About Homeopathy For Homeopaths Press Room Becoming a Homeopath

History

Homeopathy is a complete system of medicine that treats mental, emotional and physical illness. Homeopathic medicines are chosen to treat the whole person, because homeopaths believe the mind and body operate as one, and you cannot treat one part of the body without affecting the whole. Medicines are chosen to fit all the characteristics of the patient, so physical disorders are considered in relation to the individual’s mental and emotional state.

How homeopathy works

Homeopathy works on a principle known as ‘the law of similars’ or ‘like cures like’. This law states that a substance that can cause a disease can also relieve it.

The founding father of homeopathy

Over 200 years ago, the German doctor and chemist Samuel Hahnemann developed the system of medicine we now call homeopathy. He had a very clear and humane approach to the practice of medicine:

"The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent,in the shortest, most reliable and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles" (Samuel Hahnemann, Organon of Medicine)

How homeopathic medicines are made To maximise the healing potential of the medicines he used, Hahnemann prepared them in a very specific manner. This involved diluting the substance concerned, then shaking it vigorously with impact. This sequence of actions is known as succussion. A substance can be diluted and succussed many times, and Hahnemann termed this process potentisation. Hahnemann observed that potentisation made the medicines more effective and reduced the likelihood of unwanted effects.

 

Each new homeopathic medicine undergoes a particular process called a ‘proving’. Volunteers or ‘provers’ take the new substance until they experience symptoms. All symptoms that result from taking the substance are recorded in detail. In this way a huge variety of natural substances are tested for their healing and curative properties and can be added to the homeopathic pharmacy. Unlike orthodox drugs, homeopathic medicines are not tested on animals.