Homeopathy
Homeopathy is one of the most established forms of 'alternative medicine', meaning in this context not conventional 'Western medicine' with the associated use of pharmaceutical drugs, that is widely available in many 'Western'* countries today. It is used to treat physical, mental and emotional conditions and is practised in many locations around the world including in the UK, USA and Australia.
History of Homeopathy
Homeopathy emerged towards the end of the 18th century, initially due to the work of the German medical doctor, Samuel Christian Friedrich Hahnemann, of Meissen, Saxony (1755 - 1843).
Now known as the 'Father of Homeopathy', Samuel Hahnemann believed that the highest purpose of medicine was
"to restore health rapidly; gently; permanently; to remove and destroy the whole disease in the shortest, surest, least harmful way".
When he qualified as a Medical Doctor in 1779, Hahnemann quickly formed the opinion that blood-letting, a common medical practice at that time, weakened the body's powers of recovery and caused physical harm. As a result, he abandoned medical practice and used his language skills (he had mastered 8 languages) to translate Scott Cullen's edition of 'Materia Medica'. While undertaking this task he also developed some ideas that lead, eventually, to his discovery of the principles of homeopathy.
Following Hahnemann's early work, homeopathy became popular across Europe and east into parts of Russia. It flourished in the United Kingdom and became established in the United States and other parts of the world.
See the history of homeopathy for more about the spread of homeopathy.
What does a homeopathic consultation or treatment involve?
The form and duration of consultations can vary according to the personal style of the individual practitioner. Most homeopathic consultations tend to be quite lengthy due to the detailed questions that the practitioner asks in order to select the most appropriate remedies for the individual client. The selection of homeopathic remedies is based on consideration of a wide variety of factors including the person's personality and emotions as well as his or her physiological condition or conditions.
Further Information about Homeopathy
Homeopathy courses are available from many colleges. For a personal introduction to this subject and to meet like-minded people who have similar interests find out what is available in your area.
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