The epidemic diseases are those diseases in which many individuals are affected very similarly from a similar cause which becomes contagious in crowded areas. These epidemics manifest a similar disease process which, if left to itself, ends either in death or in recovery within a limited time.
A smallpox epidemic in Greece in 430 BC that killed more than 30,000 people was one of the first-documented epidemics. Dr. Hahnemann even before the discovery of homoeopathy elaborately discussed various measures for preventing diseases in general with special reference to communicable diseases and importance of sanitation. It is interesting to note that homeopathy was invented in the same year as Jenner first practiced vaccination (1796).
Homoeopathy is founded upon principles based upon basic natural laws which remain firm and intact whether it is an acute case or the panics of epidemics.
Hahnemann intuited the concept of “contagious principle” as a vehicle capable of transmitting epidemic diseases. He described acute epidemic miasmas acquired through a “contagious principle”, which today could be equated to a microbe or virus infection. Close observation of the first cases in an epidemic of infectious diseases is exceedingly valuable to obtain the symptomatology of epidemic diseases. Hahnemann during the epidemic of Scarlatina found that the indicative remedy given at that time stifles the fever in its beginning and was more efficacious than other known medicaments in removing the greater part of the after-sufferings following Scarlatina.
Recently, a new coronavirus (CoV) strain has become a matter of concern for human lives. Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology called it novel coronavirus 2019 (nCoV-2019).The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) refers to it as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).Since the beginning of 21st Century, the current CoV outbreak is the third attack, previous ones being Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) epidemic in 2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemic in 2012. This outbreak seems to be challenging to manage considering the rapid spread via droplets and non-availability of any effective vaccines or antiviral drugs. Vaccines, anti- viral medications, and antibiotics are considered to be the standard treatments for these diseases. However, difficulties with developing and disseminating immunizations, viral mutations, and the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are undermining these approaches
Homoeopathy has an important role to play in case of epidemic diseases. Even the most severe and fearful epidemics like scarlet fever, cholera etc. have been encountered successfully by homoeopathic medicines.
WHO has recently called for “innovative” approaches for treating communicable diseases supporting the role of traditional medicines in maintaining the health of populations.
Hahnemann founded medicine, not on physics and chemistry, but on the universal laws of Life and Motion. He refers to all the phenomena of health and disease under two names, “The Dynamis” and “The Life Force.” This is Hahnemann’s greatest discovery, and the absolute bed-rock of his system.
The prophylactic can be found by collecting the symptomatology of a few patients of an epidemic in an area. This remedy can act as the curative as well as the preventive medicine during the specified epidemic for that area. A low potency of the preventive medicine is suggested as it works even in patients of unmanifested disease.
The supreme importance of prophylaxis lies in the echo of the aphorism, “He 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”.
There are a number of ways to boost a person’s level of immunity to specified infectious diseases. One way is by raising general health through good diet and nutrition, through a balanced lifestyle, and through constitutional homoeopathic treatment or herbal treatment to improve the overall vitality of the person. The second way to boost a person’s level of disease- specific immunity is by two ways: one is vaccination, and the second is the use of homoeopathically selected and prepared substances, a procedure known as homoeoprophylaxis [HP].
HP is the use of potentised substances in a systematic manner to prevent the development of the characteristic symptoms of infectious diseases. It was first described in 1801. It is comparably effective to vaccination and also completely nontoxic and therefore safe.
Hahnemann’s use of Belladonna to both treat and prevent scarlet fever, Lathyrus Sativus used in the polio epidemics to treat polio, can also be used for polio prevention are few examples.
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India (GOI) has also taken steps to undertake research proposals from all streams of Ayush to generate scientific evidence on COVID-19.
Earlier Scientific Advisory Board of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) had also considered Ars alb to be advised for prevention of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) on the basis of evidence from studies. Ars alb as one of the constituents in a formsulation has been shown to affect HT29 cells and human macrophages. Also, it showed ↓NF-κB hyperactivity (reduced expression of reporter gene GFP in transfect HT29 cells), ↓TNF-α release in macrophages.
In China, doctors constituted two sets of homeopathic symptom pictures of COVID-19 indicating Bry alba and Gels. They gave Gels 30c as a preventive medicine to 4-5% of the population in one area and in another area out of 6,00,000 people 50% got Gels. In both the areas no sick people were recorded. They also treated several mild or medium ill COVID-19 patients with Gels, Bry alba, Eup per in succession. They started to recover on the first day and within 3 days they were healthy. The American Institute of Homeopathy database reveals Bry alba and Ars alb make up about 50% of the successful prescriptions.
In the Italian study on a group of 50 symptomatic Corona positive patients, the prescribed medications in order of frequency were Bry alba (21 times), Ars alb (16 times), Phos flavus (9 times), Atr bell (6 times), Antim tart (6 times). The hospitalization rate of this group treated homeopathically for 2019-nCoV was zero. No adverse events were observed during homeopathic treatments.
Dr. Rajan Sankaran advised to give Camphora 1M twice daily for 2 days as a prophylactic, Camphora 1M 6 hourly to people who have got the infection and Camphora 10 M 6 hourly for those with severe lung complications.
The international homeopathic medical society, Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI), representing homeopathic physicians in more than 70 countries all over the world also analyzed 132 Covid-19 cases and 76 (57.5%) of them responded well to three medicines namely Ars alb, Bry and Gels.
Epidemics are the scourge of human civilization. A smallpox epidemic in Greece in 430 BC that killed more than 30,000 people was one of the first-documented epidemics.
Yellow fever struck America in the late 19th century and the worldwide flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919 is estimated to have killed 20 to 40 million people. More recently, there have been epidemics of HIV-AIDS, Ebola, swine flu, bird flu, and Zika virus among others. Cholera and other infectious diseases continue to be a threat wherever large numbers of people are displaced into refugee camps.
The world has witnessed several outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Cholera, Plague, Spanish flu, Swine flu. Globalization, international travel and intercontinental commerce have all increased the potential for microbial spread, resulting in pandemics beyond their respective regions of origin such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Zika, Ebola and now recently the outbreak of COVID-19 from Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
These diseases pose a major threat to public-health across the world. Although some infectious diseases, such as small pox and poliomyelitis, have been eradicated from nature or almost wiped out, many diseases still persist with little hope of getting them under control. In addition, new infectious diseases are emerging and old ones that were thought to be under control are regaining lost ground. Apart from affecting the health of individuals directly, infectious diseases also impact the societies, economies and political systems.
Anti-virals, vaccines, and antibiotics are the standard treatments offered by conventional system for infectious diseases.
One of the most important challenges of public health is to control these epidemic outbreaks, which are diseases that spread rapidly and widely, affecting many individuals in a population at the same time. Vaccines, anti-viral medications, and antibiotics are the standard conventional treatments for these diseases.
However, difficulties with developing and disseminating immunizations, viral mutations, and the grow- ing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are undermining these approaches.
Antibiotic resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.
Homoeopathy, a holistic system of medicine, has been in use for infectious diseases dating back to the time of its inventor Hahnemann, who recommended Belladonna for scarlet fever. The curative effect of individualised homeopathic medicines is empirical but inexplicable by the conventional principles of science. Homoeopathy may be viewed as ‘personalised nanomedicine’. They produce modulation of immune function at multiple levels, such as modulation of expression of genes, stimulation of macrophage and polymorph nuclear cells, changes in expression of surface receptors, induction of cytokines and modulate the central and local innate immune response leading to adaptive changes in the host’s complex networks.
Homoeopathy is used for infectious diseases in different ways. While individualised treatment is the gold standard, it is impractical to use on a widespread basis during epidemics. Combination remedies can be effective, but they must be selected based on the symptoms of a given epidemic in a specific location. Treatment with genus epidemics can also be successful, if based on data from many practitioners.
Further homoeopathy is also safe and effective when used as an add-on to standard care. Being used across the globe, and in Indian sub-continent, as a treatment for infectious conditions, it is valuable to review the evidence for Homoeopathy in infectious diseases
Homeopathy as an adjunctive treatment can reduce mortality and morbidity, duration of hospital stay (AES, dengue), and can increases compliance to CT in diseases (TB), and thus provide long-term benefit.
The World Health Organization has recently called for “innovative” approaches for treating communicable diseases.
The use of homeopathy for epidemic diseases dates back to the time of Hahnemann, who recommended Belladonna for scarlet fever. It is interesting to note that homeopathy was invented in the same year as Jenner first practiced vaccination (1796) and that Hahnemann strongly favoured vaccination. Homeopathy first rose to prominence in the 19th century due to its success in treating epidemic diseases such as cholera, yellow fever, and typhus. There are several different strategies that have been used by homeopaths to treat epidemic diseases, including individualization, combi- nation remedies, genus epidemicus, and isopathy. We will look at the evidence for each of these in this article.
The gold standard in homeopathic practice is individualiza- tion. This requires an interview by a trained homeopathic prescriber to determine the specific remedy for each person, based on the totality of physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. We have ample evidence of the effectiveness of individualized homeopathy for epidemic diseases.
Combining several different remedies that are commonly prescribed for a specific disease into one medication could be a cost-effective way to treat people during an epidemic.
The genus epidemicus is the remedy found to be most effective for a particular epidemic once data have been gathered from several cases. This concept was first put forth by Samuel Hahnemann in the Organon of Medicine, Aphorism 241, as “…each single epidemic is of a peculiar, uniform character common to all the individuals attacked, and when this character is found in the totality of the symptoms common to all, it guides us to the discovery of homoeopathic (specific) remedy suitable for all the cases….”9
There is anecdotal evidence that homeopathy was successful during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 to 1919, in which at least 20 million people died worldwide, more than 500,000 in the United States alone.
The genus epidemicus for the Spanish flu, according to Winston, was Gelsemium.
A modern example of the use of genus epidemicus was reported by a group in India that performed a double-blind placebo-controlled trial using Bryonia alba to prevent Chikun-gunya fever during an epidemic of this viral disease in 2007.11 Following the method of Hahnemann, investigators first reper-torized the symptoms of 205 patients with fever and arthral-gia, characteristic of Chikungunya. A group of homeopathic experts then came to a consensus for Bryonia as the genus epidemicus after confirming symptoms in the materia medica.
- Homeopathy has been used for over 200 years to treat epidemic diseases, beginning with Samuel Hahnemann prescribing Belladonna for scarlet fever.
- There are four main approaches of using homeopathy for epidemic disease: individualization, combination reme- dies, genus epidemicus, and isopathy.
- There is experimental evidence of effectiveness of each of these approaches.
- More research needs to be performed to enlarge the research base and to make homeopathy an attractive treatment alternative for epidemic diseases.
Name of Physician | Year | Epidemic | Evidences |
Hahnemann | 1801 | Scarlet fever | Hahnemann suggested Belladonna can be used to prevent Scarlet fever.[20] |
– | 1801 | Scarlet fever | Ten doctors used Belladonna as a preventive on 1,646 children, with only 123 cases of the disease arising, an effectiveness of 92.5%.[23] |
Dr Grimmer | 1800s | Poliomyelitis | He treated 5,000 young children with a homeoprophylactic. None developed polio.[24] |
Boenninghausen | 1800s | Smallpox | Excellent success in using Thuja occidentalis in the prophylactic treatment of Small- pox.[25] |
Hufeland | 1838 | Scarlet fever | The Prussian Government ordered the use of the prophylactic during all scarlet fever epidemics.[26] |
Dr Charge | 1841-1854 | Cholera | He after producing a statistical table showing the difference in cholera mortality between homeopathic and allopathic treatment at the Convent Refuge at Marseilles, stated that once homeopathy was introduced prophylactically, no further cases were reported.[27] |
Boenninghausen | 1849 | Cholera | He treated and prevented “untold” numbers of cholera infections with a mortality rate of 5-16% while a death rate of 54-90% occurred with conventional treatment.[28] |
Eaton | Early 1900 | Smallpox | During the Smallpox epidemic in the USA, 2806 persons were given Variolinum 30c, out of which 547 were exposed to the disease and only 14 developed smallpox. This resulted in 97.5% effectiveness of the homoeopathic prophylactic.[29] |
Dr Chavanon | 1932 | Diphtheria | Laboratory experiments showed that 45 children became Schick test negative after being treated homeoprophylactically.[30] |
Dr Patterson and Boyd | 1941 | Diphtheria | 23 out of 33 children became Schick test negative after being given the prophylactic.[31] |
Dr Roux | 1947 | Diphtheria | He repeated the Schick test and produced a great results.[32] |
Taylor-Smith | 1950 | Poliomyelitis | He investigated the use of the genus epidemicus Lathyrus Sativus in the prevention of poliomyelitis with 100% results.[21] |
Dr Eisfelder | 1956-58 | Poliomyelitis | He immunized over 6,000 children with a homeoprophylactic. No cases of polio and no side effects were reported.[33] |
Francisco Eizayaga | 1957 | Poliomyelitis | A severe poliomyelitis epidemic occurred in Buenos Aires when a known homeoprophylactic was distributed as a preventative. None of them registered a case of contagion.[34] |
Gutman | 1963 | Influenza | Effectiveness of Influenzinum triple Nosode by 21 homoeopathic physicians in three countries revealed a composite effectiveness of 86%.[35] |
Dr Dorothy Shepherd | 1967 | Whooping cough | Several accounts of whooping cough prophylaxis by a nosode are provided.[36] |
– | 1968-70 | Flu | During a survey in Indian factories and offices 20% of the patients treated by conventional medical physicians contracted the flu. Among the homeopathically treated patients, only 6.5% came down with the disease and recovered more rapidly than allopathically treated patients.[37] |
Castro & Noguiera | 1974 | Meningitis | In August, there was an epidemic of meningitis in Brazil where Meningococcinum 10c was given as prophylactic with effectiveness of 95.7%.[38] |
Francisco Eizayaga | 1975 | Poliomyelitis | During a poliomyelitis epidemic in Buenos Aires, 40,000 were given a known homeoprophylactic. None developed poliomyelitis.[34] |
Fox | 1987 | Whooping cough | Effectiveness of Pertussin 30c showed a range of effectiveness from 95% based on confirmed cases of whooping cough.[39] |
English | 1987 | Whooping cough | Pilot study of Pertussin 30c examined responses concerning 694 children who were given the remedy every three months during the first year of life, then at 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of age. Effectiveness ranged between 87.0% and 91.5%.[40] |
D P Rastogi | 1989-1993 | Japanese encephalitis | During the epidemic in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) in 1989, 1991 and 1993, Belladonna 200c single dose was distributed as preventive to 3,22,812 persons in 96 villages in three districts of U.P. In a follow up of 39,250 persons, none of them reported any signs and symptoms of JE.[41] |
Dr Eizayaga | 1991 | Hepatitis | When treating individuals with hepatitis, he would also give their family members and school-mates the prophylactic. None contracted hepatitis in spite of being in close contact.[34] |
CCRH | 1996 | Dengue haemorrhagic fever. | A homeoprophylactic was administered to at least 39,200 people in the Delhi area. The follow-up of 23,520 people, 10 days later, revealed that only 5 people (0.125%) had developed mild symptoms, with the rest showing no signs or symptoms.[42] |
Mroninski | 1998 | Meningitis | Remedy Meningococcinum was given in 30c potency to 65,826 people from 0 to 20 years of age in Blumenau, Brazil. Another 23,539 people in the area did not receive the remedy. The rate of protection found in the group using HP was 95% at six months and 91% at 12 months.[43] |
– | 1999-2003 | Japanese Encephalitis | Government of Andhra Pradesh adopted Belladonna-Calcarea carbonica-Tuberculinum bovinum (BCT) regimen as preventive and the response was encouraging. The death rate was nil in the BCT distributed areas.[44] |
Marino | 2001 | Dengue | In Brazil, a single dose of the homeopathic remedy Eupat perf 30c was given to 40% of residents of the most highly affected neighbourhood. Thereafter, dengue incidence decreased by 81.5%, as compared with neighbourhoods that did not receive homoeopathic prophylaxis.[45] |
Partington, T. | 2003-2005 | Malaria | A malaria trial was conducted in Kenya using a homeoprophylactic with a group of 33 volunteers. Twenty-one of the volunteers had experienced 1–3 malaria episodes in the 18 months prior to the trial. All the participants in the trial remained malaria free.[46] |
Dr Golden | 2004 | From his 15 yr study, he was able to determine that the unimmunised had an attack rate of 85% while the homeopathically protected group had an attack rate of 11.7%, producing a figure of efficacy of 86.2%.[47] | |
– | 2009 | Dengue | In a contained population in Havana, around 20,000 residents were given homeoprophylactic whose efficacy was between 74.1 and 100%. Apart from a fall in Dengue cases to zero immediately following the intervention, there was a clear decline in the general incidence of febrile symptoms. [48] |
– | 2007-2010 | Dengue | The Homoeopathic prophylactic was freely distributed by the Health Department of Macaé in the years: 2007: 216,000 doses; 2008: 203,878 doses; 2009: 211,059 doses; 2010: 178 677 doses. Lethality among notified dengue cases was 0.2% in 2007, 0.0% in 2008, 0.1% in 2009 and 0.2% in 2010.[49] |
J Nair | 2007 | Chikungunya | Homoeopathic medicine Bryonia 30c was distributed as a preventive to 19,750 people in Kerala and it was found to be better than placebo in decreasing the incidence of Chikungunya.[50] |
L. Nunes | 2007 | Dengue | A campaign was carried in Brazil where distribution of 1560,00 doses of homoeopathic complex containing Phosp 30c, Crot hor 30c and Eup perf 30c was done resulting in 93% reduction in incidence whereas rest of the state showed increase of 128%.[51] |
B. Gustavo | 2007 | Leptospirosis | In Cuba, in high-risk regions with a population of 2.4 million persons, 2.1 millions received one or two doses of homeoprophylaxis and the incidence of Leptospirosis was significantly diminished by 84% in the group. The intervention was “strongly associated with a drastic reduction of disease incidence resulting in complete control of the epidemic.” The protective effect continued into 2008 with an 84% reduction in leptospirosis cases for the treated areas though no further prophylactic had been given. Leptospirosis infections in untreated areas increased by 22%.[52] |
– | 2008 | Malaria | At Kendu Bay, Kenya, where malaria is endemic, 34 clients participated in a homeoprophylaxis observational field study. In the 6 months prior to the study, all participants had experienced malaria-like symptoms at least once a month or every two weeks. Over the course of the study and use of the prophylactic only 12% (4 out of the 34 respondents) experienced an attack of malaria or malaria-like symptoms.[53] |
Lyrio C | 2011 | Flu | Nosodes or placebo was given for 30 days to 450 children in Brazil to test their effectiveness in preventing flu and acute respiratory infections. Over the next 12 months the incidence of diagnosed acute respiratory infection or flu was 3 times higher in the placebo group than those given the prophylactics. The researchers commented that the low cost of treatment and the absence of adverse effects made these nosodes a useful Public Health Service.[54] |
– | 2011-2013 | Malaria | In 2011, homoeopathic prophylactic was distributed to 9 areas within Chhattisgarh. Those in unprotected areas were 5 times more likely to contract the disease. On the strength of these results the program was expanded to 20 areas in 2012 and 40 areas in 2013.[55] |
– | 2012 | Whooping cough | In an Irish trial involving 112 children (aged 1-2 months), those given homeoprophylactics for childhood diseases including whooping cough were less likely to experience severe symptoms of the diseases if contracted than the vaccinated comparison group.[56] |
S. Gadugu | 2014 | Japanese encephalitis | After introduction of homeoprophylaxis in Japanese encephalitis in Andhra Pradesh, the incidence of the disease decreased dramatically.[57] |
– | 2014 | Dengue | The Sing Buri province of Thailand reported the lowest incidence of dengue fever of all provinces following the distribution of a homeoprophylactic by the Thai government.[58] |
B. Kawan | 2017 | Cholera | After the terrible earthquake in Nepal, homeopathic remedies Merc., Aars., Cham., Acon. has been used by a Red Cross team in a camp of about 50,000 earthquake victims, with an advantage in the prevention of Cholera.[59] |
Historical evidences of Homoeopathic Treatment in Epidemics/Pandemics
Name of the Physician | Year | Epidemic/ Pandemic | Evidences |
Hahnemann | 1813 | Typhus | At the time when Typhus was considered incurable, a success rate of 100% in treating 183 Typhus patients.[62] |
Hahnemann | 1831 | Asiatic cholera | The use of Camphor, Cuprum met and Verat alb can prevent as well as cure cholera.[63] Homeopathy decreased the death rate from an average of about 50% down to 1-2% .[19] |
Dr. J. Bakody | 1831 | Cholera | In Hungary, 223 cases were treated and only 8 died. People addressed a petition to the allopathic physicians demanding Homoeopathy.[64] |
Dr. Karl | – | Typhus | Dr. Karl, Boenninghausen’s son, was successful in treating a severe epidemic of typhus in Westphalia.[64] |
Dr. George Henry Bute | – | Asiatic cholera | He met with great success in Philadelphia, where the Asiatic cholera had broken out in a virulent form.[64] |
Dr. Anton Fischer | 1831 | Cholera | He achieved results in cholera which astonished the opponents of Homoeopathy.[64] |
Dr. Adolphus Gerstel | 1831 | Asiatic cholera | He treated 300 cases of cholera in different villages, at Prague with extremely fortunate results and only showed 32 deaths.[64] |
Dr. Herrmann | 1827 | Dysentery | During an epidemic of dysentery achieved brilliant results with Homoeopathic treatment.[64] |
Dr.Georg August Heinrich | – | Scarlatina | He received from the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences the great silver medal of merit in the treatment of epidemic of very malignant form of Scarlatina.[64] |
Dr. François Perrussel | 1849-1857 | Cholera, Diphtheria | When cholera first appeared in France, he won a bronze medal at Marseilles. With an official commission from the government, in 1849, at Nantes and in 1854 in Champagne, received for his devotion a gold medal. He also attended at Anjou, in 1857, a terrible epidemic of diphtheria.[64] |
Dr. Joseph Hippolyte Pulte | – | Diphtheria | He embodied his experiences, reflections and successful treatment during diphtheria epidemic in a monograph which had an extensive circulation in the West.[64] |
Dr. Frederick Hervey Foster | 1831 | Cholera | Dr. Quin did with signal success during cholera in Moravia. London Homoeopathic Hospital was converted into a cholera hospital, and the remarkable results obtained were refused for publication in the Blue Book which afterwards, at the instance of Parliament, incorporated in a separate Blue Book.[64] |
Dr. Gustavus Reichelm | – | Measles, Whooping cough, Scarlet Fever | Dr. Reichelm, the ” Dutch Doctor”, during twelve years under his medical administration of measles, whooping cough and scarlet fever, reported only two deaths.[64] |
Dr. Joseph Roth | – | Cholera | He published a voluminous report which established great superiority of homoeopathic method against the epidemic of cholera. |
_ | 1849 | Cholera | In a well-documented epidemic of cholera in Cincinnati in 1849, two homeopathic physicians treated 2,646 cases with 35 deaths, a mortality rate of 1.3%, while, allopathy lost, one half of their cases.[19] |
Adolph Lippe | 1849 | Malignant Scarlet fever | In Pennsylvania, Lippe treated over 150 cases without a single death, while under conventional medicine was over 90 percent.[64] |
Dr. Rocco Rubini | 1854-1865 | Cholera | He used Camphor in the epidemics of cholera in 1854, 1855 and 1865, and out of 448 cases, every case was cured. Out of 255 cases treated by others in the same manner in Naples and Abruzzi provinces, only two deaths were recorded. Records are documented in a book entitled “Statistics of Cholera Patients Cured Solely by the Use of Camphor in 1854-55 and 65.”[64] |
Dr. Gustav Adolph Schreter | – | Cholera | He proved the efficacy of Homoeopathy during the destructive epidemic of cholera which withstood the allopathic treatment.[64] |
Dr. Carl Friedrich Christoph Schwarze | – | Cholera | He treated the severest cases of cholera no matter how hopeless the condition.[64] |
Dr. Seider | 1832 | Cholera | He treated at Wishni Wolotschok 202 cholera patients. Of these, he treated in the allopathic manner 93, of whom 69 died. He treated homoeopathically 109 cases, and of these only 23 died.[64] |
Dr. Seuber | 1831 | Cholera | In the cholera epidemic of 1831, he treated 209 cases. Of these 93 refused to be treated homoeopatically and were given allopathic treatment- 69 died, 116 were treated homoeopathically, and only 23 died.[64] |
Dr. Swoff | 1831 | Cholera | He treated at Saratov 939 cases with loss of only 78.[64] |
Dr. Tscherwinzky | 1831 | Cholera | In Schitzmir, a highly favorable report of homoeopathic treatment in cholera to the Minister of the Interior caused an order to the medical authority of Wolkynia to use that method in future epidemics, in consequence of which, in 1837, he treated 400 patients of whom only twelve died.[64] |
Pastor J. M. Veith | 1831-32 | Cholera | He was especially successful with homoeopathic remedies.[64] |
Dr. G. A. Weber | – | Measles | He was physician to the Prince of Solms-Lich in Darmstadt. During an attack of a very malignant epidemic of measles, he treated 100 children by the homoeopathic method without losing one.[64] |
_ | 1860 | Malignant Diphtheria | Three homeopathic physicians in Philadelphia reported having treated 300 cases of malignant diphtheria without a single death while the mortality under conventional medicine was over 50%.[19] |
_ | 1918-1920 | Spanish flu | An estimated 50-100 million deaths worldwide, mortality rate from the combined effects of Influenza and Pneumonia under conventional medical care was 5.8% while under homeopathy was 0.7%.[19] |
_ | 1918-1920 | Spanish flu | Mortality from the combined effects of Influenza and Pneumonia in pregnant women under conventional medical care was 30% whereas with homeopathic care it was only 0.7%.[19] |
_ | 1918-1919 | Spanish flu | The death rates for patients treated with homeopathy was 1 to 2% compared with 30 to 60% mortality for those treated by conventional physicians.[1] |
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India (GOI) has also taken steps to undertake research proposals from all streams of Ayush to generate scientific evidence on COVID-19.[69]
Earlier Scientific Advisory Board of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) had also considered Ars alb to be advised for prevention of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) on the basis of evidence from studies.[83-85] Ars alb as one of the constituents in a formsulation has been shown to affect HT29 cells and human macrophages. Also, it showed ↓NF-κB hyperactivity (reduced expression of reporter gene GFP in transfect HT29 cells), ↓TNF-α release in macrophages.[86]
In China, doctors constituted two sets of homeopathic symptom pictures of COVID-19 indicating Bry alba and Gels. They gave Gels 30c as a preventive medicine to 4-5% of the population in one area and in another area out of 6,00,000 people 50% got Gels. In both the areas no sick people were recorded. They also treated several mild or medium ill COVID-19 patients with Gels, Bry alba, Eup per in succession. They started to recover on first day and within 3 days they were healthy. The American Institute of Homeopathy database reveals Bry alba and Ars alb make up about 50% of the successful prescriptions.[19]
In the Italian study on a group of 50 symptomatic Corona positive patients, the prescribed medications in order of frequency were Bry alba (21 times), Ars alb (16 times), Phos flavus (9 times), Atr bell (6 times), Antim tart (6 times). The hospitalization rate of this group treated homeopathically for 2019-nCoV was zero. No adverse events were observed during homeopathic treatments.[87]
Dr. Rajan Sankaran advised to give Camphora 1M twice daily for 2 days as a prophylactic, Camphora 1M 6 hourly to people who have got the infection and Camphora 10 M 6 hourly for those with severe lung complications.[88]
The international homeopathic medical society, Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI), representing homeopathic physicians in more than 70 countries all over the world also analyzed 132 Covid-19 cases and 76 (57.5%) of them responded well to three medicines namely Ars alb, Bry and Gels.[89]
CCRH through its network of 26 Institutes/Units all over India has been conducting medical relief camps in communicable diseases since its inception such as conjunctivitis, dengue, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), bacillary dysentery, yellow fever, jaundice, typhoid, measles, meningitis, cholera, viral fevers, kala azar, plague, malaria, swine flu and chikungunya. Homoeopathic medicines were distributed for various disease conditions as mentioned above as per the genus epidemicus for preventive purpose.[44] CCRH had so far undertaken clinical trials in Dengue, Acute Encephalitis syndrome(AES)/JE, Chikungunya and ILI.
There will always be epidemics and humanity will always be susceptible to them. Every epidemic is unique and because the test of a system of medicine is not in what it promises but in what it performs, homeopathy is always ready to face such uniqueness, regardless of its newest or severity.
HOMOEOPATHY IN EPIDEMICS
Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, through its network of 22 Institutes/ Units all over India, has been conducting medical relief camps in communicable diseases since its inception. Council had taken a randomized control trial on Chikungunya in 2007 and Influenza like illness in 2010. The various communicable diseases on which CCRH has conducted medical camps are conjunctivitis, dengue, japanese encephalitis, bacillary dysentery, yellow fever, jaundice, typhoid, measles, meningitis, cholera, viral fevers, kala azar, plague, malaria, chikungunya and recent past swine flu and chikungunya. Homoeopathic medicines were distributed for various disease conditions as mentioned above as per the genus epidemicus for preventive purpose. Similarly homoeopathic medicines were given for treatment purpose after a person got infected with the said disease tailored to the patient as per individualization.
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | treatment |
Bacillary Dysentery | Gonda | June, 1985 | – | Kali mur., Kali phos., Nux vomica, Merc. sol., Merc. cor., Pulsatilla |
Bacillary Dysentery | Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) | August 1985 | – | Aloe soc., Merc. cor., Mag. phos.6X |
Epidemics | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | |
Chikungunya | Islands of Androth, Kalapanini, Lakshwdeep | 11th – 17th Dec.2006 | Bryonia alba 200 | Bryonia alba, Rhus tox. |
Chikungunya | Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) | June-Sept. 2006 | Eupatorium perf. 200 | Arsenic alb.200, Apis 200, China 200, Eupatorium perf. 200, Rhus tox. 200 |
Chikungunya | Gudivada | June-Oct.2006 | Rhus toxicodendron – 200 | – |
Chikungunya | Kerala | 14th Sep.- 25th Oct. 2006 | Bryonia alba 30 | – |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Cholera | Jeypore (Orissa), Gonda, Bharuch (Gujarat) & Calcutta (West Bengal) | 1985-86 | Antim. tart. 200 | Antim. tart. 200, Arsenic alb. 200, Bryonia 200, Camphor 200, Carbo veg. 200, Nux vomica 200, Podo. 200, Veratrum alb. 200 |
Cholera | Delhi | 1988 | Camphor Q | – |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Conjunctivitis | Gudivada, (Andhra Pradesh) Hyderabad, (Andhra Pradesh) | Sep.-Oct. 1985 | Argentum nitricum 200 | Argentum nitricum 200 Belladonna 30, 200 Euphrasia eye drops Rhus. tox. 30,200 |
Conjunctivitis | Bahadurgarh, (Haryana) Ghaziabad, (Uttar Pradesh) | 1986-87 | Belladonna 200 | Argentum nitricum 200 Belladonna 200 Euphrasia eye drops Rhus. tox. 200 |
Conjunctivitis | Delhi | July- Sept.1988 | Belladonna 200 | Argentum nitricum Belladonna Euphrasia |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Dengue | Delhi | 1982; 1996 | Denguinum 30 | – |
Dengue | Kottayam, Kerala | 2012 | Nux vomica 30 | – |
Dengue | Delhi | 2012 | Eupatorium Perfoliatum 30 | – |
- EPIDEMIC FEVER
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Epidemic fever | Kerala | July 2001 | Bryonia alba 30 followed by a dose of Sulphur 200 |
- VIRAL FEVER
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | treatment |
Viral Fever | Delhi | 1987 – 1988 | – | Arsenic alb., Bryonia alba, Belladona, Pulsatilla |
- YELLOW FEVER
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Yellow fever | New Delhi | 1987-1988 | – | Arsenic alb., Bryonia alba, Belladona, Pulsatilla |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Flu like illness | All over India | July 2010 | Arsenic album 30 | – |
Flu like illness | All over India | 2012 | Arsenic album 30 | Belladonna 30,200, Gelsemium 30, 200, Natrum muriatum 30, 200, Phosphorus 30, Rhus tox 30, 200. |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Gastroenteritis | Tripura | 1885-86 | Arsenic album 200 | Mercurius cor.,Veratrum album, Aloe socotrina |
Gastroenteritis | Delhi | 1988 | Arsenic album 200 | – |
Gastroenteritis | Krishna district, Andra Pradesh | 1990-91 | Arsenic album 30 | China officinalis 30, Ipecacuanha 30 Merc. Sol., Podophyllum, Rhus tox. |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Japanese Encephalitis | Midnapore, West Bengal | 1984 | Gelsemium 30 | Apis mellifica 30 Arsenicum album30 Gelsemium 30 |
Japanese Encephalitis | Gorakhpur, Basti Maharajganj (Uttar Pradesh) | 1986, 1989, 1990 | Opium Stramonium Hyoscyamus Belladonna Belladonna 200 | Arsenic alb. , Antim. tart., Belladonna, Bryonia, Gelsemium, Rhus tox. Belladonna, Bryonia, Causticum, Cicuta virosa, Gelsemium, Helleborus, Rhus tox. |
Japanese Encephalitis | Gorakhpur, UP | 28th Dec – 4th Jan.1992 | Belladonna 200 | – |
Japanese Encephalitis | Gorakhpur, UP | Sep.-Oct. 2005 | Belladonna 200 | – |
Japanese Encephalitis | Muzzafarpur (Bihar) | June 1995 | Belladonna 200 | Arsenic alb. 30, Helleborus 30 |
Japanese Encephalitis | Imphal | July 2010 | Belladonna 200 | – |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Jaundice | Surat, Rajkot (Gujarat), Kolkata (West Bengal), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) | 1984-85 | Chelidonium majus 6 Malandrinum 200C | Bryonia 6,30 |
Jaundice | Delhi | 1987-1988, | Chelidonium majus 6 | Bryonia 30, 200 Sulphur 30, 200 Pulsatilla 30,200 |
Jaundice | Bhopal | May- June 1988 | Chelidonium majus 200 | Ars. alb. 30, Chelidonium 200, China 200, Lycopodium 200, Nux vomica |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Kala Azar | Burdwan & Hooghly (West Bengal) | 1988 -1989 | – | Andro. panic. Q, Ceanothus Q, 30, 200 China ars. 30, 200 China off. 30, 200 Gelsemium 30, 200 Nux vomica 30, 200 |
Kala Azar | Burdwan & Hooghly (West Bengal) | 1990- 1991 | – | Andro. panic. Q, Bacillinum 3x Ceanothus Q, 6 China ars. 200 China sulph. 3X Nux vomica 30, 200 Sulphur 30, 200 |
Kala Azar | Muzzafarpur (Bihar) | 1991- 1992 | – | Arsenic alb. 30,200 Apis 30,200 China off. 30 Chelidonium Q Ferrum ars.30 Gelsemium 30, 200 Natrum ars. 30 Tuberculinum 200, 1M Tinospora cordifolia Q Sulphur 30,200 |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Malaria | Distt. of Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) | 25th –30th Oct. 1994 | Arsenic alb. 30 | Arsenic alb. , Alstonia constricta, China ars., China sulph. , Eupatorium perf., Veratrum album |
Malaria | Barmer, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) | 8th -15th Oct., 2004 | – | – |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Measles | Gonda (Uttar Pradesh) Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) | 1985-86 | Arsenic alb.30, Kali mur., Pulsatilla 30 | Aconite 30, Antim. tart. 30, Arsenic alb. 30, Apis. 30, Carbo veg. 30, Pulsatilla 30, Ferrum phos 6X, Gelsemium 30, Sulphur 30 |
Measles | Jaipur (Rajasthan) | 1985- 1986 | – | Calc. carb. 200, Crotallus hor. 30, Drosera 200, Merc. sol. 200 |
Measles | Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) | 1986-87 | Ipecac. | Ipecac. Pulsatilla Sulphur |
Measles | Bharuch (Gujarat) | 1997-1998 | – | Arsenicum alb.30, 200 Bryonia 30,200 Belladonna 30, 200 Gelsemium 30,200 Euphrasia 30,200 Sulphur 30,200 |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Meningitis | Delhi | April, 1985 | Belladonna 200 | – |
Meningitis | Jagdalpur (Madhya Pradesh) | 1992 | Argentum nit.200 | – |
Meningitis | Jeypore (Orissa) | 1987- 1988 | Belladonna 200 | Aconite 200 Belladonna 200 Bryonia 200 Cicuta virosa 200 |
Meningitis | Vijaywada (AP) | 1989-90 | Belladonna 200 | – |
Meningitis | Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) | 1987- 1988 1989 -90 1990-91 | Argentum nit. 200 Meningococcinum 200 | Argentum nit. 200 Bacillinum 200 Belladonna 30,200 China 30, 200 Gelsemium 30, 200 Helleborus 30,200 Hyoscyamus 30,200 Meningococcinum 200 Tuberculinum 200 |
Meningitis | Vijianagaram (Andhra Pradesh) | 1989-90 | Belladonna 200 | – |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Plague | Surat, (Gujarat)) | 25th – 30th Sep. 1994 | Phosphorus 30 | – |
Plague | Beed, Solapur (Maharashtra | 1994 | Belladonna | – |
Plague | Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) | 1994 | Ignatia 200 | – |
Name of the Epidemics/ Calamities | Place of occurrence | Period of camp organized by CCRH | Genus Epidemicus identified | Other medicines used for treatment |
Typhoid | New Delhi | 1987-1988 | Typhoidinum 200 | – |
Implications for the future
Homeopathy appears to have a number of potential advantages in infectious diseases:
- It has high acceptability, as high proportion of patients suffering from infectious diseases, spontaneously seek homeopathic treatment
- It is relatively safe and cost-effective. The low cost of the medicines may, however, be offset by longer or more frequent consultations and costs may vary between countries and systems of reimbursement
- Homoeopathic medicines can be manufactured easily in large scale and easy distribution make it a viable option during epidemics/pandemics
- It is safe and effective when used as an adjuvant or add-on to conventional treatment. There is a possible role of integration of homeopathy with the standard care for the treatment of all types of infectious diseases including those with high mortality and morbidity. It may lead to reduction in hospital stay, cost of care, loss of work-days, increased compliance to conventional treatment, thus may reduce health-care burden on hospitals, government policies
- Homeopathic treatment may help when use of antibiotics is not indicated and anti-virals/antibiotics are not yet tested for new emerging diseases
- Due to the heterogeneity of approaches, and of drugs used, more studies will be required to add to the existing evidence in different clinical conditions.
