For example, if a healthy person takes a dose of Arsenic, he will develop vomiting, diarrhea of rice-water stools, a rapid pulse and prostration. His skin will become cold and his expression anxious. In smaller doses or when taken for a longer time, he will develop a running nose, heavy head, cough and bronchial catarrh. Even later there will be specific disturbances of skin and nerves. He will develop a burning sensation all over which is relieved by warmth, frequent thirst for sips of water, fear of death, restlessness and a worsening of symptoms at noon and midnight. According to Homeopathic law ‘like cures like’, countless patients displaying such symptoms have been cured by the Homeopathic remedy Arsenicum album, irrespective of the name of the disease (cholera, colds, eczema, asthma etc.).

This principle has also been mentioned by the ancient Indian poet Kavi-Kalidasa:
“Shruyate hi pura loke, vishasya visham aushadham”.
Translated this reads: “it has been said of old time in the world that poison is the remedy for poison.”

Hippocrate postulated this principle in the words, “Similia Similibus Curentur” (‘likes are cured by likes’).

The practice of Homeopathy is based on certain fundamental principles. Firstly, the remedies that are used are tested on human volunteers (provers) to elicit the symptoms they can produce. The symptoms of each remedy experienced by the provers are recorded in exact detail and they form the Homeopathic Materia Medica. The symptoms of the patient are then matched with the symptoms of the various remedies in the Materia Medica to find out a single remedy whose symptoms are most similar to those of the patient (like cures like).

Hahnemann’s scientific experiments led him to the process of potentization. A step-by- step dilution and jerking of the drug makes it extremely powerful and at the same time renders it harmless. This is in direct contrast to the toxic drugs of modern medicine, and their ‘side effects’. Potencies administered by the Homeopathy range from a mother tincture to the 1,00,000th potencies. The sixth potency will have a rough dilution of one drop of the original drug substance diluted in a lake full of water. Each potency is 100 times more dilute than the previous one. Imagine the 1,00,000th dilution!

No one has been able to satisfactorily explain how the remedies act when diluted to such fantastic limits. Yet, potencies are found to act very powerfully. It seems that in the process of potentization, stored up energy of the drug is liberated.

The practice of homeopathy convinces the physician to regard the body as more than a sum of its parts. Unlike a machine, it develops, carries on its function and repairs itself independently. In this sense, everyone carries within him his own doctor. Ancient physicians were familiar with this natural power of the organism to control disease and they invented for it a beautiful expression ‘Vis Medicatrix Nature’ (Healing power of Nature). This healing power is a function of the life force itself. Hahnemann called it Vital Force. Disease is recognized as a disturbance of this vital force. For example, out of ten people who get wet in the rain, only one developed pneumonia. Most bacteria can affect us only when our own healing power is of low resistance. Homeopathic medicine aims to correct this disturbed vital force and thus enhances the power of the body to heal itself. It does not aim at removing the symptoms of the parts affected, but treats the cause and restores to health. According to Homeopathy, symptoms are a reflection of disturbed vital force.

Sickness is like a sitar whose correct tuning has been disturbed. Naturally, all the notes from such a sitar will be far more melodious. There is no use trying to correct the individual notes. It is the disturbance in the tuning itself which has to be corrected.

Another fundamental principle of Homeopathy is that it treats the patient as a whole and as an individual. There is no medicine for any particular disease, but there is a medicine for the patient suffering from the disease. ‘the individual, not the disease is the entity’ said the celebrated Sir William Osler.

The homeopath takes into consideration all the symtoms, that distinguish a person as an individual. Even a salesman of ready-made suits must try to fit the ready-made suit. The homeopathy enquires into the details of the patients past and family history, his appetite, thirst, bowel habits, sleep, etc. and most importantly about his temperament.

It is being increasingly acknowledged these days that the mind and body are inter-linked. We now see the rapid rise of holistic concept of disease with an emphasis on its psychosomatic aspect. Hahnemann recognized all this long ago, and stressed that bodily and mental symptoms are to be taken together to form the portrait of disease. The Homeopathic material medica is rich in mental symptoms and we especially use them in selection of remedy.

The present problem of the patient is not usually an isolated occurrence. It is a part of a sequence. The family history and the events through childhood are taken into account as homeopathy treats not only the present symptoms, but the entire sequence, thereby preventing the progress of disease. Children under homeopathic treatment grow into more healthy adults, they find relief from the scourge of bad inheritance as well.

It has been said that child is father of the man. Thus, even in an infant, we can perceive the beginnings of future illness. The infant may perspire so much about its head during sleep as to soak a pillow. Perhaps the fontanelles are slow in closing. The child may be slow in walking and teething and develop the habit of eating mud and chalk. She looks fat, but there is no strength. She may develop enlarged tonsils. She catches colds very often and each cold further enlarges the tonsils. The menses occur too soon and are profuse. She feels cold all the time and lacks energy. Slowly a cough begins and there is the faintest trace of fever. There is a desire for cold milk and eggs. The cough further worsens and the evening fever becomes well marked, the X-ray shows tuberculosis.

One can see that TB did not appear all at once; it has evolved from childhood. The signs of ill health were all there. They indicate the homeopathic medicine Calcarea carbonica. Had this remedy been given in infancy, the girl would not have developed the later troubles. But it is never too late. Even now Homeopathy will build up her health. In this way many a problem child has been helped to normalcy by homeopathy.

A good homeopathy learns t perceive disease as a continually evolving process which begins in the womb and unless arrested and cured, end in the tomb. There are many measures to palliate and ease the patient, but the journey continues unless treated on homeopathic principles.

In fact, most, if not all curative therapies (including some forms of psychotherapy, meditation, etc. ) are (consciously or unconsciously) based on the “Similie” principle. The homeopath applies this principle scientifically and systematically using carefully tested medicines.

Sometimes in the course of homeopathic treatment, the history of past illness appears briefly in the reverse order, like a film being played backwards. When this happens, we know that not only the present, but also its cause in the past has been treated and the future is secure.

To a homeopath, the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, medicine, surgery and gynaecology is necessary since he has to examine the patient and come to a diagnosis. This will help him to know the natural course of the ailment and to manage the case well.

But his most important task is to understand the individuality of each patient fully and correctly, so that he may select the right remedy.

The process of potentisation brings out the latent medicinal energy in those substances. By virtue of this process anything from sand (Silica) to moon light (Luna) can be used as medicine in homeopathy. The medicines are derived from following sources:

PLANT KINGDOM
Examples:
Aconite Napellus (Monkshood)
Belladonna Atropa (Deadly Nightshade)
Bryonia Alba (White Bryony)
Lycopodium (Club Moss)

MINERAL KINGDOM
Examples:
Sulphur
Calcarea Carb (Calcium Carbonate)
Nitric-Acid
Natrum-Muriaticum (Common Salt)

HEALTHY TISSUE, IMPONDERABLES & SECRETIONS (SARCODES)
Examples:
Thyroid X-ray
Pituitary