What are homeopathic remedies?
Of course, these are globules. Maybe you got in touch already with homeopathy this way? But what exactly are these tiny sugar pellets?
Homeopathic remedies are produced from various raw material. The largest amount of homeopathic remedies come from plant, animal, or mineral origin. The homeopathic remedy Arnica, for example, is being produced from the tincture of the whole Arnica plant. The animal-based remedy Sepia, on the other hand, is being obtained from the ink of the squid and the mineral-based remedy Aurum metallicum from gold. Moreover, there are homeopathic remedies from so-called Nosodes or Sarcodes. These are pathological substances or preparations from the secretions of healthy organisms from animals, humans, or plants. Like for example the remedy Thyreoidinum, which is produced from thyroid extract. Furthermore, there are homeopathic remedies from totally different raw material like the remedy Penicillinum, made from pharmaceutical products, for example.
Based on the respective raw material, homeopathic remedies are repeatedly diluted and agitated in a process known as “dynamisation” or “potentisation”. This production process is being carried out by professional manufacturers, working according to the exact specifications of the official homeopathic pharmacopoeia.
Homeopathic remedies are very gentle and absolutely safe to be taken.
Many of the homeopathic remedies are based on toxic or harmful substances. Are they really safe to be taken? Yes, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, has already explored this fact more than 200 years ago. As a result, he found out that toxic and harmful raw material in high dilutions don’t produce side effects any more. He discovered that the more the basic substance was diluted, the longer and deeper even was its effect. In high dilutions, there is not a single molecule of the raw material remaining. Therefore, homeopathic remedies are absolutely safe despite their sometimes highly toxic raw material. The prescribed potency, however, needs to be high enough and therefore sufficiently diluted.
But how does the raw material end up in the globule? Homeopathic remedies are produced in so-called, D-potencies, C-potencies, or Q-potencies (sometimes also called LM-potencies), which all differ in their particular dilution factor. The number next to the potency indicates the number of dilution and succession processes. Let’s take a closer look at this using the example of a 30C-potency. In this case, a so-called mother tincture is being prepared from the raw material by cutting, crushing, or diluting. One drop of this tincture is now being taken in relation 1:100 into a 99-drop solution of alcohol and water. Now, the container of this new solution is being forcefully hitten against a surface, while the information of the raw material is being transferred to the substrate. Again, from this new solution one drop is taken into a 99-drop alcohol water solution and agitated once more. This procedure is carried out 30 times until the 30C-potency of the homeopathic remedy is being obtained. This final solution is now being used to moisten the globules and therefore to transmit the remedy’s information to the sugar pellets.
The Q-potencies are produced in a slightly different way. They are particularly intense and can be measured out very well according to the patient’s needs.
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