Quantum Physics and Homeopathy At Crossroads
Homeopathy, along with touch healing and psychic healing, is considered as one of many alternative therapies to modern medicines. Science has found it difficult to explain the natural healing of these methods. Relationship between quantum physics and homeopathy has serious misrepresentations of modern physics with regard to mechanisms proposed in the efficacy homeopathic remedies.
The Law Of Infinitesimals
Homeopathy was founded by German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). It is based on the law of similarities, which asserts that a substance producing a certain set of symptoms in a healthy person can cure those same symptoms in someone who is sick. Since natural substances are highly toxic, Hahnemann diluted the substance.
The substance was vigorously shaken after each dilution. He discovered that through the dilution of the substance, the side effects were eliminated, while the solution retained its medicinal effectiveness. A view which separates modern practitioners of quantum physics and homeopathy advocates.
Modern practitioners of quantum physics and homeopathy followers differ in the dilution limit of a substance. Physicists Amadeo Avogadro (1776-1856) proved that there are a large but finite number of atoms or molecules in a mole of substance, that is, 6.022 x 10 to the power of 23. A mole is a molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams. The molecular weight of a mole of water is 2 + 16 = 18 grams. This means that there is 6.022 x 10 to the power of 23 water molecules in 18 grams of water.
Explanations of quantum physics and homeopathy are difficult to make. In homeopathy pharmacy, the medicines are usually in the form of lactose tablets in which a drop of the diluted medication is put. The dilutions declared in some homeopathy medicines are 200C in case of Oscillococcinum which is derived from duck liver.
A notation like 6X means that the medicinal substance is diluted in 1:10 in a water/alcohol mixture and shaken. This process of diluting and shaking is done six times. The concentration of the active medicinal substance is then one part in ten raised to the sixth power, in other words, one part per million. A 30X means 1:10 dilution which is further diluted and shaken thirty times, which means one part of ten raised to the thirtieth power, in other words one followed by thirty zeros!
At 200C it is expected that the substance is diluted 1:100 and shaken two hundred times. This is one followed by an astonishing 400 zeros. This seems a bit ridiculous and practitioners of quantum physics and homeopathy followers differ in their approach.
