DNA
20 May 2010

The British Medical Association (BMA) has termed homeopathy as ‘witchcraft’ and urged the United Kingdom’s National Health Service not to pay for people opting for this treatment. The Homeopathic Medical Association of India reacted saying that BMA feels threatened by the growing popularity of the science. Doctors Speak Up on the issue

Homeopathy's efficacy was proved by an eminent allopath
Homeopathy is a science and is being practiced since the past 250 years. Homeopathy believes that diseases are caused when the immune system is not working. Homeopathic medicines trigger the body’s defence mechanism to work once again.

Homeopathic science was proved by Hahnemann,who himself was an eminent allopath. Homeopathic medicines are prepared from plants, minerals and animals. Homeopathy believes in micro doses and mega results. All homeopathic medicines are proved on human beings. Homeopathic doctors should not get affected by the biased BMA propaganda. They should concentrate on their practice. The BMA is shaken by the growing popularity and harmless and gentle way of healing. We should respect all the sciences. They have their limitations and we should make the best use of homeopathy for curing patients.
— Kedar Longani, MD (Homeopathy)

No research has proved homeopathy as a science
Lancet, a British medical journal, had written an article about homeopathy after conducting a research and stated that homeopathy is not a science. That is when the debate started. As per my knowledge, homeopathy has not been proved as a science through any research. It is completely based on hypothesis.

The diagnosis and the pathology it uses are the same as the one used in allopathy. It differs in the pharmacology or medicine, which is given to the patient in a diluted form. The extent of dilution is so much that the molecules of medicine are no longer strong. Now, how will a drug work if there is no medicine left in it and how will there be side effects? The system is cheating patients by giving them no medicine.

There is a need of an authentic trail to prove that homeopathy is effective. The British journal will not write anything without research and proof. They do consider the alternative medicinal systems, but something that is not scientifically proven cannot be supported. It is completely hypothetical and conceptual system. If they think their field of medication is scientific, they should prove it.

When a patient goes to them, they do not discontinue the allopathic medicine and give their medicines in addition, and then claim that homeopathic medicines have cured them.

Most people who are Bachelors of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) take up the course because they get less marks in the medical entrance exam. I do not know anyone who has got good marks and still opted for homeopathy. Ninety per cent of the BHMS doctors practice allopathy along with their homeopathy. Every doctor should first be an MBBS and then there should be options of these alternative medications.
— Dr Abhijit Vaidya, Founder and national president, AROGYA SENA, NGO

Homeopathy heals patients like music and prayer
Healing should be left to science because even prayer and music can heal. I do not know if homeopathy has any scientific base but it does work and has cured people. I do not have any figures to say how many people have been cured by homeopathy but it does heal. It works just the way prayer or any other form of healing works. Or may be the healing is in the mind, I do not know. There have been studies on animals who do not even know that they are being given homeopathic medicines. I was shocked to read what the British medical journal had written about the system. I have no way to prove that it works but I stand by it.
— Dr Shyam Kagal, Physician

Homeopathy is not proven through evidence-based experiments
Homeopathy should give a holistic approach to treatment. All medical fields, whether it is allopathy, homeopathy or ayurveda, should have a research base to serve the patients better. Allopathy is an evidence- based system,wherein say thousand patients are treated on a trial basis and conclusions are drawn to treat a disease.

Such evidence-based experiments are not carried in homeopathic treatment. The new homeopaths do not give enough time to understand the patients on an individual basis. Homeopathy is a growing alternative therapy and needs more evidence-based research.

Our stand on homeopathy is not as that of the British Medical Association (BMA). Every alternative therapy has a scientific base to it. Our main concern is that homeopathy should know its limitations and acute and emergency cases should be referred to allopathic doctors immediately.
— Dr Dilip Sarda, Immediate past president, indian medical association (IMA), Pune

Source:epaper.dnaindia.com

We cannot claim that allopathy is a cure for all diseases
If allopathy is foolproof why don’t we have treatment for diabetes, leprosy or leucoderma and many other such diseases? How can we then say that homeopathy is unscientific? At least 50% of the patients need psychotherapy, what they need is support and if this support is given by any alternative therapy, there is nothing wrong in it. Anything that cures the patients from their ailments is a therapy.

Allopathy does not have answers to all the diseases. The patients need a cure and not whether the system is scientific or unscientific. Homeopaths have never claimed that they have a cure for all diseases.

The medicines are constantly improving, so if a patient does not get cure from allopathy, he tries out an alternative therapy. There is nothing wrong in a system which gives him a relief. Even allopathic medicines have side effects. Allopathic therapy is also not completely foolproof.
— Dr Shreekant Kelkar, Consultant Eye Surgeon

Doctors who prescribe these medicines should stop tall talk
We cannot call homeopathy as unscientific. It is not a system that one man started and died with him. It is also a form of medication and scientific ways are used for making the medicines.

In Germany, there are machines that make both allopathic and homeopathic medicines.Many people have done a lot of work in this field. The only problem is that good and intelligent people did not get into homeopathy and hence, the field did not develop.

Doctors who prescribe homeopathic medicines should not make tall claims. Intelligent people should be employed to study and practice homeopathy and bring about its progress. If homeopathy was not a scientific system it would not have been widespread over the globe. It is rather difficult to diagnose and give medicines in this form.
— Dr Ashok Adhao, Immediate Past President of National IMA Headquarter

My experiences with patients convince me of its effectiveness
Homeopathy is believed as a useful system in treating children’s ailments and certain medical problems, which are not cured by conventional medicines. No science can survive for long by fooling the masses. Similarly, a large number of clinical trials and researches might have been conducted on homeopathic drugs and its effectiveness in treating various ailments.

If someone starts speaking against one system that exits world over, it has to be ascertained whether the opinion has been developed out of someone’s dream or scientific studies, or as a result of professional jealousy or business interest. When there is a big organisation like World Health Organisation (WHO),where is the problem of clarification? What is the difficulty in proving or disapproving the efficacy of a science like homeopathy? I am convinced of the effectiveness of homeopathic drugs from my experiences with many patients.
— Dr Babu Joseph, Director, National Institute of Naturopathy

Oregon of Homeopathy shows that the system is scientific
The debate on homeopathy started when an article appeared in the Lancet a few years ago. It is scientific and there is a literature that explains the basis of this system of medicine. One can read The Oregon of Homeopathy to check the facts. The system came into place only after some experiments were conducted. It cannot be just a hypothesis and there is some solid and scientific base to this system. If it was not so, it would not have been so effective and well-known. Pathological investigations have shown that homeopathy cures. Sweet tablets cannot heal if there is no scientific base to it.
— Manisha Khare, MD Homeopath

Homeopathic remedies are drawn from mineral, plant & animal world
Homeopathy is based on the principle of similia similibus curanteur (or “like cures like”), which states that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people. The same rule, which is applied in vaccination and anti-snake venoms, is used as the causative factor for treating material.

This idea, which can be traced back to Hippocrates, was further developed by Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, after he repeatedly ingested cinchona bark, a popular treatment for malaria, and found that he developed the symptoms of the disease. Hahnemann theorised that if a substance could cause disease symptoms in a healthy person, small amounts could cure a sick person who had similar symptoms. Homeopathy is studied by administering the medicines to humans.

It deals with psyche as well as the body. The body functions as a whole, it does not work as separate entity.

Homeopathic remedies are gentle, subtle and powerful. Each medicine is administered after thorough study of symptoms. Homeopathic remedies are energy medicines drawn from the mineral, plant and animal world. They work by gently boosting the natural energy of the body, and are safe even for pregnant and sensitive patients. There is no danger of addiction and homeopathy is followed by many families as treatment options for their various ailments.

The popularity and increasing belief of the patients in the alternative systems has threatened allopathic medical associations across the globe.
— Srinivas Devisetty, Homeopath

Source: epaper.dnaindia.com