The Science of Homeopathy Defined by George Vithoulkas

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi everyone-

Here is a wonderful synopsis of the Vitality and Balance system using homeopathy as written in an email by George Vithoulkas.

I found this on one of my computer hard drives when I was searching for info. for our upcoming seminar and wanted to share his description of homeopathic healing.

Professor Vithoulkas is primarily responsible for the resurgence of homeopathy (for people) when it was dying out in the US ~50 years ago.

George is a winner of the alternate Nobel prize and is the author of several books including one that is recommended for the intermediate homeopathy course 7/27-28:

The Science of Homeopathy: George Vithoulkas, William A. Tiller: 9780802151209: Amazon.com: Books

The Science of Homeopathy [George Vithoulkas, William A. Tiller] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Science of Homeopathy

www.amazon.com

Here's his description of how all living beings heal:

The homeopathic therapeutic system is based on the following
fundamental principles:

The Law Of Similars:

‘That substance which can produce a set of symptoms in a healthy
individual, can cure a sick individual who is manifesting a similar
set of symptoms’.

The principle was introduced by Hahnemann with the Latin motto
similia
similibus curentur - ‘let similars be treated by similars’.
Hahnemann believed this to be one of the fundamental laws of cure, a
concept originally advocated by Hippocrates[1], followed by
Paracelsus
and others. Contrary to conventional medicine, which tries to cure
by
fighting microbes, seeing them as the main disease culprits,
homeopathy advocates stimulation of the body’s defense system, which
will in turn expel the disease.

For example, Belladonna is known to cause mydriasis, an abnormal
dilation of the pupil. A homeopath could prescribe Belladonna (in an
extremely diluted form) to restore the ability of the pupil to
constrict. Similarly, Digitalis, a substance used in conventional
medicine to suppress paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, by
virtue of this ability, would be used in homeopathy to cure
bradycardia, where the pulse is very weak, with nausea and feeling
faint, with vomiting that affords no relief, irregular breathing,
general weakness, anorexia, sensitivity in the epigastric region,
coldness of the skin etc.

The provings of remedies

Hahnemann conducted what he referred to as ‘provings’, an
experimental process introduced to determine the medicinal
properties
of a host of substances, which he administered in ever-increasing
doses to healthy individuals of both sexes. He then recorded in
every
detail all changes - physical, emotional and mental - that the
ingestion of these substances produced.
The records, after being verified several times on different
subjects
(‘provers’), and combined with the toxicological effects of some of
the substances already known from medical literature, were compiled
into an invaluable compendium, the Materia Medica.

Hahnemann’s basic principles

Using the Law of Similars and conducting tests of medicinal
substances
on healthy individuals, Hahnemann went on to develop a whole new
medical system. He first published his complete theory in 1810 in
his
book entitled Organon of Medicine.
This volume comprises 294 aphorisms, through which he introduces the
principles of this new medical system. In a further publication,
Chronic Diseases, he claimed all chronic diseases are a result of
suppressed skin conditions, syphilis or gonorrhea. He named these
three primal sources of disease Psora, Syphilis and Sycosis
(gonorrhea) miasms. He was severely criticized for this theory, even
by some of his own followers, who practiced homeopathy disregarding
the miasms component of the theory.

Besides the ‘Law of Similars’, some essential rules of homeopathy
are:
1. There are no diseases - only sick people;
2. The appropriate remedy is the one that fits the totality of the
symptoms of the patient , not only the physical ones;
3. Provided it’s found the correct remedy , the quantity necessary
to effect cure is minimal; and
4. During the healing process, all disease symptoms will disappear
in
the reverse order of their appearance.

The Individualization of Cases

One of Hahnemann’s most important concepts is the rule of
individualization, which clearly differentiates homeopathy from
conventional medicine. In this rule, he advocated that there are ‘no
diseases - only diseased individuals; therefore, the curative means
must aim at healing the individual, rather than the disease itself.
According to this theory, patients suffering from the ‘same
disease’, e.g. epilepsy, could need completely different remedies
unless, in some of them, the totality of the symptoms are identical
down to the last detail: something not impossible .

The Defence Mechanism

Hahnemann perceived the human body’s complex Defense Mechanism -
which
includes ‘the Immune System”, the “reticuloendothelial system”,
the “hormonal system” etc.- in its entirety as a “ Complex
Fields of Energy”, which he named it “Vital Force” . His choice
of words in the “Organon of Medicine” suggests “an "intelligent"
field of ‘energy’, that contains all the information concerning a
specific individual organism that oversees and co-ordinates the
body’s responses to external and internal stimuli.
This idea is more than understood today by science and open minded
scientists that "fields of waves" carry precise information within
their structure which can be transmitted and decoded by the
appropriate receiver. The wave structures of the TV, for example,
are
energy fields which are transferring information that contain
pictures
and colours that can be received and decoded by the TV set as
precise
pictures.

This concept explains why symptoms are nothing more than the body’s
expression of its defense mechanism. For example, during fever, the
elevated temperature is there to help the body fight the disease
agents -bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. This attempt to recovery needs
to be supported rather than suppressed with anti-pyretics!
Homeopaths
understand that by administering a remedy capable of producing in a
healthy organism symptoms similar to those of the patient, they
essentially stimulate and support the defense mechanism’s efforts to
rid itself of these morbific agents.

The cause of disease is not the result of disease (an infection),
but
rather the intrinsic weakness of the defense mechanism to
successfully
fight it off. It is therefore the strengthening of the defense
mechanism, and not the killing of microbes, that helps restore
health.
Microbes will naturally die off once the ‘fertile soil’ -the cause
of disease- is
corrected .

Opponents of homeopathy claim that it only tends to cure
superficially, never reaching the real cause of disease. Homeopaths,
on the other hand, argue that the strengthened defense mechanism
actually penetrates deeper into the real source of the problem: the
organic dyscrasia, the inability of the organism to guard against
disease. They also maintain that in most chronic ailments, where the
causation is nonspecific, conventional medicine naturally finds it
extremely difficult to be effective.

The Minimum Dose: preparation and posology

There are several ways to prepare a homeopathic remedy and Hahnemann
himself seemed to have used various methods from time to time.
In contemporary homeopathy, the preferred method is the centesimal.
Here, remedies are prepared by diluting a small amount of the
substance’s mother tincture into 99 parts of a diluent, such as
twice distilled water, lactose, or pure alcohol.
The liquid solution is then vigorously shaken (succussed) at least
ten
times. The resulting solution is called ‘1st potency’. Taking 1
part of this potency and mixed with 99 parts diluent, then
succussed,
yields the 2nd potency. This is continued until the desired strength
is reached; a 30th potency has gone through this process 30 times,
and
so on.
With insoluble metals mortar and pestle were used to bring them
to the 6th potency, in a process called trituration: 1 part of
extremely finely ground metal dust is mixed with 99 parts of lactose
dust. The mixture, is pounded with a pestle in a mortar for one
hour.
This process is repeated 6 times by emptying and filling with 1/99
parts. The resulting 6th potency, now considered soluble, is further
potentized, as in the previous method, by dilutions and succussions.

[1] Hippocrates, in the Nature of Man. The “Law of Similars” in his
own words states that ”the like create disease, and the application
of the like cures; inducing vomiting stops nausea”.

George Vithoulkas
Alternative Nobel Prize, 1996
Director, International Academy of Classical Homeopathy, Greece
Prof. University of the Aegean, Greece
Prof. Kiev Medical Academy
Hon. Professor Moscow Medical Academy (Department Restorative
Medicine)
Collaborating Professor Basque Medical University
Address: Alonissos 37005, Greece
Tel: 0030 24240 65142 / 65190
Fax: 0030 24240 65147
[email protected]
www.vithoulkas.com
www.vithoulkas.edu.gr
www.syros.aegean.gr/homeopathy

 

[Dr. Christina]

Another wonderful book to read.
I always say that once you fall in love with homeopathy, you need to put in many more bookcases - and space on your hard drive!

Dr. Christina