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Sept. 2009. Why Don't Materialists Like Us? The Political & Philosophical Identity of Homeopathy (Vol. 13, #1), Featured Articles
A History of Homeopathy - Richard Pitt
An overview of the history of Homeopathy and its relevance in the 21st century
The Defining of Medicine and the Role of Homeopathy in Modern Healing
The origin of homeopathy and 18th Century medicine
Homeopathic medicine came to light at the end of the 18th century, through the work of Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, chemist and scholar. He practiced medicine for a number of years in what is now Germany, but gave up his medical practice because of its ineffectiveness. Much of medicine then consisted of blood-letting ( the extraction of blood by cutting a vein or using leeches), based on the notion that most diseases were due to too much blood; or by the use of strong toxic substances such as mercury compounds, that often left the patient in a state of profound anemia. Medicine as we know it today only began to exist in the 20th century, and especially after the 1930's when the use of sulpha drugs and then antibiotics became commonplace.
Hahnemann became a medical translator to support his family and he translated a thesis by a Scottish physician named Cullen, who was exploring the healing ability of quinine in the treatment of malaria. Hahnemann was not convinced of Cullen's theory - in which he attributed quinine's success to its astringent qualities - and decided to take a small dose of quinine himself to see what it would do. Strangely, it produced symptoms similar to the disease of malaria. After further research in taking small doses of natural substances himself, his familyand with the aid of friends and fellow physicians who also took part in the experiments, he formulated the theory behind homeopathic medicine - that of Like Cures Like. This states that a substance that can create certain symptoms in a healthy person will cure SIMILAR symptoms in a person who is sick.
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Richard Pitt | Homeopath and Educator
Richard has been practicing and teaching homeopathy in San Francisco since 1995. He orginally trained in England and has been practicing homeopathy since 1984. He is former Director of the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy in San Francisco and also teaches at many other schools in the United States and Canada. He is a founding board member and past president of the Council for Homeopathic Certification, which has established professional certification for the homeopathic profession in North America. He is in private practice in San Francisco.
More Featured Articles
The Attacks on Homeopathy in the UK: Could it happen here? - Carol Boyce
It seems no accident that the present threat to the practice of homeopathy began in the UK and in particular at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (RLHH). The 150 year- old RLHH provides a touchstone in the world of homeopathy and a reassurance for any potential newcomers to the field, especially in the developing world, that homeopathy is a valid system of medicine.
A Global Threat to Complementary and Alternative Medicine? - Carol Boyce
The issues threatening homeopathy in the UK, threaten all CAMs, cross national borders and are set to affect all countries in the near future.