In the early 1800’s, a physician named Samuel Christian Freidrich Hahnemann started to become very disillusioned with medicine. When he protested against the common brutal practices of the day, like blood-letting, he was denounced by his colleagues for heresy. He gave up practicing medicine and turned to medical translating.
While translating lectures by William Cullen, he came across the opinion that cinchona bark (quinine) cured intermittent fever (malaria) because of its astringent and bitter qualities. Hahnemann questioned this explanation, since other equally bitter substances had no effect on the sickness. So, he experimented on himself.
Proceeding to take a small amount of quinine twice a day, he soon developed symptoms of malaria. The symptoms would last two or three hours each time. Once discontinuing the doses, he returned to good health. He reasoned that malaria was cured by quinine due to the fact that it produces the symptoms of malaria in a healthy person.
The fact that a remedy can cure a disease if it produces in a healthy person symptoms similar to those of the disease, is called the Law of Similars. It simply means, Like is cured by like.
The long list of homeopathic remedies were found by testing substances of each remedy on a group of healthy people and recording consistent experiences, such as dizziness or a red face. These tests conformed to the standard double-blind method used in pharmacology, as one half of the group were used as controls and given a placebo.
Homeopathy uses what medical doctors call the immunological defense mechanism. For example, let’s say a person has insomnia because he is excited about something that is going to take place the next day. The anticipation is keeping him from having a restful night’s sleep. So, he takes Coffea cruda, which is made from coffee beans. We know what coffee usually does in a healthy person – it keeps them awake! So, when the remedy is taken, his immunological defense mechanism is automatically provoked to throw off the effects of the remedy. In doing so, the existing imbalance is also cleared and he is able to fall asleep.
To prepare a remedy, a certain plant, mineral, or animal part is mixed with water. For a ‘C’ remedy, it is 1 part of the substance to 99 parts water (equaling 100). For an “X” remedy, it is 1 part substance to 9 parts water (equaling 10). The mixture is then shaken (succussed). The dilution is repeated and again succussed. For example, Arnica 6X means that 1 part Arnica was mixed with 9 parts water and shaken. Then, that mixture was diluted 1 part to 9 parts water again and succussed. Dilution and succession were repeated 6 times, thus the 6X.
The higher the dilution, when prepared in this manner by succession, the greater the potency of the remedy. Dilutions can even continue to the point in which the resulting medicine contains absolutely no molecules of the original substance! Yet, is not a placebo effect, as it works equally well on infants and pets, even if they are entirely unaware anything was administered.
So how does homeopathy work? Most homeopaths would say they really don’t know. It is this inability to explain exactly how homeopathy works that has caused several Christians to caution against it. What I caution against is using an ungodly worldview as our basis. I believe the above facts actually prove God’s hand! Let me explain why.
I’ll start with an experiment that was conducted by a scientist named Rudolf Hauschka using two types of benzoic acid. One type was synthetically derived from coal tar while the other was simply a natural source. Chemically, the two samples seemed identical. Hauschka proceeded to process both into homeopathic remedies, using the methods of dilution and succession as previously described. The result was that the remedy made from the natural benzoic acid had healing properties, while the remedy made from the synthetic sample had none.
The composition of a plant is so complex that no scientist can possibly know all the constituents. Therefore, it is impossible to synthesize the entire plant. Because of this, medicines are often made by isolating known compounds, or the ‘active ingredients’ from a plant, synthesizing them in a lab, and using them to make an imitation. But as we can see from the experiment above, much is missing from what man attempts to re-create. Hauschka concluded, “A basic biological difference exists between natural and synthetic products despite their chemical identity”.
There are two concepts at work here. First, is the fact that man is not God. God alone is the Creator of all things. It is nothing new that man desires to be as God, but the fact remains that although we have the ability to invent and make things, we simply cannot create something out of nothing. Second, he created simply by His spoken word. Even if we did have all the materials needed to make a plant, it could never be the same since it was not created in the same manner. We cannot simply speak and have things appear.
When man plays God and tries to re-create a substance in a lab, the results, while somewhat effective, are so pitiful it is almost laughable when compared to the real deal. Even with all our grand instruments and abilities, our efforts produce results that only minutely reflect the original creation.
Hauschka’s experiment is just one example of how using the plant as a whole is to our advantage. Drying plants and using them in teas, poultices, and in capsules is one way. Distilling the plant to obtain the oils is even better, as it is the plant oil that contains all the constituents of the plant. Succussing (shaking) in a medium, which is how homeopathic remedies are prepared, is yet another way to obtain the healing abilities of a plant, and proves most of all, the evidence of God’s hand in his Creation; the plants, minerals, and animals.
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to Christians that while we cannot measure the material substance in homeopathic remedies, the healing ability is there. Why would that be frightening? Is our faith to be place in man’s instruments? If they are not capable of measuring something, could that simply show the limits of man’s capabilities?
Even after much study, I cannot claim that I fully understand homeopathy. It is a difficult concept to grasp how the essence of material can bring about the body’s ability to heal. But the little I do know seems to prove the existence of God and how He works. It furthers my appreciation for God’s creation and the amazing way he fashioned nature.
In closing, I want to share what a friend of mine emailed me. She writes…
I was reading this morning in one of my Dad’s collections of sermons by C. H. Spurgeon. I am always amazed at how the “Prince of Preachers” can take a seemingly obscure verse, or a fragment of a verse, and find so much truth in it that there is sure to be something that speaks to anyone who reads it! On that note, the sermon I read this morning had something that I never expected to see, and I had to share with you! The sermon is titled “The Victory of Faith”, and the verse is I John 4.
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
After several pages of expounding eloquently on the Greatness of the Victory, The Great New Birth that is implied, and the Great Grace that is given, Spurgeon penned (and spoke) this interesting and enlightening paragraph…
“I want to tell you how it is that faith helps Christians to overcome the world. It always does it homeopathically. You say, ’That is a singular idea.’ So it may be. The principle is that, ”like cures like.” So does faith overcome the word by curing like with like. How does faith trample upon the fear of the world? By the fear of God. ”Now,” says the world, “if you do not do this I will take away your life. If you do not bow down before my false god, you shall be put in yon burning fiery furnace.” “But,” says the man of faith, “I fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. True, I may dread you, but I have a greater fear than that. I fear lest I should displease God; I tremble lest I should offend my Sovereign.” So the one fear counterbalances the other. How does faith overcome the world’s hopes? “There,” says the world, “I will give thee this, I will give thee that, if thou wilt be my disciple. There is a hope for you; you shall be rich, you shall be great.” But, faith says, “I have a hope laid up in heaven; a hope which fadeth not away, eternal, incorrupt, amaranthine hope, a golden hope, a crown of life;” and the hope of glory overcomes all the hopes of the world. “Ah,” says the world, “Why not follow the example of your fellows?” “Because,” says faith, “I will follow the example of Christ.” If the world puts one example before us, faith puts another. “Oh, follow the example of such a one; he is wise, and great, and good,” says the world. Says faith, “I will follow Christ; He is the wisest, the greatest, and the best.” It overcomes example by example. “Well,” says the world, “since thou will not be conquered by all this, come, I will love thee; thou shalt be my friend.” Faith says, “He that is the friend of this world, cannot be the friend of God. God loves me.” So he puts love against love; fear against fear; hope against hope; dread against dread; and so faith overcomes the world by like curing like.”
Originally published June 2007
Tags: Christianity, health, spirituality, worldview
