Dr. Abhishek Udani
Can Homoeopathy Be Dangerous ? Healer Do No Harm!
The question had been asked, “can Homoeopathy be dangerous?” Homoeopathy is an extremely safe healing art when the practitioner is well trained in Classical Homoeopathy is only dangerous when the cardinal principles that Samuel Hahnemann integrated into Homoeopathy are ignored.
The cardinal principles are similars cure likes, the single remedy, the minimum dose, and the potentised remedy. These four principles form the checks and balances, which make Homoeopathy a safe and effective healing art. When the cardinal principles and methodology of The Organon of the Healing Arts are carefully learned it provides the foundation of a safe, rapid and gentle cure.
On this solid basis a homeopathician learns how to avoid and counter the potential side effects encounter during the process of healing. For this reason it is important to learn proper case management procedures. One of the most important areas of study is the nature of various remedy reactions and there causes. If this basic material is understood Homoeopathy is extremely safe when compared with other systems. If, however, Homoeopathic remedies are used without an understanding of the basic principles and methodology of Homoeopathy they have the potential to be dangerous. Homoeopathy provides its own safety net, which cannot be found in other systems that use Homoeopathic potencies in non-homoeopathic ways.
It is most important point is to understand Homoeopathic posology and methodology very well. This avoids most of the potential trouble and offers effective counter measures for those negative situations, which may arise. In order to offer some light on this subject we are understood the following criteria are for the study and reviews the safe factors integrated into Homoeopathy by Samuel Hahnemann.
The Four Cardinal Principles of Homoeopathy: –
1. Similars cure Similars: – Homoeopathy uses the *similar remedy* to cure similar diseases. All Homoeopathic remedies are tested on healthy provers so that the symptoms they produce and demonstrate the nature of the illnesses they will cure. After careful provings they are tested in clinical trials on those who are ill with similar disorders. After a detailed assessment of their potential causative rubrics and symptomatology these similar remedies are entered into the Homoeopathic repertory and materia medica. On the basis of totality of symptoms we are selected the remedy from the reference book that is called “simillimum”.
All diseases have an effect on the entire human organism, which manifest as signs and symptoms on the mental and physical levels. The instinctive vital force attempts to externalize constitutional disharmony in the form of local affections and one-sided complaints in the more external parts. These movement outward acts as a pressure valve which seeks to protect the inner most sensitive organs of the mind, nervous system, lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, etc. Therefore, the constitutional vital force may set up a local discharge, a regional affection or a persistent one-sided complaint to palliate an internal disorder.
If a local manifestation of this constitutional derangement is treated one-sidedly by a single symptom or a common disease name it may suppress this palliatory expression of the vital force causing the disease to metastasize to the interior regions producing a more complex pathological state. This is a primary aspect of the suppression syndrome as recorded in the Introduction of the Organon of the Medicine & Homeopathic Philosophy and Theory of Chronic Disease. Homoeopathic and allopathic remedies when used improperly can cause such phenomena.
In this way a Homoeopath avoids treating any one single symptom and the use nosological disease names as a basis for a prescription. A homoeopath uses the symptoms of the complete mind-body complex as the basis for the administration of a Homoeopathic remedy. In this way the suppressive potential of Homoeopathic remedies is neutralized.
2. Single Remedy: – Homoeopaths do not look at each individual disease name or symptom in isolation. They look at the entire constitutional expression of the individual through the totality of the symptoms. As each individual represents a single mind/body organism any mistunement of the unitary vital force produces a syndrome of signs and symptoms. This singular constitutional state is most similar to the single remedy that is the simillimum of the entire derangement. (Portrait of Disease match with Portrait of Remedy – Org, § 6) The singularity of the similar remedy reflects the integrated nature of the defensive powers as well as the unitary nature of the vital force. The single remedy allows the vital force to concentrate its maximum healing power on the essential picture of the illness rather then dispersing vital energy in reaction to several medicinal influences simultaneously.
Previously our master Hahnemann and Dr Agidi were also experimented with dual remedies in 1832 but found them ineffective and their actions difficult to assess. For these reasons he left them completely behind. These are a few of the reasons homoeopaths do not use combination remedies.
A Homoeopathic remedy works by being similar to the disease state but slightly stronger due to potentisation. The primary action of the Homoeopathic remedy is opposed by the secondary healing action of the vital force, which leads to the cure. This is Hahnemann’s model of how Homoeopathic remedies are working. (Org.§-63 to 66). The Homoeopathic materia medica is based on proving of the healthy as well as clinical confirmations on the ill. In this way a homoeopath knows the remedial actions of their potentised remedies.
It is those with sensitive constitutions, hidden pathology, and weakened vitality who are prone to be hypersensitive to Homoeopathic remedies. They make up a significant percentage of our contemporary cases. If such a constitution is too warm, and they are given a cold remedial potency, the vital force will oppose this primary coolness by producing more secondary heat making the disease worse not better.
Such phenomenon has been documented. If we give a combination of remedies with a shy remedy, an aggressive remedy, a cold remedy, a hot remedy, a dry remedy and a moist remedy, the secondary action of the vital force may become fragmented running the danger of confusing secondary reactions, coincidental suppression and disruption of the natural symptom pattern. Such reactions are often mistaken for deeper layers, a cleansing crises or new diseases by those who have not mastered the fundamentals of Homoeopathic methodology. Such difficulties can be avoided by a proper education in Homoeopathic philosophy.
3. Minimal Dose: – Hahnemann learned early in his career that medical practice was a dangerous. The side effects, He experience with orthodox medicine upset he so much he quit using allopathic drugs and treatments. After this bitter experience he decided to practice the natural healing arts in the tradition of Hippocrates, the father of western medicine. This was the beginning of Homoeopathy.
Hahnemann was very careful with his doses of Homoeopathic remedies. Many homoeopaths misunderstand the nature of the minimal dose. Most modern homoeopaths believe that there is no difference in the action of one Homoeopathic pill and one thousand and infinitum. They confuse the small amount of original substance in a high potency with the maxim of the minimal dose. In truth they are two different synergistic principles. The concept that the dose does not matter can be traced to Kent and can be found in his classic Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy in the chapter called On Simple Substance. In this work Kent’s explains the Swendenbogian theory that energy is based on a fourth state of matter called the “simple substance”. Hahnemann notice right from the very start that a homoeopath must be very careful with both the potency and size of the dose. He found that the size of dose was as important as the potency factor in the producing the phenomena of aggravation. For this reason the amount of the dose is as carefully regulated as the level of the potency in Homoeopathy. (Org. § 275)
Modern physics states that all forms of energy are contained in small energy packets called quantums. In the same way, Hahnemann taught that each pill of a Homoeopathic remedy possessed a certain amount or “quantum” of medicinal energy. In a sense the potency of a remedy represents the waveform or frequency of the energy and the number of pills represents the amplitude or power of the signal. This is why the power of Homoeopathic doses increases each time the practitioner uses more pills when preparing the remedy for ingestion. Previously our master was experienced with the hazardous effect of the uses of the too much pills in Homeopathic practice.
The minimum dose means that the Homoeopath should use the least amount of medicinal stimulation necessary to stimulate a healing reaction. This is why the maxim of the minimal dose includes three variable factors, i.e. the size of the dose, the level of the potency, and the number of times the remedy is used. Hahnemann recommends that a Homoeopathic remedy be given in a dose as “sufficiently minute i.e. as small as possible”. This is because even the correct Homoeopathic remedy given in proper potency in an unnecessarily large amount will aggravate the case and delay the cure. In patients with severe pathological tissue changes, hypersensitivity, or suffer from lack of vitality, large doses may be dangerous.
4. Potentized Remedy: -Some combinations are low potencies, some are high potencies, and some are mixtures of both. Some have several potencies of several remedies. None of the potencies in such combinations can be individualized to the disease state or symptoms. There is absolutely no standard of manufacture nor uniform code of administration. Potentised remedies are extremely powerful and should not be treated like some new age holistic “good for everyone” health product.
Most combination practitioners do not understand the Homoeopathic posology system or how to apply it to an individual state of disease. This is because they do not understand the science and philosophy of Homoeopathy. This is because such negative phenomena depend on variable causes and circumstances and are not absolute in nature. Nevertheless, the percentage of cases that they do occur should be of concern to healers in all fields. All the cardinal principles make Homoeopathy a safe, effective and scientific system.
Why do classical homoeopaths respect these principles so much?
Because over the years in our ignorance we have given the wrong remedies and caused negative affects, suppressed symptoms with partial simillimums, given the wrong potency, used too large a dose, disrupted the vital force with untimely repetition, and aggravated cases to the point of danger on occasions. Such difficult moments are great teachers. They cause one to go back to basics and see where one has gone wrong. Our cautions are not given lightly nor with lack of personal experience. We have also witnessed suppressions, over medication, and symptom disruptions coming from other healing disciplines. Remember the first Hippocratic maxim is “Healer do no Harm!”
The night can be long and sleepless for a homoeopath with a conscience. Hahnemann learned by trial and error and so must we. That is the lonely path a healer must tread. No one has a perfect tract record.
In our day-to-day practice we are encountering with difficult cases and discussed with our senior colleagues they are given correct guidelines. We have case histories, which demonstrate the negative affects of giving an incorrect Homoeopathic remedy and the wrong potency and dosage. We have accepted our mistakes and try to learn from them, as all responsible healers must do.
If one carefully follows the cardinal principles of Homoeopathy such difficulties can be reduced to a minimum and mistakes easily rectified. Without the Homoeopathic principles the power of potentise remedies is very difficult to control.
Of course, many are looking for a short cut because they lack the dedication it takes to be a real Homoeopathicain. If one takes a “short cut” in the beginning, one’s knowledge is “cut short” in the end. You get out exactly what you put in!
References: –
1 The Chronic Diseaes, B.Jain Publishers PVT. LTD.
2 Life and Letters of Hahnemann, B.Jain Publishers PVT. LTD
3 Sarkar B.K- Organon of Medicine, M. Bhattacharya and co.(P) Ltd.
Dr. Abhishek Udani MD (Homeopathy) (G –5596)
Lecturer, Dept of Repertory
Dr V.H.Dave Homeopathic College.Anand. (Gujarat)
Email : abhishek_udani@yahoo.co.in
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