Human Homeopathic Prevention Records Studies and Trials
Scarlet Fever: In the Beginning …
1799: Homeoprophylaxis was born during an epidemic of Scarlet Fever in Germany. In 1799, Samuel Hahnemann the father of Homeopathy, discovered that the homeopathic remedy Belladonna could prevent infection during an epidemic of Scarlet Fever if given to people before exposure.1
Following Hahnemann’s example, another eleven medical doctors prescribed Belladonna during the same epidemic. They reported that of 1,646 children exposed to scarlet fever after being given Belladonna, only 123 (7.4%) developed symptoms of infection. In contrast, the infection rate in those who did not receive the prophylactic was as high as 90%.2
1838: The Prussian Government ordered the use of Belladonna during all scarlet fever epidemics after a report from their protomedicus, Hufeland, showed it to be an effective prophylactic.3
Cholera
1831: Samuel Hahnemann prevented and treated cholera during the 1831 Asiatic cholera epidemic with the remedies Camphor, Cuprum metallicum and Veratrum album. Accounts can be read in, Cure and Prevention of Asiatic Cholera.4
1849: Dr Clemens von Boenninghausen treated and prevented untold numbers of cholera infections during the 1949 European epidemic with the above remedies recommended by Hahnemann. While a death rate of 54-90% occurred with conventional treatment, Boenninghausen’s patients had a mortality rate of only 5-16%.5
Diphtheria
1932: Laboratory experiments published by Dr Chavanon showed that 45 children became Schick test negative (indicating the presence of antibodies to diphtheria) after being treated with Diphtherinum.6
1941: The test was repeated by Drs Patterson and Boyd with 23 out of 33 children becoming Schick test negative after being given Diphtherinum.7
1947: Dr Roux repeated the test and produced a similar result.8
Hepatitis
1991: Homeopathic Phosphorus has been known for many years to be a prophylactic for viral hepatitis. Dr Eizayaga of Brazil has noted both its curative and preventative effect. When treating individuals with hepatitis, he would also give their family members and school-mates the Phosphorus prophylactic. None contracted hepatitis in spite of being in close contact.9
Influenza
Almost 20 percent of the patients treated by conventional medical physicians contracted the flu. Among the homeopathically treated patients, only 6.5 percent came down with the disease. The homeopathic patients who did become ill, recovered more rapidly than their allopathically treated patients. The number of working days lost by the allopathically treated patients was nearly eight and a half times greater than those lost by homeopathic patients.10
Japanese Encephalitis
2000: Public Health Centres, Government Homeopathic Dispensaries, homoeopathic pharmacies, and homoeopathic doctors distributed and administered homeopathic Belladonna during a Japanese encephalitis (Brain Fever) epidemic in Southern India in 2000. Belladonna has been the homeopathic prophylactic of choice for decades with this disease. In this epidemic there had been a high number of fatalities in children. Following the administration of Belladonna there was a rapid decline in fatalities.11
Leptospirosis
2007-8: Cuban medical researchers reported that in late 2007, their annual epidemic of Leptospirosis was prevented by homeopathy. Of the 2,500,000 people given the prophylactic, only ten developed the disease, a marked contrast to the tens of thousands normally infected each year. No lives were lost and the program was highly cost-effective in comparison to traditional and less effective vaccine programs. The protective effect continued into 2008 with an 84% reduction in leptospirosis cases for the treated area. Leptospirosis infectins in untreated areas increased by 22%.12
Malaria
2003: A Malarial Trial conducted by Assie Pittendrigh in Kenya between 2003-2005 used homeopathic Malaria co in a group of 33 volunteers. Twenty-one of the participants had experienced 1 – 3 malaria episodes in the 18 months prior to the trial. During the trial, one person thought he may have developed malaria but this was not verified by blood test. After a full recovery in a matter of hours, malaria was considered unlikely. All other participants in the trial remained malaria free.13
Meningococcal Disease
1974: During a Meningococcal epidemic in Brazil, 18,640 children were immunised homeopathically to protect against Meningococcal, and 6,340 were not. The following results were obtained:
- 18,640 protected homeopathically – 4 cases of Meningococcal infection.
- 6,340 not protected – 32 cases of Meningococcal infection.
Based on the infection (attack) rate in the unprotected group, 94 cases of infection would have been expected in the homeopathically protected group. Instead, there were only four cases of Meningococcal, showing that the homeopathic option was 95% effective against the Meningicoccal disease.15
1998: The results of the first study led to the Brazilian government to fund a larger study, 24 years later. It was conducted by two Professors of Medicine from the University Foundation in Blumenau, Brazil, and a Blumenau specialist physician and Health City Secretary.
A total of 65,826 people between the ages of 0–20 were immunised homeopathically to protect against Meningococcal while 23,532 were not. Over a 12 month period, the following results were obtained:
- 65,826 protected homeopathically – 4 cases of Meningococcal infection.
- 23,532 not protected – 20 cases of Meningococcal infection.
Based on the infection (attack) rate in the unprotected group, 58 cases of infection would have been expected in the homeopathically protected group. Instead, there were only four cases of Meningococcal. Statistical analysis showed that homeopathic immunisation offered 95% protection in the first six months and 91% protection over the year against Meningococcal disease.16
Both of these studies used only low to medium range potencies ofMeningococcinum for protection and only one oral dose per person was given. One would anticipate longer and possibly increased rates of protection if higher potencies and more than one dose had been given; this has certainly been clinical experience elsewhere and indicated by recent research conducted in Australia.
The researchers of this study were at pains to point out that the use ofMeningococcinum for protection is not a new development and list another 10 references to the topic of homeopathic immunisation.
Poliomyelitis
1850: during an epidemic of poliomyelitis, Dr Taylor Smith of Johannesburg, South Africa protected 82 people with homoeopathic Lathyrus sativus. Of the 82 so immunised, 12 came into direct contact with disease. None were infected. 17
Dr Grimmer of Chicago prophylactically treated 5,000 young children with Lathyrus sativus. None developed polio.18
1956: In a study between 1956-58, Dr Heisfelder immunized over 6,000 children with this Lathyrus sativus. There were no side effects and no cases of polio reported in the group.19
1957: A severe poliomyelitis epidemic occurred in Buenos Aires. The majority of homoeopathic doctors prescribed Lathyrus sativus as a preventative. Drug stores distributed thousands of doses to the public. None of those who used the prophylactic registered a case of contagion.20
1975: During another poliomyelitis epidemic in Buenos Aires, 40,000 were given the homeopathic prophylactic Lathyrus sativus. None developed poliomyelitis.21
Smallpox
1800’s: Clemens von Boenninghausen (1785-1864) used Thuja for both the treatment and prevention of smallpox during an epidemic. When given to uninfected family members of households with members already sick with the disease, not one of them went on to contract it.22
1902: Dr Eaton reported that during a smallpox epidemic in Iowa, 2806 patients were treated prophylactically with Variolinum. Of the 547 patients definitely exposed, only 14 developed the disease. The protection rate on these numbers was 97%.23
1 Hahnemann S. 1801. Cure and Prevention of Scarlet Fever, p. 369-384, The Lesser Writings of Samuel Hahnemann, republished by B. Jain Publishers, 1993, New Dehli.
2 Dudgeon R. E. 1853. Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Homeopathy, p.541,2. Republished by B. Jain Publishers, 2002, New Dehli.
3 Hufeland. 1828.Prophylactic Power of Belladonna in Scarlet Fever, Hufeland’s Journal.
4 Hahnemann S. 1801. Cure and Prevention of Asiatic Cholera, p.755, The Lesser Writings of Samuel Hahnemann, republished by B. Jain Publishers, 1993, New Dehli.
5 Von Boenninghausen, C. Baron. Lesser Writings.
6 Chavanon, P. 1952. La Dipterie, 4th Ed, St Denis, Niort: Imprimerie.
7 Patterson, J. and Boyd, W.E. Potency Action: A Preliminary Study of the Alternation of the Schick Test by a Homeopathic Potency. British Homeopathic Journal. 1941; 31: pp.301-309.
8 Eizayaga. F. Tratamiento Homeopatico de las Enfermedades Agudas y Su Prevension. Homeopatia. 1985; 51(324): pp. 352-362.
9 Treatise on Homeopathic Medicine by Francisco Eizayaga, MD, published by Ediciones Maracel, Buenos Aires, Brazil, 1991
10 Krishnamurty, Report on the use of Influenzinum during the outbreak of epidemic in India in 1968. Hahnemannian Gleanings 1970;37:225-6.
11 The Hindu Online. 2003. Japanese Encephalitis on the decline in State.Link
12 Bracho G, Varela E, Fernández R, et al. Large-scale application of highly-diluted bacteria for Leptospirosis epidemic control. Homeopathy 2010; 99: 156-166.
13 Partington, T. Silent and Deadly: Prophylaxis and Treatment of Malaria.Homeopathy in Practice, 2006, pp.14-19.
14 Barlow-Benschop, N.M.; Gamba C.; Barlow S.P.; Blasco T. M. 2006. The Effect of a Homeopathic Neem Preparation for the Prophylaxis of Malaria: An exploratory trial in an at-home setting in Tanzania.
http://www.abhalight.org/files/Neem%20report.pdf
15 Castro, D. & Nogueira, G. G. (1975). Use of the nosode Meningococcinum as a preventative against meningitis. Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1975 Dec 68 (4), 211-219.
16 Mronisnski C, Adriano E & Mattos G. (1998/99) Meningococcinum: Its protective effect against Meningococcal disease, Homeopathic Links, Vol 14 Winter 2001, 230-234.
18 Currim, A.M. Ed. 1996. The Collected Works of Arthur Grimmer, M.D. Norwalk and Greifenberg: Hahnemann International Institute for Homeopathic Documentation.
19 Eisfelder, HW, “Poliomyelitis Immunization: A Final Report.” Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy. V. 54, Nov-Dec 1961, pp. 166-167.
20 Treatise on Homeopathic Medicine by Francisco Eizayaga, MD, published by Ediciones Maracel, Buenos Aires, Brazil, 1991
21 Treatise on Homeopathic Medicine by Francisco Eizayaga, MD, published by Ediciones Maracel, Buenos Aires, Brazil, 1991
22 Von Boenninghausen, C. Baron. Vide Concerning the Curative Effects of Thuja in Smallpox. Lesser Writings.
23 Eaton, C.W. Variolinum, JAIH, 1907