ARTICLES
Homeopathy
EVALUATING FROM THE GRID OF HISTORY
Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) was the founder of
homeopathy. It is a system of therapeutics in which diseases
are treated by drugs, which are capable of producing in
healthy people symptoms similar to those of the disease to
be treated. The drug is administered in minute doses. Samuel
Hahnemann explains "The curative power of medicaments is
derived from the fact they in themselves produce similar
symptoms to those of the illness, and contain an energy
superior to those in symptoms."
He made this discovery when he experimented on himself with
cinchona (Peruvian bark from which quinine is extracted) and
found himself breaking out with all the symptoms of malaria
– bone pain, heart palpitations, thirst, drowsiness etc. In
time he discovered that he had better results with lower
dosages of the remedy – lowering the dosage from grams to
milligrams and then on to a point where the dilution was to
such an extent that very little trace of the original remedy
was found.
This was at a time when Greek philosophy with its harsh
treatments of ridding the body of its excessive fluids (humors)
was purged out either by strong drugs to induce vomiting or
strong drugs to induce diarrhoea – the chief culprit was
believed to be bile.
GRID OF FAITH
Hahnemann was born to Lutheran parents. Initially he
professed in the Bible, but later on he wandered into the
occult. He believed he was chosen by God with his
revelations on homeopathy to bring healing to mankind. He
rejected Christ, considering Him to be an 'arch-Visionary'.
His concepts in homeopathy are consistent with the eastern
philosophy of the Hindu Sankya philosophy. It teaches that
man has a physical and ethereal body with energy channels
connecting the two together while also infusing all parts of
the universe and our bodies together.
EVALUATING FROM THE WHOLISTIC GRID
Based on four concepts:
1. Principle of Similarities: Hippocrates around 400BC held
that illness arose from similar things and by similar things
can the sick be made well. Example: Vomiting was treated by
drugs that stimulated vomiting.
2. Principle of Proving: So based on the above principle, to
determine the right remedy it was necessary to understand
the symptoms the remedy caused when given to a healthy
person. The problem was that the documented list of the
symptoms in some of the remedies that closely matched the
illness was so incredibly long that it was questionable if
it could be relied on.
3. Principle of Single Remedy: Hahnemann strongly opposed
the mixing of remedies and criticized those who differed
from his view.
4. Principle of Potentiation (Dynamisation): The remedies
are required to be ground into a fine powder and diluted
either in water or alcohol many times over and then
subjected to vigorous shaking. Hahnemann believed that the
vigorous shaking released 'energy' that he called 'vital
force' into the remedy. This vital force was the source of
the healing.
EVALUATING FROM THE GRID OF SCIENCE
The practice falls short of measuring up to the natural
and spiritual laws of God as well as human logic. To rely on
infinitesimally diluted remedies to cure diseases is to defy
the established principles of physics and biochemistry. The
director of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital had this
to say after the 1916 World Congress on 'Complimentary
Medicine' - "We know that homeopathy works, but we just
don't know how."
EVALUATING ON THE GRID OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
Hahnemann believed that man was a spiritual being and
that only the spirit could heal the body. Illness existed
only because the spirit of man considered that illness could
exist, and by presenting 'vital force to the spirit of man,
the spirit could change its consideration and the illness
would go away…an echo from the distant Vedic texts.
Hahnemann also believed that death had no power over man;
the homeopath had taken away the sting of death. It was
Jesus who conquered death. And it was Jesus who took away
the sting of death. (1 Corinthians 15:56) Our health is
dependant on coming into a covenant relationship with God in
obedience to His natural and spiritual laws. (Deuteronomy
28, Matthew 5:17-18, Psalms 19:7-14)
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