We have all witnessed the scare, also excitement, over the swine flu epidemic. I want to say a few things about it from the homeopathic perspective. There was a fear that the swine flu epidemic could turn into a pandemic, or worldwide epidemic, of the proportions that the world experienced in the Spanish influenza pandemic that ravaged the world between 1918 and 1920 and killed over 22 million people, most of them young adults.
A book entitled Homeopathy for Epidemics was written some years ago by Dr Eileen Nauman, DHM [UK]. Dr Nauman gives an excellent introduction to homeopathy, the history of epidemics, and Materia Medica of homeopathic remedies useful in epidemics. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in exploring the issue further.
During the Spanish flu epidemic there was a strikingly low mortality rate for people treated homeopathically — a little over 1 per cent compared to people treated with allopathic medicine [30 per cent]. This was due in large part to the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies to treat acute conditions, particularly once the genus epidemics was found. The genus epidemicus is the remedy, or remedies, found to be most effective for a particular epidemic, once data from a number of cases are accrued. The homeopathic genus epidemicus of the Spanish flu was Crotalus horridus, by some accounts, and Gelsemium sempervirens, by others.
Risks Of Aspirin
The Spanish influenza occurred at a time when aspirin was gaining popularity as a pain and fever-reducing medication. Many people attribute the high mortality rate of the Spanish flu to the use of aspirin. Most people did not realise that when they took aspirin to suppress the fever, they also suppressed the body’s ability to fight the disease. Research has shown that the high mortality rate was due much more to the widespread use of aspirin than to the influenza virus itself. This teaches us that it can be harmful to take aspirin, or other fever-reducing medication, during a flu. The fever is one’s ally in overcoming the acute illness, so eliminating the fever can compromise one’s ability to fighting the flu.
The Genus Epidemicus
There are homeopathic remedies that can be taken with great efficacy during an epidemic as a preventive. Once the genus epidemicus is discovered the ‘select’ remedy can be taken by everyone. This method of taking remedies prophylactically is considered highly effective when you are in the midst of an epidemic. It is less effective in preventing the disease, when you are not actually in the midst of an epidemic.
The renowned homeopath, Dr Luc De Schepper, MD, recommends taking Arsenicum album 30C, once a week, by putting two pellets in 4oz of water and giving each member of the family 1tsp to sip, as a prophylactic for swine flu. I cannot speak from personal experience about this, but, if it, indeed, seems like you are at risk for the swine flu, this could be something to consider.
There is a website put up by Dr Paul Herscu, ND, MPH, the author of The Homeopathic Treatment of Children, a great resource for parents and homeopaths alike about commonly used constitutional remedies for children. Dr Herscu has been always concerned about the possibility of another devastating pandemic for many years. He believes that during an epidemic many people will not have access to their homeopaths, so the best thing to do would be to put the resources that they will need to survive an epidemic at their fingertips. To this end he has created a website called Herscu Laboratory Influenza.
He posts on the website the latest research gathered from clinical experience about which remedy is most likely to be the genus epidemicus for that particular year. Dr Herscu presents evidence to show that the genus epidemicus of the influenza prevalent in 2007-2008 was Phosphorus, and that the genus epidemicus for 2008-2009 was Nux vomica, and so on. The website address is http://www.hersculaboratoryflu.org
This is extremely valuable information, because by going to the website and finding out the genus epidemicus, you can safeguard your family during an epidemic without having to see your homeopath.
Risks Of Flu Shot
Western medicines’ answer to the need for a flu preventative has been the flu shot. Unfortunately, this has not proven to be the panacea that was hoped for. After years of use evidence has not shown that the flu shot actually does what it is purported to do: reduce deaths and complications from influenza, and prevent people from getting the flu. The vaccine is also not without risk for both children and adults. The vaccine contains aluminium, formaldehyde, and thimerosal among other ingredients, as well as half-killed viruses. Thimerosol has been linked to autism in children, and Alzheimer’s in adults. Many people also believe that the flu shot actually helps to spread the flu, as people often do develop flu-like symptoms from the shot and are contagious during this time. The Center for Disease Control [CDC], US, is telling people that the only the way to protect themselves in the event of a flu pandemic is to get the flu shot. This needs to be seriously called into question. In homeopathy, there is a better way.
Boosting Your Immunity
I’d like to emphasise on the various natural things you can take for boosting your immunity during a cold, or flu. Some things are large doses of vitamin C, echinacea, herbs such as astragalus, and the wonderful Chinese herbal formula, Windbreaker, that you can take at the first sign of a cold. Of course, the ‘absolute,’ or best, protection is afforded by being on a well selected homeopathic constitutional remedy. A homeopathic remedy that could also prove effective during an influenza epidemic is Oscillococcinum. This would be a good remedy to take at the onset of a flu, where you don’t have clear indications for an acute, or constitutional remedy. If you are already on a constitutional remedy this can potentially interfere with your remedy.
From my experience most flus and colds respond the best to a repetition of the constitutional remedy when help is needed, so knowing your constitutional remedy, or having your case taken by a homeopath is the best insurance you can possibly have to help you recover from an acute illness, or to prevent it.
Conclusion
Thank goodness the swine flu scare turned out to be just that, a scare, but we have to be always aware that epidemics and pandemics have occurred in the past and they could occur again and again. Having wonderful resources available to us through the Internet, which allows us to be well-informed, can make the difference in our ability to safely navigate through such epidemics. I wish to say thank you to Dr Herscu and others who are posting research about the genus epidemicus on the Web, from time to time.
Here’s wishing all my readers the best of health with homeopathy.
