Cholera Epidemic - Homeopathy holds healing and empowerment for the Haitian people

Homeopathy, as a system of healing, holds the possibility of significant benefit for those suffering from cholera, as well as provides health care empowerment generally for the people of Haiti. The current epidemic in Haiti is an ongoing crisis. So far, over 1,700 people have died and 72,000 have been treated for symptoms of cholera since the first outbreak late October.

In fact, scientists from the CDC and Pan American Health Organization have said that this cholera epidemic is actually part of a 49 year old global pandemic and could continue to worsen despite efforts to control it. Where human living conditions are not maintained adequately, cholera epidemics have been known to last for years. From 1816 to 1826 there was a worldwide cholera pandemic where over 43 million people died.

Homeopathy has a long history of having highly successful results in the prevention and treatment of cholera in epidemics. Microdilutions of clinically proven substances are used as remedies to powerfully stimulate the body's ability to heal itself. The practice of homeopathy is safe, produces no side effects, and will not create resistant strains of microbes including cholera.

There are numerous statistics documented in medical journals from the '1800s' when cholera epidemics and pandemics were rampant. In 1854 there was a cholera epidemic in London. The death rate for the standard treatment of the time was 51.9%; whereas, the death rate for those treated by homeopathy was only 16.4%. In the US epidemic of 1836 the death rate for the medicine of the day was 60%; whereas, the death rate for those who were treated Homeopathically was just 3%.

In an 1830-1832 cholera epidemic Samuel Hahnemann, the "Founder of Homeopathy", was able to identify the stages of illness and predict what Homeopathic remedies would be needed for which stages. The practice of Homeopathy in many situations requires a professional level of care because the array of potential remedies to choose from is complex. However, the situation is different in an epidemic where only a handful of efficacious remedies emerge in the area of geographical infection.

Classically the remedies Camphor, Cuprum and Veratrum Album have a well-established track record in the prevention and successful treatment of cholera. These select and proven remedies can easily be taught to Haitian health care workers, as well as others, for appropriate administration. Therefore Homeopathy has the capacity to empower the people locally to help themselves with a means of healing that is gentle, safe, inexpensive, readily available and effective.

Ultimately, to keep cholera from spreading further, the conditions under which it arises must also be addressed. Poverty is a breeding ground for epidemics. Poor water supplies, lack of proper hygiene and inadequate sanitation are all a result of poverty.

Conditions of poverty in several parts of the world today are beginning to be addressed successfully by measures that are empowering people to help themselves. As a proven resource for both prevention and healing, Homeopathic care would provide an excellent and workable complement to the sanitation and hydration measures we know are necessary. Homeopathy has great potential to be an important part of the solution to help the ravaged people of Haiti, empowering them to integrate a system of healing that can be for and from the people themselves.

Sources:

Nichols, P.A. Homeopathy and the Medical Profession. London: Croom Helm 1988
Homeopathy and the Treatment of Epidemic Diseases. Winston, Perko, Dewey, Tamplin 6-07
J of the House of Representatives of the State of MI 1861
NY Times-Haiti nearly a year later. Nicholas D Kristof 12-1-10
TV nz 11-2 Reuters
http://homeopathy.wildfalcon.com
NY Times-Can microlending save Haiti? Daniel Costello 11-13-10

» Britain on course for flu epidemic Children going back to school will trigger major flu epidemic
» The People of Paradise: The Deeds for Which People Will Deserve to Enter Paradise
» Cholera
» Silica is a vital healing component in bentonite clay
» Epidemic hits Coast