| What is Classical Homeopathy? |
In the early 1800s, a German medical doctor by the name of Samuel Hahnemann founded the practice of
homeopathy and defined the principles of cure in his publication “Organon of the Medical Art.” These
principles have been repeatedly confirmed effective since then and continue to be the guiding light in the
holistic practice of modern Classical Homeopathy.
Hahnemann discovered early on in his career that conventional medical practices of the times caused
more harm to the sick than it did good. So, he abandoned his medical practice but maintained a
presence in the medical world by translating materia medica. Because he was dissatisfied with the results
of orthodox medical treatment, he questioned the prevailing medical theories and proved their
inaccuracy. In one experiment that he conducted on himself, he took a regimen of an extract prepared
from Peruvian bark (quinine). To his surprise, he develop symptoms that were similar to malaria, and
when he stopped taking the extract, all the symptoms disappeared. This was a revolutionary discovery
that was not found anywhere in the medical practices of the time. He searched for precedents for this
affect and found them in the teaching of Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) who is regarded as the father of
medicine. Hippocrates taught that likes can be cured by likes... that any illness caused by one means can
be treated successfully by a similar means. * This discovery propelled him to investigate and experiment
with a wide variety of substances, and dilutions of those substances, in order to understand the effect on
human suffering. He devoted the rest of his life to researching and developing the principles of what we
call today “Classical Homeopathy”.
The term Homeopathy (sometimes spelled Homoeopathy) comes from the Greek words “homoios”
which means similar and “pathos” which means disease or suffering. From this one can understand that
homeopathy uses similar diseases or similar suffering to cure the sick. What does that mean similar
diseases? First of all, what is the meaning of the word disease? When broken down into syllables, “dis” -
“ease” is literally the opposite of comfort or calm. When a person is sick, s/he has a natural disease or a
natural state of discomfort. When a person is treated with homeopathy, s/he receives a treatment which
is similar to the disease or discomfort they are experiencing. Let’s call it an artificial “hologram” of the
natural disease. It’s not a real disease but it has the energy of the real, natural disease. The hologram
essentially attaches to the natural one, thus neutralizing it. Once the energy of the natural disease has
been removed, the body taps into it's natural ability to heal itself.
Hahnemann called this very fundamental principle of homeopathy the “Law of Similars” or simply stated
“like cures like”. Though Hippocrates understood this concept, it was not his original thought. In fact,
we can trace this concept further back into Biblical text. In the book of Genesis, there are two specific
references. The water known at May Mar - bitter water - was sweetened when a piece of bark was placed
into the water. Why did the bark sweeten the water? The taste of the bark was bitter by nature, and
therefore the bitter bark replaced the bitterness in the water thus leaving behind sweetened waters. In
another chapter, there was a plague in the form of poisonous snakes causing death amongst the Hebrews.
To bring about their cure, G-d commanded Moses to erect an image of a snake using the copper. The
word snake in Hebrew is “nechash” and the word copper is “nechoshet”; two very similar words with
similar Hebrew letters. The copper image of the snake was the similar that cured the natural disease from
the snake. It is interesting to note that this image of the copper snake became the universal symbol of
healing throughout the generations.
In modern practice, a homeopathic remedy is prepared from any natural substance in creation. Most
remedies are from elements, minerals, plants, and animals, but there are remedies from imponderables
like electricity, the sun, and the moon, as well as nosodes which are from disease substances like malaria,
gonorrhea, cancer and tuberculosis.
Hahnemann defined another fundamental principle of Homeopathy referred to as the “Minimum Dose.”
This principle was established after he discovered that the more a substance was diluted, the more effective
it became and with fewer side affects. Today, remedies are prepared from crude substances which are
diluted tens, hundreds and even thousands of times. The crude substance is pulverized (or in the case of
solid minerals, soaked in a liquid over time) to create what is called a “mother tincture”. We often see
these mother tinctures in the health food store sold as herbal supplements like St. John’s wort or
Echinachea. In homeopathy, these mother tinctures are diluted and succussed (shaken) until there is
little to no molecular presence of the original substance. What is left behind is the energy print of the
substance - that is, that “thing” or vital force which gives the substance it’s essences or character. This
process is called dynamization and potentization.
How do we know that a substance has an energy print or a vital force? The same way we know that
humans and animals have an energy force or vital force which gives it life. Take that away and we are
nothing more than a lifeless mass of nothing. So too, with everything else in creation. An onion is not
an onion if it doesn’t have the inner power or the energy to taste or smell like an onion, or to feel like an
onion with all its layers, or even to affect us like onions do.
What happens when you cut up an onion? Your eyes start to tear, maybe your nose starts to run, your
eyes burn, there is a burning sensation on the skin if the onion is really strong, and believe it or not there
is a dullness of the mind when the aroma of the onion is left to linger. Now imagine a condition that
has these similar symptoms: watery burning eyes, runny nose, and mental dullness. In practice the
homeopathic remedy from the red onion, known as Allium Cepa, may be used in the treatment of some
allergies or the common cold.
How does a homeopath know what symptoms can be cured by any particular remedy? It’s called
“provings” or human testing. Hahnemann established the practice of testing or “proving” remedies by
experimenting on healthy human subjects... specifically himself and his colleagues. After taking the
potentized (i.e. diluted and succussed) substance, he and his colleagues would carefully document every
physical, mental or emotion symptom that appeared during the experiment. The modern approach to
“proving” remedies is carefully managed using double or triple blind experiments and placebos so that the
integrity of the proving can withstand the test of clinical experience.
"The physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure as it is termed."
This statement is the first principle that guides the homeopath in his/her treatment of each and every
patient. Unlike other practices which manage and control illness, Homeopathy presents an opportunity to
"cure as it is termed"... that is, to heal each individual based on his or her unique holistic condition.
*Family Homeopathy - A Practical Guide for Home Treatment by Paul Callinan
homeopathy and defined the principles of cure in his publication “Organon of the Medical Art.” These
principles have been repeatedly confirmed effective since then and continue to be the guiding light in the
holistic practice of modern Classical Homeopathy.
Hahnemann discovered early on in his career that conventional medical practices of the times caused
more harm to the sick than it did good. So, he abandoned his medical practice but maintained a
presence in the medical world by translating materia medica. Because he was dissatisfied with the results
of orthodox medical treatment, he questioned the prevailing medical theories and proved their
inaccuracy. In one experiment that he conducted on himself, he took a regimen of an extract prepared
from Peruvian bark (quinine). To his surprise, he develop symptoms that were similar to malaria, and
when he stopped taking the extract, all the symptoms disappeared. This was a revolutionary discovery
that was not found anywhere in the medical practices of the time. He searched for precedents for this
affect and found them in the teaching of Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) who is regarded as the father of
medicine. Hippocrates taught that likes can be cured by likes... that any illness caused by one means can
be treated successfully by a similar means. * This discovery propelled him to investigate and experiment
with a wide variety of substances, and dilutions of those substances, in order to understand the effect on
human suffering. He devoted the rest of his life to researching and developing the principles of what we
call today “Classical Homeopathy”.
The term Homeopathy (sometimes spelled Homoeopathy) comes from the Greek words “homoios”
which means similar and “pathos” which means disease or suffering. From this one can understand that
homeopathy uses similar diseases or similar suffering to cure the sick. What does that mean similar
diseases? First of all, what is the meaning of the word disease? When broken down into syllables, “dis” -
“ease” is literally the opposite of comfort or calm. When a person is sick, s/he has a natural disease or a
natural state of discomfort. When a person is treated with homeopathy, s/he receives a treatment which
is similar to the disease or discomfort they are experiencing. Let’s call it an artificial “hologram” of the
natural disease. It’s not a real disease but it has the energy of the real, natural disease. The hologram
essentially attaches to the natural one, thus neutralizing it. Once the energy of the natural disease has
been removed, the body taps into it's natural ability to heal itself.
Hahnemann called this very fundamental principle of homeopathy the “Law of Similars” or simply stated
“like cures like”. Though Hippocrates understood this concept, it was not his original thought. In fact,
we can trace this concept further back into Biblical text. In the book of Genesis, there are two specific
references. The water known at May Mar - bitter water - was sweetened when a piece of bark was placed
into the water. Why did the bark sweeten the water? The taste of the bark was bitter by nature, and
therefore the bitter bark replaced the bitterness in the water thus leaving behind sweetened waters. In
another chapter, there was a plague in the form of poisonous snakes causing death amongst the Hebrews.
To bring about their cure, G-d commanded Moses to erect an image of a snake using the copper. The
word snake in Hebrew is “nechash” and the word copper is “nechoshet”; two very similar words with
similar Hebrew letters. The copper image of the snake was the similar that cured the natural disease from
the snake. It is interesting to note that this image of the copper snake became the universal symbol of
healing throughout the generations.
In modern practice, a homeopathic remedy is prepared from any natural substance in creation. Most
remedies are from elements, minerals, plants, and animals, but there are remedies from imponderables
like electricity, the sun, and the moon, as well as nosodes which are from disease substances like malaria,
gonorrhea, cancer and tuberculosis.
Hahnemann defined another fundamental principle of Homeopathy referred to as the “Minimum Dose.”
This principle was established after he discovered that the more a substance was diluted, the more effective
it became and with fewer side affects. Today, remedies are prepared from crude substances which are
diluted tens, hundreds and even thousands of times. The crude substance is pulverized (or in the case of
solid minerals, soaked in a liquid over time) to create what is called a “mother tincture”. We often see
these mother tinctures in the health food store sold as herbal supplements like St. John’s wort or
Echinachea. In homeopathy, these mother tinctures are diluted and succussed (shaken) until there is
little to no molecular presence of the original substance. What is left behind is the energy print of the
substance - that is, that “thing” or vital force which gives the substance it’s essences or character. This
process is called dynamization and potentization.
How do we know that a substance has an energy print or a vital force? The same way we know that
humans and animals have an energy force or vital force which gives it life. Take that away and we are
nothing more than a lifeless mass of nothing. So too, with everything else in creation. An onion is not
an onion if it doesn’t have the inner power or the energy to taste or smell like an onion, or to feel like an
onion with all its layers, or even to affect us like onions do.
What happens when you cut up an onion? Your eyes start to tear, maybe your nose starts to run, your
eyes burn, there is a burning sensation on the skin if the onion is really strong, and believe it or not there
is a dullness of the mind when the aroma of the onion is left to linger. Now imagine a condition that
has these similar symptoms: watery burning eyes, runny nose, and mental dullness. In practice the
homeopathic remedy from the red onion, known as Allium Cepa, may be used in the treatment of some
allergies or the common cold.
How does a homeopath know what symptoms can be cured by any particular remedy? It’s called
“provings” or human testing. Hahnemann established the practice of testing or “proving” remedies by
experimenting on healthy human subjects... specifically himself and his colleagues. After taking the
potentized (i.e. diluted and succussed) substance, he and his colleagues would carefully document every
physical, mental or emotion symptom that appeared during the experiment. The modern approach to
“proving” remedies is carefully managed using double or triple blind experiments and placebos so that the
integrity of the proving can withstand the test of clinical experience.
"The physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure as it is termed."
This statement is the first principle that guides the homeopath in his/her treatment of each and every
patient. Unlike other practices which manage and control illness, Homeopathy presents an opportunity to
"cure as it is termed"... that is, to heal each individual based on his or her unique holistic condition.
*Family Homeopathy - A Practical Guide for Home Treatment by Paul Callinan
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Francine Bork Nadav, Classical Homeopath tel. 516-510-7880 email. francine22@optonline.net Long Island Office: 421 Oakland Avenue * Cedarhurst, New York 11516 Queens: 144-37 68th Drive, Suite 1, Kew Garden Hills, New York Manhattan: 8 Gramercy Park South, New York City, New York |