appear in the realms of physical
chemistry, biophysics, and material science, and in the application of ideas from
mathematical complexity and chaos theory to systems of the human body. This
section will consider some of these results and their implications.
Let’s begin by looking at homeopathy in terms of complexity and chaos
theory. An excellent text on this subject is The Emerging Science of
Homeopathy: Complexity, Biodynamics, and Nanopharmacology, by Bellavite
and Signorini [Bellavite]. Another older, yet still quite excellent text is Scientific
Foundations of Homeopathy, by G. Resch and V. Gutmann [Resch]. As Bellavite
and Signorini point out, the human body is undeniably a system that is complex
in a formal sense. Complex systems are inherently unpredictable and chaotic,
even if they can also manifest predictable phenomena. Indeed, even a simple
closed system can become chaotic if it is sensitive to conditions from outside the
system. For example, the behavior of a large set of billiard balls hit by an initial
collision can quickly become chaotic. Another well-known illustration of this
phenomenon is the butterfly effect, “the principle embodied in... the dictum that
the flapping of butterfly’s wings in Brazil may trigger off or stop in its tracks, a
tornado in Texas.” [Bellavite, p. 161]
Despite their unpredictable nature, chaotic systems can also manifest order
when viewed in the large. For example, they can manifest fractal properties,
wherein similar forms or structures emerge when the system is viewed at varying
levels of detail. A typical illustration of fractals is the kinds of patterns that can
be found in flower petals. The stable effects and patterns found in otherwise
chaotic systems are created by attractors — factors that somehow pull a system
toward structure rather than chaos.
Bellative and Signorini surmise that disease occurs in complex human
systems because they are influenced by pathological attractors; in homeopathic
terms, because the vital force becomes distorted by an exciting cause [Bellavite,
p. 175]. Sometimes the net effect of these pathological attractors is to render a
normally chaotic system overly stable and rigid, and therefore unable to adapt
[Bellavite, p. 177]. This is analogous to homeopathy’s notion of the vital force
becoming stuck in a disease posture — i.e., it can no longer reachieve balance.
Bellavite and Signorini also suggest that when a body becomes chronically
diseased, it has actually become habituated to a pathological attractor. Because it
has gotten used to this disease signal, it no longer responds with an appropriate
defense.
Bellavite and Signorini go on to suggest that homeopathy’s dilute doses have
such profound effects because complex systems are inherently sensitive to small
precise signals.
“A system which obeys the laws of complexity does not always
behave in a linear manner; i.e., the effects are not always proportional to the
doses of a given factor which modifies the equilibrium... In the behavior of
complex systems, the quality of information is far more important than the
quantity... When a system is in a state of dys-equilibrium controlled by
many factors, i.e., when it presents a behavior pattern characterized by
complexity and chaos, a small amount of energy should be enough to make
it shift one way or another. The nearer one is to the bifurcation point, and
the greater the freedom of choice, the lower will be the energy needed to
shift the system in one direction or another.” [Bellavite, pp.187, 190, 285]

According to this argument, homeopathic remedies function as high-quality

attractors that precisely stimulate necessary changes in the body’s complex
systems. The quality of a remedy’s signal derives from the fact it is chosen to
closely match the symptoms of a patient’s disease state. In other words, because
it is homeopathic to a patient’s disease, a remedy can provide a signal that will
have just the right effect.
So how exactly do remedies transmit their information to the body? This is
where explorations into the nature of water and high dilutions come into play.
Although research in this area is still quite preliminary, there are some
interesting hints and clues to be found. For example, consider the work of
Vittorio Elia, PhD, a professor on the Faculty of Science in physical chemistry at
the University of Naples, who has been specializing in the microcalorimetry of
water solutions since 1973. His recent work has demonstrated that measurable
excess heat (calories) can be found in succussed ultradilutions and that this heat
is retained indefinitely over time. In about 92 percent of the cases studied by
Elia, it was shown that successive dilution and succussion permanently altered
the physical-chemical properties of solvent water [Elia].
Another new area of study, cluster physics, focuses on aggregates of small,
finite numbers of atoms or molecules called clusters. Clusters are interesting
because their behavior can range from quantum-size effects (in the smallest
clusters) to the more stable properties of solids. One subarea of cluster physics
focuses on water clusters. It has been well known for a number of years that
water molecules can form stable structures. Since the water molecule is
polarized (one side is more positive and other side is more negative), bonds can
form between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms of neighboring water molecules
to form clusters. The existence of “unprotonated” water cluster ions in large
water clusters has been reported since the 1980s [Shinohara]. The stability of
water clusters is enhanced by the inclusion of atomic or molecular gases which
cause the water molecules to organize cavity-like clusters around them [Sloan,
Filipponi]. The precise structure of cluster ions was first determined in 1998
[Jongma].
How are these clusters formed in the lab? One laboratory in Sweden utilizes
an apparatus that shoots a gas, under high pressure, into a vacuum. “The
resulting... expansion cools the gas, and partial condensation occurs. Clusters are
produced as a molecular beam, and un-clustered atoms are removed by large
turbo pumps. The size of the clusters is distributed around a mean value, which
may be altered by variation of expansion pressure, nozzle diameter, and
temperature.” [Uppsala] Could homeopathic potentization, and in particular,
succussion, achieve a similar effect? Do ultradilutions contain clustered water?
As homeopath and former chemical engineer Brian Connelly points out,
succussion causes cavitation, the creation of partial vacuums in a liquid
[Connelly]. This cavitation is accompanied by heat and kinetic energy that
provides a unique chemical environment within the liquid (as was shown by
Elia). It is thus within the realm of possibility that succussion could enable the
creation of stable water clusters.
Recent studies have also shown that alcohol can form clusters. These clusters
are ring-shaped, in contrast to the linear stretches that form in water clusters
[Provencal]. The structure of alcohol clusters might explain why the use of a
mixture of water and alcohol for homeopathic potentization helps to stabilize the
properties of homeopathic potencies. Indeed, as I will describe next, recent
biomedical research with ultradilutions has affirmed the importance of alcohol’s
role in potentization.
Jacques Benveniste, MD, a French allopath, is a world-famous medical
researcher who discovered Platelet Activating Factor in 1970. Unfortunately, his
career was set upon a rocky course after he published his first paper on
ultradilutions. It all began when a colleague encouraged him to make a study of
the phenomenon. Much to his own surprise, Benveniste found that ultradilutions
in excess of Avogadro’s number could consistently have the same effects as the
original solute substance — but only if the dilution process was accompanied by
vigorous agitation of the solution (i.e., succussion).
Benveniste’s landmark paper in Nature, “Human Basophil Degranulation
Triggered by Very Dilute Antiserum Against IgE” [Benveniste88], described
how antibodies of immunoglobulin E (anti-IgE) could degranulate human
basophils (a standard response) even when the anti-IgE was diluted and
succussed up to 10120 — far in excess of Avogadro’s number at 1023. This
activity was established under stringent experimental conditions, including
double-blinding, and was carried out across six laboratories in four countries. As
a control, Benveniste also created an ultradilution of a different kind of antibody,
anti-IgG; but the potentized anti-IgG did not yield the same response. When he
then created ultradilutions of other substances known to have similar effects on
the basophils as anti-IgE, they yielded the appropriate response. Thus,
Benveniste’s experiments demonstrated that the potentization process maintains
the specific action of a substance, even after the original molecules are absent.
In fact, Benveniste’s high potencies were actually tested for the presence of the
original substance, and it was absent.
Since the 1988 publication of his discovery, Benveniste’s work has been
subjected to unending controversy and derision by skeptics. Eventually, he lost
his research funding and laboratory, and he was forced to continue work on his
own. But he did continue.
In 2001, Benveniste was finally vindicated. A team of scientists led by once-
skeptical Professor Madeleine Ennis of Queen’s University Belfast obtained
results that seem to back up Benveniste’s original work [Ennis]. Ennis’s team did
not replicate Benveniste’s work precisely; instead, they tested the ability of
ultradilutions of histamine to inhibit the degranulation of basophils caused by
anti-IgE. Much to their own amazement, however, these succussed ultradilutions
did have the appropriate effect. As reported in the March 15, 2001 issue of the
Guardian Weekly [Milgrom], Ennis and her collaborators went to great lengths to
eliminate the chance of bias in their study. Four different laboratories were
involved, three of which prepared the solutions and controls and were not
involved in any other way. The contents of all solutions and controls was blinded
and an independent researcher collated the final data. Ennis even developed a
method for collecting data that could be completely automated. Nevertheless, the
results held.
Ironically, Benveniste, like most of the scientists working on ultradilutions,
has no interest in homeopathy; he is a confirmed allopath. Benveniste’s main
interest in ultradilutions is their use as a vehicle for the delivery of allopathic
medicines. But in the course of his work, he has managed to rediscover many
properties of ultradilutions that homeopaths have known for nearly two hundred
years. These include the following:

The agitation (succussion) step is necessary to create effective

ultradilutions. Experiments with simple dilutions (created without
succussion) did not yield the same response.
Ultradilutions tend to yield better responses at certain potencies, exhibiting
 a kind of periodic dose-effect curve. This may explain why homeopaths
tend to use specific centesimal potencies — for example, 6c, 12c, 18c, 24c,
30c, 200c, 1,000c, etc.
Exposure to severe heat degrades the effects of ultradilutions. Benveniste
believes this cutoff to be 70° C or 158° F. Interestingly, both Benveniste and
homeopaths have found that succussion of degraded remedies tends to
restore some of their effects.
The most effective diluent for creating ultradilutions is a mixture of alcohol
and water. This was also recommended by Hahnemann, and seems to
stabilize the information in a dilution so that it can last for years. Every
homeopath knows that properly stored remedies can retain their effects
indefinitely. I personally know people who have successfully utilized
remedy kits that belonged to homeopaths of the 1800s.

Naturally, when Benveniste came upon these properties of ultradilutions, he

wondered how they could be acting. Today, he surmises that the potentization
process conveys into a solution an electromagnetic signal that is specific to the
substance being potentized. In fact, he believes that it is just this kind of
electromagnetic signal, conveyed in water, that is the key to how information is
carried within biological organisms in general. In other words, when it comes to
biological systems, the message is energetic, and the medium is water.
Of course, currently accepted doctrine in biochemistry dictates that
molecules must be in contact with one another to have effects. But, as
Benveniste points out, the successful action of allopathic drugs on the human
body seems to disprove this. The molecules of ingested drugs have physical
contact with their targets only through random chance; their statistical
effectiveness should be fairly low if direct molecular contact was absolutely
necessary. In contrast, the electromagnetic signal of a substance can be carried
effectively throughout the body (via water) without a substance coming into
contact with target cells. Benveniste insists that this theory does not violate any
current biological or physical principles. It is well known that molecules emit
specific frequencies and that all biological interactions occur in water, which
makes up 70 percent to 80 percent of the human body. Indeed, quantum
electrodynamics allows for long-range electromagnetic fields to be transmitted
in water in just this way.
Benveniste has tested his electromagnetic signaling theory and has come up
with even more controversial results. In a 1997 issue of the Journal on Clinical
Immunology [Benveniste97], he reported that he was able to digitally transmit
the electromagnetic signal of an ultradilution of a specific antigen. He did this by
first passing a noise signal through an ultradilution and digitally recording the
result. He then sent this digitized signal via E-mail from France to Chicago,
where it was replayed into water. The resulting water was able to have the
expected antigen-specific effects on isolated guinea pig hearts in a Chicago
laboratory.
This astounding experiment was conducted under blind conditions in
stringent laboratory settings. If the results are to be believed, the consequences
are nothing short of mind-boggling. The ability to digitize and electronically
transmit biological effects could open up whole new realms of application in
medicine. Drugs (both allopathic and homeopathic) could be potentized,
digitized, and distributed at essentially zero cost over the Internet. Indeed, any
biological or chemical product could be digitized and transmitted in this way.
One interesting characteristic of Benveniste’s work is that the digitized
ultradilution signals don’t have to be understood or decoded into order to be
transmitted and used. This “black box” property of homeopathic ultradilutions
may, in fact, be one of the greatest strengths of homeopathy. A disease doesn’t
have to be deciphered or reduced to a biological mechanism in order to be
treated. A body’s symptoms are its response to a disease signal, and the
homeopathic remedy that can cure those symptoms will simply be the one that
creates a similar signal. It doesn’t matter what’s inside the homeopathic black
box — as long as the signal pattern of a disease and the signal pattern of a
remedy match, the remedy will cure the disease.
Of course, there is much more to be explored. Do remedies cause detectable
electromagnetic effects on the body? Is electromagnetism all there is to it? Are
there other energy fields at work? These are all questions for future research.

Homeopathic Models of Remedy Action

Naturally, homeopaths have also been trying to understand how remedies

might be acting — long before modern research studies were possible. Most of
the models of remedy action that have been developed by homeopaths are based
on the assumption that an energetic or nonmaterial force underlies the physical
structure of the body and guides its functioning. Homeopathic remedies are
considered to operate directly on this unseen body energy — the dynamis or vital
force.
Homeopathy’s conception of the vital force can be compared to Chinese
medicine’s qi or Indian medicine’s prana. These Eastern medical disciplines,
like homeopathy, view the energy body as primary and the physical body as
secondary. For example, a cancerous tumor is seen as the end result of a disease
process; the root cause of the cancer lies within the vital force. For this reason,
cutting out, irradiating, or poisoning a tumor will not remove a patient’s innate
tendency to develop cancer. This susceptibility to cancer can only be cured by
repairing the vital force.
The homeopathic notion of the vital force sprang from a philosophy called
vitalism that was popular in Europe and America during the 1800s. Vitalism is
based on Aristotle’s belief that a nonmaterial soul exists within all living things,
and that this soul is the force that organizes the body’s activity and gives it
directedness and purpose. Modern-day biologist Rupert Sheldrake’s theory of
morphic resonance is a kind of evolutionary form of vitalism. He hypothesizes
that a nonmaterial force purposefully links all members of a species together.
This morphic field allows the behavioral memories and habits of a species to be
inherited and to evolve. Sheldrake writes:
“Whereas mechanists maintained that living organisms are... machines,
vitalists argued that they are truly alive... Vitalists thought that... non-
material vital factors organized the bodies and behavior of living organisms
in a holistic and purposive manner, drawing organisms towards a realization
of their potential forms and ways of behaving, and that when organisms die,
the vital factors disappear from them.” [Sheldrake, p. 69]

Hahnemann’s belief in the existence of the vital force grew as he began to

achieve successful cures with very high dilutions. He knew that high-potency
remedies were not likely to be acting materially, so he reasoned that their action
must be in some other unseen realm — a place where disease truly begins and
where true cure must therefore take place. He wrote:
“When a person falls ill, it is initially only this spirit-like, autonomic
life force (life principle), everywhere present in the organism, that is
mistuned through the dynamic [i.e., energetic] influence of a morbific agent
inimical to life. Only the life principle, mistuned to such abnormality, can
impart to the organism the adverse sensations and induce in the organism
the irregular functions that we call disease...
Therefore disease is not what allopaths believe it to be. Disease is not
to be considered as an inwardly hidden wesen [entity] separate from the
living whole, from the organism and its enlivening dynamis, even if it is
thought to be very subtle. Such an absurdity could only arise in brains of a
materialistic stamp. It is this absurdity that has for thousands of years given
to the hitherto system of medicine all those ruinous directions that have
 fashioned it into a truly calamitous art...
Our life force, as spirit-like dynamis, cannot be seized and affected...
other than in a spirit-like, dynamic way. In like manner, the only way the
medical-art practitioner can remove such morbid mistunements (the
diseases) from the dynamis is by the spirit-like tunement-altering energies
of the serviceable medicines acting upon our spirit-like life force... Curative
medicines can reestablish health and life’s harmony only through dynamic
action on the life principle.” [Hahnemann, Aphorisms 11, 13, 16]

In this last section, Hahnemann makes reference to the fact that the diseased
vital force is “mistuned.” It is then “retuned” by the medicinal energy of the
remedies. Notice the similarity of this reasoning to that of Bellavite and
Signorini’s complexity-based model. The body is “mistuned” by a pathological
attractor; it is “retuned” by the positive signal provided by a remedy.
Hahnemann’s vibrational analogy is also similar to Vithoulkas’s notion of
energetic resonance; in particular, the body’s energetic resonance or vibration
determines its susceptibility to certain diseases and its cure by certain remedies
[Vithoulkas]. Somehow, possibly through a signature embedded in water, the
remedies communicate energetically with the energy of the vital force and set it
right again. But how? Below are four candidate theories that have been put forth
in homeopathic circles.

1. Action-Counteraction

The notion of action and counteraction (reaction) is fundamental in physics

— “for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This same idea can
be used to explain the operation of the vital force. In particular, the healing of the
vital force is seen as a counteraction to the stimulus provided by a remedy.
There is much support for this action-counteraction model in the natural
responses of the physical body. For example, if you drink a lot of coffee to wake
you up, you may eventually rebound and become very tired. Or, if you become
energized by eating a lot of sugar, eventually you may react with a sugar “low.”
The physical body possesses a great number of mechanisms that operate in this
way in order to balance and regulate reactions to physiological extremes.
Without these regulating mechanisms, which control body temperature, blood
content, blood pressure, and more, we would quickly die.
Homeopaths have also seen evidence for the action-counteraction model
during provings. For example, when a prover takes a remedy that creates
diarrhea symptoms, this diarrhea is sometimes followed by constipation. These
action-counteraction responses are called the primary and secondary responses
to a remedy. Hahnemann wrote:
“Each medicine alters the tuning of the life force... and arouses a
certain alteration of a person’s condition for a longer or shorter time. This is
termed the initial action. While the initial action is a product of both the
medicinal energy and the life force, it belongs more to the impinging
potence [of the medicine]. Our life force strives to oppose this impinging
action with its own energy. This back-action belongs to our sustentive
power of life and is an automatic function of it, called the after-action or
counter-action.” [Hahnemann, Aphorism 63]

One way of thinking about the body’s action-counteraction reactions is in

terms of a pendulum. The body prefers to be in a state where the pendulum is at
its lowest center point — i.e., in a stable steady state. If the pendulum gets
pushed in one direction or another, it will respond by swinging in the opposite
direction in an effort to rebalance itself. If a body is operating efficiently, it will
regain equilibrium quickly and come to rest at the center point.
But what if the body is in a state of disease? This can be viewed as a
pendulum that is stuck off center (see figure). The body will feel out of whack,
and things won’t be functioning and reacting normally. For example, a person
might manifest a severely allergic response to a benign substance, with the
pendulum swinging wildly out of proportion to the stimulus. Or, instead of
dealing with the natural ups and downs of life in a balanced way, the psyche may
become stuck in a distorted stance toward life, causing it to react in inappropriate
ways.
 One way to understand the difference between allopathy and homeopathy is
to look at how they deal with the “stuck pendulum.” The antipathic approach
(the approach largely used by allopaths) is to forcibly push the pendulum back
toward the center position. For example, antidepressants are used to force the
brain out of its depressive state. In contrast, the homeopathic approach is to give
the pendulum a very slight nudge in the opposite (diseased) direction. By
providing the vital force with an energetic stimulus that is similar to the diseased
state, a homeopathic remedy enables the pendulum to become “unstuck” and to
respond by swinging back toward equilibrium.
The pendulum model may also explain why homeopathic remedies are able
to cure rather than merely palliate. A remedy enables the pendulum to move in
the curative direction on its own. While it is the remedy that enables the
pendulum to become unstuck, it is the body and the vital force that actually
move the pendulum back toward equilibrium. In contrast, antipathic medicines
artificially force the pendulum toward the center position. When the external
antipathic agent is removed, the pendulum eventually creeps back toward its
accustomed diseased state; in some cases, it may even react and become stuck
even further away from equilibrium.
Here’s a little experiment that you can perform to test the action-
counteraction model for yourself. It turns out that the homeopathic approach to
dealing with burns is to apply heat rather than cold to the site of a burn. How
could this possibly work? It works because the body naturally responds to the
application of heat by later cooling itself — action/counteraction. Check it out
for yourself. Take two buckets of water, one very cold, the other hot, but not hot
enough to burn you. Put your hand in the cold bucket for 15 seconds and then
take it out. What happens? Your hand will start to feel very hot. Now put your
other hand in the hot bucket for 15 seconds. Afterward, you will find that your
hand will start to feel very cold.
Now, test it out in practice. The next time you get a minor burn in the
kitchen, don’t use cold water. Cold water may make the burn feel better while
it’s under the water, but later on the burn will become even hotter and hurt even
more. Instead, put your burn under very warm water — as warm as you can
tolerate for 10 or 15 seconds. Now see what happens. I have been using this
response to kitchen burns for a few years now, and I have not once developed a
blister. In fact, within minutes, I usually do not have any sign of a burn at all. I
have also heard that workers who routinely operate near severe heat use the
homeopathic strategy as well. For example, glass blowers and cooks know that
the appropriate response to a burn is to hold the burn near the fire in order to
heat it. After this brief application of heat, the body will naturally overcool the
burned area and heal it faster. One chef wrote:
“I have spent eight years as a chef, burning myself at least once a
night... When you are cooking in a restaurant there is no time to stop and
nurse your burn, you must continue to keep your hands over the heat. I have
found that this process of gently heating the burn actually takes the pain
away and heals the burn more quickly. Ice brings immediate relief, but
seems to prolong the pain and the healing process... The key here is not to
continue to burn yourself but to heat the area gently.” [SL1]

2. Energetic Strengthening Through Resonance

I have already discussed George Vithoulkas’s conception of the vital force as

an energetic field resonating at a particular frequency. One way of looking at a
homeopathic remedy is as a substance that resonates at the same frequency as
the patient, and as a result, strengthens or amplifies their vital force, enabling it
to heal once again. In essence, the remedy boosts the vital force, and
consequently, the immune system as well. Vithoulkas writes,
“To affect directly the dynamic plane, we must find a substance similar
enough to the resultant frequency of the dynamic plane to produce
resonance... If a substance is capable of producing a similar symptom
picture in a healthy organism, then the likelihood of its vibration rate being
very close to the resultant frequency of the diseased organism is good, and
therefore a powerful strengthening of the defense mechanism can occur —
through the principle of resonance.” [Vithoulkas, p. 91]
(Copyright © 1980 by George Vithoulkas. Used by permission of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.)

The resonance between a remedy and a patient’s vital force can be

likened to two violin strings vibrating at the same frequency that resonate
and amplify one another. The remedy (violin string) that will resonate the
best with a diseased patient (other violin string) is the one that can produce
the same symptoms being experienced by that patient — i.e., the one that is
homeopathic to the patient’s state. Another way of looking at this is that
people and remedies with the same vibration tend to create the same
symptoms.
This conception of the homeopathic principle is also probably what
underlies the success of psychological support groups. The people who
participate in such groups are experiencing similar problems and
therefore resonate together to create healing. This “psychological
 homeopathy” is quite familiar to homeopaths and was even discussed
by Hahnemann in the Organon, long before the advent of modern-day
psychology.

3. Distracting or Fooling the Vital Force: Disease Replacement

Another way of looking at the action of a remedy is as a kind of

distraction or ruse that fools the vital force. If susceptibility can be viewed
as a gap or hole that is filled by disease, one way of curing that
susceptibility is to fill the gap with something else — something very
similar to the disease: a homeopathic remedy. When the gap in the vital
force is filled by the remedy rather than by the disease, its needs are met
and it loses its susceptibility. But because the remedy “disease” is merely
artificial, functioning as a disease facade, it soon fades away of its own
accord. And now that the person’s need for the disease has been fulfilled,
his or her vital force also loses its susceptibility. Note the similarity of this
model to Bellavite and Signorini’s notion of the remedy serving as an
alternate attractor that guides the body away from a disease attractor.
How exactly is the disease energy displaced from the hole of
susceptibility? One way to imagine this is to think about how magnets
work. The energy of the remedy might repel and dislodge the energy of the
disease, much as the north poles of two magnets repel each other. This
happens because the energies of the remedy and the disease are similar.
Although Hahnemann didn’t place much importance on the need for a
model of remedy action, this “disease replacement” model was one of his
favorites. He wrote:
“This natural law of cure [the Law of Similars] has authenticated
itself to the world in all pure experiments and all genuine experiences;
therefore it exists as fact. Scientific explanations for how it takes place
do not matter very much and I do not attach much importance to
attempts made to explain it. The following view, however, is verifiably
the most probable since it is based on nothing but empirical premises:

1. Any disease (which is not strictly a surgical case) consists

solely of a specific dynamic disease mistunement of our life
force... in our feelings and functions.
2. The life principle, which has been dynamically mistuned by
 the natural disease, is seized, during homeopathic cure, by the
similar yet somewhat stronger artificial disease-affection which
results from the application of the medicinal potence [remedy],
selected exactly according to symptom similarity.
3. The feeling of the natural (weaker) dynamic disease-
affection [the original natural disease] is extinguished and
disappears for the life principle and, from then on, no longer
exists for the life principle...
4. The artificial disease-affection [from the remedy] soon plays
itself out, leaving the patient free and recuperated. The dynamis,
thus freed, can now continue life again, in health.” [Hahnemann,
Aphorisms 28 and 29]

Jungian psychiatrist Edward Whitmont, MD, believed that various

phenomena in psychiatric medicine give support to the disease replacement
model as well. For example, certain mental conditions are known to
correspond and fluidly interchange with specific physical ailments.
Whitmont believed that symptoms migrate between physical and
psychological realms because they mirror one another. In his book, Psyche
and Substance, he links this phenomenon to the action of homeopathic
remedies. Just as a mental condition can replace a physical one, or vice
versa, Whitmont viewed the homeopathic remedy as a kind of temporary
replacement for a disease state. But by being able to replace it, a remedy
can also ultimately remove disease completely. He wrote:
“...with mental and physical symptoms synchronistically, not
causally, related, one may substitute for another and appear to be able
to cancel it. Thus we get a first glimpse of an understanding how
illness and ‘similar’ drug energy, as synchronistic entities of the same
‘field’ sharing a functional likeness, may perhaps substitute for another
and thereby functionally cancel each other.” [Whitmont, p. 86]

As Hahnemann pointed out, the disease replacement model of remedy

action is also backed up by clinical experience. For example, it explains
why a remedy whose effects are most similar to the disease state works best
(it is the best counterfeit disease), and why a weakly matching remedy only
palliates for a while and may even create auxiliary symptoms (the vital
force has not really lost its susceptibility, and the parts of the remedy that
don’t “fit” just spill over). This model may also explain why slowly
increasing the potency of a remedy works so well. A gradual increase in
potency enables the vital force to become more and more completely
fooled, the natural disease to be more surely displaced, and the
susceptibility to be filled more completely.
Another way that I like to think about this model of remedy action is as
a kind of gradual coaxing or leading of the vital force away from an
accustomed disease posture. Imagine that the diseased vital force is a
creature that is hiding in a place that it is afraid to leave. If the creature is
provided a different place to go to, a place that seems similar to its favorite
spot, it might be lured out. Very slowly, as the true nature of its new
location comes into greater focus, the creature will realize that it has left its
hiding place. But by now, it will also have been cured of its fixation. This
experience, this feeling of being led out of the “stuck place” and suddenly
becoming clear and cognizant of having been trapped there, is something
that many cured homeopathic patients report.

4. Remedy as Information

As I have already described, the action of remedies can be viewed in

terms of information and complexity theory [Bellavite]. In particular, a
remedy can be seen as providing just the right piece of information to create
the appropriate effects in the complex systems of the body. One can also
view the information provided by a remedy in symbolic terms. If disease is
the vital force in a state of delusion or erroneous belief, a remedy is the
truth-giver that finally provides the vital force with correct information so
that it can do its job once again.
Homeopaths have used a variety of analogies and metaphors for an
informational view of remedy action. Jeremy Sherr, an Israeli-British
homeopath, tells it like this. Being in a state of disease is like driving down
the right highway in the wrong direction. The driver knows that he is on the
right road, but he never reaches his destination. Perhaps he is looking in the
rearview mirror rather than the front windshield — his perception is off.
The remedy is a voice that tells the driver: “Hey, you’re going in the wrong
direction!” When the driver first hears this, he might get very upset
(experience an aggravation of symptoms). But if the car has enough gas
(the body has a strong enough vital force), the driver can turn around and
go in the right direction. While doing so, he will pass all the places he has
already been (experience a reversal of symptoms).
 Another metaphor likens the vital force to an army. The army is trying
to do the best job it can. But without proper intelligence, it may simply be
operating ineffectively. The remedy is like an informant that tells the army
what’s really going on. It presents an accurate view of the disease (the
enemy) to the vital force: “Here is what is happening. This is your foe.”
Supplied with this correct information, the army can now do its job.
Hahnemann also used the army analogy, and coupled it with the notion
of a remedy as a strengthening agent. He wrote:
“If we physicians are able to present and oppose to this instinctive
vital force its morbific enemy, as it were magnified through the action
of homeopathic medicines — if in this way the image of the morbific
foe be magnified to the apprehension of the vital principle..., we
gradually cause and compel this instinctive vital force to increase its
energies by degrees, and to increase them more and more, and at last to
such a degree that it becomes far more powerful than the original
disease. The consequence of this is that the vital force again becomes
sovereign in its domain.” [HahnemannCD, p. xviii]

One final analogy is of a more spiritual nature. Disease is viewed as a

form of disconnect from God, the life source. The remedy is the required
link — a piece of information that enables the vital force to reconnect once
again with the divine. One patient summarized her six-month experience of
homeopathic healing much like this:
“I have my spirit back — my inner light. Before, when I was
hopeless, I could not connect with it... I believe whatever this remedy
did, I felt alone and abandoned by God and the remedy connected me
up to the light... I think that the wound that happens to most people is
separation from the spirit. It’s the disconnect — the human condition
from the spirit. Homeopathy is a simple way, there is no need for 20
years of psychotherapy. It goes straight through things. Since I took
the remedy I feel bigger inside... There is an expansiveness to the
remedy. That remedy must have some amazing vibration. It’s
astounding! Nothing will stop homeopathy now — if people have
experiences like mine they’ll shout it from the rooftops.” [Melnychuk,
pp. 123–124]

Putting It All Together

 How to put all of these ideas together? Homeopathic models and
scientific experiments provide us with clues, but they are probably only
partial views of the whole truth. The explanation for how homeopathy truly
works is surely something that incorporates all of these ideas and more.
Here is my own attempt at synthesizing many of these concepts together.
Disease comes upon us when our vital force becomes stuck in a state
that is no longer an appropriate adaptation to the physical and emotional
requirements of life. The reason for this is usually some emotional or
physical event, or perhaps many such events. Somehow, the vital force was
susceptible to these events and couldn’t adapt. As a result, it is now
struggling, blocked, or warped in some way. Over time, this perturbed
energetic state causes perceptible emotional, mental, and physical
symptoms.
The remedy, by holding a similar vibration to our own diseased state, is
able to resonate with us and provide exactly the right piece of information
to the vital force so that it starts moving properly again. Our vital force is
everywhere in and around our body, and our body is largely water. If this
information touches the body and its vital force, it will quickly permeate
them.
Once the remedy information has been transmitted, a process of
normalization of the vital force begins. This normalization may occur in
slow gradual steps and require lots of little nudges and reminders via
contact with the resonant remedy, or it may happen very quickly — almost
instantaneously. Normalization of the vital force enables it to finally
respond as it should — with counteraction to the disease disturbance. And
with this counteraction comes the concomitant healing on the mental,
emotional, and physical planes.
Of course, since healing with homeopathy is actually the work of our
own vital force, it may take time for that force to direct the physical body
and mind back toward health. It might even take months or years. But if the
vital force has the energy — if it is strong enough to enable the body and
mind to become sound once more — healing will take place. And because
this healing is actually self-healing, it will feel quite different from
allopathic treatment that is forced. After all, being shoved into a new state
of being feels quite different than entering into it naturally.
Ideally, the experience of homeopathic healing is like the one described
by the patient who felt reconnected with her spirit — a feeling of
discovering one’s true nature again, great relief, and happiness. The next
chapter will discuss this healing process in more detail — what the
experience of homeopathy is all about.
 Chapter 8: The Experience of
Homeopathy
“The diagnosis of disease by modern methods [allopathy] is based
largely upon physical signs, tests and reactions, involving the use of many
instruments of precision, in which the patient takes no active part, and of
which he has no knowledge. The selection of the homoeopathic remedy, on
the other hand, is based very largely and sometimes almost entirely upon
the phenomena... of subjective, conscious experience, perceived only by the
patient and stated by him to the examiner.”
— Stuart Close, MD, The Genius of Homeopathy, 1924 [Close]

Most people get their first taste of homeopathy by trying an over-the-
counter remedy for some minor ailment. Another common entryway is first
aid — for instance, using Arnica for bumps and bruises, or Calendula
(made from marigold) as a topical ointment. Many then take the next step
and try their hand at self-treatment, using one of the many excellent
homeopathic self-help books available — for example, Miranda Castro’s
Complete Homeopathy Handbook [Castro]. This can be a great low-cost
way to meet many family health needs — if used judiciously.
The best way to pursue homeopathic treatment, however, is under the
care of an experienced, trained homeopath. While some ailments may seem
minor — for example, allergies or sinus problems — they can also be signs
of a deeper problem that could be cured homeopathically, not just palliated.
To find this kind of deeper cure, patients must see a homeopath. So where
to begin? And what to expect? This chapter will guide you as you pursue
the experience of homeopathy — from finding a homeopath and preparing
for your first appointment, to knowing what to expect as you travel the path
toward cure.

Selecting a Homeopath

Finding a good homeopath may take a little work. First, try word of
mouth. You may be acquainted with a local chiropractor, osteopath, or
acupuncturist. Such practitioners are often aware of homeopaths local to
their area. Other places to inquire are health food stores and the phone book
(look under “Homeopath” or “Holistic Practitioners”). The Internet is also a
good resource. If you are seeking a classical homeopath in the United States
or Canada, check www.homeopathicdirectory.com for a listing of certified
practitioners. Another excellent referral list is located at www.homeopathy-
cures.com. For those readers living elsewhere in the world, start by visiting
a site that is a good starting point for all things homeopathic:
www.homeopathyhome.com. This book's website, www.impossiblecure.com,
also includes practitioner referral lists and other useful information.
The national homeopathic organizations are also good places to look for
information. For example, the National Center for Homeopathy (NCH)
publishes a handy practitioner list. Because this listing is self-referred,
however, these practitioners may or may not have been assessed for
competency. Check practitioner credentials to see if they are certified in
homeopathy. The NCH also has many affiliated study groups. Contacting a
study group local to your area is another great way to find a practitioner.
The NCH can be contacted at:
National Center for Homeopathy
101 S. Whiting Street, Suite 315
Alexandria, Virginia 22304
703-548-7790
info@nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org
www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org

Another organization is the North American Society of Homeopaths

(NASH), a professional society representing homeopaths in the United
States and Canada whose members hold the title RSHom (NA). Most
NASH members are professional homeopaths — i.e., practitioners who
have completed comprehensive homeopathic training programs and have
met certification standards, but do not hold medical licensure. (There are no
states that offer licensure for homeopathy; licensed practitioners must hold
a license in some other medical profession.) NASH has recently opened up
its membership to include licensed practitioners as well, as long as they
have been certified by the Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC).
This council awards the CCH credential. NASH and the CHC can be
reached at the addresses below.
North American Society of Homeopaths
P.O. Box 450039
 Sunrise, Florida 33345-0039
206-720-7000
nashinfo@homeopathy.org
www.homeopathy.org

Council for Homeopathic Certification

PMB 187
16915 SE 272nd Street, Suite 100
Covington, Washington 98042
866-242-3399 (toll free)
chcinfo@homeopathicdirectory.com
www.homeopathicdirectory.com

As mentioned in Chapter 1, some licensed doctors, osteopaths, and

naturopaths have also begun to specialize in homeopathy. For example, a
DHt certification (Diplomate in Homeotherapeutics) is available to MDs
and DOs and is awarded by the American Board of Homeotherapeutics.
You can find more information about this organization by contacting the
National Center for Homeopathy or by checking the web site:
www.homeopathyusa.org/specialtyboard. The small group of naturopaths
who specialize in homeopathy (currently, around 50 naturopaths) are
members of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians
(HANP) and hold the DHANP certification. The HANP can be reached at:
Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians
P.O. Box 126
Redmond, Washington 98073-0126
253-630-3338
info@hanp.net
www.hanp.net

Once you have selected a potential homeopath, it is a good idea to

interview them on the telephone. This will enable you to find out if their
personal philosophy and style of homeopathic practice matches your
expectations. You might ask if they use single remedies or polypharmacy,
how long their initial interview takes (most classical homeopaths will
conduct an interview that takes at least one hour, sometimes two hours), and
whether they handle acute as well as chronic care. Beware of practitioners
who use devices to select a remedy or to “measure” your energy field.
These are usually not classically trained homeopaths, even if they dispense
remedies.
Another way to evaluate a potential homeopath is to ask for patient
references. This can be helpful in determining what a practitioner is like as
a person and how accessible they are. Remember: it is important to find a
practitioner that you can feel comfortable with. A homeopath will not be
able to help you unless you are able to fully reveal your psychological and
physical case history to them.

Preparing for Your First Visit

I opened this chapter with a quote from The Genius of Homoeopathy, a

homeopathic philosophy text written by turn-of-the-20th-century
homeopath Stuart Close, MD. As Close points out, most of the data that
homeopaths use in making remedy choices are provided by their patients.
Thus, to receive good homeopathic care, you must be an active and
communicative participant in the healing process. Laboratory tests and
physical measuring devices, while perhaps useful in assessing the severity
of an illness, are generally unhelpful in homeopathic prescribing. Indeed,
unlicensed practitioners are not even allowed to order such tests.
The primary mode of interaction between you and your homeopath will
therefore be verbal; you will sit and talk about your physical and emotional
symptoms for one or two hours. Indeed, this interview may seem much
more like a visit to a psychologist than to a physician. Most homeopaths
charge for their services in much the same way as psychologists do as well
— by the hour, and usually at about the same rate. However, it is not
unusual for a homeopath to charge a slightly higher rate for the first
interview. This is because initial remedy selection requires additional study
and analysis, some of which may take place after your appointment.
Subsequent follow-up visits are generally shorter in length and are charged
at a lower rate.
Since the quality of your homeopathic care will be largely dependent on
the information you provide, it is a good idea to prepare for your first visit.
Some homeopaths facilitate this process by having clients fill out a
questionnaire in advance. A typical questionnaire covers details like diet
and food preferences, medications or supplements being taken, and medical
history. In addition to filling out this questionnaire, I advise that you jot
down observations that you can make about yourself. One useful exercise is
to carry around a sheet of paper with you for a day or two before your
appointment and record any odd habits or symptoms that you may have
become accustomed to and therefore might not otherwise notice or
remember. For example, do you have congestion when you wake up in the
morning or at night in bed? Do you have a particular pattern of sweating,
perhaps on your head or chest? Do you have a tendency to become itchy at
certain times of the day? Do you have fears in certain situations — for
instance, a fear of heights, dogs, water, or of being alone? What have your
dreams been like lately?
For every symptom, try to determine if it is made worse or better by
something. Such factors are called symptom modalities. For example, you
might find that you tend to be itchy just after you remove your clothes at
night, that you cough whenever you inhale cold air, or that your asthma
improves in the summer. Other kinds of modalities that may ameliorate or
aggravate your symptoms are the following:

Certain times of day or seasons of the year.

Weather such as rain, fog, storms, dry heat, wind, etc.
Emotional or social situations.
Movements or positions of the body, such as sitting, lying,
bending, or walking.
Certain kinds of clothing.
Eating certain foods.
Pressure, heat, or cold.
Reactions to certain locales, such as stuffy rooms, the mountains,
or the seaside.

It is also important to try to determine the exact nature of each symptom

— how it evolved over time, what its sensation is like, where it occurs,
whether or not it extends to other parts of your body, and if it is consistently
accompanied by other symptoms. For example, is your headache pulsating,
stabbing, or bursting? Is it in the back of your head, on top of your head, or
over an eye? Is it accompanied by thirst or sensitivity to light or noise? Is it
worse after eating, or at particular times of the day? Have you found that
most of your symptoms occur on one side of your body? Are most of your
symptoms aggravated or ameliorated by the same thing? Were your
symptoms triggered by a particular physical or emotional event? Of course,
your homeopath will also ask questions during your appointment to help
you fill out these symptom details.
 Here is an additional checklist of things to help you prepare for an
appointment. Try not to get bogged down in too much detail. Only note a
symptom if it is pronounced and persistent, and especially, if it is unusual.
And don’t forget to record symptom modalities — i.e., the things that make
a symptom worse or better.

Go over your body from head to toe and notice any unusual
sensations you may be experiencing. Include headaches or any other
aches and pains.
Problems with the senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and
vertigo).
Digestive, bowel, and urinary symptoms. How is your appetite?
Do you tend to be thirsty or thirstless? Are you experiencing
indigestion, or bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhea? Is
your urinary function unusual? Is it difficult to pass urine or feces in
particular situations? Is your stool or urine unusual in heat, color, or
form? Do you have hemorrhoids? Is it difficult to swallow liquids or
solids? Are you experiencing excessive belching, flatulence, or
nausea?
Respiratory symptoms. Are you experiencing difficulties with
breathing, coughing, or asthma? Are you bringing up unusual amounts
of phlegm?
Circulatory symptoms. Do you have chest pains or other heart
problems? Are your extremities excessively cold or hot? Do you tend
to be hot or cold in general?
Neurological symptoms. Are you experiencing tremors, twitching,
convulsions, numbness, or paralysis of any kind?
Sexual function. Women should review their past menstrual
history, current menstrual pattern, any problems experienced during
childbirth, and their use of contraception or hormonal supplements.
Both men and women should think about problems with sexual desire
(both excessive or diminished), and whether they are experiencing
discharges of any kind. Also important to review are sexually
transmitted diseases you currently have or have experienced in the
past.
Skin eruptions, ulcerations, itching, and sweating patterns.
Food desires and aversions. These should be genuine and marked
preferences and aversions — i.e., what you truly like or hate to eat, not
what you think you should eat.
 Birth details. For young children, note anything unusual
experienced during conception, gestation, or childbirth. Include
physical and emotional events that impacted the child’s parents during
this period.
Sleep and dreams. What position do you sleep in? Do you like to
sleep with the windows open or closed, or with the covers on or off
particular parts of your body? Do you have any problems with
sleeping? What is your typical pattern of waking and falling asleep?
Do you talk or walk in your sleep? Do you snore or sweat? What
makes your sleep problems worse or better? What dreams have you
been having? Are there any recurrent dreams?
Problems with depression, oversensitivity, learning disabilities, or
any other emotional, behavioral, or cognitive disturbance.

Of course, in addition to all of these symptoms, a homeopath is

interested in what you are like as a person. What is your life story? What
are your habits, fears, aspirations, and hobbies, and what problems are you
having at work or in your relationships? What kind of person are you? How
do others perceive you? Do you tend to be suspicious, jealous, bossy,
friendly, submissive, irritable, easily hurt, restless, or lethargic? You may
find that the bulk of your first interview is filled with relating this kind of
information. That’s why it helps to jot down your physical symptoms and
modalities in advance — so that they can be covered more quickly, and so
that you don’t forget to relate important physical information once you have
started talking about your life as a whole. You can also contact your
homeopath after your interview if you forgot to mention key details. If a
homeopath feels they need more information from you, they may contact
you after your appointment as well.

The Interview

It’s the day of your first interview with your homeopath. What can you
expect? Most homeopaths practice in small office settings. Like
psychologists, they take notes as you speak. Since most practitioners utilize
computers for performing case analysis, they may type their interview notes
directly into a computer, as you speak. This may be a bit disconcerting at
first, but rest assured, they are listening. Among other things, homeopaths
are trained to take very seriously the way you express yourself. They may
even type in or write down many of the things you say verbatim. Some
homeopaths may ask for permission to record your interview on audio- or
videotape as well.
Of course, a major difference between a psychotherapeutic visit and a
homeopathic visit is the underlying goal of the practitioner. A homeopath is
trying to learn enough about you in order to select a good remedy. It is not
their goal to cure you through conversation. As a result, the homeopathic
interview may seem somewhat one-sided. You will relate all you need to
say, and the homeopath will speak relatively little, except to inquire about
more information. Try to be as cooperative and as forthcoming as you can,
knowing that the more truthful and open you are, the better the chance that
your health problems will be solved.
The process of case analysis and remedy selection can begin once your
homeopath feels they have understood the major elements of your case.
Since this may happen in the middle of your interview, don’t be disturbed if
they suddenly start navigating around a computer program. Just keep
talking — the details you provide will continue to aid in their analysis.
Most homeopaths who perform case analysis during the interview will also
try to recommend a remedy by the end of the appointment. Other
homeopaths prefer to conduct their analysis after the interview and will
recommend a remedy a few days later. Additional time for case analysis
may also be required for complex cases.

Case Analysis Tools

So what exactly is the homeopath doing as they analyze a case? Chapter

5 discussed several aspects of this process. I will now review that
discussion and provide some additional detail.
After collecting a patient’s symptoms, a homeopath uses two kinds of
resources to choose a remedy for a patient, both of which are now available
in computerized form. Indeed, the computer has revolutionized the modern
practice of homeopathy, making it incredibly more efficient and flexible
than was possible in the past. The primary homeopathic resource is the
materia medica — a reference that contains a compendium of information
about each remedy. Each remedy description includes hundreds of
symptoms of body, mind, and emotions that have been gathered during
proving trials or have been cured clinically with that remedy. Over the past
two hundred years, homeopaths have compiled scores of materia medica in
book form. Today, all of these books, as well as information about new
provings, are available digitally. Using powerful search engines and
databases, quick and flexible access to a wealth of information is right at a
homeopath’s fingertips.
The second kind of homeopathic resource is a reverse index to the
materia medica called a repertory. A repertory contains a listing of
symptoms, organized in a methodical way. Associated with each symptom
is a list of remedies that include that symptom. These are the remedies that
have caused that symptom in a proving, or have consistently cured that
symptom in practice. Each “symptom/remedy–list” pair is called a rubric.
For example, one of the classic repertories was compiled by James T.
Kent, MD, an American homeopath of the late 1800s and early 1900s
[KentRep]. It is organized into chapters, each pertaining to different parts,
functions, and systems of the body. These include chapters on the Mind
(mental and emotional symptoms), Vertigo, Head, Vision (symptoms of
vision), Eyes (symptoms of the eyes themselves), Hearing, Ears, Nose,
Mouth, Throat, Chest, Stomach, Abdomen, Back, Rectum, Urinary Tract,
Genitals (including menstrual function and childbirth), Respiratory System,
Extremities, Sleep, and Skin. Each of these chapters contains a list of
rubrics, each of which may be subdivided into more detailed rubrics.
For instance, in the Stomach chapter of Kent’s repertory, we have a
variety of heartburn rubrics, at increasing degrees of specificity — i.e., each
is modified by more and more specific circumstances in which heartburn
occurs. For example, consider the following rubrics:
STOMACH, Heartburn <remedy list A>
evening <remedy list B>
smoking, after <remedy list C>
All of the remedies in list A are associated with the general symptom of
heartburn. Remedies in list B are those in which heartburn occurs in the
evening. Finally, remedies in list C are those in which heartburn occurs in
the evening after smoking. As one might expect, the more unique and odd a
symptom is, the fewer the remedies that will be associated with it. In the
rubric example above, remedy list A has 118 remedies in it, remedy list B
has 11, and remedy list C has only 1 remedy (Lachesis, made from the
poison of the bushmaster snake).
The remedies within each rubric are also graded or ranked according to
the intensity of the association between the remedy and the symptom. Each
grade is identified either by a number (usually 1–4) or by typeface. For
example, a boldface or capitalized remedy indicates that it has a high grade.
This rating system enables a homeopath to evaluate remedy choices in a
more detailed way. For instance, if a symptom is very strong in a patient’s
case, it is also desirable that a candidate remedy manifest that symptom
very strongly as well.

Repertorization and Remedy Selection

Armed with good case information, a materia medica, and a repertory, a

homeopath begins case analysis by selecting the most essential symptoms
of the case. This also happens to be the hardest part of case analysis and
requires the most experience. An accomplished homeopath will usually be
able to pick four or five key symptoms to analyze — those symptoms that
will most likely lead to a good remedy choice. A less experienced
homeopath may grapple with dozens of symptoms and find it hard to weed
out the most important ones.
Once a set of symptoms has been selected, each must be translated into
a rubric or set of rubrics. Then, computerized repertory programs can be
used to automatically find the remedies that appear in all of the rubrics, or
at least in most of them. The result is a smaller set of remedies that the
homeopath must now consider in greater detail. He or she will study each of
these remedies in the materia medica, and, ideally, one remedy will emerge
as the best choice.
One can imagine how tedious this process must have been in the days
before computers. Special “repertory sheets” were used to intersect large
sets of remedies manually; a process that takes seconds today would take
hours a hundred years ago. Computers have also made today’s case analysis
much more flexible and powerful than was possible before. For example,
computer programs enable a homeopath to focus on specific remedy groups
(specific types of animals, plants, or minerals); to assign stronger or weaker
weights to specific symptoms; and to search directly for symptom keywords
in the materia medica and proving records.
If your homeopath conducts their analysis during your appointment,
they will probably ask you some additional questions to confirm their
remedy choice. For example, don’t be surprised if, at the end of your
interview, your homeopath asks you something odd like, “Do you by any
chance get diarrhea from eating potatoes?” If you do indeed avoid potatoes
for just this reason, you may think that he or she is nothing short of psychic!
But the truth is, it only means that they have found an excellent remedy
choice for you — one that also happens to include your sensitivity to
potatoes.
If your homeopath makes a remedy selection for you by the end of your
appointment, they will also explain how to acquire and take the remedy.
Some practitioners stock their own remedies and provide them to clients at
very low cost; others have clients order remedies from a homeopathic
pharmacy. But do not be disappointed if your homeopath says that they
need a few extra days to study your case before they can make a remedy
recommendation. The additional time they take will help to ensure that the
chosen remedy will be beneficial for you.

Taking Your Remedy

Chapter 6 discussed the various methods of remedy administration in

detail. Your homeopath will probably recommend either a dry dose (tiny
white pills) or a liquid dose, in which pills are dissolved in a mixture of
water and a small amount of alcohol (as a preservative). The dosing method
chosen for you will depend on your homeopath’s personal dosing
preferences, the details of your case, other treatments that you are taking,
and the potency selected for you. The possibilities are actually quite broad.
Your homeopath may instruct you to take a single dry dose (i.e., one tiny
pill) and nothing more. Or, you might be told to take two or three pills
several times a day over a period of days. Liquid dosing may be
administered daily, weekly, or as symptoms warrant.
Whatever type of dosing is recommended for you, follow your
homeopath’s instructions precisely. If you are uncertain about these
instructions, call your homeopath on the phone. When you actually take a
dose, avoid eating or drinking anything for a period of time (at least 10–15
minutes) before or afterward. This enables the energy of the remedy to
permeate your system with the least amount of interference. For dry doses,
simply let the pills melt in your mouth. Since they are made of sugar
impregnated with the remedy, they will even taste nice. You will have no
problem getting children to take them. It is also best if pills are handled
only by the person who is taking them.
 Liquid dosing requires a bit more care. You will probably be instructed
to perform a certain number of succussions (vigorous shakes) to the remedy
bottle before each dose. After succussion, take the prescribed amount from
the bottle (usually a teaspoon or a drop from a dropper bottle) and put it
into yet another glass of water (usually 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water) and stir.
Finally, administer the prescribed dose (usually a teaspoon) from this glass.
The frequency of doses, the number of succussions used, and the physical
amount administered each time will vary depending on your response to the
remedy. Ask your homeopath for written instructions.
Finally, when it comes to dosing, try to remember that more is not better
in homeopathy. In fact, less is better. I have heard of patients who, instead
of taking a single teaspoon from a bottle, drank the whole bottle and then
suffered an unnecessary aggravation. It is also not uncommon to hear about
people who, upon amelioration of their symptoms after a single dose, keep
taking more. If you can remember only one piece of advice, remember this:
If your symptoms are improving, do nothing. Do not take another
dose unless your symptoms are getting worse again. When in doubt, do
nothing, and call your homeopath.

Most of us who are accustomed to allopathic treatment believe that we

need to keep taking drugs in order to get the desired effect. This may be
appropriate with allopathic drugs, since they force the body into a state that
is unnatural to it and therefore must be maintained. In contrast,
homeopathic remedies coax the body to repair itself. Once this process has
been set into motion, it should be left to proceed on its own. Only in those
cases where a disease does not yield easily or where it quickly relapses
should a remedy (especially a dry dose) be repeated. If your body seems to
be healing, don’t rock the boat.

Antidoting

Most homeopaths provide patients with a list of substances and

practices to avoid while they are undergoing homeopathic treatment. The
reason for this is the potential problem of antidoting — i.e., the possibility
that some other substance or activity will nullify or lessen the effects of a
remedy.
In general, antidotal factors are things that tend to affect the body and
vital force in strong ways. The most common antidotes are coffee, strong-
smelling perfumes or mints, camphor, other drugs and supplements
(recreational or medicinal), dental visits, and the use of hormone
replacement or birth control pills. Obviously, you will not be able to avoid
all of these things all of the time, so discuss the issue of antidoting with
your homeopath if you have concerns or questions. Whether or not
something will actually antidote your treatment will depend on your
individual characteristics. The basic determinant is how susceptible you are
to the potential antidote. For example, if you tend to be severely affected by
dental appointments and suffer physical or emotional aftereffects, you will
also be more likely antidoted by a dental visit. If dental visits are usually no
problem, it is unlikely that they will antidote your treatment.
Of course, most people are not easily antidoted at all. For example,
drinking a cup of coffee has never antidoted my own homeopathic
treatment (although my craving for coffee diminished and I have stopped
drinking it). However, some people are very susceptible to coffee, and may
even be antidoted by simply walking into a coffee shop and smelling the
strong coffee aromas. For this reason, most homeopaths will request all of
their patients to avoid the most common antidotal factors, especially coffee
and camphor, whenever possible.
But why is there potential for antidoting at all? Remember that
homeopathy is a subtle energy medicine that enables your vital force to
shift away from a faulty posture. This shift is enabled by the small energetic
nudge supplied by the remedy, and once it has taken place, it is maintained
by the strength of your vital force. If you simultaneously bombard yourself
with strong influences that sap your energy and vitality, you will also sap
away the beneficial changes that a remedy has set in motion.
Think of it this way. Suppose that you would like to quit smoking or
drinking. An ideal way to do this would be to take a holiday and get away
from life’s stresses. A relaxed and wholesome atmosphere gives the body a
chance to rest and enhances its ability to take on new habits and repair
itself. The longer you can maintain this new lifestyle, the more likely you’ll
be able to keep away from cigarettes or alcohol.
But what’s the chance that you will be able to quit smoking or drinking
if you keep bombarding yourself with stresses? Very small. The same goes
for your vital force. To create the optimum chance for positive remedy
effects, try to keep your life as clean and as stress-free as possible.
Obviously, this will also benefit your health. But rest assured, homeopathy
can work even when your life can’t be made stress-free. In fact, it is
common wisdom among homeopaths that the closer a remedy is to the
patient’s simillimum, the less likely that anything will be able to antidote it.

Remedy Response

Once you’ve started taking a remedy, what should you expect?

An ideal response to a homeopathic remedy should go something like
this. First, you will feel a general improvement in your sense of well-being.
Perhaps your sleep improves, your mental state and emotional outlook
brightens, your vitality goes up, your digestion improves and your bowels
move more regularly, or your menstrual cycle becomes more regular. A
good remedy response may even affect seemingly unrelated aspects of your
life. For example, you may suddenly become more lucky in life. You meet
the man or woman of your dreams, you get a raise at work, or your
schoolwork improves. These things happen because, in the course of true
healing, your whole energetic field will be changed for the better. This
change will enable the people around you to respond better to you as well.
Although you may initially feel better in general, a good remedy
response may also involve a short period of aggravation of your chronic
complaint — perhaps a few days, or even a couple of weeks. During this
period you may also experience a brief “cleansing” reaction — usually a
discharge of some kind. It might be diarrhea, nasal discharge, or the
eruption of a skin rash. Try not to suppress these reactions with allopathic
medicines.
Finally, after a brief period of aggravation (which may or may not
occur), your chronic complaint will also begin to improve, perhaps slowly
and gradually, but nevertheless, in a continuous path of improvement. You
may find that a stressful day sets you back a bit, but afterward, you resume
your path toward recovery. If you have a complex health history, you may
find that some old complaints from the past return, especially if they were
suppressed by allopathic treatment. Try not to suppress these symptoms
again. They might disappear on their own after a few days, or they may
yield to further homeopathic treatment. Call your homeopath if you have
any questions.
Please note that the remedy reactions I have just described are
characteristic of treatment for chronic complaints. In acute cases such as
viral or bacterial infections, this process is compressed. First of all,
aggravations do not usually occur. Instead, a curative response is usually
heralded by the person falling asleep, or falling asleep after first vomiting.
Recovery should then proceed quickly — often within hours. If it does not,
further treatment with additional doses or other remedies may be warranted.
What about not-so-ideal reactions?
If you experience a strong aggravation of your chronic complaint, but
otherwise do not develop any completely new symptoms, the potency of the
remedy you took was probably incorrect or the amount of remedy you took
was too large. In this situation, your homeopath may decide to prescribe
another potency of the same remedy to alleviate your reaction (in some
cases a lower potency, in other cases a higher potency). Most likely,
however, your homeopath will ask you to simply not take any more doses
and to stick with the aggravation a bit longer to see if it passes on its own.
Rest assured that an aggravation of this kind is a sign that the remedy has
touched your vital force and that you will experience relief after a few days.
If you experience a general decline in health, or if all new and severe
symptoms appear and persist, it is a sign that an incorrect remedy has been
given and in too large a dose. Indeed, even if your chronic complaint has
improved, a general worsening in health means that the complaint has been
suppressed rather than cured. If you are taking regular doses of your
remedy, discontinue it and call your homeopath. After discontinuing the
remedy, these new and troublesome symptoms should subside. If they do
not, your homeopath may decide to prescribe a new remedy, or may ask
you to antidote yourself by drinking coffee or by applying a camphor rub to
yourself.
What if you generally feel better and your chronic complaint is
improving, but you also develop a few strange new symptoms that you never
had before? If these new complaints last only a few days, it is a sign that a
good remedy has been chosen — but that you are temporarily developing
additional symptoms that can be caused by the remedy. This outcome
means that the remedy will give you significant help, but may not be your
true simillimum. However, if these symptoms persist and become much
worse, the remedy was incorrect. Your homeopath may ask you to antidote
the remedy and will then prescribe a new one.
Finally, don’t forget that remedy reactions include mental, emotional,
and behavioral symptoms as well as physical ones. In my own experience, I
have found that remedies can bring up emotional wounds from the past —
feelings of grief, insecurity, anger, and jealousy. Sometimes, these
experiences can be rather embarrassing, because they make you much more
acutely aware of your own emotions and behavior. It is as if you were
watching yourself from a more objective perspective and becoming more
aware of your flaws. Please try to stick with these experiences and not run
away from them. By becoming more aware of a problem, you can also
overcome it. Time and time again, I have seen how a correct remedy can
provide this kind of information to patients, and how they eventually find
healing as a result.

Follow-up Visits

When treating cases of chronic disease, most homeopaths ask patients

to return for a follow-up appointment after four to six weeks. The reason is
that it usually takes about a month to assess the effects of a prescribed
remedy. Obviously, in acute cases (for example, ear infections, the flu,
asthmatic crises, etc.), remedy response is evaluated much more quickly,
usually within hours or even minutes. Follow-up visits are usually a half
hour in length, although this may vary depending on the situation. Some
homeopaths will take follow-up consultations by phone, especially in acute
cases that need to be monitored on a more frequent basis.
During a follow-up visit, it is critical that you supply your homeopath
with complete details about your remedy response. This information will be
used to determine whether or not treatment was successful, as well as how
to proceed. Your homeopath will be particularly interested in the following
information:

Your general health response. Any positive or negative changes

in mental state; feelings of well-being; vitality; and general body
functions such as appetite, sleep, dreams, menstruation, bowel
function, sexual desire, etc.
The progress of your primary complaint. This includes patterns of
symptom improvement or worsening over time.
The appearance, severity, and longevity of new symptoms. These
may include complaints from the past that have now returned, or
completely new complaints. You should also report any reactions such
as rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, or nasal discharge.
Emotional, mental, and behavioral responses. These include
positive or negative trends in relationships, at work, and in your
 emotional and mental state.

Obviously, to provide good feedback to your homeopath, some self-

observation and record-keeping can be useful. It is always a good idea to jot
down a few notes before each appointment. However, don’t go overboard; a
general outline of trends and events is sufficient.
Depending on your remedy response, your homeopath will make a
decision about what to do next. If your response has been good, or if there
has been at least some improvement without relapse, your homeopath will
most likely decide to wait and not redose. As stated earlier, once a healing
reaction has been set into motion, it is best not to tamper with it unless there
has been a definite relapse. So don’t be disappointed if your homeopath
decides not to give you any more remedy at your follow-up. It means that
they believe your situation will continue to improve further, without
additional aid.
On the other hand, if your homeopath feels that their remedy selection
was correct but your vital force needs another nudge toward health, they
will probably suggest another dose of the same remedy. This dose may be
of the same, higher, or lower potency. If you are on liquid dosing, your
homeopath may simply ask you to continue what you are doing, or they
may alter your dosing slightly.
If your case is not progressing, your homeopath will probably decide to
analyze your case further and try a new remedy. If several remedies have
been tried unsuccessfully over a period of time or have had only minor
ameliorative effects, your homeopath may start from scratch with a new
intake interview. This will provide both of you with the opportunity to
rethink things, and for you to provide new information that you may have
forgotten or withheld. Of course, you should feel free to tell your
homeopath new information at any appointment.
Like all health care practitioners, homeopaths will, on occasion, decide
to consult with colleagues on difficult cases. Sometimes they may refer you
to another practitioner who they feel might have better insight into your
case. If you feel your health is not improving as it should, you should also
feel free to consult with another homeopath on your own. As mentioned
earlier, it is important that your relationship with your homeopath be open
and free-flowing. If you cannot discuss your case with them or if they
cannot effectively make use of the information you provide, their ability to
find a good remedy for you will be limited.
 When to Report Back to Your Homeopath

As with any kind of doctor or healer, if you have a question for your
homeopath or if a crisis arises, please call them. Most homeopaths have
answering services or other means of responding quickly to their patients.
In the course of chronic treatment, it is appropriate and even preferable that
you call your homeopath when an acute ailment arises, rather than try to
deal with it on your own. Most homeopaths prefer to treat problems that
arise with simple and natural methods (bed rest, fluids, etc.) or with
remedies, rather than have patients suppress their symptoms with cold
medicines, nasal sprays, painkillers, or even antibiotics. For example, if you
are being treated for arthritis and you develop the flu, call your homeopath.
Don’t forget, homeopathy is holistic medicine. The problem you are
experiencing may seem unrelated to your chronic complaint, but in reality,
all of your symptoms are part of your overall health picture.

Mixing Homeopathy with Other Types of Treatment

This brings us to an important question: how does homeopathic

treatment interact with allopathic or other types of alternative treatment? Is
it all right to pursue other forms of treatment and to use homeopathy as
well? The answer to this is yes — and no.
Ideally, it is preferable not to mix medical treatments. If you are seeing
a homeopath, an acupuncturist, an herbalist, and an allopath, and you are
regularly taking over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbs, how will
your homeopath be able to accurately assess the effects of your treatment?
Was your remedy antidoted by all of these other things you are doing? Was
your response to a remedy immediately suppressed or altered?
Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common for people to try many
different kinds of healing modalities at the same time. This may seem to
buy relief, but to a practitioner, it only brings confusion. How will you
yourself know what is really helping you, or if one of your many treatments
is actually causing harm?
That said, some types of treatment do cause less interference with
homeopathy than others. In my experience, noninvasive body therapies
such as massage, craniosacral therapy, and osteopathic treatment do not
interfere with homeopathic treatment. Chiropractic treatment is also usually
noninterfering. Passive forms of energy healing such as Reiki and prayer
also blend effectively with homeopathy, and can even boost its effects. In
contrast, using homeopathy alongside other aggressive forms of energy
medicine such as acupuncture can be trickier; one must be careful to have
such treatments work synergistically, not in opposition to one another.
Personally, I have become increasingly conservative about my use of all
forms of medical treatment. I used to take many daily vitamins and would
think nothing of trying out all kinds of herbal supplements. Today, I am
extremely judicious about what I put into my body and what treatments I
undergo. Now that I have trained in homeopathy for several years, I am all
too aware that everything we do, eat, and drink can have effects.
Of course, I also believe that my body is strong enough to withstand
most things. I don’t worry about minor lapses here and there, nor am I
obsessive about dietary restrictions. People often ask me, “What is the
homeopathic dietary recommendation?” My answer is always, “Nothing in
particular. Just eat a balanced diet.” Homeopathic lifestyle
recommendations simply call for the maintenance of good hygiene and the
avoidance of obviously egregious practices such as heavy smoking,
excessive alcohol and coffee drinking, and extremes in drug or junk food
intake — good common sense and moderation.
So what about allopathic treatment? Of course, there are situations
where allopathic treatment cannot be discontinued or avoided. Certainly,
allopathy is a must in the case of a serious accident or when surgery is
required. Similarly, diabetics must stay on their insulin; severe asthmatics
and those with extreme blood pressure problems cannot go off their
medications; and those who have taken steroids, hormones, or
antidepressants for a long time cannot stop “cold turkey.”
Luckily, homeopathy can usually work alongside allopathic treatment.
The use of daily liquid dosing or more frequent low-potency dry-dosing can
help keep the vital force stimulated, even if allopathic medicines are having
antidotal effects. And, as mentioned earlier, the closer a remedy is to a
patient’s simillimum, the more likely that it will work through any other
treatment.
But it is always preferable to take less medicine than more, if it can be
managed safely. With patience and an ever-strengthening vital force, a
patient undergoing homeopathic treatment will often be able to slowly wean
herself off allopathic medicines. Thus, asthmatics may be able to gradually
decrease their use of inhalers, and psychiatric patients may be able to
decrease the frequency and amount of their medications. I even know of
severe arthritics who have been able to withdraw from their daily intake of
steroids and painkillers and find lasting cure with homeopathy. Such cures
take time, commitment, expert homeopathic care, and collaboration with a
patient’s allopath to make sure that withdrawal is conducted in a safe and
effective manner. But these kinds of cures do happen.
But what if complete cure isn’t possible? It has been my experience that
in situations where patient health has been too compromised for complete
cure, homeopathy can at least bring relief and a greater sense of vitality. My
own mother, now in her late 80s, still takes all of her allopathic
medications. But ever since she began to see a homeopath a few years ago,
she has had greater energy and vitality. I truly believe it has given her a new
lease on life.
What about vaccination? Each parent or patient must decide for
themselves what to do about this difficult issue. I have already discussed at
length the damaging effects that mass vaccination programs can have and
their potential role in the increase of chronic disease today. Vaccination is
also counterproductive to effective homeopathic treatment. But there are
homeopathic methods for treating the negative effects of vaccines. And
there are also homeopathic approaches to treating and preventing the
diseases that vaccinations are meant to prevent. My advice is to educate
yourself as best as you can and make your own decision; don’t let others
make it for you. Many web sites provide excellent alternative information
about vaccination. A few places to start are www.healthy.net/vaccine,
www.909shot.com, and www.nccn.net/~wwithin/ vaccine.htm. The reading
list provided at the end of this book includes several informative books
about vaccination as well.
Finally, there is the problem of self-medicating. One of the greatest
challenges that today’s homeopathic patients face is learning not to run to
the drugstore and suppress every acute ailment that crops up. Even if
someone is dedicated to giving homeopathy a try, it may take a bit of time
for them to discover that they can survive a cold without cold medicine, a
cough without cough syrup, an ear infection without antibiotics, a rash
without cortisone, and a fever or headache without aspirin. Frankly, it took
me a couple of years to finally make the break and stop these almost
instinctual responses to minor ailments. However, it can be done. Half the
time you can ride through minor problems with good old-fashioned bed
rest, lots of fluids, and some efforts at removing stress from your life. The
rest of the time, homeopathy can come to the rescue and get you through.
But don’t be worried if you do need to resort to allopathy now and then.
Every person must find the road to recovery that they are most comfortable
with and that works for them.

Stick With It!

At the end of Chapter 3, I spoke about the importance of attitude and

informed participation in the homeopathic healing process. Homeopathy is
not always a quick fix. This is especially true in cases of chronic disease. If
your allopath hasn’t been able to cure you with many years of treatment,
why should a homeopath be able to cure you overnight? True healing takes
time and dedication. It may also involve some ups and downs. Your health
is at stake, and it’s worth it.
Effective homeopathic treatment will also demand that you dig deep,
examine your life, and engage openly and honestly with your homeopath.
How can you find a cure if you are not willing to let your homeopath know
what is really going on? There is no medical instrument for determining the
nature of your vital force. It can only be determined through what you
disclose to your homeopath. So, be an involved and optimistic patient. Seek
a second opinion when necessary. Ask for more information and
explanations when uncertain. Do not hold back on information, and keep
your eye on the goal — true cure.
That’s really what this book is all about — enabling you to recognize
the extraordinary healing power of homeopathy and find it for yourself.
 Chapter 9: Cure Is Possible
“Conventional medicine conveniently dismisses... stories as ‘anecdotes’
— but I recall a wonderful tale about Steven Hawking, the theoretical
physicist... Evidently one of his graduate students had just penetrated the
notion that all these little subatomic particles didn’t have a material
presence in the Newtonian billiard-ball sense at all, but were rather transient
arrangements of energy... Lost in his disorientation... [he] asked Hawking
what held the universe together. Hawking leaned back in his wheelchair and
said, ‘Stories.’”
— Will Taylor, MD, 1997 [WT4]

This chapter is full of cure stories, many of them written in the words of
a patient or family member directly touched by the miracle of homeopathy.
You’ve read my own amazing story about Max’s cure. In the world of
homeopathy, anecdotes like these are almost commonplace. Indeed, most
homeopaths decide to practice homeopathy because they have undergone a
“conversion” experience — a cure that touched them and left them forever
changed. Will Taylor, MD, the homeopath whose words introduce this
chapter, experienced the cure of an intractable case of shingles. As he
writes:
“My first formal training in homeopathy was the IFH
[International Foundation for Homeopathy] professionals course. We
were all formally-trained allopathic doctors and nurses and such. The
first class we went around the room and told how we’d come to be
interested in homeopathy. Nobody was there because of a theoretical
convincement. Each person had an ‘anecdote’ to relate — my
desperate and wonderfully successful consultation of a ‘quack’ to treat
my shingles, an MD mom with a kid successfully rescued from
dialysis and impending kidney transplant by a single dose of Apis
[made from honeybee poison], lots of Arnica stories (sometimes I
wonder if God gave us the Arnica plant to entice us into homeopathy).
I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room at the end of the session...
This is an empirical science. Galileo did not get far trying to
reason with people as to why there might be moons around Jupiter. He
asked them to look in the telescope... I would ask any skeptic, just as
 Galileo did, ‘Please just look. It’s there.’ Homeopathy does not fit into
the worldview I held before my shingles were cured, and it will never
fit into that worldview, just as Galileo’s moons will never fit into the
pre-Galileon views of the universe. Homeopathy has changed my view
of the world and how it works. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity to
expand your view as well. Please just look in the telescope.” [WT4]

As it turns out, many of the world’s greatest homeopaths started off as

skeptical allopaths who later became ardent supporters of homeopathy once
they experienced its power. In Chapter 4, I related the story of Constantine
Hering, MD, the father of American homeopathy, who first approached
homeopathy as a debunker. Another former skeptic became one of the
greats of British homeopathy, James Compton Burnett, MD. Burnett
attended medical school in Vienna in 1865 and was awarded the Gold
Medal in Anatomy upon graduation. The last thing on his mind at the time
was homeopathy. As reported in a biography of Burnett published by John
Henry Clarke, MD, in 1904:
“Burnett left University with strictly orthodox medical views,
‘having been taught by good men and true that Homoeopathy was
therapeutic nihilism.’ This was the current view at the time, often
expressed with a great deal more virulence. Homoeopathy in Britain
was confined to a more or less persecuted sect, actively ridiculed in the
universities...
While working at a hospital, Burnett watched a little boy die of
pleurisy. It affected him greatly. He confided his despondency to his
friend Alfred Hawkes at the Royal Infirmary, who recommended
homoeopathy. Dr. Burnett purchased — ‘very much as if I were
contemplating a crime’ — Richard Hughes’s two manuals... which at
that time provided the standard introduction in English to ‘this
dangerous ground.’
Said Burnett, ‘I mastered their main points in a week or two, and
came from a consideration of these to the conclusion either that
Homoeopathy was a very grand thing indeed, or this Dr. Hughes must
be a very big —. No, the word is unparliamentary. You don’t like the
word? Well, I do, it expresses my meaning to a T; on such an
important subject there is for me no middle way, it must be either good
clear God’s truth, or black lying.’
Hughes had suggested Aconite as a remedy for simple fever and
Dr. Burnett determined to test the advice on his children’s fever ward,
 dosing all the patients down one side with Aconite and treating the
others as usual. ‘Within twenty-four hours all the Aconite children
were cured (save one who had measles) and smartly discharged, while
the rest still languished in hospital. The experiment was repeated with
the same startling results until a truculent nurse, impatient of the
doctor’s hard heart, dosed all the patients indiscriminately from ‘Dr.
Burnett’s Fever Bottle’ and emptied the ward.’
Burnett said he was ‘simply dumbfounded.’ He spent his nights
reading homoeopathic literature, and ‘having suffered a conversion
which he afterwards compared to St. Paul’s on the road to Damascus,
instantly resolved ‘to fight the good fight of Homoeopathy with all the
power I possess; were I to do less I should be afraid to die.’” [Clarke]

Burnett went on to write 24 books about homeopathic treatment and

was one of the first to write about vaccines triggering chronic illness. He
was also the father of British author Ivy Compton-Burnett, as well as the
great-uncle of Marjorie Blackie, MD, a homeopath who served as physician
to Queen Elizabeth for many years.
In many ways, Burnett’s conversion experience was a very modest
demonstration of the power of homeopathy. Striking cures of much more
serious ailments are easy to find, as the rest of the stories in this chapter will
attest. I collected them between 1997 and 2000, largely from contributors to
an international homeopathy Internet list. Over the past few years, I have
gotten to know several of these individuals personally.
You will find that the anecdotes in this chapter cover a wide range of
diseases. They include supposedly incurable conditions like Alzheimer’s
disease; serious acute situations like heart attack, kidney failure, coma, and
hemorrhage; and chronic conditions like depression, migraine, and
fibromyalgia. But even the smallest of cures is a miracle when it flies in the
face of everything we have been taught by the allopathic world. I hope that
you will find these stories to be powerful food for thought and an
inspiration to explore the world of homeopathy for yourself.

Alzheimer’s Disease Reversed

At one of my homeopathic training seminars I witnessed videos of a

woman cured of Alzheimer’s disease. The changes in her over the course of
several months of treatment were nothing short of miraculous. I have heard
of other cases of successful Alzheimer’s disease treatment as well. One is
the story presented below — one of the most impressive tales of
homeopathic healing I have ever read. It is written by the daughter of a man
whose Alzheimer’s disease went into remission for several years thanks to
homeopathic treatment:
“I’ve had a request that I repost my story about my Dad and
Alzheimer’s... It’s not a medical paper. It’s just a story... a story with a
happy ending. This story was written over a year ago. In July, it will be
two years since his first dose [of the remedy]. My Dad continues to do
well. He is now off all other medications. He can drive in town. He
rewired a lamp the other day! And he’s helping my Mother replace a
bad bios chip on her motherboard. He’s not perfect, but he’s not curled
in a ball on the floor in the fetal position.”
Original posting:
“I want all of you with loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s
disease to know that I understand what you and your families are
experiencing. My father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
for over a year now. My mother had been dropping hints that
something was seriously wrong for quite some time when we spoke
almost daily on the phone. But nothing that she told me prepared me
for what I found when I visited home in July of this year.
The Dad that I knew was no longer there. He knew me, but did
not know my husband. He slept most of the day and night. When
awake he was either hostile and combative, or curled into a defensive
posture. His paranoia was constant. He thought everyone was trying to
poison him through his food and medicine. He thought everyone was
making fun of him. He had no short term memory. He resented my
mother, yet she was the only one he trusted. He had tuned out — he
didn’t know his address, what year it was, who was president. He was
having vivid, violent dreams. He was exhibiting some bizarre
behaviors like stashing bags of paper trash all over the house and
outbuildings. These were just a few of the symptoms. I’m sure you
know the profile.
I was devastated. I came home paralyzed. I thought, ‘How can my
mother handle this? How can we afford full-time care?’ I couldn’t
sleep or eat. I was worried about my father, my mother, and the rest of
our family. My husband and friends immediately set about looking
into therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. My husband would come home
with a score of papers, references, books, and other information. I
couldn’t listen to them, I just couldn’t read anything. What little I did
hear or read, I knew my parents would not be willing to try. There
were a lot of radical and sometimes invasive therapies suggested.
Therapies that were not available near my parents. Therapies that I
knew my mother would not want.
Suddenly, I remembered my mother telling me that when you’ve
got a problem, you first do everything you know how to do, and then
when you’ve exhausted your knowledge and ability, you turn to God
and say, ‘Lord, I’ve done all that I know how to do, tell me what to
do.’ I decided to use a therapy that I knew worked — something that I
knew how to do. I decided to use a therapy that I had been using
successfully for years on myself and my family.
I called my homeopathic physician, Dr. Jennifer Smith. Dr. Smith
is a naturopathic physician who specializes in homeopathy. She
recently moved from my area to Denver to do research on
homeopathic treatment... Dr. Smith... gave me a long list of questions
to ask my mother about my father — everything from his eating habits
to his dreams. I am grateful that my mother is such an observant
caregiver. It took a couple of hours on the phone to get the answers I
needed because my father would walk through the room and wonder
why my mother was talking about him. The paranoia again. I then
called Dr. Smith and let her run through the questions and I answered
them. It took about an hour on the phone with her. Dr. Smith then
recommended a homeopathic remedy...
Dr. Smith said that we might notice a slight difference in my
father in three or four weeks. However, it took my mother two days to
get my father to take the remedy. He thought we were trying to poison
him. He did eventually take it. It was one tiny little 1/16 inch tablet
dissolved under the tongue. [Dr. Smith] said he may never have to take
it again, or he may need a repeat dose. She was not sure, we’d have to
wait and see and be very watchful.
He took the remedy on a Tuesday or a Wednesday... I talked to
my mother Friday, and she said, ‘Well, your father participated in a
conversation at the restaurant this morning after church. He hasn’t
done that in a couple of years. Interesting, huh? Let’s see what
happens.’
Well, by Saturday, all of his symptoms had reversed. Memory
problems, gone. Paranoia, gone. Inability to solve problems, gone. The
feeling that he had been betrayed by everyone, gone. All of his
symptoms were gone. By Sunday (four days after taking the remedy)
he was making witty and sarcastic jokes on the phone in the
background while I was talking to my mother on the phone. My
mother says that he is better than he has been in 20 years. On the
Saturday after taking the remedy, he installed a window air conditioner
for some friends of ours. On the following Wednesday, the power had
gone out at the house. The village said the power would not be back on
for a couple of hours. My mother was holding her ceramics class in her
shop. My father hotfooted it out to the garage and hooked up the house
to a generator!
The changes in my father have been so significant, that everyone
in town has noticed and cannot believe the difference. Just by chance,
my parents both had their six-month doctor’s appointments the week
before last. The doctor saw my mother first and remarked, ‘Mary,
what’s up? I haven’t seen your blood pressure this low in years!’
Mother responded by showing him the bottle that the remedy came in.
She said, ‘See this. This is why my blood pressure is so low. I didn’t
take it, Ernie (my father) did. And I want you to know that the
shipping to get the remedy here cost more than the remedy itself.’ The
doctor finished with my mother and went with her across the hall.
Now, I want you to know that this was a man who on his last
doctor’s visit did not know his name, what year it was, or who was
President. When they walked in the door, my dad was sitting there
reading Time Magazine. He looked up and said, ‘Hey, do you guys
realize that our Dodge minivan has been recalled? The back door
could pop open at any time!’... The doctor was shocked. By this time
my mother was standing behind Dad and gave the doctor a shrug of
her shoulders. He just couldn’t believe it! As a matter of fact, the
doctor is anxious to know more, and we’re going to have him contact
my homeopathic doctor.
When my mother discussed it with her doctor, and when I
discussed it with my homeopathic doctor, we all remarked that so
many people could be helped by this. Thousands and thousands of
Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers could be helped. All those lives
could be changed for the better even if there were a moderate
improvement in symptoms.
People don’t often turn to alternative medicine until they’re
desperate. But, I know from my own family’s experience, that there is
 no one more desperate than the caregiver of an Alzheimer’s patient. It
is truly worth a try. The treatment was easy. It was noninvasive. There
were not elaborate regimes to follow. There was only a few hours of
our time and one little tablet taken one time. The whole therapy
including the remedy, long distance phone charges, and consultation
fees came to less than $100. It is truly the best money I’ve ever spent.
Everyone would not react so quickly and have as dramatic a result as
my father; but even if symptoms were lessened, many lives could be
improved.” [MW]

Cancer Cures and Expulsion of Tumors

In Chapter 6, I mentioned the extensive work on cancer treatment going

on in India. Indian homeopaths like Dr. A. U. Ramakrishnan of Madras and
Dr. Pradip Banerji of Calcutta have successfully treated hundreds of
patients with cancers of many forms, including cancers of the brain, lung,
breast, cervix, ovary, pancreas, prostate, rectum, skin, bone, and leukemia.
For example, between 1993 and 2000, Dr. Ramakrishnan treated 170 cases
of rectal cancer, 66 of which he considered to be viable for homeopathic
treatment. He claimed success in 54 of these cases [Ramakrishnan].
Of course, cancer was around back in the 1800s as well. Several
homeopaths of the late 19th century were well-known for their cancer
cures, including Irish homeopath Robert Cooper, MD, and James Compton
Burnett, MD, the British homeopath whose conversion story was described
earlier. But once the allopathic establishment took over in the United States,
the use of homeopathy for cancer — indeed, the use of anything else
besides surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy — was legally prohibited.
Nevertheless, one 20th-century American homeopath was also known for
his cancer cures — Arthur Hill Grimmer, MD. Between 1925 and 1929, one
hundred fifty biopsy-diagnosed cancers were reputedly cured by his
treatment with homeopathy [Winston, p. 299].
Among the many interesting cancer-related stories found in the old
homeopathic journals is the following one published in a letter to The
Homoeopathic World in 1924 by Canon Roland Upcher, a clergyman from
Norfolk, England, who also functioned as a lay homeopath. It illustrates
how homeopathic remedies can get the body to expel foreign or harmful
materials — in this case, a tumor. Whether or not the tumor in this case was
actually cancerous we will never know, but homeopathic treatment did have
the necessary effect. The story also touches upon the role of vaccination as
a causative factor in disease:
“A woman, fifty years of age, was taken into a certain hospital in
a former parish of mine — suffering from great pain in the lower
abdomen with vomiting, she was unable to keep any food down. Two
eminent surgeons... met the three local practitioners in consultation.
They unanimously diagnosed the case as undoubtedly cancer... The X
ray was not used. But as it was in so difficult a position it was judged
too dangerous to operate upon; and the poor woman was sent home to
die... The woman was in such a desperate condition, that she could
only lie in bed and groan. She neither could take any food nor retain
nor pass anything. Under these circumstances, I determined to see
whether Homoeopathy could do any good.
First Question: ‘Have you any history of consumption
[tuberculosis] in your family?’
Answer: ‘Yes! My brother and sister both died of consumption.’
Second Question: ‘Have you ever been revaccinated?’
Answer: ‘Yes; about five years ago, and I have never been well
since.’
Third Question: ‘Did you ever have a bad fall, or blow in your
stomach?’...
Answer: ‘Yes; when I was about seventeen or eighteen, I fell off a
swing on to my stomach.’
Now follows the treatment according to Homoeopathy. In the first
place I had to knock down two stone walls before the indicated remedy
could get through to the local mischief. The first wall was that of
Consumption. Received five globules of Bacillinum 20 [a nosode of
tuberculosis] in single dose. Called three days afterwards, found the
woman gone out, had walked a mile and a half down to the town. Next
day... I called again.
‘Well, Mrs. F., are you mad? What have you been doing, going
walking to town?’
Answer: ‘Well, sir, I felt, and still feel, so much better; I can eat
and drink and keep it down, and I have less pain.’
Wall No. 1 knocked down. Next came the Vaccinal wall and she
received two doses, one drop of Thuja (mother tincture), twenty-four
hours apart. [Thuja, made from Eastern white cedar, is a remedy
known for counteracting vaccination damage.] Called at the end of the
 week. The woman met me at the door with ‘Please, sir, a discharge has
set in!’ ‘Good gracious! Where from?’ ‘Please, sir, from the womb!’
This discharge continued for a week and the tumour in the
abdomen, with outside swelling nearly as big as a football, slowly
subsided. But as the woman appeared so weak and prostrate with the
discharge, I got frightened and judged it well to antidote the Thuja, so
administered Pulsatilla 30c, one dose. Next day the discharge
decreased and the tumour immediately began to swell up again.
Question: Is Wall No. 2 knocked down? Cannot tell, but anyhow the
woman is a ‘Daisy’: so I will try the Homoeopathic rule and give her
some ‘Daisy.’ Anyhow, it is God’s remedy for bruises...
[In other words, Upcher determined that the remedy that matched
this woman was Bellis Perennis, made from daisy. It also happens to
be a good remedy for bruises and injuries; recall, she had a fall from a
swing onto her stomach.]
She accordingly received three drops of Bellis Perennis (mother
tincture), and I left her with the remark, ‘I think you will find that will
do your belly good!’ Unable to visit again for a week. When I had to
go into the woman’s neighbourhood... called, found the woman
washing clothes in back kitchen. ‘Well, how are you, Mrs. F.?’ ‘Quite
well thank you, sir!’ ‘Quite well?!! How’s that?’ ‘Well, sir, three days
after you gave me that last dose, I had a great bearing down as if I was
going to have a baby and THAT thing all came away, four pounds of it,
and I and my husband buried it in our garden!’
Reflection. The two stone walls having been knocked down by
Bacillinum and Thuja, Bellis was able to get through and do its work.”
[Upcher]

More Expulsion Anecdotes

There are many other fascinating expulsion stories to be found in the

homeopathic literature. I have already mentioned the story of a dental
hygienist who, after homeopathic treatment, passed visible quantities of
mercury in her menstrual blood. Here are three more anecdotes, one
describing the expulsion of a long-forgotten piece of glass embedded in a
man’s leg (also with Bellis Perennis); another, the purging of arsenic; and
the last, painless passage of a kidney stone.
Glass Be Gone

“On Labor Day, 1992, my friend Lester had to leap through a

second story window to save his life from a fire. He landed partially in
the tree in the front yard, and had a fractured tibia among other things.
I gave him some remedies at that time. He then moved two hours
away, inasmuch as his home was destroyed and he needed a place
quickly.
Last year, in October 1994, after Lester had moved back into the
city, he complained of pain in his left leg on the outer side, a few
inches above the ankle. I gave him one pellet of Ruta 200c. He said he
felt immediate relief. (At this time I was working on the assumption
that it must be a ligament.) [Ruta Graveolens, made from rue, is often
used for ligament pain and strain.]
About December 1994, he told me that his leg was again
bothering him. He described it as “It feels like a piece of bone is
coming out,” which I dismissed because it had been two years since
the fire, and he was walking. However, he often limped. I gave him
one pellet of Ruta 1M and he said he felt something happening, but
couldn’t describe it well, although he said it always felt better after a
remedy.
In February 1995, Lester was visiting and began limping again. I
began to think he had a very deep injury to the periosteum, which led
me to a remedy that Dr. Subrata K. Banerjea spoke of during a seminar
I attended. Dr. Banerjea, of India, told us he had included ancestral tips
from his grandfather and father when authoring his Materia Medica.
Dr. Banerjea’s tip: ‘Bellis Perennis: Sprains and bruises, myalgias and
neuralgias, rheumatism, boils, etc. Potency 50M. Ancestral tip:
Complaints resulting from injuries to deeper tissues and nerves.
Potency par excellence!’
I gave the suggested remedy in the suggested potency — Bellis
Perennis 50M [Daisy diluted to the degree of 10050,000] — to my
friend at about 10 P.M. on a Wednesday night. On Friday morning he
called me to say ‘Around 2 A.M. (Friday morning) I woke up and felt
something strange going on with my leg, I felt something moving and
poking out of my skin. I was sure it was bone. I took the courage to
pull it out of my leg. It came out effortlessly. It had only two drops of
blood on it. There was no oozing, pus, or anything and the skin sealed
up by 9 A.M. that morning. The thing was two inches long and one
inch wide and covered with bloody goo. It looked like a bone. I
decided to wash it off and keep it. After washing it, I discovered it was
a shard of glass, obviously from the bedroom window I jumped out of.
I took medicines all my childhood life, and I never had anything work
that quickly.’
When I saw the piece of glass I was truly amazed. Little did I
imagine that this was an old wound with a foreign object in it. One end
of the glass is pointy (the end which was poking out of his skin), but
the other end looks like it broke off... Lester walks normally and also
dances again. He is totally convinced of the miracle of Homoeopathy.”
[Maiolino]

Sweating Arsenic

“In 1932, it was my privilege to study under Sir John Weir of

London, England,... the Royal Physician, and one of the leading
homoeopaths of that time. During one of his lectures, he told us that a
single dose of 1M to 10M of the specific substance that was causing
the symptoms would allow the body to expel the offending material
quickly and easily.
My first experience with this principle was in 1936, just after my
return from four years of missionary work in Africa. A 42-year-old
orchardist staggered into my office and collapsed on the couch in the
waiting room. He was cyanotic; he was perspiring profusely; and his
pulse was too rapid to count. ‘Doc,’ he said, ‘I’m dying.’ I was inclined
to agree with him! As an apple grower, he had many small exposures
to arsenic over the past 20 years. While working inside a spray tank,
he finally received sufficient additional exposure to throw him into an
acute toxic condition. Knowing he would never live long enough to
make it to the hospital, I stood next to him feeling quite helpless.
Suddenly I recalled the lessons of Sir John Weir. From some remedies
brought back from London, I found a 10M potency of Arsenic[arsenic
trioxide diluted to the degree of 10010,000], and poured a half a
teaspoon of these granules on his tongue.
Within an hour, his pulse began to slow down but he still
perspired freely. An hour later I was startled to hear him call me.
Arriving quickly at his side, he pointed to a white powder that was
appearing where the perspiration was drying on the folds of his blue
shirt. As he brushed it off, he smelled it and then tasted it. ‘This is
white arsenic, Doc,’ he said. ‘There is enough here to kill three men!’
It seems the one dose of homoeopathic arsenic changed the
body’s polarity enough so that the toxic arsenic which had been
attracted to the cells was now being expelled. Within three hours the
patient was able to drive home and was soon completely recovered. He
lived the next 41 years of his life free of any further episodes of
arsenic toxicity.
I recall this experience to illustrate a simple and practical law of
healing. If you know what poison or toxic substance is causing the
illness and give a high potency preparation of that substance, you will
enable the body to cure itself. This applies to lead, copper, mercury,
aluminum, poison ivy, ragweed, and many other substances to which
the human body may react in a toxic manner.” [Wilson]

Birthing Kidney Stones

“Every once in a while, I have to sit back and give thanks for
small pleasures. This morning my husband woke up in great pain...
one we have come to recognize as a kidney stone. This makes number
five. The first was removed by lithotripsy to the tune of $20,000 ten
years ago. It took two tries and caused terrible side effects. We knew at
that time, there were at least two stones left behind. These last three
stones were identical as far as symptoms, and as with the others,
Berberis [made from barberry, a plant] saved the day. Forty-five
minutes after the remedy was taken, my husband was completely free
of pain. He passed the stone eight hours later... with no pain.
It’s a frantic moment when your loved one is in such agony. They
want something fast and we have to work under pressure. Homeopathy
saves the day with a remedy that materially costs near to nothing.”
[CG]

Some Serious Acutes

 Some of the stories you have already read give testimony to the utility
of homeopathy in emergencies. While I would certainly run to the hospital
in a life-or-death situation, there is still plenty of room for homeopathy to
help as well. Below are a few testimonials that show how homeopathy can
cure in even the most dire and life-threatening situations.
I’ll begin with an anecdote from homeopath David Little who practices
homeopathy in remote areas of India and Nepal. In this case, he used
homeopathy to treat a severe hemorrhage:
“In Nepal I once was called to treat a hemorrhage during an
emergency. Now in this case, I did not know the cause of the problem
but feared the worst scenario. The flow was profuse red and her limbs
were cold and her face was pale. She seemed emotionally upset by
talking. I was preparing to take the person to the hospital when I gave
her a one teaspoon dose of Cinnamonium 200c [made from cinnamon]
in medicinal solution. The effect was immediate and dramatic. The
woman felt very much better and calmed right down and started
talking normally. I wanted to know the cause of the hemorrhage so I
suggested that the individual get a complete medical checkup at a
hospital. I do not like functioning in the dark.
As she felt so good on the remedy... she did not follow my
instructions until she flew back to Europe a few weeks later. On going
for a checkup it was found that she had an ectopic pregnancy in which
the tube had burst. The ruptured tube and the surrounding area were all
healing nicely so they just left things alone. They said they had never
seen anything like it before. They wondered how she survived such an
incident without surgical intervention and had healed so dramatically
instead. She mentioned the homoeopathy, but they acted as if they did
not hear her. They would rather consider it a freak of nature then a
cure.” [DL1]

Here’s a story from New Zealand homeopath John Summerville

describing his use of Cactus Grandiflora (a well-known heart remedy made
from night-blooming cereus, a kind of cactus) in a case of heart attack:
“Years ago my brother-in-law turned up on my doorstep at about
10:30 P.M., walking bent forward, his face ashen and nose quite blue.
He was very anxious and complained of not being able to breathe and
that he had a massive pain in his back and that it must be out. I also
remember lots of eructations [burping]... I could tell immediately that
it wasn’t a sore back so gave him Cactus 200c and called an
 ambulance and doctor. By the time the ambulance arrived about five
minutes later, he was almost his jokey self. The doc arrived about
another five minutes later. My brother-in-law was very nearly back to
normal. Doc did his thing and was very doubtful that anything was
amiss (he didn’t like homeopaths), but reluctantly conceded that
perhaps he should go to the hospital just to be on the safe side. Test
results a couple of days later showed evidence of a serious heart
attack.” [JS]

Homeopathy also came to the rescue for British homeopath Francis

Treuherz, who was rather obstinate in his refusal to undergo allopathic
treatment in a dangerous case of septicemia (blood poisoning) caused by
diverticulitis — an infection in a small pocket of the colon lining. While I
don’t recommend running out of the hospital like Treuherz did, the remedy
he used, Pyrogen (made from rotten meat and an important remedy for
severely septic states) did enable him to recover:
“I had a strange fever in 1991, collapsed, and was taken to
hospital. I was prescribed surgery and intravenous Flagyl with the
diagnosis perforated diverticular disease. I had septicemia, peritonitis,
a busted gut with walled off omentum, rebound tenderness, and
guarding, so I was very weak and feverish.
I refused treatment and they decided to detain me against my will
under mental health legislation. But I gave them the slip and staggered
out into a cab and went home and took Pyrogen high [in a high
potency]. After an hour I started to stop looking green and was merely
gray, says my wife, and then pale. I ate carefully and took a while to
recover, with the help of China [made from Peruvian bark] also later.
That was it.” [FT]

In the next story from Australian homeopath Shonit Danwer, a patient

whose kidneys had shut down after a car accident was cured by a remedy
that matched the causative factor — fright. Both remedies utilized in this
case (Aconite and Opium) are commonly used for ailments caused by
frightening situations:
“I had [this] case in the early days of my practice. A patient’s
urination stopped after he met with an accident, but he had a
miraculous escape and had practically no injury, only later to discover
that his urination got suppressed. Similarly his kidneys had got shut
down. After trying all sorts of modern medicines he was advised to go
 in for kidney transplant or two-times-a-week dialysis.
He was given Aconite 10M initially and later Opium in different
potencies and he was cured in three months ‘miraculously’... Aconite
is a very good remedy to counter the acute shock state (be it of any
type). Then other remedies like Opium can take care of the rest of the
case. But always try to individualize the case every time.” [SD]

And what about our animal companions? Here’s a story about a little
dog named Jozey, saved from potentially fatal food poisoning with two
low-potency doses of Pulsatilla, made from the windflower:
“Jozey got into a box of Valentine’s Day chocolate bonbons. She
is little and weighs six pounds. She ate about 50 grams of chocolate. I
didn’t know that chocolate was poison to dogs. She ate it at about 2
P.M., and at 7 P.M., we noticed that she was shaking and relaxing,
shaking and relaxing. Then I noticed her abdomen was bloated so
much that it was starting to turn black. Her pulse was pounding and
hard. I called two veterinary emergency clinics and they both said to
bring her in immediately — that it was very serious, and since it had
been so long since ingestion, that they could not guarantee that she
would even make it through the night since she was now showing
signs of heart failure (the heart had to pump so hard to get past the
swelling). They also said that even if she did make it through the night,
the aftermath of diarrhea might finish her off because she is so little.
The starting vet bill would be $300 and go from there. At that point
she couldn’t walk anymore.
Well, we all went crazy to see our little dog in that state. The kids
were crying and so was I, and then it occurred to me to repertorize her
case. So I slapped myself sensible and sat down and chose the rubric
that had to do with stomach, “Worse from fats,” and came up with
Pulsatilla. I checked the materia medica. Being a little lap dog (clingy)
and not being thirsty by nature [these are characteristics of Pulsatilla],
I quickly gave her a Pulsatilla 6x, which brought her around like a
miracle!
She got up and started walking around and playing. She let us rub
her belly. She started burping. The effect of the remedy lasted one
hour. Then she dropped, exhausted. I gave her another dose and then
brought her to sleep with me for healing energy, and of course we had
a family prayer. Through the night I could hear her burping and
burping. In the morning she was back to her old figure again. Her belly
 had gone from black to pink. She never went into the diarrhea phase.
We gave her rice and water for a couple of days and she was fine!
Whew! Only two doses of Pulsatilla 6x. Since Pulsatilla turned out to
be Jozey’s constitutional remedy, it also cleared up her chronic ear
infections, coughs, and a skin disorder she had growing on the ends of
her ear flaps.” [AS]

Chronic Disease

Much of this book has emphasized the importance of homeopathy in

treating chronic disease — disease that allopathy can only palliate or
suppress, not truly cure. Below are some additional illustrations of how
effective homeopathy can truly be in curing these kinds of ailments — even
those cases that have undergone years of ineffective allopathic treatment.
I’ll begin with a very typical example — a woman who suffered for many
years from chronic bladder infections:
“I... had chronic bladder infections to the point of bleeding for
about six years, treated with a variety of sulpha drugs — 18 years ago.
Doctors I had seen had suggested low doses of antibiotics every day
for the rest of my life. What turned me on to Homeopathy was a 1M
dose of Cantharis. [A common remedy for bladder infections made
from Spanish fly.] Literally, the second it was placed on my tongue,
the pains and discomfort ceased, and two days later, my E. coli count
was so low that the doctor treating me at the time was amazed that I
had achieved it without allopathic (conventional) drugs. That sold me
on Homeopathy! Since then, I have studied Homeopathy extensively. I
have never had a recurrence of cystitis since that dose of Cantharis —
over 18 years ago.” [MK]

Here’s another anecdote of cure from Lyme disease. Over the past few
years, homeopathy has become known as an effective treatment for this
condition. Cures of Lyme disease have even been reported by the press. For
instance, world-famous South African runner Zola Pieterse “who suffered
from tick bite fever for over five years, was only cured after seeing a
homeopath.” [Pieterse] In the story below, the remedy Ledum (made from a
plant called ledum palustre or marsh tea) came to the rescue:
“Last summer almost three weeks to the day after returning from
 a camping trip in Vermont, my husband came down with a flu-like
illness, including joint pains, headaches, extreme fatigue, a few other
symptoms, and, of course, the bull’s eye rash. He went to his doctor
who sent him to see the head of epidemiology at a local hospital where
he was duly poked and prodded, and inspected (with his permission)
by a group of med students. They even photographed the rash for the
archives. I guess we don’t get too many ‘classic cases of Lyme’ here in
Montreal.
Not liking the sounds of the possible side effects from the
antibiotics, he went directly to his homeopath... who prescribed Ledum
1M three days in a row. Each day when my husband took the Ledum,
he rallied a little more. At the end of the three days, he seemed fine. A
week later, he had what seemed to be a relapse and didn’t respond to
the Ledum 1M. He was given Ledum 10M. It’s been nearly a year
now, and he seems to be suffering no further effects from the disease.”
[LJ]

Here’s another story of conversion to homeopathy, in this case of

California nurse Sheri Nakken, RN. Her complaint was serious long-
standing migraine headaches. Today, Nakken is a homeopath and a well-
known antivaccination activist living in Wales, UK. She is also migraine-
free:
“I will tell my story to the skeptics. I had migraines every one,
two, or three weeks since 1981. Severe, lasting two days. Tried
Chinese medicine including acupuncture/herbs for one year;
chiropractic;... rolfing; shiatsu; dietary changes; candida diets and on
and on. No results. Also took remedies that I’d buy in the store without
seeing a homeopath — no results.
Finally went to a homeopath in Nevada City, California and after
two months on one remedy, LM potency, headache free and have been
ever since - nearly three years now! No double-blind trial needed for
me.” [SN]

Nakken goes on to describe how cost-effective her homeopathic

treatment was, despite the fact that she initially consulted with a homeopath
who was unable to help her:
“Expensive was having severe migraine headaches... from 1981–
1995 — buying ergotamine inhalers for 10+ years at $70 each for
migraines; trying Chinese medicine for one and a half years;
 chiropractic for two years; shiatsu for two years; Nystatin for candida
and suffering through those candida diets; missing work and life — all
for nothing!
Other than my first bad choice of a homeopath ($500), it only
cost me $115 to be totally cured and have migraine symptoms leave
(one initial visit $80, remedy $5, follow-up visit $30)!” [SN]

Perhaps the most convincing testimony of homeopathy’s efficacy is

when allopaths come calling for treatment. In the beginning of this chapter,
Will Taylor, MD, described his own conversion to homeopathy after his
cure from shingles. Today, Taylor receives many referrals from colleagues
in the allopathic community. In the following anecdote, he describes his
treatment of a case of Crohn’s disease [a chronic and destructive disease of
the gastrointestinal tract] — and how the patient’s allopath reacted:
“I get regular referrals from the local MDs. Even got a call from a
gastroenterologist one day after a successfully-treated patient saw him
in follow-up for Crohn’s disease; she’d responded beautifully and had
been asymptomatic for six months. He asked if I was taking new
patients. I said sure, and asked if he had a referral for me. He said
‘Well, I’ve got Crohn’s.’” [WT5]

Helping Our Animal Companions with Homeopathy

As the story of Jozey and the box of chocolates showed, homeopathy

provides a cost-effective treatment option for pets. I have found that
homeopathic treatment is an especially effective and humane solution for
the aging pet. Several years ago, my family spent $5,000 on surgery for our
dog who was suffering from pancreatic cancer. It was a rather hopeless
situation, and a month or so after her surgery, she became bloated and
incapacitated by the daily doses of cortisone that were prescribed for her.
When she could no longer move at all, we had to have her euthanized.
A couple of years later, our elderly 17-year-old cat developed
hyperthyroidism and the wasting that goes along with it. The vets
recommended drugs that would cause her to have chronic diarrhea or,
alternatively, surgery and radiation. After our dog’s experience, we decided
to deal with the situation homeopathically. With the help of remedies and an
improved fresh-meat diet, our cat lived for another year, regained her
weight, and was symptom-free for all but the last month of her life. In our
view, homeopathy provided not only a more cost-effective solution, but a
more humane one as well. Here’s a similar pet story that underscores the
same point.

“Male Himalayan cat 15 years old

January 1998. I began to notice our cat slowing down. I
assumed old age was taking its toll. There was decreased play.
When drinking water, he began to scratch the floor automatically
with his right paw.
April 1998. He has been getting more confused and spaced-
out. He is walking more slowly, with stiffness in his hind
quarters. One day he suddenly stopped eating. He would stare at
his food and water and attempt to eat, but he couldn’t bring
himself to do it. He would try very hard, but he would stop, stare
at his dish, and then walk away. He would repeat this behavior
frequently. He crawled into his bed, stopped grooming, and
wouldn’t look up. He couldn’t seem to focus or respond to
stimuli. He could see and hear, but he didn’t seem to process
anything. He had dilated pupils and a dark ‘zombie-like’
expression. He stopped urinating and had no bowel movements
for two days.
The veterinarian couldn’t advise any course of treatment and
said that the cat would die soon. He reluctantly gave him an
intravenous saline solution for dehydration.
I tried Belladonna and Bryonia simply because it was late at
night and they were the closest remedies that I had on hand. He
was near death. There was absolutely no response. Then I found
one rubric... [that matched]... In the morning I drove an hour to
get the only potency [of the chosen remedy] I could get (6x).
Within two minutes of administering the remedy he began to
drink water. A few minutes later he began to eat. I repeated the
dose in about an hour. He went to his bed and stayed there for the
next twelve hours. He barely moved. At the end of twelve hours
he had a very large bowel movement. He then began to eat and
drink. Over the next two days he resumed his normal eating
pattern and began to have clear eyes and a more normal
expression.
December 1998. He has now grown quite old. He has had
many ups and downs since April. I can see that his life force is
quite weakened and that sometime soon he will be departing his
tired body. I have repeated the remedy when it seemed
appropriate. The longest he has gone was six weeks of continual
improvement without a relapse. In November, I switched from a
liquid dose of 200c to LM1. The improvement was dramatic. He
actually began to run and play for a few days as if he were a
kitten.
However, that has not lasted. Now I am giving him very tiny
amounts of diluted LM2 on a daily basis. It seems to give him
some strength and to make him comfortable. He has good days
and bad days... Overall the remedy has been wonderful. It has
done a remarkable job in prolonging the cat’s life and providing
him with comfort and more mental clarity as he grows old.”
[SL2]

Fighting Starvation and Disease in the Third World

Many of the stories you have read so far attest to the ability of
homeopathic remedies to improve the body’s functioning — for
example, enhancing the body’s ability to fight infections. Here’s
an amazing story about homeopath David Little’s use of
Schuessler’s cell salts — low-potency remedies made from
nutritional mineral salts found in the body — to treat villagers in
a poverty-stricken region of Nepal:
“Many years ago a friend of mine in Nepal was treating
some very ill people with just the twelve cell salts. He was testing
to see how far one could go... The reason for this was that many
of the... villagers could use such a simple medicine as an
alternative to the crudest, worst allopathy in the world. He told
me that these remedies really worked well, although not as deeply
nor as successfully as [the full range of] homeopathic remedies.
The point was, he could teach a lay person in the village the
system in a reasonable amount of time. As I was a homeopath
with experience in the Third World, he asked me to help him run
a study with him.
I helped him develop his project and taught him the deeper
aspects of the materia medica related to nutritional minerals. For
several months I... used the twelve cell salts in all cases where it
was not too serious to delay [full] homeopathic treatment. I was
shocked at how well we did! We treated hundreds of cases in this
manner and followed them for months. As this was a study of
nutritional minerals, I noted the possible vitamin and mineral
deficiencies, and the homeopathic signs of malnutrition... I was
amazed to see malnourished children, with many classical signs
of malnutrition, protein deficiencies, and low resistance, suddenly
begin to show signs of deep healing without any change in their
diet.
We tried orthodox vitamins and minerals on other children
who were ill in general and showed classical signs of deficiency.
The supplements made many of these children sick and they
could not assimilate them. Supplements made little overall
change in most cases, except some of the more gross signs of
deficiency. The children on homeopathic nutrition gained weight,
strength, vitality, and resistance although they all ate the same
diet, lived in the same poverty, under the same poor hygienic
conditions. I saw this with my own eyes. I have seen better results
with the [full] homoeopathic materia medica, but this was done
with only twelve mineral remedies by lay persons under my
direction.
Such a thing is hard to believe, but I studied this for six
months in the worst of conditions in one of the poorest countries
on earth... The cost of the twelve cell salts in this study was
minimal, the knowledge needed moderate, and the benefit was
maximum. Compare this with expensive allopathic medicine and
nutritional supplements that have a much more limited
therapeutic range. Also compare the side effects and suppression.
The number of aggravations was low and only a few cases
responded with negative reactions that needed intervention. How
did these people on a meager diet of white rice, a little
overseasoned dal, and little else, gain strength, health, and
recover from many acute and chronic complaints? Remember, we
used only twelve cell salts... and we did not specialize in
‘nutritional cases’... I treated virulent acute diseases like typhoid,
amoebic dysentery, bacillary dysentery, unknown fevers, as well
as all the degenerative diseases of the elderly. The quality of life
 in the young, the chronic, and elderly increased greatly. I did not
think such a thing was possible with twelve nutritional mineral
remedies in 6x [potency]... This shows just how adaptable the
human organism is when given dynamic nutrition. This is not
possible with orthodox supplements [traditional vitamins].”
[DL2]

Oh, My Aching *#$&(#!

So how about crippling diseases like arthritis or fibromyalgia?

Below, homeopath Maria Bohle describes her husband’s slow recovery
from severe arthritis:
“My husband has been battling with arthritis for many, many
years... [He] had some severe knee injuries — including surgery
almost 50 years ago. Then came years and years worth of
allopathic pain meds — all kinds of prescription stuff. The VA
hospital used to give him huge bottles of Motrin, Naprosyn,
Indocin and several others. The directions said to take one tablet;
he would take three tablets. It culminated in 120 mg of morphine
daily given to him by a pain management specialist (it took that
much to remove the pain). It was horrible. Franz just kept getting
worse, the pain got worse and worse.
Franz also had arthritis everywhere... I don’t know if that
was the result of all the things he was swallowing for so long or
what. He... had cortisone shots in his knees, elbows, shoulders
and hands. And had been on massive doses of prednisone for
‘inflammatory arthritis.’ The allopathic diagnosis was both osteo-
and rheumatoid arthritis. His rheumatologist said, ‘There is
nothing we can do for him.’ We finally turned to homeopathy.
At this writing, after four years of homeopathic treatment
(and no prescription medicines at all), he now no longer needs to
take pain medicines daily. I remember last year when he went a
whole day without even taking aspirin — it was a red letter day!!
Now we have whole weeks go by without aspirin...
He also had ‘trigger thumb,’ and one hand was operated on.
Three MDs told him when the other thumb started triggering that
the only solution was surgery. Wrong. It took a while but that
 thumb cleared up with homeopathic treatment... And that thumb
is now better than the one that had been surgically repaired.
Franz used to have such heat in his thumbs near the base of
the hand and in his knees (especially the knees) that it could be
felt almost a foot away from the body. All that has cleared up now
and it is very rare that he inflames at all, except when walking too
far — and that is mechanical damage.
We are not finished, but he is functional and comfortable
compared to several years ago. Homeopathy works! But it is not
fast! It can be frustratingly tedious. But if my husband continues
to improve as much in the next four years as he has in the last
four, I will consider it a miracle. But Homeopathy makes miracles
— of that I am sure.” [MBohle1]

Another chronic ailment that has become increasingly prevalent is

fibromyalgia, an ailment in which soft tissues are constantly aching,
supposedly due to a problem with vitamin and mineral absorption. The
testimonial below attests to the efficacy of homeopathy in curing years
of suffering with this ailment, along with a cure of migraines too:
“I have had fibromyalgia for nearly 18 years. I went through
every allopathic test (even in the days when they didn’t know
what it was) and treatment known to man... I helped form a
fibromyalgia support group when there were only four of us
present. Now there are eight fibromyalgia support groups in my
area with 20 or more members in each. Well, my point is, I’ve
been through it all. I’ve seen it spread...
I meet someone almost every day with it and I tell them to
go to a HOMEOPATH!...
I was on vitamin therapy for three years before I realized I
wasn’t getting better (actually I knew I wasn’t better but I was too
ill to do anything about it). I was spending four days a week in
bed. Then one of my alternative healing doctors found out that
studies done on people with fibromyalgia showed that they
started to feel better if the minerals were given intravenously. I
was terrified of needles, but determined to try anything that might
help — I mean I had two small children at home and they had
never seen me well. Sure enough... within a week I felt better for
the first time. I definitely felt better for the five months that I
could afford it... I went for IV therapy twice a week at $100 a
 pop. I was spending almost $800 a month — out of pocket — for
treatment. Unfortunately, every time I stopped the therapy, my
fibromyalgia would act up again. Eventually, because of the cost,
I had to stop. So I ended up, once again, in constant pain. This
was six years ago...
However, three years ago I started going to a homeopath.
Within four months my pain was cut in half. By the end of the
first year it was cut even more... without even taking a vitamin or
mineral (which was great because they always made me
nauseated). Now, I only have flare-ups now and then. My
migraines went from three a week, to three a month, to three a
year. We’re still working on that part. But there’s definitely been
an 80 percent improvement in my health... Nothing works like
homeopathy. Nothing.” [GE]

The Emotional and Behavioral Realm

My son Max’s story, of course, is testimony to how effective

homeopathy can be for chronic mental, behavioral, and emotional
problems. I have been contacted by hundreds of parents of autistic
children who have heard about his case. Many have now tried
homeopathy and more and more of them have met with success. Even
if complete cure is not achieved, a dramatic improvement often is. The
following is another testimonial to the effectiveness of homeopathy in
the treatment of another “incurable” condition — obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD):
“I can attest to the power of homeopathy to help children
with OCD and its related spectrum disorders (or anxiety disorders
in general)... Many will be able to relate to a child’s medical
history such as: Prozac for three years, Anafranil for three years,
Paxil for two years, Luvox for one year, and Buspar for three
years... given to my daughter since she was four years old (10
years total)... and absolutely no cure — not even close. Lots of
suppression (thousands and thousands of dollars for meds, blood
tests, psychotherapy, etc.), lots of side effects (too many to
mention). Yet, a few different homeopathic remedies over the
course of a few years and my daughter no longer has the
 infamous anxiety disorder, OCD, that there is ‘no cure’ for... The
funny thing is... our homeopath treated her for one of her mental
symptoms — one that was somewhat unrelated to OCD — and
everything else just sort of cleared up. We are going on two years
now without any antidepressant or antianxiety meds (which she
had been on for 10 years).” [Anon2]

The next case from homeopath Mary Marlowe describes the

beautiful recovery of a woman from anxiety disorder. Given a single
dose of Aconite, a classic remedy for panic and fear made from the
monkshood flower, this woman’s symptoms slowly abated. Notice
how the memory of an exciting cause for her condition was also
recovered:
“I had a case about two years ago — a woman, aged 38, with
fear in crowds. She had trouble especially at large outdoor
gatherings and at the indoor shopping mall, but really any place
where there were a lot of people. She could think of no reason for
it, and had managed to avoid these situations until she started a
family... Her main problem was a feeling of being pushed into
other people, because of the crowding, and she found that very
disturbing. She would experience panic and would want to leave.
If she could not, she felt frantic. She would feel the need to sit
down and longed for fresh, cold air. Twice she had fainted in such
circumstances.
Her sense of smell was quite acute — she could not stand
perfumes or fragrances. She told of smelling natural gas (the
marker scent), when no one else could. She followed the smell,
and found a neighbor several houses over who had replaced his
gas hot water heater the day before... Noises bothered her,
especially when she was trying to concentrate. She could not read
or talk on the phone when the television or radio was on...
She found herself rising to urinate during the night —
usually at 12:30 A.M. and 2:00 A.M.... She got laryngitis, often
around the holidays (November/December) and in the spring
(March/April). Allergy symptoms — stuffy nose, itchy eyes...
Nightmares, with starting from her sleep — heart pounding,
sweat soaking the bed. Trouble falling asleep again...
Gave Aconite 30c, to be used the next time she felt panic on
going out. She reported six weeks later that she had used it at her
 husband’s company picnic, with immediate relief. Nightmares
less frequent, no longer afraid in the dark... Able to go to the mall
with the family for trick-or-treating (very crowded, more than
usual) without any panic. Still sensitive to smells, but not so
bothered by them. Getting up less often to urinate, though still
sometimes.
At the four-month follow-up, all symptoms were much
better. She remembered that she was involved in an accident
when she was 18 months old — she was run over by an
automobile in a parking garage after a shopping trip with her
mother and grandparents. She was not seriously hurt, but was
taken to the hospital. The car ran over her right hand and arm, and
there were also tire tracks on the legs of her overalls...
At one year [after treatment], all symptoms were still better.
She gets out frequently now, and tells about a street festival she
attended with her children... She reports that her allergy
symptoms are gone, along with the night sweats, and getting up to
urinate. No panic attacks, even in crowds. Also, she is less
sensitive to sounds and smells.” [MM]

Here’s another wonderful recovery story. In this case, a woman

with years of depression, menstrual problems, and substance abuse,
found far-reaching cure with a single dose of Aristolochia Clematitis, a
remedy made from the snakeroot plant. In recent years, Aristolochia
has emerged as an extremely useful remedy in cases with severe
menstrual problems:
“A woman, age 26, came to see me because of severe
menstrual problems. She has premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
where she feels wretched and weepy. Lots of menstrual pain with
a severe dragging down sensation. Brown mucous discharge
whenever she has a period. She had an abortion five months
previous to my seeing her, which was very devastating
emotionally. Her breasts have developed milk six to seven times
in the previous three years. History of skin cancers...
After taking the [contraceptive] pill she suffered a huge
depression and self-destructive urges. The pill affected her for
four years after taking it! She described herself as erratic in
everything she does. She gets bored easily and is a big substance
abuser — alcohol, dope, cigarettes, coffee. Excessiveness is in her
 genes, with a family history of addiction.
She is obsessed with death — hangs around graveyards. She
never felt there was a point to life... During her childhood, she
wanted to be a hermit... She didn’t like people and had no friends.
She felt the world wasn’t real; it seemed two-dimensional. She
felt totally isolated and was okay with it. She prayed that aliens
would come and take her back. She feels nothing toward other
people. If the whole world was demolished tomorrow she
wouldn’t care. She feels she doesn’t belong to the world; things
don’t affect her. No emotional attachment. She hates consolation
and doesn’t want anyone to care about her.
I gave her Aristolochia 30c based on the brown discharge
during menses, extreme introversion, aggravation from
consolation, aggravation from the contraceptive pill (a keynote
symptom), mental depression, sensation of isolation, refusal of
society, PMS.
Afterwards, she reported feeling really good. Periods went
back to normal, discharge disappeared, no PMS, no longer feeling
isolated, getting more into life and her work, gave up alcohol
altogether, desire for marijuana is disappearing, feeling happier in
her relationships. None of these symptoms came back in the years
that I knew her.” [DK]

Miracles Happen

I’ll close this chapter with a few more amazing anecdotes. They
testify to the kind of power that homeopathic remedies can have when
the simillimum is given.

Arnica and Opium Lift Coma

A few years ago, a relative of one of my teachers was in a coma

and close to death in a British hospital. The doctors prohibited
homeopathic treatment, but family members managed to rub a bit of
Opium (potentized opium), diluted in water, on his hand. Within
minutes he awoke from his coma, spoke to his family congregated
around him for about an hour, said his good-byes, and then expired
peacefully. Here’s another coma story from Gopal Pandey:
“Thirty minutes after the application of liquid Arnica 30c,
the 80+ year-old patient sat up and was ready to go home. He had
been knocked off a stationary motor scooter while waiting for a
red light... He had been in coma for two days.” [GP]

Varicose Veins Heal in Five Minutes

The following story relates a classic rolling back of symptoms with

a surprise ending:
“I just have to relay a miraculous cure that happened in my
clinic on Tuesday. This patient is a highly anxious welfare mom
who is phobic about being seen in public where she might be
criticized, is afraid of losing her health, is claustrophobic, etc.
Seven weeks ago she came with a complaint of shortness of
breath and lung tightness. I gave her Argentum Nitricum [made
from silver nitrate, a useful remedy for anxiety]. She said she
cried for seven days and then all her lung symptoms disappeared.
The next time I saw her, her lung symptoms remained clear,
but all her leg symptoms... came back. One leg actually got run
over by a car many years ago and she’s had problems with her
knee, her leg, and varicose veins ever since. For several reasons
I’ll skip now, I gave her Argentum Metallicum [made from
silver]... In five minutes, the gnarly, bulging, very sore varicose
veins became taught and pulled into the skin. It’s like they almost
disappeared! We’re talking five minutes for varicose veins which
have been pretty horrible for as long as I’ve been treating this
woman (three years) to clear up. I’ve seen a lot of instant cures in
homeopathy, but this one takes the cake — at least for this year.”
[Anon1]

Facial Scar Tissue Recedes

“I treated a man with erupting face pustules of 14 years

duration. He had seen lots and lots of MDs, and had tried
homeopathic treatment from three other practitioners before he
 came to me. He wore a full face bandage over the beard area to
cover the eruptions and scar tissue, gnarled thick and
disfiguring...
The remedy I gave was Syphillinum [nosode of syphilis] in
LM potency. After a dose... the face would erupt with a
vengeance over a previously healed eruption, and discharge pus
for a week or so... But when the eruption ceased, it left with less
swelling and less scar tissue each time. Each bottle of LM remedy
brought him to greater and greater improvement of his face... The
key is, the scars were disappearing, when eruptions before the
remedy left swollen keloidal tissue in their wake.” [MBohle2]

Balding and Chronic Fatigue Reversed

“I have been bald since about age 24. All the males on both
sides of my family have been bald by about 30, so I think it is
safe to assume that my baldness is hereditary. I had an illness that
was eventually diagnosed as CFS [chronic fatigue syndrome]
which stopped me from working for nine years. After discovering
homeopathy and receiving treatment, I was able to resume work.
So what has this got to do with baldness? Since receiving
homeopathic treatment my hair is growing back again. It is
slowly but surely returning. My family and friends are starting to
notice and comment on it. Is it possible for homeopathic
treatment to reverse a genetic tendency?” [RM]
In this case, I guess so!
 Chapter 10: The Road Ahead
“The Constitution of this Republic should make special provision
for Medical Freedom as well as Religious Freedom... To restrict the art
of healing to one class of men and deny equal privileges to others will
constitute the bastille [prison] of medical science. All such laws are
un-American and despotic.”
— Benjamin Rush, MD, signer of the Declaration of
Independence, late 18th century [Rush]

After reading the stories in Chapter 9, you may be eager to go out
and find a homeopath. Unfortunately, if you are American, this can be
easier said than done. There are simply not enough well-trained
homeopaths practicing in the United States. The most fundamental
reason for this is also the largest obstacle that homeopathy faces today:
its poor legal status.
Since the early 1900s, the practice of medicine in the United States
has been governed by state medical practice laws that, for the most
part, restrict all forms of healing to licensed practitioners.
Unfortunately, there is currently no state that offers licensure for
homeopathy as a distinct discipline. Traditional naturopaths, ayurvedic
practitioners, Reiki practitioners, aromatherapists, and herbalists are
not licensed either. As a result, Americans have a long, uphill road to
travel before they can win the medical freedom that founding father
Benjamin Rush, MD, thought should be their constitutional right.

Licensure Versus Certification

In order to fully comprehend the issues surrounding legal

homeopathic practice, it is important to understand the difference
between certification and licensure. A homeopath is certified if they
have obtained a credential that attests to their competency in the
practice of homeopathy. A homeopath is licensed if they can practice
homeopathy legally in their state.
Ironically, certification and licensure for homeopathy are currently
completely independent of one another in the United States. In some
states, certain kinds of practitioners may be licensed to practice
homeopathy (for example, an MD or a chiropractor may be legally
allowed to dispense homeopathic remedies), but their licensing law
might not impose any homeopathic certification requirements on them.
On the other hand, a practitioner may be certified in homeopathy (for
instance, an MD may have the Diplomate in Homeotherapeutics
[DHt], or a professional homeopath may be a Certified Classical
Homeopath [CCH]), but he or she may not be licensed to practice
homeopathy in their state.
As a result of this legal structure, most homeopaths in the United
States — even those who are licensed MDs — must treat their patients
under a cloud of potential legal prosecution. They might be accused of
“practicing medicine without a license” (because they are unlicensed)
or their right to practice might be threatened because they are
“practicing medicine outside the scope of their license.” Given this
situation, it is no wonder that there are not many homeopaths to be
found in America.

The Fight for Legal Practice

The net effect of the medical practice laws in most states is a

virtual monopoly by allopathy over the practice of medicine. The only
way an alternative healing system can become legalized — at least
until recently — is for it to create a mini-monopoly of its own, via its
own licensing law. That is the path that chiropractors and osteopaths
took, and that acupuncturists and naturopathic physicians (who
combine naturopathy with some elements of allopathy) are now taking.
Unfortunately, gaining licensure for a profession can be quite
expensive — requiring hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of
dollars for each state. It also requires a state-by-state professional turf
battle, since licensing laws typically restrict the use of practice-specific
healing techniques to licensees. For example, acupuncture licensing
laws restrict the practice of acupuncture treatments to licensed
acupuncturists.
For all of these reasons, licensing efforts require the strong
financial backing of thousands of practitioners as well as tremendous
political clout — both things that the homeopathic community does
not possess at this time. Indeed, many would argue that licensure for
homeopathy and many other alternative therapies is inappropriate and
unnecessary — because these therapies pose little risk of harm to the
public and because their methods of treatment should not be restricted
to a particular group.
So what’s an aspiring homeopath to do? One option is to obtain a
license in an unrelated health care discipline. A homeopath could
become an MD, nurse, chiropractor, naturopathic physician, or
acupuncturist — as long as that discipline is licensed in their state and
its licensing law allows for the practice of homeopathy. For example,
there are currently three states that have homeopathic licensing boards
for MDs: Arizona (1982), Connecticut (1892), and Nevada (1983).
But how many people are willing to study and become licensed in
another discipline just so that they can practice homeopathy? Very few.
The sad truth is that, even if an aspiring homeopath becomes an MD,
they may still not be able to practice homeopathy legally in their state.
Not only will they have spent many years learning a medical system
that is philosophically at odds with homeopathy, but in the end, they
might be prosecuted for practicing outside the scope of their license.
Indeed, the allopathic establishment seems to be particularly
antagonistic towards MDs who practice homeopathy. The DHt
certification (a certification granted by the American Board of
Homeotherapeutics to MDs and DOs) has never been formally
recognized by the American Medical Association, despite repeated
efforts and broken promises over the past 40 years.
Invariably, the harsh reality of homeopathic practice today is
vulnerability and fear. To protect themselves, unlicensed professional
homeopaths have their clients sign waivers that clarify the terms and
conditions under which they are being treated. They make absolutely
clear that they are not licensed physicians and that they do not
diagnose or treat any disease per se; rather, they are simply making
“recommendations” to improve a patient’s overall “well-being.” They
also will not conduct a physical exam nor dispense remedies. But the
truth is, the legality of homeopathy practiced in this way is still
tenuous. Clearly, the situation is less than ideal.
 New Hope: Legalization of Unlicensed Therapies

In the past few years, however, a ray of hope has emerged.

Throughout the United States, a new model for medical legislation has
emerged: the legalization of unlicensed forms of medicine. It all began
in May of 2000, when the state of Minnesota passed groundbreaking
legislation — the Complementary and Alternative Health Care
Freedom of Access bill, Minnesota Statute 146A. Natural health care
advocates in Minnesota managed to devise a new way to legalize
unlicensed forms of treatment without resorting to licensure. Their
strategy was to fight for the right to health freedom. Taking the lead
from Benjamin Rush, MD, the activists argued that, just as freedom of
access to information depends on freedom of the press, and religious
freedom depends on a religious institution’s freedom to operate, health
freedom depends on a health practitioner’s freedom to practice. Thus,
if we want to have the freedom to choose our desired form of health
care, we must also have legal alternative health care practice.
Minnesota’s journey to health freedom began in the mid 1990s,
when a popular Minnesota naturopath was prosecuted for practicing
medicine without a license, despite the fact that there were no
consumer complaints or allegations of harm against her. At the same
time, efforts to obtain licensure for naturopathy in Minnesota were
failing. Gradually, the natural health community in Minnesota began to
realize that working for more licensure laws was not a solution. For
one thing, the primary legal purpose of licensing is to protect the
public from harmful practices. Since most alternative therapies pose
little risk of harm and are not “medicine” in the conventional sense,
licensing them is both unwarranted and unnecessary. The Minnesota
activists also realized that licensing efforts tend to divide and pit
practitioner groups against one another. They wanted to pull together,
not pull apart.
In 1997, the Minnesota legislature asked the Department of Health
to conduct a study on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
in Minnesota. The report that emerged laid out a set of guiding
principles for handling CAM in that state:

Consumers should have as broad access as possible to CAM.

Regulations should be minimized, and should only be
imposed to guarantee public safety.
 Explicit legislation was needed to allow providers to practice
without fear of prosecution.

The net recommendation of the study was that,

“Freedom of practice legislation which allows providers to
continue service as long as the service is not shown to be
dangerous or harmful, should be considered as a possible
alternative to licensure or registration when appropriate. This may
require making some changes in the Medical Practices Act or
other licensure laws.” [Minnesota]

Armed with this report, activists garnered widespread public and

legislative support. After two years and much hard work, the Health
Care Freedom of Access bill was passed. The final bill had several key
components:

Unlicensed practitioners of health care modalities that are

deemed unharmful (including naturopathy, homeopathy, massage,
and other healing modalities) are exempt from criminal charges of
practicing medicine without a license. “Harm” would henceforth
be the legal basis for investigations, rather than discrimination
against alternative healing methods.
Unlicensed practitioners could not engage in practices that
were not truly “complementary and alternative health care” as
defined by the statute. Thus, the practitioners could not perform
surgery, dispense controlled substances, puncture the skin, etc.
A new office in the Department of Health was set up to have
jurisdiction over unlicensed practitioners to ensure that they
adhere to certain rules of ethical conduct, including prohibitions
against fraud, false or misleading advertising, and sexual contact
with a client.

Unfortunately, the freedoms won by the new Minnesota legislation

did not extend to licensed practitioners who practice alternative
medicine. The licensed disciplines would not relinquish full control
over their licensees. As a result, those already licensed under the
Board of Medical Practice (MDs and DOs), chiropractors, dentists, and
podiatrists remained under the jurisdiction of their own licensing
boards. When these practitioners engage in CAM, they will still be
subject to prosecution for practicing medicine outside the scope of
their license.
While not perfect, the Minnesota law provided a precedent for
natural health care reform in America. In May of 2002, Rhode Island
passed similar legislation. Then, in September 2002, California passed
its own health freedom bill, SB-577 — without a single “no” vote
from the legislature. I participated in this effort as an executive board
member of the California Health Freedom Coalition, the organization
that sponsored this bill. The structure of SB-577 differs in a
fundamental way from Minnesota’s health freedom law: it does not
create a new regulatory structure within the state government (and
therefore creates no financial burden on the state). Instead, SB-577
simply narrows the scope of the state’s Medical Practice Act so that it
no longer restricts all forms of treatment — only those treatments that
create serious risk of harm to the public. Unlicensed practitioners are
now free to practice in California, as long as they abstain from certain
practices that are reserved for licensed physicians. The new California
law also protects patients by imposing disclosure requirements on
unlicensed practitioners. Such practitioners are now required to tell
clients that they are not licensed physicians, they must explain the
rationale behind their method of treatment, and they must disclose
their training and experience.
Clearly, the legal climate for homeopathic practice in the United
States is slowly changing. Health freedom activities are now sweeping
across America, with health freedom groups forming and legislative
efforts underway in nearly 30 states. Hopefully, Minnesota started a
trend that will bring health freedom to all Americans.

Homeopathic Training

Another critical requirement for the survival and spread of

homeopathy is the training of new homeopaths. Though still somewhat
limited, homeopathic educational opportunities in the United States are
improving each year. The most rigorous form of training available is
offered by weekend-based schools scattered throughout the country.
Some of these schools accept only licensed practitioners; others are
open to people of any background. A typical weekend-based school
provides a three-year program of classes held one weekend per month.
Courses cover homeopathic philosophy, materia medica, case-taking
methodology, case analysis, and long-term patient management. Most
schools require coursework in anatomy and physiology, as well as in
pathology and disease. Classes are complemented by extensive
homework and clinical training, where students sit in on patient
interviews and case analysis with their instructors. Toward the end of
their training, students begin to take on their own patients under the
supervision of experienced homeopaths.
Another form of homeopathic training is attendance at workshops
that cover an array of topics pertaining to homeopathic theory and
practice. In fact, ongoing workshop attendance is required by all of the
homeopathic certifying organizations. Some of these training events
focus on particular remedies or groups of remedies. Others focus on
the treatment of specific diseases or on a particular theoretical
approach to case analysis and treatment. Using video recordings of
patient interviews as well as “live cases” — patients who are treated
by the lecturer at the workshop — workshops provide valuable
learning experiences for beginning and advanced practitioners alike.
There is also the option to study abroad. A common destination is
India, where homeopaths-in-training can apprentice themselves to
master homeopaths at large clinics. Other aspiring homeopaths can
train at schools in England, Scotland, Greece, or Germany. Some of
the European schools offer high-quality correspondence programs. For
example, I have been a student of the School of Homoeopathy in
Devon, England, for several years. This school offers an intensive
correspondence program for overseas students, complemented by
clinical workshops held at various locations in the United States and
Canada.
All in all, the availability of good homeopathic training in North
America has improved dramatically in recent years. But it is still far
from where it should be. In my opinion, homeopaths should rebuild
the homeopathic educational system that was lost during the 20th
century — full-time homeopathic medical schools that teach the basics
of medicine alongside homeopathy, blended together in a harmonious
way. The four-year schools that train naturopathic physicians provide a
role model for this kind of institution. The product of such schools
would be fully trained physicians who subscribe to the homeopathic,
not allopathic, approach to disease. It may seem like a dream today,
but it once was a reality — and can be again. Indeed, such a medical
school, the American Medical College of Homeopathy, is currently in
the planning stages and hopefully will open its doors in Phoenix,
Arizona sometime in 2009.

Other Issues: Insurance, Access to Remedies, and Recognition

Naturally, there are a host of other issues that must be addressed

before homeopathy can assume its rightful place as a respected and
widespread medical system in America. One is insurance. No medical
treatment will become truly popular in the United States unless it is
covered by health insurance. The primary hurdle will be winning
coverage for treatment by unlicensed homeopaths. If the legality issue
is resolved, insurance coverage will hopefully follow.
What about the tools of the homeopathic trade — the remedies? It
is fortunate that the person who drafted the legislation that established
the Food and Drug Administration in 1938 was a homeopath. New
York Senator Royal Copeland, MD, embedded within that legislation
assurances that the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States
(HPUS) would have formal legal standing. The Homeopathic
Pharmacopoiea Convention of the United States (HPCUS) consists of
pharmacists who meet several times each year to determine standards
for the manufacture of approximately 1,350 homeopathic remedies in
the HPUS. This body also serves as an intermediary between the
homeopathic pharmaceutical industry and the government, ensuring
that remedy manufacturing standards are upheld. There are currently
around 10 homeopathic pharmaceutical companies operating in the
United States, two of which have been in existence since the 1800s.
An increasing number of mainstream companies are also beginning to
manufacture and sell homeopathic remedies, especially combination
remedies.
But are all remedies legal? Who can dispense them? Today, all
remedies are nonprescription (i.e., they can be sold over-the-counter)
as long as they are at dilutions that are nontoxic and they can be
labeled as being indicated for a condition that is “self-limiting” — i.e.,
a condition that does not require medical diagnosis or monitoring.
Labeled remedy indications must be based on provings in the
homeopathic literature. Because of these restrictions, about 440 out of
the 1,350 remedies in the HPUS are prescription-only in low potencies
(because of toxicity), while another 20 remedies are prescription-only
in any potency.
There are also a few remedies that have dubious legal status,
prescription or otherwise. Some have never been formally tested in a
proving. Others are remedies for which precise manufacturing
standards have never been formulated. Remedies made from illegal
substances such as opium or cannabis also have questionable legal
status, despite the fact that they are extremely important in clinical
practice. Obviously, not a single molecule of drug matter is present in
these remedies (not unless they are very low in potency). So why
should they be illegal? In my view, all nontoxic remedies should be
legal and freely available, though always used with caution and
preferably under the guidance of a trained homeopath.
In the coming years, homeopathy must also seek to distinguish
itself as a medical system. An important task will be one of definition:
delineating what homeopathy is and what it is not, and educating the
public and the medical establishment in that regard. For instance,
homeopathy is not naturopathy or herbalism; nor is it simply the use of
potentized remedies. Rather, homeopathy is the medical art that
Samuel Hahnemann defined and developed: the treatment of the sick
according to the Law of Similars.
But even after understanding and distinction and legality are won
for homeopathy, credibility and advocacy will undoubtedly remain a
challenge for many years to come. Hopefully, more medical studies
like the ones described in Chapter 7 will dispel skepticism about
homeopathy’s effectiveness. Additional research on ultradilutions may
convince mainstream scientists that the remedies do carry some kind
of signature or information within them. And eventually, we may even
discover how they work.
But the philosophical divide between the homeopathic and
allopathic worlds will always remain. As long as allopathy relies on
suppression as a primary therapeutic strategy, it will never be
comfortable with the homeopathic message. Hopefully, just as people
of different religions can learn to coexist, the landscape of American
medicine can broaden to peacefully accommodate many different
views and methods, even as they “agree to disagree.”
 Our Right to Health Freedom

Perhaps it is no accident that Minnesotans were able to legalize

unlicensed health care in their state. Their strategy — asserting that
legal alternative health care practice is a prerequisite to health freedom
— resonates to the core of what America is all about. Why shouldn’t
we have the freedom to utilize the medicine of our choice? Why
should particular medical practices be forced upon us, while others are
forbidden? Shouldn’t our bodies be as sacrosanct as our souls and our
spirits? Shouldn’t we have freedom of medicine in addition to freedom
of religion and freedom of speech?
Truly, alternative medical systems like homeopathy should be
embraced. The suppression of any kind of healing information may
destroy our collective chances for survival on this planet — a planet
that is becoming ever smaller and more populous. Boundaries are
disappearing and diseases are spreading. Soon, diseases like
tuberculosis may become commonplace in the United States once
again. And with the increasing and indiscriminate use of antibiotics,
stronger bacteria are developing. New mysterious viruses appear each
year. Pollution is rampant. Food supplies are becoming compromised
by drugs, toxic chemicals, and genetic engineering. Chronic disease
has become almost the norm, even among our children. Global health
crises are an increasing reality, biological warfare is a looming
concern, and health care costs are skyrocketing.
It is becoming increasingly clear that new approaches to health
care are desperately needed — approaches like homeopathy, which
stress the importance of holistic and preventative approaches to
disease and cure. Just as fostering peace is preferable to fomenting an
arms race, cleaning up the environment and enhancing our natural
defenses against disease are better strategies for achieving health than
developing ever more potent and toxic drugs. This is what good
homeopathic care can provide for us — a stronger and less susceptible
vital force. And no matter what new disease does manage to come our
way, homeopathy, at the very least, provides a means and a method for
cure.
Its voice must be heard.
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Homeopathic and Antibiotic Medication in the Frame of Herd
Reorganisation of Sub-Clinical Mastitis in Milk Cows,” British
Homeopathic Journal, 89 (suppl. 1): S62 (2000).

[Starfield] Starfield, Barbara, “Is U.S. Health Really the Best in

the World?” Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA),
284(4), pp. 483–485 (July 2000).

[Stein] Stein, Diane, Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an

Ancient Healing Art, The Crossing Press, Santa Cruz, California
(1995).

[Sun1] Sun, Zhongjie, J. Robert Cade, Melvin J. Fregly, and R.

Malcolm Privette, “Beta-Casomorphin Induces Fos-Like
Immunoreactivity in Discrete Brain Regions Relevant to
Schizophrenia and Autism,” Autism: The International Journal of
Research and Practice, Volume 3, Number 1, pp. 67–83 (March 1999).

[Sun2] Sun, Zhongjie, and J. Robert Cade, “A Peptide Found in

Schizophrenia and Autism Causes Behavioral Changes in Rats,”
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, Volume
3, Number 1, pp. 85–95 (March 1999).

[Targ] Targ, Elizabeth, “Distant Healing,” IONS Noetic Sciences

Review, Number 49, pp. 24–29 (August–November 1999).

[Traub] Traub, Michael, “Homeopathic Prophylaxis,” Journal of

Naturopathic Medicine, Volume 5, Number 1, pp. 50–61 (1994). For
full text on the Iowa case, see
www.homeopathic.co.nz/AIH/smallpox1.htm.

[Upcher] Upcher, Canon Roland, “Consumption and

Vaccination,” letter to The Homoeopathic World (September 1924).

[Uppsala] “Free Clusters: From the Isolated Atom to the Infinite

Solid,” Department of Physics, Uppsala Universitet,
fysik5.fysik.uu.se/jobs/clusters.html#source.

[USAToday] Cauchon, Dennis, “FDA Advisers Tied to Industry,”

USA Today (September 25, 2000).

[Vermeulen] Vermeulen, Frans, Synoptic Materia Medica 2,

Merlijn Publishers, Haarlem, The Netherlands (1996).

[Vithoulkas] Vithoulkas, George, The Science of Homeopathy,

Grove Press, New York (1980).

[Vithoulkas79] Vithoulkas, George, Homeopathy: Medicine of the

New Man, Fireside, Simon & Schuster, New York (1979).

[Viza] Viza, Dimitri, “From Placebo to Homeopathy: The Fear of

the Irrational,” The Scientist, Volume 12, Number 18 (September 14,
1998).

[Wakefield] Wakefield, Andrew, et al., “Ileal-Lymphoid-Nodular

Hyperplasia, Non-Specific Colitis, and Pervasive Developmental
Disorder in Children,” Lancet, 351, pp. 637–641 (1998).

[Watson] Watson, Ian, A Guide to the Methodologies of

Homoeopathy, Cutting Edge Publications, Kendal, Cumbria, England
(1999).

[Wharton] Wharton, R., and G. Lewith, “Complementary

Medicine and the General Practitioner,” British Medical Journal, 292,
pp. 1490–1500 (1986).

[White] White, Patti, “Hepatitis B Vaccine: A School Nursing

Perspective for the Congressional Hearings on May 18, 1999,
Regarding the Safety of the Hepatitis B Vaccine that Is Being
Mandated for Newborns and Now Older Children in America,”
Statement to the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and
Human Resources of the Committee on Government Reform, U.S.
House of Representatives,
www.alternativeparenting.com/health/HepB.asp.

[Whitmont] Whitmont, Edward C., Psyche and Substance, North

Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkeley,
California (1991).

[Wilson] Wilson, Harold J., “Specific High-Potency Homeopathic

Remedies for Heavy Metal Poisoning,” The Layman Speaks, p. 163
(June 1978).

[Winston] Winston, Julian, The Faces of Homoeopathy, Great

Auk Publishing, Tawa, New Zealand (1999).

E-mail Citations

The following citations are for communications taken from an

international homeopathy mailing list: homeopathy@homeolist.com.
Each citation gives the name and city of the contributor (unless they
have requested anonymity) and the month in which the contribution
was made. All citations, including anonymous citations, appear with
the explicit permission of the author. To find out more about this
mailing list, visit
www.homeopathyhome.com/web/descriptions/homlist.shtml

[Anon1] Anonymous, 4-1998.

[Anon2] Anonymous,12-1998.

[AS] Anna Strong, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 11-1999.

 [CG] Charlotte Garland, Winnsboro, Texas, 12-1998.

[CK] Christian Kurz, Eisenstadt, Austria, 12-1997

[DK] David Kempson, Brisbane, Australia, 10-2000.

[DL1] David Little, Dalhousie, India, 3-2000.

[DL2] David Little, Dalhousie, India, 7-1999.

[FT] Francis Treuherz, London, England, 2-1998.

[GE] Gini Ellis, Cupertino, California, 12-1998.

[GP] Gopal Pandey, Matthews-Charlotte, North Carolina, 6-2000.

[JS] John Summerville, Mangonui, New Zealand, 6-2000.

[LJ] Linda Jarosiewicz, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 6-2000.

[MB] Marybeth Buchele-Moseman, Menomonie, Wisconsin, 11-

2000.

[MBohle1] Maria Bohle, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, 1-

1999.

[MBohle2] Maria Bohle, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, 12-

1999.

[MC] Muhammed R. K. Chishty, Chicago, Illinois, 10-1999.

[MK] Martha Kovacs, Brampton, Ontario, Canada, 4-1999.

[MM] Mary Marlowe, Athens, Georgia, 12-1998.

[MW] Mary Wisner, writer and editor, mary@marywisner.com,

11-1997.

[RM] Ron Meek, Awanui, New Zealand, 8-1998.

[SD] Shonit Danwer, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia, 2-

2000.

[SL1] Spero Latchis, Brattleboro, Vermont, 11-1998.

[SL2] Spero Latchis, Brattleboro, Vermont, 1-1999.

[SN] Sheri Nakken, Wales, United Kingdom, 2-1998 and 3-1998.

[SO] Suriya Osman, Melaka, Malaysia, 9-1998

[SW1] Steve Waldstein, Aurora, Colorado, 8-1997

[SW2] Steve Waldstein, Aurora, Colorado, 6-1998

[VCD] Virginia Downey, Lakewood, New Jersey, 7-1997.

[WT1] Will Taylor, Portland, Oregon, 2-1998

[WT2] Will Taylor, Portland, Oregon, 6-1999

[WT3] Will Taylor, Portland, Oregon, 2-1998

[WT4] Will Taylor, Portland, Oregon, 3-1997.

[WT5] Will Taylor, Portland, Oregon, 3-1999.

 Suggested Reading
The best source of books on homeopathy are the homeopathic
booksellers. The two largest in the United States are Minimum Price
Books, which carries just about every book on homeopathy, as well as
tapes and software (www.minimum.com, 1-800-663-8272), and
Homeopathic Educational Services, which sells book, tapes, software,
and remedies, and serves as a publisher of many books on homeopathy
and other forms of alternative health care (www.homeopathic.com, 1-
800-359-9051).

Self-Help Books

Castro, Miranda, The Complete Homeopathy Handbook: A

Guide to Everyday Health Care, St. Martins Press (1991).
Castro, Miranda, Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth and Your
Baby’s First Year, St. Martins Press (1997).
Cummings, Stephen, and Dana Ullman, Everybody’s Guide
to Homeopathic Medicines: Safe and Effective Medicines for You
and Your Family, 3rd Revised Edition, J. P. Tarcher, Los Angeles
(1997).
Lockie, Andrew and Nicola Geddes, Complete Guide to
Homeopathy, DK Publishing (2000).
Panos, Maesimund B., and Jane Heimlich, Homeopathic
Medicine at Home: Natural Remedies for Everyday Ailments and
Minor Injuries, J. P. Tarcher, Los Angeles (1980).
Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, and Robert Ullman, Whole
Woman Homeopathy: The Comprehensive Guide to Treating
PMS, Menopause, Cystitis, and Other Problems Naturally and
Effectively, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, California (2000).
Shalts, Edward, The American Institute of Homeopathy
Handbook for Parents, Jossey-Bass (2005).
Patient Education

Dooley, Timothy, Homeopathy: Beyond Flat Earth

Medicine, Timing Publications, San Diego, California (1995).
Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, and Robert Ullman, Prozac-
Free — Homeopathic Medicine for Depression, Anxiety, and
Other Mental and Emotional Problems, Prima Publishing,
Rocklin, California (1999).
Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, and Robert Ullman, Rage Free
Kids — Homeopathic Medicine for Defiant, Aggressive, and
Violent Children, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, California (1999).
Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, and Robert Ullman, Ritalin
Free Kids — Safe and Effective Homeopathic Medicine for ADD
and Other Behavioral and Learning Problems, Prima Publishing,
Rocklin, California (1996).
Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, Robert Ullman, and Ian
Luepker, A Drug-Free Approach to Autism and Asperger’s:
Homeopathic Care for Exceptional Kids, Picnic Point Press,
Edmonds, Washington (2005).
Yasgur, Jay, Yasgur’s Homeopathic Dictionary, Van Hoy
Publishers, Greenville, Pennsylvania (1990).

Research

Bellavite, Paolo, and Andrea Signorini, The Emerging

Science of Homeopathy: Complexity, Biodynamics, and
Nanopharmacology, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California
(2002).
Gray, Bill, Homeopathy: Science or Myth?, North Atlantic
Books and Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkeley,
California (2000).
Jonas, Wayne B., and Jennifer Jacobs, Healing with
Homeopathy, Warner, New York (1996).
Ullman, Dana, Homeopathic Family Medicine, e-Book,
www.homeopathic.com/hes/ebook_hfm.php
Philosophy

Close, Stuart, The Genius of Homoeopathy: Lectures and

Essays on Homoeopathic Philosophy, Boericke and Tafel (1924).
Now printed by B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi, India (1993).
Hahnemann, Samuel, Organon of the Medical Art, edited
and annotated by Wenda Brewster O’Reilly, Birdcage Books,
Redmond, Washington (1996).
Kent, James Tyler, Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy,
North Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services,
Berkeley, California (1979). First published by Examiner Printing
House, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1900).
Vithoulkas, George, The Science of Homeopathy, Grove
Press, New York (1980).
Whitmont, Edward C., Psyche and Substance, North
Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkeley,
California (1991)

History

Coulter, Harris L., Divided Legacy: The Conflict Between

Homoeopathy and the American Medical Association, North
Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkeley,
California (1973)
Handley, Rima, A Homeopathic Love Story: The Story of
Samuel and Melanie Hahnemann, North Atlantic Books and
Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkeley, California (1990).
Winston, Julian, The Faces of Homoeopathy, Great Auk
Publishing, Tawa, New Zealand (1999).

Vaccination
 Coulter, Harris L., Vaccination, Social Violence, and
Criminality: The Medical Assault on the American Brain, North
Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services, Berkeley,
California (1990).
Miller, Neil Z., Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and
Effective? A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Shots, 10th Updated
and Revised Edition, New Atlantean Press (2001).
Neustaedter, Randall, The Vaccine Guide: Making an
Informed Choice, North Atlantic Books and Homeopathic
Educational Services, Berkeley, California (1996).
 Helpful Resources

Homeopathic Organizations

National Center for Homeopathy (NCH)

The main organization representing the homeopathic consumer in
the United States, the NCH publishes an excellent bimonthly
magazine, Homeopathy Today. The NCH also offers an extensive web
site, educational weekend seminars, and organizes the Joint American
Homeopathic Conference each spring.
National Center for Homeopathy
101 S. Whiting Street, Suite 315
Alexandria, Virginia 22304
703-548-7790
info@nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org
www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org

North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH)

This professional organization represents all certified homeopaths
in North America. NASH publishes a yearly journal, The American
Homeopath.
North American Society of Homeopaths
P.O. Box 450039
Sunrise, Florida 33345-0039
206-720-7000
nashinfo@homeopathy.org
www.homeopathy.org

Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (HANP)

This organization represents naturopaths who specialize in
homeopathy. The HANP publishes a journal, Simillimum.
Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians
P.O. Box 126
Redmond, Washington 98073-0126
 253-630-3338
info@hanp.net
www.hanp.net

Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC)

This organization certifies classical homeopaths in the United
States and Canada.
Council for Homeopathic Certification
PMB 187
16915 SE 272nd Street, Suite 100
Covington, Washington 98042
866-242-3399 (toll free)
chcinfo@homeopathicdirectory.com
www.homeopathicdirectory.com

Useful Homeopathy Web Sites

www.homeopathyhome.com — A comprehensive
homeopathy site that can be used to find all others. For example,
if you click on Directory, you will be led to country-specific
practitioner lists.
www.homeopathicdirectory.com — Referrals to all certified
homeopaths in the United States and Canada.
www.homeopathy-cures.com/search.html — Another referral
list to recommended classical homeopaths in the United States
and Canada.
www.minimum.com — Minimum Price Books. A good place
to order homeopathic books, tapes, software, etc. This site also
has book reviews, as well as a comprehensive list of homeopathic
educational facilities.
www.homeopathic.com — Homeopathic Educational
Services. Another great place to buy homeopathic books, tapes,
software, medicines, and courses.

Vaccination Information Sites

 National Vaccine Information Center: www.nvic.org
Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute: www.thinktwice.com
Well Within: www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm
Searchable version of the VAERS database (the CDC's
vaccine injury record): www.medalerts.org

Health Freedom Web Sites

The best place to find out about health freedom efforts in the
United States is the web site of the National Health Freedom Coalition
(NHFC) -- www.nationalhealthfreedom.org. This site includes pointers
to all of the state health freedom web sites, including sites for
Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and
Wisconsin. The NHFC can be contacted at the following address:
National Health Freedom Coalition
PMB 218
2136 Ford Parkway
St. Paul, Minnesota 55116-1863
507-663-9018
similars@aol.com
www.nationalhealthfreedom.org

Impossible Cure Web Site: www.impossiblecure.com

Check this site for information about ordering additional copies of

Impossible Cure (including bulk discounts) and for ongoing updates on
the information provided in this book. The Impossible Cure site also
includes a database facility that enables readers to share their own
stories of homeopathic cure. Visitors to the site can also listen to
archives of a web-radio show based on this book, There’s Hope With
Homeopathy.
 Copyright and Legal
Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy
Written by: Amy L. Lansky, PhD
Foreword by: Richard Pitt, CCH, RSHom (NA)

Copyright © 2003, 2011 by Amy L. Lansky, PhD.

Published in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No

part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying,
recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without
permission from the Publisher — except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in reviews and academic papers. For more information,
please contact:
R.L.Ranch Press
4119 Alpine Road, Suite A
Portola Valley, California 94028
Tel: 650-851-2927
Fax: 650-851-9095
E-mail: info@impossiblecure.com
Web site: www.impossiblecure.com

Although the author and publisher have exhaustively researched all

sources to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information
contained in this book, we assume no responsibility for errors,
inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein. Any slights of
people, places, or organizations are unintentional.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lansky, Amy L., 1955–

Impossible cure : the promise of homeopathy / Amy L. Lansky; with
a foreword by Richard Pitt.
 p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2003090295
ISBN 0-9727514-0-8
1. Homeopathy. I. Title.
RX71.L367 2003 615.5’32
QBI03-200087

First Electronic Edition, 2011

ISBN-13: 978-09727514-14
ISBN-10: 0-9727514-1-6
Cover design by Melanie Haage
Ebook layout by Steven M. Rubin
Author photo by Jennifer Dungan

Special Notice to the Reader

Although this book discusses the homeopathic method of

treatment, including stories of cure using various remedies, it is
intended only as a general introduction to homeopathy. It is not meant
to give specific recommendations of medical, psychological, or other
advice regarding the treatment of particular illnesses. Nor does it make
any warranties or guarantees of any sort that any of the information in
this book (or in any of the books or material listed under “Suggested
Reading” and “Helpful Resources”) will produce any particular
medical, physical, emotional or other result. This book is not intended
to be a replacement for good medical diagnosis and treatment by a
licensed physician or for care by a certified health-care practitioner.
Readers are strongly cautioned to consult with a licensed health-care
professional before utilizing any information in this book, and if they
choose to pursue homeopathic treatment, to do so under the
supervision of a licensed physician and a certified homeopath.

Permissions
 Special thanks to all of the individuals who allowed me to use their
stories of homeopathic healing in this book. Special thanks also go to
North Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services of
Berkeley, California, for permission to quote from several of their
books. These include Psyche and Substance, by Edward C. Whitmont
(copyright © 1991 by Edward C. Whitmont, MD); Divided Legacy,
Volume III, by Harris Livermore Coulter (copyright © 1973 by Harris
L. Coulter); and A Homeopathic Love Story, by Rima Handley
(copyright © 1990 by Rima Handley). North Atlantic Books has given
permission to quote from The Emerging Science of Homeopathy, by
Paolo Bellavite and Andrea Signorini (copyright © 2002 by Paolo
Bellavite, MD and Andrea Signorini, MD). I also thank
Grove/Atlantic, Inc. for their permission to quote from The Science of
Homeopathy, by George Vithoulkas (copyright © 1980 by George
Vithoulkas). Heartfelt thanks to Julian Winston, for his permission to
use numerous quotes from his classic volume on homeopathic history,
The Faces of Homoeopathy, published by Great Auk Publishing,
Tawa, New Zealand (copyright © 1999 by Julian Winston). Julian also
has given permission in his capacity as editor of Homeopathy Today to
use several quotes from that magazine, published by the National
Center for Homeopathy, Alexandria, Virginia. Thanks to Rajan
Sankaran for permission to quote from his books The Spirit of
Homeopathy (copyright © 1992 by Dr. Rajan Sankaran) and The Soul
of Remedies (copyright © 1997 by Dr. Rajan Sankaran). Ian Watson
has given permission to use several quotes from his book A Guide to
the Methodologies of Homeopathy (copyright © 1999 by Ian Watson).
Finally, thanks to the publishers of Alternative Therapies, The
Scientist, Pediatrics, The American Homeopath, and The Lancet for
permission to quote and discuss papers published in their respective
journal publications, including, in some cases, the use of tables. All of
the above credits and every other quotation in this book have been
duly cited in the text and are accompanied by citation descriptions in
the references section at the end of this book.
 Acknowledgments
I won’t save the best for last. I owe everything to my family — my
husband Steve Rubin and my two sons, Izaak and Max Rubin. They
are my joy, my shelter in the storm, and the providers of all the support
and encouragement anyone could desire.
Outside of this innermost circle are the friends and colleagues who
have advised and spirited me on throughout my growth as a
homeopath and writer. The most insightful and influential input into
this book was provided by my husband Steve, who served as my first
and last reader, and by two very dear friends named Richard: Richard
Gabriel — poet, author, fellow computer scientist, and awesome lead-
guitarist; and Richard Pitt — seeker, teacher, homeopath, and an
important voice of responsibility and wisdom in the growing
homeopathic world. Invaluable input into this book and its production
was also provided by Julian Winston, premier historian of
homeopathy; Wenda Brewster O’Reilly, editor of the newest and best
translation of the Organon; and Maggie Taeger, a friend and fellow
student of homeopathy. From the beginning until the end of my
journey in writing and producing this book, author Dean Radin
provided tips, advice, and leads into the publishing world. Others who
read this book in its various stages and provided advice and
encouragement include: Sally Ahnger, Jennifer Dungan, Russell Targ,
Sandra Martin, Patrick Huyghe, Chris Wellens, Bruce Horn, and, of
course, John Melnychuk, our family homeopath who, in many ways,
made it all possible. Love and support were also provided by my
mother Jeanette Lansky, Laura Hertzfeld, and Bertha Philyaw.
Of course, much of this book is about the firsthand experience of
homeopathy. This was made possible by generous input from many
wonderful homeopaths and patients who contributed their stories to
this book. They did so with the hope that they would be helping others
to find healing, so please join me in sending love and thanks their way.
Nearly all of these individuals have been participants in an
international on-line community devoted to homeopathy, and many of
its members have become my teachers and friends.
 My own firsthand experience of homeopathy was made possible
by those individuals who have been instrumental in healing my son
Max and the rest of my family. My family’s journey to homeopathy
was set in motion by an article in Mothering magazine written by
Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman. We were then guided to our family
homeopath, John Melnychuk, by Joan Kobara. Max’s cure was also
enabled by his language therapist Donna Dagenais and by osteopath
Mark Rosen. My own healing process was facilitated by homeopaths
Simon Taffler and Sally Williams.
I learned much of the information in this book from teachers and
fellow students of homeopathy. I have studied under the guidance of
Misha Norland, Simon Taffler, Sadhna Thakkar, Louis Klein, Jan
Scholten, Alize Timmerman, Will Taylor, David Little, Julian Winston,
John Melnychuk, Jo Daly, Murray Feldman, Janet Snowdon, Jeremy
Sherr, and Rajan Sankaran. My fellow students are too numerous to
mention, but special thanks go to Jonathan Pierce, Leslie Platner, Keith
Kale, Janet Mandell, Pam Klein, Joy Wilson, Maggie Taeger, and Gini
Ellis.
Last but not least are those who have guided and helped me
through the formidable book production process. Many thanks to my
copy editor Jim Gebbie for a quick and thorough job, and to my
talented book designer Melanie Haage, who created a book whose
beauty will be appreciated by all. I would also like to thank Marilyn
and Tom Ross for their invaluable book on publishing and book
promotion.
 Praise for Impossible Cure
“Many of the greatest advances in science and medicine begin as
observations that don’t fit in. Homeopathy – the ‘impossible cure’ – is
just that sort of challenge. Amy Lansky is a skilled guide to the world
of homeopathy, and she dispels much of the mystery surrounding this
form of therapy. Impossible Cure is a valuable insight for anyone
wishing to know more about homeopathy and how it may fit into their
search for health.”
— Larry Dossey, MD
Executive Editor, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Author: Healing Beyond the Body, Reinventing Medicine, and Healing
Words

“By writing Impossible Cure, author Amy Lansky has

accomplished a (nearly) impossible task: provide a clear,
comprehensible, and compelling exposition of homeopathy. Her
autistic son’s remarkable response to homeopathic treatment motivated
computer scientist Lansky to bring the long-neglected science of
homeopathy to public attention. She has succeeded admirably.
Impossible Cure is timely, informative, and remarkably reader friendly.
An excellent, must-read book. Highly recommended!”
— Bernard Rimland, PhD
Director, Autism Research Institute; Founder, Autism Society of
America

“The finest general introduction to homeopathy I’ve yet read...This

book should be read by everyone interested in homeopathy, from the
rank beginner to the seasoned professional. It has something new in it
for everyone.”
— Julian Winston
Editor, Homeopathy Today, Author: The Faces of Homeopathy and
The Heritage of Homeopathic Literature

“This book may very well contribute to the transformation of

homeopathy from the ugly duckling of medicine to the swan that it
deserves to be.”
— Lia Bello, RN, FNP, CCH
Reviewer for Homeopathy Today

“A well-written and ultimately inspiring volume... Impossible Cure

presents an uncompromising call for a rethinking of conventional
medical practices in the U.S.”
— D. Patrick Miller
Fearless Books Review (www.fearlessbooks.com)

“Homeopathy is the emerging therapy that offers hope for truly

curing chronic disease in a profound way. This book is a
comprehensive introduction to the full extent of what homeopathy can
do for you. By providing case histories, deep yet understandable
explanations of homeopathy (including its relationship to modern
medicine), and clear information on what it means to be a homeopathic
patient, Impossible Cure is an invaluable resource. A perfect book for
patients and first-year students of homeopathy.”
— Louis Klein, RSHom
President, Luminos Homeopathic Courses Ltd., Luminos Schools, and
Homeopathic Master Clinicians Course
(www.homeopathycourses.com)
Author: Clinical Focus Guide to Homeopathic Remedies and Luminos
Homeopathic Provings

“Amy Lansky watched in disbelief as homeopathy did the

impossible — cured her son, Max, of autism. She delved into the
controversial therapy and has become an articulate, passionate
advocate for the healing art most physicians continue to dismiss as
‘impossible.’ Her book is filled with a mother’s love and a scientist’s
skepticism. The result is one of the best introductions to homeopathy
I’ve seen. Two thumbs up for Impossible Cure: The Promise of
Homeopathy.”
— Michael Castleman
Author: The Healing Herbs, The New Healing Herbs, Nature’s Cures,
Blended Medicine, and other consumer health books

“An accessible guide to one of the most mysterious of healing

arts.”
— Wayne B. Jonas, MD
Director, Samueli Institute
 About the Author

Amy Lansky grew up in a suburb of Buffalo, New York. She

graduated from the University of Rochester in 1977 with degrees in
mathematics and computer science, and she received her doctorate in
computer science from Stanford University in 1983. After several
years working at various Silicon Valley research institutions (including
SRI International, NASA Ames Research Center, and three years as a
consulting associate professor at Stanford), Lansky made an unusual
career move: she became an student, writer, and promoter of
homeopathic medicine. This was prompted by the miraculous cure of
her son’s autism with homeopathy. She is dedicated to helping others
— especially families with autistic children — discover the curative
powers of homeopathy.
Lansky’s homeopathic studies have included foundational course
work with Misha Norland’s School of Homoeopathy in Devon,
England; completion of the Homeopathic Master Clinician’s course
with Louis Klein; and studies with Simon Taffler, Sadhna Thakkar, Jan
Scholten, and Alize Timmerman. For two years she served as coeditor
of The American Homeopath, the journal of the North American
Society of Homeopaths. From 2000-2005, Lansky was an executive
board member of the California Health Freedom Coalition, the
organization that sponsored California's health freedom bill that passed
in September 2002. In 2003, she joined the board of the National
Center for Homeopathy, based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Lansky lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband
Steve Rubin and her two sons, Izaak and Max Rubin. An avid amateur
musician, she has been a vocalist in several local rock bands and has
studied piano composition and improvisation. In addition to music and
homeopathy, she enjoys painting, needlework, swimming, and
canoeing the lakes of Canada.
 Index
This index, which shows page numbers from the printed edition of
the book, is offered here solely to suggest subjects and key words that
can be searched in the text.

A
Action-counteraction 195-198
Acupuncture 11, 21, 161, 226
Aggravation 54, 70, 142-144, 156, 220-222
Alchemy ix, 126
Alcoholism 177-178, 255-256
Allergies 14, 44, 83-84, 93, 129, 154, 176-177
Allopathy
death from treatment 27-28
definition of 4, 86
drug use, rate of 14
MD homeopaths 7, 261
mixing treatment with homeopathy 21, 226–228
proof of efficacy 28, 164
safety of 27–28
Alzheimer’s disease 233-236
American Board of Homeotherapeutics 207
American Institute of Homeopathy 4, 92, 149
American Medical Association (AMA) 6-8, 261
Anthrax 152
Anthroposophic medicine 160
Antibiotics 96
Antidoting 218-220, 225
Antipathy, definition of 86
Anxiety 68-70, 124, 254-255, 257
Appetite 223
Applied kinesiology 158
Appointments
checklist 209-212, 222-224
 cost of 209
follow-up 222-224
interview 213
preparing for 208-212, 222-224
Arthritis 76, 176, 227, 251-252
Asthma 14-15, 51-52, 83-84, 92-93, 227
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) 19, 48, 51, 64, 87
Attractors 186-187
Auditory processing 62
Autism 2
California report 63
causes 64-66
cure 2-3, Chapter 3
diet 48
echolalia 49, 60
eye contact 46
food sensitivities 64
intestinal problems 65
milk 48-49, 52, 64
physical affection, desire for 57
poking behavior 46, 53
rates of 14, 63
self stimulation 46
social awkwardness 58
vaccinations 64-66
visual talent 53
Autoimmune disorders 65, 97
Avogadro’s number 39, 137, 140, 189

B
Bach flower remedies 159-160
Bach, Edward 159-160
Back pain 67, 100-101
Balding 258
Banerji, Pradip 236
Bellavite, Paolo 176, 186-187
Benveniste, Jacques 189-193
Biological warfare 152, 169
Birth control pills 219
 Black-box property of homeopathy 192
Blackie, Marjorie 232
Bladder infection, chronic 245-246
Blood poisoning 243-244
Blood pressure, high 129, 132
Bloodletting 25-27, 34
Bloodshot eyes 112
Body
as a machine 73
partitioned view 74
Booksellers 285
Books, suggested 285-287
Bowel function 223
Bronchitis 44, 76, 93-94, 122-123
Burnett, James Compton 231-232, 236-237
Burns 197-198

C
Camphor 219, 222
Cancer 78, 135, 193, 236-237
Carpal tunnel syndrome 100-101
Case-taking 113
Case-analysis 213-217
Castro, Miranda 205
Causation 122-123
CCH certification 207
Cell salts 156-157, 250-251
Center of case 115-119
Center of gravity 101-103
Central disturbance 115-116, 123
Certification
CCH 207
DHANP 208
DHt 207
homeopathic 10, 260
licensure vs. 260
RSHom (NA) 207
Chicken pox 97
Childhood diseases 66, 97
 Chiropractic 225
Cholera 134
Chronic disease, in children 78
Chronic disease 12, 14, 21, 23, 43, 70, 98, 221, 228
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) 14, 258
Clarke, John Henry 231
Classical homeopathy 8, 182
Cleansing reaction 220, 223
Clinical homeopathy 182
Clinical symptoms 33, 92
Close, Stuart 205, 208
Cluster physics 188-189
Coffee 218-219, 222
Colitis 76
Coma 256-257
Combination remedies 147-150
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), regulation of
263-265
Complexity and chaos theory 186-187
Computers, use of 114, 214, 216
Conception 104
Concomitants 120
Conventional medicine (see Allopathy)
Cooper, Robert 236
Copeland, Royal 6, 267
Cough 112, 120-121
Coulter, Harris 8, 29
Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC) 10, 207, 289
Craniosacral therapy 225
Crohn’s disease 66, 247-248
Cure
difficult 88
holistic 76-77
signs of 18, 88-95
stories of Chapter 9
suppression, vs. 84-85
Cystitis, chronic 245-246

D
Dental visits 219
Depression 161, 255-256
DHANP certification 208
DHt certification 207
Diabetes 14, 129
Diagnosis 75
Diarrhea, severe childhood 172-174
Diet 25-26, 59, 96, 226
Digitalis 86-87
Dilution glass 144
Dilution ratio 39, 111
Diphtheria 152, 168
Disease
cause (also see Susceptibility) 41-42
iatrogenic 75
pattern 41-42
progression 18
symbolism 100
whole body phenomenon 73-77
Disease episodes, relationships between 84-85
Disease replacement 199-201
Dissimilar disease 84
Diverticulitis 243-244
Doctrine of signatures 107, 125-131
Dosing 142-146
amount 218
dry 142, 217
frequency 226
liquid 54, 143-145, 217-218, 226
olfaction 145
potency 146-147
repetition 218
Dreams 209, 223
Drug addiction 177-178, 255-256
Drug interactions 74
Drug manufacturers 7, 15, 28, 139, 149
Dry dosing 142, 217
Dynamic dose 141
Dynamis 77, 138
 Dynamization 138
Dysentery 251

E
Ear infection 44, 178
Echolalia 49, 60
Eclectic medicine 4
Ectopic pregnancy 242-243
Eczema 83-84, 92-93
Education, homeopathic 22, 265-266, 289
Eizayaga, Francisco 152
Electromagnetic signature 20, 39, 138, 191-193
Elia, Vittorio 187-188
Energy body (see Vital force)
Energy medicine 11, 22, 161-162
Energy-reading machines 158-159
Ennis, Madeleine 190
Epidemic
anthrax 152
cholera 6, 37, 134
diphtheria 130, 152, 168
flu 6, 12, 99, 134, 152
measles 152
meningitis 152
scarlet fever 134
smallpox 152, 168
susceptibility to 152
treatment of 98-99
typhoid fever 36, 134
Esophagus, burning 154-155
European Council for Classical Homeopathy 206
Exciting cause 98
Expulsion of foreign material 239-240

F
Family treatment 72, 205
Fears 209
Feingold diet 48-49
Fever 41, 67, 75, 82, 251
 Fibromyalgia 14, 252-253
Financial factors, influences 7, 28–29, 164
Flexner report 8
Flu 134, 152, 176-177
Food cravings and aversions 116
Food poisoning 244-245
Food remedies 137
Foreign material, expulsion of 239-240
Fracture 110

G
General symptoms 115-116
Genetic makeup 103-104
Genus epidemicus 99, 151
Gestation 104
Gray, Bill 176
Grimmer, Arthur Hill 237

H
Hahnemann, Melanie (d’Hervilly) 37
Hahnemann, Samuel 17
chemist, as 26
childhood 24
Paris, in 38
persecution of 28-29
personal life 35-38
popularity of 28, 36
translator, as 24, 26, 29, 32–33
Hahnemann monument 5
Handley, Rima 24
Hands-on healing 58, 161
Headache 129, 210
Health freedom 262, 269, 290
Health freedom laws
California 264-265
Minnesota 262-264
Rhode Island 264
Heart attack 243
Heart disease 129
 Hemorrhage 242-243
Herbalism 2, 51, 160-161
Hering, Constantine 5, 92-93
High blood pressure 129, 132
Hippocrates 25, 29-30, 86
HIV 136, 179-180
Holistic medicine 3, 73-77, 116, 225
Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (HANP) 208,
288
Homeopathic Educational Services 285, 289
Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the U.S. (HPUS) 140
Homeopaths
allopathic (“half”) 8-9
contacting 224-225
MD 7, 261
naturopathic 9
number of 10, 22
professional 10
selecting 206-208
training of 22, 265-266, 289
women 5, 38
Homeopathy
America, 19th century 4-7
America, 20th century 4-10
bans on 6-9
classical 8, 182
cost of 209, 247
decline of 6-9
definition of 86, 268
empirical medicine 21, 40, 200
France, in 149
India, in 135, 179-180
international use 135
organizations 288-289
origins 4
philosophy 16, 18, Chapter 4
return of 9-10
spread of 37
use, by American elite 5
 use, by royalty 9
use, in armed forces 5
use, rate of 3
veterinary 32, 174-175, 244-245, 248-249
Homeopathy Today 288
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) 219
Hot flashes 132
Humphreys, Frederick 149
Hygiene 25-26, 96, 226
Hyperactivity (ADHD) 19, 48, 51, 64, 87
Hyperthyroidism 248

I
Iatrogenic disease 75, 85
Immune system 65, 97
Individualized treatment 7, 19, Chapter 5, 170
Information, transmitted by remedy 81, 164, 202-203
Insurance 22, 94, 267
Interview, intake 213
Isopathy 153-154, 182

J
Jacobs, Jennifer 167, 172-174, 178
Jonas, Wayne 3, 167–169

K
Kent, James Tyler 100, 114, 141, 214
Kidney failure 244
Kidney stone 241-242
Knee pain 111
Koethen 36-37

L
Law of Cure 88-95
Law of Opposites 86
Law of Similars 3, 17, 21, 25-26, 33–35, 42, 85, 87, 127, 148, 154
discovery of 29-31, 79-80
explanations for 193-204
Learning disorders 64
 Legality, of homeopathy 22, 94, 259-265
Leipzig 24, 32, 36
Licensure 10
certification vs. 260
homeopathy, of 259-260
obstacles to 261
Lifestyle modification 72
Linde, Klaus 13, 181-184
Liquid dosing 54, 143-145, 217-218, 226
Little, David 242-243, 250-251
Lyme disease 91, 246

M
Maintaining causes 105
Malaria 29
Malnutrition 250-251
Massage 225
Materia medica 32–33, 114, 214
Material dose 141
Meaning, pattern of 124-131
Measles 97, 152
Medical schools, homeopathic 4-5
Melnychuk, John 51
Meningitis 152
Menopause 129, 132
Menstruation 223
Mental illness 26, 129, 134
Mercury, in vaccines 65
Mercury poisoning 154
Meta-analysis 180-184
Migraine 246-247, 253
Milk remedies 129-131
Mind-over-pain 101
Minimum dose 20, 39, 142
Minimum Price Books 285, 289
Mint 219
Modalities 120, 209-210
Models, of remedy action 185-204
action-counteraction 195-198
 disease replacement 199-201
information 202-203
pendulum 196-197
resonance 198-199
Montessori school 49
Morphic resonance 193-194
Mother tincture 140
Mumps 97
Mythology 107, 119, 125

N
National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) 206, 288
Naturopathy 9-10
Never-been-well-since 123
Nitroglycerin 86-87, 93
Nonmaterial dose 141
North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH) 10, 207, 288
Nosodes 152

O
Observation 25, 31, 80, 113, 116
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 253-254
Olfaction 145
Organon 35–36, 40
fifth edition 144
sixth edition 141
Organotherapy 156
Organ remedies 156
Osteopathy 57, 225
Otitis media (ear infection) 44, 178

P
Palliation 13, 82-84, 150
Paracelsus ix, 30
Parental
confidence 50, 71
resignation 47, 70
Parkinson’s disease 87
Particular symptoms 116
Pathological attractors 186-187, 195
Patient
attitude 71
cooperation 67, 71, 206-208, 213, 228-229
environment 105
history 103-105
observation, self 209-212, 223
questionnaire 209
sensitive 144
waiver 262
Pattern matching 107, 109, 112-115
Perfume 219
Perko, Sandra 99
Pets, aging 248-249
Pharmaceutical industry 7, 15, 28, 139, 149
homeopathic 267
Pharmacy, homeopathic 216
Phatak, S. R. 109, 123
Philosophy 16, 18, Chapter 4
Placebo 3, 33
Placebo effect 12-13, 165, 170-171, 181-184
Placebo-controlled study 165-166, 169-171
Poisoning
arsenic 240-241
heavy metal 241
Polypharmacy 135, 149-150, 182
disease-based 150
individualized 149-150
Potencies
centesimal (c) 139
decimal (x) 139
effective 191
high vs. low 146-147
LM (Q) 141, 145
popular 141
selection of 146-147
ultrahigh 141
Potentization 11, 39, 125-126
development of 137-139
 liquid and dry 140
machines 141
Prana ix, 20, 193
Prayer 58, 225
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) 255-256
Prescribing (see Individualized treatment)
intuitive 158-159
machine 158-159
Prevention 96
Prophylaxis
homeopathic 99, 135, 167-169, 174-175
homeopathic vs. allopathic 151-153
Provings 31-33, 35, 107, 161
blind 125-126
Psoriasis 90
Psychosomatic 106-108
Pyloric stenosis 48

Q
Qi ix, 20, 193
Quantum physics 22, 41-42, 164

R
Ramakrishnan, A. U. 236
Reading, suggested 285-287
Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth 50-51
Reiki 11, 58, 161, 225
Reilly, David 176-177
Remedies
Aconitum Napellus 121-123, 177, 232, 244, 254-255
Ambra Grisea 129
Androctonus 127-129
Anthracinum 152
Antimonium Tartaricum 121
Apis Mellifica 231
Argentum Metallicum 257
Argentum Nitricum 69, 257
Aristolochia Clematits 255-256
Arnica Montana 98, 108-112, 155, 166, 231, 257
 Arsenicum Album 92, 143, 172
Aurum 118-119
Bacillinum 238
Baryta Carbonica 118
Belladonna 151
Bellis Perennis 238, 240
Berberis 242
Cactus Grandiflora 243
Calcarea Sulphurica 157
Calendula 155, 205
Cantharis 246
Carcinosin 52-54
cell salts 156-157, 250-251
Cenchris 132
Chamomilla 172
Chelidonium Majus 156
China 29-30, 244
Cinnamonium 242
Cocculus Indicus 69, 157
combination 147-150
Crotalus Horridus 132
Diphtherinum 152
food 137
Glonoine 93
Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum 148
Homarus 129
Hypericum 161
Ignatia 56, 155
Influenzinum 152
Kali Bichromicum 157
Kali Bromatum 68, 124
Lac Caninum 129-131
Lachesis 93, 132, 215
lava 131
Ledum 246
Meningococcinum 152
Mercury 154
milks 129-131
Morbillinum 152
 Naprosyn 155
Natrum Muriaticum 125
Nux Moschata 114
Opium 244, 256
organ 156
Oscillococcinum 176-177
Pertussinum 152
Phosphorus 121
Pituitrin 156
Podophyllum 172
Pulsatilla 121, 244-245
Pyrogen 243
Ruta Graveolens 239
sarcodes 156
Sepia 129
snake 132
specifics 157
Spongia Tosta 129
Sulphur 166
Syphillinum 258
Tabacum 157
Tarentula 117, 129
Thuja 238
Thyroidinum 156
Tuberculinum 117, 152
Variolinum 152
Remedies, legality of 267-268
Remedies, manufacturing of 267
Remedy
acquiring 216
action, explanation of 20, 185-204
action, primary (initial) 195-196
action, secondary (counter) 195-196
administration 39, 136, 142-146, 217-218
diluent 140, 191
dispensing 216, 262
dosing (see Dosing)
families 131-132
grade 215
 handling 217
heat, effect of 191
interactions 148-150
pills 142
preparation 136
relationships 136
repetition 142
response 54-56, 67, 220-224
single 20, 39, 147-150
substance 125
theme 110
Repertorization 114, 215-217
Repertory 52, 114, 214
Research studies, trials 3, 99, Chapter 7
alcoholism 177-178
allergies 176-177
arthritis 176
bias 15, 166
conflicts of interest 185
conventional model 169-170
diarrhea, severe childhood 172-174
drug addiction 177-178
flaws 185
flu 176-177
HIV 179-180
homeopathic 166-185
India, in 179-180
meta-analysis 180-184
otitis media 178
placebo effect 181-184
postoperative agitation 177
prophylaxis (meningitis) 152
prophylaxis in mice 167-169
prophylaxis in pigs 174-175
provings 34-35
replication 166, 180
ultradilutions 187-193
Resonance 102, 195, 198-199
Resources, helpful 288-290
 Ritalin 87
Roberts, Herbert A. 100
Rosacea 67
RSHom (NA) certification 207
Rubric 114, 214

S
Samueli Institute 167
Sankaran, Rajan 115, 117, 124, 129-130
Sarcodes 156
Sarno, John 100-101
Scar tissue 257-258
Scarlet fever 134
Scholten, Jan 75, 132
Schuessler, William 157
Scoliosis 76
Self-repair, self-healing 16, 80-81, 204
Self-treatment 205
Septicemia 243-244
Sexual desire 223
Sheldrake, Rupert 193-194
Sherr, Jeremy 202
Shingles 230-231
Shock 108
Side effects 15, 56, 103
Signorini, Andrea 176, 186-187
Similar disease 85
Simillimum 21, 45, 53, 55, 67, 115, 220, 222, 226
Single remedy 20, 39, 147-150
Skepticism 11, 20, 55, Chapter 7
Skin symptoms 91, 211
Sleep 116, 212, 223
Smallpox 152, 168
Snake remedies 132
Special education 49, 60
Specifics 157
Speech and language therapy 48-49, 54
St. John’s Wort 161
Stress 100-101
Study groups 206
Subjective information 40-41
Substance state (see Doctrine of Signatures)
Succussion 39, 137, 188-192, 217
raises potency 144
Suppression 13-16, 82-84, 150
Susceptibility 78-79, 95-103
“hole of” 100, 199-201
individual 98-103
Swallowing, difficult 154-155
Sweating pattern 116, 209
Symbolism of remedy 125
Symptoms
above, downward 89
birth 212
bowel 211
center to circumference 89
circulatory 211
clinical 33, 92
common 52
describing 120, 210
digestive 211
dreams 212
food cravings and aversions 212
general 115-116
hobbies 212
hormone 211
idiosyncratic 41
important 116
location of 32
meaning of 118-119
menstrual 211
mental and emotional 32, 109, 117, 212
neurological 211
new 223
one side of body 210
pain 211
particular 116
pattern of 42, 106-108
 personal history 212
personality 212
prioritization of 117-118
progression 84-85
respiratory 211
return of 84, 89-94, 221, 223
reverse order 89
selecting useful 113, 215-216
sensation 32
senses 211
sexual 211
signs of self-repair 81-82
skin 91, 211
sleep 116, 212, 223
strange, rare, or peculiar (SRP) (also see Symptoms, unusual)
118
subjective 40-41, 116-117
trigger 210
unusual 21, 51, 114, 118, 209-210, 215
urinary 211
Synchronicity 126

T
Tautopathy 154-155
Taylor, Will 110, 230, 247
Teeth, loosened 111
Telephone consultation 223
Tics 44, 68-69
Tinea versicolor 90
Trauma 108, 110
Treatment
allopathic vs. homeopathic 34, 41, 197
homeopathic 21-22, 40
individualized 7, 19, Chapter 5, 170
interactions 225-228
mixing 225-228
Trigger thumb 252
Trituration 138, 140
Tumor 236-239
 Twitching 44, 68-69
Typhoid fever 134, 251

U
Ullman, Robert 51
Ultradilution 11, 20, 39, 165, 167, 187-193
development of 137-139
research on 139

V
Vaccination 7, 13-15, 60-61, 64-66, 85, 97-98, 227, 232, 237-239,
289
autoimmune disorders 65
damage (treatment for) 66
DPT 65
Hepatitis B 65
homeopathic 152-153
mercury in 65
MMR 61, 65
TB 61
use, rate of 97
Varicose veins 257
Veterinary homeopathy 32, 174-175, 244-245, 248-249
Vital force ix, 20, 39, 41, 77, 79, 103-104, 138, 161, 164, 193-204,
219, 228
Vitalism 193-194
Vitality 82, 146, 227
Vithoulkas, George 101-103, 198-199

W
Wait-and-watch approach 142
Wakefield, Andrew 65-66
Warts 44, 70
Wasp sting 67
Water
clusters 188-189
medium for information 191
Watson, Ian 154-156
Web sites 289-290
Well-being, sense of 91-92, 220, 223
Whitmont, Edward 41, 107, 119, 126-127, 200-201
Whooping cough 112
Winston, Julian 6, 149
Women, in homeopathy 5, 38