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HOMEOPATHY AND HERBALISM - A COMPARISON
As a homeopath I am often asked about herbs by patients who clearly think that homeopathy is a branch of herbalism - nothing could be further from the truth. In this article I hope to clear up the confusion between the two therapies.
Herbalists prescribe the actual herbs in various forms according to their indication in the case. As a patient you may receive the dried herbs to make into a tea/decoction, creams, various forms of pills/capsules or tinctures (suspensions of the active ingredients of the herbs in alcohol). The active chemicals in the herbs/extracts interact with your body in a dynamic way influencing physiological pathways in order to solve the problem. They can be very effective in doing this, but as the actual substance is being prescribed dosages must be worked out carefully and adhered to in order to prevent any side effects of the treatment.
The majority of homeopathic remedies are made from plant parts, animal parts/secretions and minerals, but rather than containing the actual chemicals (as the herbal treatments do) they contain the energy patterns of the original substance. Apart from the very low strengths (potencies), the remedies do not contain active ingredients of the substance they have been made from. Instead they carry the healing energy imprint of the original substance which then influences the energy imbalance (which produces the symptoms) in the person they have been prescribed for. As they do not contain the active chemicals it means we can use them without side effects and also use poisonous plants, chemicals and animal venoms safely and with great effect. For example a fantastic remedy for gastrointestinal problems which is prescribed regularly by homeopaths is derived from white arsenic and a great remedy for eye infections is made from bee venom!
The main area where homeopaths and herbalists do overlap is in the use of tinctures. Some homeopaths will use tinctures alongside their remedies and as mentioned earlier the tincture does contain active ingredients of the original substance. Otherwise the tools of our trades and their applications are very different, but equally effective.
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