An interview with Dr. Kudret Parpar
Type of article: Interview
How to cite this article:
Kudret Parpar. Back to Nature in the future: Homeopathy (an interview with Dr. Kudret Parpar. Electron. physician, July 20, 2016, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.19082/Homeopathy
Homeopathy is widely unknown in many regions of the world; in countries such as Turkey, the education and practice of homeopathy has only recently been introduced. However, homeopathy should really be considered as a medical practice, and accepted by the medical institutes and hospitals as a therapy. Dr. Kudret Parpar is a Turkish physician who specialize in anesthesiology. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the dentistry faculty at the Medipol University in Istanbul, Turkey. For the last four years she has learnt and practiced “Classical Homeopathy”. Since homeopathy is new to the field of medical practice in Turkey, Dr. Kudret Parpar is one of the pioneers in its field; this is why we invited her to talk of homeopathy.
What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is one of the alternative therapeutic modes accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has been well known almost universally for more than 200 years. German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) introduced this excellent treatment to the world and before todays’ modern methods spread all over the western world, homeopathy was known and widely used. Hahnemann named this therapy by combining two Greek words; homeos (similar) and pathos (disease) to make homeopathy. Similia Similibus Curentur; when translated, means simply like cures like; meaning a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in a healthy person. But the concentration of the substances are very low even in submolecular amounts. Hahnemann started his experiments with Cinchona officinalis or china (it contains quinine) which was used for malaria treatment. He used China juice on himself and he noticed joint aches and sweaty fever. He then used it on healthy volunteers and they experienced similar symptoms. Later, in 1796 he wrote the first literary record “An Essay on a New Principles Asserting the Curative Power of Particular Medications and an Analysis of Old Principles“. He continued his works with many remedies produced from plants, animal tissues and minerals; and he produced and published a very valuable book named “The Organon of The Healing Art”. Today, all the homeopaths are reading it as the main reference book. Today, his book is used as the main reference for homeopaths the world over.
How are the remedies produced?
Homeopathic remedies are prepared by a serial dilution and succession processes named potentiszation. Homeopathic medicines are called remedies and they are essentially nano-medicines. The original drug substance is used in extremely minute quantities to prepare a given homeopathic medicine. In this method, one part of the original drug substance (e.g. 0.1 mg of a plant extract) is mixed with 99 parts (e.g. 9.9 mg) in a suitable carrier (alcohol + water) and shaken vigorously by a special device that converts the preparation into the 1c potency. One part (0.1 mg) of the 1c preparation is then mixed with 99 parts (9.9 mg) of the carrier and the process of potentization is repeated to prepare the 2c potency. This process is continued until the required potency is reached. Homeopathic medicines are available in certain standard potencies such as 30c, 100c, 200c, 1000c, 10K, and 50K. The most effective are the ones most diluted. There are also decimal dilutions called D potency. Remedies are produced according to universal pharmacopoeias. Many European countries have their own institutions: Germany has had a homeopathic pharmacopoeia since 1825, the British Pharmacoppeia was founded in1870, the U.S.A pharmacopoeia since 1897 and lastly the French Pharmacopoeia has been going since 1962. The idea of dilutation and succession employs the same principles in all of these pharmacopoeias and still preparing is in the same way as in Hahnemanns’ time.
When we could consider the homeopathy in medical practice? When will we be able to consider homeopathy as part of medical practice?
There is no special remedy for any particular disease. The beauty and the art of homeopathy is the individualization: In classical homeopathy, even if the name of the disease is the same, the remedy is given according to the patient. Homeopaths listen to the patient and take the symptoms as the patients’ expression, and find the correct remedy for his all of his symptoms. The picture of the patient should be similar to the remedy picture. And this is why homeopathy is also called holistic; it means one remedy can heal the patient as a whole: Mentally, physically and spiritually. Homeopathy can be used in every case that is in every kind of diseases. Sometimes only one dose of a remedy is sufficient. In our country, since homeopathy is not known very well, patients who could not find any result from the other medicine seek homeopathy; Patients with illnesses such as cancer, autoimmune disease, autism, chronic pain, or panic attacks can be referred. In Europe and in India, people widely use homeopathy. They apply for any kind of complaints from flu to HIV. Homeopathy is natural, cheap and without side effects; so it is preferred. Homeopathy is not used instead of surgery. Situations such as bone fractures or acute appendicitis certainly need surgery, homeopathy is still useful as complementary to these cases for post-operative pain relief, edema and bleeding. Taking a case conversing with the patient and finding the correct remedy is the art side of homeopathy. Homeopaths collect all the symptoms of the patient and his habits and his character and way of life. There are reference texts called Materia Medica and Repertories for the collected data. A remedy is chosen accordingly and the potency of the remedy is decided and produced. Sometimes one dose is enough but sometimes it should be repeated. The end result is determined by the vital force of the patient.
How does Homeopathy work?
Homeopathy is an energy based therapy. In a living body, everything is in balance: the mind, the emotions, the perceptions, the physics of the body and the sprit. The vital force is a phenomenom that differentiates a dead body from a living body. A disease means there is an imbalance that makes weaknesses on the vital force. Homeopathy restores this imbalance through the vital force. Because it acts on the vital force, homeopathy doesn't need large amounts. Only a little knowledge of the substance is enough. And by succession it becomes a dynamic, known as dynamization. Todays’ sciencentific technology is not advanced enough to fully understand all of the principles of submoleculer levels, so there is no current explanation for the working principles of homeopathy where there are very low concentrations of used substances. Most of the alternative medical techniques act on energy levels such as homeopathy, acupuncture and Chinese medicine. All of these methods have been successfully used for hundreds of years. Recently, quantum physics is was tried to explain the mechanism. There are some indirect techniques nowadays to show energy levels such as krilian photography. Before remedy and after remedy photographs have been published. For the time being though, only, successful results are observed and expressed by the patients. In the future science might invent some new tools to show unknown parts of the working body and life energy. Homeopathy is an individuated therapy; no specific remedy for a symptom so a placebo controlled research is not easy to design. For the same symptom a hundreds of different remedies could be prescribed. However there are many placebo controlled studies with very good results.
What is the situation of homeopathy in the world?
Homeopathy is the most popular alternative medicine in the world. Dr. Hahnemann was from Germany originally, and later on moved to France. He was successful about cholera, typhus epidemics and became the most famous physician at that time. In 1883 he founded the first homeopathy hospital in Leipzig. Soon after, however, he moved to Paris where he died. He achieved status through homeopathy both in Germany and Paris, and before his death around 1824, homeopathy had spread to London. Today, the Royal Family supports homeopathy by using it as their first choice of therapeutic treatment. In 1825 some physicians started to use homeopathy in New York City. By 1848 first homeopathic medical collage established. After Hahnemann, very important doctors such as Dr. C. Herring and Dr. J. Kent from U.S.A improved homeopathy. Until 1930 there were many homeopathy hospitals and collages teaching homeopathy in the USA and throughout the world. After the spread of the pharmaceutical industry, homeopathy was mostly forgotten in western countries, but the remedies can still be found and bought in all of these countries. India met was introduced to homeopathy at 1835 by an English physician. In 1881, The 'Calcutta Homeopathic Medical College', the first homeopathic medical college was established .This institution took on a major role in popularizing homeopathy in India. In 1973, the Government of India recognized homeopathy as one of the national systems of medicine and set up the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) to regulate its education and practice. Now, only qualified registered homeopaths can practice homeopathy in India. Today, all of Europe, the U.S.A, India, Russia, North Africa and Australia uses homeopathy. However, in the Middle East, however, only Israel is familiar with homeopathy and its benefits. In Turkey some doctors have visited Europe and learned the teaching methods so that they could teach homeopathy in Turkey.
How do you see the future of Homeopathy?
In an era where biologic and harmless sources of energy are sought, a natural, harmless, therapeutic way without any side effects will certainly find its place in the world. People are becoming more and more mindful about chemicals polluting organisms, the earth and water, so nontoxic and harmless ways are becoming more and more pronounced in our World.
Dr. Kudret Parpar is a Turkish physician who specialize in anesthesiology. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the dentistry faculty at the Medipol University in Istanbul, Turkey.
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