The term “Homoeopathy” originated from the Greek words “Homoeos” and “Pathos” which means “similar” and “suffering or disease” respectively.
Homeopathic system of treatment is based on the axioms OR low “similia similibus curentur” which means “let like be treated by likes”.
Though this is a practice known to the world in the earlier generations, the credit of using it in the science of healing for the first time and developing it into a branch of medical science goes to Samuel Hahnemann.
Introduction and Cinchona Bark experiment
Dr. Christian Fredrich Samuel Hahnemann was a German Allopathic Physician. Although he was an allopathic medical practitioner, he stopped it with utter dissatisfaction towards the medical science that he had mastered and started translating books from German to English. While his translation work was going on he came across a comment from Cullen’s work, Materia Medica which stated it was the bitter taste of cinchona bark that cured Malaria. This aroused the curiosity of Dr. Hahnemann experimented the medicine on his body. Surprisingly, his body showed symptoms of Malaria and then he tested the same on his family members also. This was the first ever drug proving that led to the discovery of Homoeopathy in 1790.
Dr. Hahnemann ingested 4drams of cinchona bark twice daily for a few days. To his great astonishment, he was attacked by symptoms very similar to ague or malarial fever. The result of this drug proving was unexpected which gave his mind new thoughts and he conducted similar experiments on himself and other individuals with other medicines whose curative action in certain diseases had been well established.
Homeopathy origin in India
Homeopathy came to India in 1810 when a French traveler, Dr. John Martin Honigberger who was a disciple of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann visited India and started treating patients with Homoeopathy.
In his second visit in the year 1839, he treated the then ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh with Dulcamara. Maharaja was so happy with results and he encouraged him to continue the Homeopathic treatment in India.
In 1952, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the then Union Health Minister appointed a Homeopathic Ad-hoc Committee which functioned up to 1954. In 1954 Government constituted a Homeopathic Advisory Committee. In the year 1956, this Advisory Committee was taken over by the Minister of Health and Secretary in the Ministry of Health became its first Chairman. Govt. of India appointed Dr. K. G. Saxena as first Honorary Homeopathic Advisor in 1962. A council named as Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Committee was established in the year 1962 to set up a standard of Homeopathic drugs. In the year 1969 for the development of Homeopathic drugs, an autonomous council was established. The day when CCH foundation was laid was 17th December 1973, Central Council of Homoeopathy was established by the Government of India with the enactment of Central Council of Homoeopathy Act, 1973.
