Teaching Tuesday-Homeopathy, What is it?

Especially in this day and age, homeopathy is becoming more prevalent, more pervasive in its use, but what is it? What exactly does homeopathy mean?


Homeopathy is basically the medicine part of the holistic approach. It is the alternative medicine form first put forward by the German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, in 1796. It is based upon the premise that "like is cured by like," otherwise known as the "law of similars."  In this form of alternative medicine the practitioners treat the patients using highly diluted preparations which are believed to cause the same symptoms as the ailment that they are fighting. In other words, if you have a flu, you would be treated with a diluted preparation that, if given to a well person, would produce flu type symptoms. Here is another, maybe better, example;  onions make your eyes water when you cut them. So, if you have a cold with a runny nose, the likely remedy would be AlliumCepa, which is made from onions. Homeopathic medicine is intended to stimulate the defense systems, thereby allowing the body to heal itself, and just like most holistic treatments, the effects take time, and improvement is usually gradual. Or at least this is the belief. 


Apart from the acute ailment's symptoms, homeopaths also examine the patient's mental status, psychological state, and their overall physical health status. They then refer to homeopathic reference books, known as repertories, and choose a "remedy" based upon the totality of the symptoms. In the context of homeopathy, "remedy" refers to a substance which has been prepared with a specific procedure, and is intended for patient use. This is not to be confused with the generally accepted use of the word,  "a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieves pain".


Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial dilution and succussion. Succussion is the term that homeopaths use to describe a shaking by forceful striking on an elastic body. Each dilution is then followed by succussion, and this is assumed to increase its effectiveness. They call this repeated process potentization. The potenization very often continues until none of the original substance actually remains. 

One of the better parts of homeopathy is that practitioners consider the patient's history and complete body before prescribing a treatment. In general, this is one large plus that holistic medicine has over the typical medical model, where the Doctor usually just sees the one ailment the patient is reporting. In holistic medicine, all symptoms are considered important.  They want to know about changes in feelings and mental status, as well as all of the physical symptoms. Usually this will mean that there are far more symptoms and issues being considered in the homeopathic and the holistic approach, than in the traditional medical model.

The basic premise of homeopathy, the law of similars, put forth by Samuel Hahnemann, is not a true, proven, law of nature based upon the scientific method. Some studies have yielded positive results, however reviews of these published trials have failed to provide efficacy, and many trials intended to duplicate the positive results, have failed to replicate them, thus failing to meet the scientific methods standards (results must be able to be replicated). Therefore, the scientific evidence of homeopathy shows it to be no more effective than a placebo. Evidence not withstanding, many people swear by these treatments and by homeopathy remedies.

Even though homeopathic medicine is greatly diluted from its original form, often in parts per million, supposedly, the more dilute the medicine becomes, the stronger its potency. This is unlike Bach Flower remedies, and most other holistic remedies or treatments. No matter what, homeopathy or holistic treatments are more than simply going to Aunt Susie's kitchen for a home treatment. Certainly, this is NOT the way to go. Homeopathy, just like any other holistic or medical remedy, is not something that is safe to self prescribe. While some of the remedies are low in potency and may actually be safely given by a knowledgeable lay person, most should be prescribed by the professionals, the ones who have studied and can accurately predict cause and effect. Danger abounds, possibly even death, when mistakes are made! Additionally, homeopathic remedies are very sensitive to heat and light, so must be properly stored. And they can be contaminated quite easily,  so extreme care must be taken to not touch the lid, the dropper, or the liquid. 

Make It Yourself Monday - Bath Fizzy for Colds

So, after days of rain, we awoke to a dusting of snow here in the good, old Buckeye state. Once again proving that if you don't like the weather in Ohio, you just need to stick around, because it will change! And, once again, the weather has inspired me for today's make it yourself project....well, the weather and the fact that I have had a cold for almost a week, ever since I watched my Grandson while he was ill. Worth it, yes, but I am tired of the sniffles! So what is good for sniffles and a stopped up head? A nice essential oil blend, that's what. And what is better than an essential oil blend? A cool way to deliver that blend, that's what! So how about a nice hot bath, with an essential oil infused bath fizzy? Sounds so good to me, I am off to make one. But no worries, I will tell you how to do it before I leave!

You will need 1/4 cup of  baking soda, 1/4 cup of powdered citric acid, a few drops of sweet almond oil or your choice of a similar oil, and 4 drops of essential oil(s). Simply mix the baking soda with the essential oil(s), and work it through until there are no clumps. You can use the back of a spoon to mash them out, or you can use a sifter to sift them out, or you can used a gloved hand, whichever way you prefer. Then add in the citric acid and begin squeezing it through your hands, working it like dough. You need to be gloved when doing this. Add oil by the drops as you work the ingredients together. When you have a consistency that holds together when its squished into a ball, you have it right. If the mix looks very dry, is crumbly, or falls apart, just add a bit more oil. Use caution though, you don't want to over-use oil, or you will cause the fizzy to not set up properly. If you start on the low end of oil addition, adding it by drops, you can always add more if/when you need it. While you can always add more, you can never take it back out!

Once everything is mixed, you can use it as is, or you can press it into a soap or candy mold to get a stylish shape. If you use a mold, you will want to overfill the mold cavity with your mix, then press it down hard, very hard. Once all the cavities are over-full, place a clean dishcloth over the entire mold, and place a book or two on top to apply pressure and to help it finish compressing into the mold. Leave it set up over night.

After they are set, hold the mold with both hands, and gently turn it upside down, close to the table top. With your thumbs, gently push the back of the filled cavity to release it. Don't let it hit the table hard, as it will break. These will last 3-6 months, but you don't want to mix up a large batch at any one given time, because the mix can react to moisture and get hard. To help avoid this possibility, store these in an airtight container.

Now, you probably thought that I forgot to give you the details of exactly which essential oils to use, but I didn't! I am going to list all of the ones that you could use, the ones that are [reported to be] beneficial for cold symptoms. then, you can choose which one or more that you want to add, depending upon what you have available, and what you like. If you are familiar with them, you can choose which ones work better for you and your current symptoms.

Please note that using essential oils for an ailment, or symptoms of ailments, is not approved by the FDA. This blog and its information is not intended to treat, prescribe, or in any way, replace the advice of your physician. The information provided in purely educational, and may be inaccurate and/or incomplete. Please see the disclaimer page tab at the top of this post for more detailed information on this matter. 

This essential oil list is pretty lengthy. While they all have properties that are said to benefit stuffy heads and the various symptoms of a cold,  I have keyed the oils, with letters, to identify oils that also have  properties said to benefit particular symptoms associated with the issues referred to. A= asthma,  B= bronchitis, CC= cough and cold,  F= flu, and  S= sinusitis

Clove-A                    cedarwood-B        angelica root- B,CC       all spice- B,CC      cajeput-S                                           black pepper-cough                                camphor-S                       basil                       bay
clary sage- whooping cough                    citronella-F                    cypress-A,B,cold
eucalyptus-A B C F (not for kids)           fennel- A B                    Frankincense-A B CC F
ginger- cold, congestion, F                      myrtle- A F                    patchouli- congestion
myrrh- A B CC                                      grapefruit- cold and congestion
hyssop A B CC & whooping cough        jasmine cough                 lavender A F cold
lemon B F fever                                      lime A B F cold fever      marjoram head cold, congestion
peppermint F                                          pine A F cold                  orange B cold
rose A                                                    rosemary B CC              rosewood CC respiratory infection
sandalwood B cough                              tea tree A CC S              red thyme A CC S

Certainly this list may not be all inclusive, it is just the culmination of years of my note taking....so it could contain a mistake too, but this is it to the best of my recollection! I hope you find it informative. There are certainly enough oils that you should be able to come up with a combination or two that you enjoy the scent of , and that may help relieve some cold symptoms.

Understanding Homeopathy

The "medicine" part of the holistic approach is called "Homeopathy". Homeopathy is based on the principle that "like cures like." Homeopathy demonstrates that a substance that produces a certain set of symptoms in a healthy person can actually cure a sick person having those same symptoms. Since this sounds confusing, here's an example; onions make your eyes water when you cut them, but if you have a cold with a runny nose, the likely remedy would be Allium Cepa, which is made from onions. Homeopathic medicine is intended to stimulate the defense systems, thereby allowing the body to heal itself, and just like most holistic treatments, the effects take time and improvement is usually gradual.

A history of the specific health problem is very important in homeopathy since prescribing medicine is based on the law of similars, as explained above. In holistic medicine all symptoms are considered important to the homeopathic physician, they want to know about changes in feelings and mental status, as well as all of the physical symptoms. This means that there are far more symptoms being considered in the homeopathic approach than in the traditional medical model.

Homeopathic medications are very sensitive, and when making the choice to use a certain remedy, a careful selection process has to be undertaken. This is best done by a professional, someone who has studied the body systems and can predict cause and effect accurately. Going to Aunt Susie's kitchen for a home treatment is NOT the way to go. Homeopathy is not something that you want to self prescribe, unless you really know what you are doing. Some remedies, in low potencies, are safe to be given by a knowledgeable lay person, but most should be prescribed by the professionals.

A homeopathic medicine is greatly diluted from its original form, often in parts per million. The amazing thing about homeopathy is that, the more dilute the medicine becomes, the stronger the potency. They can, however, be easily contaminated so be very careful not to touch them or the dropper. Most homeopathics can be purchased in a liquid form, but they are sensitive to light and heat, and must be properly stored in a cool, dry place. The more potent the remedy, the more sensitive it becomes, unlike Bach Flower remedies and some other holistic treatments.

As I previously stated, this is just a simplistic overview and I highly encourage you to further explore the world of holistic treatments, especially the homeopathic medicine modality.

Coming up next, Acupuncture. What is it, does it work? How does it work?

What is Holistic Medicine?

Since I create and offer all natural products, I constantly strive to educate myself about what nature has to offer and the effects/interaction(s) that those offerings have upon our mental status and other bodily systems. In becoming more "Earth based" myself, I have been studying alternative medicines and treatment modalities. Since many people are turning to these methods, and many more are curious about them, I thought that I would share some basic information with you. While this does not mean that I am encouraging you to self prescribe (please don't, these are potent treatments and should be administered by knowledgeable professionals), I do hope to encourage you to further educate yourself on the alternatives to the straight, traditional, medical model. I encourage you to open your mind to explore the possibilities!

First of all, the general term for all of these "alternative" treatment modalities is "holistic medicine", while traditional medicine is labeled as "allopathic" medicine. It is important to understand that the goal of holistic medicine is to treat the CAUSE of the problem, not just the problem itself. Most often, traditional medicine is aimed at simply treating the symptoms, never looking for or even considering the cause, the root of the problem.

Holistic physicians actually combine the knowledge and skills of regular/traditional (allopathic) medicine, with the holistic approach. To the patients benefit, this provides a broader range of healing possibilities, and it is also what makes this field of medicine so interesting and important.

Holistic medicine and treatments are more lifestyles than immediate fixes. While holistic treatments usually do cure the problem being looked at, they do tend to be at a slower rate than traditional medicine. Of course it also tends to be without the potentially harmful, synthetic drugs that traditional medicine routinely prescribes. The focus, if not key, to holistic medicine is prevention of the problem that causes the symptoms, while traditional medicine tends simply to focus on the problem at hand.

While there are many holistic treatments, the mainstays or the "basics", as I see them, are; homeopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage treatments, herbal treatments, nutrition and education. Of course these areas are very broad, and yes, there are many, many more that I did not mention, but I'd like to offer you an overview of these common treatment modalities. The first installment will be on "Homeopathy".