08-homeopathy1

Homeopathy is a much maligned and misunderstood alternative therapy. A few years ago there was a movement among a small group of conventional veterinarians to have homeopathy labeled as ineffective by the American Veterinary Medical Association. While that attempt failed, homeopathy is generally looked down upon be conventional veterinarians. To understand why, we need to take a closer look at homeopathy.

The modern practice of homeopathy began with the work of Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). He was a German physician who became disenchanted with the harsh methods, such as bloodletting and purgation, used by his fellow physicians. He made enemies of his colleagues when he demonstrated that the king’s doctors had inadvertently bled him to death during treatment. Hahnemann dropped out of medicine and made a living translating medical texts. It was from his work with ancient manuscripts that he was introduced to the “principle of similar” which claims that a substance that causes certain symptoms when taken by a healthy individual, can be used to treat a patient suffering from a disease that causes similar symptoms – like cures like. Hahnemann went on to develop hundreds of remedies based on this treatment principle.

Homeopathy spread across Europe and made it to the US in the 1820s. In fact, the first national medical association in the US was the American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH) founded in 1844. Conventional physicians countered with their own organization, the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1846. According to letters exchanged between the founding members of the AMA, one major goal for their group was to exterminate homeopathy. The AMA ethics code prohibited an AMA member from consulting with a homeopathic physician.

In 1900 in America 25% physicians were homeopaths and there were 22 homeopathic medical schools and over 100 homeopathic hospitals. To date hundreds of thousands of physicians and millions of patients have benefitted from homeopathy. Still today, 39% French Physician and 20% German physicians prescribe homeopathics. Forty-five percent of Dutch physicians consider them effective and 42% British physicians refer to homeopaths. It is a different world outside the reach of the AMA.

The problem convention vets have with homeopathy is 2 fold – 1. Homeopathic remedies have the opposite effect on the body as the original substance, and 2. Most homeopathic remedies are diluted to the point that statistically, there is not a single molecule of the original substance left. “How crazy to think that homeopathy could do anything.”

Well, modern research begs to differ. Studies show that homeopathic remedies have different characteristics than plane water. Also, the homeopathic dilution process involves succussion (violent shaking) which produces nanoparticles of the original substance. It appears that nanoparticles may explain the action of homeopathic remedies.

Recently, a jury found in favor of a homeopathic company that was being sued for saying their remedies could have a medicinal effect. Every once in a while, the good guys win.

Have you ever used homeopathy on your pet?

3 replies
  1. doug
    doug says:

    we have used many many homeopathy over the years and continue to explore the wonder of homeopathics. I can’t tell you the number of times carbovegatalis has kept our Newfs from having severe cases of bloat, and would be happy to go over the process we use if interest is there.

    Reply
  2. Carol
    Carol says:

    I think that this would be interesting, although, I suppose that you are mainly interested in educating vets, which I am not.

    Reply

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