Dagmar Uhl
Homeopathy and The Remedies
Homeopathy
Classical Homeopathy as a healing method takes the whole human being into focus, not just singular symptoms of a disease or the injured body parts. The homeopathic remedy works with the principle of stimulus and response. It stimulates the life force of the patient, which heals the body from the disease. About 200 years ago, homeopathy was developed by the German medical doctor Samuel Hahnemann. He discovered 99 of the now about 2000 homeopathic remedies. They are extracted from everything that surrounds us, foremost from plants, minerals, animals or metals.
How It Works
The name homeopathy comes from the two Greek words homoios which means similar and pathos which means distress. Hahnemann called his new healing system “Homeopathy” because it is founded on the principle „Similia similibus curentur“ from the Latin, which means "Like cures like“. In homeopathy a remedy is used to cure exactly those symptoms that it can produce in a healthy person. It helps the body to become more aware of the symptom and this way induces a healing reaction. Homeopathy can ease acute ailments as well as chronic ones. It works from the inside out, from above to below. The symptoms that occurred most recently will be the first ones to go.
The Consultation
Part of the homeopathic treatment is an extensive consultation, which can have its own healing potential. The consultation offers the possibility to name old patterns in a non-judgmental atmosphere. We cannot hear our own song, because we are too familiar with it. Like someone who lives close to a train station thinks the noise of the trains is very part of life, we are used to the messages of our inner being, no matter how disturbing they might be. Listening closely leads to the homeopathic remedy and to new possibilities. Homeopathy is a very soft method. It does not tolerate anything hard or condemning. Nothing is too big or too small to be treated in my office.
The Remedies and Their Potencies
Hahnemann often used substances for his remedies, which could be poisonous if taken in a large amount, but were healing when taken in great dilution. He developed a number of methods to prepare such dilutions. Here I will only mention the two most common ones. In the series of D-Dilutions one part of the substance is mixed with nine parts of the carrier substance (alcohol, water or milk sugar). This makes a D1 potency. From this mixture one part is taken and diluted with nine parts of the carrier substance to create a D2. To create the centesimal or C-potencies one part of the substance is mixed with 99 parts of the carrier substance. That creates a C1-potency. If you take one part of C1 and mix it with another 99 parts of the carrier substance you get to C2. Hahnemann thought it important to do all the dilutions by hand. Every mixture needs to be knocked on a leather pillows for ten times. Hahnemann found that this way, the remedy would be optimally diluted in the carrier and the resulting mixture would be energized.
Homeopathic Proving
What is called "homeopathic proving“ is a field experiment. A large number of volunteers ingest a certain homeopathic remedy and all the effects, like an occurring symptom or a change of mood or sleeping pattern, are closely monitored. For example, the homeopathic remedy “Coffea” (derived from the coffee bean) can produce a nervous tremble, lack of sleep and excitability in a healthy person. For a patient who already has these kinds of symptoms, Coffea can bring calmness and balance. It is important to know that not all symptoms of a remedy show up in everyone. Homeopathic provings are held since Hahnemann’s time. Since then the list of proven symptoms of the remedies has been enlarged and refined. Because one remedy can have a different effect on women, men, or children, a lot of homeopathic provings are needed.