An Introduction to Homeopathy By Dr. Marilyn Sthamann msthamann@sasktel.net The use of homeopathy represents an entirely different philosophy from that of conventional medicine. Homeopathy is a holistic way of thinking that involves the treatment of the patient as a whole, mind and body - it considers lifestyle, nutrition, and other interrelated factors. It does not consider the body as a collection of separate components as does conventional medicine (eg. cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology). The individual’s symptoms of illness are recognized as the body’s way of adapting to, and defending against stress or infection. The idea of homeopathy is to give therapies that augment the body’s own defenses, and that support and even mimic them to work towards a cure. An example of the body’s wisdom in creating symptoms as defenses is the common symptom of fever. The fever is recognized as the body’s way of helping to combat infection. The homeopathic remedies for a fever are Belladonna and Aconitum, homeopathic medicines that in larger doses cause fever, and in very small doses relieve fever. Dr. Hahnemann was the founder of homeopathy, and he believed that ‘The physician’s highest and only calling is to make the sick healthy, to cure. The highest ideal of cure is the rapid, gentle, and permanent restoration of health; that is, the lifting and annihilation of the disease in its entire extent in the shortest, most reliable, and least disadvantageous way’. As a veterinarian with both conventional and homeopathic training and expertise, I am able to offer a balanced approach to veterinary care for my patients. This will allow me to have more success in healing than what has been possible with conventional medicine alone. Links The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy National Center for Homeopathy Animal Natural Health Center (Dr. Pitcairn) Shirley's Wellness Cafe - Holistic Health Care for People and Animals Homeopathy: Beyond Flat Earth Medicine Recommended Reading/Book List The Consumer’s Guide to Homeopathy by Dana Ullman, MPH The Science of Homeopathy by George Vithoulkas Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine, Edited by Allen M. Schoen and Susan G. Wynn Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn DVM and Susan Hubble Pitcairn Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs by Don Hamilton Homeopathy: Beyond Flat Earth Medicine by Timothy Dooley