Creating Waves of Awareness
Homeopathy Hope for Encephalitis
HindustanTimes Sanchita Sharma
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Homeopathy can prevent Japanese Encephalitis (JE) infection that infects 50,000 and kills 10,000 in South and Southeast Asia each year, report Indian researchers in the American Journal of Infectious Diseases. A study by researchers at Kolkata’s School of Tropical Medicine and the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy showed that the homeopathic medicine Belladonna prevented infection in chick embryos infected with the JE virus.
Caused by a virus that circulates in pigs and wading birds and gets transferred to humans through the bite of the Culex mosquito, JE causes symptoms of headache, sudden high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation and seizures.
Deaths in India, which range between 1,000 and 2,000 each year, occur mainly in children under 15 years in the endemic states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam and Bengal.
Belladonna -- the deadly nightshade -- is used to treat complaints of sudden infections and fever. Other conditions treated include migraines and throbbing headaches in which the slightest eye movement intensifies the pain, boils, seizures, kidney inflammation and restless sleep.
The study showed significant decrease in the viral load when treated with homoeopathic medicine Belladonna in different potencies, in comparison to placebo, said principal investigator Dr Bhaswati Bandopadhyay, assistant professor of virology, School of Tropical Medicine.
Homeopathy can prevent Japanese Encephalitis (JE) infection that infects 50,000 and kills 10,000 in South and Southeast Asia each year, report Indian researchers in the American Journal of Infectious Diseases. A study by researchers at Kolkata’s School of Tropical Medicine and the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy showed that the homeopathic medicine Belladonna prevented infection in chick embryos infected with the JE virus.
Caused by a virus that circulates in pigs and wading birds and gets transferred to humans through the bite of the Culex mosquito, JE causes symptoms of headache, sudden high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation and seizures.
Deaths in India, which range between 1,000 and 2,000 each year, occur mainly in children under 15 years in the endemic states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam and Bengal.
Belladonna -- the deadly nightshade -- is used to treat complaints of sudden infections and fever. Other conditions treated include migraines and throbbing headaches in which the slightest eye movement intensifies the pain, boils, seizures, kidney inflammation and restless sleep.
The study showed significant decrease in the viral load when treated with homoeopathic medicine Belladonna in different potencies, in comparison to placebo, said principal investigator Dr Bhaswati Bandopadhyay, assistant professor of virology, School of Tropical Medicine.
This is fascinating work and we, as homeopaths, have hope because of the recognition that homeopathy receives in parts of the world.
When people write in their profile how they think that the future of homeopathy is "bright" these are the indications that homeopathy can care for epidemic disease. There are time-tested energy remedies that match the symptoms of severe and acute symptoms, where no other type of medication can approach the rapidity and completeness of healing.
The cost of this care is very low. The availability of remedies are widespread. If necessary, a community can find these local plants and produce the homeopathic remedy by hand.
Teaching people to recognize the symptom picture and the "genus epidemicus" remedies, as this news article indicates, can go a long way and preventing and curing contagious illness.
Let us continue to learn together, to investigate the possibilities and to create awareness.
Tags: Japanese, encephalitis, homeopathy, homeopathyworldcommunity
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DR. Sushil Bahl on -
Yes, Debby, This is how we can let the world know. I wonder how you crystallize, such positive Homeopathy, out of this wonderful sea of information.I am really inspired with the kind of enthusiasm you possess for the Homeopathy.
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Permalink Reply by Debby Bruck on -
Hello Sushil - I am very touched by your remarks. I hope my enthusiasm is 'contagious' and that everyone will begin to smile and tell the story of homeopathy. Together we can make it happen!
P.S. I wrote an article about how feelings are contagious. Can you believe this title? Happiness is Contagious: What To Do When You Step In Poop talks about the viral nature of happiness in society. If HWC is our home community and we all have positive outlook and encourage one another we can make the world spin around and change everyone around us to believe in homeopathy, too.
Positive moods were more socially contagious than his bad moods, and were more likely to act like a giant virus, overwhelming the group. In fact, when Rick was in his positive state, the group actually gave him more money than he’d asked for.
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Nisanth Nambison MD on -
Fantastic ... congratulations to the researchers
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Permalink Reply by Dr Dushyant Kamal Dhari on -
"Study of homeopathic drugs in Encephalitis epidemic (1991) in U.P.
Vol 14(3&4), 1992, 1 -11 pp. Ccrh
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Permalink Reply by Dr.Prema on -
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ultradiluted belladonna: For the study we selected
Ultradiluted Belladonna 3,6,30,200. These medicines
were included in this study because they are claimed by
practitioners and researchers of alternative medicine to
have a positive role in the treatment and prevention in
Japanese Encephalitis (JE). All these medicines were
available commercially and were prepared according to
standard procedures advocated by homeopathic
pharmacopoeia of India (Ministry of Health,
Government of India, 1971, 1:1, 7-16, 72).
Procurement of ultradiluted belladonna for this
study: Medicines were reconstituted in sterile pyrogen
free water immediately before their applications after
complete elimination of alcohol.
The aqueous dilution of Belladonna (3, 6, 30, 200)
was prepared and procured from reputed Homeopathic
drug company, Hahnemann Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd
(HAPCO), Kolkata.
Virus stock: JE virus stock (Nakayama strain), which
is maintained in School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata,
was used in this study.
Embryonated chick egg inoculations: For preventive
studies one dose (50 μL) of aqueous dilution of each
selected medicine was inoculated in the chorioallantoic
membrane followed by the administration of 50 μL of
the JE viral suspension, 5-10 min later. The chorio
allantoic membrane consists of an outer layer of stratified
epithelium, which constitutes the respiratory surface of
the embryonated egg and an inner layer of endoderm (the
lining of the allantoic cavity).
Dermotropic viruses (poxviruses and some herpes
viruses) and JE viruses grow on this membrane and at low concentrations, they produce discrete foci of cell
proliferation and necrosis (pocks). The membrane was
therefore used to assay JE viruses in this study.
Different viruses cause pocks of different color and
morphology and this is also of diagnostic value for
distinguishing between different viruses. One-day-old
fertile hen’s (White leghorn) eggs were obtained from
State Poultry Farm of Govt. of West Bengal,
Tollygunge, Kolkata. They were collected from healthy
flocks, which were maintained on a well balanced and
antibiotic free diet. The eggs were incubated at 37°C
within a special egg incubator with 65% humidity.
On the 12th day eggs were candled with the help of
an illuminator in a dark room to check viability,
movements of embryos and the area of the blood vessels
was defined. The air space was marked on the eggshell
with a pencil and a point was selected on CAM avoiding
injury of large blood vessels. The air space was
punctured with a pointed end of hand punch. The shell
was also punctured after clearing with a sterile cotton
swab on the marked spot over the CAM, using the hand
punch with slight rotatory motion, avoiding injury to the
shell membrane. The shell dust was blown away with
capillary pipette. A drop of sterile normal saline was
placed over the inoculation site. The tip of the blunt
instrument was inserted through the drop of saline. This
tore the cell membrane and the drop of fluid was sucked
inside as the CAM fell away creating a new air space.
Slight suction with a rubber teat over the hole at the blunt
end of the egg was applied to have a complete dropping
of the membrane confirmed by candling.
The inoculum was deposited into the CAM with
the help of tuberculin syringe and the inoculated egg
was rotated to facilitate the dispersion of the inoculum.
The hole in the air sac was sealed and the inoculated
eggs were incubated at 37°C for 48 h in a horizontal
position. After 48 hours the shell over the false air sac
was painted with tincture Iodine and the shell
membrane was broken with a blunt forceps for
maximum exposure of the CAM. The membrane was
cut out with a sterile pair of scissors and placed in a
Petri dish for further examination.
Control study: Japanese encephalitis virus (50 μL) in
the same concentration (10-3) in bovine albumin
phosphate saline pH 7.20 mixed with equal volume
(50 μL) of sterile pyrogen free distilled water was also
inoculated on chorioallantoic membrane. The pock
count of this control virus study was considered as
baseline data and any deviation from this baseline was
noted after application of different medicines in the test
series. An initial experiment was also done with
different concentrations of viruses to find out the
dilution which gave the maximum number of pocks on
CAM (optimum dilution). If during the study, there was
death of the inoculated eggs or membranes were not
found properly the data of that lot were excluded.
Apart from this virus control experiment, similar
control studies were also done with all the medicines
without the virus in equal dilutions with water. Control
studies were also performed with Bovine albumin in
phosphate saline pH 7.2 and potentised distilled water
and studied similarly as viral dilutions.
Observation of growths on CAM: Inoculated CAMs
were observed after 48 h of inoculation particularly to
see the formation of pocks and other associated changes
on CAM.
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Permalink Reply by Dr.Prema on
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The moment i saw the news in daily, i was immensely happy. at last, Homeopathy has another hand to reach the mass. i took up my cell phone, to sms this to all my contacts. but the next moment something else struck me, and it made me so worried.
I once again read the the news, and it was clearly understandable that the experiment was done completely non-homoeopathic. i have pasted the materials and methods of the experiment done above.
now given the present medical scenario in India(atleast), i fear this result will allow all frantic steps to bring this 'Belladonna' in a pattern branded homoeopathic(???) solution for Encephalitis.
It IS good that Homeopathy claims some recognition with such experiments and that such medicine for a disease name is applicable in genus epedimicus, but do u really think it will be propagated in this true manner??
i fear NO.
if Homeopathy is spread on the theory completely non-homeopathic, how helpful or dangerous that could be to homoeopathic principles?
If i am wrong, please excuse me . also if my fear is unnecessary, i would be most happy to hear so.
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Permalink Reply by Debby Bruck on
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Dear Prema ~ I understand your concerns. These experiments do not adhere to the basic principles of homeopathy as set out in Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine.
I look at the glass as half full, rather than half empty. These types of experiments opens the minds of scientists and researchers that there 'is something in it,' even though they do not understand how it could possibly work. They are coming to homeopathy from their own limited understanding of material science, without the concept of vital force and energy medicine.
It takes small baby steps for them to come closer to the door of truth and if they must come through the 'back door' by doing such standardized experiments on organisms that cannot communicate through language, and only counting pox then that is where their world is at this time.
It opens up the 'idea' that there is some action in the homeopathic remedies. As homeopaths, it will be our job to move them to the next step in understanding through educational programs, discussions, forums, and all the internet tools at our disposal.
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Permalink Reply by Dr.Prema on
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yes, Debby. i too hope and pray it would turn out to be good.
we have to do 2times work, but no problem. if that is how others can understand, well. we can do anything for Homeopathy.
I look at the glass as half full, rather than half empty.////
thanks a ton for these words Debby.
© 2013 Created by Debby Bruck.
