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Anand:
What is Homoeopathy?
Doctor:
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Homoeopathy is a safe, simple, effective scientific system
of medicine applying same principle of a disease. We imply
this as "Similia similibus curantur'`, which means 'let likes
be treated by likes.' The mode of action is totally different
from the other systems of medicine not only by the method
of application, but also in dosage. Homoeopathy medicines
are administered in most diluted forms to avoid unneccessary
complications and side effects. It activates the internal
energy to fight against the diseases.The most important advantage
of taking Homoeopathy medicine - No side effects! The second
advantage is permanent cure! Homoeopathy offers safe medication,
from infants to the old.
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| Preetha: Applying
same principles … I do not get you Doctor! Please Explain. |
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Doctor:
You may know "Diamond cuts Diamond"
and "Thorne pulls out thorne". Like this principle a medicine
which is capable of producing a disease like symptoms and
a cure with the same medicine. Whatever medicine we take it
has two methods of action. A medicine may produce an opposite
action or similar action. To make you clear , your heart beats
are at high speed and if a medicine is administered to control
the speed, it is opposite reaction. On the other hand a medicine,
which increases the heartbeat, is similar action.
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Mostly opposite
reactions are followed in Allopathic medications in the treatment
of diseases and only similar reactions are followed in Homoeopathy.
In allopathy also similar reaction
are followed to prevent diseases by the name of vaccination
and immunisation because the similar principles alone cure
and prevent the diseases. The
BCG tuberculus bacilli are accentuated for vaccination. Serum
prepared immunisation is being done as preventive aspect in
allopathy. It is also a similar principle. In our sytem we
also use the medicine but in more diluted, potentised form
and we call this as Tuberculinum. Here you can note the difference
as allopathic medicines are administered as material dose
but homoeopathic medicines are in immaterial form.
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Anand :
How can it be possible with such action! If you administer
such a remedy won`t the patient’s conditions go worse?
Doctor:
No! Homoeopathy medicines are
administered to the patients in the most diluted form. So
it never produce any side effects and never worsens the condition.
It is rarely expected during drug proving. Unlike the Allopathic
medicines our medicines are proved in healthy human beings.
The physiological doses are applied only to prove a new Homoeopathy
medicine. These proved that medicines are potentised and administered
as medicines to the sick.
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| Preetha: How
can a similar symptom be a cure for the disease? Can you explain? |
Doctor:
The
principle of 'Similimum' can alone be a permanent cure for
the disease as we observe in nature. Hence,'Similimum' is
the nature's law of cure. Father of Homoeopathy, Dr .Samuel
Hahnemann discovered this wonderful system of healing! He
was a well-known physician of Allopathic system of medicine.
He became frustrated of the barbaric practices and the ways
of treating the sick in those days, such as blood letting
and blistering. Apart from the terrible suffering, he observed
that people including his own children were not benefited
with these methods of treatment. So, he left the practice
of allopathic medicine. He was also a famous scholar of various
languages.
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When he was translating a pharmaceutical
catalogue, he was surprised to know that Cinchona, which is
used as a medicine for malaria even now-a-days, could produce
the same symptoms if taken in physiological doses. He
was excited since it was
believed that substances, which can produce opposite symptoms
alone, would help to alleviate the suffering. To verify, he
took the bitter juice of cinchona bark. And
to his utter surprise he developed chillness and rigor, which
were the cardinal features of Malaria and these symptoms vanished
as soon as he stopped taking the cinchona juice. This was
the germ of Homoeopathy. He applied
this principle on many more things. Onion, which creates severe
irritation in the nose and eyes was used for allergic rhinitis,
which has similar symptoms; Belladonna for congestive fever
and Sulphur for skin lesions. It is similar to the vaccine
concept - the remedy does not attack the disease, it stimulates
the body to throw it off, that mean encouraging the inner
energy rather than suppressing the expression of the sick.
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| Anand : What
are the sources of Homoeopathic Medicine? Are
they derived from herbs always ? |
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Doctor:
The main Homoeopathic medicines are derived from plants, but
also from minerals or animal sources. Some of the medicines
are highly poisonous in their original, undiluted form and
the patients who learn that they are being given medicines
derived from such sources sometimes feel apprehensive, but
the homoeopathic method of preparation yields such extremely
high dilutions that there is no danger at all.
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| Anand : How
do you prepare medicines? |
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Doctor:
The method of preparing the medicines
is consisted in making serial dilutions by the methods of
succussion and potentisation. These are very important for
bringing out the medicinal properties of the substances. The
mother substance is soaked in alcohol and maintained for a
considerable period. Then this is filtered to get the liquid,
which is called "Mother Tincture"!
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Then,
to one part of the liquid, 9 parts of alcohol is added and
succussed to get the 9th potency. Like
this the method of diluting is continued to get successive
potencies and named 1x, 2x and so on.
If one part of the mother tincture is mixed
and succussed with 99 parts of alcohol, we get 1c potency.
To one part of 1c, 99 parts of alcohol is added and succussed
to get 2c potency. In this method, the medicinal substance
is diluted to get medicine in "Centesmal potency." Now,
one may ask by successively diluting the medicinal substance,
will the medicinal property remain potent? Yes. According
to Avagadro hypothesis, the molecule of the medicine is laboratorically
present up to 6c.
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Further
dilutions don't reveal the trace of the medicinal substance.
But it carries the memory of the mother substance like a split
atom is more powerful than its hosplit state. The
medicinal substances which are not soluble in alcohol, eg: chemicals,
is mixed either with 9 parts of sugar of milk, or 99 parts of
milk and is tinctured mechanically to get 1x or 1c of the medicines.
This phenomenon is continued to get various potencies. Again
here, these chemicals don't damage the vital organs of your
body since they are highly diluted. |
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The
process of continuous diluting removes the unwanted effects
of medicine and the curative efficacy of the medicine is improved.
Generally
practitioners won't prepare medicines. The pharmaceutical companies
manufacture and sell to the physicians. The practitioners dispense
the medicines to the patients.
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| Preetha : How
do you dispense medicines to the patients? Do you use injections
as in Allopathic treatment? |
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Doctor:
No!
We do not use injections. The medicines are available in
the form of Mother Tinctures, Dilutions, Triturations and
Tablets. The mother tinctures, triturations and tablets
are directly dispensed to the patients, but the dilutions
are medicated with sugar pills or powders. It varies from
practitioner to practitioner. Now-a-days blister packs are
used to avoid evaporation to ensure the Hygiene. Sometimes
they are given as a single long-acting dose, or else they
may be given once a day or more frequently for days or weeks.
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Anand:
Is there any restrictions in taking Homoeopathic Medicines?
Doctor:
The
Medicines are allowed to dissolve in the mouth. Unlike the
allopathic medicines, which make your blood levels in quantity.
Our medicines are absorbed through nerve endings of the tongue,
inhalation and small portion by absorption from the alimentary
tract. All potency medicines are adivised to take on clean
tongue before food. I usually advise my patients to avoid
taking anything before and after ten minutes. Mother tinctures
and triturations shall be taken after food.
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| Preetha : Should
we avoid taking coffee while taking Homoeopathic Medicines? |
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Doctor:
There
is a general belief that Coffee and Tea should be avoided,
but there is no good evidence that these substances really
interfere with cure. Moreover there is an another belief as
bitterguard, onion and strong odours should be avoided. Clinically
I had observed nothing interferes the cure as such. It is
therefore probably enough to avoid tea or coffee for 10 or
20 minutes before and after taking the medicines.
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Anand :
What type of diseases can be cured?
Doctor:
We have “pill for every ill.” Even though we treat acute disease,
public choose our system for chronic ailments. People choose
our system when they fail to achieve the benefit from other
systems of medicine. Our medicines prove well in many incurable
diseases such as Asthma, Cancer, Myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s
disease, Migraine and so on. It is clinically proved in most
cases. It is a surprise to our medical fraternity as we could
cure tumours with internal medicine. We treat psychosomatic
disorders also ranging from anxiety to depression. It suits
well for the children in bringing immunity to many ailments
such as cold, cough, sore throat and other incurables ailments.
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Preetha:
"I heard that homoeopathy medicines will aggravate the existing
disease and then cures!" Is it true?
Doctor:
Yes,
but not in all cases. Mostly it is observed only in Allergic
conditions such as Ezema and sometimes in Asthma. Because
the disease get suppression. If the patient has aggravation
the cure is definite and fast. Naturally it eliminates the
toxic reactions and pours it outside. Gradually the toxic
influence will go away from the body. Sometimes the intensity
of the disease itself looks as aggravation. It can be differentiated
well. This unnecesary Aggravations are avoided with correct
potency selection. Now a days people started thinking that
homoeopathy medicines makes them worse first then heals. It
is not true for every disease. My clinical observation of
aggravation is only in the supressed disease. The diseases
with metabolic and pathological lesions never aggravates.
This can be proved by laboratory findings.
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| Preetha : Who
are qualified to treat? Like Allopathy do Homoeopathy have Medical
Colleges? |
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Doctor:
Institutionally
trained Homoeopathic medical practitioners are qualified to
treat patients. Indian government has enacted an Act to protect
the rights of a registered Homoeopathic medical practitioner
under Central Council Act 1973. State Councils or Boards are
formed under the respective state governments. They maintain
a register for the registery of the Qualified Homoeopaths
who obtained the prescribed qualifications.
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There are numerous
Homoeopathic medical colleges in India. The curriculum is based
on the same syllabus as an allopathic medical college in relation
to subjects, years of study etc., Now post graduation is also
started in many colleges. |
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| Anand : How
do you examine a case? Do you use the equipments like stethoscope
and B.P. apparatus etc., ?
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Doctor:
Yes!
We use all medical equipments for examination of a patient.
Normally we start with a routine medical history to arrive
at a diagnosis of a disease then gears up to study the constitution
of the patient. Constitution
means the physical and mental build up of a patient.
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We
look more into their peculiar physical and mental symptoms
together with the pathological state of a disease to individualise
each and every sick person to select a remedy. Here the emphasis
is on those features, which distinguish one particular patient
from others with the same conventional diagnosis. Two patients,
both suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, might well receive
different homoeopathic prescriptions. We don 't prescribe
on disease names! Homoeopathy case taking is similar to fishing.
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| Preetha : What
are the advantages of taking homoeopathic medicines? |
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Doctor:
Permanent cure without side-effects! For example, Asthma is
allergic disease. Allergy has its genetical cause. The parents
or grandparents should have some allergic diseases in the
form of a familial asthma or eczema. The patient shows the
symptom as difficulty in breathing when exposed to allergens
such as a dust, pollen grains etc.
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Here the disease force is inside his body. Whenever the immunity
is lowered symptoms develops. In allopathy the treatment is
application of a bronchodilator drug and a steroid. Opposite
reaction of a bronchodilator drug immediately relieves his
condition for the time being. It requires another dosage when
the concentration of the drug is lowered in blood levels.
This is mere palliation! Not a Cure! Then a steroid is opted
to meet the situation, but steroid damages the vital organs
- heart, kidneys and the eyes, when continued longer and extensively.
Our method of application of the "Similimum" is in higher
dilutions, otherwise called the dynamic doses without side-effects.
These dynamic doses of similimum throws the disease out and
make the sick person free of his ailments. In our system our
method of application is a similar medicine in dynamic doses.
For example, a Asthma patient falls under the constitution
of Natrum sulph. Eventhough it cannot bring the instant effect
it gradually throws the disease layer from the body and finally
he is free from attacks.
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| Anand: What
is a Steroid and Hormone preparations. Are they harmful? |
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Doctor:
Hormones are secreted by endocrine glands which are essential
for our metabolism. Steroids are prepared from adrenal glands
which are very essential for immunity. In allopathy chemical
preparations are available as hormones and steroids. They
will be helpful in acute crisis. But now-a-days people had
started taking these drugs without knowing the side effect.
If the medication is continued for long time it definitly
harms our body. Realising the side-effects and dangerous consequences
of steroid medication lots of Homoeopathic medicines are newly
prepared from the same steroids. By keeping the steroids as
the source by Trituration highly diluted, dynamically effective
medicines which don't have the dangerous side-effects now
are able to remove the side-effects in a person who suffers
from it. Cortisone, Hydrocortisone, Oestrogen, Progestrone,
Adrenalin, Prednisolone, Prolactin, Pituitarinum, Posterior
pituitarinum are few drugs to remove the side-effects of steroids.
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| Anand : Is Homoeopathy
slow acting? |
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Doctor:
No! If the symptoms
corresponds, it is very fast. In allopathy the prescription
of a medicine is very easy since the treatment is symptomatic.
They prescribe the dose in material doses like 5gms, 10gms
to keep the dosage at a constant level. So the symptoms are
suppressed and the patient feels an instant relief! In Homoeopathy
we administer the similimum in dynamic doses, which helps
the sick to come back to healthy condition early in the faster
manner.The chronic and old disease such as psoriasis take
a long time to treat hence homoeopathy has been labeled as
slow acting.
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| Preetha
: Are laboratory investigations neccessary for a Homoeopath? |
Doctor:
Yes,
Investigations are absolutely necessary to diagnose a disease.
Eventhough we don’t give much importance to the common disease
symptoms we require to know the prognosis of a disease. |
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Diagnosis
is common to all systems of medicine. Some homoeopaths do
not rely on investigations; they simply observe the symptomatalogy
alone. But
it is dangerous, for instance, a patient suffering from kidney
stone, it rolls inside the pelvis according to the gravity
of urine and its movement gives pain. Here
the pain cannot be taken as a vague symptom. We cannot justify
the size of the stone during or after treatment. Therefore,
investigations are must in most of the incurable diseases.
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| Anand
: Do you advice surgery to your patients? |
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Doctor:
Yes,
We are not against surgery. In our medical curriculum we are
not trained to identify and classify the cases which appears
to be in need of surgery. Many of the so-called surgical cases
can very well be cured by Homoeopathic remedies, eg., Polycystic
ovaries, Chocolate cysts of the ovaries, Fibroids of the uterus,
Cysts in various other organs of the body, ChronicTonsilitis,
Sinusitis, Subacute appendicitis, Renal calculi, Cholelithiasis
etc.
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At
the sametime we are trained to identify the patients for whom
surgery can only be helpful eg. Perforated peptic ulcer, Respiratory
obstruction which need Tracheaostomy, Acute Appendicitis,
Strangulated Hernia etc.
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| Preetha
: While taking homoeopathic treatment if one happened to take
an allopathic medicine what
happens? Will there be a reaction… |
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Doctor:
There
is no good evidence that Allopathic drugs interfere with Homoeopathic
medicines. In any case, it is always undesirable to stop conventional
treatment without the approval of the physician concerned.
Sometimes patients healing power requires sometime for stimulation
until then you have to continue the drug and gradually you
can drop the allopathic drugs. There are no dangerous interactions
between homoeopathic medicines and modern drugs; because the
allopathic medicines are in material quantity where as homoeopathic
medicines are in diluted and dynamic doses. There could not
be a chemical reaction even if the patient happened to take
the medicines simultaneously such as in diabetes and hypertension.
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Preetha:
Are you aganist Allopathy? Have you taken any medicine.
Doctor:
We
are not against any system of medicine. Allopathy is a wonderful
system of medicine in handing acute conditions and in emergencies.
It is the best system of medicine for immediate definite recovery,
practical application is very good than other systems. In
chronic conditions it is not suitable, because our body could
not tolerate long term chemical and material doses. It would
produce side effects. I can say our Homoeopathic system of
medicine would be the choice, since the medicines are administered
in most diluted forms. It never produce side effects even
if a patient happened to take until his life time. In acute
diseases also we had been very successful in many occasions
like controlling cholera, dysentry, measles, chicken pox etc.
Many acute conditions which made people nervous had been cured
with homoeopathy. Similarly there are some instances where
we had failed.
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: Do you advice diets to your patients? |
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Doctor:
Yes
definitely! Diets are obstacle for recovery of a disease.
They are maintaining causes for a disease. A person suffering
from jaundice has to follow a fat-free diet. Similarly in
all diseases, such as sweets in diabetes, salt in hypertension.
Some homoeopaths as I said before, believe that strong perfumes,
spices, coffee and tea will antidote a Homoeopathic medicinal
action, but it is ill proved.
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Preetha
: Why Homoeopathy is not popular as Modern Scientific system?
Doctor:
No our system is popular now-a-days. The modern medicine is
popular only because it tackles the acute, emergencies instantly
with material doses and surgery. They do not know the toxicity
when happened to continue over a period. They got fatigue
with their long-term treatment, and then they choose homoeopathic
treatment. The system was handled by quacks, as it does not
have any side effects. Trial and error methods without proper
medical knowledge had made the public to think homoeopathy
medicines are unscientific!
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Anand
: What about the research?
Doctor:
Research
in Homoeopathy is Drug proving and Clinical proving. Homoeopathic
medicines are tested on healthy human beings unlike the allopathic
medicines which are experimented on animals. For example the
medicine Arsenic, in physiological doses, administered over
many healthy human beings. They produce artificial state of
the disease. Each person reacts differently to the same substance
although the common symptoms to induced disease state were
the same. The well proved symptom cures the original disease
of any kind. Lots of drugs had been proved and included in
Homoeopathic pharmacopoeia. Government of India has a separate
wing called Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy. Each
and every Homoeopathic physician has to study his patients
very deeply to cure.This can be achieved by objective scientific
studies. Clinical trials are being made in many research centres.
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| Preetha
: What is the latest development? |
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Doctor:
I would say Homoeopathic software is the latest development
in our fraternity. When a homoeopath takes a medical history,
the most important“
Totality of Symptoms” are listed together and repertorisation
is carried out manually to find a most suitable remedy.
This task is laborious. Now it is very easy for the comparison,
sorting and prognosis of a patient and the best is, it is
studied in seconds with a Mouse in the hand.
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| Anand
: What is the scope of homoeopathy in future?
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Doctor:
Very bright! Now-a-days people have started realising the
real facts. Many people follow homoeopathic treatment for
their long-term illness. Mostly people approach Homoeopathic
medicines for their children as our system has no side-effects.
We are pioneer in clinical proving in many diseases, even
in cancer aids with positive treatment.
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| Preetha
: Everybody knows that Homoeopathic Medicines do not have side
effects. Now a days there is general fear of kidney failure.
What you say about that? |
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Doctor:
When a medicine is administered in material dose it may damage
the kidneys.The material doses with short duration can be tolerated
by the kidneys. But if it is administered in heavy dosage for
longer duration then there is some possible complication. Moreover
there are many diseases that naturally damage the kidney. For
example Hypertension and Diabetes are very common. |
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medicines never predispose such action because of minimum, most
diluted dynamic form.Our system is the safest system for treating
kidney failure also. |
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