Epidemics sweep the nation and the world from time to time. Some of them are simple cold and flu viruses, others are related to food born pathogens due to poor cleanliness in the food industry, and occasionally the world experiences deadly epidemics that threaten human life and are difficult to get under control. Homeopathy, the study of the holistic approach to healing an individual through the law of similars, is known for it’s curative properties when an individual is experiencing the onset of an illness, or when that illness has already taken hold and needs to be irradiated through the natural processes of the body. In the following, I intend to test the limits on what we know about homeopathy and make an argument for it’s use in epidemics. I will address this by focusing on the United States and the food industry, as the food industry has been responsible for more than 15 serious epidemics in the past decade or so. I will make arguments for the proper homeopathic remedies based on symptom picture and the history of these remedies used on these epidemics in the past. Firstly, I will look at the outbreak of Escherichia coli (E. coli), it’s symptom picture, and the effective homeopathic treatment(s) for it based on this symptom picture. I will then do the same for Salmonella, and Campylobacter. It is important to note that the means of contraction, symptoms, and homeopathic treatment of these illnesses are very similar. Lastly, I will overview the findings this paper addresses and the importance behind these findings. It is important to note that this paper does not attempt to use homeopathy to prevent the aforementioned outbreaks, as these outbreaks are related to manufacturing issues and core fundamental problems with the food industry. This paper does intend to address the symptoms of these epidemics and come up with the best natural solutions to help the body heal in the way that it is supposed to heal.
Escherichia coli is a bacteria that thrives within the intestinal system of many animals, mostly mammals, especially within livestock. It is particularly nasty and aggressive when it has infected a host and overpopulated. This bacteria is usually found on foods when those foods come into contact with raw meat or uncleanly environments. A common misconception is that when an individual becomes ill with the E. coli bacteria, it is because of some type of meat they ate, but the most recent outbreaks in the United States have all been related to poorly maintained and manufactured vegetable produce. It causes an extreme amount of suffering, with cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and many other symptoms. There is no current vaccine for the bacteria and illnesses seem to sweep the nation when an outbreak occurs. Aside from the physical symptoms, a homeopath must consider the mental and emotional picture of the individual in question. A common mental state of E. coli, that eventually roots itself into the emotional state as well, is uneasiness and discomfort especially when the individual is still. The individual has restless nights and is prone to weepiness and a feeling of emotional drain (paralleled by the physical drain they are feeling). If E. coli progresses to a severe stage, the mental picture drastically changes, and the individual may seem disoriented and forgetful. Any patient suffering from E. coli should seek medical attention, but these later stages and symptoms are especially dangerous. That being said, this knowledge can be used to create homeopathic remedies to help the individual heal in a natural way.
Firstly, it is known that the homeopathic remedy of charcoal is effective at encapsulating the bacteria of Escherichia coli during the early onset of the illness. Charcoal acts as an effective bacteria neutralizer and is used in place of antibiotics and steroids, especially topologically like in the case with acne. In homeopathy, this technique of neutralization is called “binding” and is a great tool in homeopathic medicine. A growing field of homeopathy and natural medicine that has been recognized for its curative powers in digestive health are probiotic cultures. Homeopaths may be hesitant toward some of these because of their commercialization in the growing market; essentially people may not know what is in their probiotic or if it even has real probiotic cultures in it. There is a simple and highly effective solution to this and to the digestive issues related to Escherichia coli which is Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has natural cultures in it that promote healthy digestive cleansing. What is particularly important about this remedy is that is does not suppress the body’s need to expel the bacteria from the body. In fact, it accelerates this process in a natural way, promoting the growth of healthy bacteria within the body and effectively cleansing the digestive tract without causing more diarrhea than what is already occurring from the illness. Many suggest using the apple cider vinegar with honey in order to soothe the throat and digestive tract from the aggressiveness associated with the acetic acid in the vinegar. The vinegar must also be diluted in water because of the particular strength in the acid. In terms of the fever experienced by these individuals; they feel a great amount of heat radiating from their body and head, but the individual has waves of chills. The person has a throbbing headache and, depending on the severity, may result in the ears ringing. This individual is restless at night and can become angry toward those trying to help because of the lack of sleep. The other symptoms, like dehydration, are also part of the symptoms seen in E. coli as well. Due to the symptoms addressed, especially considering the weepiness behavior in the symptoms, Pulsatilla would be a great fit for those suffering from the fevers caused from the E. Coli bacteria.
Salmonella is the name of the bacteria that causes the ailment of salmonellosis. Much like the Escherichia coli bacteria, this bacteria can be found on raw or undercooked meats and contaminated foods, but it is usually associated with raw eggs. It has also been known to be in peanut butter, and especially affects children and those with a weak immune system. The symptom picture can appear similar to that of E. coli, but there are considerable differences that one must pay attention to in order to make the right decision for treatment. Individuals with salmonella can experience diarrhea, cramping, chills, and a fever. Something particularly important is that medication should not be given to suppress the body’s need to vomit or evacuate any bodily fluids, as this allows the bacteria to remain in the system and can make the individuals illness worse. This means that common allopatric medicine is out of the question regarding the vomiting and diarrhea, as that is the way that treatment is performed. There has been a developing oral vaccination for salmonella, but as of yet it is not available to the public and the only other recognized treatment is antibiotics (particularly amoxicillin), which can have damaging side-affects and really is not necessary considering the fact that most patients’ immunity pick up on the bacteria and eliminate it naturally. However, there is no harm in accelerating the healing process with the natural curative powers of homeopathic treatment.
As stated before, treatment should not be given in regards to the vomiting and diarrhea symptoms within the individual because the body is evacuating the bacteria from the system. However, if the onset of the illness is caught in time, activated charcoal has been scientifically proven to prevent the growth of more bacteria, thereby eliminating the illness before serious symptoms begin. This process, as stated in the aforementioned section on E. coli, is called binding and is well recognized in the allopatric and homeopathic communities alike. If symptoms have progressed too far and it is obvious that there is no encapsulating the bacteria from this point forward, there are plenty of other remedies that can be used to address the other symptoms of salmonella as well. Due to the symptoms described, a formidable remedy to treat the fever symptoms would be Goldenseal. Goldenseal is the perfect remedy because it not only directly treats the fever, but it is also known to directly address the Salmonella illness as well. According to Natural Home Remedies, “Herbalists believe that using the root and rhizome portion of Hydrastis Canadensis works as a herbal tonic and is thus optimal for treatment of several problems, such as constipation, diarrhea, cough, cold and fevers.Being packed with potent alkaloids, like berberine, canadine and hydrastine, Goldenseal works as a trustworthy anti-microbial agent, which is particularly active in battling two species of Salmonella, namely, Salmonella Typhimurium and S. Paratyphi.” The fever in these patients cannot be calmed, seem very cranky, and have no comfort except when held (usually in children). To address the lack of sleep due to the illness, especially when the illness is past the initial diarrhea phase, Chamomilla is an effective way to treat this specific type of fever.
Food poisoning occurs on a daily basis in the United States. This common occurrence is often due to poor hygiene in the restaurant industry, lack of standards and safety protocol in manufacturing, or outbreaks that come in contact with the food itself. The most commonly complained of symptom by Americans in relation to food poisoning or suspected food poisoning is diarrhea. This is because one of the most common food born illnesses is Campylobacteriosis, caused by the campylobacter bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Campylobacter infection affects more than 1.3 million people every year. Most cases are not part of recognized outbreaks, and more cases occur in summer than in winter.” This is an important quote, because the nation does not recognize these illnesses as outbreaks because they are often single cases across the nation, but the fact that 1.3 million people suffer from this ailment every year shows that epidemic behavior is in the midst of the nature of this bacteria. Along with this, there have been multiple cases where the bacteria’s spreading from one localized area was cause for enough concern to be considered an epidemic as well.
Campylobacter appears in symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, much like the other two ailments. Some things stand out in comparison to the others however. For one, campylobacter can thrive in just about any agriculturally related area. Although it is common in meats, the bacteria can also be found in milk from an affected cow, vegetables, and even drinking water. Much like salmonella, campylobacter usually runs its course, but having proper homeopathic care will aid in treating the individual and accelerating their bodies natural ability to heal itself. Another part of campylobacter that makes it recognizable is that it’s onset almost always occurs at night, waking the person from their sleep. This usually eliminates the possibility of using charcoal as a preventative measure, because by the time the person has woken up, they are already vomiting or in the diarrhea faze. It is important to discern campylobacter as the common ailment of food poisoning because of the amount of homeopathic remedies concerning the symptom picture. If the individual is experiencing fever or chills from the food poisoning, Arsenicum Album should be considered as it is one of the best and most commonly used remedies when patients are experiencing food poisoning. Another common symptom of particularly aggressive food poisoning is only vomiting, with no other observable symptoms. This is usually due to the amount or the strength of the Campylobacter bacteria in the food. If this symptom is evident in the individual, Ipecacuanha is the remedy to use.
Based on past and present data, multiple generations of homeopathic success, and scientific proof, homeopathy has proven extremely effective in treating food related epidemics that sweep the nation. These epidemics are caused from the food industry and the FDA failing to protect us, down to our basic needs. Effective ways to mitigate this is by buying foods you can trust, being hygienic, and taking precautions when someone becomes ill. From there, the best option for individuals experiencing the three illnesses, E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, is to use the suggested homeopathic remedies and begin the process of healing the body and mind. These remedies are extremely effective, safe, and relatively easy to come by in natural growers markets and some pharmacies. Overall, patients experiencing illnesses that have the ability to contaminate multiple people in an epidemic related event should stay clear of others and ensure that they have taken the proper homeopathic means to get healthy.