“Sticks and stones may break my bones,” is a favorite children’s taunt. How often we have heard this yet prayed it would never happen! Nevertheless, should an injury occur, there’s nothing more comforting than the homeopathic first aid kit. First aid is the arena in which most people are introduced to homeopathy. Every household, school, ambulance, summer camp and dorm room should be equipped with a homeopathy kit to prevent a simple emergency from becoming a serious casualty.
Law of Nature
What is homeopathy? It is a unique form of medicine that uses minute amounts of pharmaceutically prepared substances from plants, animals and minerals. It is based on strict adherence to the “law of similars” defined by Samuel Hahnemann, MD, in the late 1700s. Dr. Hahnemann noted in his scholarly efforts that when a toxic substance is diluted to an infinitesimal level, its toxic characteristics are antidoted, leaving only the curative qualities in the remedy. For example, most people have heard of ipecac for use in inducing vomiting. This substance, when diluted in the homeopathic method will treat an illness of relentless vomiting.
Twenty-five hundred years before Hahnemann, Hippocrates also noted the parallel action existing between the power of a toxic substance and its therapeutic ability. As a result of the body’s ability to adjust to the trigger, this pharmaceutical process allows the pathology to resolve. Dr. Hahnemann’s theory was scientifically reproducible and continues to be so today; hence his hypothesis is not theoretical but reflects a biological law of nature. Yet, homeopathy has no side effects, is safe, gentle and, oddly enough, quite inexpensive. The only drawback is that it takes some self education in order to treat emergencies with assuredness. After teaching this method of medicine, I’m confident that anyone can master simple first aid using homeopathic remedies. In general, for first aid, use potencies of 30C.
Basic Remedies
Let’s begin with a remedy that is often thought of first, particularly when the pathology has a quick and abrupt start: Aconitum napellus. When it comes to the pain, swelling and shock of a sprained ankle and similar sports injuries, this is a rewarding first choice. It should be administered orally as soon as possible and from every few minutes for more severe injuries to once daily for minor ones. This method is the rule of thumb for the administration of homeopathic remedies in general.
The second most frequently used remedy for trauma is Arnica montana, particularly when it comes to injuries to the head such as in concussions. If the injury is serious, it should be administered on the way to the hospital every few minutes. It can be taken until the initial need for Aconitum has passed. Homeopathy is compatible with conventional medicine so one can feel confident using it simultaneously with other treatment methods to bring needed calm, pain relief and healing. In her book More Magic of the Minimum Dose, Dr. Dorothy Shepherd relates that in homeopathic hospitals throughout Europe and India, Arnica montana, when used in high enough potency, has relieved pain from injuries more effectively than morphine! And there are no side effects or addictions associated with homeopathic medicines. Arnica montana can also be used for dental work. It is powerful in its ability to address potential infection and anxiety and soften the shock and discomfort of surgery. Indeed, it can even reduce fear of dental work. Dr. Dorothy Shepherd, British homeopathic doctor and researcher states in her book, A Physician’s Posy, “It is advisable to take Arnica before going to the dentist to prevent shock and pain after an extraction. Hemorrhage is frequently much lessened by such preventative measures.”
Ledum is the remedy of choice for most insect stings. Think of it also for accidents from punctures, stabs, even an injury from an embedded nail, as well as bites from cats, rats, dogs and horses. Meanwhile, be sure to get traditional medical care as well, since Ledum is not a substitute for professional care when the injury is serious. Having Ledum on hand however, is an opportunity to augment the body’s ability to begin healing, reduce swelling, minimize potential infection and bring about calm. Hypericum is also used for injuries particularly if the pain involves nerve injury, and when pain is severe. Hypericum is a capital choice for tooth pain that originates in an inflamed nerve or after an extraction.
When considering gastric issues there are many remedies of equal value to Ipecac, yet Ipecac is the remedy you want on hand when vomiting is relentless and affords no relief after the episode. All homeopathic remedies must be chosen specifically for their symptoms and etiology. For example, Nux vomica is the premiere remedy for overdoing a good thing: the New Year’s Day hangover; the child who stays up late at a friend’s house after gorging on pizza and soda; or overindulgence from Halloween candy. Usually the sufferer is cold and has the feeling that if he could only vomit, he’d feel better. There may be irritability and bloating or diarrhea alternating with constipation. Food poisoning, regardless of the pathogen is often aided by Nux vomica, but the ultimate remedy for this malady is Arsenicum album. This is particularly valuable for diarrhea that is exhausting accompanied by cold and restlessness and burning pains in the stomach or rectum.
What about that wretched poison ivy that causes so much summer distress? Pack Croton tiglium in your backpack for when a poison ivy outbreak is blistering a great deal with inflammation and itching. It is particularly useful for when the outbreak is located on the scalp, near the eyes or on the genitals. If the eruption is of a burning nature that causes severe itching and is aggravated by the warmth of a bed, the night, and by scratching, consider Rhus tox. This powerful remedy is particularly interesting since it is made from poison ivy. For those with a propensity for these itchy outbreaks yearly, it can be used as a prophylactic before the season begins with a few doses each day for two days.
On planning your homeopathy kit, it is best to buy it already organized in a neat box from a reputable pharmacy. The price is substantially less per bottle and the pharmacy’s expertise aids in choosing the most useful remedies. There are several kit sizes available. Purchase the most extensive kit you can afford. Since the remedies, if handled properly, will last indefinitely, the kit becomes an investment of long term benefits. Hylands (www.Hylands.com) carries a kit that is well organized and economical. Consider taking a teleseminar in first aid homeopathy and purchasing a how-to book or CD. The more fleshed out your understanding of this vital discipline, the more able you’ll be to depend on its effectiveness. So the next time you hear children chant, smile and think: “I’m ready for an emergency. I have my homeopathy kit.”
SIDEBAR
Aggravation Versus Side Effects
A side effect is an unintended or undesirable consequence of a medical treatment, which arises from a substance that is a toxin, for example, aspirin causing ulcers. The substance is still in the material form; hence the poisonous aspect of the substance remains active. The ulcerative response to ingestion of aspirin is not inherent within the person’s make up; it is a normal reaction to the presence of a toxin. In a homeopathic remedy, the poisonous aspect is removed by potentization, and only the curative aspect remains. The reaction some people experience, of symptoms worsening, for example, is a reaction to the body finding equilibrium to gain health rather than an effort to throw off a poison. This article addresses acute illness, in which low potencies and short term use are employed. In this situation it is extremely rare to see any effect other than a curative one. In fact, in my 21 years of homeopathy experience, I’ve never seen an aggravation when using a remedy for the situations discussed here, nor for any acute illness for that matter. However, when remedies are employed in constitutional care such as for chronic illness, such as allergies, colitis, etc., then we can witness an aggravation. And even then, an aggravation is not a side effect.
Feeling tired after a constitutional remedy is the body’s way of finding the the best way to heal, and the body does this by aggravating the old symptoms, not by creating new ones. One is an effort to deal with a toxic substance, the other is the body’s effort to complete the illness and get back to home. If there is a reaction—and there rarely is one in the hands of an experienced homeopath—it is not a side effect, but an aggravation. Within the scope of this article, I would never encourage someone to treat himself or others constitutionally without proper training.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2008.
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This site loses all credibility by claiming homeopathy is more than water.
This site has a lot of good information, great support for small farms and natural foods, but anyone that tries to claim homeopathy is more than water is a con man. It’s shameful to see this site provide a lot of good information but then ruin it’s credibility by trying to convince people that water will cure diseases. The writers of this article know, just like I know that no study has ever been done showing homeopathy does anything more than a placebo. This is why homeopathy salesmen use the same fraudulent research tactic as vaccine manufacturers. They both either leave out control groups or use false or active control groups to provide manipulated data.
I’m sad to see this site hurt itself with it’s support of these con men. Those of us that understand science and research fraud know better than to believe homeopaths and vaccine companies.
Homeopathy absolutely works. I’ve been using it with my family for nearly 14 years & guess what? No vaccines, no antibiotics ~ ever ~ my kids are theoving because we use herbs, oils & homeopathy 🙂 who’s the con-man?
One stand-out, absolutely AMaZING experience with homeopathy is when my 5-year old son was down with the flu. He’d been sick about 12 hours when we dosed him with homeopathic Oscillococcinum which completely ABORTED the virus from his system. Within 4 hours of the single dose remedy his fever was abated, the next day he awoke refreshed, up and running like little boys will do! We will NEVER be without homeopathic medicine & have our medicine chests properly stocked for ages 🙂
Actually, homeopathy is based on a principle that modern conventional medicine also uses: like cures like: use some of a substance or pathogen to prevent getting sick from that pathogen.
Explainable or not, to me the best indication that it DOES work, and that the placebo effect is not operative, is that it works for animals.
Case in point: we adopted a seven-month old kitten who we quickly discovered was extremely fear-aggressive; he had been isolated from his mother, other cats and most human contact, mauled by an adult tom, and nearly starved. He would bite viciously at no discernible provocation, and could barely allow himself to be touched. We knew if we sent him back he’d be euthanized, which we of course wanted to avoid. Nor were we about to put him on tranquilizers, which would only have masked his problem and caused unwanted side effects I searched for alternatives, then chose several Bach flower essences that I thought might address his symptom. They are prepared on homeopathic principles.
The results were astonishing. Within just a few weeks he had calmed remarkably. Those drops saved his life, literally and figuratively. Today, 10 years later, he’s a feisty but well-adjusted cat (and one of the smartest we’ve ever had).
There are plenty of homeopathic hospitals all across the world who would disagree with you. the British Royal family swear by homeopathy, and thousands upon thousands of people have been cured using homeopathy. Just because you can’t explain something using your particular world view, does not mean it is not possible. It sound to me that you are very narrow minded and have trouble thinking outside the square. Try widening your mind a little…
http://www.geocities.ws/drratiram_sharma/HomoeoEfficacyEstablished.html
Check this link for scientific study on homeopathy ….
The doctor was a HOD of BioPhysics in India PGI, Chandigarh….
really?
I’m a fan of the Weston Price foundation, and I suppose I’m open to the idea that homeopathy can work, but the arguments that homeopathy is just quackery are so compelling that the WAPF really needs to mount a robust and detailed defense of its advocacy of these remedies.
The animal test
I see that Jon’s post was last year and he is probably long gone, but Mark, if you are still around…
I also wondered how homeopathy could possibly work. I too thought perhaps it was the placebo effect. However, I have seen homeopathy help animals, who have no expectations of the curative properties. The bottom line is that it works. So we don’t have to know exactly how or why. There are many things that are pretty subtle yet amazing when it comes to the human body.
But there is nothing at in properly prepared homeopathic solutions!
I’d like to see double blind studies using controls of the efficacy of homeopathy in, for example, the treatment of poison ivy or the common cold or fractured ankles. To say, without such studies, that homeopathy works for these (and many other) afflictions is the same thing as advocating astrology. There is not the slightest foundation in science for either. There is no scientific reason whatever to think either would work. Properly prepared (highly successively diluted) homeopathic solutions can be shown to have no significant chance of containing a single molecule of the intended substance per bottle much less per dose. How can water with nothing in it work to heal?
In addition to the double blind studies you should show if you claim homeopathy works, here is another challenge. I’d like to see a homeopath who can distinguish by *any* means, a true homeopathic solution from water, again with double blind technique. In fact, if anyone can, the James Randi Foundation offers a million dollar cash prize for such a demonstration if it meets scientific criteria. To date, no homeopath has agreed to such a test. That should tell you something.
http://www.geocities.ws/drratiram_sharma/HomoeoEfficacyEstablished.html
Check this link for scientific study on homeopathy ….
The doctor was a HOD of BioPhysics in India PGI, Chandigarh….
I Have A Brain
Did you guys hear about the guy who overdosed on his homeopathic medicine? Yeah, he forgot to take it! LOLOLOLOLOL!!L!1!!!11.
Seriously though. It’s water, along with *MAYBE* a molecule of an actual active ingredient of something else. Read the label for their sleep-aids… it has *CAFFEINE* in it. People need to learn the difference between scientific evidence and anecdotal evidence. Just because someone says it worked for them doesn’t mean anything at all. My obese, smoking great-grandmother lived to be 96. Trust me, smoking and obesity help you live longer.
Don’t knock it till you try it
I read these comments and was angered. You may not agree with homeopathies but many would call you nuts for believing some of what Weston Price researched. I became a believer when I gave various kinds of homeopathies to my daughter for a variety of complaints. She has bad reactions to regular over the counter stuff. She didn’t know what she was taking or what is was supposed to help with but I did as a mother. I was amazed at how well they work with her. She is the kind of kid that would have anxiety attack. Not any more because of the use of homeopathies. We use them in our first aid kit with wonderful results. Even Doctor Price knew that sometimes a tiny amount of certain minerals could help the absorption of other nutrients. Real science keeps an open mind to things they may not understand.
It’s just Water/Sugar
Stacy, it’s called science. The Weston A. Price Foundation article answering Vegetarian/Vegan claims cites 130 different external references, while this article on Homeopathy cites none. That’s the difference. “Don’t knock it until you try it” is simply the motto of anecdotal pseudo-science. If it really does work then it should be easy to prove it in a controlled scientific study. There would be no need to jump through all these hoops to try and explain how homeopathy really does work despite the fact that it can’t be demonstrated as beneficial in any controlled study.
Yes, tiny amounts of minerals can affect the body, but homeopathic solutions are not even close to containing a tiny amount of anything. A 200 mg caffeine pill has 102,991,596,915,607,670,000 molecules of caffeine in it. Some homeopathic solutions are diluted so much that they aren’t even guaranteed to contain a single molecule of their “ingredients”. Having a few quadrillion, trillion, billion, or even a million molecules can have a noticeable effect on the body, but 1-2 or two molecules cannot. Of course, there are some medicines that call themselves homeopathic that actually do contain a reasonable amount of active ingredients, but a true homeopathic solution is diluted so much that there simply isn’t much of a chance that there is even one molecule of an active ingredient in it. Thus they are nothing more than water/sugar/wax or whatever other base the medicine is made of.
mother/grandmother
Believe what you will, trust what works for you.
I’m totally against vaccines, they are the second biggest fraud of all time.
But healing is a personal thing, if you don’t believe a something will heal you it won’t, even if it does heal others. As a man thinketh…
Faith is part of the equation for healing or not healing, I’ve seen people healed with just a touch. I don’t try to explain it, just accept it and go on living.
I do know from fact, study, experience and medical training that most of the medications available today are glorified poisons with dubious benefits other than making money for the makers.
We have devolved from healing patients to merely treating symptoms. There is no cure, just endless treatments.
Homeopathy, touch therapy, holistic practices and herbs do work, they heal, they cure.
And as long as that doesn’t change I could care less about anybody’s doubts about HOW homeopathy works. I don’t care about all the details of my car running or what does what. All I want to know is keeping it running by treating it right, oil, gas, air in the tires.
All I want is my body healed and feeling good, without deadly side effects and insidious damage from poisons sold as medicine.
I don’t want to be endlessly treated, given addictive, damaging crap.
I want to be cured and go on with my life. And that is what I get.
excellent point and I agree!
Half knowledge
When people think that what they know is everything, then no one can help them. Homoeopathy is a proven system of medicine and are the number of cures taking place through this method not evidence enough? This system is different from he traditional system of medicine and so is the proving. Well no one can force anyone into believing any ideas.
It would be nice to see Calabrese reply to some of these comments, to at least provide a conflicting opinion on the science of homeopathy instead of leaving critical comments to waste.
In fact, there have been many research studies of homeopathy yielding positive indications of efficacy, surprising the researchers of a metastudy. But if seeing only a flat Earth is the real objective, those with eyes to see will not be open to objective examination of any evidence.
You can tell the blustering types by their generalizations of “there’s no conclusive evidence” or “no objective double-blind studies have been done” to fuel their opinion… but it just ain’t so. I suppose looking at the existing research is just too threatening. Best to ignore it, pretend it doesn’t exist, and attack anyone who brings up any relevant information is the typical M.O.
How can scientists insist they are unbiased and all for objective research, when it’s clear many fall back on an opinion they’re taught instead of being open to examining evidence even if it goes against their current paradigms? Historically we look back on those silly flat-earthers clinging to what they believe instead of examining any contrary evidence of a round Earth with tectonic plates that revolves around the Sun. Or those “invisible germs” that can’t possibly have an effect if they cannot be seen! Yesteryear’s heretics are today’s founding innovators, if they happen to have the fortitude to prove themselves right in the face of ignorance and fear.
The scientific method is fine, within limits (read on…), but how many are able to make any leap into new perspectives when jumping to an automatic knee-jerk reaction to anything that could possibly offend “reason”? That takes true visionary talent, and an honest assessment of these qualities, is not standard equipment for most of us. Those visionaries in every age have bucked the storms of dissent with new insights and revelations that proved to be transformative. How many opportunities have been lost by being stamped out by “that’s not the way we do things” mindset?
But yes, there have been many research studies on homeopathy. While the mechanism is still unknown, there are positive indications of efficacy in a number of studies. Just a casual web search for homeopathic studies brings up many sources to investigate, if one is truly objective and can see the possibilities in what seems incredible. Is “do no harm” even thinkable in the age of pharm-fueled profits? What if there was an easy, practical and inexpensive way to treat some conditions, without side effects? Here is a sample:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:
“Some report significant benefits from homeopathic treatments; others do not. But, unlike the animal studies I examined last month, no deliberate harm was inflicted on the subjects, and the findings have immediate relevance to human health.”
http://pcrm.org/research/animaltestalt/animaltesting/homeopathy-research-efficacy-studies
28 medical conditions in which there is currently a positive balance of evidence for homeopathy in randomised placebo-controlled trials (RCTs):
http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/conditions-with-overall-positive-evidence-for-homeopathy/
Summary of homeopathic research including references:
http://www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2-page-evidence-summary.pdf
Hints that could explain how these “subtle” substances work, can be found in the fascinating realm of quantum physics, which blow Newton’s mechanical theories out of the water. Oh, they do seem to operate on the human macro level of gross material form… but quantum physics studies have discovered some mind-blowing observations. Such as: a particle’s behavior will CHANGE when an observer observes the particle, demonstrating that particles do NOT behave in only one predictable way. They may change in response to an interaction from the observer. That is not your Mother’s physics.
Another recent finding states that quantum physics shows that FUTURE events decide what happens in the PAST (retrocausality). So our entire perception of time, cause and effect is not holding up under particle law. The implications, would point to this subtle level of operation of reality that we’re just beginning to understand–so far fetched as it seems, then a homeopathic remedy could plausibly indeed impart change on the particle level, resulting in the appearance of correction or healing in our macro level experience.
“A new study published in Nature Physics appears to show that time in fact may move backward, things may exist in multiple states, and whether a tree fell in the woods not only may depend on whether anyone ultimately saw it, but also on whether something somehow knew it would be seen. “It proves that measurement is everything. At the quantum level, reality does not exist if you are not looking at it,” said Associate Professor Andrew Truscott from the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering.”
http://secondnexus.com/technology-and-innovation/physicists-demonstrate-how-time-can-seem-to-run-backward-and-the-future-can-affect-the-past/
These quantum revelations also call into question the true validity of research studies as we presently understand them for testing for a “one true way”. How do you “prove” something that cannot be consistent, if there are multiple versions? Are these dimensions that can be switched if we become aware of the range of possibilities? Does the observer’s expectations manifest that which they expect to observe? Isn’t that “magic”? Einstein said that we are “an optical delusion of consciousness.”
Not to mention the subtle energies claimed to have healing effects, coded “biofields” in the literature. Skeptics might be surprised that biofield treatments (aka reiki) is being successfully used on injured troops and veterans in national facilities, and also found effective for patients in many hospitals, clinics and trauma centers. They use it because it helps. Sometimes the cart would seem to come before the horse. (perhaps a demonstration of retrocausality? something discovered in the future shows up in the past).
To address the general derision of any authenticity to the ancient art and science of astrology, please note that any corroborating evidence is typically ignored, altered, or dismissed instead of examined by the reigning scientific community. Let’s remember as well that every profession has it’s charlatans, including scientific researchers (so much fraud has come to light in recent years, it’s shocking that medical treatments have been actually developed based on intentionally fraudulent research ). http://retractionwatch.com/
There has in fact been astrological research showing positive correlation with astrological aphorisms for anyone who cares to examine them. This goes beyond the dumbed-down daily horoscopes meant to cover large segments of the population in one fortune-cookie sweep. For instance, a search for literature on “seasons of birth in psychiatry” finds research in this area based on identifying characteristics of those born in specific seasons, and also lifetime disease outcomes based on the month of birth. Those who are also interested in investigating the subtle energy fields publish under the keyword of “biofield” instead of energy medicine, reiki, etc.
In another case of scientific fraud sweeping any authentication under the rug , Dennis Rawlins’ sTARBABY article recounts how the deliberate manipulation of research data by SCICOP was published to hide the fact their study had in fact replicated Francoise Gauquelin’s Mars Effect research. His exposure led to the eventual retraction of the published article. Gauquelin ended his own life due to the ceaseless haranguing by these rabid “scientists” (a prominent physicist among them who spearheaded the scientific misconduct). Instead of outrage, the general reaction from the scientific community fell along the lines of “it doesn’t matter, because it’s astrology”. So much for discerning any truth in the findings. Read sTARBABY here: http://cura.free.fr/xv/14starbb.html
On Francoise Gauquelin’s successfully repeated research on the Mars Effect:
http://cura.free.fr/xv/11craig.html
Current research is published by The International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) http://www.isarastrology.com/, the National Council for Astrological Research (NCGR) http://www.geocosmic.org/, and Astrology Research Journal (ARJ) http://www.astrologyresearchjournal.org/ amongst others.
So, in conclusion it would be wise not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. True scientific curiosity does not object to the subject matter, instead a worthy goal might state, “what if…?” or even “I do not know for I have not investigated this area”. Examining the possibilities instead of reinforcing what one already assumes (usually based on an opinion and not any actual experience) is the key to moving ahead in understanding how and perhaps why this quantum universe of observer-driven mechanics can actually benefit humans, our planet and any forthcoming venturing out into the physical universe. You never know just what you’ll find.
It takes a thoughtful, truly objective observer to discern what is truly helpful to humanity.
Thank you Universe for homeopathy.
Try to see science for what it is. It claims objectivity but that is it’s foremost ruse. It is always subjective since it is practiced by humans – who are not capable of pure objectivity.
There are none so blind as the DOUBLE BLIND. Science can be helpful as a servant of common sense but makes a devil of a lord & master. Blind (or double blind) worship of ‘science’ is insane. Science is trial & error – mostly error. It is an impossibly slow & hellish expensive process cotrolled by Big Money & the inherent corruption of its officials. It lends itself eminently to political & reportage manipulation of its ‘faithful’.
The reason why homeopathic treatment seems to work is that instead of simply prescribing a pill, the homeopath takes his time to talk to his patient, giving the impression to really care about the patient as a whole. This leads to positive psychosomatic effects. It explains why children or animals, who don’t think about science, profit from homeopathic treatment: Their parents / their owners calm down, imposing positive thinking on the patient. Therefore homeopathy can be superior to placebo treatment. Still, it’s not the homeopathic product that works, but psychology.
Consider how homepathic products are developed: The homeopath produces a liquid with a certain amount of the ingredient. Then he consumes this for some time himself and notes down what symptoms he gets during this period. He concludes, that the liquid would help exactly against these symptoms. And that’s it. The potentiation element is only a red herring. Thinking that a symptom has been caused by only one thing is what is wrong here.
Consider also, when Homeopathy was developed: Back in the 19th century, school medicine was pretty experimental and therefore brutal. People died from infections caused by unhygenic operations and there were no antibiotics. Some illness goes away spontaniously. Those treated with homeopathy got exactly that chance. That’s why Hahnemann became so popular.