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Allopathic medicine

Allopathy or Allopathic medicine (fromthe opposite effect of the disease when
Gr. allos, other, and pathos, suffering)given to a healthy human. Hahnemann used
is the name given by Samuel Hahnemann,this term to distinguish medicine as
the founder of homeopathy, to thepracticed in his time from his use of
methods of his medical foes. The term isinfinitesimally small doses of
sometimes used today to refer tosubstances to treat the spiritual causes
conventional medicine. The correctof illness.
meaning and use of the term is a pointIn the essay by William Jarvis cited
of disputation, even among thebelow, he notes that "although many
authorities.modern therapies can be construed to
Current usage of termconform to an allopathic rationale (eg,
There is controversy surrounding theusing a laxative to relieve
applicability of the term "allopathy."constipation), standard medicine has
Many people use the term neutrally,never paid allegiance to an allopathic
simply as a name for orthodox medicineprinciple" and that the label "allopath"
when necessary to distinguish it fromwas considered highly derisive by
other medicinal paradigms. Others havemainstream medicine.
used the term allopathy in a deprecatoryWhorton also discusses this historical
manner.pejorative usage:
Medical dictionaries and general usageOne form of verbal warfare used in
dictionaries also give varying accountsretaliation by irregulars was the word
of the meaning of allopathy. Some"allopathy." ....... "Allopathy" and
dictionaries define allopathic medicine"allopathic" were liberally employed as
as conventional medicine. Steadman'spejoratives by all irregular physicians
Illustrated Medical Dictionary definesof the nineteenth century, and the terms
it as "[r]egular medicine, thewere considered highly offensive by
traditional form of medical practice."those at whom they were directed. The
The Oxford English Dictionary presents agenerally uncomplaining acceptance of
similar application: "the present"allopathic medicine" by today's MDs is
prevailing system of medicine".an indication of both a lack of
Some definitions use the same extensionawareness of the term's historical use
of the term, but retain some historicaland the recent thawing of relations
connotations. In addition to thebetween irregulars and allopaths.
definition already presented, the OxfordJames C. Whorton
English Dictionary puts forth theThe Companion Encyclopedia of the
definition of allopathy as a "termHistory of Medicine states that
applied by homeopathists to the ordinary"Hahnemann gave an all-embracing name to
or traditional medical practice, and toregular practice, calling it
a certain extent in common use to'allopathy'. This term, however
distinguish it from homeopathy" Theimprecise, was employed by his followers
Compact Oxford English Dictionaryor other unorthodox movements to
likewise defines it as "the treatment ofidentify the prevailing methods as
disease by conventional means, i.e. withconstituting nothing more than a
drugs having effects opposite to thecompeting 'school' of medicine, however
symptoms. Often contrasted withdominant in terms of number of
homeopathy."practitioner proponents and patients."
Other definitions define allopathicIn the nineteenth century, some
medicine more in accord with the meaningpharmacies labelled their products with
of its word parts, allos meaningthe terms allopathic or homeopathic.
opposite and path meaning disease.Hahnemann used the term to refer to what
Steadman's Medical Dictionary calls it ahe saw as a system of medicine that
"therapeutic system in which a diseasecombats disease by using remedies that
is treated by producing a secondproduce effects in a healthy subject
condition that is incompatible with orthat are different (hence Greek root
antagonistic to the first." Dorland'sallo- "different") from those of the
Illustrated Medical Dictionary alsodisease to be treated. He claimed that
defines it as a "term applied to thathis theory of homeopathy, which attempts
system of therapeutics in which diseasesto mimic the symptoms (hence homeo-,
are treated by producing a condition"the same"), was a more effective and
incompatible with or antagonistic to thehumane alternative.
condition to be cured or alleviated.Contrary to the present usage, Hahnemann
Called also heteropathy." Tabor'sreserved the term of "allopathic"
Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary says it'smedicine to the practice of treating
a "system of treating disease bydiseases by means of drugs inducing
inducing a pathological reaction that issymptoms unrelated (i.e. neither similar
antagonistic to the disease beingnor opposite) to those of the disease.
treated", and presents the applicationHe called instead "enantiopathic" or
of allopathy to conventional medicine as"antipathic" the practice of treating
incorrect, saying it is "erroneouslydiseases by means of drugs producing
used for the regular practice ofsymptoms opposite to those of the
medicine to differentiate it frompatient (e.g. see Organon, VI edition,
homeopathy". The American Heritageparagraphs 54-56). After Hahnemann's
Medical Dictionary defines it as as: "Adeath the term "enantiopathy" fell in
method of treating disease with remediesdisuse and the two concepts of allopathy
that produce effects antagonistic toand enantiopathy have been more or less
those caused by the disease itself."unified. Both, however, indicate what
The term is used on websites of certainHahnemann thought about contemporary
U.S. medical professional organizations.conventional medicine, rather than the
For example, the Association of Americancurrent ideas of his colleagues.
Medical Colleges (AAMC) describes theConventional physicians had never
type of medicine they teach asassumed that the therapeutic effects of
allopathic, and the American Medicaldrugs were necessarily related to the
Association refers to M.D. students assymptoms they caused in the healthy:
allopathic medical students. Similarly,e.g. James Lind in 1747 systematically
the Accreditation Council for Graduatetested several common substances and
Medical Education (ACGME) describes U.S.foods for their effect on scurvy and
M.D. residencies as allopathic.discovered that lemon juice was
[citation needed]specifically active; he clearly did not
Other terms that have been proposed toselect lemon juice because it caused
describe the conventional Westernsymptoms in the healthy man, either
medical system of practice include:similar or opposite to those of scurvy.
conventional medicine, Western medicine,Practitioners of alternative medicine
evidence-based medicine, clinicalhave used the term "allopathic medicine"
medicine, scientific medicine, regularto refer to the practice of conventional
medicine, mainstream medicine, standardmedicine in both Europe and the United
medicine, orthodox medicine, andStates since the 19th century. In the
authoritarian medicine.U.S., this was also referred to as
History of termregular medicine -- that is, medicine
The term was coined by Samuel Hahnemannthat was practiced by the regulars. The
to differentiate homeopathic practicespractice of "conventional" medicine in
from conventional medicine, based on theboth Europe and America during the 19th
types of treatments used.century is sometimes referred to as the
As used by homeopaths, the termage of 'heroic medicine' (because of the
"allopathy" has always referred to a'heroic' measures such as bleeding and
principle of curing disease bypurging).
administering substances that produce



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