Text Box: FROM THE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER THE ORIGINS OF HOMEOPATHY Homeopathy as we know it today and has been practised for over 200 years and was developed by the German scientist and physician Samuel Hahnemann towards the end of the 18th century. The concept however, was by no means new even in Hahnemann’s day. He attributed the original theory to the Greek Hippocrates, the 5th century physician and “father of medicine” who, it is claimed, cured a patient dying in the final stages of cholera by using an extract of Veratrum album, the white hellebore. In toxic doses this highly poisonous plant causes dehydration, collapse and a potentially fatal gasteroenteritis, all symptoms that closely resemble those of cholera. Hippocrates noted that “by similar things disease is produced, and by similar things administered to the sick, they are healed of their disease”- the principal of “like cures like” as rediscovered by………….. THE IMPORTANCE OF SYMPTOMS The key to using homeopathic remedies successfully is to observe the patent and the patient’s symptoms in order to find the correct remedy that will then interact with the vital force and instigate the healing process. Homeopaths group these symptoms into different categories to make the task a little easier. Local symptoms refer to a particular area of the body or organ system such as the elbow, back, eye, bladder or skin for example. General symptoms reflect the signs shown by the patient as a whole and might include appetite, thirst, physical appearance, observation on the gait and posture, effects of hot and cold or wet and dry and how the symptoms might vary with the time of year or day. Mental symptoms reflect the animal’s emotional or behavioural state. These might include fear, restlessness, sadness, aggressive behaviour or excitability. It is also vital to take into account specific characteristics of some of the symptoms. For example where there is a nasal discharge you should note its colour (white, clear, green, yellow), consistency (thin, runny, thick, sticky) and odour if present. Factors that modify the individual symptoms must also be taken into account. These are termed modalities and are divided into two categories. Aggravations which make the symptoms worse Ameliorations which ease the symptoms Text Box: INTRODUCTION & PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHY Text Box: Samuel Hahnemann The founder of Homeopathy Text Box: Arnica one of the most commonly prescribed remedies Text Box: The effects of the weather on the patient’s symptoms can be important in choosing a remedy