A concept two centuries old
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Although most of its preparations are no longer reimbursed by the Sécurité sociale, homeopathy generates more than 300 million euros in revenue in France.
This concept was created by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann
(1755–1843) at a time when the atomic nature of matter had not yet been established and when one could still think that matter was indefinitely divisible.
Hahnemann's basic idea was the so-called principle of similitude (the term homeopathy comes from the Greek homeios, meaning similar). According to Hahnemann, if a substance causes a symptom, that symptom can be treated by administering the same substance in very small doses, which would trigger a defensive reaction in the body.
