Blog
Anyone who wants to know Hahnemann’s work should have unfettered access to it and guidance in understanding it. I am actively working on uploading many of his works under resources: articles by others, and I write on these different topics as I study them myself. Grab a cup of something warm and cozy and come study with me <3.
May you find something helpful
-B
For a complete list of all posts, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Why does Advil work? Palliation for small, temporary complaints
I was told palliation - defined as giving an “anti” treatment (antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, etc) - would “drive the pathology deeper” or “make someone worse in the long run!” But the question in my mind was always: “but painkillers get rid of my headache - and I don’t get some horrible disease after using them, and the headache doesn’t immediately come back when the painkiller wear off, so what’s going on?” Well, I recently found what Hahnemann says on the matter in the introduction to Opium.
Introduction to the materia medica
Materia Medicas are arguably the most important tools homeopaths have. Here, I use Hahnemann’s to show the basic outline and purpose of a materia medica.
Symptoms are downed trees; causes are beavers
I know there’s a beaver in the woods where I walk my dog. The paths where I walk are filled with trees with old teeth marks and scars in them and old stumps, pointed at the top like a spear. Then last year, I found a tree with fresh wood shavings around its base; teeth marks in its trunk. For a week, I returned to the tree every morning and found more shavings, more cuts in the trunk. Finally, one morning, the tree was on its side. Then the morning after that, it had been dragged towards the river. Then the next day it was gone.
But I have never seen a beaver. I have never seen their house either, although I am constantly searching for it.
The difference between Isopathy, Homeopathy, Antipathy and Allopathy
There are four basic ways of practicing medicine, at least according to Hahnemann's Organon: Homeopathy, Isopathy, Antipathy (also known as enantiopathy or palliation) and Allopathy. Here I break down the differences and similarities between them, so you can at least know which one you are doing!
Is your lifestyle causing constipation?
Probably not. For whatever reason, constipation seems to be the thing patients often tell me is “only” due to their lifestyle. And true, for stuff to be moving regularly, you need adequate fiber, water and exercise. But most people I meet are doing these things and still suffering - this is what is considered a “dynamic disturbance” in homeopathy.
What is an allopath?
The term “allopath” colloquially has come to describe anyone in the conventional medical model. However, the true meaning is quite different.
Symptoms that are Perceptible to the Senses
In aphorism 6 (and his essay, the Medical Observer), Hahnemann details that we need to only include symptoms that are perceptible to the senses in our list of symptoms. In other words, when compiling a list of symptoms that need to be cured by a remedy, we should not include things like “needs grounding”, or “likes security”. Rather, we include only things that are factual, or able to be touched, seen, smelled, heard or tasted. These classic five senses can also include proprioception (your ability to balance or tell where you are in space), which is sometimes lumped in with touch.
Are we treating the root cause?
Just as pulling a plant out by the root will make sure it doesn’t come back, removing the cause of disease will theoretically make sure the disease never returns. But how can we ever know what this root “cause” is? And if we can never truly define it, we can never truly treat it.
Does cold hurt in the long run and coffee make you tired? primary and secondary effects of medicines
Hahnemann believed that in homeopathy, you should only prescribe based on the primary effects of medicines. The primary effects of coffee are to increase your energy and mood. Would you ever say that coffee causes sleepiness and depression? No. Opium’s primary effects are to remove pain and make you sleepy (among others). Would you ever casually say that opium makes you more awake and makes you feel more pain? No. You might say that in the long run coffee makes you tired and opium increases pain, which is how we colloquially talk about secondary effects of medicines, but we wouldn’t say coffee primarily depresses you or makes you tired.
Hahnemann's Miasms - the Quick Version
Hahnemann's Miasms are one of the most controversial theories in homeopathy. The original theory put forth by Hahnemann in the 1800s has been misinterpreted by many homeopaths for hundreds of years, with lots of authors adding or subtracting from Hahnemann's original theories, making a crazy mish-mash of ideas. Untangling the ideas and figuring out who said what and why is just impossible (at least for me!).
But Hahnemann laid out his theories in his book on the topic called Chronic Diseases. Here, I explain what Hahnemann meant in this book, and what his original theories were.
Whether or not you agree with the theories or use them in practice is entirely up to you (I don't use them much, but my thinking about practice has in fact changed dramatically after reading the book), but I think all homeopaths need to have a basic working idea of what Hahnemann meant, so that we can at least start to understand how we got to where we are today!
Aphorism 3 and 4: how to cure people and prevent relapse
now what needs to be cured (in general and in each individual case), know your medicines (and how to dose and prepare them) and match disease to medicines. Protect health with lifestyle. Done! Easy! (Ha!)
Aphorism 2: The ideal cure
Aphorism 2 outlines the ideal cure: one that’s fast, permanent, and has no ill effects.
All Posts:
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January 2024
- Jan. 18, 2024 The cost of your care Jan. 18, 2024
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December 2023
- Dec. 11, 2023 Complementary Tuberculosis care: adding homeopathy to the standard antibiotic treatment Dec. 11, 2023
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September 2023
- Sep. 5, 2023 3 Ways to Prevent Aggravations Sep. 5, 2023
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August 2023
- Aug. 29, 2023 Why does Advil work? Palliation for small, temporary complaints Aug. 29, 2023
- Aug. 22, 2023 Homeopathy for C-Section Recovery Aug. 22, 2023
- Aug. 16, 2023 Aphorism 11 Aug. 16, 2023
- Aug. 8, 2023 Entries with no citation in Hahnemann’s materia medicas Aug. 8, 2023
- Aug. 1, 2023 Being a homeopath in Ontario Aug. 1, 2023
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July 2023
- Jul. 25, 2023 Introduction to the materia medica Jul. 25, 2023
- Jul. 18, 2023 Aphorisms 9 and 10 Jul. 18, 2023
- Jul. 11, 2023 Remedies for milk supply issues Jul. 11, 2023
- Jul. 4, 2023 Symptoms are downed trees; causes are beavers Jul. 4, 2023
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June 2023
- Jun. 27, 2023 The difference between Isopathy, Homeopathy, Antipathy and Allopathy Jun. 27, 2023
- Jun. 20, 2023 Homeopathic Remedies for Afterpains Jun. 20, 2023
- Jun. 13, 2023 Aphorisms 7 and 8: Remove the totality and the person is cured Jun. 13, 2023
- Jun. 6, 2023 Is your lifestyle causing constipation? Jun. 6, 2023
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May 2023
- May 30, 2023 What is a repertory May 30, 2023
- May 23, 2023 Aphorism 6: Being an unprejudiced observer May 23, 2023
- May 16, 2023 Healing Postpartum Perineal Trauma May 16, 2023
- May 2, 2023 What is an allopath? May 2, 2023
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April 2023
- Apr. 25, 2023 How much alcohol in a tincture is safe for your baby or child? Apr. 25, 2023
- Apr. 18, 2023 Treating Mastitis with Homeopathy Apr. 18, 2023
- Apr. 11, 2023 Symptoms that are Perceptible to the Senses Apr. 11, 2023
- Apr. 4, 2023 Are we treating the root cause? Apr. 4, 2023
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March 2023
- Mar. 21, 2023 Does cold hurt in the long run and coffee make you tired? primary and secondary effects of medicines Mar. 21, 2023
- Mar. 14, 2023 Tips for treating during the early postpartum and newborn phases of life Mar. 14, 2023
- Mar. 7, 2023 Homeopathy and the early postpartum period: a series Mar. 7, 2023
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February 2023
- Feb. 21, 2023 Giving Babies Homeopathic Medicine Feb. 21, 2023
- Feb. 2, 2023 Homeopathy for colic in infants Feb. 2, 2023
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January 2023
- Jan. 10, 2023 Will my remedy improve my immune system? Jan. 10, 2023
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December 2022
- Dec. 20, 2022 The letters and the numbers on a remedy bottle: what they mean! Dec. 20, 2022
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November 2022
- Nov. 8, 2022 Understanding Remedy Reactions – the Quick and Dirty Nov. 8, 2022
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October 2022
- Oct. 18, 2022 How do you know if your medicine is working? Oct. 18, 2022
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September 2022
- Sep. 20, 2022 The most common homeopathic UTI remedy Sep. 20, 2022
- Sep. 6, 2022 What are provings and how to find them Sep. 6, 2022
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August 2022
- Aug. 23, 2022 How homeopathy helped during my pregnancy Aug. 23, 2022
- Aug. 9, 2022 Hay Fever Remedies Aug. 9, 2022
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July 2022
- Jul. 26, 2022 Is my remedy toxic? Jul. 26, 2022
- Jul. 12, 2022 Treating Sunburns with Homeopathy Jul. 12, 2022
- Jul. 5, 2022 Aphorism 5: What to investigate in order to cure Jul. 5, 2022
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June 2022
- Jun. 17, 2022 Insect bites and stings Jun. 17, 2022
- Jun. 6, 2022 Hahnemann's Miasms - the Quick Version Jun. 6, 2022
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April 2022
- Apr. 20, 2022 How to dilute a remedy down in water Apr. 20, 2022
- Apr. 6, 2022 Aphorism 3 and 4: how to cure people and prevent relapse Apr. 6, 2022
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March 2022
- Mar. 21, 2022 Understanding the Difference between Homeopaths and Naturopaths Mar. 21, 2022
- Mar. 14, 2022 Which translation of the Organon should you read? Mar. 14, 2022
- Mar. 8, 2022 How many English translations of the Organon are there? And how are they different? Mar. 8, 2022
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February 2022
- Feb. 28, 2022 How to take a homeopathic remedy (pellets and liquid doses) Feb. 28, 2022
- Feb. 14, 2022 Aphorism 2: The ideal cure Feb. 14, 2022
- Feb. 7, 2022 Testing homeopathy at home Feb. 7, 2022
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January 2022
- Jan. 24, 2022 Aphorism 1: The job of a physician Jan. 24, 2022
- Jan. 17, 2022 Theories and laws in medicine: devils or guiding stars? Jan. 17, 2022
- Jan. 10, 2022 The Structure of the Organon Jan. 10, 2022
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December 2021
- Dec. 24, 2021 Health and giving back Dec. 24, 2021
- Dec. 17, 2021 Whyfore art thou “side effect”: A [side effect] by any other name would smell as sweet Dec. 17, 2021
- Dec. 3, 2021 Understanding the Complexity of Vitamin D dosing Dec. 3, 2021
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November 2021
- Nov. 24, 2021 Alternative healthcare? Holistic Medicine? How about just…healthcare? Or just…medicine? Nov. 24, 2021
- Nov. 19, 2021 The Physician’s Purpose Nov. 19, 2021
- Nov. 11, 2021 What’s so great about the Organon Nov. 11, 2021
- Nov. 10, 2021 Vitamin D toxicity: How much is too much? Nov. 10, 2021
- Nov. 3, 2021 Do you need a vitamin D supplement? Nov. 3, 2021
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October 2021
- Oct. 25, 2021 Red/Near-infrared therapies: My favorite dark horse Oct. 25, 2021
- Oct. 18, 2021 Treating colds and flus at home Oct. 18, 2021
- Oct. 4, 2021 Hahnemann and Fundamental Truths Oct. 4, 2021
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September 2021
- Sep. 15, 2021 What homeopathic philosophy teaches us about colonics Sep. 15, 2021
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April 2019
- Apr. 2, 2019 Heiner Frei: Polarity Analysis and Homeopathy Apr. 2, 2019
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March 2019
- Mar. 18, 2019 But does homeopathy work in the real world? Mar. 18, 2019
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February 2019
- Feb. 11, 2019 Where do you find research studies on Homeopathy Feb. 11, 2019
- Feb. 4, 2019 The snooks: About homeopathy Feb. 4, 2019
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October 2018
- Oct. 29, 2018 Dyes show the mystery of homeopathic remedies Oct. 29, 2018