RSS-Feed abonnieren
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1649499
Symptom Similarity versus Disease Similarity: Revisiting the Application of the Law of Similars and Challenging the Symptom-Centric Approach in Homeopathy
Publikationsverlauf
29. Dezember 2017
29. März 2018
Publikationsdatum:
16. Mai 2018 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/10.1055-s-00034926/201803/lookinside/thumbnails/10-1055-s-0038-1649499_1700072-1.jpg)
Abstract
The system of homeopathic medicine is based on the Law of Similars. It is often implied by students and practitioners of homeopathy that the fundamental principle suggests that if the substance is capable of producing certain ‘symptoms’, it can also remove, treat, or ‘annihilate’ similar symptoms if the same substance is administered in a small dose. Hahnemann clearly highlights the importance of pathogenesis or ‘disease-producing power’, and not just the symptoms-producing power, as a part of the ‘totality of the disease’. The author perceives the need for a rectification in the symptom-centric approach in homeopathy. The pathogenesis of disease includes the mechanisms and the cause, which are more complete than the consideration of mere symptoms. Thus, the fundamental approach needs to be extended beyond the symptoms' similarity to the disease-pathogenesis similarity. Several clinical examples are given based on the imaginary expansion that is constructed on the ‘mind’ symptoms without the inclusion of the pathogenesis of the medicinal substance, suggesting the limitations and the risks to homeopathy of a purely symptom-centric approach.
Highlights
• The pathogenesis of disease includes mechanisms and cause, which is more complete than the consideration of symptoms alone.
• The homeopathic prescribing approach should be extended beyond similarity of symptoms to include similarity of disease.
-
References
- 1 Hahnemann S. Organon of medicine. 6th ed. (Translated by William Boericke). New Delhi: B Jain Publishers; Reprint 1979: 111
- 2 Hahnemann S. The Chronic Diseases: Their peculiar Nature and Their Homeopathic Cure. Vol I. 2nd Indian ed. Calcutta: Ringer and Co.; 1845: 1
- 3 Hahnemann S. “The Chronic Diseases their peculiar Nature and their Homeopathic cure”. Vol II. 2nd Indian ed. Calcutta: Ringer and Co.; 1845: 1
- 4 Hahnemann S. Materia Medica Pura. Vol I. Reprinted ed. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd; 1986: 1
- 5 Hahnemann S. Materia Medica Pura. Vol II. Reprinted ed. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd; 1986: 1
- 6 Oberbaum M, Singer SR, Samuels N. Hormesis and homeopathy: bridge over troubled waters. Hum Exp Toxicol 2010; 29: 567-571
- 7 Rattan SIS, Le Bourg É. Hormesis in Health and Disease S.I.S. ISBN 9781482205459. Available at: https://www.crcpress.com/Hormesis-in-Health-and-Disease/Rattan-Le-Bourg/p/book/9781482205459 . Accessed November 20, 2017
- 8 Oberbaum M, Gropp C. Update on hormesis and its relation to homeopathy. Homeopathy 2015; 104: 227-233
- 9 Hahnemann S. Organon of Medicine. 6th ed. (Translated by William Boericke). New Delhi: B Jain Publishers; Reprint 1979: 112
- 10 Hahnemann S. Organon of Medicine. 6th ed. (Translated by William Boericke). New Delhi: B Jain Publishers; Reprint 1979: 106-107
- 11 Merriam Webster dictionary Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogenetic . Accessed November 20, 2017
- 12 Pathogenesis. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathogenesis . Accessed December 18, 2017
- 13 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 4. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 393
- 14 Hering C. The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica. Vol. 5. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1989: 380
- 15 Hahnemann S. The Chronic Diseases: Their peculiar Nature and their Homeopathic Cure. Vol II. 2nd Indian ed, German ed. 1835. Calcutta: Ringer and Co.; 1537
- 16 Hahnemann S. The Chronic Diseases: Their peculiar Nature and their Homeopathic cure. Vol II. 2nd Indian ed, German ed. 1835. Calcutta: Ringer and Co.; 1542
- 17 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 4. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 281
- 18 Hahnemann S. The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homeopathic Cure. 2nd ed. Calcutta: Ringer and Co.; 1846: 1540-1542
- 19 Hahnemann S. Materia Medica Pura. Vol 1. Reprinted ed. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd; 1986: 634-636
- 20 Hering C. The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica. Vol. 5. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1989: 108
- 21 Kent JT. Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica. New Delhi: Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd; 1986: 952
- 22 Sankaran R. The Substance of Homeopathy. Reprint ed. Mumbai: Homoeopathic Medical Publishers; 2008: 254
- 23 Kent's Minor Writings of Homoeopathy. Compiled and edited by Klaus-Henning Gypser. Indian reprint. B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd; 1988: 599
- 24 Kent JT. Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica with word Index. 6th ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd; 1988: 36
- 25 Shah R. Some Light on Misunderstanding of Aurum Metallicum. Simillimum - Journal of Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians. Vol. XI. No.4. USA: 1998. Available at: https://www.askdrshah.com/manage/Articles/content/vol4.pdf
- 26 Kent JT. Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica. Reprint ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd.; 1986: 766-771
- 27 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 4. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 531-533
- 28 Vithoulkas G. The Essences of Materia Medica. 2nd ed. B Jain Regular; 2009
- 29 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 4. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 281-282
- 30 Vithoulkas G. The Essences of Materia Medica. Available at: https://www.vithoulkas.com/essence-materia-medica-page-99954844418?highlight_term=Kali%20carbonicum . Accessed November 20, 2017
- 31 Dhawale ML. ed. ICR Symposium Volume on Hahnemannian Totality Part II. 2nd ed. M.L. Dhawale Memorial Trust Publishers; 2003
- 32 Sankaran R. The Synergy in Homeopathy. An Integrated Approach to Case-Taking and Analysis. 1st ed. Mumbai: Homeopathic Medical Publisher; 2012: 89
- 33 Sankaran R. The Substance of Homeopathy. Reprint ed. Mumbai: Homoeopathic Medical Publishers; 2008: 215
- 34 Sehgal ML. Clinical Approach of the Sehgal Method. Available at: https://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/clinical-approach-sehgal-method/ Accessed February 20, 2018
- 35 Arsenic and Cancer risk. American Cancer Society. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/arsenic.html . Accessed February 20, 2018
- 36 Boericke W. Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia medica. 9th ed. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers; 1981
- 37 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 6. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 208
- 38 Hahnemann S. Organon of Medicine. 6th ed. (Translated by William Boericke). New Delhi: B Jain Publishers; Reprint 1979: 126
- 39 Hahnemann S. The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homeopathic cure. 2nd ed. Calcutta: Ringer and Co.; 1846: 576
- 40 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 3. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 35
- 41 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 8. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 1
- 42 Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Vol. 5. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1988: 432-462
- 43 Hering C. The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica. Vol. 5. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1989: 350-356
- 44 Shah R. Need to revamp Tuberculinum and Psorinum nosodes. Vol 11. Indian J Res Homoeopathy: 2017:203–205. Available at: http://www.ijrh.org/article.asp?issn=0974-7168;year=2017;volume=11;issue=3;spage=203;epage=205;aulast=Shah Accessed February 20, 2018
- 45 Vithoulkas G. Talks on Classical Homeopathy. Part I, Case Reports. Compiled by BP Rao. New Delhi. B Jain Publishers; 1993: 23-68
- 46 HIV infection and cancer risk. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hiv-fact-sheet . Accessed December 6, 2017
- 47 Hepatitis C fact sheet Updated October 2017. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/ . Accessed December 6, 2017
- 48 Bhattacharjee N, Banerjee P, Anisur RK. Homeopathic drugs Natrum sulphuricum and Carcinosin prevent azo dye-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2009; 46: 307-318
- 49 Mondal J, Das J, Shah R, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. A homeopathic nosode, Hepatitis C 30 demonstrates anticancer effect against liver cancer cells in vitro by modulating telomerase and topoisomerase II activities as also by promoting apoptosis via intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. J Integr Med 2016; 14: 209-218
- 50 Joshi S, Munshi R, Talele G, Shah R. An experimental in vitro study to evaluate the antimalarial activity of select homeopathy preparations. Int J Med Health Res 2017; 3: 65-68
- 51 Bagai U, Walter NS. Antiplasmodial potential of homeopathic drugs Chelidonium and nosode against Plasmodium berghei infection. J Complement Integr Med 2014; 11: 195-201
- 52 Joshi S, Munshi R, Talele G, Shah R. Evaluation of melanogenic and anti-vitiligo activities of homeopathic preparations on murine B16F10 melanoma cells. Eur J Pharm Med Res 2017; 4: 718-723