My twenty-four hour journey from Delhi to Odisha became more exciting when a nearby passenger had a common passion as mine – Homoeopathy.
While I was reading Allen’s Keynote, he inquisitively asked me if I was interested in this science. It was intriguing to understand how he noticed my book and related it to Homeopathy at once.
He narrated to me the incident where a doctor had cured him of his year’s long tendency to headache and cold whenever he had a haircut.
“Great liability to take cold; sensitive to drafts of air, when uncovering head; from having a haircut.” [1]
Belladonna 30, a few doses was his belief transforming drug.
To many whom this symptom would sound weird, it happened right to him and cured him.
The EVIDENCE that it works was, is and will always be in its patient centric subjective result. However, it doesn’t fill the appetite of many who claim it to be the pseudo-science or the placebo-pathy and hence raises the need to excogitate in concordance with today’s scientific platform and community. Clinical studies no longer quench the needful, moreover, the pursuit of evidence demands a programmatically designed, rigorous and consistent framework of various studies and experiments.
Despite the sophistry that researchers and scientists use against it, Homoeopathy, in India and worldwide is beginning to enjoy the rising popularity.
Worldwide there are approximately 200 million users of it.[2]
The global Homeopathic medicine market size was estimated at USD 18.09 billion in 2020, is expected to reach USD 21.60 billion, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.75% to reach USD 63.92 billion by 2027.[3]
In India, AYUSH practitioners together make 43.5% of the total practitioners (773,668) and within AYUSH, Homoeopathy practitioners are 284,471, which is 37% of the total number of AYUSH practitioners.[4]
From time immemorial, whenever a new system or idea emerges, there rises a diametrically opposite resistance to it. Such was the case with Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homoeopathy, too. Regardless, even after 200 years this science and art enjoys the faith of the masses. The harsh practices like bloodletting, venesections, leeches etc not only drained the already strength compromised patient but compelled Master Hahnemann’s reason-gifted mind to discover a system of gentle and simple healing in accordance with the laws of nature.
Medicine, irrespective of the system it belongs to, should simplify and ease the suffering of the dis-eased. The purpose gets defeated if one goal is achieved at the cost of another. The unsolicited side effects begin to become a new disease-complex that adds to a patient’s misery. The ever-changing pattern of diseases and myriad of new viral strains that are creating havoc should direct us even more to believe that Homoeopathy comes handy in such scenarios.
Primarily, for the reason that it follows the Law of similars. The disease picture to be matched with the drug picture. The crucial time given away in the wait of the investigations and nosological tagging of disease can be curtailed and if it be the similimum, the suffering too.
Secondly, Homoeopathy has been instrumental in shouldering the burden of epidemic from the time of its inception and with years to come can work efficiently in mainstream operations along with the so-called Modern medicine. The perfect example to support this is the Covid- 19 pandemic. The unprepared healthcare systems and the virulence of the virus cost us an unimaginable tally of morbidity and mortality.
Thirdly, the Homoeopathic prescriptions need not be altered depending on any viral or bacterial cause. The totality of symptoms being the sole guide in any case. This highlights the WHO acknowledged menace of overuse of antibiotics. According to it, new resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases. A growing list of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, gonorrhoea, and foodborne diseases – are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective. [5].In no way is the importance of investigations and diagnosis undermined. Rather a holistic understanding of the sick with purview of knowledge of disease and medicine in a coordinated manner is to be applied in the treatment.
Another crucial factor that in time to come will help Homoeopathy flourish more is the monetary aspect. Rising inflation and prices worldwide not only affect the daily commodities but the pharmaceutical industry as well. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority of India on 22nd March 2022 announced a 10.7 percent change in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) which means that the prices of nearly 800 scheduled medicines on the National List of Essential Medicines, which are used to treat the majority of common ailments, rose by 10.7 percent beginning April 1.[5] This way the economic feasibility of Homoeopathic medicines are a boon for population of all strata.
The tiny sweet globules are like immuno-modulators that provide just the right amount of kickstart that is needed for the body’s engine or the vital force, in the minimum dose possible, to resume its self-healing characteristic. The immunity receives the optimum thrust it requires via it and ensures recovery of the ill in the gentlest manner. This paradigm shift in the mindset of the patient and community is essential.
To see medicines (any) as not just the popping pills.
To see diseases as not just mere infections in the body.
To not judge the efficacy of Homoeopathy pills through its size and quantity.
To not undermine the effectiveness of the diet and regimen in treatment of diseases.
Homoeopathy doesn’t seek some years to be called the Future of medicine, but any day where this science and art that has laid its foundation years ago, be accepted whole-heartedly.
Having said it all above, I ask you to reflect on a time a century ago. The invention of so many gadgets and creative ideas are proof that evolution is the only thing that is constant. Homoeopathy has and will revolutionize the concept of disease and the man in disease. The need for a gentle and permanent relief will transcend the beliefs of people to choose it more and more and advocate its long due credit and acceptance worldwide.
These are the few lines from Gallert’s poem mentioned in the 1st edition of Organon (1810) that I strongly postulate.
The truth we mortals need
Us blest to make and keep,
The All-wise slightly covered over
But did not bury deep
Nevertheless , when the Truth shall triumph , it will be here for all to see .
Citations:
[1].Allen HC. Keynotes and characteristics with comparisons of some of the leading remdies [i.e. remedies] of the materia medica with bowel nosodes. New Delhi: B. Jain; 1997. [2] Homoeopathy Research Institute. Homeopathy is used Around the World. Available at: https://www.hri-research.org/resources/essentialevidence/use-of-homeopathy-across-the-world/. [3] Homeopathic Medicine Market Research Report by Source, by Application, by Region – Global Forecast to 2027 – Cumulative Impact of COVID-19[4] Homeopathy in Public Health in India. Harleen Kaur et al. Homeopathy 2019;108:76–87.
Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330984431_Homeopathy_in_Public_Health_in_India
[5] https://www.embs.org/pulse/articles/the-rising-threat-of-antibiotic-resistance/#:~:text=New%20resistance%20mechanisms%20are%20emerging,and%20sometimes%20impossible%2C%20to%20treat [6] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/pharmaceuticals/essential-medicines-to-cost-slightly-more-from-april-1/articleshow/108860122.cms?from=mdr
