Homeopathic Remedies
A homeopathic remedy is a highly diluted substance,
prepared from one single animal, mineral, or plant source, as
found in nature. For example, Apis mellifica is a highly diluted
remedy prepared from the venom of a honey bee, commonly used
to treat bee stings, certain types of sore throats, and many
other conditions. The remedies are prepared in laboratories by
homeopathic pharmacies under very strict regulatory guidelines.
In fact, the FDA has publicly stated: “Homeopathic
medicines in high dilutions, taken under the supervision of trained
professionals, are considered safe and unlikely to cause severe
adverse reactions.” Because of the extremely high dilutions
of the remedies, they are extremely safe and completely devoid
of all chemical toxicity. Thus, unlike even many herbal preparations,
they are extremely safe and effective to use even with pregnant
women and infants.
Homeopathic remedies are first scientifically “proven” by
testing small amounts of the natural substances on healthy individuals
and meticulously recording all of the symptoms experienced by
these individuals. After the symptoms from a “proving” disappear,
the experiment continues, and the individuals receive yet another
dose to confirm the original findings of the first proving. This
is done several times and, in many cases, with many individuals
to ensure consistent, accurate, and reliable information.
Next, this information is combined with information
from clinical trials to confirm that the remedy does indeed cure
individuals suffering from a pattern of symptoms similar to the
pattern of symptoms of the remedy. Unlike drugs used in conventional
medicine, which may only be tested for a few years and typically
used without full knowledge of long-term side effects, the homeopathic
remedies most commonly prescribed have been used safely and effectively
for decades.
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The reason the remedies are so safe is the same reason that makes
it so difficult for most people to comprehend how these remedies
could possibly work - the remedies are so highly diluted that
only a molecule or less of the original substance is chemically
present in the remedy. Only a subtle essence, or a sub-molecular
remnant, of the original substance remains. This fact has made
it easy for skeptics to argue that homeopathy can’t possibly
work because there can’t be any significant chemical effect
of a remedy that may not even contain a single molecule of what
it was originally prepared from. The funny thing is that these
skeptics are correct.
As you may recall from the previous section, we
already know that the action of the remedy is not a chemical
one; it merely triggers a healing reaction of the vital force.
One way of thinking about the remedy is that, instead of exerting
a chemical influence on the body, it may actually work by communicating
information to the body about the pattern of symptoms that the
original undiluted substance causes. It is this information contained
in the remedy, not the chemical composition of the remedy, that
the vital force reacts to. Because this concept of a non-chemical
healing reaction does not fit the conventional medical model,
it is simply discarded by many. However, as we will see in the
next section, modern scientific research has confirmed the safety
and effectiveness of homeopathy again and again.
One final note on homeopathic remedies: they are relatively inexpensive,
especially when compared to other over-the-counter medication,
prescription drugs, and even vitamin supplements and herbal preparations.
A typical 1 to 2 month supply of one single remedy usually costs
around $10 to $15. Since only one single remedy is prescribed
at any one time, even for a multitude of symptoms, taking the
remedy is very simple and inexpensive.
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