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Special Information on the Pet Food Recall HOMEOPATHY...FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSAlthough I can safely say that most people have heard of homeopathy and herbal solutions to health problems..many don't really understand how they work, why they are better and safer than most traditional, modern pharmacologically based therapies. This page was designed to address the most common of these questions. Its my sincer hope that it helps you understand the gift to healing, homeopathic and herbals remedies are. Here is a list of the questions I've covered. Simply click on the ones which are of interest to you and you will be taken to that point in the page:
Probably the best way to explain this is to start at the beginning..Samuel Hahnemann..the "father" of homeopathy. Some 250 years ago, Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician made some very astute observations. It seems he had become totally disillusioned with medicine of his time, the way it did so much damage to the patients without giving much in the way of relief or cure. He had all but quit practicing. At the time, he also translated scientific papers from one language to another and while doing so, noticed while working on a report on poisoning by Cinchona Bark (the source of Quinine) and how similar the symptoms of this poisoning was to the disease malaria. Quinine was then, as it is now a strong cure for malaria. Hahnemann being the seeker he was, then took a dose of Cinchona and noted the effects it had on him. ……symptoms of malaria! A very bright light went on! Indeed, because of the power these medicinals had to make a well person sick, was why they could cure disease, administered in incredibly small dilutions. In other words..they have the exact opposite effect when given in these very extremely tiny strengths. Let me give you a clearer picture. If a well person was to ingest the herb belladonna, they could experience any combination of a flushed red face, high fever, right sided throbbing headache, desire to lie still and the list goes on. Now if a patient was to come into the office, showing a number of these symptoms, a homeopathic dilution of Belladonna would instigate their immune system to address and heal these symptoms. A cure would result..not just a masking of symptoms so typical of prescription drugs. These principles were not new. They were understood and applied by Hippocrates, Paracelus and Galen and continued throughout the middle ages and the Renaissance eras. What Hahnemann advanced was the proving of each of the remedies, known in his time and he proved many more over his years of practise. By administering them to himself, his family and especially his students, they would record every symptom they experienced and then Hahnemann could match symptoms when patients came to him.... with the appropriate remedy, for example, instead of just using a general fever remedy , he could very specific depending on the exact symptoms of that patient...fevers can be treated with Belladonna, Aconitum, Pulsatilla, Chamomille for example. I've put some lists together of reference books for those who would like to really learn homeopathy: Very Well Done Basic Homeopathic Books My personal two favourite books on homeopathics for children: A Mom and a Well Known Homeopath Wrote This Great Book! An Excellent Authoritative Guide..Should Be in Every Home! Homeopathy for your pets: General Homeopathic Books for Pets Books for Dogs and Ones for Cats: Hahnemann was also the one to discover that by diluting and succussing the remedies (shaking them very hard) the medicines were potentized or energetically heightened and their toxic effects became minimalized to zero. During his lifetime of work and study, Hahnemann proved over 100 remedies. Since then some 2500 more have been added, either by direct provings or by observation of accidental poisonings. The homeopath takes a very long case history of the patient and it is very important to him or her every detail of the person’s ailments, how they started, what order, what makes them worse, better, time of day, etc. All symptoms are important, mental, psychological, physical. From this the practitioner will decide the remedy which best describes the patient and administer either in low or high potency, depending on the patient’s state of health. The most common potencies or "strengths" of remedies found are the "X" or the "C" types. These are the Roman numerals for 10 and 100 and referred to in this way because of how the individual dilutions are done. In both cases an original or "Mother" tincture is made up of an extract of the active portion of the herb to be potentized into a remedy, whether it is the flower, leaves, buds, roots or combination of a few of these. With the "X" remedies, one drop of the original tincture is mixed with 9 drops of distilled water and alcohol and succussed or shaken vigourously , the old books say at least 100 times. This is the 1X potency. Then one drop of the 1X is mixed with 9 drops of distilled water and alcohol and succussed and this is the 2X potency. This process continues up to 200X, 1M (or 1,000 times ) 10 M and even 100M. As you can appreciate throughout this, the higher remedies have been succussed that many more times and each level activates the remedy even more. Hence, even though molecularly speaking, the higher dilutions contain fewer and fewer molecules of the original extract, it is the energetics of the higher remedies that makes them stronger and more efffective. In the case of the "C" remedies, the dilution is one drop of the original substance mixed with 99 drops of distilled water and alcohol and then the same process ensues. Homeopathic prescribing is very tricky and takes a good deal of practice. There are however, some very specific remedies I suggest to my patients to have in the house for first aid measures. For specific health problems I recommend you see a practitioner. First Aid Remedies I usually suggest these are kept in a 30C strength and in pellet form for stability as you are not using them all the time. CLICK HERE FOR AN EXCELLENT PAPER ON "HOW HOMEOPATHY WORKS!" WARNING!! THIS IS VERY TECHNICAL... 3. What are herbal therapies and how do they work? In recent years the issue of Alternative Healing has skyrocketed to the forefront of the medical field. A 2004 government survey concluded that more than one third of adults use alternative medicine and healing. One facet of this burgeoning interest is Herbal Medicine. While it may seem “trendy” to some, Herbal Medicine has been around for thousands of years. In fact, many of the familiar pharmaceutical medications we use today were originally created from “natural” ingredients. Drugs like opium (from poppies), aspirin (from willow bark), digitalis (from foxglove) and quinine (from the cinchona tree). Primarily, herbal remedies are chosen for their "actions"...whether they are analgesic (pain-reducing), antihelmetic (parasite killing), hepatic (liver supporting) and so on. A full chart of herbal actions and some of the herbs which belong to each group is available here... Herbal Families . Often groups of herbs are complimentary. Combinations are commonly produced by manufacturers..such as a grouping for colds could contain echinacea, goldenseal, red clover, white willow bark. Echinacea and goldenseal are anti-viral and anti-bacterial, red clover is a blood cleanser while white willow bark is a paid reducer for the aches. I rarely suggest dried herbs in capsules. There is a lot of "crude fibre" in this form and we are not ruminants (cows and goats) who possess cellulase in our digestive tracts. Cellulase allows these animals to strip the fibre from the active ingredients to obtain the benefits from the herbs. I much prefer to suggest tinctures. These liquids have had the beneficial ingredients extracted from the herbs and are taken dropper form....far more ameniable to our digestive systems. Tinctures are more readily absorbed by the body and have a high degree of bio-availability. As well, they have a long shelf life. Sometimes people ask us why tinctures are alcohol-based. There are very good reasons. Alcohol is critically important in the extraction of an herb's medicinal ingredients. It also helps to stabilize and preserve them. Alcohol is the ideal carrier substance, conveying the therapeutic goodness of the herb to the body. In itself, too, science has proven that alcohol enhances the immune system and its defences. As for the amount of alcohol taken in an average dose of tincture, you'll be surprised to learn that it's about the same as what you'd find in an overly ripe banana! Tinctures remain the most practical way to take advantage of the amazing, health-giving power of herbs. A good way to start learning about herbal medicine is to use a well written reference book. Here's a group I like any would be great to get you going: Excellent Herbal Reference Books 4. How do I take homeopathic remedies? Homeopathic prescribing is very tricky and takes a good deal of practice. There are however, some very specific remedies I suggest to my patients to have in the house for first aid measures. For specific health problems I recommend you see a practitioner. First Aid Remedies I usually suggest these are kept in a 30C strength and in pellet form for stability as you are not using them all the time. In acute situations, falls, fever, etc you can give a 30C dose, once every 15 minutes for four doses and then watch the patient. If they start to respond, stop. Then they can be used 2-3 times per day until the problem is gone. With homeopathy..a dose is a dose...and you give the same amount to a child or adult. Same for pets..large or small. Here are a few first aid remedies to have around: Arnica: For falls, bruising, bumps, - not to used on open wounds Arsenicum: One of the leading remedies for diarrehia, especially from food poisoning and flu. Often has burning sensations associated with the watery, foul stools. Cantharis: For burns, particularly ones that blister. Aconite: For colds which come on very quickly, after exposure to cold….person is very feverish, achy and doesn’t want to move. Also a great remedy for shock after bad news, or an accident. Pulsatilla: Great children’s cold and ear ache remedy. Child or adult becomes weepy, clingy, chilled yet feverish. Doesn’t want to drink. Chamomile: The other favourite child’s remedy particularly for ear ache or teething. They are cranky,…insist on something, then won’t take it when it is offered. They are hard to hold, don’t really want to be cuddled and often one cheek is red and one is pale. Bryonia: For flu that makes every movement painful, sore throat which is agonizing on swallowing, dry sensation in mouth and nose, any motion makes them feel worse. Eupatorium: Deep bone aches associated with flu and cold Belladonna: For very high fevers with red face or any injury or situation which produces hot red swollen body parts. Hypericum: For injuries to parts with high nerve fibres such as the mouth, tongue, fingers,etc. Great for the "caught the finger in the car door" trick….or any other "crush" injuries. I also use it for paper cuts, closes them up immediately. Calendula: I keep this around in homeopathic and herbal tincture form. It is nature’s own antibiotic and also stops bleeding very well. Can be applied topically as a herbal tincture or taken internally to aid system infections.
Your own, personal 36 remedy kit can be obtained from here:
My patients love this kit for treating their pets and the whole family 5. How do I take herbal remedies? Most herbal remedies come with suggestions on the package/bottle. Cut it by 1/2 for anyone under twelve... For pets...the adult human dose is based on a 150 lb man...so divided proportionally as to your pets' weight. ------------------------------------
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