Hering’s law of cure: Two hundred years ago homeopathic doctors did not have laboratory tests or MRI’s to diagnose and monitor patients. Homeopaths depended entirely on their powers of observation and these skills had to be well developed. Constantine Hering determined that by looking at how a patient’s symptom picture was presenting would help predict if the patient was getting better or worse. By looking at the full past history of the patient and then giving a curative homeopathic remedy the symptoms would improve in a consistent fashion:

1. The most recent symptoms would improve first and the symptoms that were the oldest would be the last to respond. For example, if a patient had started with frequent colds and those symptoms had gone away and now the patient was experiencing bronchitis Dr. Hering would fully expect as the bronchitis improved the cold symptoms would reappear briefly and then improve without additional treatment. When the cold symptoms would return he would let them run their course without treatment because he was comfortable in believing the patient was on a healing path that he would not want to interfere with. Patients 200 years ago were no more happy about having uncomfortable symptoms than patients are these days so it was important for them to trust their doctor.

2. The symptoms on the top of the body would heal before the symptoms on the lower body. An example would be a skin rash covering much of the body that begins clearing over the face and neck. Lesions on the extremities would be expected to heal last.

3. Symptoms deeper in the body would heal before those on the outside of the body. With patients who had serious organ disease it is not at all unusual to see joint stiffness or skin rashes to appear as the organ disease improved. Discharges such as diarrhea or nasal drainage are considered healing responses if they are accompanied by improved organ function. Using drugs or any kind of strong treatment to palliate or suppress these symptoms can slow or reverse the healing process.

On my forum I feel my readers sometimes get frustrated when I do not approve of treatments that would give their horses immediate relief from discomfort. I am also very insistent on whole food nutrition over formulated supplements or single nutrients. Even though I talk about holistic concepts on the form and in my Holistic Horsekeeping Book I understand they are different from what most people are used to. My intention in going over them again is too help people understand where I am coming from when I respond to posts. Madalyn