Homeopathy Today (Resource Issue) ... February 2003
A technological wonderland at my fingertips
I had to be dragged literally kicking and screaming into the wonderful and sometimes maddening world of computer technology.
I owned my first computer for nearly a year before I had the courage to connect its mysterious parts and switch them on. My friend, homeopath and computer enthusiast Francis Treuherz, held my hand while showing me that my computer was not going to jump out of its casing and bite me. He translated everything in my physical office into what I was seeing on that first, tiny computer screen (a Macintosh SE for those of you who have known them!) and helped acquaint me with what fast became a deep and enduring friendship!
Getting smart at last
For the first eight years or so I used three programs on my Apple computer: email, Word, and MacRepertory (homeopathic software). It took me ages to branch out and use more of my computer's functionality.
In 1997 I defected and purchased my first PC. I took some classes and read a bunch of books to understand what I was doing. The "For Dummies" books didn't work for me ... there were simply too many words in them. I found books with pictures to be worth thousands of words. And pretty soon I started whizzing about my computer in ways I could never have dreamt about even a year before.
Connected at last
The World Wide Web was touted as a way to connect with people and businesses around the world at the click of a mouse. But for years I found the Internet frustratingly, maddeningly slow. It never compared to flicking through a magazine ... waiting for pages to load was rather like waiting in line at the supermarket ... only worse! Like millions of others who have dial-up modems, I didn't use the Internet much. This winter when I got hooked up with high speed Internet access via a cable modem ... everything changed! Jumping from site to site is now like having ten books open on my desk at once. At last, the Internet has delivered its early promise. It's like having color television after years of black and white.
At the end of 2002 I took the huge step of going more or less paperless, and I now carry my office around with me, thrilled to be able to set up shop anywhere there is a power outlet. My office used to fill a room: the books and patient charts alone filled a small truck each time I moved. My whole office now fits into a smart little briefcase and weighs seven pounds. I use 25--35 programs daily and love the versatility and connectivity.
Never too old
Last year my 75-year-old aunt in England was given her first computer. She hated it for months ... it made her feel stupid and crazy but she persevered with her classes and homework, and at the beginning of December she sent me her first email. So if you are just thinking about getting your toes wet but haven't got the nerve to take the plunge, think of my 75-year-old aunt! Get connected and join us in this magical, always wide open, global sea of information!
Homeopathy on the Internet
In December I sent out approximately seventy emails to friends and colleagues
around the world asking them to send me their favorite homeopathic websites.
In addition to these I added my own favorites. I trust this compilation
of homeopathy sites on the Internet will inform, interest, and inspire
you.
So many of the sites listed in this article are fascinating as well as
fun. I hope you will jump into this virtual ocean of learning and explore
it to the end of the Internet and beyond! This list will also be published
on the NCH website so that you
can easily jump to a link simply by clicking on it.
There are unpleasant distractions on many websites: ads that pop up
(some of which are cunningly disguised as messages); flashing banners
which give you an instant migraine; orange backgrounds and tiny print
which make reading on a computer screen impossible. I tended to exclude
these--as I did those that were slow to load or outdated.
The Internet makes studying homeopathy a breeze--for students, homeopaths,
and teachers. There's tons of information, much of it interesting or
even fascinating. The trick is to be careful about the time you spend
on sites of dubious scholarly value! The Internet is full of people who
are writing all their thoughts, feelings, and opinions with little or
no editing.
Google is universally considered the best search engine. You'll find
the English one at www.google.com .
There are French and German Googles at www.google.fr and www.google.de respectively!
Searching is an art. Choose your words carefully and vary them to find
other sites. Spell homoeopathy with the extra "o" to scoop
up sites in England, or spell it like the French do (homeopathie) and
see what you get. Put the words "classical homeopathy" together within
quotation marks and your search will give you results with that exact
phrase. Use the full botanical names for remedies (e.g., " Atropa
belladonna ") to find those sites with botanical and homeopathic
information, otherwise you will tend to get a lot of "other" sites.
Try searching for "deadly nightshade" (the common name for Belladonna ),
then for " Belladonna " alone. And finally for "Atropa belladonna." Each
search gives different results with the last search producing many more
botanical and homeopathic sites.
Click on the Advanced Search button on Google's home page and play with
your searches to uncover some real treasures.
Many homeopathy sites have "search" buttons and some have
them on every page. Search wildly: type in anything that crosses your
mind. See what happens.
Check out www.kartoo.com --a search
engine with a map, with a graphical result for your searching. It's crazy
fun!
Frustration-free surfing Tips <BACK TO TOP>
Type the exact name of the site you want to visit--with every single dot in exactly the right place.
Use your local library if you don't have a computer.
Limit your time, and stretch frequently so you don't turn to stone!
Use "bookmarks" in your web browser so that you can return
to an interesting site. It isn't easy to remember where you've been. Find
Search with care and cunning (See "Searching on the web.")
Many veterinarians have their own websites full of information and articles.
Just search for veterinary homeopathy to find them!
www.theavh.org
Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy--for referrals to veterinarians who
practice homeopathy.
www.ahvma.org
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
www.altvetmed.com
Informational sources on the web for everything and anything to do with
animals and alternative treatments--including homeopathy.
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/search.htm
Search for numerous inspirational and informative articles by noted
homeopathic veterinarians including Christina Chambreau and Richard Pitcairn.
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pets4Homeopathy
There are 138 homeopathy groups on the Yahoo website including this
one for those wanting to talk about homeopathy for their pets.
Everyone's favorite bookstores were Minimum Price Homeopathic Books
and Homeopathic Educational Services. Most of the pharmacies (see below)
also sell books.
www.minimum.com
Minimum Price Homeopathic Books: a comprehensive homeopathic bookstore
with many book reviews. Flexible and varied search options make finding
a book easy.
www.homeopathic.com
Homeopathic Educational Services: this site has an incredible number
of books and products and a plethora of useful links.
www.ebay.com
Get some incredible deals on used/second-hand homeopathic books and
kits and other homeopathic paraphernalia.
www.mickler.de
Go to the above site and click on the 9 th link down the page: " Download-Seite Organon
der Heilkunst" to download Hahnemann's Organon in its
original German.
www.homeoint.org
An unbelievable collection of homeopathic books online many of which
have photos and illustrations. Bradford's biography of Hahnemann, The
Life and Letters of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, is a distinct treasure.
This site is seriously addictive: do not go to it late at night unless
you can take your laptop to bed with you.
There are many websites offering homeopathic treatment by email--for
both humans and animals. 262 sites came up when I searched for "homeopathic
consultation" online--many from homeopaths in Pakistan and India. The
homeopaths concerned may never meet or speak with their patients. As
with all other consultations, you are advised to seek out homeopaths
that are qualified as well as certified with reputable, national homeopathic
organizations. It is always advisable to consult with your homeopathic
practitioner face to face if at all possible.
Connect with enthusiasts from around the world and discuss everything
homeopathic including philosophy, methodology, and materia medica.
www.holisticmed.com
Scroll down to the chart of therapies at the bottom of this (long) home
page and click on homeopathy. The link at the top, "Homeopathic
Discussion Groups," takes you to a listing of these sites. The following
are the most popular:
www.lyghtforce.com
Browse the messages on the web's biggest online homeopathy discussion
board and join the list so you too can participate.
www.minutus.org
Another popular homeopathic discussion group.
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Hahnemaniacs
A work-group on homeopathic theory and philosophy, this group is attempting
to understand the Organon by going back to Hahnemann's original
German edition.
www.olne.net
Live chats with homeopaths around the world make this site a unique
resource. It has some interesting articles too.
There are a tremendous number of sites offering online education or
distance learning opportunities: from basic, first-aid homeopathy courses
to more comprehensive ones. Using the words "homeopathy" or "homoeopathy" and "distance
learning" or "online" and "course" or "class" (e.g., "homeopathy
online class" or "homoeopathy distance learning course")
will bring up hundreds or even thousands of results.
If you are interested in studying homeopathy at a real school instead
of a virtual one, then search for "homeopathy school" or "homeopathy
program." You can find a listing of schools in the Resource
Guide (Homeopathy Today, Feb 2003) , but you will find many more
by searching on the web. Use the discussion groups to find out which
schools or courses might suit you the best.
Several websites publish homeopathic events in the U.S. and around the
world. Whole Health Now ( www.wholehealthnow.com )
and the NCH website ( www.homeopathic.org )
have the two best seminar, conference, and homeopathic events listings.
www.gudjons.com
This German pharmacy site has hundreds of photographs of homeopathic
remedies. Click on the British flag (for English!) and then click on "Arzneimittelliste" in
the bar on the left-hand side and again on the same word in the middle
of the next page that appears. All the remedies that have a "link" are
listed in blue and can be clicked on for further information and many
beautiful photos.
www.abchomeopathy.com
This British site has a surprisingly smart online remedy finder that is fun
for when you are stuck in bed with a cough or the flu and are bored with
playing computer games or watching daytime soap operas and the remedy you
took isn't working. The process of questioning takes you from the general
to the particular in a way that encourages you to think like a homeopath!
http://www.medicinegarden.com/Homeopathy/Organon.html
A comparison of the 5th (German edition) and 6th (English) editions
of the Organon with discussion and commentary from four homeopaths
in Germany (comparing the original German edition with the English translations),
Canada, South Africa, and the U.S.
This was where I got stuck in a veritable homeopathic wonderland of
data. These sites are my and many other people's favorites. If your favorite
site isn't here, let me know. (It may be because it isn't up-to-date
or is slow to load or has a ton of annoying ads on it.)
www.homeoint.org
This French site--Homéopathe Internationale--is a homeopathic
treasure trove. It was the most-recommended site by those who responded
to my email request--it receives 6500 visitors a day. It is huge, glorious,
and multi-lingual with the English sections clearly marked. It has articles
galore, books online, and hundreds of photos of homeopaths old and new.
There's a page that defines old diseases by name--an invaluable resource
when using old repertories.
www.homeopathyhome.com
The next favorite site was Homeopathy Home. It has tons of links, and
over 3000 visitors a day. It was many people's favorite jumping off point
for all other sites.
www.holisticmed.com/www/homeopathy.html
Many papers including books, journals and papers online from the British
homeopathic Library.
www.simillimum.com
David Little's site was the favorite for most students and practitioners
wanting to study certain subjects in depth. The articles are of an extremely
high quality.
www.homeoinfo.com
Great site. Lots of articles for homeopaths and students--and lots of
links too.
www.homeopathic.com
The site for Homeopathic Educational Services, it is packed with resources
for the home prescriber and the serious homeopath.
www.boger-boenninghausen.com
Here you will find a couple of great articles: one on LM potencies and
another on Boenninghausen's remedy relationships.
www.simillibus.com
Dr. Will Taylor's remedy of the week is always worth visiting and studying.
www.whale.to/vaccine/articles.html
This site was full of information--and very slow to load, but worth
it. Click on the link to homeopathy, and access a number of great articles
on homeopathy and vaccination.
Some homeopathic libraries provide online services, an invaluable resource
for students and researchers.
www.hom-inform.org
The library of the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital in Scotland has a searchable
database of thousands of books and journals.
www2.antenna.nl/homeoweb/libraries.html
This site has the most comprehensive listing of homeopathic libraries
around the world.
www.lyghtforce.com/HomeopathyOnLine/index.html
Homeopathy Online magazine.
www.townsend.com
Many of this popular magazine's articles are available on the website. They
are well-written, informative, and supportive of effective alternative therapies.
www.alternativemedicine.com
This site has great information on alternatives to be used for various conditions.
I look here for adjunct herbal and nutritional therapies.
www.webmd.com and www.medlineplus.gov
Information about diseases, diagnoses, medical terms, and drugs in accessible
format and language.
www.4woman.gov
National Women's Health Information Center, a government site with
information on medical topics relating to women. www.rxlist.com
Check out drug interactions and side effects here at one of the faster and
better organized sites. At the same site you can find information on herbs
(Chinese and Western) and three monographs on homeopathic remedies! ( Arsenicum,
Argentum nitricum, and Calcarea carbonica) .
www.chid.nih.gov
This is the Combined Health Information Database offered as an online resource
through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/index
This is the public relations website for the Centers for Disease Control, where
you can keep up to date with public health issues. There has been a lot of
information lately about smallpox and vaccinations. You can check rumors
and hoaxes here, which is always interesting and sometimes entertaining.
www.fedstats.gov
Click on Topic Links A-Z to access an astonishing amount of statistics
and data.
www.homeopathic.org
The website of the National Center for Homeopathy: a clearinghouse for
information about homeopathy in the U.S. and around the world; a full
membership list (6000 members including practitioners and study groups).
www.homeopathicdirectory.com
The certifying body for professional homeopaths, the Council on Homeopathic
Certification website has a searchable directory of board certified homeopaths.
www.homeopathy.org
North American Society of Homeopaths: NASH publishes an incredible yearly
journal ( The American Homeopath ) dedicated to a deeper understanding
of homeopathy.
www.homeopathyusa.org/specialtyboard
American Institute for Homeopathy and American Board of Homeotherapeutics:
publishes on its website a directory of medical doctors who practice
classical homeopathy.
www.healthy.net/HANP
Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians: for naturopaths who
practice classical homeopathy.
www.homeopathyresource.org
American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists.
www.hpus.com
The Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the U.S.: for the legal
and formal aspects of homeopathic pharmacy.
www.homeopathy-soh.org
The U.K. Society of Homeopaths: their online leaflets are practical
and helpful.
www.homeopathy-ecch.org
The website for the European Council for Classical Homeopathy.
Pharmacies: U.S. Pharmacies <BACK TO TOP>
The following pharmacies all have extensive single remedy listings in
varying potencies. Remedies from the major homeopathic manufacturers--
BHI, Boiron, Standard, Hylands, Dolisos, Boericke and Tafel--are all
available from your local whole food store. The following sites specialize
in selling remedies on the web and each site has something special to
offer.
www.hahnemannlabs.com
Hahnemann Laboratories provides high quality remedies as well as lots
of information about how they are made.
www.homeopathyworks.com
Order remedies, books, and kits from Washington Homeopathic Products'
popular site. Search their online edition of Boericke's Materia Medica for
your symptoms.
www.homeopathyovernight.com
Homeopathy Overnight: an interesting, fast site once you get used to
the search fields.
www.a2zhomeopathy.org
Natural Health Supply sells a spectacular number of kits (including
LM potency kits) as well as individual remedies and books.
www.1800homeopathy.com
The Luyties site is the place to visit for Biochemic tissue salts and
an interesting range of oils and ointments.
Pharmacies: International Pharmacies <BACK TO TOP>
The following English homeopathic websites are popular with those seeking
remedies that are not available in the U.S. (for example, less commonly
used remedies or recently-proven ones).
www.helios.co.uk
Homeopathic students and practitioners make all the remedies at Helios
by hand.
www.nelsons.co.uk
By appointment to the Royal Family, Nelson's has been manufacturing
and selling homeopathic remedies since 1860.
www.ainsworths.com
Ainsworths also holds a warrant to supply members of the Royal Family.
Ainsworths sells their own Bach Flower Remedies using Dr Bach's original
methods of preparation.
The full text of some provings--new and old--is available at some of
these sites. I am sure there are many others--these are the ones that
I knew about or came across as I stumbled about the web.
www.homeopathycourses.com
The site for Louis Klein's published provings.
www.homeopathic.co.nz
Julian Winston (illustrious editor of this magazine, inveterate historian,
and homeopathic enthusiast extraordinaire) has published a number of
old provings on his site that aren't to be found easily elsewhere. Click
on the "archives" link to get to them.
http://www.homeopathyschool.com/provings.html
Provings from Misha Norland's Devon School of Homeopathy.
http://www.homeopathy-ecch.org/provings.html
Recommended guidelines for provings by the European Council of Classical
Homeopathy.
www.dynamis.edu
There's a searchable database of homeopathic provings.
www.homeopathicdirectory.com
There are links from this Council on Homeopathic Certification site
to all sites with Directories including: the American Board of Homeotherapeutics,
the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians, and the North American
Society of Homeopaths--all certifying organizations, all of which have
directories on their sites.
www.homeopathic.org
The NCH has a huge member and practitioner directory. Note that the
NCH is not a certifying body, and all practitioners listed are simply
members who have identified themselves as practitioners.
www.homeopathy-cures.com
This website maintained by Steve Waldstein, RSHom(NA), has an extensive
practitioner listing based on his personal opinions (i.e., it does not
constitute a referral from a certifying body).
www.findnaturaltreatment.com
This is designed for those who are new to homeopathies, who wish to
read how homeopathy can help their complaint and locate a homeopathic
practitioner in their area.
There are a handful of companies producing excellent homeopathic software
packages for the homeopathic student and practitioner.
www.miccant.com
Cara: free download available online.
www.hompath.com
Hompath: free download available online.
www.archibel.com
Radar and Encyclopedia Homeopathica: free demo available on request.
www.kenthomeopathic.com
MacRepertory and ReferenceWorks: free demo available on request.
www.homeopathic.com
There are many more software programs for the home prescriber, some
of which are under $50! Click on the Software Link on this site to see
some of them.
www.ewildagain.org
WildAgain supports wildlife and the wildlife rehabilitation community
through a myriad of activities including homeopathy.
www.islandnet.com/~wildlife
The Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre is dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation
(specifically seals) emphasizing alternative treatments such as homeopathy.
www.whh.org
The Welsh Hedgehog Hospital (yup, it's for real) has an adorable site
with a homeopathic Materia Medica for rescued hedgehogs.
www.nwrawildlife.org and www.iwrc-online.org
The two main professional organizations representing rehabilitators
in the U.S.
www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/index.htm
A plethora of information about everything to do with wildlife rehabilitation,
with links to organizations and a directory of rehabbers.
www.wildliferehabtoday.com
Wildlife Rehabilitation Today magazine's website. Read online
articles and subscribe.
This is not a complete listing of homeopathic resources on the Internet--it
is a listing of a particular group's favorite sites. The Internet is
jam-packed with information and people and sites just waiting to be found.
As you search and surf you will find others--please send
them to me so that I can keep this particular resource
up to date.
Thanks to so many of you who contributed to this article and especially:
Teresa Kramer, Doug Hoff, Sherrill Sullivan, Yolande Grille, Francis
Treuherz, Julian Winston, Jill Thomas, Valerie Sadovsky, Jim Klemmer,
David Witko, Donna Powers, Dana Ullman, Michael Quinn, Sylvain Cazelet,
Nancy from Michigan, Eileen Nauman, Thomasina Carr, Karen Greenberg,
Ingrid Kropf Holland, Jon Haworth, Karen Allen, Anneke Hoagland, and
any others I have inadvertently omitted.
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