Homeopathy is based on the principle of ‘like cures like’ – in other words, a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes if it was taken in large amounts.
Homeopathic medicines are manufactured by repeatedly diluting and succussing (shaking) a preparation of the original substance, mainly plants and minerals, in water and alcohol. After dilution the medicine is added to lactose tablets or pillules.
Over-the-counter homeopathic medicines tend to be in either the 6c or 30c potency. 6c means that the substance has undergone 6 steps in a series of dilutions, where each step involves diluting 1 part medicine to 99 parts alcohol/water. The more stages of dilution and succussion the preparation has gone through, the more potent the medicine is – so a 30c medicine is more potent than a 6c medicine.
The ultra-high dilutions used in homeopathy mean that the medicines are perfectly safe to use for babies, children and pregnant and breastfeeding women under the supervision of a medically-qualified practitioner.
Science still has a lot to explain about the mechanism of homeopathy and ‘evidence’ is a very contentious area.
Homeopathy Lead Body
For more information, please select from Lead Body – Society of Homeopaths in Resources on the left, to be redirected to their site.