The Faculty of Homeopathy Malaysia, Pasir Mas.
Homeopathy
The Holistic Approach To Health
Meaning of Homoeopathy :
Homoeopathy is derived from two Greek words ' Homois' meaning 'similar' and 'pathos' meaning ' suffering'. Homoeopathy simply means that treating diseases with medicines prescribed in minute doses, which are capable of producing sysmptoms similar to the disease when taken by healthy people. It is based on the natural law of cure, " Similar Similibus Curentur' which means ' likes are cured by like' in Malay it is known as ' persamaan dengan persamaam menyembuhkan' or in short ' keserasian menyembuhkan'.
Origin
Over 200 years ago, the German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) discovered the principle that what substance could cause in the way of symptoms it could also cure.
Hahnemann was struck by the effect that certain drugs, when taken by him while quite healthy, produced symptoms that the drug was known to cure in the sick persons. for instance, when he took Cinchona Barks, which contains quinine, he became ill with symptoms that exactly mimicked intermittent fever 9 now called malaria). He wondered if the reason Cinchona worked against intermittent fever was because it caused symptoms indistinguishable from intermittent fever in a healthy human.
Hahnemann continued to experiment, noting that every substance he took, whether a herb, a mineral, an animal product or chemical compound, produced definite distinct symptoms in him. He further noted that no two substances produced exactly the same set of symptoms. Each provoked its own unique pattern of symptoms. Furthermore the symptoms were not just confined to the physical plane. Every substance tested also affected the mind and the emotions apart from the body.
Eventually, Hahnemann began to treat the sick on the formula ' let likes treated by likes' From the outset he achieved outstanding clinical success.
Concepts and Principle
The Law of Similars
It is also called the law of Cure. This law demonstrates that the selected remedy is able to produce a range of symptoms in a healthy person similar to that observed in the patient, thus leading to the principle of 'Simlar Similibus Curentur' i.e. Le likes to treated by likes. To give a simple example the effect of peeling an onion are very similar to the symptoms of acute cold. The remedy prepared from the red onion, Allium Cepa, is used to treat the type of cold in which the symptoms resemble those we get from peeling onion. The principle has been verified by millions of homeopaths all over the world.
Single Remedy
Homeopathic medicines are always administered in single, simple unadulterated form.
Minimum Dose
The similar remedy selected for a sick is prescribed in a minimum dose, so that when administered there are no toxic effect on the body. It just acts as a triggering and catalytic agent to stimulate and strengthen the existing defense mechanism of the body. For this medicines are prepared in a special way known as 'Drug Dynamisation or Potentisation.'. Drug dynamisation involves trituration for solid subsastances and succussion for liquid substances. Drug prepared in such a way retain maximum medicinal power without producing any toxic effect on the body.
Holistic as Well As Individualistic Approach
This is a likely and unique to Homeopathy. Even though it may sound strange. Homeopathy does not treat disease per se. A homeopath does not concentrate his therapy on, say arthritis or boronchitis or cancer. In other words he does not limit his treatment to painful joints, inflamed bonchi or a malignant growth. Rather, he treats all aspect mental., emotional and physical of person who happen to be suffering with arthritis or bronchitis or cancer. Homeopathy regards each patient as a unique individual, e.g. five persons with hepatitis or sinusitis might get a different homeopathic remedy, each one aimed at the individual's totality of symptoms rather than at his liver or nose alone. The physician interest is not only to alleviate the patients present symptoms but also his long term well being.
Vital Force
Dr Hahnemann discovered that the human body is endowed with a force which react against the inimical forces which produce disease. It become deranged during illness and the best selected homeopathic remedies stimulate this failingvital force so that as, Hahnemann said," It can again take the reins and conduct the system on way to health."
Miasms
Psora, syphilis and sycosis are the three ( now four - Aids) fundamental causes of all chronic diseases which afflict the human race as discovered by Dr Hahnemann and called them miasms.. This word is derived from Greek word meaning 'to pollute'. Psora is present from the beginning to end of life and is the root cause of most of the diseases.
Drug Proving
To apply drugs for therapeutic use, their curative powers should be known. The proving of the drug is the method employed to know these powers and is unique to homeopathy as they are proved on healthy human beings and not on lower animals as in other form of proving drugs. The symptoms thus known are the true record of the curative properties of a drug or the pathogenesis of a drug.
In Malaysia this form of medicine has been popularizing by Prof Dr Nik Omar and his friends through FAHOM and MRHP.
R & D Library: Faculty of Homeopathy Malaysia