Homeopathy & terrain theory
(no need)
Question
Why does a homeopath have no need for terrain theory?
Answer
Because homeopathy considers a dystonic vital force as the primary driver of disease.1
The following is AMMENDED from the earlier article Homeopathy, viruses, & terrain theory - no need since 1810 (May 29, 2024).
A practicing homeopath should both understand and apply homeopathy’s fundamental principles which includes the concepts of the vital force / the defense mechanism - the ability of an organism to immediately respond and react to positive or negative stimuli, both internal and external, to maintain life.2
Homeopaths have zero need for terrain or virus theorizing … due to the sophisticated understanding of health and disease that is the system of homeopathy which was first outlined by Samuel Hahnemann in his “Organon der rationellen Heilkunde nach homöopathischen Gesetzen” (Organon of Rational Art of Healing according to Homoeopathic Laws) in 1810 !
The Vital Force - The Organon of Medicine3 (6th Ed.)
Aphorism 9
‘In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy), the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason - gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.’
Aphorism 11
‘When a person falls ill, it is only this spiritual, self acting (automatic) vital force, everywhere present in his organism, that is primarily deranged by the dynamic influence upon it of a morbific agent inimical to life;
it is only the vital force, deranged to such an abnormal state, that can furnish the organism with its disagreeable sensations, and incline it to the irregular processes which we call disease;
for, as a power invisible in itself, and only cognizable by its effects on the organism, its morbid derangement only makes itself known by the manifestation of disease in the sensations and functions of those parts of the organism exposed to the senses of the observer and physician, that is, by morbid symptoms, and in no other way can it make itself known.’
Homeopathy has always known that convoluted chronic disease comes from the suppression of symptoms i.e., allopathic ideas.
Aphorism 74
‘Among chronic diseases we must still, alas! reckon those so commonly met with, artificially produced in allopathic treatment by the prolonged use of violent heroic medicines in large and increasing doses, by the abuse of calomel, corrosive sublimate, mercurial ointment, nitrate of silver, iodine and its ointments, opium, valerian, cinchona bark and quinine, foxglove, prussic acid, sulphur and sulphuric acid, perennial purgatives, venesections, shedding streams of blood, leeches, etc.,
whereby the vital energy is sometimes weakened to an unmerciful extent, sometimes, if it does not succumb, gradually abnormally deranged (by each substance in a peculiar manner) in such a way that, in order to maintain life against these inimical and destructive attacks, it must produce a revolution in the organism, and either deprive some part of its irritability and sensibility,
or exalt these to an excessive degree, cause dilatation or contraction, relaxation or induration or even total destruction of certain parts, and develop faulty organic alterations here and there in the interior or the exterior (cripple the body internally or externally), in order to preserve the organism from complete destruction of life by the ever-renewed, hostile assaults of such destructive forces.’
(Hahnemann’s 6th ed. of The Organon was published in 1842.)
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The Defence Mechanism
During the process of determining the homeopathic prescription, every effort should made to understand that which is unique to the person - homeopathy requires that the homeopath always has the utmost respect for the individual.
The human being is a complex system, operating on multiple levels concurrently.
Likewise, the defense system is a physical and psychological complexity having the simple goal of preserving life as best as possible.
The defense system is continually attempting to rid harmful / pathogenic etc., influences in its own unique, individual way which drives symptomatology. This is basic homeopathic understanding, the principle on which treatment is designed.4
A correctly prescribed, individualized homeopathic medicine is evidence based and has the sophisticated effect of encouraging and supporting the inherent defense system to overcome pathologies.
There are many, many examples of the application of homeopathy at this Substack 130+ articles including peer reviewed homeopathy in the treatment of chronic disease case reports.
Although the titles often speak to specific named conditions and oh yes, viruses are mentioned!, by name!, the vital process of individualization (a cornerstone principle of homeopathy) and outcomes in my work always align with homeopathic philosophy and theory - published or not.
Homeopathy has utmost respect for the individual who is supported and strengthened to overcome - homeopaths are not ‘out to kill’ a suspected / identified disease agent etc., homeopathic medicine cannot, by its very nature, do this!
Many examples of peer reviewed, published examples of restoration of health via individualized homeopathy in overcoming chronic disease exist in published medical literature - a few are included within this article
The global homeopathic products market size was valued at US$ 11 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach over US$ 34.32 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a noteworthy CAGR of 12.10% from 2023 to 2032.
Even though public desire for homeopathy clearly grows year on year ‘driven by the rising inclination of the population towards non-invasive treatment’ (the fastest growing market for homeopathy is Asia Pacific)5
homeopathy is still the most vilified, ridiculed, bastardized, misunderstood, and unscientifically taken down system of medicine.
Which makes one wonder why?
Why all the money?
Why all the effort?
It doesn’t add up when we’re told over and over that homeopathy ‘is just placebo’ …
Within the ‘naturopathic occupation’ (spared by the Flexner Report6) there are some who state that ‘‘the modern day late 20th century persistence of homeopathy within naturopathy’s scope causes strain within the profession.’’7
Naturopathy omits Samuel Hahnemann (the only M.D memorialized in Washington DC8 ) from their ‘histories of medicine…’
Clearly the naturopathic occupation accepts pharma money and influence so as to not be left out of the anti-homeopathy machine (be sure to read the papers authors declared conflicts of interest…)9
By the way, supplements are not medicines and they may be doing you harm.
Vociferous opposition to homeopathy began in Hahnemann’s day
It was not new in 1910 either when the massive North American medical education reforms following on from the (Rockefeller funded) 1910 Flexner Report which ensured the one hundred homeopathic hospitals, twenty homeopathic medical schools, and over one thousand homeopathic pharmacies across the United States closed; so swiftly in fact that by 1923 just two homeopathic medical schools remained, and zero by 1950.
https://sarahpenrose.substack.com/p/homeopathy-and-jealousy-and-envy
https://sarahpenrose.substack.com/p/homeopathy-and-john-h-clarke-md
To conclude here, in continuance with the long and continuing tradition of homeopathic philosophy and theory, I leave you with The “continuum” of a unified theory of diseases in which Vithoulkas and Carlino posit10
‘‘ All human beings are affected by acute and chronic diseases which are inter-dependent, during a lifetime, in a continuum of a unified substratum of diseases, preceding that final disease condition which ends the life. ’’
ADDITIONAL HELPFUL READING
Homeopathy & the Defense system
The human being is a self-organizing complex adaptive system of interconnected networks maintaining life via making constant non-linear dynamic changes on multiple levels concurrently.
‘In contrast to frequent claims, the available Meta Analyses of homoeopathy in placebo-controlled randomised trials for any indication show significant positive effects beyond placebo. Compared to other medical interventions, the quality of evidence for efficacy of homoeopathy was similar or higher than for 90% of interventions across medicine. Accordingly, the efficacy evidence from placebo-controlled randomised trials provides no justification for regulatory or political actions against homoeopathy in health-care systems.’11
Teixeira MZ. Telomere and Telomerase: Biological Markers of Organic Vital Force State and Homeopathic Treatment Effectiveness. Homeopathy. 2021 Nov;110(4):283-291. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8575553/
Vithoulkas, G. 2014. 7th ed., The Science of Homeopathy. International Academy of Classical Homeopathy, Alonissos, Greece.
Hahnemann, S. 2005. Organon of Medicine. Sixth edition. Translated from German by W. Boericke. New Delhi. Indian Books and Periodicals Publishers. (Originally published in 1842.)
Mahesh S, Jaggi L, Jaggi A, Tsintzas D, Vithoulkas G. 2019. Individualised Homeopathic Therapy in ANCA Negative Rapidly Progressive Necrotising Crescentic Glomerulonephritis with Severe Renal Insufficiency – A Case Report. Journal of Medicine and Life [online]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6527409/
https://sarahpenrose.substack.com/p/homeopathy-and-parasites
‘‘Homeopathic Products Market,’’ Precedence Research, accessed May 29, 2024. Available from: https://www.precedenceresearch.com/homeopathic-products-market
https://sarahpenrose.substack.com/p/the-australian-report
Nelson DH, Perchaluk JM, Logan AC, Katzman MA. 2019. The Bell Tolls for Homeopathy: Time for Change in the Training and Practice of North American Naturopathic Physicians. J Evid Based Integr Med. Jan-Dec;24:2515690X18823696. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343431/
ibid.
“Samuel Hahnemann Memorial,” DC Historic Sites, accessed May 29, 2024. Available from: https://historicsites.dcpreservation.org/items/show/270.
Nelson DH, Perchaluk JM, Logan AC, Katzman MA. 2019. The Bell Tolls for Homeopathy: Time for Change in the Training and Practice of North American Naturopathic Physicians. J Evid Based Integr Med. Jan-Dec;24:2515690X18823696. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343431/
Vithoulkas, G and Carlino, S. 2010. The “continuum” of a unified theory of diseases. Medical Science Monitor [online]. 16(2): SR7-15. Available from: https://medscimonit.com/abstract/index/idArt/878341
(Hamre HJ, Glockmann A, von Ammon K, Riley DS, Kiene H. Efficacy of homoeopathic treatment: Systematic review of meta-analyses of randomised placebo-controlled homoeopathy trials for any indication. Systematic Rev. 2023 Oct 7;12(1):191. https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-023-02313-2#Abs1)
Hi Sarah, I enjoyed reading your article. Thank you!