Homeopathy is a system founded in the early 19th century by a German physician, Dr. Samuel Christian Hahnemann (1775-1843). Homeopathy was brought to the United States in 1825 by several doctors who had studied in Europe. At the turn of the century there were 22 homeopathic medical colleges, and one out of five doctors used homeopathy. By 1910 only 15 colleges remained. By the late 40's, no courses in homeopathy were taught in the U.S. In 1922, the American Foundation for Homeopathy began to teach homeopathy as a post-graduate course for doctors. In 1974 National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) was founded and has continued to run the courses to this day.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is based on the Law of Similars. The law of similars states that a disease is cured by a medicine that creates symptoms similar to those the patient is experiencing. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann described this principle by using a Latin phrase: Similia Similibus Curentur, which translates: "Let likes cure likes." Hahnemann developed the principle into a system of medicine called homeopathy, and it has been used successfully for the last 200 years.

Classical homeopathy rests on three principles: the law of similars, the single medicine, and the minimum dose. The principle of the single remedy states that a single medicine should cover all the symptoms the patient is experiencing: mental, emotional, and physical. The medicine is given in an infinitesimal dose.

Homeopathy attempts to stimulate the body to heal itself. All symptoms, no matter how uncomfortable they are, represent the body's attempt to restore itself to health. So instead of trying to dry up the runny nose from a cold with antihistamines, a homeopath will use a remedy that will stimulate the body to move in the direction it is already going, and, in the process, clear the runny nose! It is a system that looks at individuals and not at diseases. Each of us suffers a cold in his or her unique way. Yet conventional medicine makes the assumption that all colds are alike and offers a common series of drugs something to dry the nose, something to bring down the fever, something to suppress the cough, something to ease the headache. Homeopathy, on the other hand, looks for the one substance that will cure the individual case.

Homeopathic products are made by homeopathic pharmacies in accordance with the processes described in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States the official manufacturing manual recognized by the FDA. The substances may be made from plants such as aconite, dandelion, plantain; from minerals such as iron phosphate, arsenic oxide, sodium chloride; from animals such as the venom of a number of poisonous snakes, or the ink of the cuttlefish; or even from chemical drugs such as penicillin or streptomycin. These substances are diluted carefully until little of the original remains. A plant substance, for example, is mixed in alcohol to obtain a tincture. One drop of the tincture is mixed with 99 drops of alcohol (to achieve a ratio of 1:100) and the mixture is strongly shaken. This shaking process is known as succussion. The final bottle is labeled as "1C." One drop of this 1C is then mixed with 100 drops of alcohol and the process is repeated to make a 2C. By the time the 3C is reached, the dilution is 1 part in 1 million! Small globules made from sugar are then saturated with the liquid dilution. These globules constitute the homeopathic medicine.

Although such infinitesimal quantities are considered by some to be no more than placebos, the clinical experience of homeopathy shows that the infinitesimal dose is effective.

The manufacture and sale of homeopathic products is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Although the practice of homeopathy is regulated under state law, the use of homeopathic products for self care of acute ailments is available to all. Most are available without a prescription.

The application of homeopathy has extended into the field of allergy and anti-aging.

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(1) Are the Clinical Effects of Homeopathy Placebo Effects? A Meta-analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials. Lancet, September 20, 1997, 350:834-843. K. Linde, N. Clausius, G. Ramirez, et al.,

This state of the art meta analysis reviewed 186 studies, 89 of which fit pre-defined criteria. Rather than count and compare the number of trials which show efficacy of treatment, the researchers pooled the data from the various studies to assess data. The results showed that patients taking homeopathic medicines were 2.45 times more likely to experience a positive therapeutic effect than placebo.

(2) Clinical Trials of Homeopathy. British Medical Journal, February 9, 1991, 302:316-323. J. Kleijnen, P. Knipschild, G. ter Riet,

This is the most widely cited meta-analysis of clinical research prior to 1991. This meta-analysis reviewed 107 studies of homeopathic medicines, 81 of which (or 77%) showed positive effect. Of the best 22 studies, 15 showed efficacy. The researchers concluded: "The evidence presented in this review would probably be sufficient for establishing homeopathy as a regular treatment for certain indications." Further, "The amount of positive evidence even among the best studies came as a surprise to us."

(1) Randomised controlled trial of homoeopathy versus placebo in perennial allergic rhinitis with overview of four trial series. British Medical Journal BMJ 19 August 2000;321:471-476. Morag A Taylor, David Reilly, Robert H Llewellyn-Jones,Charles McSharry, Tom C Aitchison,

Abstract Objective: To test the hypothesis that homoeopathy is a placebo by examining its effect in patients with allergic rhinitis and so contest the evidence from three previous trials in this series. Design: Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, multicentre study. Setting: Four general practices and a hospital ear, nose, and throat outpatient department. Participants: 51 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. Intervention: Random assignment to an oral 30c homoeopathic preparation of principal inhalant allergen or to placebo. Main outcome measures: Changes from baseline in nasal inspiratory peak flow and symptom visual analogue scale score over third and fourth weeks after randomisation.

Results: Fifty patients completed the study. The homoeopathy group had a significant objective improvement in nasal airflow compared with the placebo group. Both groups reported improvement in symptoms, with patients taking homoeopathy reporting more improvement in all but one of the centers, which had more patients with aggravations. On average no significant difference between the groups was seen on visual analogue scale scores. Initial aggravations of rhinitis symptoms were more common with homoeopathy than placebo.

Addition of these results to those of three previous trials showed a mean symptom reduction on visual analogue scores of 28% for homoeopathy compared with 3% for placebo (95% confidence interval). Conclusion: The objective results reinforce earlier evidence that homoeopathic dilutions differ from placebo.

(2) Is Evidence for Homoeopathy Reproducible? Lancet, December 10, 1994, 344:1601-6. D. Reilly, M. Taylor, N. Beattie, et al.,
This study successfully reproduced evidence from two previous double-blinded trials all of which used the same model of homeopathic immunotherapy in inhalant allergy. In this third study, 9 of 11 patients on homeopathic treatment improved compared to only 5 of 13 patients on placebo. The researchers concluded that either homeopathic medicines work or controlled studies don't. Their work has again be recently replicated and is submitted for publication.

(3) Is Homeopathy a Placebo Response? Controlled Trial of Homeopathic Potency with Pollen in Hayfever as Model, Lancet, October 18, 1986, 881-86. D. Reilly, M. Taylor, C. McSherry,

This double-blind study compared a high dilution homeopathic preparation of grass pollens against a placebo in 144 patients with active hay fever. The study method considered pollen counts, aggravation in symptoms and use of antihistamines and concluded that patients using homeopathy showed greater improvement in symptoms than those on placebo, and that this difference was reflected in a significantly reduced need for antihistamines among the homeopathically treated group. The results confirmed those of the pilot study and demonstrate that homeopathic potencies show effects distinct from those of the placebo.

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