Alternative health cares, also known as holistic or homeopathic care, are countless ways of unconventional health care approaches to healing and improving illnesses. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann discovered homeopathy in the early 1800s. He was sick of the art of medicine practiced in his time; he said it was barbaric. He knew there had to be alternatives so, like any devoted science lover would do, he experimented on himself and his friends. Hahnemann found that large dosages of herbs increased symptoms so he decreased the dosage and found that the symptoms decreased and usually ceased (Smith 10). Homeopathy became popular in the nineteenth century. This may be accounted for because most patients at that time agreed that them-modern techniques were harsh and didnt work. The same thing is happening today. People are resorting to holistic remedies because the promise of allopathic medicine has lost its luster (Smith 10). Some criticize holistic care as being primitive. According to Joseph Wassesug, Holistic medicineis what we practice when we dont know the real answer. For example, years ago tuberculosis was treated was treated with fresh air and Adirondack chairs, polio was treated with baths and hub tanks, and rheumatic fever was treated with good nutrition and bed rest! (Copeland 103) Another problem with holistic care is that the government has no regulation of holistic practices and who practices them. This makes it difficult to determine exactly who is really qualified and which alternative medicines are safe. We have got to use common sense when choosing a doctor. When a person has a M.D. or an R.N. after his name we opt to trust our life to him! One should check the doctors background before visiting him. blind trust of medical degrees is not a replacement for using common sense (Copeland 105). When someone chooses alternative care he must take into consideration its dangers. One could actually overdose on vitamins or misu...
