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