History of Homoeopathy

Dr Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician is credited for the invention of Homoeopathy in 1810. Homoeopathy serves as an alternative form of medicine, in which, Homoeo’ denotes similar and ‘pathy’ entails suffering. This highlights a key principle ‘similia similibus curentur’, “like cures like”.

In 1790, Dr Hahnemann was translating a section of toxicology on Peruvian bark in William Cullen’s Materia Medica. He came across a new experience of Peruvian bark. drug as he discovered the similarities between the symptoms of poison from Peruvian bark and the typical symptoms of malaria, against which it was used as a contemporary medicine. He experimented by consuming four drachms of china twice a day, he experienced paroxysms of chill and fever. In his practice, he had observed similar paroxysms of chill and fever, which he had cured with china, the Peruvian bark. This is when the truth came out that Peruvian bark cures paroxysm of chill and fever because Peruvian bark produces paroxysm of chill and fever. Hence, like curing like.

He concluded that any medicine will cure a particular disease if it is capable of generating the same symptoms in healthy individual, which are similar to totality of that disease symptom in sick individual.

Dr Hahnemann conducted further experiments to reinforce the central principle of Homoeopathic alongside using minute and potentise medicinal doses to deliver holistic care.

Thus, Homoeopathic is a perfectly simple system of medicine, remaining always fixed in its principle as in its practice. It is also the moral duty of homeopathic physician to follow these fixed principles purely and religiously in order to restore the health of patient.

Reference:

Dudgeon, R.E.(n.d.) Organon of Medicine, New Delhi Indian books & periodicals pub.