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Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine developed in the late 18th century by Samuel Hahnemann. Hahnemann based his system on older ideas about “like cures like”.
One of the main ideas in homeopathy is that a substance that would cause certain symptoms in a healthy person can cure similar symptoms caused by disease in a sick person.
Homeopathic dilution
In homeopathy, homeopathic medicine is created using a process known as homeopathic dilution (also called potentisation or dynamisation). The active ingredient is repeatedly diluted in distilled water or alcohol and the vessel struck against an elastic material, such as a leather-bound book. The process of vigorously shaking the solution is known as succussion. Samuel Hahnemann believed that the process of succussion “activated the vital energy” of the diluted ingredient, and that this increased the potency of the preparation.
Certain active ingredients, e.g. quartz, are grinded with lactose before the dilution process.
No molecules left
In most homeopathic medicines, the dilution is so severe that no molecules of the active substance remains in the finished product.
Examples of commonly used homeopathic preparations
| Homeopathic name(s) | Substance origin | Homeopathic use against |
| Aconite | Aconitum napellus
Wolf’s bane |
Shock
Influenza Fever |
| Aesculus hippocastanum | Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse-chestnut |
Hemorrhoids
Varicose veins |
| Anthracinum
Anthracinum bovum Anthracinum suum |
Anthrax poison extracted from the spleen of infected animals | All types of furuncles, from acne to septic wounds and gangrene furuncles |
| Allium cepa | Allium cepa
Onion |
Itching eyes
Lachrymation Allergies |
| Antimonium tartaricum | Antimony potassium tartrate | Impetigo |
| Argentum nitricum | Silver nitrate | Fear
Anxiety Conjunctivitis |
| Arnica | Arnica montana
Leopard’s bane |
Shock
Bruising |
| Arsenicum album | Arsenic trioxide
White arsenic |
Cold
Influenza Diarrhea Food poisoning |
| Baptisia | Baptisia tinctoria
Horsefly weed |
Fever |
| Belladonna | Atropa belladonna
Deadly nightshade |
High fever with redness and delirium |
| Bellis perennis | Bellis perennis
Common daisy |
Wounds |
| Bryonia | Bryonia alba
White bryony |
Fever
Cough Pleuritis Joint pain |
| Calcarea carbonica | Calcium carbonate from an oyster shell | Indigestion |
| Calendula | Calendula officinalis
Marigold |
Wounds |
| Camphor | Cinnamomum camphora
Camphor tree |
Cholera |
| Colocynthis | Citrullus colocynthis
Desert gourd |
Diarrhoea |
| Cuprum metallicum | Copper | Cholera
Diarrhoea Gut pain |
| Digitalis | Digitalis purpurea
Foxglove |
Heart conditions |
| Drosera | Drosera rotundifolia
Sundew |
Cough |
| Ferrum phosphoricum | Iron phosphate | Nosebleed
Haemorrhages |
| Glonoinum | Nitroglycerine | Facial neuralgias
Heat headaches |
| Graphites | Graphite | Itching cracked skin
Eczema Psoriasis |
| Hamamelis | Hamamelis virginiana
Witch hazel |
Haemorrhoids
Varicose veins |
| Hepar sulfuris calcareum | Calcium sulfide | Boils,
Abscesses Croup |
| Ignatia amara | Strychnos ignatii
St. Ignatius bean The beans of the plant contain the alkaloids strychnine and brucine. |
Grief |
| Kalium bichromicum | Potassium dichromate | Thick secretions from the mucous membranes of the sinuses and respiratory tract |
| Lachesis | Lachesis muta
Bushmaster snake, a venomous pit viper species found in South America |
Diphteric paralysis
Sensation of tension in parts of the body |
| Ledum | Ledum palustre
Marsh Labrador tea |
Bites
Stings Puncture wounds |
| Mercurius vivus | Mercury | Sore throat
Sinus problems Boils Diarrhea Itching |
| Natrum muriaticum | Sodium chloride
NaCl Table salt |
Irritability |
| Natrum sulphuricum | Sodium sulphate | Asthma
Headaches Warts |
| Nux vomica | Strychnos nux-vomica
Strychnine tree |
Nausea
Hangover Substance abuse |
| Oscillococcinum | Cairina moschata liver
Muscovy duck liver |
Cold
Influenza |
| Petroleum | Crude oil | Eczema
Psoriasis Other skin problems |
| Phosphorus | Phosphorus | Hoarseness
Cough Cough that gets worse in cold air Cough that gets worse when laying on the left side Bruises Burns Small wounds that bleed profusely Constipation Fear Fear of the dark Fear of thunderstorms Anxiety Anxiety when alone Apathy Cravings for cold things such as ice water and ice cream |
| Picricum acidum | Picric acid | Water retention
Confusion |
| Pulsatilla | Pasque flower | Menstrual problems
Colds Being sad and despondent Indecision Dryness of the mouth, but without thirst |
| Rhus toxicodendron | Toxicodendron radicans
Poison ivy |
Fever and joint pain |
| Ruta | Ruta graveolens
Common rue |
Ligament trauma
Conditions involving tendons Conditions involving fibrous tissue Stiff joints Strained eyes |
| Sepia | Cuttlefish ink | PMS
Menopausal problems Vaginal thrush Menorrhagia Amenorrhea Dysmenorrhea Female infertility |
| Silicea | Flint | Sensitivity to cold |
| Sulphur | Sulfur | Skin issues
General debility |
| Thea Sinensis
Camellia Sinensis |
Leaves of Camellia sinensis
Tea plant leaves |
Insomnia
Nightmares |
| Thuja | Thuja occidentalis
Northern white-cedar |
Warts |
| Urtica urens | Urtica dioica
Stinging nettle |
Burns
Bites Stings |
History
Homeopathy was developed by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century and rose to popularity in the 19th century, especially in Europe and the United States.
In 1825, one of Hahnemann’s students named Hans Birch Gram introduced homeopathy to the United States, where the first homeopathic school opened in 1835. It would take until 1944 before the American Institute of Homeopathy was formed in the country. In the year 1900, there were over 20 homeopathic colleges in the United States, and an estimated 15,000 practitioners. By the 1950s, less than 80 known pure homeopathic practitioners remained.
In the midst of the counter-culture movement of the 1970s, homeopathy made a comeback in the United States, especially within New Age circles.
Data from the year 2007 show that over-the-counter homeopathic medicines for $2.7 million were sold in the United States.