FUNDAMENTAL OR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF HOMOEOPATHY

FUNDAMENTAL or CARDINAL

 PRINCIPLES OF HOMOEOPATHY

1.      Law of Similia (Similia Similibus Curentur)

·         Hahnemann formulated this law and is the outcome of his experiments which begin with Cinchona bark and later extended to experiments (provings) of other medicinal substances.

•   Similia similibus curentur  states that any drug which is capable of producing symptoms of disease in the healthy human being, will remove similar symptoms and thus cure the disease when found in the sick.
•  By its application the curative remedy can be found in curable cases.
• This law is based on inductive method of reasoning, Hahnemann & his followers established this law by scientific observation and interpretation of known facts
•  This law establishes definite relationship between the medicine & the disease
• Hahnemann mentioned this law in 1796, in an essay- “On the new principle for ascertaining the curative properties of drugs” which was published in Hufeland’s journal.

2.      The law of simplex (Single remedy at a time)

• Single remedy is the necessary corollary of the similar remedy. Law of simplex means the remedy should be administered in a simple form not as a mixture.
•          Only one  remedy can be exactly similar at given time so it has to be given alone, not alternated or mixed with any other; only then its curative (pure) effects can be observed.
•          Any single substance that has been proved upon the healthy, as an entity and whose effects (pathogenesis) is known, can be administered; but it must be given unmixed with any other medicinal substance.
•          If a mixture of medicines is given to a sick patient, the result can’t be assessed properly to know which medicine among the mixture (combination) has acted. Each drug is proved separately in drug-proving, mixture of drugs (polypharmacy) can’t help to know the curative action of each drug & the follow-up of the case will be messed up. 

3.      The law of minimum: (Minutest dose of the medicine)

•    The single remedy must be given to a patient in smallest possible that will bring the desired reaction.
•      This law can be explained based on Law of Least action proposed by Maupertius a French Mathematician which states that: “The quantity of action necessary to effect any change in nature is the least possible; the decisive amount is always a minimum, an infinitismal.
•      In Homeopathy disease is considered as dynamic affection of vital force, due to causative agents which are dynamic in nature, so the required remedy should be given in dynamic doses or infinitesimal doses to stimulate the dynamic vital force to overcome the dynamic affection (disease) and effect cure.
•          Disadvantages of crude doses or multiple doses: they can cause only the physiological changes, the internal affection of vital force (disease per se) remains uncured, and sometimes they can cause adverse effects. Eg- giving medicines in tinctures, extracts, compounds etc.
•     Disadvantages of repeated administration of medicines: Sometimes either due to patient’s request or due to physician’s ignorance if repetition of remedy is done in haste, i.e., before the completion of action of first dose of the indicated medicine, it will prevent any good effect produced so far. The general rule is as long as the patient is improving one should not repeat the remedy.
•     Prolonged use of medicines in crude & physiological doses can add symptoms due to the action of drugs (drug disease)

4.      Doctrine of drug proving:

·  It means the homoeopathic method of experimentation of drugs on the healthy human beings to know their effects of altering health.

·         This is the only scientific & rational method of ascertaining the action of medicines that is by administering the drugs on healthy human beings as experiments on animals can’t give subjective symptoms (Intellectual faculty is less developed in animals compared to humans).

·         It was first advocated by Albert von Haller, a Swiss Physician and Hahnemann was the first person to conduct experiments on himself & others to know the pure effects of the drugs & further rationally applied in practice.

5.      Theory of Chronic Diseases:

·         Hahnemann classified diseases as Indispositions, Surgical disease & remaining he classified as chronic diseases.
·         Theory of chronic diseases was first introduced in 1829, in 4^th edition of organon.
·         Hahnemann observed that inspite of proper administration of homeopathic medicines the patients had recurrence of symptoms, he investigated for 12 years and finally concluded that Miasms as the real cause of all chronic diseases.
·         Miasm in simple terms is a predisposition to certain disease conditions, or dynamic disease causing powers.
·         Psora, sycosis & syphilis are the 3 miasms named by Hahnemann, Psora is considered to be the mother of all miasms as it forms the basic foundation to other miasmatic sufferings
·         Hahnemann classified medicines under the heading of these 3 miasms as anti-psoric, anti-sycotic & anti-syphilitic remedies to simplify treatment of chronic diseases.
·         Though Hahnemann’s theory of Miasms is not proven, it is a most admirable working theory, a stepping stone by means of which we attain remarkable results in the treatments of disease.

6.      Theory of Vital force:

• This doctrine was introduced in the 5^th edition of Organon.
•          According to this theory the disease is due to derangement of dynamic vital force by dynamic disease.
•         In aph-9^th Hahnemann defines vital force as the force which animates the material body and runs its all functions in a harmonious way. It is the force which gives life to the material body, its malfunctioning cause’s disease expressed as altered sensations & symptoms and its absence results death & decay.
•        The term Vital force is replaced by Vital Principle in 6^th edition of Organon of medicine
•        So cure consists correcting dynamically disordered vital force by the administration of  suitable homoeopathic remedies of dynamic nature.

7.      The doctrine of Drug dynamization ( Aph-264-271)

·         Introduced in 5^th edition of Organon along with the doctrine of Vital force.

·         This is a process by which the inherent curative or medicinal properties of crude substances are brought out.

·         Hahnemann in his book on ‘chronic diseases’ quotes: “ Homeopathic dynamizations are processes by which the medicinal properties, which are latent in natural substances while in their crude state, become aroused, and then become enabled to act in an almost spiritual manner on our life.

·         Inert substances like, Sand (Silicia), Table salt (Nat.mur), Club moss (Lycopodium) are made highly effective remedies by the process of potentization.

·         Drug dynamization mainly consists of process of succusion in fluid substances and trituration in dry substances.

·         The preparations obtained after advanced processes of dynamization are called potencies.