Homeopathy in an Age of Medical Mistrust

This Alternative Medicine & Its Principles

In an age in which the public is increasingly distrustful of large corporations and institutions from banks to hospitals, alternative treatments for health issues, like homeopathic medicine, that sidestep these organizations are more attractive.

The concept of homeopathic treatment was first developed by German physician Samuel Hanhemann over 200 years ago, but has only gained popularity in the last 50 years. There are three primary theories regarding the practice of homeopathy.

1. Homeopathic Cure is Drawn from the Cause of Illness

Homeopath adhere to the principle that the primary active ingredient involved in curing a disease comes from an element of the disease itself. This is known as the 'Law of Similars." This implies that if you are poisoned by a spider, the antidote will include the spider's venom as a key ingredient. Some sites also suggest that you should treat burn wounds with fire.

2. Some Homeopathic Solutions are Too Diluted

Homeopathy's second principle is the 'Law of Infinites', implying that the more one dilutes a remedy with water, the more potent it becomes.

When shopping for the product, one will see numbers at the end as '6C' and '30C'. This refers to the ratio of the active ingredient relative to the parts of water. There are so few molecules of the active ingredient they are no longer identifiable by today's technology.

Scientifically, this means that if you are handed a water bottle filled with homeopathic solution, or a water bottle from the grocery store, neither you, nor a homeopath, nor a scientist, would be able to know which solution is which.

3. You can buy Homeopathic Medicine once, and then Never Again

The 'Law of Succussion' proposes that vigorous shaking of the solution imbues the water with the healing property of the active ingredient. This means one could purchase a homeopathic solution, use 75% of it, and then combine the remaining 25% with water because the 'Law of Infinites' suggests that the remaining medicine is still valid.

Homeopathy's Detractors

The James Randi Foundation offers $1 million prize to any organization that can provide the efficacy of homeopathic medicine. While supporters can point to numerous studies that have been done proving homeopathy works, none of these are both in a controlled environment, and performed in a double-blind experiment, both requirements to receive the prize money. Randi has become well known for swallowing entire bottles of homeopathic sleeping pills - and has yet to show effects from the 'overdose'.