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.

The term was coined by Hahnemann, the founder of the homeopathic profession. He coined it in order to describe medical practices other than homeopathy. In other words, when it comes to medical practice, there are only homeopaths and allopaths (see aphorism 52 of the Organon). This seems to be why there is a derogatory connotation to the word “allopath” these days - homeopaths would use the term “allopath” to denote those crazy “other people” (Hahnemann also does this quite often in the Organon - rail against the allopaths and those people who call themselves homeopaths but practice allopathically).

However the term itself is in no-way an insult, rather a description of prescriptive practices.

To better explain this idea, let me define a few other terms Hahnemann creates to explain prescriptions.

There are 4 types of prescriptions, according to him: homeopathic, isopathic (discussed in the introduction to the Organon), anti/enantiopathic (see aphorism 22-23 for details) and homeopathic. In homeopathy and anti/enantiopathy (antipathy and enantiopathy mean the same thing), the prescription is based on the drug effects. Opium creates constipation, so it can be prescribed based on this effect homeopathically (given to people with constipation) or antipathically (given to people with diarrhea). Isopathic prescriptions are based on the cause of disease, and allopathic prescriptions are based on…anything other than these three options. Think of a detox: a mixture of herbs is prescribed (or diet, or whatever you want) based on the IDEA or THEORY that your liver has a lot of “toxins” (a term which is also vague and wishy-washy). The detox is prescribed based on theory, not on whether the symptoms the person is experiencing are opposite or the same to the symptoms the herb creates.

if you want more details on these four types of prescriptions, hang tight, I will publish another post on them in a month.

However since you cannot practice as an “antipath” or “isopath”, the only ways of practicing medicine (i.e. not just one prescription, but the entire way you practice) is allopathy or homeopathy.