To many, homeopathy seems like a new approach to health; however, homeopathy's guiding principle - like cures like - dates back to the 5th Century B.C. and the Greek physician Hippocrates. He was the first to advance the theories that illness is not the result of divine intervention but of natural forces, that a person's own power to heal should be encouraged, and that illness can be treated with substances capable of creating symptoms similar to those being experienced.

The founder of modern homeopathy is Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician and toxicologist. Unhappy with conventional medicine, he gave up his practice in the late 1700's. In the course of his subsequent studies, he experimented with quinine, which cures malaria, and produces symptoms of malaria when used on people who do not have malaria. Homeopathy was effective in treating cholera in the 19th century and in treating mustard-gas burns during the First World War, but a major breakthrough did not occur until 1986, when it was shown to help prevent hay fever in controlled trials at Glasgow University. Homeopathy has been followed in Europe for years and is now gaining widespread acceptance in North America by people seeking an alternative - and a complement - to conventional healthcare practices.

It is the exhaustive works of Hahnemann that led to the understanding of the three laws of homeopathic therapy: the Law Of Similars, the Law Of Infinitesimality, and Law Of Totality.

The Law of Similars

The Law of Similars suggests there should be a connection between illness and remedy. This theory can be confusing to people who are more familiar with North American healthcare methods where medicine is often based on the Law of Contraries: using medications which - in a healthy person - produce symptoms opposite to the symptoms being treated in the ill person. For example, a person with diarrhea is treated with something that constipates.

In Homeopathy, the Law of Similars means that a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes in larger amounts. For instance, one of Hippocrates' most well known remedies was white-hellebore bark for the treatment of cholera: in large doses the poisonous root caused symptoms that looked just like cholera; however, in small doses, it appeared to cure cholera.

The Law of Infinitesimality

Homeopathic remedies are made from plant, animal and mineral extracts and repeatedly diluted to prevent unpleasant side effects. This is called the Law of Infinitesimality, which states that infinitesimal doses do not harm: they cure. Interestingly, the more diluted the remedies, the more effectively they seem to work, a main reason for the skepticism surrounding Homeopathy.

Substances from which homeopathic remedies are produced are drastically changed before being sold to the public. Vegetable substances make up the greatest proportion of ingredients in homeopathic remedies. The whole plant is usually used, although sometimes only the root or flower is picked, washed, cut up, dried and then macerated in alcohol for at least three weeks. Next, the substance is filtered and provides the Mother Tincture. From this basic Mother Tincture, also called "Herbal Extract", a final product only emerges after going through several essential stages.

The Law of Totality

The Law of Totality is the third principle that governs Homeopathy. Homeopathy considers the person as a whole, and treatment is based on the assumption that the illness is a manifestation of a more deeply-rooted disorder.

Homeopathic medications (which usually come as a liquid to be dropped in tea or water or small pellets or granules to be absorbed under the tongue) work with the body to cure illness. It is holistic medicine, designed to help the body's defence system help itself. The goal is not just getting rid of symptoms, but increasing one's vital life force. It works very well for common everyday complaints, but is not the right treatment for people looking for a quick cure. The Law of Totality suggests that anything preventing the body from functioning properly contributes to a lack of well-being; therefore, adjustments in diet, exercise, emotional states, and stress management may also be necessary.

Often, those who turn to homeopathic remedies do so because they recognize that although orthodox medicine has much to offer, it does not cure all diseases and can produce side effects. Homeopathic remedies tend not to result in unpleasant side effects. As a complement to conventional (allopathic) medicine, homeopathy offers both healthcare professionals and patients increased treatment flexibility when addressing many ailments where side effects are a concern.

Like all treatments, homeopathic products should be taken in consultation with your physician or health practitioner. Minor ailments may be cured with homeopathy, but if you have more serious or chronic complaints, it is important to speak with your health professional before trying self-treatment.

Compiled by Ken McLay
Langley Medicine Centre, Langley, B.C.
Edited by Megan Stiles
Last Reviewed: September 2001