Homeopathy by Barbara Rayska Antisdel
What Homeopathy Is Not

Very often homeopathy is confused with herbalism and herbology.  Although homeopathy uses
many herbs and botanicals for its remedies, it is a distinct and comprehensive system of
medicine with its own principles and precepts.  Special methods of preparation of the remedies,
producing different strengths of the remedies (known as "potentization" or "dynamization") also
distinguish homeopathy from herbology. The contemporary system of homeopathy, based on the
teachings of Samuel Hahnemann and later homeopaths, is over 200 years old.   Many herbal
systems of medicine based on ancient teachings and folk medicine are much older and some
less systematically defined.  Another distinction from herbology is that homeopathy also uses
many non-botanical sources for remedies.  Homeopathy with the complement of occasional
necessary surgery constitutes a complete system of medicine.

Homeopathy is sometimes mistaken for the art of "home" remedies.  It is much more than that.  
The root "homeo" in homeopathy comes from the Greek meaning "similar" (not "home").  This
refers to the "Law of Similars" in homeopathy, which in practice means "like cures like".  This is a
fascinating concept, but it is beyond the scope of this article.  

If you are interested in learning more about this, potentization or other aspects of homeopathy,
allow me to again suggest the book Homeopathy:  Beyond Flat Earth Medicine by Timothy
Dooley, MD, ND. (This brief book is available for FREE for reading or downloading from his
website www.beyondflatearth.com   

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