History & Status of Homoeopathy Around the World

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‘Homoeopathy is being practiced in all continents either as an independent system or as complementary / alternative form of medicine. Within a short span of little ever two hundred years of its origin, the system has been able to muster popularity and official patronage in several countries.

since 1970, there has been a spectacular resurgence of Homoeopathy in many countries. Many countries are granting official recognition, several new teaching institutions are coming up, research activities are being revitalized and there has been a spurt in drug development. The Six Report of House of Lords of UK on Science & Technology, The White House Report on CAM Therapies in USA, The Norwegian Study on Acceptance of Homoeopathy, Report of WHO on Traditional Medicine etc. have re-established the growing popularity of the system.

Dr. Eswara Das has a degree in Homoeopathy from Tamil Nadu Homoeopathy Council with first class and first Rank. Because of his academic excellence, Government of India selected him for a higher Specialized two year course at national Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata. He has done his MD in Homoeopathic Repertory. He has done Diploma in Hospital Administration from the YMCA Institute of management Studies, Delhi and also MBA in Health Care from the prestigious Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.

He was promoted as Deputy Adviser, Ministry of Health, Govt. of India, in 1999, and at present posted on deputation as Consultant (Homoeopathy) to Government of Sri Lanka at Colombo.

He has published several articles in leading professional journals, book on Causation in Homoeopathy. He has traveled several countries like United Kingdom, USA, Malaysia, Russia etc. on professional assignment.

Homoeopathy is a system of medicine developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German Physician, in the early 19" Century. It is based on the therapeutic principle of treating diseases with drugs that in a healthy person would produce symptoms like those of that disease. Apart from its strength in curative medicine, in Homoeopathy there are well laid down principles and practices on preventive, promotive and rehabilitative aspects of health care.

Homoeopathic medicines are simple, safe and scientific. It uses minute doses of medicines and has blended well into the traditions and ethos of many countries. This system enjoys the heritage of community acceptance and plays an important role in providing health care to a large number of people in many countries. Due to its safety, efficacy and comparatively low cost of medicines, this system has become quite popular among the masses and the practitioners of Homoeopathy enjoy a close relationship with the people whom they serve.

Origin, Definition and Principles

Dr. Hahnemann had masterly skill over seven other languages namely Italian, Spanish, French, English, Latin, Greek and Arabic, apart from his mother tongue German. He had a reputation as a clinician and as an acclaimed Chemist of his time. One of his hobbies was to translate books from other languages to German. While translating the Cullen’s Materia medica, which was the standard book on medical practice of that time, he came across a footnote under Cinchona (Cortex Peruvianus) or the Peruvian bark that its curative eminence in malaria was due to its astringent properties. Hahnemann was not convinced with this explanation because there were other substances with more astringent properties used in medicine, but not useful to cure malaria. Dr. Hahnemann experimented on himself in 1790 by taking four drams of a potion made from Peruvian bark. He experienced symptoms similar to that of malaria. This observation and its reconfirmation on other individuals made him to record that "Peruvian (Cinchona) bark, which is used as a remedy for intermittent fever, acts because it can produce symptoms similar to those of intermittent fever in healthy people". This made him to formulate the main principle, which underlies the teaching and practice of Homoeopathy - "Let like be treated by the like" (Simillia Similibus Curanture). This idea can be traced back to ancient medical literatures also.

By extensive and detailed proving with several other substances Hahnemann systematized the Law of Similars, that a substance which can produce symptoms in healthy persons can cure similar symptoms in natural sicknesses.

While experimenting, he also discovered that remedies prepared by series of dilutions and sucusions (vigorous shakings) reduce the toxic effects of the original substance and at times even certain inert substances could also produce curative properties due to activation of its hidden dynamic powers. Thus he established the second principle of Homoeopathy the theory of potentisation.

International Scenario

Homoeopathy is being practiced in all continents either as an independent system or as complementary /alternative form of medicine. Within a short span of little over two hundred years of its origin, the system has been able to muster popularity and official patronage in several countries.

This system was a popular means of medi-care in Europe and America in later part of 18th and early 19" centuries. There were many homeopathic hospitals and teaching institutions, but due to the inadequate refinement after the death of its founder, lack unanimity amongst his followers on certain unconventional principles of the system; due to advent of the modern therapeutic agents along with surgery in western Medicine, war, industrialization etc the popularity of Homoeopathy waned during 1930 to 1970. During this period there were efforts to label Homoeopathy as a mere quackery and in some countries its practice was even banned.

Resurgence of Homoeopathy Across the World

Since 1970, there has been a spectacular resurgence of Homoeopathy in many countries. Many countries are granting official recognition, several new teaching institutions are coming up, research activities are being revitalized and there has been a spurt in drug development. The Sixth Report of House of Lords of UK on Science & Technology, The White House Report on CAM therapies in USA , The Norwegian study on acceptance of Homoeopathy, Report of WHO on Traditional Medicine etc. have re-established the growing popularity of the system.

Homoeopathy is very popular in Great Britain where the Royal Family has been under Homoeopathic care since 1830s. The New York Times noted that visits to Homoeopathic physicians have increased in England by 39% per year), A British consumer organization surveyed its 28,000 members and discovered that 80% had used some form of complementary medicine and that 70% of those who had tried Homoeopathy were cured or improved by it. Not only is there growing interest in the general public, there is also surprising acknowledgement of Homoeopathy by conventional physicians. The British Medical Journal published a survey of the attitudes of British physicians toward practitioners of complementary medicine. The survey discovered that 42% of the physicians surveyed refer patients to Homoeopathic physicians ". According to The Times of London, Homoeopathy is now the fastest growing alternative therapy in Scotland. The number of Scots who use homeopathic medicines have more than doubled from 1985 to 1990, increasing from 5% to 11%. Similarly, 23% of those Scots interviewed in 1985 said they would "seriously consider" going to a homeopath, and in 1990 this figure grew to 40%".

A study published in the British Medical Journal, which noted that in a survey of 100 recently graduated British physicians, 80% expressed an interest in being trained in Homoeopathy, acupuncture or hypnosis.

A survey of French doctors revealed that approximately 39% of French Physicians utilize Homoeopathic medicines, an astounding 40% of the French public have tried or are presently using Homoeopathic medicines3» and over 20,000 French pharmacies sell Homoeopathic medicines". This survey also noted that courses in Homoeopathy leading to a degree are offered in six medical schools. Homoeopathy is taught in all pharmacy schools and in four veterinary schools "). Homoeopathy is growing so rapidly in France that a cover story of Le Novel Observatory, one of France’s leading magazines, noted that President and six medical school deans had called for more research on Homoeopathy. It is stated that, "It is a fact that Homoeopathy obtains results, sometimes spectacular results." One further bit of evidence for the growing acceptance of homeopathic medicines as household items in France is that the most popular cold and flu medicine is a homeopathic remedy".

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