 Dear Xxxx, I couldn’t leave our brief discussion about Arsenicum album just hanging there. Nor could I dive into it the way I really wanted to during the circumstances of our meetings last week. With that, I will bombard you (slightly) with a little information on my favorite topic… Homeopathy. There used to be a good number of homeopathic schools and hospitals in the US. The first was opened in 1835 and by 1900 there were 22 homeopathic colleges and 15,000 practitioners in the United States. In 1844, the American Institute of Homeopathy was founded and this oldest national medical association is still active today. (Membership is open to licensed physicians only.) Did you know that the American Medical Association was founded in 1847, in part to stop homeopathy? Members of the AMA were not allowed to associate with homeopaths. There are stories of medical doctors married to homeopaths who were not allowed to be part of the AMA. More recently, Whole Foods was a great resource in most cities for purchasing basic homeopathic remedies. Earlier this year, Whole Foods (owned by Amazon), pulled individual homeopathic remedies from their shelves*. What else happened around that same time? Amazon began selling pharmaceutical drugs. (Coincidence?) Let’s go back a little further in explanation, as well as time. Homeopathy is based on “like cures like.” A substance that can create symptoms in a person can remove those same symptoms when given in a homeopathic formulation. For example, Allium cepa is a homeopathic remedy made from red onion. What happens when you chop an onion? Your eyes tear, water and burn. If you have a cold or allergies which cause your eyes to tear, water and burn, homeopathic Allium cepa will likely alleviate those symptoms. In 1822, Dr. Constantine Hering, the “father” of homeopathy in America, was hired to debunk homeopathy. He never published his book because he began to “see the truth in homeopathy.” In 1824, he cut his finger while conducting a human dissection and his wound became gangrenous. Orthodox medicine had no effect. He was given a dose of Arsenicum album and after a few more doses, the gangrene had healed completely. (I include this little side note as it relates to your “favorite” homeopathic remedy.) He immediately quit his job and went on to receive the “highest honors” with his degree of MD in 1826. He emigrated to the US in 1833. Homeopathy has been recognized by the FDA since its inception in 1938. Congress recognized homeopathy as legitimate and set criteria by which homeopathic drugs could be deemed safe. A statue of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, “the father” of homeopathy, is one of the only monuments in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to a non-military or non-political figure. Let’s go a little further afield. I’m sure you’re familiar with Mother Teresa. But, do you know what she was doing when she was tending to the poor on the streets of Calcutta, India? She was handing out homeopathic medicine. The Royal Family of England? Historically, they are big fans of homeopathy ever since the days of King William IV when his wife, Queen Adelaide, was cured through the use of homeopathy after the court’s physicians couldn’t cure her. Queen Elizabeth II’s physician was an MD and a homeopath. Today, King Charles remains patron of homeopathy. I include these royal tidbits because if anybody has a choice of medicines at their disposal it is the royal family of England, lending credence to the efficacy of this marvelous modality. As for your comment about the study of one (or whatever your similar words were)… that is the essence of homeopathy. It is individualized medicine. What may work for one person’s symptoms may not work for another as the remedy ultimately chosen takes many of the person’s unique symptoms into the equation to arrive at the best remedy. Having said that, the homeopaths in India are changing things around. There is a clinic (again in Calcutta), the Banerji Clinic, run by 4th generation homeopaths. They have 10 medical doctor/homeopaths who see 100 patients a day, each. That’s 1,000 patients a day and they have been keeping records for all these years of what homeopathic remedies worked for what condition and have systematized homeopathy to some degree: their first line protocols are effective in 80% of the patients; 2nd and 3rd lines if the first two don’t work, and, if those don’t do the trick, they then revert back to “classical” homeopathy with a detailed consultation to narrow things down to a specific remedy for that individual. Now, to the question of why on earth would I go to such lengths to explain all this to you? Simply because I can not pass up an opportunity to clarify the misunderstood and often maligned, marvelous, safe and effective system of medicine called homeopathy. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits I wrote this letter after having a very brief and unsatisfying conversation with a retired medical professional. This person had a major hang up about homeopathy for two main reasons:
* Individual homeopathic remedies are still for sale via Amazon. Resources to further quench your homeo-curiosity:
This letter was written on the fly and I did not cite anything. I included easy links in this iteration but everything else is taken from previous readings — here is a list to get you started. Reference listAmerican Institute of Homeopathy, n.d. Welcome [online]. American Institute of Homeopathy. Anon., 2023. Hahnemann Monument - American Institute of Homeopathy [online]. American Institute of Homeopathy. Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine, 2024. Two Homeopathic Doctors Who Were Sent to Discredit Homeopathy—but Became Its Greatest Advocates [online]. Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine. Coyte, J., 2022. Anger and fear [online]. CLASSICALLYPRACTICAL.COM. Coyte, J., 2025. The Banerji Protocols [online]. CLASSICALLYPRACTICAL.COM. De Schepper, L., 2001. Hahnemann Revisited. Santa Fe, NM: Full of Life Publications. Dr. Prasanta Banerji Homoeopathic Research Foundation, 2021. The Prasanta Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation - Home [online]. Pbhrfindia.org. Faculty of Homeopathy, 2024. His Majesty King Charles III Confirmed as Patron [online]. Faculty of Homeopathy. Grossinger, R., 1993. Homeopathy: An Introduction for Skeptics and Beginners. Berkely, California: North Atlantic Books. Jerome, A., 2020. Homeopathy: Start Here. Deland, Florida: Similia Press. Lansky, A. L., 2009. Impossible cure : the promise of homeopathy. Portola Valley, Calif.: R.L. Ranch Press. Logsdon, S., 2021. The rise and fall of homeopathic medicine in the US, and its continued popularity today [online]. Becker Medical Library. MEDICOSAGE, 2022. Dr. CONSTANTINE HERING - DR. C HERING (1800-1880) - Organon Of Medicine & Philosophy [online]. Medicosage. Nawrat, A., 2021. Enter Amazon Pharmacy: the beginning of a great online pharmacy fight? [online]. Perella, C., 2013. Constantine Hering: The Father of American Homeopathy [online]. drexel.edu. Samet, L., 2025. The History of Homeopathy in America [online]. Homeopathy Works. Servick, K., 2015. FDA takes new look at homeopathy [online]. www.science.org. Sharma, S., 2023. King Charles appoints pro-homeopathy doctor head of royal medical household [online]. The Independent. Sharma, S. R., 2020. Dr Constantine Hering (1800–1880). Homœopathic Links [online], 33 (01), 005–006. Sweeney, E., 2023. Amazon’s Whole Foods Market grocery store chain acquisition, history, timeline [online]. Business Insider. The ANH Team, 2023. Tell Whole Foods to Stop Limiting Your Homeopathy Access | Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health [online]. Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health | ANH Protects Free Speech About Natural Health Modalities, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Homeopathy and Access To Natural Therapies. The Ohio State University, 2011. Homeopathic Medical Schools and Women | Historical Reflections: the Medical Heritage Center Blog [online]. OSU.EDU. The School of Homeopathy, 2025. The King of Homeopathy | The School of Homeopathy’s Latest News [online]. Homeopathyschool.com. Ullman, D., 2017a. Schools and Training Programs in Homeopathy [online]. Homeopathic.com. Ullman, D., 2017b. A Condensed History of Homeopathy – Homeopathic.com [online]. Homeopathic.com. Ullman, D., 2017c. Mother Teresa and Homeopathy [online]. Homeopathic.com. Welle, D., 2008. Krauts on Herbs [online]. dw.com.
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 I am so not amused. The winds are picking up and I am really missing my Similasan eye drops. The powers that be in the USA have removed the choice of using these eyedrops from us. When they removed them from the store shelves in 2023, they did so without cause, as far as I’m concerned. They didn’t cite any adverse reactions to these eye drops. In fact, they didn’t even cite a single case of anything negative. Not cool.
So, what do we do without access to this really helpful product? Fortunately, homeopathic remedies work on the entire system — eyes included. The Similasan eye drops may feel delightful when you use them, but the drops are not a required method of delivery for the homeopathic remedies to address the eyes. There are 5 homeopathic remedies that I think of right off the bat when someone comes to me for help with their allergic eye symptoms:
If you are suffering from bland tears — tears that do not burn and bother — your best bet is Allium cepa or Pulsatilla. If your eyes feel like there is dust or sand in them: Euphrasia or Nat mur. If your eyes are stuck together or the eyelids are sticky: Euphrasia or Pulsatilla. If the pain in your eyes is a stinging pain: Apis, Pulsatilla or Euphrasia. If the pain in your eyes causes you to wink and blink: Euphrasia or Apis. (If the sun causes you to wink and blink, look to Nat mur.) If your eyes feel filmy: Euphrasia or Pulsatilla. If your eyes feel dry: Nat mur, Pulsatilla or Euphrasia. Aching pain in the eyes: Pulsatilla is your best bet. (If you have aching pain above your eyes, try Allium cepa.) If the removal of homeopathic remedies from the store shelves irks you like it irks me, go to Americans for Homeopathy Choice and use their handy-dandy, easy-to-use form to send a message to congress and let them know you would like to have the option to purchase these safe and effective eyedrops once again. Until that time, go the old-fashioned homeopathic route and try one of the above mentioned remedies which best match your symptoms. If you suffer from more than just the occasionally irritated eyes from allergies, I highly recommend contacting a professional homeopath to see how they can help. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Homeopathy has been continuously in use since its founding by Samuel Hahnmann in the late 1700s. Just think about that. This safe, gentle, inexpensive and very powerful medicine has been used all around the world for 225 years and in many circles, this amazing modality is virtually unknown. Perhaps some of its obscurity lies in the fact that the term “homeopathy” contains the word “home.” In my opinion, this linguistic trickery plays a significant role in the confusion surrounding homeopathy. People assume “homeopathy” is the same thing as a home remedy. Nope. Not the same. Not even close. “Hom” from Greek homoeos, meaning “one and the same.” As in…Homophone: same pronunciation, different meaning. Homonym: same spelling, different meaning. Homogenous: of the same kind, alike. Homeomorphism: an instance of topological equivalence. Homocentric: having the same center. Not home*, as in home-based or home-made. Perhaps we should switch to the British spelling, homoeopathy. That may help clear up this little problem. Homoeopathy broken down is Homoeo: “the same” and pathy: “suffering." Various pathys… Hydropathy: the treatment of illness through the use of water. Naturopathy: a system of medicine that avoids drugs and surgery and relies on natural remedies. Osteopathy: a system of medicine traditionally based on manual therapeutic techniques aimed at restoring physical function through the body’s ability to heal itself. Homoeopathy is based on the premise of “like cures like.” If nausea is your ailment, a remedy based on a substance which causes nausea in its crude form is the cure. Tobacco when consumed raw causes nausea, vomiting and malaise (Hulzebos et al. 1998 and Trapé-Cardoso et al. 2003). Homoeopathic tobacco known as Tabacum, is one homoeopathic answer to nausea, vomiting and malaise. Another easy example of like cures like is Allium cepa, red onion. When you chop an onion, what happens? Your eyes burn and water and your nose runs. Thus, Allium cepa is one homoeopathic answer to colds and allergies when you experience these symptoms. The counterpart to homoeopathy is allopathy. Greek allos, “other” and pathy, “suffering.” Allopathy: treatment of disease by remedies that produce effects opposite to the symptoms. If fever is your ailment, an antipyretic (anti, “against” and pyretic, “feverish”) is the allopathic answer. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, beta blockers, proton pump inhibitors. The point of this article is not to knock home remedies. There is a lot to be said for gargling with salt water for a sore throat; eating probiotic yogurt for tummy issues; sipping homemade chicken soup for a cold. These are all amazingly helpful ways to address symptoms. However, they are NOT homoeopathic medicines. Homoeopathy works with your body, not against it. Homoeopathy treats the person, not the disease. Homoeopathy uses the symptoms your body provides as a guide to find the correct homoeopathic remedy to gently stimulate your body. Homoeopathy does not force the symptoms away by using something to stop or block a symptom (anti-medications as listed above); homoeopathy uses similar medicines or remedies to nudge your symptoms a little further in the same direction that it is already headed in order to stimulate your immune system to kick in and correct itself. As Dr. Robin Murphy said recently in one of his last lectures, (and, I paraphrase), “The body knows how to repair itself. Homoeopathy is the vital force repair man.” Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *If you’re interested, here’s a link to in an in-depth discussion of the etymology of the word “home” by the author of Word Origins and How We Know Them. Reference list
Etymonline.com, 2021. homophone | Etymology, origin and meaning of homophone by etymonline [online]. www.etymonline.com. European Committee for Homeopathy, n.d. Benefits of Homeopathy [online]. The European Committee for Homeopathy. Hulzebos, C. V., Walhof, C., and de Vries, T. W., 1998. Accidental ingestion of cigarettes by children. Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde [online], 142 (47), 2569–2571. Liberman, A., 2015. Our habitat: the etymology of “home” [online]. OUPblog. Trapé-Cardoso, M., Bracker, A., Grey, M., Kaliszewski, M., Oncken, C., Ohannessian, C., Barrera, L. V., and Gould, B., 2003. Shade Tobacco and Green Tobacco Sickness in Connecticut. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine [online], 45 (6), 656–661. Venes, D., 2017. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.  Remember way back when when we used to routinely exercise our immune system? We would be constantly bombarded by germs that if you weren’t strong enough would result in… [play the ‘duh duh duh’ music here] a cold! There is/was a school of thought that getting and beating these types of attacks is/was good for your health — taking your immune system for a walk, so to speak. My family routinely turned to Boiron’s Cold Calm for quick relief almost every time a little “somethin’ somethin’” seemed to be creeping in. Cold Calm is a combination homeopathic remedy that can certainly save time and energy if the symptoms are just starting to present and are not quite clear enough to choose just one remedy. Or, when you are the person suffering and the inability to think clearly sets in. Here are the homeopathic remedies included in Cold Calm with a little more information to understand what’s in it and how these individual remedies may help your symptoms. Allium cepa is the red onion — you know, the thing that makes your eyes itch and burn and tear up and your nose follows streaming along soon after. Apis mellifica is the honey bee — you know, the thing that stings you and you swell up… like your nose or your eyes if you have a cold. Belladonna has a reputation as a “virus interrupter.” More specifically to coming down with a cold, Belladonna can be helpful with congestion or when suffering a headache as a result of stuffiness. It’s certainly helpful if any sore throat is involved. Eupatorium perfoliatum, also known as “Bone-set” is an excellent fever remedy, specifically (wait for it…) when your bones ache, including your facial bones as a result of sinus pain. Gelsemium sempervirens is one of the great homeopathic influenza remedies. This remedy is taught in the homeopathy schools as the 7 dwarfs remedy: for when someone is Droopy, Drowsy, Dumb, Dizzy, Drained — that’s only 5, but you get the idea. An excellent headache remedy. Kali bich — for when it’s thick! The old homeopathy books call them “clinkers” — that’s a booger to you and me in modern parlance. Lumps of stuff in the nose or throat. Again, another excellent headache remedy if the symptoms fit. Nux vomica — good for stuffy nose, but even better for sneezing. Nux vomica is also an excellent remedy for the tummy symptoms which can sometimes accompany a cold/flu. And, it’s really good for the short temper that can sneak in there when you’re feeling crummy. Phytolacca decandra — swollen glands and sore throats, specifically the sore throats where the pains shoot from the throat into the ears on swallowing. Pulsatilla — if there is a loss of taste and smell. Stuffy nose; a bad odor in the nose; mucusy, loose cough, bland watering eyes (not burning, that’s Allium cepa mentioned above). I have heard Cold Calm referred to as "magical" — now you know why. This little mixture covers just about everything one would need at the start of “a little somethin’ somethin’” coming on. If Cold Calm isn’t quite cutting it for you and you need some further assistance with cold or flu symptoms, book an acute appointment and we’ll see what we can do to get you feeling better quicker. Julia Coyte, CHom Classicallypractical.com #homeopathycanhelp Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash Once upon a time, when somebody sneezed or coughed, we all assumed it was either a cold or allergies and we really didn't think very much about it. Now, if you're in public and you have to sneeze or (heaven forbid!) cough… hold it in -- don't even go there!
Allergy season has returned to our neck of the woods. Headaches. Sneezing. Runny noses. Blocked up sinuses. Tickling in the throat. Yuck. Let's look at a few homeopathic remedies that might be of assistance. Allium cepa is a go-to remedy for runny noses which burn and eyes that water blandly and can present with a dull frontal headache. Arsenicum album -- for burning discharge from the nose and the eyes and eyelids may be puffy. Here's a potentially important piece of the allergy puzzle with this remedy: Complaints return annually. (While this is more of a classical homeopathic approach to allergies, Arsenicum album can certainly be applied in a practical or therapeutic way, as well.) Euphrasia focuses on the eyes. Opposite to Allium cepa, Euphrasia has a bland runny nose and burning eyes. The eyelids may also itch and burn. Natrum muriaticum can have a profuse watery discharge from the eyes and the nose and what comes out of the nose may have an egg white consistency. Taste and smelling may be an issue as well as a tickling in the pit of the throat. Nux vomica -- obnoxious, relentless sneezing as well as irritation in the nose and eyes. Grumpiness might just be a part of this picture, too. Sanguinaria can be very helpful for sinus issues and facial pain and headaches from the blocked sinuses. Wyethia also has the runny nose and sneezing, but it also has the peculiar symptom of an itchy palate -- requesting your tongue's assistance in rubbing back and forth trying to scratch that itch. There are many, many homeopathic remedies to address the many, many allergic symptoms. If you need help deciding what remedies may best suit your symptoms, or if you are prone to allergies in general, homeopathy can help to strengthen your system and lessen this burden. Contact classicallypractical.com to see if homeopathy can help relieve your seasonal allergies now and in the future. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical Homeopathy #homeopathycanhelp |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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