Homeopathy (shortnotes) -tak la short sangat sebenanya pun..
1. Concept: Diluted plants/ animal/ mineral substance can cure illness
2. E.g: 1 cup of coffee (stimulant). Take 1 drop and transfer to 1 litre of water. Take 1 drop from that 1 litre and drop it to sugar cube. That homeopathic prep has relaxing effect (reverse effect)
3. First practice 200 yrs back.
a. E.g. Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch painter) treated by Dr Paul Gatchet (French Homeopath)
4. Quote: “is a luxury for those who are not too sick” – Bernad Kouchner, doctor, former French cabinet minister.
5. Concept of reverse effect & potentitation:
a. Hippocrates: “The same thing that have given rise to suffering can also heal it”
b. Samuel Hahnemann (German doctor):
- Bark of quinaquina (used for anti-malaria remedy) had anti-pyretic effect. He drank few cups of tea from the bark of the tree (Cinchona officinalis) >> He experience strong fever (which was the symptoms quinquina supposed to be relief)
- Tried with other plants; (e.g Atropa Belladona) ..and each time he observe in himself symptoms that the plant suppose to suppress.
- He begian systematic classification of different plants, animals & minerals > book > The Doctrine of Pure Medicine.
- Concept of potentiation : More dilute > more effective.
- System: D-potency; 1:9 dilution. C- potency = 1:99 dilution.
(i.e) if the homeopathic medication is labelled C200, it is diluted in water/alcohol 200 times in a ratio of 1:99 at each stage.
6. Opponents views:
a. Diluted substance have no tract of the origincal substance
...................i. Counter > theory of ‘memory of water’. Water ‘remembers’ the information about the substance,. Evidence? > Hahnemann proved in various experiments that electrochemical & physical changes do take place, although no single molecules detected.
................... ii. Others, Nature (British journal) publish “The Memory of Matter” in 1988 – about the effects of strongly diluted antibodies to human blood cell. Chief Editor question the value of result. 1989, the study was repeated but the result could be duplicated. > ? > inconclusive.
b. Placebo effect.
...................i . Double blind experiment > up to 40% experience healing effect.
...................ii. Other study : 100 > only 23 yield significant results on homeopathic medications. But there were other 15 studies shows significant result.
...................iii. Conclusion? >> Inconclusive.