On ear infections, travel sickness, metal filings and magnets

Do you remember the feeling of amazement you felt the first time you saw one magnet attracting or repelling another? Watching two pieces of metal move towards each other with nothing visibly moving them? I’ll never forget an experiment I saw in physics class when I was 12. We were told to put a magnet on a piece of paper, and sprinkle iron filings randomly around the magnet. Before our astounded eyes, these tiny filings shuffled into place and formed a perfect pattern on the white paper beneath.

I didn’t know how it was happening. And even when it was explained to me, the whole process was so invisible, the results so orderly, that the explanation couldn’t diminish the sense of awe I felt at what I was seeing.

That’s how I felt when I first saw homoeopathy at work. My first experience as a patient was many years ago. I suffered from debilitating travel sickness and had just signed up for a course that included many tours around the country. Many hours on a coach. For me, half an hour was too much, thank you. The wrist bands didn’t help. The many mints I had chewed on over the years only meant I had fresh breath after throwing up. The conventional medications either didn’t help or left me nauseous. I tried deep breathing, sea bands, and self-hypnosis. Nada. Until I stumbled on the pharmacy which coincidentally I use most for prescribing nowadays. Do you have anything? I asked, hoping against hope that they wouldn’t just trot out the dreaded Dramamine (those gave me two days of hallucinations on a long trip…).

I was handed a small bottle of little pills labeled Cocc. in slanted runic writing. Odd name.  No matter – those little pills rescued me from my travel sickness at the time – and have rescued many others before and since. The remedy Cocculus is one of the classics for that particular problem.

My next encounter with homoeopathy was many years later, when my daughter was suffering from chronic ear infections. Those of you who are familiar with this? I can hear you groaning from here. The constant antibiotics, the precious miniscule moments of normal existence between ear infections, the constant anxiety, the absences from work, the phone calls from the day-care centre – believe me, I feel your pain.

Her response to the homoeopathic treatment was amazing. All of a sudden, life again was ours to live. We could book theatre tickets without having to reschedule ten times and then give up. We could again provide income for indigent babysitters. And we no longer spent more time with the ENT doctor than we did at work….

I had no idea how it was working. And even now, after all these years, even though I know the probable explanations, the process involved, it fills me with awe when I see a disease state succumb to the best remedy, when I see those tiny pills bring down the bruising, bring down the fever, ease digestive strain, reduce anxiety and so much more. The idea of something so small having such a large impact is difficult to conceive – but as with the magnets, even though we can’t see what’s going on, we cannot ignore the fact that something interesting is happening…