Genus Epidemicus - the homeopathic approach to epidemics

June 21, 2006

"Each epidemic has its own selfsame character that is common to all of the individuals who are taken ill. If the character of the epidemic disease is discovered according to the symptom complex common to all the patients, this will point to the homeopathically fitting (specific) remedy for the totality of the cases. This remedy almost always helps in those patients who enjoyed tolerably good health before the epidemic, that is, who were not chronically sick (with developed psora)."

Aphorism 241 in the 6th edition of the "Organon of the Medical Art" by Samuel Hahnemann (as edited by Wenda O'Reilly, PHD)
Note: psora is an old term referring essentially to the predisposition to illness.

This aphorism provides the foundation that, for two centuries, homeopaths have used to develop a homeopathic response to epidemics (see history).
Simply put, practitioners have found that, while treating patients in an epidemic, a core set of symptoms emerges from which an over-arching remedy can be used to treat nearly all cases and which is also used in a prophylactic manner.
Briefly, once this remedy is identified, homeopaths upon seeing a patient will observe whether the patient fits the remedy in whole or in part and be able to quickly prescribe for that patient. Should the presenting patient demonstrate a set of symptoms outside the picture of the remedy, the usual case taking procedures will be necessary.
For the general population not yet evidencing symptoms, the genus epidemicus is given in the hopes of stimulating/strengthening the body's natural defense mechanism.

The genus epidemicus method would apply to all cases from all sources of epidemics whether introduced by man-made or natural causes.

In the current anthrax cases, details have not been provided from a homeopathic perspective, thus it is quite difficult to determine a true genus epidemicus. From the general description of cases and from historical documentation, a "rough draft" of possible remedies can be speculated upon. Symptoms, as understood to date, suggest homeopathic medicine found in the typical medium-to-large homeopathic medicine kit already on the market.

The National Center's crisis team will be working with homeopaths across the country to keep the site current. The Center will use this web site to keep you informed should a specific genus epidemicus emerge.

Definition from Homeopathic Dictionary by Jay Yasgur
Genus epidemicus is the combined symptoms of a large group of people afflicted with a disease or epidemic. This combined symptom list is then used to fund the remedy best suited to treating those persons so afflicted without having to devote the time necessary to repertorize each and every person. It is sort of an 'epidemic simillimum'. The 'remedy epidemicus' is a remedy found to be curative in a majority of people suffering from the same disease (as in epidemics). Thus it is possible to administer the remedy to a vast number of people without taking each person