- Dr. Samuel Hahnemann is considered the creator of homeopathy.
- Although he studied Medicine, his dissatisfaction with traditional healing methods led him to explore other approaches based on the use of plants.
- International Homeopathy Day is commemorated every April 10.
Throughout the year there are different ephemeris related to health. Most are intended to give visibility to a disease or condition. Although within the extensive list there is a date that divides opinions about its true usefulness and is the Homeopathy Day. To date, there are doctors who consider that it is a pseudoscience, while others affirm that it does work as a healing method.
Who is the creator of this “medical” branch?
First of all it is necessary to start with the basics. Homeopathy is a branch of alternative medicine that was officially created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann. It is based on the cure of diseases or ailments through natural products such as plants or distilled water.
At the time of its “creation” there was not enough evidence to verify that this type of treatment was really responsible for combating diseases and pain. Instead today is different and to date is a discipline that lacks scientific support.
Based on the above, in 2019 the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), considered the highest authority in the correct use of language, made an important modification. From then on, he modified the definition of homeopathy by removing its supposed “healing powers” that were previously attributed to it to describe it as a simple practice. Now its definition is the following:
“Practice that consists of administering to someone, in minimal doses, the same substances that, in larger quantities, would supposedly produce in the healthy person symptoms that are the same or similar to those that are being treated.”
How much and why is Homeopathy Day commemorated?
All of the above leads to Homeopathy Day. It is a date that takes place every April 10 to coincide with the birth of Samuel Hahnemannwho is the creator of this practice.
In that sense, he was born on that date but in 1755 in Germany. In his case, he studied Medicine for two years in Leipzig and after a change of school he graduated from the University of Erlangen. While his thesis was titled Etrapeutic aetiological survey of spasmodic affections (Disertación sobre las causas y el tratamiento de las enfermedades spasmódicas).
For a time he abandoned medical practice and focused on the translation of scientific textbooks. He also lived in different rural areas and by learning about the customs of the people he discovered that they used plants as healing methods. With the above in mind, he made the decision to explore this aspect and thus homeopathy emerged.
What do doctors think about homeopathy?
But now the most important thing is to know the opinion of professional doctors, especially those of our country. Within the 2020 Medical Ethics Report: Mexico prepared by Medscape, the direct question was included: Does homeopathy still play a role in medicine?
The results show that 48 percent answered yes, while 40 percent said no and the remaining 12 percent said it depends. As you can see, there is a fairly divided opinion.
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