Homeopathy: How It Really Works

The popularity of homeopathy has increased dramatically both in America and worldwide: Annual world sales of homeopathic remedies total about $1.5 bilion. In his thorough and fascinating examination of this alternative therapy, physicist Jay W. Shelton analyzes the history, the remedies, the research evidence, and the logical structure of homeopathy in clear, straightforward language that any interested reader can understand.

Developed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), homeopathy is based on two key principles. First, the Law of Similars states that symptoms induced in healthy volunteers after ingesting a substance are the same symptoms in sick people that this substance can cure. For example, if the bark from the cinchona tree induces a headache in a healthy person, then a cinchona homeopathic remedy may cure people with the same headache symptoms.

Homeopaths consider almost everything--from plants to moonlight--a potential remedy. Second, the concept of potentization states that the most dilute remedies--including those that contain none of the original material--have the greatest healing power, but only if they have been shaken in a particular way during their preparation.

Many homeopaths believe that the amount of a remedy taken at one time is irrelevant--consuming a small dose has the same healing effect as ingesting a larger one. These are just some of the features of homeopathy that are difficult to reconcile with conventional science, yet homeopaths report that their patients improve after treatment.

Shelton agrees that homeopathy often helps people, but he is not convinced that the remedies themselves contribute. According to Shelton, accumulated clinical evidence, analysis of homeopathic theory, and alternative explanations for homeopaths' cured cases seem to indicate that nonremedy factors are the cause of the observed healing.

Working from this assumption, Shelton explores why so many people continue to believe otherwise. This balanced and in-depth assessment will interest both homeopaths and conventional medical practitioners, as well as consumers curious about this well-known and much-publicized alternative therapy.