Homeopathy has a long history of being used successfully in veterinary practice for both domestic and farm animals. The EU recommends its use in its regulations on organic farms and is funding research into veterinary homeopathy as a way of reducing antibiotic use in livestock. It is nonsense to suggest that responsible pet owners and farmers are unable to distinguish between effective and ineffective medicines; they continue to use homeopathy because they see its benefits.

Homeopaths are trained in how to recognise and advise the removal of what we refer to as ‘maintaining causes’ and ‘obstacles to cure.’ In simple terms, this means eliminating habits or changing elements of lifestyle that are clearly injurious to one’s health and will deter healing.

I am consistently shocked by people who complain about feeling unwell whilst not being able to recognise that often, their complaints are self inflicted.  Take for example the heavy smoker, who has a chronic cough or the person with a myriad of digestive issues, who insists on eating fast food most of the time.  These are obvious examples; others include people that are not even aware that their habits are causing distress to their body.  The patient who is underweight, with no energy and chronic health problems; on investigation, her diet consisted of nothing fresh, but all pre-packaged food with low nutritional value; her energy spent on looking after her young family, who unfortunately, also eat this diet. A result of this self neglect leads to the prescription of pharmaceutical medications, which can often exacerbate the condition in the long term, whilst possibly giving short term relief.  The sickness is therefore compounded and invariably some of these medications cause new illnesses, knows as ‘iatrogenic’ disease.  Hahnemann, in Aphorism 74 of The Organon of Medicine states: ‘Among chronic diseases, we must unfortunately include all those wide spread illnesses artificially created by allopathic treatments.’

So, the removal of what Hahnemann referred to as ‘causa occasionalis’ (maintaining causes) must surely make sense and pave the way for true healing to begin. Whatever medication, in whatever medical discipline, will not be fully effective until this is done. In Aphorism 77, Hahnemann states: ‘Diseases engendered by prolonged exposure to avoidable noxious influence should not be called chronic, they include diseases brought about by:

• The habitual indulgence of harmful food and drink


• All kinds of excesses that undermine health


• Prolonged deprivation of things necessary to life


• Unhealthy places, especially swampy regions


• Dwelling only in cellars, damp places or other close quarters


• Lack of exercise or fresh air


• Physical or mental over exertion


• Continuing emotional stress etc..

These self-inflicted disturbances go away on their own with improved living conditions if no chronic miasm is present, they cannot be called chronic diseases.’ There are several classifications of chronic disease (according to Hahnemann) which will be covered at a later date. Although the language here could possibly benefit from being updated, it is clear that the underlying message is to enjoy a healthy lifestyle suited to your unique constitution, which is balanced on every level.

What is important here is to recognise that through individualisation and the identification of circumstances peculiar to a patient, obstacles to cure can be removed; only then can true individualised homeopathic treatment begin.

The homeopathic approach, in its entirety is set out in Aphorism 3 of The Organon.

‘If the physician clearly perceives what has to be cured in disease, ie, in each individual case of disease (knowledge of the disease,) if he clearly perceives what it is in medicines, which heals, ie: in each individual medicine (knowledge of medicinal powers,) if he applies in accordance with well defined principles what is curative in medicines to what he has clearly recognised to be pathological in the patient so that cure follows, ie, if he knows in each particular case how to apply the remedy most appropriate to its character (selection of the remedy),  prepare it exactly as required and give it in the right amount (the correct dose,) and repeat the dose exactly when required ‘and lastly, if in each case he knows the obstacles to cure and how to remove them so recovery is permanent, then he knows how to treat thoroughly and efficaciously and is a true physician.’

Gill Graham, BSc (Hons), BA (Hons) RS Hom, DHMHS

As ever, professional homeopathic advice should be sought: http://www.findahomeopath.org/Search/Postcode

One thing that delights me about homeopathy is how so much of it makes sense. From the time of Hippocrates, it was recognised that symptoms often have something worthwhile to express to us and as homeopaths (along with other health professionals), we take this into account daily.

If you've a car and there's a warning light on, there's at least two ways to fix this situation. One would be to remove the warning light bulb. No longer a warning light showing = car fixed? Maybe not quite. A homeopath would want to look at why the warning light was visible. What was going on when it started showing? Any other symptoms there? What was the root of the problem, the cause of the light showing initially? Then, ideally, these, as well as other symptoms, would be addressed, leading to the light no longer being needed as a warning.

A simple enough analogy perhaps and frequently this often a part of what we do as homeopaths. We may look to the causation of the problem that is being expressed and attempt to help it without suppression of symptoms. As the person gets better the symptoms that had been upsetting them may well fade. There may also be learning from particular symptoms we can do, and in consultation with a homeopath this can help us to move to a place of better health and greater awareness of ourselves.

On the Find a Homeopath home page you can search for a homeopath nearby to you by postcode (or use the advanced search feature to search by town) in the UK. Alternatively if you've experienced homeopathy working for you and would like to share your account then have your say here.