Spagyric medicine, a form of homeopathy first described roughly 500 years ago, is making something of a resurgence in European and some American clinics.
Menu
Spagyric medicine, a form of homeopathy first described roughly 500 years ago, is making something of a resurgence in European and some American clinics.
Holistic physicians worldwide are rediscovering spagyric medicine, an ancient therapeutic methodology dating back to Paracelsus. In progressive clinics in at least 15 countries, physicians are now using spagyric medicines, which are prepared by extracting not only active chemical substances from plants, but also more subtle active principles that are considered to preserve the native vitality of the original substance.
Spagyric medicine is considered to be a form of homeopathy, but actually predates the homeopathy of Samuel Hahnemann by over 200 years. The word spagyric is derived from the Greek spao (to separate) and ageiro (to unite). This refers to the method of production which combines the processes of fermentation, filtration, recombining the filtered tincture with the mineral ash of the plant residue, and then “potentizing” the resulting compound using the traditional methods of homeopathic preparation. The result is a product that has biochemical effects like botanical medicines as well as the energetic effects of a homeopathic medicine. Spagyric medicines are a type of “crossover” medicament that can have an influence at several levels simultaneously.
The energetic effects of a medicine are by far their most controversial aspect. There is probably nothing in alternative medicine that so seriously challenges orthodox scientific thought as homeopathy. Although there is no acceptable scientific explanation for how homeopathic medications could be effective, there is a growing scientific evidence of their benefits (Sacks A, “Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of homeopathic remedies.” J Holistic Med 1983; 5: 172–175), even in controlled, blinded clinical trials (See reference list).
Homeopathy has long been dismissed by conventional medicine as “placebo medicine.” What has been forgotten is that placebo-controlled research has been used in measuring the efficacy of homeopathic medications since the 19th century. Research tools like statistical analysis and placebo controls originated with homeopaths studying their practices in terms of efficacy, mortality rates, recovery time, and cost-comparison with allopathic medications as early as the 1850s (Ozanne J, “Homeopathy tested by statistics.” Homeopath Times 1853; 4(182):372–375). Experiments in Vienna in the 1840s used single-blind and double-blind study design to test potencies of medications (Haas H, Fink H, Hartfelder G, “Das Placeboproblem.” Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung/Progress in Drug Research, ed. Jucker E, Birkhauser, Basel, 1959). Boston University Medical School was a pioneer in using placebo controls to study homeopathy, long before they were considered a necessary research tool by allopathic medicine (Wesselhoeft C, “A reproving of Carbo vegetabilis, Made for the purpose of demonstrating the necessity of countertests in drug proving.” Trans 30th Session Am Inst Hom 1877:184–280).
In recent years, studies of homeopathy using randomization, blinding and placebo controls have been published in conventional journals as well as the homeopathic literature. There are studies that show favorable results in the treatment of a wide range of conditions. David Reilly, MD, of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, who in the 1990s conducted a series of affirmative trials that were actually designed to debunk homeopathy, states that either homeopathy is valid or controlled clinical trials are an unreliable research tool.
Spagyric medicines not only have an energetic aspect, as is the case with all homeopathic preparations, they also contain chemical substances. The spagyric process was developed by Paracelsus (1493–1541) in the 16th century, based on some of the practices of medieval alchemists. In Germany today, spagyric medicines are classified as homeopathic medicines, but they are different in significant ways. Paracelsus believed the vital energy of a plant played the most important role in its therapeutic effects. In the original Paracelsian method, wet plant material was allowed to ferment naturally. This ferment was then distilled, with the remaining plant biomass burned down to ash which was then recombined with the distilled solution and then homeopathically potentized by “succussion,” pounding the solution in its container.
More recently, this process was refined by Peter Beyersdorff, Pharm.D., of Kisslegg, Germany. Dr. Beyersdorff, founder of Pekana Naturheilmittel GmbH, uses special yeasts to ferment the herbs so that each herb produces its own alcohol along with other products of fermentation. He innovated a filtration process to circumvent distillation, which can destroy important components such as enzymes, vitamins and other phytochemical constituents. After extraction of the liquid, the plant mass is burned. The ash is purified through a crystallization process that isolates the minerals and eliminates impurities. When the filtrate and mineral crystals are recombined, the compound is homeopathically “dynamized” using hand succussion. It is thought that the combination of physical activation of the components and focused human intention add an indispensable essence to the product.
Individual spagyric plant substances are then combined to produce remedies for various types of pathology. These unique medications are GMP certified and are listed in the German Homeopathic Pharmacopeia.
Research on modern spagyric medications to date has been in the form of clinician surveys and clinical application studies without placebo controls. In one multi-center clinical application study, a spagyric medication indicated for treatment of lymphatic inflammation and impaired lymph circulation was given to 89 patients with lymphadenopathy. Both doctors and patients were surveyed with regard to perceived efficacy. Almost 96% of the physicians and 94% of the 49 adult patients reported some degree of improvement. The physicians rated the preparation as “very good,” i.e. the patient was free of symptoms, at a rate of 18.3%. No side effects were reported.
In another multi-center study, a spagyric combination for menopausal symptoms was evaluated by a group of doctors in 67 patients with an average age of 48 years. The patients reported symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. Dosage and duration of treatment was at the discretion of the physicians. The average duration was 104 days, but varied widely. Physicians and patients were separately surveyed on the effectiveness of the treatment. Both doctors and patients reported the formula to be “very good” (free of symptoms) in 28.3%, or good (significant improvements) in 64.2%. There were no side effects or negative reactions. These and other studies were done in Germany, and many physicians there contend that spagyrics are deserving of larger, well-controlled clinical trials.
Spagyrics are just beginning to be discovered in the US. Gary Klepper, DC, of Boulder, CO, has been using spagyric medicines for several years. He observes that, “they are a bridge between the material and the energetic.” Dr. Klepper integrates several functional medicine approaches, and for a number of years had to import spagyric medications from Germany himself. He states, “In functional medicine there is an emphasis on liver detoxification, gut ecology and nutritional supplementation. These are important aspects of treatment, but I find that a purely biochemical approach has limitations. Spagyric medicines often supply the missing link, especially when patients are not responding well. Spagyric medicine can help get them ‘unstuck’.”
Joy Craddick, MD, of Partners for Health, Ashland, OR, specializes in cancer therapy combining conventional and alternative approaches. She says, “We use spagyric remedies for mitigation of the side effects of chemotherapy. There are three that are of particular importance, (the formulas) for supporting liver function, kidney function and promoting lymph circulation respectively. My impression is that they work.”
Scott Storrie, DC, LAc, ND, also of Boulder, uses spagyrics in concert with other nutritional and botanical therapies, as well as prescription drugs. “I believe spagyric medicines can complement any type of medication. They are really safe to use. Doctors who are just beginning to integrate alternative medicine into their practices can improve their outcomes immediately by using them. But they are also an essential adjunct to functional medicine approaches because of their ability, among other things, to stimulate drainage of congested organs, hypofunctioning organs, and lymph circulation.”
The Pekana spagyric medications are now available in the US, through BioResource, a Santa Rosa, CA-based distribution company. For more information, contact BioResource at: www.bioresourceinc.com or 1-800-203-3775.
Over the last two decades, there have been a number of well-designed trials and metanalyses of homeopathic treatment published in conventional, peer-reviewed medical journals. The following is a partial list of key studies that give evidence of the efficacy of the homeopathic approach:
Shealy C, Thomlinson R, Borgmeyer V, “Osteoarthritic pain: a comparison of homeopathy and acetaminophen.” Am J Pain Management 1998; 8:89–91.
Weiser M, Strosser W, Klein P, “Homeopathic vs. conventional treatment of vertigo: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical study.” Arch Otolarnyg-Head Neck Surg Aug 1998; 124:879–885.
Reilly D, Taylor M, Beattie N, et al, “Is evidence for homeopathy reproducible?” Lancet Dec 10, 1994; 344:1601–1606.
Jacobs J, Jiminez L, Gloyd S, “Treatment of acute childhood diarrhea with homeopathic medicine: a randomized clinical trial in Nicaragua.” Pediatrics May 1994; 93, 5:719–725.
Ernst E, Saradeth T, Resch K, “Complementary treatment of varicose veins: a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.” Phlebology 1990; 5:157–163.
Dorfman P, Lasserre M, Tetau M, “Preparation a l’accouchement par homeopathie: experimentation en double-insu vs. placebo.” (Preparation for labor with homeopathy, double-blind experimentation vs. placebo), Cahiers de Biotherapie April 1987; 94:77–81.
Fisher P, Greenwood A, Huskisson E, et al, “Effect of homeopathic treatment on fibrositis.” Br Med J Aug 5, 1989; 299:365–366.
Gibson P, Gibson S, MacNeil A, et al, Homeopathic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation double-blind controlled trial.” Br J Clin Pharm 1980; 9:453–459.
Copyright © 2024 Holistic Primary Care. All Rights Reserved.