HOMEOPATHIC SYSTEM OF MEDICINE
B. PHARM | UNIT- 3 | PART-E
The Ministry of AYUSH was formed on 9th November 2014 to ensure the optimal development and propagation of AYUSH systems of health care.
Earlier it was known as the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy(ISM&H) which was created in March 1995 and renamed as Department of Ayurveda, Yogaand Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November 2003, with focused attention for development of Education and Research in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
Homeopathy
It is a recognized medical system in India through the Homeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. The system has blended well into the ethos and traditions of the country that it has been recognized as one of the national systems of medicine.
Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann(10 April 1755 – 2 July 1843)
Homoios(Like) and pathos(suffering); Greek Homeopathy can be defined as a “dynamic, holistic and vitalistic system of individualistic drug therapeutics, based on the law of similars, potentially capable to cure diseases that are curable and relieves symptoms of incurable nature”.
similia similibuscurantur
In 1790, Hahnemann checked the effect of antimalarial drug Cinchona in his own healthy body.
➤ Surprisingly symptoms of intermittent fever(malaria) were developed in his healthy body and disappeared on dicontinuation.
➤ this leads Hahnemann to an idea which was published in 1796 as Essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Power of Drugs, which was followed in 1810 by his famous work The Organon of the Healing Art/medicine
India welcomed homoeopathy by early 19th Century. John Martin Honigberger (1795-1869) the Royalphysician of the Punjab during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singkji claimed in his book entitled, ‘Thirty five years in the East, Adventures, Discoveries, Experiments and Historical Sketchesrelating to Punjab and Kashmir, in connection with Medicine, Botany, Pharmacy etc., together with an original Materia Medica and a Medical Vocabulary in four European and five Eastern Languages’ published from London in 1852, Honigberger introduced homoeopathic method of Medicine in India in 1839.
In the middle of 19th century when homoeopathy was gaining popularity gradually, a landlord, Babu Rajendra Lal Dutta (1818-89) came forward to support of homoeopathy.
He took iniative in the establishment of Native Homoeopathic Hospitaland Free , Dispensary..[Ghosh’18]16th Feb, in 1867, is the memorable day inthe history of homoeopathy in India. On that day Mahendra Lal Sircar (1833-1904), the then great allopathic physician and upholder of Indian science announced publicly about his conviction on homoeopathic system of medicine.
Within one year of joining homoeopathy he published the first homoeopathic journal of Asia, ‘The Calcutta Journal of Medicine’ in Jan. 1868.
In 1867, Mr. Ironside established the first homoeopathic hospital in Benaras.
Pratap Chandra Majumdar associated withM M Bose and D N Roy established ‘The Calcutta School of Homoeopathy’ on the 14th February in 1881 by their own effort.
Afterwards the name of this institution was changed into ‘Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College’.
It is a recognized medical system in India through the Homeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. The system has blended well into the ethos and traditions of the country that it has been recognized as one of the national systems of medicine.
Consequent to the intention and action of the Central Government, on the 10th December 1975, National Institute of Homoeopathy came into existence.
Homeopathy is a distinct medical specialty being practiced across the world. It is a recognized medical system in India through the Homeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. The system has blended well into the ethos and traditions of the country that it has been recognized as one of the national systems of medicine.
BASIC PRINCIPLES
- principle of individualization
- Principle of similia
- Principle of simplex
- Principle of minimum
- Law of proving
- Law of dynamization/potentization
- Vital force
principle of individualization: No 2 individuals are same, so that the same disease affecting 2 cannot be similar
Principle of similia:
This law demonstrates that the selected remedy is able to produce a range of symptoms in healthy persons similar to that observed in the patients.
This law is the principle of Similia SimilibusCurentur i.e. let likes be treated by likes. Law of Similar teaches that every homoeopathic remedy experimentally observed to have certain properties of producing a set of symptoms on healthy human beings and when these symptoms matches with a natural disease, it act as therapeutic agent and help the body to correct the disorder
Principleofsimplex:
This tenet of classical homeopathy states that only one homeopathic medicine should be prescribed at a time and directs to choose and administer such a single remedy, which is most similar to the symptoms of the sick person.
Principle of minimum:
The similar remedy selected for a sick person should be prescribed in minimum dose, so that when administered, there is no toxic effect on the body.
It just acts as a triggering or catalytic agent to stimulate and strengthen the existing defence mechanism of the body.
Law of proving:
Drug Proving is the systematic process of acquiring knowledge of the substances intended for the cure of the natural diseases.
In other wards it is the process of investigating the pathogenetic power of drug by administering the same in to the healthy individuals of different age and both the sex.Therefore, it is also known as Homeopathic Pathogenetic Trial (HPT).
Law of dynamisation/potentization:
Drugs are prepared in such a way that they retain maximum medicinal powers without producing any toxic action on the body.
It was found experimentally by Dr. Hahnemann that when diluted drugs are powerfully succussed (a specified process in homoeopathy), they develop strong and long medicinal powers.
this technique of producing drugs can acheive:
(1) – The toxicity of drug used in crude dosage have progressively reduced (2) – increase the hidden (dynamic) medicinal properties of the drug. In other words, the drugs get dynamised or potentised progressively and evoke its curative properties. Method of Potentization
➤ Serial dilution
➤ Succussion
➤trituraion
Scales of potencies
- Centicimal
- Decimal
- Millesimal
Vital force
The theory of Vital force in homeopathy is a unique philosophy which accepts the existence of a spirit like energy that drives the living organism both in health and disease.
This concept has nothing to do with any religious beliefs, but postulates that life is not the mere collection of blood, bone and muscles or a living cell is not just some cytoplasm, mitochondria, nucleus, DNA and RNA. Homeopathy believes that there is an existence of an essential force in every living organism which maintains harmony of the functions and also differentiates the living from the dead.
The vital force determines the state of health in that living organism, at mental, physical and spiritual levels.
DIAGNOSIS
Homoeopathy generally collect extreme details of case history.
Major symptoms location, sensation, modality and concomitant is investigated.
The study of detailed case history helps to build up a ‘symptoms picture of patient; this matched with ‘drug picture’.
MEDICINE IN HOMEOPATHY
Sources of homeopathic medicine
| Source | Example |
|---|---|
|
Plant origin |
Aconitum napellus |
|
|
Strychnos nuxvomica,
Allium cepa
|
|
Animal origin |
Blatta orientalis,
Tarentula hispanica,
Apis mellifica
|
|
Mineral and chemical origin |
Mag Phos,
Natrum Muriaticum
|
|
Sarcodes |
Adrenalin (secretion of medulla of supra-renal gland)
Pancreatinum (extract from pancreas of beef)
|
|
Nosodes |
Influenzinum
Anthracinum-lysate obtained without addition of antiseptic from the liver of rabbit suffering from Anthrax
Tuberculinum avis
|
|
Imponderabilla |
Xray, Magnet, Moonlight |
Sarcodes: Homeopathic medicines made from healthy animal tissues or secretions. In Greek, sarcode means fleshly.
Nosodes: Homeopathic medicines prepared from disease products from humans or animals: from pathogenic organisms or their metabolic products; or from decomposition products of animal organs.
Imponderabilia: Homeopathic medicines prepared from energy,emanating from natural and physical reactions. It means “not weighable”, ie, which have no perceptible weights. They are energy forms such as sunlight (Sol), magnetic fields (Magnetis Polus Australis), radiation (X-ray).
Vehicle for homeopathic drug
|
Solid |
Lactose, pellet, globule, tabloids |
|
Liquid |
Alcohol, water, glycerin |
|
Semisolid |
Vaselin, lanolin, sparmaceti |
Standardization of homeopathic medicines
|
Identification of source material |
1. scientific name:
2. stage of growth
3. part of plant used:
4.information about whether materials were cultivated or collected from the wild and the place of cultivation or collection from the wild:
5. comparison, by the manufacturer or by a recognized laboratory, with an illustrated description of an authentic specimen for macroscopic and microscopic characteristics as well as analytical determination of marker substances or standard substances (if applicable). |
|
Limit tests |
1. Limit tests should be performed for:
pesticides (agricultural and veterinary chemicals).
heavy metals (if appropriate, for metals such as lead. mercury, arsenic and cadmium).
fungi, bacteria, mycotoxins (eg. aflatoxins)
and any other relevant contamination (e.g. by-products of manufacture, radiolytic products derived from sterilization by ionizing radiation, or residues from
other decontamination procedures).
2. Limit tests should be done on representative samples at
an unprocessed or raw stage (if processed matter has to be used, a sample should be taken before any potentization is done).
3. Limit tests and ranges should comply with pharmacopoeial standards, as limits applicable to food may not be appropriate.
|
|
Complementary tests |
Where applicable, tests are performed for.
1. foreign matter;
2. total ash;
3. water content;
4. bitterness value;
5. loss on drying:
6. radioactive contamination.
|
ANIMAL RAW MATERIALS
A clear description of the following characteristics should accompany every batch, or its absence needs to be justified:
⚫ identification of the source of the animal material, including information on whether animals were bred or caught in the wild and the place of breeding or capture in the wild.;
⚫ parts/material of animal used;
⚫ anatomical description of the animal part;
⚫ histological description of the animal part;
⚫ identity tests;
⚫ purity tests;
⚫ moisture/water content;
⚫ determination of content of toxic constituents (if applicable);
⚫ method for preparation of the initial homeopathic preparation (reference to general procedure).
Human raw material
Clear documentation on the door is a prerequisite for ensuring the safety of homeopathic medicines of human origin. A clear description from tests and/or documentation of history of the material) of the following characteristics should accompany every batch, or its absence needs to be justified
Identification of the source
material wed
anatomical description
histological description
Identity tests
purity tests
moisture/water content.
method for preparing the initial homeopathic preparation brelirence to general procedure).
Mineral
For the first dilution/ trituration, details of the following are required , or their absence needs to be justified.
Method of preparation
Description and characteristics
Identity tests
Purity tests
Determination of content
Determination of toxic constituents
Mineral
The following data should be presented, or their absence needs to be justified.
method of preparation (reference to general procedure)
appearance and description
identity tests:
purity test
procedure for stability tests
determination of content
determination of toxic constituents.
Monograph in Homeopathic pharmacopoeia
- Botanical name/chemical symbol
- Synonym
- Description(Morphologic/microscopic/chemical)
- Part used/habitat
- Identification
- History and authority
- Preparation of mother tincture
- Potencies
Finished Product/mother tincture and potency upto 6x
Alcohol content
PH
Wt/ml
TDS
Identification
TLC profile-Rf value.