Talk:Homeopathy/Frenchversion

Homœopathy or homeopathy (Greek όμοιος / hómoios, "similar" and πάθος / páthos, "suffering") is a controversial therapy form whose foundations were laid down in 1796 [1] by the Saxon physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755 - 1843) and formalized in his treatise Organon der Heilkunst in 1810 [2].

1 Foundations

2 Therapeutic efficacy of homeopathy

3 History of Homeopathy

4 Principles of Homeopathy


 * 4.1 Principle of similarity


 * 4.2 Individualization


 * 4.3 Potentization (dilution along with succussion)


 * 4.3.1 Semen Korsakov's potentization method

5 Homeopathic remedies

6 Dosage forms used in homeopathy

7 International use

8 Veterinary homeopathy

9 Legal Status


 * 9.1 In France


 * 9.2 In Canada

10 Dangers of homeopathy

11 Controversy


 * 11.1 Effectiveness of homeopathy


 * 11.1.1 Clinical studies


 * 11.1.2 Methodology


 * 11.1.3 Explanation by the placebo effect


 * 11.1.4 Explanation by relationship between patient and therapist


 * 11.2 Principles of homeopathy


 * 11.2.1 Dilution


 * 11.2.2 Succussion


 * 11.2.3 Method of Similars


 * 11.3 Economic Policies

12 See also


 * 12.1 Related Articles


 * 12.2 Links

13 Bibliography


 * 13.1 History


 * 13.2 Medical Materials


 * 13.3 Directory


 * 13.4 Use of Kent's directory


 * 13.5 Homeopathy and medical specialties

14 Notes and References

1 Foundations

The foundations, established by Samuel Hahnemann, are defined by three rules:


 * The principle of "similarity": the cure of a set of symptoms is provided by a substance (plant, animal or mineral) that causes similar symptoms in a healthy subject.


 * The "adaptation" of the treatment to the patient: the application of the principle of similarity, and its verification, take place whenever the search for the most similar remedy was executed conscientiously by the practitioner. Each treatment is customized for each patient, regardless of the name of the disease, the search for the "totality" of the symptoms represented by the patient being in the centre. This explains the length of the dialogue between physician and patient. The step of observing the symptoms caused by a substance in a healthy individual always precedes the application of the principle of similarity, and this is recorded to form a "drug picture".
 * The "potentization": the preparation is diluted and shaken (succussed), several times.

Homeopathy is the opposite of allopathy, a term also coined by Hahnemann, which describes any medical treatment that is not based on the "method of similars" but on the "principle of opposites." For example, herbal medicine is an allopathic method of treatment. However, the concepts of "principle of opposites" or "principle of similarity" have no scientific basis and are not supported by empirical evidence.

The adjectival form is "homeopathic", and the person applying this method is a homeopath. By semantic shift, "homeopathic" in current language often refers to a marginal dose of a product, by reference to the current features of homeopathy, whereas the original meaning of the term homeopathy is to be treated by the "method of similars".

2 Therapeutic efficacy of homeopathy

Is the therapeutic effectiveness of homeopathy anything other than the placebo effect? This is controversial:


 * To its supporters, homeopathy's effectiveness is demonstrated by the results obtained on patients where the principle of similars is applied, and  by clinical studies of individualized care.


 * For its opponents, no clinical trials have succeeded in establishing a therapeutic effect of homeopathy significantly superior to placebo, and they also call into question the reliability of the positive studies. In France, the Academy of Medicine describes homeopathy as an obsolete "method", frozen for over two hundred years and unable to demonstrate its effectiveness [3]. The same goes for the College of Physicians of Quebec, where homeopathy has never proved its effectiveness in any way, even as a placebo.

The processes used in homeopathy are highly controversial, particularly water memory and the use of extreme dilutions, and the granules of sugar:


 * For virtually all scientists, the process does not explain the possible mechanism of action of homeopathy beyond the placebo effect, ranking homeopathy in the pseudo-medical sciences;


 * For others, the proof of homeopathy may be provided by experimental studies (now proved false) that have led to the formulation of assumptions such as the water memory. The validity of these theories is still being debated (the phenomenon of "memory of water" is suspected to be scientific fraud, especially when Jacques Benveniste's work was not reproducible).


 * The concept of homeopathic medicines is unrealistic from the very fact that the homeopathic medicine is not associated with a molecule of the active ingredient, but to potentized water molecules contained in sugar granules dried after being sprayed with the "energized water."

"In general, it is amazing how this product, as well as any other, loses its strength when taken on sugar, for example, or after instilling it in a liquor without stirring. But it should also not be, having stirred the dose, left several hours without administer the vehicle and quiet, still suffers somewhat from decomposition, which weakens or even destroys the medicinal plants mingled with it. " This quotation is from the inventor of homeopathy himself, and shows that modern homeopathic practice is far removed from Hahnemann's recommendations.