Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy - Essay Example

Running Head: BACH FLOWER VS. HOMEOPATHY The Extent To Which Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy are Distinct Entities Name Abstract Current literature is not forthcoming on the distinction between Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy. The medical establishment focuses on the use of complementary and alternative medicines and therapies (CAMs) as an entire group, not as individual traditions and practices. This creates the illusion that all CAMs are the same; they are not. This paper focuses on the findings of the few studies done in this area and further extends it by suggesting further studies to clarify the effectiveness and the distinction between the effectiveness of Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy. Overview The present literature review aims to show the distinction between Bach Flower Essences and traditional Homeopathy and the extent to which these two are dissimilar even though both are considered homeopathic. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) notes on their website that: Because of their long use in the United States, the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1938 declaring that homeopathic remedies are to be regulated by the FDA in the same manner as nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, which means that they can be purchased without a physician's prescription. Today, although conventional prescription drugs and new OTC drugs must undergo thorough testing and review by the FDA for safety and effectiveness before they can be sold, this requirement does not apply to homeopathic remedies (2004). While not much literature exists to clearly ascertain the current research question, there is more than enough evidence supporting such a distinction does exist. Chapter Summary Current available literature is not forthcoming on the topic of the distinction between Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy, however what is readily available are studies on the increasing use of complementary alternative medicines and therapies (CAM). CAM remedies and therapies have risen in prevalence and use in the last 30 years and so have gained much popularity with the general populace as well as the medical establishment. As such, many doctors and other health care practitioners utilize CAM remedies in their practices (Featherstone, Godden, Gault, Emsile, and Took-Zozaya, 2003). Not only are health care providers utilizing CAM remedies in their practices, in Scotland they are making efforts to incorporate CAMs into the total health picture of their patients. In the Featherstone study, complementary and alternative medicines are defined as 'any treatments, self-help techniques or remedies which are not normally provided by doctors and other healthcare professionals in the [National Health Service]. Many different therapies and remedies are available such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic, herbalism, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, osteopathy, reflexology, psychotherapy [all "therapies"] and homeopathic remedies (like arnica, chamomilla), flower essences (like Rescue Remedy, Bach Flower Essences, aromatherapy oils, herbal medicines (like St. John's Wort, Echinacea, Valerian), and nutritional supplements (like Vitamin C, cod-liver oil, evening primrose oil, glucosamine) [all "remedies"]' (2003). As noted in the above definition, Bach Flower Essences are considered homeopathic remedies. So what is the defining difference Let us first set forth a complete summary and background of each entity. Hahnemann: The Father of Homeopathy Homeopathy is an ancient system to create wellness and bring back balance to the body through the concept of similarities (eMax, 2004). The concept has been available to health care practitioners since the time of Hippocrates, the founder of medicine around 450 BC (eMax, 2004). The eMax article states 'more than a thousand years later the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus employed the same system of healing based upon the principle that "like cures like"' (2004). This concept became enlivened in the early 1800's when Dr. Samuel Hahnemann became disillusioned with the practice of medicine during his day. Purges and the use of leeches in blood-letting to release 'bad humors' in patients was not tolerable to Dr. Hahnemann. "To his dismay, [Dr. Hahnemann] was not achieving a healing response in many of his patients, but in some cases causing greater damage to the health of the patient through the toxic effects of some of the medicines, than the disease, if left untreated, would have caused. This tragic fact made such a profound moral impression on him, that he felt compelled to withdraw from the profession in order to not contribute to the harm being committed to humanity in the name of medicine" ("Samuel Hahnemann", 2005). Thereafter, he sought a way to create health that was not so harmful to the body (Elliot, 2005). Hahnemann believed that "the highest ideal of therapy is to restore health rapidly, gently, permanently; to remove and destroy the whole disease in the shortest, surest, least harmful way, according to clearly comprehensible principles" (Hahnemann 1982). So, to assist himself in upholding his principles and to support his family, Hahnemann began working as a translator of books. From a young age Hahnemann was adept at languages and tutored other children in French, Latin, Italian, Greek, and English. As he matured, he added Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic and Hebrew to his repertoire. While translating a medical text entitled A Treatise on the Material Medical by William Cullen, a Scottish physician, Hahnemann became aware that drugs and other substances could be used in different ways to treat illnesses. He read that cinchona could relieve malaria symptoms because it was a bitter astringent and had a tonic effect on the stomach ("Samuel Hahnemann", 2005). The young doctor began experimenting on himself and found that by taking cinchona after a short time he began to experience malaria-like symptoms. He found that a healthy person who takes cinchona would develop an illness and he surmised that if a sick person were to take the same substance it would cure them of the illness. However, many substances were poisonous or would have toxic side effects if taken directly. With industriousness, Hahnemann experimented and found that by creating dilutions he could retain the curative powers of the substance(s) without the toxic side effects a direct administration would cause. Homeopathy, as we know it today, came into being. In fact, it was he that coined the phrase Homeopathy - homos means same in Greek, and pathos means suffering. The substances he tested through provings (a method of accurately describing the effects the substance had a person) many hundreds of substances with great success. Even the most toxic of substances were not unavailable due to the processes of dilution and trituration; gold, belladonna and aconite, highly toxic substances were able to be safely created into homeopathic medicines to be used on patients with no ill effects. Dr. Hahnemann was able to re-open his practice and he gained many followers of his new medicinal arts as well as a vast amount of patients. In 1810, he published the first edition of The Organon of the Medical Art, his findings up until that point of all of the homeopathic substances and their corresponding symptom pictures. By the end of his long life, Hahnemann completed 6 editions of this book and called it 'his most nearly perfect work' ("Samuel Hahnemann", 2005). Yet, during his lifetime, not everyone agreed with this new medical art; '250 years after his birth, there is still debate over the effectiveness of the discipline' (Elliot, 2005). In the epilogue of her book Natalie Robins wrote: "From 1960 to the early 1990's, scientific advances were perceived by many American homeopaths as more and more of a threat. These practitioners became afraid of (and angry at) the future and seemed more content to stay in a familiar past. They forgotthat Hahnemann saw all medical advances 'in one symphony of perfect harmony.' They even turned away from conventional medical degrees. And then in 1993 came the Homeopathic Research Network, a group of homeopaths with medical degrees who wanted to apply the gold standard of clinical trials to their chosen specialty. It was almost as if homeopathy decided to join science in time for the twenty-first century" (p. 289). Homeopathic Remedies While CAMs are used worldwide, the most widespread use of them occur outside of the United States; in the UK and surrounding countries, homeopathic remedies and Bach Flower Essences sit next to the aspirin in convenience stores (Buono, 2000). However, homeopathy in all of its forms is gaining sway with many Americans. The popular over the counter homeopathic remedy Boiron's Oscillococcinum is one of the most recognized homeopathic remedies in the American market with Boericke & Tafel's Alfa CF Colds & Flu remedy coming in as a very close second. Homeopathic remedies, as noted earlier, create wellness or a restoration of health by bringing back the balance in the patient's body when the substances are taken orally. For flu and cold symptoms, substances such as aconitum nappellus and byronia alba are some of the active ingredients in the Alfa CF formula. Aconitum (Monk's Head) 'is indicated mostly in people who are robust, energetic, and rather active. It applies to disorders that are caused by exposure to cold, dry winds; to cold after overheating (hot and sweating); fright and emotional upheavals. In all of its disorders, there is a crisis where the patient experiences restlessness, anxiety, and fear of death' (Amen, 1982). This short description of aconitum reveals that aconitum will restore energy and robustness in people who are feeling out of sorts due to being exposed to cold dry weather to ill effect. This short example is representative of how substances are entered in the Materia Medica, the preeminent resource for all homeopaths and practitioners written by William Boericke, MD. Homeopathy for all of its benefits does have some strong drawbacks. For these substances to be at their peak effectiveness, the patient must not consume caffeine, mint, alcohol or any other drugs - extremely life-altering for some patients so much so that homeopathic care is out of their reach. However, if under the care of an experienced homeopathic practitioner, these limitations can be overcome by educating the patient in other forms of treatment or foods that will allow the homeopathic remedies to do their work unimpeded while still allowing the patient to maintain their lifestyle almost entirely. Dr. Edward Bach: Creator of the Bach Flower Essences Dr. Bach was a traditional allopathic doctor trained as a bacteriologist and later as a pathologist. He focused his study on homeopathy and created seven nosodes that are still known today as the seven Bach nosodes. His work with vaccines was exemplary, yet Bach very much like Hahnemann, did not care for the focus of his peers in the medical field. Dr. Bach wanted to pull away from the myopic view of looking at the patient from the perspective of illness and disease ("Dr. Edward Bach", 1999); he wanted to cure the whole patient which meant looking at the patients' emotional states and their sense of well-being. He too left his successful practice behind and began a life-long search for a wellness source from nature that could heal patients on an emotional level. "Edward Bachstated that all disease begins in the mind and it's the consequence of errors in the personality. These errors arise in the areas of power, intellectual knowledge, love, balance, service, wisdom, and spiritual perfection," (qtd. in Richardson-Boedler, 2000). "According to Bach, health comes when we regain harmony between our physical and spiritual selves, leaving the body free to begin its own natural healing process. If mental/emotional equilibrium can be maintained, the body will remain in a state of health" (van Haselen, 1999). In 1930 he gave up his successful practice and began his search. He used his innate healing talents and much like Hahnemann tested the substances on his person. Bach would experience and emotional state and then look for one single plant or flower in nature that would cure this emotion. Bach's life took on a very cyclical pattern, in the Spring and Summer he would pick and create his flower essences and during the winter season he would see patients and administer the remedies to them. By the end of his life, Bach found 38 flower essences. In 1936, he died in his sleep at the age of fifty secure in the knowledge that he had completed his life's work. Bach Flower Essences Bach Flower Essences are still in use today. In fact, Dr. Bach's old estate is the site of Nelson Bach Limited, the company that manufactures the 38 flower essences in the Bach system. Nancy Buono, National Manager of Education of Nelson Bach Ltd, states 'we see Bach Flower Essences as an adjunct to traditional medical therapy not necessarily as a standalone. They can be used as a standalone to improve emotional well-being, but they can also be used in conjunction with any other kind of treatment someone may be using," ("Homeopathic Remedy", 2003). Unlike homeopathic remedies, Bach Flower remedies have no great life-altering limitations that affect diet or lifestyle. It creates, due to its simplicity and ease of use, a user-friendly face that the general populace can understand and use comfortably. The 38 Bach Flower Essences are: - Agrimony for people who put a brave face on their troubles - Aspen for people who are anxious or afraid but don't know why - Beech for people who are intolerant and critical of others - Centaury for people who allow others to impose on them - Cerato for people who doubt their own judgement - Cherry Plum for uncontrolled, irrational thoughts and the fear of doing something awful - Chestnut Bud for people who repeat mistakes and don't learn from experience - Chicory for over-possessive, selfish people who cling to their loved ones - Clematis for day-dreamers - Crab Apple for those who dislike something about the way they look and as a general cleanser - Elm for responsible, capable people who in a crisis doubt their ability to cope - Gentian for people disheartened when something goes wrong - Gorse for people who have lost hope, often without cause - Heather for talkative types who are obsessed with their own problems - Holly for negative feelings of hatred, envy, jealousy and suspicion - Honeysuckle for people who live in the past - Hornbeam for mental tiredness at the thought of a coming task - Impatiens for impatience and irritation at other people's slowness - Larch for fear of failure and lack of confidence - Mimulus for people who are afraid of something real that they can name - Mustard for gloom and depression with no known cause - Oak for strong, indefatigable people who can over-extend themselves by trying too hard - Olive for people physically drained by exertion or illness - Pine for those who blame themselves when things go wrong - Red Chestnut for excessive worry about the welfare of loved ones - Rock Rose for extreme fright and terror - Rock Water for people whose self-discipline and high standards are carried to excess - Scleranthus for people who find it hard to choose between possible courses of action - Star of Bethlehem for sudden frights and shock - Sweet Chestnut for utter despair and anguish - Vervain for enthusiastic people who are always on the go - Vine for domineering people - Walnut to help protect against outside influences and the effects of change - Water Violet for private, reserved people who can appear proud and arrogant - White Chestnut for persistent worrying thoughts - Wild Oat for people unable to find a direction for their lives - Wild Rose for people who resign themselves without complaint or effort to everything life throws at them - Willow for people who are full of self-pity, resentment and bitterness (Ball, 1999) Comparisons & Differences Homeopathic remedies and Bach Flower Essences are similar in that they are both dilutions. The processes by which substances and drugs are manufactured are essentially the same. Both entities use water as a medium to capture the essence of the drug or substance and use alcohol or sugar tablets to imbue the essences. Yet that is where the similarity ends, in one sense. Bach Flower Essences focuses on the person's emotional state of being and bringing balance back to the overall emotional well-being of the person. Bach Flower Essences 'serve to balance out our personalities and reduce our reaction to the stressors in our environment by making us more in tune with ourselves' (Buono, 2000). Homeopathy focuses on the patient's illness picture and the physical symptoms the patient is experiencing. It is much like prescribing allopathic drugs; the same study and experience necessary to accurately judge, which of similar prescriptions to give to a patient is the same skill necessary to be an effective homeopathic practitioner. There are hundreds of homeopathic remedies and each has a distinct illness pictures and specific physical attributes and characteristics that distinguish one homeopathic remedy from another. NCCAM's website notes key findings for homeopathy. They are: In homeopathy, a key premise is that every person has energy called a vital force or self-healing response. When this energy is disrupted or imbalanced, health problems develop. Homeopathy aims to stimulate the body's own healing responses. Homeopathic treatment involves giving extremely small doses of substances that produce characteristic symptoms of illness in healthy people when given in larger doses. This approach is called "like cures like" (2004) While the first point is well stated and is in concordance with Bach's beliefs, the second point - the basis of Hahnemann's homeopathy theory - Dr. Bach does not agree with. Matthew Wood, author of Vitalism: The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy and Flower Essence, states in an excerpt of his book: "[Hahnemann's] teaching that 'like treats like' was incorrect. It was wrong to apply a poison to eradicate a disease. Wrong could never drive out wrong, only good could triumph over evil. ["True healing can be obtained, not by wrong repelling wrong, but by right replacing wrong: good replacing evil: light replacing darkness."] True cure is offered by the flower essences, which cure, "not by attacking disease, but by flooding our bodies with the beautiful vibrations of our Higher Naturetherefore, we no longer fight disease with disease, no longer oppose illness with the products of illness: no longer attempt to drive out maladies with such substances that can cause them: but, on the contrary, to bring down the opposing virtue which will eliminate the fault" (2000). A major defining difference between the two is a philosophical one - Bach did not believe in "like cures like", he wanted to move away from this paradigm and create a holistic framework that focused on the individual's personality and emotions and by treating these specific things, wellness would ensue; a very different philosophy from Hahnemann's. However, Bach greatly admired Hahnemann and his work which is how Bach's vaccines came about and his work as a pathologist. Bach felt 'that Hahnemann had come only part of the way on the path, and that homeopathy "has yet further to go"' (Wood 2000). For the later part of Bach's life, he devoted himself to continuing the path that Hahnemann's began and taking it as far as he could. On this same path, Bach began to develop a theory that all illnesses developed from underlying mind and mood states of the individual that interfere with their happiness (Morrell 2005), and ultimately negatively affect the body. He concluded that if these underlying mood states were corrected and brought back into balance health would be restored to the individual (Morrell 2005). While this is not the theory that Hahnemann utilized, the methodology that both doctors utilized was the same. According to section 184 in the Organon of Medicine, Hahnemann states: "After each medicine has completed its action, if it is found to be no longer suitable and helpful, one takes the case anew, recording the group of symptoms remaining and selecting once again the most suitable homeopathic remedy for them, continuing in this way until the patient is cured"(p.137). On the Bach Centre website it states 'treat the main feelings you have now, and when the remedies have dealt with these you can then move on to the issues that were in the background'. In essence, work on the emotions that are remaining after the course of flower essences are taken. A very key difference between Homeopathy and Bach Flower Essences is the quantity of remedies to be taken at one time. Hahnemann felt that only one remedy should be taken at a time 'and concluded that only through detailed evaluation of the patient would the correct remedy be discovered' (Robins 2005). Yet standard practice with Bach was to prescribe six or seven flower essences at one time, but on two occasions Bach administered 9 essences at one time to his patients according to the FAQs on the Bach Centre website (FAQs). Another defining difference between Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy is that in Homeopathy a patient must refrain from consuming mint, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs as these substances will interfere with the workings of the homeopathic remedy. This is not the case with Bach Flower Essences, 'you can put a few drops into your cup of coffee as you drive to work in the morning or in a glass of wine in the evening. You can take prescription medication and the essences will still be effective because they work energetically. Flower essences can work beautifully in conjunction with other healing modalities including aromatherapy, homeopathy, Reiki, acupuncture - the list is endless' (Buono, 2000). For allopathic medicines and treatments, this is an added bonus; to be able to assist the patient with physical trauma or disease as well as to treat the emotional distress and having both treatments work harmoniously is the best of all worlds. This is what Dr. Bach wanted for his patients, an ideal non-addictive, cure for the whole being that did not possess any side effects. Research Aims & Questions The goal of this paper is to review the literature currently available on the topic of ascertaining the distinction between Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy. There is a scarcity of relevant studies in this area. The studies found focus almost exclusively on the growing widespread usage of complementary and alternative medicines and therapies (CAMs). Even more noteworthy, CAMs are not broken down into individual remedies or therapies, most studies found dealt with these as an entire grouping. There were less than a handful of peer-reviewed articles that spoke to the current paper's research question. In fact, one article states "The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in primary care is growing, but still not widespread. Little is known about how CAM can/should be integrated into mainstream care" (van Haselen, Reiber, Nickel, Jakob, and Fisher, 2004). The medical establishment is still debating the whether or not there is any value or validity to CAM approaches. Being that this is the case, it is of no small wonder that there is not a larger body of work in this area. That is why this research question was chosen. More work is needed to bring forth credible evidence that the various CAM remedies and therapies in actuality do provide relief to the patient. CAM remedies, according to the Featherstone study, include psychotherapy which to this researcher is a gross misclassification, yet it is of no concern to the writers of that particular study. More work is needed in this field to educate allopathic practitioners to the distinctions within the area of CAM remedies and therapies. The science of psychotherapy is well established and is a part of the psychology branch of medicine. How is it that it could be grouped with complementary and alternative medicines and therapies Most health insurance plans include provisions for psychotherapy, yet if a patient wanted to see a homeopathic practitioner or a licensed Bach Flower consultant these health services are not provided for within any standard health plan. These health care visits are out of pocket expenses to be borne by the patient. This researcher proposes to create a study whose focus is to test patients using a control (placebo) group to ascertain the effectiveness of both homeopathic remedies for a specific set of illnesses and the effectiveness of Bach Flower remedies on the same set of illnesses. This type of study will begin to clarify usage and dosage issues, give precise data on the extent of the effectiveness of each homeopathic entity in the study, and it will also begin laying the foundation for other researchers to follow so that in time there will be more than a handful of studies to begin formulating new studies. The ultimate goal of this proposed study would be to show the distinction between the Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathic remedies. By testing each entity against the same set of illnesses, it will show the effectiveness of each entity in dealing with the illness independently, and in time a study could be done that would contrast the effectiveness if both entities were used in conjunction with one another. The methodology to be utilized would be a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial with a diverse group of subjects in ages ranging from 18 through 54 all of whom would exhibit physical and emotional illnesses to be treated with either of the study entities. The control group would consist of healthy subjects who do not exhibit any signs of physical or emotional illnesses of the kind experienced by the test subjects and each test subject would have 2 to 3 control subjects so the final results can be verified with certainty. The research questions to be answered would be: What is the duration of treatment What dosages were utilized and at what intervals to achieve the relief from symptoms How effective are the treatment(s) Were there any notable side effects of any of the treatments What lifestyle or dietary changes had to be put in place for the duration of the treatment (if any) Was there a difference between using Bach Flower Essences or Homeopathy to cure the illness If so, what differences were noted by the subjects The findings expected are that approximately 40% of test subjects will notice little or no change in their symptoms. This figure comes from personal communication with homeopathic practitioners and Bach Flower Essence consultants. Also expected is that there will be a significant difference between the Bach Flower Essence subject and the Homeopathic subject testing. It is expected that there will be a greater experience of relief from symptoms from homeopathic means as the general populace has more experience with this form of CAM. Bach Flower remedies is something that is still fairly uncommon to the average lay person's experience save the holistic vegetarian community where these remedies and therapies are in almost daily usage. It is this researcher's belief that the test subjects own thoughts will interfere with the results and the patients' accurate recording of their relief from illness. This is why the double-blind test is part of the study precept. However, it will be very nearly impossible to disguise a pellet from a tincture. Conclusion Bach Flower Essences and Homeopathy, while classified as the same by the medical establishment, are distinctly different. There are several differences between the two entities and several similarities. The two are similar in that they both are dilutions; they are in fact very highly diluted substances and they both stimulate the physical body's own healing mechanisms, and they both use the methodology of treating a patient anew after a round of treatment once the symptoms are gone. Further more, Bach did not treat illness pictures, he focused on a patient's emotional state and underlying moods and treated those accordingly. The "like cures like" philosophy was anathema to Bach. Yet and still another difference is the idea of combining remedies. Bach combined up to 9 different flower essences to be given to a patient at one time, and Hahnemann felt that only one remedy at a time should be administered so that the effects could be recorded accurately. However, main difference between the two entities, as far as allopathic pundits are concerned, would be that there are no cross indications or complications when a patient takes Bach Flower Essences and prescription medication. There are only positive effects in personality and emotions which arguably can lead to better health in and of itself. The big boon for patients taking Bach Flower Essences is that there are no life-altering changes that need to be undertaken with this treatment. For homeopathic remedies to be effective, many everyday substances must be eliminated from the patient's diet and lifestyle, such as: caffeine, mint, alcohol and any other prescription drug. The body must be free from as many toxic and/or foreign substances as possible. This particular difference in the two entities of this research study, can create an impression in the uninformed that homeopathy is at best non-helpful and at the worst a potential health hazard; that it's no worth the risk in trying something that has not been scientifically proven to be effective. This attitude has resulted in patients and health care practitioners that feel that homeopathy is a priori and they will not entertain any positive feedback or data, even from reputable sources due to this attitude. A recent book on homeopathy aims to help policy makers see that more money should be spent on homeopathy research, that homeopathy 'has been marginalized almost since its inception 214 years ago[that] only $1.5 million in homeopathic research was done in 1999, and that there is little research to refer to' (Dean 2005). The goal of this paper is to assist in the process of getting more clinical research conducted and the findings distributed to the medical establishment. Dean feels that 'economic integration of homeopathy is much more likely than philosophical integration' (p. 871). The current research proposal is formulated to address these issues and create a platform to bring understanding and credible research that will make inroads into paths less trodden by allopathic doctors. Hopefully, this and other research studies on this topic will foster a new understanding and bring about a harmony between allopaths and homeopaths so that the traditions of Drs. Hahnemann and Bach can finally come together and function as each man intended it. References Featherstone, C., Godden, D., Gault, C., Emsile, M., and Took-Zozaya, M. (2003). Prevalence Study of Concurrent Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Patients Attending Primary Care Services in Scotland. American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1080-1083. Homeopathy: Origin. (2004, September 5). eMax Health. Retrieved 16 November 2005, from http://www.emaxhealth.com/60/630.html. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). (2005). Skylark Books. 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Education and Debate: The Doctrine of Signatures: A Historical, Philosophical, Scientific View (II). British Homeopathic Journal, 89, 26-28. van Haselen, R.A. (1999). The Relationship Between Homeopathy and the Dr. Bach System of Flower Remedies: A Critical Appraisal. British Homeopathic Journal, 88, 121-127. van Haselen, R.A., Reiber, U., Nickel, I., Jakob, A., Fisher, P.A.G. (2004). Providing Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Primary Care: The Primary Care Workers' Perspective. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 12, 6-16. Research Report: Questions and Answers About Homeopathy. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Retrieved 28 November 2005 from, http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/index.htm. Wood, Matthew. (2000). Vitalism:The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy and Flower Essences. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books. Morrell, P. (2005). The Bach Flower Remedies and Homeopathy. Homopathe International. Retrieved 28 November 2005 from, http://www.homeoint.org/morrell/articles/bach.htm. Hahnemann, Samuel. (1982). Organon of Medicine, Sixth Edition (English Translation). Washington: Cooper Publishing. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Dr. Edward Bach Centre. Retrieved 28 November 2005 from, http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/faq.htm. Dean, M.E. (2005). The Trials of Homeopathy: Origins, Structure, and Development. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11, 871-874. Robins, N. (2005). Copeland's Cure: Homeopathy and the War Between Conventional and Alternative Medicine. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Read More