Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in what is now Germany in the late 1700s. Dana Ullman has a wonderful article with historical information. https://homeopathic.com/a-condensed-history-of-homeopathy/
The main principal of homeopathy, put forth by Hahnemann, is "like cures like". To illustrate this, consider a person with influenza who is experiencing very sudden symptoms of a pounding headache, high fever with heat radiating from the body, and glistening eyes which are sensitive to light. This condition is likely to respond to the remedy Belladonna. If a healthy person were to take a material dose (this would be the plant itself, without the potentization process) of Belladonna, which should obviously never be done, they would experience these symptoms. Because of the process of homeopathic preparation, the properties of Belladonna will heal the symptoms it would have caused if taken materially.
This homeopathic foundation of like cures like, or similia similibus curantur is not “same cures same.” The latter is known as isopathy, and though it is considered a branch of homeopathy, it does not come close to rivaling classical homeopathy in its effectiveness, although it may occasionally be useful. Someone being treated with isopathy would be given the same substance that caused their disease state. For example, someone with mercury poisoning would be given Mercurius, the potentized form of mercury.
Materia medica
Calcarea carbonica is made from the inner layer of an oyster shell. A person who would benefit from this remedy would be cold and feel sluggish. Like the oyster, they prefer to be at home, hiding in their “shell”. They may experience profuse sweating, particularly on the head at night. The pillow may be wet on waking. There is a lot of congestion in this remedy. The nose is stopped so the person has to breathe through the mouth, there is thick discharge from the ear, and headaches often result from the pressure of the congestion. In keeping with the sluggish feeling of a Calcarea person, food sits in the stomach due to slow digestion and there is constipation. Another theme of this remedy is relaxation. The relaxation of tissues often leads to back pain and ligament issues.
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