Homeopathy is a system of medicine which is based on treating the individual with highly diluted substances given in mainly tablet form, which triggers the body’s natural system of healing. Based on their experience of their symptoms, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to the patient.

It works on the principle of “like treats like” – that is, a substance that would cause symptoms in a healthy person is used to treat those same symptoms in illness. For example, one remedy which might be used in a person suffering from insomnia is coffea, a remedy made from coffee.Now, even on the surface, does that make any sense?  But they must have proof, right?  Wrong.

Again, from their own site: Scientifically it can not yet be explained precisely how it works, but new research in biochemistry and quantum physics is going some way towards shedding light on the process. What we do know is that a carefully selected homeopathic remedy appears to acts as a trigger to the body’s healing processes.

The “like treats like” theory is put into practice through serial dilutions (again, from the horse’s mouth): The raw extracts (from plants or animals) or triturations (from minerals and salts) are made into a ‘tincture’ with alcohol which forms the basis of the dilution procedure. Dilutions are made up to either 1 part tincture to 10 parts water (1x) or 1 part tincture to 100 parts water (1c). Repeated dilution results in the familiar 6x, 6c or 30c potencies that can be bought over the counter: the 30c represents an infinitessimal part of the original substance.

Let’s analyze that by taking their own coffea example of “like treats like”: cure insomnia by giving something that commonly causes insomnia, only diluted many times. A quick check around the Web finds coffea being sold at 6c and 30c dilutions.  A 1c dilution involves a single drop of caffeine in 99 drops of water, creating a 1% solution.  A drop of this in now added to another 99 drops of water, creating a 0.01% solution or 2c dilution.  So with every single digit rise in”c” we move the decimal point two places to the right.  A 3c dilution is a 0.0001% solution, and a 6c (the strongest sold) is a 0.0000000001% solution.