Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy Amy Lansky was a computer scientist working for
NASA when the journey of her son's healing with homeopathy began. In her
words, "It did not take long for me to realize that my son's miraculous
cure from autism was far more revolutionary than any computer program
or technological gadgetry." She also soon decided that she had to write a
book to let others know about homeopathy. The
book is written from two vantage points: that of a loving mother
sharing the heart-wrenching story of her son's struggle with autism and
how homeopathy cured him, and that of a skeptic delving into the
mysteries of healing.
For at least the past 150 years homeopathic practitioners have used the medicine Influenzinum as a flu preventive. Influenzinum is a homeopathic
medicine made from flu viruses. The typical dosage is once per
week for four weeks beginning in October or later, followed by one more
dose three weeks after the fourth dose.
Between the years 1918 and 1957 the
preparation of Influenzinum was derived from samples of blood or nasal
secretions taken from patients who contracted the flu during the deadly
1918 flu pandemic. Subsequent to 1957 Influenzinum preparations come
from a homeopathic preparation of the yearly flu viruses chosen for the
flu vaccine.
In 1998 the French Society of Homeopathy conducted a
survey of 23 homeopathic doctors concerning their use of Influenzinum
as a flu preventive (Coulamy, 1998). The survey included use of
Influenzinum over a 10 year period (1987-1998) in 453 patients. The
protocol for the frequency of doses varied considerably among these
doctors. Weekly doses were used by 26 percent of participants and
monthly dosage by 23 percent. Another 16 percent used a weekly then
monthly dosage plan, and 35 percent applied some other dosage protocol.
80 percent of respondents began treatment in the fall (September through
November) and ended between February and April. In this French survey
70 percent of participants used a 9C strength of Influenzinum.
Results of the survey were remarkable. In
approximately 90 percent of the cases no instances of the flu occurred
when Influenzinum was used preventively no matter what the dosage
protocol. In 5 percent there was no protective
effect. Of the patients, 98 percent expressed a desire to take the same
preventive treatment the following year. Certainly this confidence in
homeopathic prevention among physicians with many years of experience
and their patients speaks to the effectiveness of Influenzinum as a flu
preventive.
