HOMŒOPATHIC MYTHS

MYTHS ON HOMŒOPATHY

From the time, I passed out of college and started my homœopathic practice I have had to answer many questions about my profession.   These questions ranged from the speed of working of homœopathic medicines to the scientific validity of homœopathy and many more.   I found that people have many misconceptions about homœopathy, which need to be addressed.  These are some of the frequent ones.

1.      

      HOMŒOPATHS ARE QUACKS

In India there are proper graduate (BHMS) and postgraduate (MD) courses for HOMŒOPATHY which is done full-time under a medical university.  

-          BHMS is a five and half year course, just like the MBBS course

-          The BHMS students study:

-          1^st  year (1 + 1/2year):  Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacy

-          2^nd   year: Pathology, Microbiology, Parasitology, Forensic Medicine and Social and Preventive Medicine.

-          3^rd  year: Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Surgery incl.ENT and Ophthalmology

-          4^th year of Medicine.

-          5^th year: a one year internship in a homœopathic hospital.

-          And every year they have additional homœopathic subjects of Organon – the Homoeopathic philosophy and Materia Medica.

2.       HOMŒOPATHIC REMEDIES ARE ONLY PLACEBOS

As all homœopathic medicines look the same and they are small sweet pills, one assumes that they help a patient psychologically.  A Homœopath interacts with the patient trying to know him more, so when he prescribes, he is accurate.  At the end of a homœopathic consultation, the patient comes out feeling very nice about all the attention shown by the doctor towards his problem.  Any subsequent improvement in the patient’s condition is attributed to this interaction and not the medicines prescribed.

-          If HOMŒOPATHY medicines were placebos, they should have no effect on infants and new-borns.  But homoeopathy works brilliantly in infants too.

-          Many veterinary doctors have also used HOMŒOPATHY to successfully treat animals – both domestic and wild animals.

-          On many occasions Homœopaths have brought patients out of an unconscious state, and have also helped mentally ill people.

3.       HOMŒOPATHY IS SLOW

-          In acute conditions like severe pain, loose motions, headache, stomach cramps, sudden acute vertigo – HOMŒOPATHY can be so fast that you will be amazed.

-          But when it concerns chronic problems, diseases which have developed slowly over a period of time, one has to patiently take HOMŒOPATHY for complete freedom from the complaint.

4.       DURING HOMŒOPATHIC TREATMENT ONE HAS TO FOLLOW A STRICT DIET

-          A person while on homœopathic treatment can continue to have onions, garlic, all spices and coffee. 

-          The importance is to maintain moderateness in the diet and not overdo anything.

-          People prone to allergies must refrain from eating those things that increases their allergic reactions.

-          Continued Homœopathic treatment may help develop a better resistance. 

5.       DIABETICS CANNOT TAKE HOMŒOPATHIC MEDICINE

-          Homœopaths usually dispense medicines in the form of small sugar pills or as lactose powder – small doses, to be taken either once or twice a day, which cannot probably raise the level of blood sugar physically.  

-          Homœopathic medicines can also be dispensed if necessary in the liquid form in water.

6.       HOMŒOPATHY  HAS NO SIDE-EFFECTS

-          A knife can be used to carve beautiful carvings.

-          A knife can be used to hurt and kill too.

Avoid Self-medication, Homoeopathy produces best results when taken under the guidance of a qualified homoeopath.

7.       HOMŒOPATHY IS NOT SCIENTIFIC

Homœopathy is based on a few facts, which cannot be denied.

1.       A Disease produces in the body a group of signs and symptoms. 

2.       A drug too when ingested produces in the body a group of signs and symptoms.

3.       The third fact is that cure of diseases can take place when drugs are taken.

Now Homœopathy claims that for cure to take place there is a certain disease – drug relationship, which is similarity.  That is Drugs can cure only when they can produce symptoms similar to the symptoms of the Disease to be cured.  This claim is verified each time that a homoeopath selects a remedy based on similarity and cure takes place.

The problem of homœopathy not being scientific comes up when talking about the extent to which homœopathic medicines are diluted.  In fact they are so diluted that if we go by the present day scientific knowledge, there cannot be any substance in homœopathic remedies and so they will be considered as placebos.  But as said earlier they cannot be placebos if children, animals and the mentally ill have been cured by homœopathy. 

So, just because scientific knowledge has still not come up with an explanation for the homœopathic dynamized dilutions, we cannot ignore the cures that take place when homœopathy is used.  
Apples were falling down even before Sir Isaac Newton had discovered Gravity!