Hi. I am just beginning to learn about homeopathy, and am curious about how it can work for strict vegetarians who will not use animal-derived substances in any amount for any reason. From what I understand, some homeopathic remedies are animal-derived.

Is it possible for a vegetarian to be treated homeopathically, or does his/her stance on animal-derived products compromise the efficacy of treatment -- what happens if the indicated medicine is not vegetarian?

Do you think that a homeopath can him/herself be a strict vegetarian?

Big questions, I guess -- thanks for any input.

hillabee

Why is there so few vegetarians?? You think??

Sorry GM, but I didn´t get the point you wanted to say...

Only joking..there is no animal, or plant material in any homeopatic remedy, that is amisunderstanding.its only sugar.
And, we are 90% vegetarian, 10 % meateaters, and need a balance.

Hi hillabee,
I understand the issue of vegitarianism in relation to homeopathy because it is an issue for me. The original substance being the problem. The goose who was sacrificed to make Oscillococcinum, for instance, can be justified by some by saying that one goose could make maybe thousands of remedies? For me, it is still a big problem, so I choose to use remedies not derived from an animal that has been killed in order to make the remedy, if at all avoidable. For the same reason, I choose to never again use anti-biotics or other conventional drugs. If an ethical vegitarian, as opposed to dietary vegitarian, that is an even bigger issue because if one reads the package inserts it becomes quite obvious how many lab animals suffer and die in the testing process of almost all allopathic medicines on the market. Knowing conventional medicine was not only inadequate but produced by such terribly cruel methods was one of the factors in turning to homeopathy.

I respect the people who wish to be strict vegetarians. But don't forget, in order to live, you have to kill. You cannot avoid the killing.
Do you realize how many insects & bugs have been killed for you to eat vegatables & fruits. Do you realize how many organisms are present in bread we eat, Yogurt etc.
Even the air we breathe has life, the steps we take, we tread on the harmless insects.

So the point is, one has to draw the line, and that line is dependant on you.

Many many eminant Homeopaths recommended vegetarian diets even for pregnant women

I really think that by using the Osccillinium argument you are pushing things far beyond reasonable bounds

There must be a balance in all things

Pat,
Occillococcinum is a brand name for product with active ingredient Anas Barbarice Hepatis which I interpret as Goose liver......may be wrong about that. But if it is, I feel it would be rather difficult to obtain without harming the goose. So I figured it was an easy remedy to simply bypass using if one objects to sacrificing a non-human animal and certainly not "pushing things far beyond reasonable bounds". Some other animal derived remedies may not require killing the animal such as Lach, Lac C, etc., so, aside from the issue of what cruelty may have been involved in confinement of a non-human animal/reptile in order to obtain the product needed, at least maybe they were not put to death in the process.

hp,
Of course we can't avoid killing other beings as we live on this earth but I think it is OK to make every concerted effort to avoid doing so.

Warning, tablets are usually prepared from milk sugar or lactose. Those wishing to avoid milk products should ask for sucrose pillules instead from the pharmacy they use.

I was a vegetarian for over ten years, even vegan for part of that time until it affected my health. IMO it is about balance. If the indicated remedy was originally prepared from an animal source and is refused on moral grounds I would consider that extreme and pathological.

For example, a honey bee dies in the preparation of Apis tincture which can yield thousands and thousands of doses. I wonder if there is a comparable kill rate on vegetables? It's all a question of degree short of leaving the planet!

As has been pointed out for us to live something else must die. This is a law of nature affecting even a fruitarian waiting for the fruit to drop from a tree.

I have to agree with Frank, wholeheartedly on this!!
Well put, Frank!

It is all too easy to become sooo focused on one area in life and forget the BIG picture..
Lisa