Why Homeopathy Is Hated and Vilified
This is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (North Atlantic Books, 2007)
On the tombstone of homeopathy’s founder, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, are the Latin words Aude sapere, which translate as “dare to be wise, to experience, to taste.” Hahnemann’s challenge to conventional doctors then and now was to simply try homeopathy and judge for themselves. Sadly, however, most doctors did not honor this simple challenge. In fact, most physicians have maintained a prejudiced and unscientific attitude toward the subject. In other words, they didn’t know much about homeopathy, and they never tried it, but they didn’t like it.
In the nineteenth century many physicians chose to try homeopathy and were surprised and impressed by the therapeutic results, even in the treatment of the infectious disease epidemics that raged during that time. In response to the growing popularity of this “new” medicine, homeopathic medical schools were created to teach basic medical sciences as well as how to prescribe homeopathic medicines. Boston University, New York Homeopathic Medical College, Hahnemann Medical College (of Philadelphia), and several others in the United States were founded to educate a new breed of physician.
Homeopaths did something else that was never done before. For the first time in history, a large and growing group of medical doctors began to criticize publicly the way “regular” medicine was practiced. Further, homeopathic physicians asserted that orthodox medical care did more harm than good.
Before this time, physicians maintained a certain gentlemanly attitude toward each other. Although there have always been differences of opinion within medical practice, the emergence of homeopathy and the development of homeopathic medical schools created a stronger and more sustentative analysis and critique of conventional medicine. Increasingly, the threat of homeopathic medicine was that it attracted the most respected literary elite, many of the leading members of the clergy, a large number of the human rights advocates, well-placed politicians, and many of the richest families in America. Homeopathy was emerging as a viable competitor to conventional medicine of the day.
From the origins of homeopathy in Germany in the early 1800s, Dr. Hahnemann and his colleagues sharply criticized the regular doctors’ use of high doses of mercury, antimony, arsenic, lead, and other poisons. Conventional physicians of the day also regularly performed bloodletting on their patients by using a knife (called a lancet) to open a vein and release blood in order to get rid of what was considered stagnant or excess blood. Even the use of leeches was common until the mid-1800s.
[A section of this chapter is not included here]
The Evolution of Science and Medicine
The words “science” and “medicine” are changing and evolving terms. And yet, there is a seemingly innate tendency for physicians and scientists of any era to be resistant to whatever changes are occurring in medicine and science.
While it is certainly appropriate to maintain a certain healthy skepticism about various phenomena, especially those phenomena that seem especially peculiar or unpredictable, all too often physicians and scientists have maintained a closed-minded skepticism that has fostered unscientific thinking and actions.
Nearly fifty years after William Harvey (1578–1657) announced to the world his great discovery about the heart’s role in circulating blood throughout the body, the Paris Royal Society of Medicine determined that such action was impossible. Even when Harvey’s ideas were accepted into medical and scientific thought, they had little effect on clinical medicine of that time or for the next 200 years.
The Royal College of Physicians of Great Britain greeted Benjamin Franklin with shouts of laughter when he declared the identity of lightning with other electrical phenomena. When the members of the French Academy of Science witnessed a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s new invention, the phonograph, one famous professor of medicine literally jumped up and declared: “We have checked and found that it is a matter of ventriloquist hoax, for it is impossible to have a human voice speak from a roller.”
This resistance to change is not simply a problem in medicine and science but in virtually every field of human endeavor. The most determined opponents of church reform usually have been bishops and clergy. Even when Jesus lived, his ideas about God, life, and love were not eagerly accepted. In fact, as we all know, he died for his ideas and his actions.
A short story about Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) may be instructive here. Kepler was a highly respected German astronomer who lived in Austria during the last twenty years of his life. However, due to religious persecution for his Protestant beliefs, Kepler, his family, and friends left Austria. When the king of Austria heard that Kepler had left his country, the king sent horsemen to ask that he return. Kepler said, “If I go back, my friends will have to return with me!” And when he was asked how he could wait so long and so patiently for his theories to be accepted, he responded, “The Lord has waited a long time for people to understand the harmony of His creation! Why should I be impatient?”
Science and medicine have a long history of resistance to change. Because part of a healthy scientific attitude includes objectivity and humility, a true, healthy scientific attitude would replace the present name-calling, head-in-the-sand refusal to understand or investigate alternatives.
Abraham Lincoln once asserted, “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon. … The great point is to bring them the facts.” One way to keep people from the facts about homeopathy is to cut off communication to them and from them. Another way to keep people from the facts about homeopathy is to disallow conventional physicians from consulting with homeopathic physicians or their patients. Another way to keep people from the facts about homeopathy is to play games with statistics so that it seems that homeopathic medicines are ineffective.
And yet, as science fiction writer H. G. Wells once asserted, “Kings and empires die; great ideas, once they are born, never die.”
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Ready to Renew?
A patient of mine told me that today she took pictures of crocuses blooming on her way to my office. Spring is the time when flowers bloom, leaves grow back, and birds return from the south. Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and principles are based on observations of nature. Spring is a time of renewal for our bodies as much as it is a renewal for nature. What can you do to help in this revitalization?
According to TCM, the key organ of springtime is the liver, a major organ of detoxification. It filters our blood of toxins that are inhaled, ingested, and absorbed through the skin. Even if you are careful to eat healthy; avoid smoking, drinking, and drugs; and use natural bodycare products and household cleansers, in our modern world, the liver still has an enormous task! We still breathe polluted air and it is a daunting challenge to avoid all chemicals, so our livers could definitely use a healing hand.
Why Cleanse?
A stressed liver may result in headaches, allergies and sensitivities, tearing or inflammation of tendons, ligaments, and muscles, stiff neck and shoulders, anger, irritability, frustration, depression, high blood pressure, eye problems, fatigue, and skin problems, amongst other things.
Food Cures
It’s no coincidence that the colour related to the liver energy is the same colour that we tend to see more and more of during spring: green. While winter has us craving heavier, richer comfort foods, spring brings a time when we should lighten up. Choosing more leafy green veggies and sprouts fits with what foods become locally available. If you are veggie-challenged, consider adding a greens food supplement such as spirulina for its energizing, nutritious, and detoxifying properties.
Here are some other foods especially suited to boosting liver energy during springtime:
*
Vegetables: onions, beets, cabbage, turnip root, daikon radish, radishes, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, celery, lettuce, cucumber, watercress, parsley, swiss chard, artichoke, dandelion leaves
*
Fruits: strawberries (choose organic), dark grapes (choose local or imported), blackberries, lemon, lime, grapefruit; small amounts of peaches (choose organic)
*
Grains: brown rice, sweet rice, basmati rice, sprouted grains, whole grains, rye, quinoa, millet, oats, barley, amaranth, roasted buckwheat groats (kasha); naturally leavened, whole-grain sourdough rye bread okay
*
Spices: turmeric, basil, basil leaf, cardamon, marjoram, cumin, dill, ginger, black pepper, rosemary, mint.
*
Lots of room temperature water (optional to add squeezed fresh lemon) or green or herbal tea (e.g. mint, camomille); coffee substitute like chicory (tastes similar to coffee) or yerba mate tea (energizing effect)
*
Beneficial fats: EFAplex oil (1 Tbsp per 50 lbs body weight daily; may have to work up to this if digestion is weak by starting with 1 tsp 2-3 times daily and gradually increasing)
*
Sea veggies: hijiki, nori, kombu, etc.
*
Legumes: aduki beans, mung beans (also detoxify the body), black beans, kidney beans
*
Soy sources of protein, emphasize fermented soy products such as tempeh or miso
Herbs
There are many herbs known to help protect and renew liver cells. They are generally bitter herbs, including milk thistle, dandelion, and artichoke, and the Chinese herbs chai hu and long dan cao. However, TCM is always about balance and about choosing what is right for you. When you are cleansing the liver, you need to make sure that you are properly eliminating the toxins and addressing other strengths and weaknesses that are personal to you.
Exercise
Stretch, stretch, and stretch. And as it warms up, get outside and move and find a beautiful place to breathe in fresh air.
Copyright 2007 Dr. Melissa Carr, B.Sc., Dr.TCM, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Active TCM -- Helping You Help Yourself.
According to TCM, the key organ of springtime is the liver, a major organ of detoxification. It filters our blood of toxins that are inhaled, ingested, and absorbed through the skin. Even if you are careful to eat healthy; avoid smoking, drinking, and drugs; and use natural bodycare products and household cleansers, in our modern world, the liver still has an enormous task! We still breathe polluted air and it is a daunting challenge to avoid all chemicals, so our livers could definitely use a healing hand.
Why Cleanse?
A stressed liver may result in headaches, allergies and sensitivities, tearing or inflammation of tendons, ligaments, and muscles, stiff neck and shoulders, anger, irritability, frustration, depression, high blood pressure, eye problems, fatigue, and skin problems, amongst other things.
Food Cures
It’s no coincidence that the colour related to the liver energy is the same colour that we tend to see more and more of during spring: green. While winter has us craving heavier, richer comfort foods, spring brings a time when we should lighten up. Choosing more leafy green veggies and sprouts fits with what foods become locally available. If you are veggie-challenged, consider adding a greens food supplement such as spirulina for its energizing, nutritious, and detoxifying properties.
Here are some other foods especially suited to boosting liver energy during springtime:
*
Vegetables: onions, beets, cabbage, turnip root, daikon radish, radishes, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, celery, lettuce, cucumber, watercress, parsley, swiss chard, artichoke, dandelion leaves
*
Fruits: strawberries (choose organic), dark grapes (choose local or imported), blackberries, lemon, lime, grapefruit; small amounts of peaches (choose organic)
*
Grains: brown rice, sweet rice, basmati rice, sprouted grains, whole grains, rye, quinoa, millet, oats, barley, amaranth, roasted buckwheat groats (kasha); naturally leavened, whole-grain sourdough rye bread okay
*
Spices: turmeric, basil, basil leaf, cardamon, marjoram, cumin, dill, ginger, black pepper, rosemary, mint.
*
Lots of room temperature water (optional to add squeezed fresh lemon) or green or herbal tea (e.g. mint, camomille); coffee substitute like chicory (tastes similar to coffee) or yerba mate tea (energizing effect)
*
Beneficial fats: EFAplex oil (1 Tbsp per 50 lbs body weight daily; may have to work up to this if digestion is weak by starting with 1 tsp 2-3 times daily and gradually increasing)
*
Sea veggies: hijiki, nori, kombu, etc.
*
Legumes: aduki beans, mung beans (also detoxify the body), black beans, kidney beans
*
Soy sources of protein, emphasize fermented soy products such as tempeh or miso
Herbs
There are many herbs known to help protect and renew liver cells. They are generally bitter herbs, including milk thistle, dandelion, and artichoke, and the Chinese herbs chai hu and long dan cao. However, TCM is always about balance and about choosing what is right for you. When you are cleansing the liver, you need to make sure that you are properly eliminating the toxins and addressing other strengths and weaknesses that are personal to you.
Exercise
Stretch, stretch, and stretch. And as it warms up, get outside and move and find a beautiful place to breathe in fresh air.
Copyright 2007 Dr. Melissa Carr, B.Sc., Dr.TCM, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Active TCM -- Helping You Help Yourself.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Procrastination And Decisions
Do you have jobs that you just don’t get round to? Decisions that just don’t get made? Procrastination can stop you enjoying life to the full and living to your potential.
Here are some thoughts about ways to get yourself moving forward and improving your life.
Telling people about any new goals and resolutions is a two-edged sword. Some people will try to undermine you, but others will support you wholeheartedly. So pick the people that you tell carefully, but do tell some people: a public commitment can really help you to do what you need to do, and keep you focussed when the going gets tough.
Robert Middleton of actionplan.com suggests that you pay a fine, if you don’t keep to your commitment. Nothing particularly new about that, but he suggests a great twist – you pay your fine to a group that you disagree with completely. For example, if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative party supporter commit yourself to making a donation to the Communist Party of Britain if you don’t keep your resolution.
Sometimes you need to detail the steps needed to achieve your goal. Backcasting can be the best way to do this. Think of the goal and then think of the step before you achieve the goal. Write that down. Now go backwards each time finding the step before, until you are back to today. Now you have a detailed plan of the steps you need to take to get where you want to go. Attach dates to them, put them somewhere prominent, and tick each one off as you achieve it.
Keep a list of small 5-minute jobs handy; jobs that you never seem to get round to doing. Then, when you are too tired to tackle big projects or just need an instant boost, tackle one of these small jobs and cross it off the list. The satisfaction of doing this is often out of all proportion to the time taken. That pleasure can lift your spirits and get you motivated for the big tasks again. You may also realise that it often takes less energy to do a niggling job than spend energy continually remembering that you have to do it.
Sometimes it is difficult to do anything because you have to make decisions and choices first. One of the problems of modern life is that you can often feel overwhelmed by choice to the extent that you do nothing. In these situations it is important to distinguish between important choices and superficial choices. For important choices you need to spend time looking at all the different options, researching possibilities and talking to experts. For less important decisions, the thinking process can be less intense when you recognise that you may make a wrong decision, but in the grand scheme of things, in terms of your whole life, it is not that important. For any decision that you are agonising over, ask yourself: “How important would a wrong decision made now be in 10 years time? The answer will tell you how much time to spend on making the right decision now.
Finally, here’s a great quote from Barbara Kingsolver that’s worth reading every day:
"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for.
And the most you can do is live inside that hope.
Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof."
Here are some thoughts about ways to get yourself moving forward and improving your life.
Telling people about any new goals and resolutions is a two-edged sword. Some people will try to undermine you, but others will support you wholeheartedly. So pick the people that you tell carefully, but do tell some people: a public commitment can really help you to do what you need to do, and keep you focussed when the going gets tough.
Robert Middleton of actionplan.com suggests that you pay a fine, if you don’t keep to your commitment. Nothing particularly new about that, but he suggests a great twist – you pay your fine to a group that you disagree with completely. For example, if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative party supporter commit yourself to making a donation to the Communist Party of Britain if you don’t keep your resolution.
Sometimes you need to detail the steps needed to achieve your goal. Backcasting can be the best way to do this. Think of the goal and then think of the step before you achieve the goal. Write that down. Now go backwards each time finding the step before, until you are back to today. Now you have a detailed plan of the steps you need to take to get where you want to go. Attach dates to them, put them somewhere prominent, and tick each one off as you achieve it.
Keep a list of small 5-minute jobs handy; jobs that you never seem to get round to doing. Then, when you are too tired to tackle big projects or just need an instant boost, tackle one of these small jobs and cross it off the list. The satisfaction of doing this is often out of all proportion to the time taken. That pleasure can lift your spirits and get you motivated for the big tasks again. You may also realise that it often takes less energy to do a niggling job than spend energy continually remembering that you have to do it.
Sometimes it is difficult to do anything because you have to make decisions and choices first. One of the problems of modern life is that you can often feel overwhelmed by choice to the extent that you do nothing. In these situations it is important to distinguish between important choices and superficial choices. For important choices you need to spend time looking at all the different options, researching possibilities and talking to experts. For less important decisions, the thinking process can be less intense when you recognise that you may make a wrong decision, but in the grand scheme of things, in terms of your whole life, it is not that important. For any decision that you are agonising over, ask yourself: “How important would a wrong decision made now be in 10 years time? The answer will tell you how much time to spend on making the right decision now.
Finally, here’s a great quote from Barbara Kingsolver that’s worth reading every day:
"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for.
And the most you can do is live inside that hope.
Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof."
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
10 Essential Health Tips
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
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