Does Homeopathy Really Work?

The young woman sitting in the chair before him wrung her hands nervously and began her story:

"I'm 28 years old, and I've been married for four years. Ever since my baby was born, I haven't felt right. The labor was normal, and my baby was born healthy." The young mother smiled. "But now, my menstrual periods are irregular and heavy, and I feel weak and exhausted. I can't eat or sleep, and I crave beer, even though I hate the stuff!"

Dr. Bidwell was tempted to interrupt, but remained silent, allowing the young woman to continue at her own pace.

"I perspire easily," she said, "and I get sick to my stomach if I get cold. Can you help me, doctor?" The young woman looked at him with eager eyes.

Dr. Bidwell examined the notes he had taken and consulted his homeopathic repertory. After much thought, he prescribed Cocculus indicus (Indian cockle), the homeopathic remedy which precisely matched all of the woman's symptoms. Within four months, she was completely cured.

The above scenario is based on an actual case recorded one hundred years ago by New York homeopathic physician Glen Bidwell.

What is Cocculus indicus, and how did it cure this woman?

Cocculus indicus is a climbing vine which contains a deadly poison called picrotoxin. It was once added to beer to magnify the effects of intoxication and used to reverse morphine overdose. Fishermen threw it into the water to stun fish and make them easier to catch.

Homeopathy allegedly works by stimulating the body's own natural ability to heal itself. Homeopathic medications are diluted and shaken to the point where little or no actual medicine remains. But somehow, they appear to work on the human body at a very deep level.

Researchers have not yet determined how homeopathic medicines work, therefore, they tend to dismiss homeopathy as quackery or attribute cures to the placebo effect (all in the mind.) But the latest theory may contain an element of truth. Some researchers now speculate that the method used to shake the medication causes an electromagnetic transference of medicine into the diluted solution.

Regardless of how homeopathy works, many studies have been done which show that homeopathic medicines definitely have some sort of therapeutic value.

Those interested in giving homeopathy a try should only consult a qualified physician trained in homeopathy.

Dawn Pisturino
June 26, 2007

THE PATH TO WELLNESS

Wellness, from a holistic point of view, means wholeness.  We achieve wholeness when all the parts of our lives come into balance.  But how do we do this?

First, we make a choice.  Making the choice may or may not be easy.  We may genuinely enjoy smoking.  We may really like going out for Sunday dinner at the local steak house.  We may really believe that one more cup of coffee won't hurt us.  But what is the end result that we want to achieve?

Do we want to breathe easy in our old age or be hooked up to an oxygen tank?  Do we want to maintain healthy arteries through our diet or to undergo surgical procedures to clean them out?  How many medications do we want to take -- and who's going to pay for them?  Do we really like the feeling of jitteriness that coffee brings? And oh, the heartburn!

Once we make the choice, it is all a matter of sticking with it.  Making a commitment to ourselves and our well-being goes a long way to achieving wellness.  After all, nobody else can do it for us.  The family doctor can prescribe drugs and suggest lifestyle changes, but he cannot do the exercise for us.  Neither is he going to give up his steak and ice cream for us.  He will, however, be more than happy to take care of us when we end up in the hospital.  Is that the outcome we want to achieve?

Frankly, it's hard.  It's hard to give up the things we love and which give us a sense of comfort when we are under stress or bored.  It's hard to give up those little pleasures which make life worth living.  After all, isn't that what life is all about? 

And who really wants to go out and jog five miles a day?  Who has the time?  And does it really matter whether we live to be 76 or 78?

Wellness means wholeness.  Wholeness means integration and quality of life.  It is not so much the number of years that we are trying to reach but the quality of life that we are trying to achieve.  A person may live to be 100, but if they are dragging around an oxygen tank, live in a nursing home, and have no family or friends, is that wellness?  Is that wholeness?  Is that the quality of life that we are striving to achieve?

Think about it.  Examine your life now and your possible life in the future.  What do you see?  Do you like what you see?  If not, then make a commitment to yourself to achieve a greater level of wellness in your life.
Dawn Pisturino, RN
November 2, 2006
Published in The Kingman Daily Miner, February 27, 2007