Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

22 •THEORY & PRACTICEBUILDING AMATERIA MEDICAMore than 4,000 substances from the plant, animal, and mineral kingdomshave been tested since Hahnemann first developed his theories, resultingin a materia medica that contains over 2,000 remedies.The reasons why particular substances were selected as homeopathic remedies are complex andvaried. Many were familiar from traditional Western folklore or herbal lore. Some, such as mercury,were used in contemporary conventional medicine. Others included minerals or elements thathad been used as nutritional supplements, such as zinc. Out of curiosity, or because they had along herbal tradition or were known to have a strong, even toxic, effect, different substances weretried and the information cataloged. The greatest influence came initially from herbalists in Europebut, as knowledge grew of the medicinal traditions of other cultures, more substances were testedfor their homeopathic potential. European explorers and settlers filtered back information amassedon their travels. Dr. Constantine Hering (see page 16), for instance, visited South America anddiscovered the healing properties of the bushmaster snake (see page 109).Hahnemann set down strict guidelines for testing, or “proving,” potential remedies. Thisterm developed from Prüfung, the German word for a trial. A set of volunteers, or “provers,”take a trial substance in different strengths, or potencies (see page 19), and make a detailed,THE WORLD OF THE APOTHECARYThe eclectic assortment ofplants and minerals mixed anddispensed in a standard 18thcenturyapothecary are illustratedin this painting of the period byan anonymous artist. Many ofthese medicines were testedby Hahnemann and others fortheir curative potential ashomeopathic remedies.