Drug-independent Effects II

Homeopathy is an alternative
method of therapy, developed in the
1800s by Samuel Hahnemann. His idea
was this: when given in normal (allopathic)
dosage, a drug (in the sense of
medicament) will produce a constellation
of symptoms; however, in a patient
whose disease symptoms resemble just
this mosaic of symptoms, the same drug
(simile principle) would effect a cure
when given in a very low dosage (“potentiation”).
The body’s self-healing
powers were to be properly activated
only by minimal doses of the medicinal
substance.
The homeopath’s task is not to diagnose
the causes of morbidity, but to
find the drug with a “symptom profile”
most closely resembling that of the
patient’s illness. This drug is then applied
in very high dilution.
A direct action or effect on body
functions cannot be demonstrated for
homeopathic medicines. Therapeutic
success is due to the suggestive powers
of the homeopath and the expectancy of
the patient. When an illness is strongly
influenced by emotional (psychic) factors
and cannot be treated well by allopathic
means, a case can be made in favor
of exploiting suggestion as a therapeutic
tool. Homeopathy is one of several
possible methods of doing so.