H–I

homeopathy A system of medicine based on the
philosophy that symptoms represent the body’s
efforts to heal. Homeopathic treatment attempts to
further stimulate those efforts through the prem-
ise that “like cures like,” as homeopathy founder
Samuel Hahnemann expressed it. Treatment
employs homeopathic remedies that are extremely
diluted solutions of substances such as herbs,
plants, and minerals; some may contain chemicals
and even toxins. In the United States, the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates homeo-
pathic remedies. Manufacturers must comply with
the standards and procedures of the Homeopathic
Pharmacopoeia of the United States.

Homeopathic Diagnosis and Remedies

The homeopathic practitioner makes a diagnosis
of symptoms rather than disease. He or she does
so by listening to what the person describes and
conducts an examination appropriate for the prac-
titioner’s scope of practice. The practitioner then
prescribes homeopathic remedies that support the
symptoms to help the body use those symptoms to
rid itself of whatever ailment is present. The
premise is that the body uses its own resources
and energy to heal itself. There are more than
3,000 homeopathic remedies, each of which
applies to a certain symptom or constitution. A
person takes the remedies that apply to his or her
circumstances, making homeopathic treatment
entirely individualized.
The essential principle of homeopathic remedy
preparation is that the vigorous shaking, called
succession, that follows each step of dilution
intensifies the potency of the solution by dispers-
ing the energy of its molecules into the molecules
of the water and ALCOHOLin the solution. Even
when the solution has become so dilute that there

are no detectable molecules of the original ingre-

dient remaining, homeopathy asserts the remedy

still holds the “molecular memory” of the active

ingredient. The concentrations of homeopathic

remedies reflect sequential dilutions. Mixing the

solution with powdered lactose creates product

forms other than liquids.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY DILUTIONS

Dilution Sequential Ratios Designation

decimal 1:10 C (1C, 2C, 3C, etc.)

centesimal 1:100 X (1X, 2X, 3X, etc.)

millesimal 1:1000 M (1M, 2M, 3M, etc.)

Homeopathic remedies carry the Latin names

of their original ingredients, along with the desig-

nations for their dilutions. Many also include

common names as well. The higher the dilution

ratio, the more dilute the remedy. Homeopathic

remedies come in tablets, granules, liquids, oint-

ments, creams, and suppositories.

Homeopathic Practitioners

Homeopathy originated in Europe in the 1700s

with the work of Samuel Hahnemann, a German

chemist. Hahnemann embarked on a quest to find

better ways to treat illness than the harsh and

often damaging methods, such as bloodletting (the

practice of bleeding a person who was ill to rid the

body of toxins), popular at the time. His approach

was, for its time, highly scientific and the mildness

of homeopathic remedies quickly acquired a loyal

following. A Boston physician, Hans Burch Gram,

studied homeopathy in Europe and opened a

homeopathic practice when he returned to the

United States in 1825. The philosophy gained pop-

ularity over the ensuing decades, peaking at the

start of the 20th century with two dozen colleges

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