What Is The Difference Between Homeopathy And Allopathy?

Artwork©/123rfgigello

Homeopathy is a safe, gentle, and natural system of healing that works with your body to relieve symptoms, restore function, and improve one’s overall health. It is a science of healing which stimulates and strengthens the vital force using the energy of highly diluted substances found in nature.

Homeopathic products are called remedies. These remedies can assist the body in restoring its healthy balance and stimulating the self-healing process into action. When a remedy is chosen and taken, it is absorbed into the body through a mucus membrane and permeates all body systems. The body then receives the message from the similar energy pattern that exists in the homeopathic remedy. The person receives a little bit of the same energy but on a subtle level. It acts as a healing stimulus to the body allowing the vital force to find its homeostasis or balance.

The word homeopathy comes from the Greek words homoios and patheia, which translates into “similar suffering.” In 1796, a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, based his approach to healing on the principle of the Law of Similars (also referred to as “like cures like”) and thus, homeopathy was born. He wrote his philosophies about health and healing in a book that has become the basis for homeopathy, The Organon. The Organon, itself, is not a quick read but recommended for serious students looking to gain a better understanding of this amazing healing modality.

What Are Homeopathic Remedies Made From?

Homeopathic medicines, known as remedies, are mostly made from natural sources (e.g., plants, minerals, and animals), and are environmentally friendly. The substances used to prepare homeopathic remedies include but are not limited to:

• plants (e.g., wolf ’s bane, deadly nightshade, dandelion, plantain)
• elements of the periodic table (e.g., gold, iron, phosphorus, hydrogen)
• minerals (e.g., iron phosphate, arsenic oxide, sodium chloride)
• microbes, bacteria, viruses (e.g., flu virus)
• animal products (e.g., insects such as honeybees, the venom from poisonous snakes, the ink of the cuttlefish)
• sarcodes and nosodes that are made from healthy and diseased tissues and hormones (e.g. Thyroidinum [thyroid tissue] and Folliculinum [estrogen])

There are even a few homeopathic remedies prepared from chemical drug substances such as penicillin or streptomycin. All remedies are substantially diluted, so that it is a healing substance rather than the poisonous or toxic substance it would be in its undiluted material state. Many of the remedies being used today were the same ones used 200 years ago. New ones are being proven and added all the time to broaden the scope of possible treatment. You might be interested to know that remedies are tested on healthy adults, not animals.

Since most homeopathic remedies are devoid of chemical toxicity, homeopathy is one of the safest modalities of healing. It is an ideal system of healing for people of all ages, even the most sensitive, such as an expectant mother or a newborn baby.

If you have any concerns about the use of homeopathy, it’s best to consult a trained professional homeopath. Conventional medical professionals with no formal training in homeopathy are unfamiliar with, and uninformed about homeopathy and its long-standing history as a safe and effective treatment.

The Difference Between Homeopathy And Allopathy

Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine (born in 460 B.C.), stated that there are two ways of treating ill health: the Law of Similars and the Law of Opposites. The Law of Similars is also known as ”like cures like.” For example, why do people in hot climates eat hot food? They eat hot food because it is a similar. It makes them hotter, they break into a sweat, and as a result they cool off. Another example is if a person has a sunburn and they can tolerate a warm application, the heat of the sunburn would dissipate.

Homeopathy is based on the philosophy of homeostasis, the body’s ability to maintain internal stability while compensating for environmental changes. It addresses the root cause of disease and sets out to eliminate the manifesting symptoms by bringing the body back into balance. All symptoms are considered and addressed by a remedy that encourages the body to heal them. This elimination process can appear as discharges, such as the releasing of negative thoughts (a mental discharge), sweating (a physical discharge), or an outburst of tears (an emotional release). These releases help rid the person of imbalances, and thereby stimulates deeper healing.

The Law of Opposites is the one followed by mainstream medicine, also referred to as “allopathy.” The word allopathy was coined by homeopathic practitioners in the early 1800’s to differentiate their practice from contemporary medicine providers. The word allopathy comes from the Greek words állos and patheia which translates into “other/different suffering.” Examples of opposite practices include the use of antibiotics, antihistamines, antidepressants, antioxidants, etc.

Allopathy works by treating the symptoms of a disease, rather than its root cause. A conventional doctor, also referred to as an allopath, is trained to evaluate the symptoms a person is experiencing in order to identify a diagnosis or name for the condition. Only then can the doctor prescribe treatment, which usually includes a chemical drug meant to reduce the symptoms. The chemical reaction, or effect (sometimes called the side effect), caused by the drug generally suppresses the condition. This suppression may reduce the symptoms temporarily, but it does not remove the cause.

One example is an ear infection, when treated with antibiotics, it may make the person feel better for a while, but the infection often returns. Another example is with seasonal allergies. A person can take an allergy medicine and may feel somewhat better when the chemical is active in their body but once the substance is depleted in the body, the symptoms return, frequently stronger than before.

Photo©Ilk ErikaSzasz-Fabian/123rf.  Homeopathy was an invaluable modality for the pioneers who settled in the western part of the United States.

Homeopathy In The United States

In 1844, homeopathic practitioners created a national organization, The American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH), the first medical society formed in the United States. Partly in response, the orthodox physicians created their own medical society in 1846. One of the first actions of this rival medical group was to purge all members who were homeopathic practitioners, even though they had graduated from conventional medical schools. This new medical society named itself the American Medical Association (AMA).

In 1855, medical physicians would lose their membership for even consulting with a homeopathic practitioner or any other “irregular” practitioner. Losing membership in the AMA at that time also meant losing their license and the ability to practice medicine.

In 1862, Congress passed the first Homestead Act, which granted the head of a family 160 acres of land if they agreed to cultivate it for five years. In 1863, in Saint Louis, Missouri, people wanting to take advantage of the Homestead Act prepared their wagons for the adventure to the West. Most wagon trains did not have a doctor for the journey and the doctors in the West were few and far between, especially in the Plains states.

There was a pharmacy by the name of Luyties, where the pioneers could buy a homeopathic kit and a book, The Domestic Physician by Constantine Hering, MD, (known as the Father of United States homeopathy). Thousands of pioneers used this book and remedy kit to treat illnesses that arose on their journey. Homeopathy was an invaluable modality for the pioneers who settled in the western part of the United States. It has since been used for generations to treat families in an effective and safe way with no toxic or harmful side effects.

Despite the political maneuvering within the medical communities, homeopathy continued to gain in popularity. In 1900, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools, more than 100 homeopathic hospitals, over 60 orphan asylums and senior living facilities, and over 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies in the United States, according to Dana Ullman’s A Condensed History of Homeopathy. A statue of Dr. Hahnemann was also erected in Washington, D.C. at that time, and proudly stands to this day.

In 1910, The Flexner Report was published, which profoundly impacted medical education in the United States. The report, ironically funded by the Carnegie and Rockefeller families who were staunch supporters of homeopathy, gave poor marks to homeopathic and other “irregular” medical colleges. Of the 22 homeopathic schools in 1900, only two remained by 1923.

In 1928, penicillin (the first antibiotic) was discovered by Alexander Fleming. By 1944, it was undergoing large-scale pharmaceutical production, and was being used to treat patients on a global scale during World War II. Interestingly, homeopathy’s renaissance was launched when antibiotics efficacy began to falter due to many bacteria developing resistance to this new drug.

The resurgence of homeopathy in the 1970’s was fueled primarily by the lay public. In the 1970’s, fewer than 100 homeopathic practitioners were still practicing in the United States. By the 1980’s, there were over 1,000. By the early 1990’s, homeopathy became a major component of naturopathic medical education. Some conventional physicians also began to embrace homeopathic medicine and several training programs developed around the United States.

Every year, more and more medical doctors, physician assistants, and nurses are studying homeopathy and incorporating it into their practices, and more and more families are learning about its efficacy, ease of home use and safety record.

Reprinted with permission from Homeopathy Primer: Getting Started with Homeopathy (Created by Abby Beale, CCH RSHom(NA), 2024. Homeopathy Educator Press).

Abby Beale, CCH, RSHom(NA) believes homeopathy is the coolest medicine on the planet and wants others to know about it, too. She learned about homeopathy when her 9-month old had repeated ear infections that were immediately cleared with one homeopathic remedy. Abby is a nationally certified classical homeopath, who practices in Northampton, MA, and online. Visit www.homeopathyhealings.com.

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