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A Short Account of Nosodes
Nosodes
are remedies made from disease material or diseased material (pathological material, pathological
specimens), whether tissues, discharges, exudates, excretions, suppurations or
secretions. They are not to be confused with 'sarcodes', which are remedies made
from healthy tissue. Nosodes have many uses:
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They are widely used in
homeopathic practice to help treat cases of infectious diseases. At the
AVMC, we do not treat infectious disease solely in this way, as we do
not believe it is either the quickest or the most effective or the safest
way (proper and diligent homeopathic individualised prescribing for each patient, on the
basis of signs and symptoms, is both the safest and most effective
treatment). We certainly do not use nosodes in the acute phase of a
dangerous infectious disease but they can have an important role in helping
during the recovery phase. There are nosodes for most infectious diseases of
animals; at the AVMC, we have many unique nosodes of this type. Use
of nosodes in this way is referred to as isopathy, rather than homeopathy.
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Nosodes can have
homeopathic therapeutic properties in their own right. Such nosodes are
found in the homeopathic materia medica and have undergone a proper
'proving'. Examples are Bacillinum, Carcinosin, Medorrhinum,
Psorinum, Tuberculinum.
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They are often used in farm
situations, to limit the spread and the effects of infectious diseases. This
has especially been used as a vital component of mastitis control on many
farms, both organic and conventional.
Clinical trial work, carried out by the AVMC, has demonstrated
the efficacy of this application.
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They can be used in the
prevention* of infectious diseases (see paper:
Nosodes for Protection), in the manner of vaccination (but quite unlike
it in reality). This is called 'homeoprophylaxis' (see below*). A clinical trial on
kennel cough prevention was performed by the AVMC.
Many dog, cat, horse, pony and rabbit owners use nosodes as an alternative
to vaccination, apparently without penalty**.
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There are the so-called ‘bowel
nosodes’, which are classified with nosodes but arguably are not actual
nosodes, according to the strict definition. These are related to certain
groups of homeopathic remedies and may be used in their own right or as a
useful adjunct to one of the related remedies. Their use is not confined to
bowel disorders, despite the name. They can be used in treatment of more
complex cases, in which homeopathy alone has not achieved the desired
result.
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Nosodes can be made for an
individual patient, from that patient's own disease material ('autonosode')
or from another animal in a group for treatment of that group ('isonosode').
They can be derived from another animal altogether, for 'off the shelf' use
('general nosode'). They can be made from laboratory culture of pathogenic
organisms ('petri nosode'). They can be made from vaccines ('vaccine
nosode') - this latter is not a method advocated by the AVMC, except,
perhaps, to help in the treatment of a vaccine-related disease.
The use
of nosodes is a specialist area, not without its dangers, so it is recommended
that they should only be used only on the advice of a properly qualified
veterinary surgeon.
The
AVMC does not set out to treat or to prevent any of the UK’s ‘Notifiable
Diseases’, without the express permission of DEFRA.
*
Homeoprophylaxis:
This is not a fully proven technique but a large number of animal carers in the UK are
using this as the sole method of prevention of infectious diseases such as
(e.g.) Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Kennel Cough, FeLV, FIV, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR),
Feline Calicivirus, Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Equine Influenza,
Strangles, Herpes, Chlamydia, Myxomatosis, RHDV and Bovine Mastitis and appear confident in its
efficacy. Some bee keepers (apiarists) believe that the Varroa nosode has helped
their bees.
** Homeoprophylaxis: Our own dogs, cats and horses
are only protected in this way, as an alternative to vaccine, and our dogs have
met both parvovirus and distemper, without ill effect.
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Latest news: We have received a first-hand
report, in July 2009, of a litter of circa 5-week-old Hungarian
Vizsla puppies that caught Parvovirus. They were ill for a few days,
with bad diarrhoea but they all threw off the infection and
survived, much to the surprise of the local vets. They had just
started their homeoprophylactic course of nosode, three days
previously. They were too young for conventional vaccination. Other
unvaccinated (but nosode-protected) dogs in the household were
unscathed. Many other dogs in that area reportedly died of
Parvovirus during that outbreak.
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Copyright © AVMC - April 2007
Application: nosode - nosodes - nosodes for
protection - nosodes for dogs - nosodes for horses - nosodes for ponies - nosodes
for cats - nosodes for farm - nosodes for cattle - nosodes for sheep - nosodes
for pigs - nosodes for buffalo -
distemper - hepatitis - parvovirus - leptospirosis - kennel cough - feline
leukaemia - feline panleucopaenia - calicivirus - FeLV - FIV - FVR - FIP -
equine influenza - chlamydia - mastitis - sarcoids - myxomatosis - enzootic abortion -
meningitis - e. coli - salmonella - pasteurella - rotavirus - herpes -
klebsiella - shigella - borrelia - campylobacter - leishmania - bacillinum -
tuberculinum - carcinosin - medorrhinum - malandrinum - psorinum -
lueticum - lyssin
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