History of Homeopathy in Brazil
by Camila Sollero Claudio Costa Carvalho (1,) Francisco José de Freitas (2)
The Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro - UNIRIO 1. Homeopath, 2nd year resident, UNIRIO, MD 2. Homeopath, Professor and Head of the Department of Homeopathy and Complementary Therapy (DHTC), UNIRIO, MD, MSc
History of Homeopathy
Hippocrates is considered the seminal figure in medicine because he was the first person to think of a disease as a result of natural forces and not of divine influence. The careful observation of specific symptoms to each individual as well as each person's reaction to the disease, before reaching a diagnosis, represents the essence of Hippocrates´ work. He brought us the concept of a patient´s own healing power being instrumental in choosing the appropriate treatment. Hippocrates enunciated three principles of healing: 1) the opposites: drugs against the disease, 2) the equals: give the patient a drug made from substances that cause the disease, 3) the similars: give the patient a drug with similar effects as the disease. In history, one of the best examples of similar curing similar was the use of the roots of Veratrum in the treatment of cholera. In large doses, this root is extremely poisonous causing violent evacuation and leading to severe dehydration in an identical manner to the symptoms of cholera.
Homeopathy´s roots emerge from the findings, teaching and writings of Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). While translating Cullen´s Materia Medica in 1790, Hahnemann´s attention turned to the analogy between the effects of quinine and intermittent fevers. He reconnects to the Hippocratic tradition of similia similibus curentur (similar curing similar) and, based on this hypothesis, he and his students start experimenting with other products, creating a pathogenesis of several products.
Homeopathy in Brazil
Homeopathic medicine in Brazil has seen a substantial growth in its acceptance by doctors and patients across time and today is a well accepted form of medicine. It has been recognized as a medical specialty by Brazilian National Board of Medicine (CFM) since 1980. Starting in 1810 there was already talk of homeopathy in Brazil when the patriarch of independence, Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva, began corresponding with Hahnemann. Nevertheless, it only achieved real growth in 1840 with the arrival of Dr Benoit Jules Mure, a passionate advocate of homeopathy and considered its introducer into the country. Dr Benoit Jules Mure was known as Bento Mure in Brazil. Although he was a homeopathic doctor, he came to Brazil not with the intent to propagate homeopathy, but to work on a social project. He desired to build a socialist colony in the country. In the southern state of Santa Catarina he established a Sahy colony and also a homeopathic school. In this place, young doctors could learn homeopathic theory which was not taught at other medical schools in the country. Sahy colony and the homeopathic school of medicine did not last long though. In 1843 Dr Bento Mure came to Rio de Janeiro and with another medical doctor, Vicente José Lisboa founded the Brazilian Homeopathy Institute. This institute was created to propagate homeopathic knowledge through teaching, publishing of academic research and clinical practice.
In 1845, the Brazilian Homeopathy Institute founded the Academy of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery. One year later it was officially recognized by the Imperial government. This official certification allowed the school to promote the teaching of homeopathic medicine even though its students were not accredited to practice medicine.
Duque Estrada was one of the first Brazilian homeopathic physicians and was a state representative. He and Mure were politically influential people and wanted to spread the use of homeopathy in Brazil but had a different point of view about how and to whom to teach homeopathy. While Duque Estrada wanted to limit the practice of homeopathy to medical doctors, Mure defended a freedom of homeopathic practice. In other words, he was in favor of physicians and non-physicians practicing homeopathy. This discussion since the early days of homeopathic practice in Brazil brings up interesting questions regarding the amount of homeopathic and medical knowledge necessary to qualify a person to practice homeopathic medicine.
In 1846, the 5th edition of Organon was translated into Portuguese by Dr Vicente Martins. Two years later Dr Mure left Brazil. Disappointment and sickness were the main reasons for him to leave the country. Dr Mure was a very important person in the homeopathic community in Brazil because of his large contribution to the implementation of homeopathy in the country. Mure wrote the book “Brazilian Pathogenesis”, a series of 39 pathogeneses, which involved methodical experiments of medicinal substances obtained, selected and prepared according to homeopathic pharmaceutical practice in a historical period where scientific difficulties were staggering. There are several medicines that stand out of Mure´s pathogenesis, among them being Elaeis guinensis, Jacaranda caroba, Crotalus cascavella and Elaps corallinus.
In June of 1859, a medical group decided to found the Hahnemannian Institute of Brazil. In 1911, with governmental push for more private schools in Brazil, The Homeopathic Medical College of Rio de Janeiro was founded and recognized by Ministry of Justice and Home affairs. Although it was founded a year earlier, the symbolic date of April 10, 1912 was chosen as the founding date in honor of the birthday of Samuel Hahnemann. In 1916, a hospital maintained by the Homeopathic Medical College started to serve the population and promote homeopathy teaching. In 1924 the Board of Education suggested changing the College’s name to the School of Medicine and Surgery of the Hahnemannian Institute of Brazil.
In 1926, the first Brazilian congress of homeopathy took place. In 1932, homeopathy teaching became optional at the School of Medicine and Surgery of the Hahnemannian Institute of Brazil. In December 7, 1948, given the degree of development reached by the School, it was spun off from the Hahnemannian Institute of Brazil becoming the School of Medicine and Surgery of Rio de Janeiro (EMC). In 1954, the school became an education facility subsidized by the federal government, keeping in its curriculum such disciplines of a Homeopathic Clinic, Homeopathic Materia Medica and Homeopathic Therapeutics, but now as optional lectures instead of required ones. Homeopathy then went through a period of decay, mainly with the discovery of antibiotics, only to recover again in the 70s.
In November 1979 the Brazilian Homeopathic Medical Association (AMHB) was created. In 1980, the National Board of Medicine (CFM) recognized homeopathy as a medical specialty. Homeopathy stopped then to be considered an alternative type of medicine and became mainstream. Its practice by non-accredited medical doctors had been outlawed and could lead to criminal prosecution. Even though it was/is said that non-medical homeopaths do not have the necessary medical knowledge for competent practice, it was the homeopathy practice by non-physicians with good results in places where there were no doctors that ultimately helped homeopathy to be well known and disseminated in Brazil.
In 1985 Brazil institutionalized homeopathy into the public services; new positions were open for homeopathic doctors in public clinics and hospitals. In 1989 AMHB became part of the board of medical specialties of the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB). In 1999 the discipline of homeopathic materia medica became mandatory at the School of Medicine and Surgery (EMC / UNIRIO), with homeopathic therapeutics and homeopathic clinics being kept as optional disciplines. This was a great victory for homeopathy because, from this moment on, all students from the School of Medicine and Surgery started having contact with and learning the basics of homeopathy, helping to reduce the prejudice against the subject.
In 2003 the Ministry of Health presented the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practice in SUS (unified health system), whose implementation involves justifications of political, technical, economic, social and cultural nature. This policy caters mainly to the need to understand, support, incorporate and implement experiences that have been developed in the public health system, among which homeopathy stands out.
In 2004 the two-year medical residency in homeopathy at university hospital Gaffree & Guinle (HUGG / UNIRIO) was instituted. It was and still is the first and the only medical residency in homeopathy in Brazil. The only other way to become a homeopathic medical doctor in Brazil is through postgraduate courses after Medical School. In this residency, physicians learn Hahnemann´s principles, how to do anamnesis, learning various homeopathic remedies and their indications and how to prescribe homeopathic medicine. Beyond that they assist different kinds of patients of different ages in ambulatories clinics. Besides that they have the opportunity to teach undergraduate students and to perform academic and clinical research.
In 2010, the university hospital Gaffree & Guinle began to offer the third year of homeopathic residency with emphasis in the treatment of children and the elderly. Third year residents spend most of their time at the hospital´s pediatric ward and in ambulatory practice specific to the elderly. At the pediatric ward, their focus is on treating dermatologic, digestive and pulmonary diseases. Researchers at the university hospital have almost two years of data now and are in the process of analyzing it. In the last three months they also started a joint action of homeopaths with pediatricians in the pediatric emergency at Gaffree & Guinle hospital. It is also expected that cooperation between homeopaths and obstetricians will allow for greater contribution of homeopathy to the obstetric ward to be registered.
It is necessary to say that homeopathy has not been restricted to the medical field. In 1977 the first edition of the Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmacopeia was published and this year (2011) its third edition is being published. In 1990 the Brazilian Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (ABFH) was created, in 1992, homeopathy was recognized as a pharmaceutical specialty by the Federal Council of Pharmacy. In 1993, the Brazilian Homeopathic Veterinary Medical Association was created and in 1996 was recognized as a specialty by the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine.
References
Galhardo, José Emygdio Rodrigues. Historia da Homeopatia no Brasil. In: Livro do 1o Congresso Brasileiro de Homeopatia. Rio de Janeiro, 1928
Lobo, Francisco Bruno. O Ensino da Medicina no Rio de Janeiro: Homeopatia, v. 3, Rio de Janeiro, 1968
Quintas, Siqueira-Batista, Corrêa. Similia Similibus Curentur: notação histórica da medicina homeopática, Rev Ass Med Brasil 1997 Ribeiro, Mário Antônio Cabral. Historia da Homeopatia no Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, 2008. http://www.homeoint.org/articles/portugues/mure.htm
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Política
Nacional de Práticas Integrativas e Complementares no SUS - PNPIC-SUS / Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde, Departamento de Atenção Básica. - Brasília : Ministério da Saúde, 2006