Similia Similibus Curentur: Revisiting historical aspects of homeopathy nine years later

Abstract

Revising earlier conceptual misconstructions and delving deeper into the historical debate on the origins of homeopathy, this text returns to discussions initiated in the article "Simila Similibus Curentur: historical notes on homeopathic medicine" (1997). Research has been based on two main sources: ancient texts - Corpus Hippocraticum and works by Galen, Paracelsus, and Hahnemann - and the studies of commentators. In the nine years since original publication, previously explored content has undergone gradual revision, some points have been corrected, and discussions have developed further, lending substantially greater maturity to earlier positions. 'Born' in the eighteenth century yet rooted in the very origins of Western medicine, homeopathy is endeavoring to blossom in the twenty-first century as a specialty that wants to be autonomous but that needs the legitimacy of 'traditional' medical science.