Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century

Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century

Homeopathy has been aptly characterized as a “medicine for the 21st century.” It is a powerful yet gentle method of augmenting a person’s own immune and defense system. It is a sophisticated method of individualizing medicines to the totality of physical and psychological aspects of an individual, not simply to his or her disease; and it is a tried-and-true method of healing people who experience a wide range of acute, chronic, and even hereditary ailments.
That said, it must also be acknowledged that homeopathy is not a cure-all. Homeopathy cannot cure everything or everyone. Some people’s immune and defense systems are so weakened or compromised that nothing can elicit a healing response. Some people require surgery for healing to occur, and some cannot be healed for unknown reasons.

Despite these limitations for select individuals, homeopathy can often profoundly improve a person’s health. It can not only provide relief for an ailment; it can precipitate a true cure. Homeopathy can help heal various physical complaints and can transform and improve a person’s emotional and mental state. It can also help heal various diseases and prevent new ones from developing.

Although these statements are indeed bold, homeopathy has over 200 years of evidence to support these claims. The primary reason that homeopathy became popular in the 19th century was due to the remarkable results that homeopathic physicians experienced in treating people suffering from the infectious-disease epidemics that raged at the time. Epidemics of cholera, scarlet fever, typhoid, and yellow fever were rampant and killed large numbers of people. Yet, death rates in homeopathic hospitals were commonly one-half or even one-eighth of the death rates in conventional medical hospitals.

These magnificent results helped homeopathy grow in the United States, so much so that by the turn of the 20th century, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools, including Boston University, University of Michigan, New York (Homeopathic) Medical College, and the University of Minnesota, among others. Approximately 15 percent of American doctors considered themselves homeopathic physicians, and there were over 100 homeopathic hospitals.
Homeopathy’s popularity declined sharply after the turn of the century, primarily due to the active efforts of the American Medical Association and its collaboration with American drug companies. But although homeopathy’s status in the U.S. declined, homeopathy in Europe and parts of Asia continued to grow. Between 30 and 40 percent of French doctors and 20 percent of German doctors prescribe homeopathic medicines. Over 40 percent of British doctors refer patients to homeopathic doctors, and 45 percent of Dutch physicians consider these natural medicines to be effective. Homeopathy is so popular in Europe today that it is no longer appropriate to consider it “alternative medicine” there.

Homeopathy is even more popular in parts of Asia. There are over 125 four- and five-year homeopathic colleges in India, and there are over 100,000 homeopathic doctors. Homeopathy is used in virtually every country in the world today, and millions of people take a homeopathic medicine on a daily basis.
With this background, one must now ask the question…