In Memory of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann

Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) , German physician, was the founder of homeopathy. A monument of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was dedicated and presented to the US on June 21, 1900. It is located on Scott Circle, in Washington, DC. Next time you're visiting the White House, take a look at the monument. You can read about the history of the monument here.

Photo of Monument of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, taken by Tabinda Khan, C.Hom., 2006

Going Mobile to Serve You Better

Homeopathy may be a 200-year old system of medicine, but our technology doesn't have to be! We've just updated our website to be accessible via iPhone and other mobile devices. Just point your mobile browser to www.myranissen.com, and we'll do the rest.

Live out of town? Want to schedule a consultation? We are now on Skype. You can easily contact our office no matter where you're located. If you're interested in working with us through Skype, please call our office to make arrangements at 925-826-3858.

Homeopathic Home Care for Insect Bites

Warm summer weather beckons us to bare our skin to the sun. However, our quest for a glowing tan can lead to bites from hungry mosquitoes, yellow jackets, spiders and other annoying insects. Fortunately, there are several homeopathic remedies that can help take the sting and itch out of summer.

Two remedies I recommend highly are Ledum palustre and Apis mellifica. Topical use of Calendula officinalis can also be helpful in many cases.

Ledum palustre, also known as wild rosemary or marsh tea, is especially useful for tick and spider bites. One way to tell if a bite or sting will benefit from Ledum is to try a cold application, like an ice pack, first. If the pain lessens after exposure to cold, the bite will usually improve even more if Ledum is taken. Ledum is also helpful in healing puncture wounds. The remedy should be taken at a potency of 30C every half-hour until you feel relief.

If you experience swelling, heat, and burning after a bug bite, Apis mellifica is a good remedy to try. Apis is made from the venom of a honey bee. Again, look for 30C potency and take every thirty minutes until symptoms are reduced.

Many homeopathic preparations to soothe bites, including ointments with Ledum, can be used topically. However, it's best to use topical preparations with caution. Alcohol and petroleum products found in many tinctures and lotions can irritate the skin. Look for lotions made with Calendula officinalis, or marigold, especially if they contain no alcohol or petroleum products.

You can also easily make your own Calendula rinse. Fill an 8-oz bottle half full with water, and add one pellet of Calendula in the potency 30X, 6C, or 12C. After making the rinse, you can use one capful in a basin of water and carefully apply it to the affected area. If you have been bitten all over, make a stronger rinse by dissolving five pellets in bath water.

A valuable home resource guide for first aid that I recommend to my clients is Homeopathic Self Care: The Quick & Easy Guide for the Whole Family by Robert Ullman, ND, and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND. It's a great resource for identifying common first aid remedies and treatments for every-day ailments. You can find more information about the book on my website.

Homeopathic remedies, used as directed, are safe for everyone, from infants to elders. If none of the ones mentioned above work for you, consult a professional Homeopath who can guide you to thousands of other remedies. If you are already under the care of a Homeopath, please consult your practitioner before trying any remedy on your own.

Alternative Medicine in Veterinary Medicine Threatened

With Dr Pitcairn's permission, I am presenting a copy of his letter posted June 9th, 2009 in Leading Voices in Homeopathy on the Minimum Price Homeopathic Book Forum. Dr. Pitcairn is a major homeopathic educator of US veterinarians. He is also a major advocate of raw and/or home prepared food.

The Problem
Recently one of the major organizations that approve continuing education credit for veterinarians has taken a stand against homeopathy and similar forms of therapy. For most states a veterinarian is required to attend so many hours of education, usually 10-20 a year. I have been one of the approved teachers for such programs since 2001 and have trained almost 500 veterinarians in the use of homeopathic medicine.

The organization that approves these teaching programs is the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) and the last few months we have been having a crisis. After these many years, my programs have been rejected as "not scientific." It matters not that there is much evidence of efficacy with homeopathic treatment and many cases of cured animals. The veterinary profession is taking the stand that only allopathic medicine and only those forms they approve of are to be accepted. The current jargon is that they want "evidence based medicine," but of course the evidence of good outcomes with homeopathy is not really accepted as "evidence" regardless of the nature of the case.

Why are they doing this and why does it matter? Because this is a way to discourage veterinarians from taking this training. They won't get CE credit for it and therefore cannot keep their licenses. It is a way to stop the use of these alternatives.
What does it mean for you? It means these other choices in treatment will gradually wither away if this is a successful campaign on their part. Only drugs and more drugs will be the choice for treatment of your animal.

What can you do? Google for the address of your state veterinary association (usually the "state board" as opposed to a veterinary organization). Write them and tell them your dissatisfaction with AAVSB taking away training for veterinarians in methods that you, as a consumer, want to have available. If possible, send me a copy to the email box on this forum.

Thanks for anything you can do.
_________________
Best wishes,
Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, PhD
E-mail: Here.
Dr. Pitcairn's website Here.

A list of state licensing boards: Here.

California Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine
1420 Howe Avenue, Suite 6 Sacramento, CA 95825
Telephone: 916/263-2610
Fax: 916/263-2621
E-mail: Here.
Web site: Here.

Dr. Pitcarin's book, Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, Available, available here.

Article on caring for your pets naturally. Read more.

Don't miss Myra's Class on HEALTHY PETS WITH HOMEOPATHY
Sat. August 1, 10-10:45 AM
Sports Basement
1881 Ygnacio Valley Rd.
Walnut Creek, CA.
No Charge.
Attend and receive 20%-Off shopping at Sports Basement Read More.

False Claims

Published By Vallejo Times Herald

Posted: 06/30/2009 06:53:11 AM PDT

An Associated Press story on the recall of Zicam falsely questions the safety of homeopathic remedies. I would like to address some false claims in the AP story:

• False claim: Homeopathic remedies are not regulated - treated like dietary supplements.

Fact: Homeopathic medications are regulated by the FDA and have been used safely in the United States since before the passage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. A recent study by the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists documents their safety for the past 200-years. Conventional medicines have a far more troubling safety record.

• False claim: The National Institutes of Health's (NIH) alternative medicine center spent $3.8 million on homeopathic research from 2002-2007, abandoned studies on homeopathic drugs.

Fact: National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) received assurance from NIH on June 23; NCCAM will continue to accept grant applications for homeopathy.

• False claim: There is no evidence of effectiveness.

Fact: There are literally hundreds of high quality basic science, pre-clinical and clinical studies published in respected journals like Pediatrics, Chest, Rheumatology, and The Lancet (for more information, visit homeopathic.org/articles/view,173). To claim otherwise is bad science and very irresponsible journalism. Find out more about homeopathy, contact your local homeopath.

Myra Nissen

View letter at Times Herald Online.

Related Blog Posts:

Zicam: There is not such thing as a Homeopathic Product here.

A Comment about Zicam: It's Not Homeopathy here.