Homeopathy Treats the Patient, Not Just the Disease

Homeopaths, however, achieve restoration of health by administering a highly diluted remedy, made from a substance that in its natural state would cause the inflicting symptoms in a healthy person.

Hahnemann dubbed this phenomenon "The Law of Similars" or "like cures like," and it remains the central tenet of homeopathy today.

These heavily diluted remedies also form the center of much of the controversy surrounding homeopathy. Since its inception, homeopathy has been at odds with allopathic medicine; in fact, homeopaths were initially banned from the American Medical Association at its inception in the mid-19th century. Though many homeopaths are also physicians -- and the American Institute of Homeopathy is entirely comprised of physicians, nurses and dentists who are also certified homeopaths -- many Western doctors continue to doubt its efficacy.

Critics of homeopathy claim that since the remedies are so diluted, any positive effects are not quantifiable. However, numerous studies comparing homeopathy to placebos have appeared in top medical publications from the JAMA to The Lancet, many of these inconclusive, and some admitting that homeopathy shows ameliorative effects, even in the face of rigorous scientific evaluation.

Additionally, commercial homeopathic remedies continue to sell well, especially for French remedy giant Borion, which saw income growth of 35% and $428 million in sales in 2006.