Comparison of veterinary drugs and veterinary homeopathy: part 1

For many years after its invention around 1796, homeopathy was widely used in people and later in animals. Over the intervening period (1796-2016) pharmacology emerged as a science from Materia Medica (medicinal materials) to become the mainstay of veterinary therapeutics. There remains today a much smaller, but significant, use of homeopathy by veterinary surgeons. Homeopathic products are sometimes administered when conventional drug therapies have not succeeded, but are also used as alternatives to scientifically based therapies and licensed products. The principles underlying the veterinary use of drug-based and homeopathic products are polar opposites; this provides the basis for comparison between them. This two-part review compares and contrasts the two treatment forms in respect of history, constituents, methods of preparation, known or postulated mechanisms underlying responses, the legal basis for use and scientific credibility in the 21st century. Part 1 begins with a consideration of why therapeutic products actually work or appear to do so

Towards a Critical Edition of the Organon

The last 25 years brought several milestones in basic research in the history and theory of homeopathy. Basic research in this context, however, does not mean clinical trials, randomised studies, or laboratory experiments, but advanced scholarship focussed on a revision, improvement, and refinement of the literary tools homeopaths are using. As an artist of healing, the homeopathic practitioner has to rely not only on the quality of his medicines, but also on the authenticity and genuineness of his basic texts and reference books

Hahnemann's legacy in a new light - A systematic approach to the Organon of Medicine

The sixth edition of Samuel Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine is an obligatory work of reference for homeopathy. Nevertheless, its philosophy can be questioned with constructivistic and historistic objections. Three Ieveis of content may be distinguished: (1) practical directions and maxims, (2) theoretical explanations and hypotheses, (3) conceptual foundations and premises. ldeally, these Ieveis should be considered, studied, and taught separately and gradually. My new German edition of the Organon, published in 2003, tries to meet these demands. lt contains: (A) a complete version of Hahnemann's original text, in the original order of paragraphs, but in modern German with section headings, summary boxes, etc added, (B) another full version of its content, organized in three Ieveis, as indicated above, (C) a glossary of about 400 problematic terms

Chemical and nutrient characterization of Solanum pseudocapsicum berries

Solanum pseudocapsicum is a poisonous plant, yet it is used in traditional medicine topically for the treatment of boils and gonorrhoea, and orally as male tonic and for abdominal pain. Chemical analyses of the berries were carried out by GC-MS and photometric procedures. Twenty-five components were identified from the GC-MS spectra, constituting 99.80% of the extract composition. The major components were predominated by alkaloids (38.55%), hydrocarbons (22.18%), fatty acid (19.38%), alcohol (13.27%), and carboxylic acids derivatives (3.73%). The results of the mineral nutrient evaluation showed that the berries contains substantial amount of phosphorous and nitrogen. The majority of the components identified in this plant are known to be poisonous, which explains the toxic nature of theseberries on animals including human beings. The possible exploitation of these components as a source of pharmaceutical and biodegradable industrial raw material is discussed

Homeopathic Flora of Bilaspur District of Himachal Pradesh, India: A Preliminary Survey

The present study was made in nine villages of Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, a north Indian state known for its vast herbal flora. About 23 plant species belonging to 18 families used in the homeopathic system of medicine are highlighted in the present study along with their taxonomic description including botanical name, medicine name, plant part used and ailment against which the medicines are used. The collected plant specimens were identified, taxonomically defined and submitted to the herbarium for future records