What is Homeopathy?

The efficacy of homeopathy is proven by the popularity it has across the world, the number of practitioners and hospitals dedicated to homeopathic care, and the clinical trials that have been undertaken. Even so, it can be difficult to understand exactly how the principles of homeopathy actually work in practice, leading some modern doctors to remain skeptical about its effectiveness. From Hahnemann’s first experiment with quinine, he went on to prove the efficacy of around 100 homeopathic remedies. There are now more than 2000 available, with new ones continually being added. The remedies are made from animal, vegetable, and mineral sources, which are as varied as honey bees (including the sting), snake venom, and poison ivy leaves, onions, coffee beans, and daisies. But the amounts used are so minute that no substance can be tasted or side-effects experienced, however poisonous or toxic the substance might be.

In his “provings,” Hahnemann had been worried by some patients who got worse before they got better after taking the substances given to them. To prevent this happening, he developed a new system of diluting the remedies. He diluted each remedy and then “succussed” or shook it. He believed that doing this released the energy of the substance. He found not only that the new system of diluting prevented the worsening of symptoms, but also, to his astonishment, that the more diluted the substance, the better its effects. He called this method “potentization.” The process of making the remedies is very precise. Soluble substances such as plant and animal extracts are dissolved in a solution of about 90 percent alcohol and 10 percent distilled water, depending on the substance. The mixture is kept in an airtight container and left to stand for two to four weeks, occasionally being shaken. Insoluble substances, such as gold, are first ground down into a fine powder until they become soluble, and then undergo the same process. The mixture is then strained, and the resulting solution is known as the mother tincture.

The mother tincture is then diluted again to produce the different potencies which make up the homeopathic remedies. The dilution is measured as either decimal (x) or centesimal (c). Decimal remedies are diluted to the ratio 1:10, while the centesimal ratio is 1:100. So to produce a 1c potency, one drop of the mother tincture is added to 99 drops of an alcohol and water solution, and then succussed. To produce a 2c potency, one drop of the 1c solution is mixed with an alcohol and water solution, and then succussed. By the time the remedy reaches a 12c potency, it is unlikely that any of the original substance remains in the solution, and yet it remains effective. This is why some skeptics find it difficult to accept the efficacy of homeopathy. But the therapy’s supporters believe that physics is not yet developed enough to explain the phenomenon.

However, one theory is that the dilution process triggers an electromagnetic imprint which affects our own electromagnetic field, another is that the method of succussion creates and stores an electrochemical pattern in the solution which then spreads through the patient when taken. Once the solution has been succussed and diluted to a certain level, the potentized remedy is then added to lactose, or milk sugar, in the form of tablets, pilules, granules, or powder, and stored in a dark glass bottle, away from direct sunlight. For treatment purposes, different potencies are prescribed. For an acute illness, a low-potency remedy is recommended, for a chronic disease, a higher potency is more useful.