Herbal medicine is probably the oldest form of medicinal treatment and must have evolved from a combination of instinct, intuition, trial and error all combined with nutrition and observation of the effects of different food stuffs, leaves and berries. Herbal medicine ₪and nutritional medicine share so much in common in the middle ground that their particular uses depend on quantity, preparation, constitution and circumstance. In medieval Europe it was absolutely commonplace to sprinkle the fresh or dried petals of the Calendula Marigold in stews and for this reason it is called ‘pot Marigold’ while herbalists would prescribe the same petals in various forms as a herbal treatment; and the same could be said for nettle, thyme, rosemary, mint and others. These herbs and plants may be used to supply deficiencies, to clear congestion; to stimulate, tone or relax the bodily tissues and many plants are renowned for their use in particular bodily systems or types of symptoms such as mint and chamomile to calm the digestive system, oats to soothe the nerves and thyme to cleanse the respiratory system.
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The study of homoeopathy requires the use of a different map and a different understanding of the nature of a human being. I have heard the analogy of a website used to describe some mind training techniques and I think it works quite well for homoeopathy to a point. If you are familiar with websites or blogs you will know that there is a back room and a front room. The front room is un-editable and shows the end results of changes in the back room. You could try to change the front room but it’s not very effective and yet go to the back room and do some writing and insert a few pictures and the magic effects show in the front room. The back room is where all the causes exist. Homoeopaths think there is more to you than the head and limbs and nerves and joints and furthermore they believe that the inner you, the dynamic self that animates the physical, like the back room, is where the magic happens. A homoeopath will see all the bodily or even emotional symptoms as end results because, on this map, the world of causes lies in a different place entirely.
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Homoeopathy was officially formulated and documented by Samuel Hahnemann in a book called The Organon of Homoeopathy. Samuel Hahnemann, 1755-1843, was a physician, chemist, linguist, philosopher and psychologist who revolutionised many aspects of healthcare for mind and body and soul. He advised his patients on diet, lifestyle and mental health.
- Homoeopathy m₪eans similar suffering, and homoeopathic does not strictly refer to a bottle of pills – none of them, not even Arnica. A bottle of Arnica 30 is, strictly speaking, a potentised remedy, it is not Homoeopathic —- until it is taken by a person who is suffering similar symptoms, in the case of Arnica the main symptoms would be: sore muscles; physical trauma and bruised sensation.
- Remedies are potentised, initially to reduce side-effects of gross substances, and later, because experience showed improved results from potentised substances. Potentisation involves a process of dilution and succussion, or shaking or banging on something like a leather book traditionally. The remedies are diluted to produce potencies that are usually dilutions of one drop in ten or one in a hundred, designated by an x or a c and repeated to produce a range of dilutions with 30 being one of the most popular. The low potencies, such as 6x still contain some material molecules; the higher potencies beyond 12c, are diluted and succussed beyond molecules.
Remedies from 100 years ago
- Homoeopathic remedies are not herbal remedies. They are prepared differently from herbs, they use herbs but also minerals and substances drawn from all the kingdoms of the world.
- Remedies are normally prepared in the form of liquid preserves which are used to medicate sugar or lactose pills and granules of all sizes, and sometimes the remedy is used in liquid form, preserved in alcohol and diluted in water. Some remedies are prepared by trituration, specially minerals, which means they are ground finer and finer and mixed with the sucrose or lactose powder which dilutes them. Herbal remedies are prepared quite differently and usually presented as dried herbs for tea or pills or tinctures and contain the full strength of the herb material.
- The bottles of remedies you will usually see in the shops are filled with potentised Arnica, potentised Pulsatilla and so on. We usually refer to them as ‘homoeopathics’ – but strictly speaking they are not that until you suck them and get happy relief. Therefore it is only truly homoeopathic once it has been shown to bring relief and cure.☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
- Remedies are chosen on the similarity of symptoms. To prescribe homoeopathically you need to know three things: the materia medica of remedies; the patient; the principles with which to match up the two; and then you just need to match up the two – like matching up socks to get a happy drawer!
- There are always exceptions to the rule and here it’s mainly the first aid remedies. First aid remedies will include Arnica the hero-herb. Arnica is probably the most well-known ‘homoeopathic’ remedy but some people have been worried by an idea that it thins the blood! -how could that be- These remedies are potentised, that actually means diluted, attenuated, not material doses and emptied of molecules and that probably means the effect is not material but dynamic . Other first aid remedies are Ruta, Symphytum, Bellis Perennis, Ledum, Hypericum and Rhus tox and these are chosen on the ouchiness ie: sore; prickling; stitching; pulsing; hammering etc: the causative incident and the type of injury and tissue, ie eyes, ligaments, muscles, joints, skin and so on; and the factors such as movement, cold, touch etc. that aggravate or ameliorate the pain. This approach to remedy selection is summed up by; Location, Sensation and Modalities.
- Modalities is an old fashioned word that refers to things that aggravate and ameliorate 0r in plain English, make better or worse. The Pulsatilla patient will be made worse in a stuffy room and better from fresh air. The Bryonia patient will be made worse by movement and better by stillness. The Rhus tox patient will be worse on first movement and better after warming up.
- There are hundreds and thousands of remedies from which you can choose a few to learn and the most useful and usual to begin with are: Aconite: Arsenicum album; Belladonna: Bryonia: Chamomilla: Calcarea carbonica; Dulcamara: Ferrum phos: Hepar sulph: Gelsemium; Nux vomica; Pulsatilla; Silica; Sulphur; Sepia; Spongia; plus or minus any you feel particularly drawn to. This will give you a basic remedy kit on which to build at leisure.
