Conventional medicine has traditionally been referred to as “allopathic” by homeopaths.  In Greek “pathos” means suffering or illness, “allo” means different and “homeo” means same.  Allopathic medicines work by giving a treatment whose properties are different from the illness in question, whereas homeopathic medicines utilize treatments with the same properties as the illness in question.  The approach of conventional medicine denies our body’s efforts to heal itself and damages these systems.

Contemporary medical theories were based upon the Law of Contraries, which advocated treating an illness by prescribing a substance that produced opposite or contrary symptoms. For example:

• Diarrhea could be treated by a substance that caused constipation, such as aluminum hydroxide.
• A cough is usually the result of foreign bodies in the lungs; the muscles spasm in an attempt to remove it. Cough medicine simply stops this reflex.

Some differences are:

• In Allopathic medicine, illnesses occur as the result of an invasion by an outside source, such as viruses, germs or bacteria. For Homeopathic medicine, illnesses result when emotional, psychological or spiritual stresses become overwhelming, and thus weaken the body. The inability to process these emotional stresses leaves the individual susceptible to the disrupting influence of disease agents, such as viruses.

• Homeopathic medicine treats patients on all levels of their being (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). Conventional medicine typically only focuses on one level at a time.

• Homeopathic medicines have similar biological effects to the illness. Allopathic medicines have different biological effects from the illness.

• Homeopathic medicines are taken in general infrequently, and only as often as need. Allopathic medicines (for chronic illness) are taken continuously and indefinitely.

• Homeopathic medicines are free of side effects and toxicity. Allopathic medicines may cause side effects in some cases.