Homeopathy, a Myth or a Truth? So many people today are skeptical of Homeopathy because they either don't know how it works, or they think it is bogus. It took me a while to come to grips with the value of these wonderful, reasonably priced remedies, but I'm now a firm believer. Anyone who has ever had an immunization or allergy shots has already experienced the principle of homeopathy (although I don't condone the current mass use of immunization.) If you think that one-millionth of the "disease" used to cure an illness (suspended in a liquid) has no medical value, think again. That's exactly the way allergy treatments are made up as well as vaccinations. So now we should all go to the health food store and stock up on homeopathic remedies? Definitely! Why is this 200 year old healing method more widely accepted in Europe than in North America? Apparently, since the turn of the century, the pharmaceutical companies have been denigrating the value by saying that strong drugs are the only things that work, and that we are throwing our money away on homeopathy.... and yet, they are the ones developing vaccines and flooding the market with them to make money. The new flu vaccines that come out every fall, made from the previous year's flu bug are expected to be accepted, but not the remedies that have been made for eons to treat everything from bruising, nausea to serious diseases like Scarlet Fever, Cholera, Typhus and Malaria. What gives? For one thing, pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to patent any natural substance or herb because natural substances cannot be controlled, so they have no great financial gain from producing homeopathic medicines. They are more interested in the huge market for vaccines around the world. Vaccines have another story to tell, though. They are produced and multiplied on such things as embryos, pig or horse blood, dog and monkey kidney tissue, cowpox pus, and some substances I can't bear to mention. The word Homeopathy actually means "Similar treatment...for suffering" which I don't think the drug companies were following when they got into the act. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, who was born in 1796, was the first person to experiment with homeopathic remedies. He experimented on himself all through his life (other than lab experiments and associates...I think all scientists should be required to do self-experiments!) and lived to be 89, no small feat when people did not expect to live much past 40. He believed that homeopathy would restore balance in the body and as a non-invasive therapy, was able to help many people during the time of Cholera and Typhus both of which killed millions of people. He realized that the only way to get rid of an invading organism, was to boost the immune system while a person is healthy (by introducing a minute amount into the body) and giving it a nudge to eradicate the perpetrator. And it worked. Physicians and scientists talk about the placebo effect, and there may be something to that point in humans, but the proof is in the veterinarian pudding. Homeopathy has been used successfully for many years by medical doctors on farm animals, horses and family pets. How can the animals know about placebo effects? One of the important facets of Homeopathy is that the all-important consultation with the patient determines his or her state of health and status in life. So if a person is under a great deal of stress, and has colds and flu continually, treatment is different than if someone is very healthy. And that's what makes sense. Most doctors don't look beyond the most glaring symptoms, and then only treat those problems, when the underlying cause is much deeper. Homeopathic practitioners delve into a patient's physical shape, mental health, personality, and even the environment they live in (near oil refineries, or along busy thoroughfares where there are a lot of gas fumes.) They are able to help accute and chronic symptoms and are able to relieve asthma and pneumonia. An interesting point to ponder about homeopathy is that after the division by 24 of the substance, there are no "invader" molecules remaining, but the healing value is still there. Apparently, that's when it's most effective. Today there are over 3000 homeopathic substances on the market. Some forms of Echinacea, sleep remedies, Arnica for bruising and pain, Belladonna for nausea, and even elemental sulphur to improve bodily function and boost the immune system can be easily found. In Europe, Homeopathy is a part of the healthcare system, and there are many medical schools for this discipline. France has eight such universities with others in Holland, Switzerland, and Germany. Around the world, in India, South Africa and Australia, homeophic medical schools abound. What are we afraid of? Or are we being very arrogant, thinking everything old is phony? When I travel, I take along my trusty little homeopathic kit that fits into a pocket. It contains everything my family might need in a pinch, for pain, nausea, headaches, overheating, vertigo, travel sickness, bruising,overexertion, sunburn, hives, insect bites...and the list goes on. And all in a total of six tiny bottles. I'm ready for the summer. Are you? Back to the Writing Index