Seven Fundamental Principles of Homeopathy

Homeopathy as a science has its own philosophy and its own therapeutics which is based on seven fundamental principles which every homeopath should know. 

These are:

1. Law of Similia 

2. Law of Simplex

3. Law of Minimum

4. Doctrine of Drug Proving 

5. Theory of Chronic Disease

6. Theory of Vital Force

7. Doctrine of Drug Dynamisation 

These fundamental principles are elaborated below.

Law of Similia 

According to this system, the choice of the medicine is fundamentally based on the principle that the medicine must have the capability of producing most similar symptoms of the disease to be cured in healthy persons.

"Let Likes Be Cured By Likes." A remedy is given to an ill person,  if given to a healthy person would produce similar symptoms to those of the ill person.

Law of Simplex

Dr. Hahnemann states that only one single, simple medicinal substance is to be administered in a given case of time.

This is because 

• Only one remedy can be the most similar at any given time to the condition of any given patient.
• During drug proving, drugs are proved singly and the symptoms then observed are compiled into the Materia Medica.
• If the physician administers more than one remedy at a time, he will be unable to ascertain the curative action of the remedy.
• Administration of more than one remedy can produce certain group of symptoms, which can be harmful to the patient.

Law of  Minimum

Under this principle we give medicine to the patients in very minute doses. The minute dose means that quantity of a medicine which is smallest in quantity produces the least possible  aggravation of the vital force and yet sufficient to effect the necessary change in it.

The quantitative reduction of the medicinal substance is done by the process of potentisation   which avoids the unwanted medicinal aggravation.

The Law of Least Action, formulated by Maupertius, the French mathematician, states : “The quantity of action necessary to affect any change in nature is the least possible, the decisive amount is always a minimum, an infinitesimal.”

Doctrine of Drug Proving

Drug proving is a systematic investigation of pathogenic (disease-producing ) power of medicine on healthy human being of different ages, both sexes and of various constitutions.

In drug proving, a drug or a medicine is administered to a group of relatively healthy individuals (provers) until symptoms of ill health and disease appear in them. These provers are instructed to carefully observe and note all finer sensations, feelings and emotions, or any subtle deviations in the normal functioning of the various organs and parts of the body.

After the proving is concluded, symptoms reported by the provers are carefully assessed, evaluated, classified. The end result of this work is compiled in a systematic order and the 'Materia Medica' of the proved drug is created. Drugs are always prove on healthy human beings because

• Animals do not give subjective or mental symptoms
• We do not get the modalities and finer symptoms in animal provings.
• If proved on ill person then the symptoms of the drug and the disease will be mixed together.
• The action of the drug on the sick person is different from normal person.

Theory of Chronic Disease

 Dr.Hahnemann realized that homeopathy failed to execute a 'real cure' in some diseases. He observed that in many cases symptoms got ameliorated for a brief period only to relapse at a later date.

The following were the probable causes that were considered:

• The Law of Similars might not be universally applicable
• There could be some flaw in the application of the Law of Similars
• The number of drugs till date were inadequate to cover all the diseases
• There could be some error in determining the totality of symptoms
• There might be some obstacles that persisted, which hindered cure. 

He studied chronic cases for 12 years and concluded that, this is because of CHRONIC MIASMS.

The three Miasms are

• Psora 
• Syphilis 
• Sycosis

Theory of Vital Force 

The vital force is the invisible vital energy that governs the organism.

The human being consist of Body Mind and Spirit.

In healthy condition, it is the vital force which maintains the normal functioning of the body, but when vital force is deranged by any morbic influence it cause the abnormal sensations and functions of the body which are manifested outwardly by abnormal signs and symptoms the totality of which constitute disease.

Doctrine of Drug Dynamisation 

Homeopathic Dynamisation is the process by which the latent medicinal properties of crude drug substance are aroused and develop into activity to an incredible degree. 

There are two methods of potentisation or dynamisation i.e.

Trituration – in case of insoluble substances.

Succussion – in case of soluble substances.

Benefits of dynamisation

• Substances, which are medicinally inert in their crude form, are made available for the curative purpose.
• The action of the potentised medicines is deeper, longer and curative.
• Toxic materials and venoms of certain animals when potentised are rendered harmless for therapeutic purpose
• The medicinal power increases dynamically by the process of potentisation, hence these medicines are able to stimulate the (dynamically) deranged vital force and restore the state of health
• By potentisation, there is a quantitative reduction and a qualitative enhancement of the medicinal substance, hence medicinal aggravation is minimized.