The only blatant reply to this often-raised question is absolutely NO. As a matter of fact no medicine is safe. If any remedy has the potentiality to cure a malady why can’t it create an unwanted effect? After all it acts. Whether a particular action is desirable or not, is a different thing. Depending upon various factors, which we will discuss later, every remedial agent has a specific area of its activity. Sugar pills of homoeopathy are no exception. Hence safety or danger of any material needs to be assessed from a much broader dimension before it is applied to a living economy. So, from what we hear from the lay public and even from homoeopaths themselves that homoeopathic remedies do no harm is absolutely wrong. Rather these sober looking benign sweet pills can do more harms than the crude drugs belonging to the conventional system. Ofcourse, only a responsible homoeopath with a reason gifted mind and harboring acute and keen powers of observation will only be able to appreciate the undesirable complexities of the remedial actions
Keeping aside the drugs belonging to the other systems, let us dwell upon the mechanics of our dynamic potens. We know that during proving the prover (apparently healthy individual) is gradually poisoned with repeated doses of the decoction prepared from the crude drug. After a stage is reached he/she starts manifesting symptoms that are actually due to primary action of the drug substance on the economy. These symptoms are considered to be PRODUCED by the drug in question. This is equally true with drugs in potency.
There are certain drugs like Lachesis, Cobra, Pot Ferr cyn, etc, that are life endangering if taken in crude forms, hence are proved in potencies. They also bring out symptoms if administered in frequent doses to who are sensitive to them. If the same drug material is administered in appropriate potency and dose, the symptoms produce get annihilated under the secondary curative action of the same dynamic poten.
Factors responsible for optimum medicinal action are – patient’s sensitivity, type of drug, potency & dose administered external influences and resistance of the patient. Often it is observed that majority homoeopaths select drugs on the presenting totality only and claim good results. No doubt, the drugs act & symptoms are relived but is he aware of the long-term consequences? Some of which are creation of new symptoms, unnecessary aggravation of the presenting symptoms and implantation of drugs diseases.
What are the wrong methods, which lead to iatrogenic problems?
1 Frequent use of symptomatic remedies for palliating acute manifestations in a curable case. Often these symptoms are either protective reflexes as cough, sneezing, pain etc or are elimination’s like nasal watering, Vomiting, loose motion etc. These are medicinally treated only if they are distressing or life endangering, since they are beneficial for the body. Hence if we prevent these symptoms to complete their course and palliate them prematurely the sickness evolves faster from superficial/ functional symptoms to deeper/ organic once, but the patient is not aware of this tragedy. He thinks every symptom syndrome is newer one and requires another set of remedial assistance. Once such commonly met with symptoms syndrome is a child with tonsillitis. If he is repeatedly treated with symptomatic remedies finally ends in bronchial asthma.
2. Use of Partial Similias- The patient suffering from a chronic ailment being partially susceptible the drug acts by producing a total artificial drug disease. Those symptoms, that are similar, get relieved but some new symptoms of the drug get implanted. It results in creation of a new totality, the remainder of the older symptoms plus the newer symptoms of the drug. Sickness becomes complex. While writing on Arsenic – Dr. Kent says, “I want to warn you against being too promiscuous in the summer complaints of young babies for dysentery & chorea infantum. It has so many symptoms that are so common to these complaints that if you do not look out and are not warned you will be likely to give your patient Ars. Suppress some of the symptoms changing the aspect of the case so that you cannot find a remedy for it and yet to be routine and give Ars without a sufficient number of Generals being present i.e. if you give it on Particulars and not on Generals of the case.” Dr. Kent in the chapter on Nat Mur, says that it’s a long acting remedy and its symptoms continue for years. It conforms to slow acting, long lasting, deep-seated symptoms. It requires a long time for man to be brought under the influence of it, even when moderately sensitive.” Nat Mur is a deep acting remedy. It takes wonderful hold of the economy making changes that are lasting when given in potentised dose.” He further writes, “Homeopathic failures are the worst failures on earth.”
3. Continuance of the use of Indicated remedy even after the action has started. It will start proving the drug (Medicinal aggravation) hence the symptom syndrome will recur in a greater intensity along with other finer ones making the disease more complicated.
4. Frequent use of high potencies – Dynamic drugs act on a deeper plane and its action is also long lasting as compared to the drugs administered in material doses. Dr. Kent says on Hepar sulph, “It is well for you to realize that you are dealing with razors when dealing with high potencies. I would rather be in a room with dozen Negroes slashing razors, than in the hands of an ignorant prescriber of high potencies. They are the means of tremendous harm as well as tremendous good.”
5. Use of certain drugs like Silica, Phosphorous, Merc sol, etc. in cases of Tuberculosis, Sulphur, Graphitis, Petroleum, etc in sensitive eczema patients, etc may result in dangerous consequences if the potency is high and the dose oft repeated.
As a result of all these misdeeds of an immature, inexperienced and ignorant homoeopath, the following iatrogenic disasters are produced and for which he alone should be held responsible. So we see that Homoeopathic remedies are not that safe, as it is understood. The only problem is that, many a times it’s untoward effects taken as fresh disease calling for another set of drugs. Such a thing continues and the poor patient becomes more and more sick.
Keeping aside the drugs belonging to the other systems, let us dwell upon the mechanics of our dynamic potens. We know that during proving the prover (apparently healthy individual) is gradually poisoned with repeated doses of the decoction prepared from the crude drug. After a stage is reached he/she starts manifesting symptoms that are actually due to primary action of the drug substance on the economy. These symptoms are considered to be PRODUCED by the drug in question. This is equally true with drugs in potency.
There are certain drugs like Lachesis, Cobra, Pot Ferr cyn, etc, that are life endangering if taken in crude forms, hence are proved in potencies. They also bring out symptoms if administered in frequent doses to who are sensitive to them. If the same drug material is administered in appropriate potency and dose, the symptoms produce get annihilated under the secondary curative action of the same dynamic poten.
Factors responsible for optimum medicinal action are – patient’s sensitivity, type of drug, potency & dose administered external influences and resistance of the patient. Often it is observed that majority homoeopaths select drugs on the presenting totality only and claim good results. No doubt, the drugs act & symptoms are relived but is he aware of the long-term consequences? Some of which are creation of new symptoms, unnecessary aggravation of the presenting symptoms and implantation of drugs diseases.
What are the wrong methods, which lead to iatrogenic problems?
1 Frequent use of symptomatic remedies for palliating acute manifestations in a curable case. Often these symptoms are either protective reflexes as cough, sneezing, pain etc or are elimination’s like nasal watering, Vomiting, loose motion etc. These are medicinally treated only if they are distressing or life endangering, since they are beneficial for the body. Hence if we prevent these symptoms to complete their course and palliate them prematurely the sickness evolves faster from superficial/ functional symptoms to deeper/ organic once, but the patient is not aware of this tragedy. He thinks every symptom syndrome is newer one and requires another set of remedial assistance. Once such commonly met with symptoms syndrome is a child with tonsillitis. If he is repeatedly treated with symptomatic remedies finally ends in bronchial asthma.
2. Use of Partial Similias- The patient suffering from a chronic ailment being partially susceptible the drug acts by producing a total artificial drug disease. Those symptoms, that are similar, get relieved but some new symptoms of the drug get implanted. It results in creation of a new totality, the remainder of the older symptoms plus the newer symptoms of the drug. Sickness becomes complex. While writing on Arsenic – Dr. Kent says, “I want to warn you against being too promiscuous in the summer complaints of young babies for dysentery & chorea infantum. It has so many symptoms that are so common to these complaints that if you do not look out and are not warned you will be likely to give your patient Ars. Suppress some of the symptoms changing the aspect of the case so that you cannot find a remedy for it and yet to be routine and give Ars without a sufficient number of Generals being present i.e. if you give it on Particulars and not on Generals of the case.” Dr. Kent in the chapter on Nat Mur, says that it’s a long acting remedy and its symptoms continue for years. It conforms to slow acting, long lasting, deep-seated symptoms. It requires a long time for man to be brought under the influence of it, even when moderately sensitive.” Nat Mur is a deep acting remedy. It takes wonderful hold of the economy making changes that are lasting when given in potentised dose.” He further writes, “Homeopathic failures are the worst failures on earth.”
3. Continuance of the use of Indicated remedy even after the action has started. It will start proving the drug (Medicinal aggravation) hence the symptom syndrome will recur in a greater intensity along with other finer ones making the disease more complicated.
4. Frequent use of high potencies – Dynamic drugs act on a deeper plane and its action is also long lasting as compared to the drugs administered in material doses. Dr. Kent says on Hepar sulph, “It is well for you to realize that you are dealing with razors when dealing with high potencies. I would rather be in a room with dozen Negroes slashing razors, than in the hands of an ignorant prescriber of high potencies. They are the means of tremendous harm as well as tremendous good.”
5. Use of certain drugs like Silica, Phosphorous, Merc sol, etc. in cases of Tuberculosis, Sulphur, Graphitis, Petroleum, etc in sensitive eczema patients, etc may result in dangerous consequences if the potency is high and the dose oft repeated.
As a result of all these misdeeds of an immature, inexperienced and ignorant homoeopath, the following iatrogenic disasters are produced and for which he alone should be held responsible. So we see that Homoeopathic remedies are not that safe, as it is understood. The only problem is that, many a times it’s untoward effects taken as fresh disease calling for another set of drugs. Such a thing continues and the poor patient becomes more and more sick.
