“The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way.” (Samuel Hahnemann – Hahnemann’s Organon Of Medicine – Sixth edition – Aphorism II)
Homeopathy was founded by the renowned medical doctor Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). There is no lack of definitions, so we will only provide a quick overview.
Since each individual is unique, the patient is envisioned as a global entity. This means that the homeopath seeks to ascertain not only the physical symptoms of a patient but also his/her psychological and moral condition. The treatment chosen will thus be specific to each individual based on what he/she is and feels. Therefore the consultation will last however long is required, usually about an hour. A homeopath must “Know”, with a capital K, and listen to his/her patient. As is stated in Samuel Hahnemann’s 6th Organon, “One cannot set apart the disease from the patient’s life story.”
For instance, many suffer from migraines, rheumatism, chronic bronchitis, asthma, etc., but we are all unique individuals and the way we express disease is related to us.
From the homeopathic perspective, we consider that disease is the result of, among other causes, an imbalance of our body, an imbalance which our own healing force (Life Force) can’t restore. The symptoms, whether physical or psychological, that we experience are the expression of the disruption of this Life Force. Through the use of remedies, the homeopath helps the patient (his/her Life Force) to restore the balance.
In homeopathy, we don’t believe that a remedy corresponds to a disease, but rather that there is a remedy for each patient who suffers from this disease. Once more, this way of thinking has not been plucked out of thin air, but years of research, observation and a study of the works of the Ancients have made it possible to develop this healing system. As Hippocrates states in his code of ethics of the medical profession (Oath of Hippocrates), medicine must be in the service of the patient.
