Do you know the very first remedy made by Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homeopathy?
It is known as China Officinalis OR Cinchona – very confusing, I know. Otherwise known as the source of Quinine!
Hahnemann was a linguist, chemist and doctor of medicine and in the process of translating some medical books, came across an article that attributed the cure for malaria to the bitterness of cinchona bark. Malarial symptoms include intermittent fevers, chills and sweats.
Hahnemann was quite a sceptic, so he experimented with doses of cinchona bark to see what would happen to him.
In the process he discovered he would get malarial symptoms when he imbibed small doses of this substance. As soon as he stopped taking cinchona, the symptoms went away, and then returned when he restarted the process.
This led to the principle, Like cures like, where cinchona produced in a healthy person the very symptoms it was supposed to cure. This was the start of many experiments and observations which established homeopathy as a system of medicine in it’s own right.
So what is cinchona bark? At one time it was valued more than gold because it was so useful for helping with symptoms of malaria in South America. Quinine is derived from this bark and used in tonic. Gin and tonic was a favourite drink of the colonial masters of India to stave off malarial infections!!
China – the REMEDY
China comes into it’s own for the after effects of infections/illness where the body is depleted by prolonged and profuse loss of fluids. Blood loss, vomiting, diarrhoea, excess perspiration, even breast feeding can lead to a state of utter exhaustion, anaemia and malaise. The patient is apathetic, indifferent and despondent. And oversensitive to noise, pain, light and smells. Symptoms return at regular intervals like every other day.
The homeopathic picture of China is BIG! It can be used therapeutically for many chronic problems where the picture fits.
But if there is debility after a long stretch of being ill, or from loss of vital fluids, it would be worth looking at this remedy to see if it will help.
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