Panadol (Paracetamol or Acetominophen) is a common painkiller in most family medicine cupboards, but our easy access to it has also turned it into a leading cause of accidental or deliberate overdose. In Australia alone, more than 8,000 men, women and children are hospitalised each year from panadol poisoning; if they don't receive an antidote within 8 hours, liver failure and death can result from what seems to be a simple over-the-counter medicine.

The homeopathic remedy Lycopodium has always been used to treat various types of liver failure and digestive disorders, so researchers wondered if it could also help in Panadol poisoning. The answer? Yes.

Rats were given daily doses of Lycopodium, and then poisoned by paracetamol to see if the remedy would protect against liver damage. The results showed it reduced tissue death and inflammation.

While the Lycopododium was given preventatively in this instance, treatment is likely to be just as helpful, as it has long been known that whatever homeopathy treats, it can also prevent, and vice versa.

From the homeopathic perspective, the results of this study also indicate that those needing Lycopodium as a constitutional or treatment remedy are likely to be at greatest risk of injury from an accidental or intentional Panadol overdose.

Finally, what about the rats? It seems like a backwards and very allopathic approach to test the known homeopathic effects of a remedy on animals. There has never been a need for it in the past and there is none now; let’s just use the remedies according to their known indications, then step back and observe the results.

More Information: Hepatoprotective effect of Lycopodium clavatum 30CH on experimental model of paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats

In the West, homeopathy is rarely given the opportunity to show what it can do for serious conditions, but, in less restrictive countries, homeopaths treat many conditions that would otherwise be considered incurable or unable to be palliated.

One such instance, as reported by The International News, is from a free clinic in Pakistan where Dr. Ghulam Yaseen and his colleagues are overwhelmed by grateful patients with various blood disorders and other serious conditions.

This clinic is one of many throughout Pakistan and India from which similar reports frequently emerge. Click on the link to read about some of the patients treated at the clinic.

Finances are limited and people are often too poor to pay, but, as Dr Yaseen says, "Homeopathic treatment of blood disorders costs far less as compared to the conventional (allopathic) treatment."

If you would like to help Dr Yaseen's work, visit his website in the article and send an email or make a donation - a small amount can make a big difference for someone else.

More Information: A homeopath with a magical touch

When Oliver Dowding went looking to find a safer and better way to treat his farm animals in 1989, he stumbled upon homeopathy. After a successful start with a remedy that treated an outbreak of ringworm in his heifers, he and his herdsmen went on to try it for other problems. He says:

"Following this positive experience we acquired a number of remedies, which rapidly became a large collection, which I still have and won’t go out of date! The two principal herdsmen relished the challenge of something new and very quickly discovered that these new remedies delivered remarkable results. They enjoyed seeing mastitis cases cleared up in 24-48 hours, and not needing to withhold milk from the tank, nor risk contamination with antibiotic residues. They rapidly understood the differences in mastitis attacks, and the differing remedies required to deal with each, plus the differing potencies of those remedies. We also saw striking results using caulophylum when calving cattle, both pre-emptive and also during difficult calvings."

More Information: Caring for my cows

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