Homework #30: Culminating Experimental Project

The dominant practice of medicine in our country today is the act of going to a hospital and being treated by doctors in lab coats with drugs and quick fixes. However, an alternative way of medicine is slowly becoming more and more popular: the practice of homeopathy or alternative healing. Some people think anti-biotic and drug use is the only way to heal while others believe herbs, rest, and/or exercise is healthier and more successful. In an article by ABC Homeopathy, it was stated that “While in many cases symptoms are relieved, cured, or prevented many allopathic medicines can do a lot of harm to your body.” This is the argument that a lot of homeopaths hold when the conversation is brought up. In hospitals, there are less personal interactions between a patient and their doctor. In some cases, this can comfort a patient: knowing there is a line between their physician and themselves. It’s as if they need to perceive their doctor as above normal or human in order to succumb to the physician’s orders. However, most people need a personal relationship with the person who holds their life in their hands. Over the past 50 years, the process of dying and giving birth has changed dramatically. Only two generations ago, most people gave birth and died at home. In an article on birthing centers and hospices by UC Berkeley, “Today in the United states, 95% of births take place in hospitals and over 70% of deaths take place in nursing homes and hospitals.” This just shows how much society relies on doctors and medicine.

Through an interview with a midwife, I learned about the main differences between doctoral care and preventive care. In her line of work, she is constantly with the mother and learning everything she can about the mother in order to determine the best approach to a healthy birth. I believe this is what a lot of hospice nurses and homeopaths mean when they say that it’s a lot more personal than hospital care. In order to prevent illness or problems, Maria (using a different name), discusses the background of each patient such as health, diet, social dangers (teenagers, abuse) and previous births. They also bring in modern technology like sonograms in order to get a clear picture of the baby’s organs. When I was discussing the necessity of a background check with Maria, she told me about a very interesting story. A pregnant woman came to her and as they were discussing the pregnancy, she admitted that this baby was a result of a rape. The mother was very tense about whether or not she would love the baby as her own. Maria was the only one who knew of this. When the baby came, the mother was extremely anxious so Maria took the baby out before the mother could see it in order to give her time to get ready. Meanwhile, the baby was gripping the shirt in a way that usually indicates a mental illness of some sort. So where most doctors would prescribe a drug or run multiple tests, Maria came to the conclusion that the baby was adapting the mother’s tension and the only treatment it needed was to be held and massaged. After that, the mother relaxed and so did the baby. Maria would not have been able to figure this out if she hadn’t discussed the background with the mother first.

When asked about her own personal encounters with homeopathic medicine, Maria said that when her kids were young, they had warts and no cream or medicine was working. So they turned to a homeopath who asked very unusual questions (in her opinion) such as “what time of day is he most hot?” or “when does he go to bed?” after answering these questions, they gave him a tiny little pill that when taken after two days, made all of the warts disappear. However, when Maria did the same thing again with her daughter, the pill didn’t work and they had to try something else. In conclusion, homeopathy doesn’t work for everyone and therefore is not always the best answer. To Maria, the best way of healing is mixing the two together. By using both allopathic/conventional care and homeopathic care, one is able to get the maximum treatment needed to make their illness least painful and/or time consuming.