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Schwabe News Volume 2 | Issue 3 | June 2011

Editorial

We are in the beginning of the 21^st century. Homoeopathy is spreading more and more into more geographical areas. It gives hope that there is more space for homoeopathy to grow. On the other hand there are areas which need to be changed. For instance, the universally accepted standards for homoeopathic medicine are to be achieved. Regulation of homoeopathic medicines is yet to be formulated in many countries. To discuss such opportunities and challenges, Deutsche Homöopathie-Union (DHU), homoeopathic division of Schwabe Group, had organized a Scientific Conference & Experts Meeting titled “Homoeopathic Medicinal Products at the Beginning of the 21^st Century:  Opportunities and Challenges”. It was held at Karlsruhe, Germany on June 9-10, 2011. A glimpse over the conference is given below.

A drug often used for hypertension in mother tincture, other than Rauvolfia, is Viscum album. It is called as Mistletoe in English, Mistel in German, Guide chene in French, Ban or Banda in Hindi. The drug is prepared from fresh leaves and berries. Its usefulness in potency for symptoms and conditions like diplopia, deafness from cold, persistent vertigo, asthmatic conditions, sciatica, etc, have been reported in various texts. It has been clinically verified and validated by Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi, in 6CH and 30CH. The study has also found out new symptoms. Details are under the section ‘Clinical verification’.

Quercus robur is a drug prepared from the common oak. It is known for its clinical importance in alcoholism. Different species of Quercus but containing similar phytochemicals have been used in Indian system of medicine for symptoms like diarrhoea, dysentery, gastric catarrh, swelling of spleen and other alcoholic symptoms. Its usefulness in mother tincture form in alcoholism and related symptoms has been illustrated with a case history under ‘Mother tincture info’.

Homoeopaths often demand products for speedy results especially in dermatological cases in the form of external applications. They are also keen on whether the product does not have any suppressive effect. Understanding the need, Schwabe India has launched a product ‘Topi Graphites’ to cover the indications dry eczema, rawness in bends of limbs, groins, neck and behind ears, bleeding, cracked and painful nipples, and early stages of keloid and fibromas. The complete specifications of the product is given under ‘Product watch’.

Clinical researches help in concluding a drug or a product to be effective in a particular condition. They also help in improving the product composition. Such clinical researches have been reviewed often to test the effectiveness of the homoeopathic trials. One such review with 83 original studies suggests that homoeopathy may have significant effects based on studies like Galphimia glauca (low homoeopathic dilutions/dynamizations) in allergic oculorhinitis, Anas barbariae (high homoeopathic dilution/dynamization) in influenza-like syndromes, classical individualised homoeopathy in otitis, in allergic complaints and in fibromyalgia, and a few low-potency homoeopathic complexes in sinusitis, rhinoconjunctivitis, arthritis. It also found that the evidence for some of the individualised homoeopathic therapies conflicting.

An article published in the International Journal of High Dilutions discusses about the efforts put forth by the organizations European Commission for Homoeopathy (ECH) and Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI) on clinical verification of homoeopathic medicines. Abstracts of above papers are under ‘Research news’.

Enjoy reading and don’t miss to reply back with your feedback.

Dr. R. Valavan, BHMS, MD (Hom)

Editor