Towards a Rational Insight into the Paradox of Homeopathy

Today, despite non-recognition and even opposition by scientific and medical institutions, homeopathy is the most widely used form of alternative medicine in the world. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 500 million people worldwide are treated by homeopathy. It is also used widely by veterinarians. Its origin goes back to Hahnemann [1] over 200 years ago. It is based on the “law of similia”: a substance that elicits symptoms in a healthy organism is able to cure similar symptoms in a diseased organism. Despite positive meta-analyses of hundreds of studies-clinical [2-6], biological [7,8] and physicochemical [9]its efficacy remains a subject of controversy due to trials judged to be insufficiently reliable [10-14]. Yet a recent review established the good quality of the physicochemical research in this field [15]. But the main reason for mistrusting homeopathy is ignorance concerning its mode of action, especially incredulity towards the action of infinitesimally diluted substances. In accordance with the pharmacopoeia, homeopathic remedies are prepared following a specific iterative centesimal dilution/agitation procedure-also called dilution/dynamization, dilution/succussion or potency(with C1 corresponding to a 102-fold dilution, and Cn to a 102n-fold dilution), so that the initial solute is virtually no longer present beyond C12 (Avogadro=6x1023).