Homeopathy

Homoeopathy is a pseudo-scientific method which is used for the treatment of nearly all illnesses. It was invented by the saxon doctor and occultist Samuel Hahnemann around the year 1800 and exists almost unchanged today. The homoeopathy relies on two general basic principles. One of them, known as the "law of similars", is "let like be cured by like." Inventor Hahnemann specified at that time that, according to the law of similars, every illness is cured by substances which cause similar symptoms when they are taken by a healthy patient. The other priciple is called potentization. The homoeopathic remedies shall work the more strongly the more they are diluted into solution according to a particular procedure. None of these two principles could be confirmed experimentally until now.

Homoeopathy believers are frequently, consciously or unconsciously, overall sceptical in relation to the scientific medicine: With the (mostly irrational) fear of the "harmful chemistry" a "nocebo effect" which impairs the effect of well approved conventional methods is connected inseparably.

Also see: Allopathy

Variants of homoeopathy

Different variants of the original classic homoeopathy have taken shape to Hahnemann in the course of the time. So one distinguishes low-potentizers from high-potentizers, monotherapists of polypragmatists, homoeopathic physiotherapists of anthroposophic homoeopaths, etc.

• Classic homoeopathy is the form of the homoeopathy which strictly orientates itself at Samuel Hahnemann's teachings. According to Hahnemann only one single remedy at the time shall be given for all physical or intellectual illnesses. The classically working homoeopath is looking for the one of his opinion to suitable similar. The most well-known current representative is Georgos Vithoulkas.
• Constitutional homoeopathy is the application of homoeopathic remedy mixtures due to an illness diagnosis. Also see: Constitutional homoeopathy
• The clinical homoeopathy describes the application of homoeopathic remedies in so-called low-potencies (D1-D12) according to certain diagnoses.
• Miasmatic homoeopathy describes different variants of the constitutional homoeopathy with the emphasis on the therapy of chronic illnesses under consideration of Hahneman's miasmatic theory.
• Microimmunetherapy calls itself a method at which cytokines are potentized and given to sublingual. In doing so, it is posited by the suppliers that a high concentration of components of the immune system would lie under the tongue. The therapy is as of, aimed to modulate the immune system about the potentized effect of cytokines. Maurice Jenaer is regarded as a founder of the micro immune therapy. A supplier of microimmunal therapeutic agents is the enterprise Labo'Life which also has a patent on "specific nucleid acids". Details on effect and composition of the remedies are missing.
• The biochemical homoeopathy refers to a homoeopathy variant at which nosodes and potentized poisons are used (Also see the Horvi-Enzyme-Therapy). The method is apparently only used by her inventress, the biochemist and non-medical practitioner Karin Lenger from Offenbach.
• Newer interpretations and derivatives of the homoeopathy are in coming. Here, fluent transitions let themselves be seen towards faith-healing or an energy medicine. Representatives of this mostly refused group among classic homoeopaths, believe that they do not need to introduce the remedies into the body of the patient after case history and repertorization. Alone the spatial proximity of the remedy to the patient suffices to develop an effect. The remedies could be carried at the body or put under the pillow, for example. A glass of water also can show homoeopathic effects if it is put merely on a sheet of paper with the name of the remedy. The sheet of paper shall transfer its information to glass water which is to be used. Typical methods from this spectrum are the Harmopathy, New Homoeopathy after Erich Körbler, Seghal method, Herscue method, process-oriented homoeopathy, quantum logical homoeopathy, creative homoeopathy, impulse homoeopathy, the Similis cards, Silent Healing or the Sankaran method (also called "Bombay method" or "systematic homoeopathy"). The tele-homoeopathy is one variant of the homoeopathy of which her inventor claims that this works as a remote treatment over the Internet (e-mail or Skype) or via telephone.
• The homoeosiniatry is a method to unite the elements of the homoeopathy and the traditional Chinese medicine. Both acupuncture and homoeopathic remedies come to the applications.
• Digital homoeopathy as an alternative expression for the Holopathy.
• Banerji protocol - Method
• C4-Homoeopathy
• "resonance-healing" after Peter Chappell

The electrohomoeopathy has to do little apart from the named similarity with the homoeopathy and refers to a variant of the Spagyric. Also certain equipment operated electrically for the diagnostics or therapy is taken to connection by its inventors and suppliers with the homoeopathy or refers to it. To be called exemplary have here for Cem Tech, transmaterial catalyst or Wave transfer.

After the living beings to be treated you distinguish between the homoeopathy for well-being purposes with man as well as the animal homoeopathy and plant homoeopathy. The plant homoeopathy is an expression for methods wherewith the help of homoeopathic products the plant growth shall be influenced. (Example: Product Biplantol.)

Hering's law of cure

A so-called Hering's law of cure goes back on a suggestion of the Hahnemann supporter Constantin Hering from Saxony in the 19th century. Herring believed that a recovery is carried out, if it goes to an extinction of symptoms in the following directions:

• from inside to the outside
• from above to below
• of now too earlier

Being missing the scientific basis

After about 200 years of research of homoeopaths and non-homoeopaths no scientific proof of an effect of the homoeopathy going beyond the placebo effect has been confessed and it is also regarded as a disproven hypothesis today. After today's level of knowledge homoeopathy has to be equated with a placebo therapy, what does not have to be said, though, that it is completely ineffective. One can indeed, particularly with charismatic therapists and corresponding therapeutical ritual, assume that it can achieve an effect on corresponding patients opposite to a non-treatment (that is the idleness). Dangers result from the homoeopathy from the fact that homoeopaths and patients overestimate the placebo effects of the homoeopathy and refrain from reproducibly effective treatments with an effectiveness proof which goes beyond the placebo effect.

What speaks against homoeopathy are the missing effectiveness proofs, the pseudo-scientific dogmatic character of the homoeopathy schools (which are actually orthodox medical practitioners), the completely missing prevention of the illness as well as inner contradictions like the not reproducible cinchona experiment to which Hahnemann alternatively refers. Homoeopaths don't like to say how long a therapy shall be carried out. From the chemical scientific point of view the method of potentization (which is in reality a dilution under certain circumstances) cannot be brought with the reality into harmony.

As an argument for the homoeopathy the lack of side effects is often mentioned. The argument is, that hardly side effects have to be expected at a strong potentization (dilution). This argument contradicts, however, the assumption that potentization would make the effect of the substances grow and is therefore a contradiction in terms. The claim to strengthen the self-healing ability of man is often named as an argument for the homoeopathy, too. The supporters remain the proof of it, however, guiltily.

Contrary to frequently common views around an integral treatment in the context of the homoeopathy it is to consider this alternative medicine as a symptom based therapy form which is based exclusively on described and observable symptoms of the patient. The aetiology of illnesses (cause study) gets largely hidden.

Hahnemann and modern homoeopaths orientate themselves at healing laws of which the idea also is part that homoeopathic therapies treat people from inside to the outside and beginningly with the latest symptom. In turn such ideas do not have any basis in any models of biology or illness.

The medical faculty of the University of Marburg declared the homoeopathy as false doctrine in the medical news of March 3rd, 1993: It's active principle is deception of the patient, strengthened by the self-deception of the therapist.

Pseudo-scientific explanation approaches

The homoeopathy is not plausible from the scientific view: It contradicts the logic, the laws of nature and medical knowledge of the past and presence. High potencies after D 23 or C 12 do not contain any molecule of the raw material. How shall drops which only consist of solvents operate? There is no water memory which could take "information".

It is not meaningful in the scientific medicine to explain the operation of methods which can not provide the slightest effectiveness proof. The question about the active principle of the homoeopathy is completely senseless as long as there are no indications that homoeopathy develops an effect at all. All attempts at explanation of the homoeopathy are not founded therefore scientifically and will be able to do as classified pseudo-scientifically.

This, however, does not stop homoeopaths from thinking up working mechanisms to the homoeopathy and publishing these. The span width reaches the pseudo-scientific re-interpretation of quantum mechanical and atom physical knowledge (see of animistic ideas of spirit animated matter in which the potentization releases the positive spirits (also vibrations) of the substances: Quantum mysticism.

The water memory, which Jacques Benveniste thought to have found, is often quoted as evidence. It is clear at the latest since 1995 that Benvenistes results are not comprehensible. It is nevertheless claimed furthermore that high potencies would contain information, although neither one can find information carriers nor a code is conceivable. So it is not surprising that the last "evidence" which is celebrated as a breakthrough proved also wrong and intolerable with rat intestines at the university Leipzig. An extensive appreciation of this pseudo research at the university Leipzig is found here: [4]. Whatever information the structure of the water contains in the conception of the supporters, it would have to be transferred also to the sugar pills on which the drop of the homoeopathic water is laid on. The memory of the water would have to "survive" in a way the ingestion and absorption through the gastrointestinal system in the body and the transport by the blood up to the tissue. Biologists have neither found a "water memory" nor discovered homoeopathic signals or receptors, still something which could plausibly serve as a receptor for water structures.

Today's homoeopaths often retire on the quantum mechanics to explain the alleged effect of homoeopathic remedies. However, quantum effects are from importance only at a subatomic and perhaps still atomic level. They are not relevant for the macroscopic world or biological systems like viruses, single cells or upward.

The fact that also diluted water is offered as a homoeopathic remedy (1 gram of a diluted water costs about 1 pound, see illustration on the right) makes the concept just as doubtfully as the assertions of some homoeopaths that an effect would start out from remedies carried under the pillow or at the body.

Homoeopathy and medical ethic

Besides the dangers of a refrained or delayed effective therapy in favour of the application of homoeopathic remedies, also other ethical questions arise. The prescription of homoeopathic remedies as a placebo can have only a sense if the therapist does not inform the patient about the actual placebo character of these remedies, and withholds the fact from him that (at least in the high-potentized remedies) no working molecule is contained. It is a disdain of ethical principles not to inform the patient about the real character of a therapy and undermines also the relation to the patient which is based on confidence.

Homoeopathy and malaria prophylaxis and anti tick globules

In Germany it is to be observed again and again that homoeopaths use the remedy malaria 2000 (or another remedy) to a so-called malaria prophylaxis for patients who intend to travel to a country in which the malaria is endemic. Regularly malaria patients have to be treated who indicate to have prepared in such a way in front of malaria and were infected nevertheless. It came to at least one death of a patient after a malaria 2000 prophylaxis. The Bavarian broadcast quotes the tropics institute in Munich on his web pages, there therefore were several deaths with people who had relied on a homoeopathic malaria prophylaxis. The drug commissions of the pharmacists and the German medical association took position with publications and clear warnings against such a homoeopathic malaria prophylaxis: The drug commission of the pharmacists has warned of a homoeopathic malaria prophylaxis in the pharmaceutical newspaper already on March 19th, 1998. It is put straight that malaria represents a serious and partly life-threatening illness and "is not to be confronted with non-specific homoeopathic remedies of which one hopes for an increased immunity of the body against malaria pathogenes. Such malfunctioned “prophylaxis” cases are literature-well-informed". You warn therefore urgently to hand in homoeopathic means to the malaria prophylaxis. It is urgently advised against to hand in homoeopathic remedies to the malaria prophylaxis. The drug commission of the German medical association warn even more considerably and more sharply in the German medical news 95 of June 19th, 1998. The drug commission took reference to a homoeopathic malaria prophylaxis offered by a company. Literal: "Set up doctors who order patients a homoeopathic malaria prophylaxis have to expect profession legal and criminal consequences. The malaria is a serious and perhaps life-threatening illness, because of the acute endangering of the patients who perhaps rely on their homoeopathic remedy, the drug commission of the German medical association sees at the prescription of such homoeopathic remedies to the malaria prophylaxis a violation of the professional duties of the doctor and disadvises urgently, for the safety of the patients, from a prescription of such remedies. On the other hand the illness prophylaxis is controversial within the homoeopathy scene, because no homoeopathic remedies can be found without recognizable symptoms. Also in England such malaria prophylaxes had been confessed and the English state NHS therefore suspended the payments to homoeopathic facilities as of 2008.

Also so-called anti ticks globules are similarly critical to prevent a Lyme disease illness on a natural way, how a pharmacy in Arnsberg secretly means. To this this pharmacy has developed a special mixture with a homoeopathic manufacturer which contains nosodes, which shall represent a homoeopathic vaccination. It particularly is referred to the Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE),which is transferred by ticks, and the Lyme disease. The anti ticks globules shall contain in addition also Ledum palustre (Marsh Labrador tea), what is supposed to change the body odour of one's own according to a protection.

The application of Spenglersan Kolloid M-remedies for the the malaria prophylaxis could not prevent documented a malaria, Swedish doctors published case reports and a warning to this.

The World Health Organization WHO has explicitly warned 2009 of the homoeopathy as a treatment option at malaria, HIV infection, tuberculosis, influenza and diarrhoeas in the childhood.

Homoeopathic Antidots

Supporters of the homoeopathy are afraid of apparently unwanted effects of the own therapies, particularly as too intensive first worsenings after a homoeopathic medication. But this case is also provided for by so-called homoeopathic antidotes. Therefore it would be sufficient to disable the remedy causing the first worsenings by a couple of drinks of a strong coffee or by smelling to camphors (tiger balsam, Vic-vapo rup ...). According to the so-called women's magazine "FÜR SIE" (engl. for her) mobile telephones would "impair" homoeopathic remedies in their effect. At the taking of such a remedy one should set the mobile telephone aside. The electromagnetic fields of radio alarms, computers and microwaves also can impair the effect of the remedies.

History of the homoeopathy

One can grant the homoeopathy thoroughly "scientific" character in the time of the development (according to definition at that time). After all, Hahnemann proceeded empirically and checked his thesis at experiments on himself. Nowadays the gain of knowledge since this time makes the theory only seem interesting from the medicine historical view. The homoeopathy cannot be regarded as a serious medical method due to the missing effectiveness proof. At Hahnemann's times neither a clinical thermometer was invented nor the knowledge of bacteria was acquired, instead the strangest attempts to explain arised (miasma for example, pathogenic steams which raise of the ground), so that one must quite regard Hahnemann's model from historical view as reasonable. From today's view after over two centuries of enormous knowledge profit one can suspect that even Hahnemann, he would still live and have today's knowledge, would mock his apologists. So the homoeopathy was already criticized intensely over 100 years ago (see links). The similarity principle of the homoeopathy does not go back on Hahnemann, there already were analogous conceivabilities (for example in England) before.

Furthermore it is remarkable that some of Hahnemanns recommendations from the Organon, such as the application of a hot terpentine to scald injuries, are not propagated broadly anymore. With injuries at which one can immediately see the success or failure of a treatment the teachings are rejected partly correctly as obsolete and unfounded. The parts of Hahemanns teachings which are also illogical and unfounded, however, are commercialized profitably at whose putting into action one can hope for the placebo effect.

Homoeopathic doctors in Europe

5.000 doctors shall approximately have attained a qualification as homoeopath in Germany. The net newspaper says that approximately every 40th doctor has a qualification in "homoeopathy" in Germany at the moment. According to information from the ECHAMP about 2.5% of the doctors in Germany, 8.3% in Italy and in 14% Slovakia, have a qualification in "homoeopathy". On the other hand, the quota is under 0.03% in Sweden, of almost 30.000 only ten have a homoeopathic additional training for Swedish doctors, altogether. 56.000 doctors would therefore almost Europe-wide have a qualification in "homoeopathy". The so glaringly different acceptance of the homoeopathy into two industrial nations like Germany and Sweden at a comparable health status of the German and Swede shows that the homoeopathy can be renounced without problems on the one hand apparently without a relevant effect arising on the population's health and on the other hand that the popularity of the homoeopathy is rather not associated to scientific arguments or proofs of evidence, but relies more on philosophy of lives, prejudices or traditions. Convincing scientific arguments and effectiveness proofs which would speak for the application of the homoeopathy, would also have convinced Swedish physicians.

The business with homeopathics

Germany and France are the most important markets for a homoeopathic and anthroposophic-homoeopathic medicine in Europe. Almost 60% of all medicines of these therapy directions produced in Europe were, sold [27] with a Europe-wide increase of 60% between 1995 and 2005 in these two countries. In Germany there was a turnover plus of 80%, in France 300%. The Europe-wide sales volume amounts to 1.7 billion euros, about 7% of all medicine available without prescription. The revenues of the production amounted to about 930 million euros, therefrom 810 million euros for medicine in 2005. Measured against the manufacturer's prices about 268 million euros of the EU sales were allotted to Germany, on France 294 million euros. According to information from the weekly periodical of "Der Spiegel" the sales volume of the homoeopathy remedies was at 400 million euros in 2009. According to information from the federal association of the pharmaceutical industry the legal health insurance companies paid 9 million euros for homoeopathic remedies. The subsequent costs are not, however, included for ineffective homoeopathic therapies here. The costs by homoeopathic first and subsequent case histories which must be usually paid by the patients are also not comparable with these costs. The market leading enterprise in Germany is the German homoeopathy union (DHU). The group with over 400 employees has developed out of the company Schwabe set up in 1961.

The most used homeopathic is Oscilococcinum C200. This remedy also is called the "20 million canard". The annual turnover for the product is 20 million dollars. The remedy is produced from duck liver, but only the liver of one single duck is used for the complete sales volume, and of this something is left: The potentization of C200 means that the ratio of liver to the solution 1 to 10 is with 400 zeros.

Homoeopathy is financially interesting for doctors

The payoff of "homoeopathic" benefits by doctors gets more and more attractive for these as the doctor newspaper reported already 2007. The compensation contains € 90 first case history, € 20 Repertorisation, € 20 analysis and € 45 subsequent case history. For these € 175 a set up specialist cares for 5 "conventional" patients for a whole quarter, regardless how often these appear in the practice. In principle, as a National Health patient one can take up homoeopathic performances at such illness forms "at which a cure or alleviation has to be expected by a specifical therapeutical response of potentially still available self-healing strengths".

Homoeopathy and controversial measles parties

2005 became known that supporters of the homoeopathy do not decline so-called measles parties generally. Quotation of a corresponding newspaper article: Homoeopathic doctors do not decline "measles parties" generally. At tradeoff of the possible side effects of a vaccination with the risks of an illness, an infection caused consciously "is worth a consideration, at an age between about three and eight years" said the Munich paediatrician Dr. Steffen Rabe.

It is a result of the vaccinating campaigns that in comparison with in the past more babies and adults fall ill at measles outbreaks today. The risk of falling ill with complications, such as a brain fever, because of measles was, however, higher with this group of people up to ten times, Rabe said. "The increased measles illness frequency with babies is an immediate result of the vaccinating politics", so Rabe. The last decision on the participation of a child in a "measles party" always rests with parents in the opinion of the doctor.

In the case of a measles illness the paediatrician recommends the complete renunciation of fever-reducing drugs since these possibly increase the complication risk. "The patient rather needs primarily silence and rest." In many cases, the illness has to be treated well with classic homoeopathy.

Studies on homoeopathy

The early studies

Already to life times of Hahnemann his teaching was controversial and aroused lively discussions and the first tests with homeopathics proceeded negatively. Hahnemann's readings couldn't be confirmed in repetitions of his original „medicine tests“. The famous cinchona experiment the teaching is based on was a mistake: Although cinchona lowers the body temperature, Hahnemann felt fevers after the taking. Possibly an allergic reaction. The non-blinded "drug examinations" without switching off a possible placebo effect by comparison with a fake medication are not acceptable scientifically either.

The homoeopathy studies in the time of the National Socialism

There were further examinations to the homoeopathy in the time of the National Socialism. The regime wanted a reorientation in the health service, the "new German medicine". Moreover, the criticism of jewished orthodox medicine got pure in National Socialist circles. Drug studies were done at different homoeopathic hospitals by the Reichsgesundheitsamt (RGA) between 1936 and 1939, much of them placebo checked. Above all the reliability of earlier medicine examinations and thus also the priority of the "pharmacological picture" developing on them should be investigated. The homoeopath Hanns Rabe (1890-1959), the internist Werner Siebert (1897-1951) and the pharmacology professors Gustav Kuschinsky (1904-1992) and Richard Bonsmann belonged to the study group. At that time the doctor and homoeopath Fritz Donner (1896-1979) who was working in Berlin at the homoeopathic department of the Rudolf Virchow hospital, was involved substantially at these checks too. Extensive notes from Donner about the RGA examinations and previous studies became known as Donner report for the homoeopathy and are available today in the original in the "homoeopathy archives" of the institute for history of the medicine of the Robert Bosch foundation in Stuttgart. But nothing positive for the homoeopathy came of the government-supported examinations. Double blinded experiments were carried out with Silicea C30, for example. The result: Verum and placebo caused equal much symptoms. It was not possible for the homoeopaths present to distinguish verum and placebo. In 1938/39 clinical attempts with homeopathics were also accomplished with negative results in the Robert Koch hospital in Berlin. The homoeopath Rabe reacted with the assumption that [ ... ] homoeopathy is no pharmacotherapeutic method, as assumed till now, but a form of psychotherapy [ ... ]. Fritz Donner in a memory protocol: Truthfully one would have to answer that during the medicine examination nothing came out and that a reaction speaking for a therapeutical effect of the used medicines never has occurred in the clinical tests with a patient. Nevertheless it was announced officially that certain difficulties would have manifested themselves so that one must start newly. The war prevented however further research. Donner expressed himself more considerably later within the 1960s: He called the examination a total fiasco for the homoeopathy.

Versions of this article in other languages

• Deutsch: Homöopathie
• Nederlands: Homeopathie