Homeopathy is a system of medicine based on the principle that "like cures like." Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homeopathy, was the first person to purposely utilize this method of treating disease.
Hahnemann disagreed with the accepted reason why the medicine quinine helped in treatment of cases of malaria. He began to take quinine on a regular basis, and after a short time produced the symptoms of malaria in his own healthy body. The symptoms would disappear only when he stopped the medicine, only to appear again if he repeated the dose. He concluded that quinine was good to treat malaria not because of its bitter quality, but because in crude form, it could produce symptoms of the disease.
Hahnemann then began to treat patients according to this principle, using smaller and smaller doses of the medicines. He found they would not only respond, but would have few of the side effects that were so common to the medications used by more conventional practitioners. He theorized that the Homeopathic remedies, in their minute doses, carefully selected to match the patients' symptoms, gave the body the information it needed to heal itself. Although no one has been able to prove or disprove this theory, Homeopathy is accepted in most parts of the world today as a very scientific method of treating disease.
There are over 1500 known homeopathic remedies made from animal, vegetable or mineral sources. many in their crude form are toxic or intert, but when prepared and used according to homeopathic principle, are completely safe and effective.
Methods to Administer Remedies
Homeopathic remedies are given internally in extremely small doses. Hahnemann discovered that by putting the remedy through a series of dilutions and agitations, he was able to make it more potent in action each time; therefore, the diluted medicine is said to be in a potency.
A commonly used potency is 30c: the original substance has been diluted one drop to 100 drops and agitated; then one drop of this mixture is diluted in 100 drops; this process is repeated a total of 30 times. The final solution is absorbed by small sugar globules that are taken orally. When giving remedies to horses, I usually dissolve 4-5 pellets in 12cc spring or distilled water and squirt it into the horse's mouth with a syringe. Most horses take the medicine very willingly. The medicine is absorbed by the mucous membranes and does not need to be swallowed.
In severe acute conditions, the medicines or remedies can be given every 15 minutes for up to 4 doses, or until a response is seen. Less-severe or acute conditions require less-frequent dosage, anywhere from one to 24 hours apart. If 4 doses of the remedy have not brought a response, then it is probably not going to act. The medication is discontinued as soon as the animal is obviously moving toward recovery.
In chronic cases remedies are usually given infrequently, and the response to each treatment is carefully monitored. In these cases, extensive histories including current symptoms, previous symptoms, habits and personality are taken on each patient. The more specific information a homeopath can acquire about an individual, the more likely he is to select the correct remedy. Follow-up calls are done 2-4 weeks after treatment to evaluate changes that have occurred since the previous prescription. It is these changes that tell the homeopathic practitioner if the remedy is acting well, or if additional treatment is needed.
Advantages of Homeopathy
- No side effects
- Will not mask symptoms
- Given orally, no injections
- Stimulates and strengthens animal's immune system
Disadvantages of Homeopathy
- No action if remedy is not selected carefully
- Response may be less dramatic than conventional medicine
- Action is very specific so several remedies may have to be tried before response is seen
About the Author
Madalyn Ward, DVM, owns Bear Creek Veterinary Clinic in Austin, Texas. She is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy and Equine Osteopathy. Memberships include American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Texas Veterinay Medical Association and the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy. She has authored several books and publishes the monthly newsletter, “Holistic Horsekeeping.”
Contact
Madalyn Ward DVM
11608 FM 1826
Austin, TX 78737
303-575-1170
www.holistichorsekeeping.com
www.horseharmony.com
www.horseharmonytest.com
www.yourhorsebook.com
Back to Articles |
