Editorial: Epidemic Concerns

Where The Mind Is Without Fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,
Where knowledge is free,
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls,
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection,
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

– Rabindranath Tagore [1861-1941]

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Fall 2020 issue of our journal. We will elucidate homeopathy’s effectiveness in epidemic diseases.   Though the modern dominant paradigm of materialistic understanding of disease and its treatment focuses mainly on   one side of the issue -either pathology or an attacker, whether it be virus or bacteria, we continue to proclaim   vehemently that this partial understanding leads to partial cure/palliation at best and/or serious iatrogenesis at   worst.¹

Since it is self-evident that a well-functioning immune system protects against disease, it is imperative to discover and use every possible safe means to promote it. Homeopathy, with its more than 220 year (since Hahnemann’s first essay)² history of treating epidemics such as influenza, cholera and yellow fever successfully fits the bill. We have only to peruse this issue of the journal to gain an insight into the historical successes of homeopathy, the current treatment of Covid-19, and the research base behind the immune boosting qualities of homeopathic treatment. These facts will not change; they can only become everyday truths with time.

Let us continue to use our work for the greater good of humanity; we should remember that whether it is a patient, a colleague, or a stranger, we can promote compassion from within and without, that manifests in a non-judgmental attitude that is indispensable for our success as both a human being and homeopath.³

Let us also be cognizant of the fact that bias and bigotry will exist in human society as long as the dominant majority feels privileged and reacts with stonewalling to any influence that may decrease that power and privilege. Thus it is that some of the integrative medical journals reject well written homeopathic research papers which challenge the orthodox paradigm and defend homeopathy and naturopathy against the lackeys of the pharmaceutical industry. Nevertheless, we must persist in our efforts for well conducted research in our field.⁴

Finally, let us not forget that we can meet our duty to humanity in this time of need and hold our head high without apology!

 Warm regards,
Alex Bekker, MD, ABIHM, FAIS
Editor in Chief, AJHM
First Vice President, AIH

References:

1. Makary MA et al. Medical error the third leading cause of death in the US. BMJ. 2016. PMID: 27143499
2. Dudgeon, RE (Ed.): Hahnemann’s Lesser Writings. Essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Powers of Drugs. 1796. P. 266. Collected and translated by RE Dudgeon, 1851, BJain, New Delhi.
3. Hahnemann, S. Organon of Medicine. Trans. Kunzli, Naude, Pendleton. JP Tarcher. 1982. Para §9. . The reasoning spirit who inhabits the organism can thus freely use this healthy living instrument to reach the lofty goal of human existence.
4. Oberbaum M. Will We Miss the Opportunity Again? Homeopathy 2020; 109(03): 176-178 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1713082