Isopathy - a Special Kind of Therapy
The concept of Isopathy is de-rived from the Greek words "iso", meaning equal,
and "pathos", meaning morbus or sickness.
Isopathy is a variant form of Homœopathy . This means that, as a treatment method, it has a very long tradition,
having been in use as long as 3,000 years ago by the Chinese, and also by Hippocrates.
Despite the length of time that it has been in use, we do not find any clear definition of this
school of treatment in the literature. Homogeneous monographs on the production of isopathic medicines
are not openly available. This article summarises the history of Isopathy as it relates to the preparations
produced by SANUM-Kehlbeck GmbH & Co. KG, and aims to fill the gaps that exist in our
understanding of this branch of medicine.
History of Isopathy
In 1833 Constantin Hering (1800-1880) and Johann Josef Wilhelm Lux (1773-1849), a vet from Leipzig, established a school of thoughts of Isopathy.
Instead of the Law of Similars ("similia similibus curentur"), they propounded the Law of Equals ("æqualia æqualibus curentur").
Lux had realised that he could treat animals suffering from an-thrax by potentising the blood of ill animals and giving it to his "patients" internally. He published his own periodical, "Zooiasis", in which he reported on his successes.
The principle was described in such manner that cure of a disease results from administration of a substance which is the product of the same disease:
"I. Find the causative factor and, if it is of a material nature, use it in potency as a cure.
Take the pathological material produced within the body (whether infectious or not), potentise it and cure the same disease with it. This is Isopathy!" This is how Lux describes it in his periodical [1].
In 1885 Collet published his book: "Isopathy - Pasteur‘s method by the internal route", in which he described his use of pathogenic substances in homœopathic potency. [2]
On 27.1.1898 Emil von Behring explained the curative principle of Isopathy in a lecture at Marburg in the context of the facts as they were known at that time, making reference to the work and knowledge of Hahnemann and Ehrlich [3].
In his expositions Hahnemann himself expressed his opinion on Isopathy; however, he regarded it as a kind of simillimum and thus an improvement on the Law of Similars [4][5].
The effectiveness of Isopathy as a part of Homœopathy has been the subject of scientific discussion primarily with regard to what is currently termed the "Hormesis principle". Hormesis is the name for the biological effect, formulated by Paracelsus (1493-1541), that low doses of harmful or poisonous substances can act positively on the organism: "Sola dosis facit venenum" (only the dose constitutes the poison). In medicinally active substances such a dose-dependent reverse effect may be easily proved (e.g. Digitalis, Colchicin, Opium). Modern scientists too, such as the American Professor Edward J. Calabrese, are researching the varying action - dependent on dosage - of substances on the human organism [6].
Across the centuries there have been continuing development and adaptation of Isopathy on the part of various researchers; the work of Antoine Béchamp in particular [1816-1908] inspired Günther Enderlein [1872-1968], Wilhelm Reich [1897-1957], Royal Rife [1888-1971] and Tamara Lebedewa [b.1938] [7].
Bibliography
Busse, E.: Isopathia - interna et externa, 10 - 11, Haug Verlag, Ulm (1956)
Julian, O.: Materia medica der Nosoden, Karl F. Haug, 8-9 (2004)
Behring, E.: Über Heilprinzi-pien, insbesondere über das ätiologische und das isopathische Heilprinzip. [On laws of healing, particularly on the law of ætiological and isopathic cure].
Deutsche Medizinische Wo-chenschrift [German Medical Weekly] 5, 65-69 (1898)
Hahnemann, S.: Organon der Heilkunst, ed. Schmidt, J.M. Standardausgabe der sechsten Auflage, [Organon of the Healing Art standard version
Verlag für Naturheilkunde · 27316 Hoya · Germany
of the Sixth Edition] Karl F. Haug, 136-137 (2002) [Note: various English translations of this work are available]
