TheFounderofHomeopathy

Homeopathy'srootsemergefromthefindings,teachingsandwritingsofDr.SamuelHahnemann
(17551843). Hahnemann graduated from medical school in 1779 and started his own medical
practice. He soon began his first homeopathic experiments in 1790, as a result of his
disillusionmentwithsuchcommonmedicalpracticesofthedayaspurging,bloodletting,andthe
use of toxic chemicals. At one point, he gave up his own daily practice to begin working as a
chemistwhiletranslatingmedicaltexts.ItwaswhenHahnemannbeganworkingonaprojectto
translateWilliamCullen'sMateriaMedicaintoGermanthathebeganhisquestforabetterwayof
providinghealthcareusingtheprinciplesof"Similars."Whileworkingonthisproject,hebecame
fascinatedwithaspeciesofSouthAmericantreebark(cinchona)whichwasbeingusedtotreatmalariainducedfever.
Hahnemanningestedthebarkanddiscoveredthatitcausedsymptomssimilartomalaria.Hecontinuedhisresearch
into "cures" and the idea of "similar suffering," and began compiling his findings. Similia similibus curentur, the Latin
phrase meaning "let likes be cured by likes," is the primary principle of homeopathy. A homeopath searches for a
substancethatproducesinahealthypersonthosesamesymptomsapatientexperiences.

TheFirstU.S.HomeopathicSchool
StudentsofHahnemannfoundedthefirsthomeopathicmedicalschoolintheUnitedStatesinthelate1800s.Itgained
recognition because of its success in treating the many disease epidemics rampant at the time including scarlet
fever,typhoid,choleraandyellowfever.

The schools method of treatment became very popular in the early 1900s. At that time, there were 22 homeopathic
medical schools, 100 homeopathic hospitals and over 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies. Boston University, Stanford
UniversityandNewYorkMedicalCollegewereamongthoseeducationalinstitutionsthatwereteachinghomeopathy.
However,itwasnotlongafterthisperiodoftime(intheearly1920s)thatmanyoftheschoolsclosedmostlydueto
thedeclineofhomeopathyspopularitywhichwasgreatlyeffectedbytheAmericanMedicalAssociation.Thiswasalso
aroundthetimewhenmoderndrugcompaniesbeganreleasingdrugsthatwereeasytoadministertopatients,atrend
thatalsocontributedtothedeclineofhomeopathy.

TheHomeopathicResurgence
AlthoughtheUnitedStatesexperiencedadwindlinginterestinhomeopathyinthe20thcentury,othernations,including
countriesinEuropeandAsia,wereexperiencingasteadygrowthofhomeopathicteachingsandinterest.

Today, nearly all French pharmacies sell homeopathic remedies and medicines and homeopathy has a particularly
strongfollowinginRussia,India,Switzerland,Mexico,Germany,Netherlands,Italy,England,andSouthAmerica.

HomeopathyisalsorisingagainintheUnitedStates.ThisresurgencehasbeendocumentedbytheNationalCenterfor
HomeopathyinVirginia,whichstatedthatAmericansspent230milliondollarsonhomeopathicremediesin1996.Ithas
alsobeensaidthatsalesarerisingrapidlyatabout1215%eachyear.

Doctors,scientists,researchers,corporationsandthegeneralpublicareallresponsiblefortheacceleratedexpansionin
theinterestofhomeopathicproducts,researchandeducationalinitiatives.

HomeopathicTrainingintheU.S.
Ahomeopathmustundertakemanyyearsofstudyandclinicalexperience.Homeopathscanbemedicaldoctors,andin
theUnitedStates,manyhomeopathsarealsochiropractors,naturopaths,osteopaths,nursepractitioners,dentistsand
veterinarians.
ManytrainingprogramsexistinNorthAmericatoday.Seeourdirectoryforalistofhomeopathicschools,organizations
andotherproviders.TheNationalCenterforHomeopathy(NCH),inAlexandria,Virginia,canprovideanupdatedlistof
newanddevelopingprogramsintheUnitedStates.