The Causes of Failure in Homeopathy

Homoeopathy is becoming more and more popular. At first glance we could suppose that this current growth of Homoeopathy is Progress. The real question to evaluate the Health of our Profession is how successful are we in the practice of Homoeopathy?  How well do we practice Homoeopathy?

It is very clear that the further we diverge from the fundamental principles of Homoeopathy as taught by Master Hahnemann, the least success we should expect in practice. Before we examine the causes of failure, Lets first examine the Basic Parameters of Homoeopathy.

• The first Basic Parameter we are going to examine is the scope of the "LAW OF SIMILARS"   (The word parameter in Mathematics means a constant whose value varies with the circumstances of its application)?

• When we Homoeopaths declare that the Law of Similars is the Law of Healing, What are we saying?

• Are we saying that all healing depends upon the Law of Similars ?

• Are we saying that everyone who is sick recover his or her health through Homoeopathy ?

Not Really !

For Healing to happen many factors are at play and any of them can go wrong. (will be discussed later). So, which healing is related to Law of Similars ?

The healing associated with the Law of Similars has two Characteristics —

1. The first one is that the Law of Similars is applicable in all cases where the causes of sickness are due to an inadequacy of the Vital force. (Inadequacy: not being sufficient for a certain purpose).
   (Essense of $ 10, 11 and 14).

$ 10 — properties of Vital Force.

$ 11 — " when a person falls ill........only the vital force deranged,........by morbid symptoms, and no other way can it make itself known." Affection of vital force — Disease/Illness.

$ 14 — ".......in the interior of man, nothing morbid that is curable and no invisible morbid alteration that is curable which does not make itself known to the accurately observing     physicians  by means of signs and symptoms......." Clinical prognosis of a case.

2. The second characteristic of healing with the Law of Similars that the healing is limited to capacity of the vital force to heal. ($ 12).
   What is curable in nature is curable with Homoeopathy if the cause of sickness is related to an inadequacy of the vital force. Otherwise it would be FALSE EXPECTATION. For example someone presenting with a full blown case of scurvy due to a completely inadequate diet. The patient response to Homoeopathy will only be partial because the primary cause of the ill health is not completely related to an inadequacy of the vital force.
   Another example — Now lets assume that our patient has a problem which is primarily related to an inadequacy of the vital force. The patient can therefore potentially by healed with Homoeopathy.

Lets say a patient presents with, (among other conditions) a chronic inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus. We know that these types of inflammatory conditions can be treated with Homoeopathy and the patient can recover their health but it is unlikely that the recovery would be complete.

Why?

Because inflammation leads to tissue destruction and/or scar formation and there is a limit to the capacity of the vital force to heal, to return tissues to wholeness. As our experienced Masters state that what is potentially curable in nature, is curable with Homoeopathy. For instance, the destruction of the substantia nigra found in Parkinsonism is known to be irreversible in nature therefore irreversible with Homoeopathy.

Again we are not dealing with failure of the "Law of Similars" but rather wrong expectations of the capacity of the vital force to heal.

From the potential of  being curable to the actual cure many factors will enter into play and any of these factors could go wrong (as pending to be discussed). Lets examine some of these factors :

One of the great sources of failure is a "defective patient" — This is the patient who does not properly communicate his symptoms to the Homoeopath. It could be related to one’s culture, to lack of self awareness, to improper communication — language problem, shyness etc. Or  it could be related to non-compliant patient.

Another great source of failure would be the patient having a defective disease — $ 172 — "......symptoms of the disease being too few." i.e. ONE SIDED DISEASE.

Infact, the greatest source of failure of all in Homoeopathy is the "defective physician" —

Defective Case taking — Most Common Factor.

Defective Case Analysis — Second Common Factor.

Difficulty in searching Materia Medica,

Wrong Assessment on follow up.

FAILURE   RATE

Up to 80% of our failures are related to the physician himself:
Defective case taking 40%

Difficulty searching the materia medica 10%

Wrong assessment on the follow-up 5%%

Defective tools 10%

Defective patient 10%

Defective diseases 5%

Incurable cases 5%

KEYS TO SUCCESS

The two key qualitative aspects to every step of the Hahnemannian method are:

1. Constant and strict individualization ($ 82) — Individualization at all times in the selection and administration of the remedy.

2. Complete objectivity — Means total objectivity in our examination of the patient, in conducting of provings and in the selection of the remedy

Master Hahnemann mentions all the methods and keys to success in Organon of Medicine.

Essense of Organon

         ".............clearly perceives what is to be cured in diseases, that is to say, in every individual case of disease....."   — implies sound knowledge of physiology and pathology so as to differentiate the abnormal from normal — what is the derangement need to be cured.

         "..............clearly perceives what is curative in medicines, that is to say, in each individual medicine......"    - implies the thorough knowledge of the Materia medica, the powers (pathogenetic as well as curative) of the drugs.

         ".........how to adapt, according to clearly-defined principles, what is curative in medicines to what he has discovered to be undoubtedly morbid in the patient, so that recovery must ensue-to adapt it as well in respect to the suitability of the medicine most appropriate according to its mode of action to the case before him, as also in respect to the exact mode of preparation and quantity of it required, and the proper period for repeating the dose........" — choice of remedy — Homoeopathic similar remedy to the individual patient i.e. Prescription.

         "........finally, he knows the obstacles to recovery in each case and is aware how to remove them so that the restoration may be permanent.."

$ 4 — "The physician is likewise a preserver of health if he knows the things that derange health and cause disease and how to remove them from persons in health."

Above both statements point towards knowledge of Social and Preventive Medicine and its application in practice.

$ 7 — footnote ".......every intelligent physician would first remove this (causa occasionalis) where it exists; the disposition thereupon generally ceases spontaneously."

Means factors like hygiene and etiology is to be looked for.

$ 153 — "...more striking, singular, uncommon and peculiar (characteristic) signs and symptoms of the case of disease are chiefly and most solely to be kept in view;........"

To evaluate uncommon and peculiar (characteristic) signs and symptoms, knowledge of applied sciences is necessary (physiology, pathology and clinical medicine etc.)

In order to fulfill the Promise to Homoeopathy —

• Stick to the Principles as given by Master Hahnemann.
• Strengthen the Basics in Taking A Thorough Case as instructed in Organon.
• Study of Materia Medica — thorough knowledge.
• Necessary knowledge in basic sciences of physiology, pathology and clinical medicine etc. 

REFERENCES

- Dudgeon R.E. — Organon of Medicine

- The Canadian Academy of Homoeopathy