Historical Journey of Homoeopathy during Epidemic Diseases in the Light of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic

Abstract

Homoeopathy is a therapeutic system founded by German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700’s and has been used for 200 years around the world in acute and chronic disease conditions. Homoeopathy has also flourished during the times of epidemic diseases and the use of homoeopathic remedies as genus epidemicus and homoeoprophylaxis began with Hahnemann. Although the effectiveness of the homoeopathic remedies in epidemics has been scarcely proved by controlled studies, yet there is vast historical evidence which proves that homoeopathic remedies have been successfully used to prevent these conditions. The homoeopathic literature was searched to find out the historical evidences of the use of homoeopathic remedies during epidemics and pandemics. Homoeopathic treatment during epidemics is reviewed in Eight diseases and their results are found for epidemics of Scarlet fever, Typhus, Cholera, Dysentery, Spanish flu, Diphtheria, Measles, Whooping cough. Also the prophylactic effect of homoeopathic medicines is found in Fourteen epidemic diseases namely Scarlet fever, Smallpox, Poliomyelitis, Meningitis, Whooping cough, Dengue, Cholera, Japanese Encephalitis, Leptospirosis, Diphtheria, Influenza, Hepatitis, Malaria, Chikungunya. Many clinical trials have also been conducted during the epidemics of Chikungunya, Influenza like illness, Dengue, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome/Japanese Encephalitis. The current novel Coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has rapidly spread over the globe and has been declared as pandemic by World Health Organization. Till now, no specific treatment or vaccine has emerge to control this pandemic. However, many homoeopaths over different parts of the world have treated a wide range of COVID positive cases with different remedies. This review not only brings forward the success stories of homoeopathy during past epidemics but also presents its utility in the current pandemic.