In recent decades, holistic schools of medicine have experienced a resurgence of popularity. Holistic medicine applies a systems approach to health maintenance. According to the holistic viewpoint, the body, mind, spirit, environment, and society are all interrelated and balanced. Illness occurs when some imbalance occurs within the overall system. One form of holistic medicine consists of homeopathy. Developed by Samuel Hahnemann towards the end of the 1700s, homeopathic theory holds that specific illnesses should be treated with drugs that produce effects similar to the particular illness. Moreover, these drugs--given in minute doses--then stimulate the body to heal itself. Through experiments involving healthy subjects, homeopaths have systematically tested the effects of over 1500 substances. Unfortunately though, little scientific evidence exists in support of either homeopathy or homeopathic products. Holistic medicine can be defined as "an overall approach to health in a framework of dynamic equilibria." According to holistic principles, the living organism is composed of numerous interacting parts. In addition to the physical, mental, and social aspects of health, these parts may also include an organism's past and future, energy, goal-seeking behavior, realization of self, and even its spiritual dimensions. These interdependent aspects of any organism all work together to ultimately provide a whole that is more than the sum of its interacting parts. Illness occurs when one or more of these components becomes unbalanced. The holistic approach to health care is oriented towards the individual's felt needs. By taking into account many different factors, the modality does more than just try to eradicate disease; rather, the primary objective of holistic medicine is the achievement of good health.
A number of different explanations have been advanced to explain some of the mechanisms responsible for holistic...