The History of Homeopathy

Of all the natural medicines, none is more divisiveincreasingly dissatisfied with medicine. He suspected
than homeopathy. Many chemists, biologists andthat the accepted therapies of bloodletting, mercury
physicians are quick to dismiss this 200 year-oldoverdoses and other popular treatments were, in
system of natural healing as nothing but absolutefact, doing more harm than good. He soon
quackery and in many countries around the world,abandoned his orthodox medical career to devote
just calling yourself a homeopath can result inhimself full-time to the studies that would eventually
imprisonment. But millions of lay people and thousandsgive us the branch of natural healing that Dr.
of educated, competent health care professionalsHahnemann coined "homeopathy".Unlike his
from all walks of life believe completely in the healingmainstream contemporaries, who experimented only
power of this controversial system of naturalon sick people and laboratory animals, Dr. Hahnemann
healing.Homeopathy is so popular in Europe that overgave his experimental remedies to healthy adults to
30% of the family practitioners in France prescribestudy their reactions under real-life conditions. Dr.
homeopathic remedies and more than 40% ofHahnemann noticed that healthy people receiving
England's doctors regularly refer patients toextremely small amounts of certain medications
homeopaths. Here in the U.S., homeopathy is enjoyingexhibited many of the same symptoms the
something of a renaissance, as well. Thoughmedications were supposed to eliminate. He called his
homeopathy is considerably less well-known here, adiscovery the "Law of Similars" and it is this law upon
growing number of Americans are turning towhich the rest of homeopathy is built. Even modern
homeopathy for help with everything from AIDS tomainstream practices like immunization and radiation
the common cold.Based on the use of extremelyowe their widespread acceptance to this first law of
dilute preparations known as "remedies", homeopathyhomeopathy.His discovery of the Law of Similars was
grew from the meticulous research of an 18ththe fuse that ignited the rest of Dr. Hahnemann's
century German physician named Samuel Hahnemann.research. This research, the results of which were
At the height of his career, Dr. Hahnemann was thecompiled into exhaustive volumes he called "provings",
personal physician to the German royal family and thehas been continually updated by other homeopaths
author of one of the most respected chemistryever since.Lisa Barger is a traditional naturopath
texts of the time. But despite his personal andspecializing in natural health education. To learn more
professional successes, Dr. Hahnemann grewabout Ms.