The battle for homeopathy rages on

It is a strange thing that history, more often than not, repeats itself. Many Pharmacists are horrified at the legitimization of homeopathy by the MHRA. The MHRA have approved Arnica pillules. This has forced a number of Pharmacist’s to speak out against this form of medicine. In one area of the country, Pharmacists have even declared that you cannot be a ‘Pharmacist and a Homeopath’.  Practice of homeopathy is prevalent in the Veterinary profession, and those Vets that practice this, have been described as ‘cranks’. It seems to me,  that if you want to maintain your professional reputation, don’t dabble in the art of homeopathy.

            Samuel Hahnemann (1789-1821), a German doctor, created homeopathy. He was disillusioned with conventional medicine, that involved gruesome techniques such as bloodletting. He experimented with herbs and philosophy to create homeopathy. In 1832 the first homeopathic hospital opened in Leipzig. However hostility towards Dr Hahnemann was intense. The Apothecaries (Pharmacists) were so against him and homeopathy that they practically threw him out of Leipzig. He fled to the relative sanctuary of Paris, where he remained till his death in 1843.  In England, the tide was also turning against him. Many doctors attempted to get homeopathy legally banned.

            The turning point came during the cholera epidemic in 1812 and 1820. Dr Hahnemann successfully treated cholera during this period. In 1854, only 16.4% of patients in homeopathy hospitals died. This was in sharp contrast to the 51.8% that perished in hospitals treated with conventional medicine.