Biochemic system of Medicine
Biochemic is a unique Therapeutic system of medicine. It is a novel branch of the healing science. The Biochemic method of treatment is growing on constantly due to it’s effectiveness and ease. It is affordable even to the lower economic status people.
The concept of Biochemic cell salts, also known as tissue salts, was developed by Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler (1821-1898), a German physician, in the late 1800s. Although moderately diluted and potentized, these remedies are not classed as homeopathic because they are not selected according to the principle of similarity which is essential to homeopathy. Dr.Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler, a Homoeopathic physician and Scientist of Germany is the founder of Biochemic System of Medicine, in true sense he is the father of Biochemic system of medicine.
Dr. Schüessler called his method of treatment “Biochemistry”, because the chemical connections of the human biology are considered. In English the healing method is often called Biochemic cell salts.
Biography of Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler
(1821-1898)
Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler was born on 21st August, 1821 in Germany the town of Zwischenalm in Oldenburg. He was a scholar boy. He studied various foreign languages like English, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek, French etc. Homoeopathic system of medicine was very much popular in those days in
Germany. It was introduced by Dr Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. Dr. Schüessler also decided to become a Homoeopathic physician. After schooling, he started studying medicine in Paris, France in 1853, at the age of 32 and continued his studies in Berlin and Giessen, Germany. In a very short time, after two and a half years, he was conferred the title of doctor in medicine and thus obtained his M.D. Degree in 1857 and then started homoeopathic practice at his native place .
Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schüessler was active as a homoeopathic doctor for fifteen years in Germany. He introduced Biochemic system in 1873.
Biochemic system of medicine opens a new phase of therapeutic medical science. The word Biochemistry is derived from a Latin word Bios meaning life, and chemistry is the branch of science which deals with the composition of substances and of the changes they undergo. Therefore biochemistry literally means a branch of science which deals with the composition of living substances, both animals and vegetables and the process of their formation. Hence we can define the Biochemic System of medicine as, the branch of science which deals with the composition of bodies of the living things; the processes by which the various fluids and tissues are formed; the nature and the cause of the abnormal condition called the disease, and the restoration of health by supplying to thebody the deficient cell-salts. The aim of Biochemistry is to approach a deficiency directly, while all other therapeutic methods achieve this goal indirectly.The inorganic constituents are in a real sense, the material basis of the organs and tissue of the body. They are absolutely essential for the integrity of their structure and functional activity. Dr. Schuessler found out by chemical analysis that the tissues of the human body are composed of inorganic salts. The deficiency of one or more of these salts leads to disequilibrium in the harmonious functioning of the cells. In other words, ‘the deficiency of the salts causes disease and by supplying the deficient salts health can be restored. As this theory was discovered by Dr.Schuessler, so he is also called as the ‘Father of Deficiency Theory.’
Birth of Biochemic System of Medicine
Dr. Schuessler was impressed by our master Dr. Hahnemann for the provings and potentisation of salts. He was also impressed by the work of Dr. Rodulf Virchow and Dr. Moleschott.The late nineteenth century was marked by discoveries and fundamental changes in the field of medicine. Professor Dr. Rudolf Virchow, a pathologist at the well-known Berlin hospital, Charité, investigated the processes in the smallest living unit, the cell. He said “Diseases are based on the altered functions and conditions of the cells in the body, hence the normal functioning and condition of the cells constitute health.”
At the same time a Dutch scientist and physiologist, Jacob Moleschott discovered the importance of mineral salts for the functioning of the human and animal body. He said “The structure and vitality of the organs depend on the presence of necessary quantity of their inorganic constituents.” This made Dr. Schuessler to think that the sick might be healed with the substances that are natural, he called them as “physiological function remedies.” With this object in mind he began experimenting upon sick and demonstrated that his ideas and those of Prof. Moleschott were similar to the natural law.
In Stapf’s Archiv in the year 1832, a paper published stated that “all the essential component parts of the human body are great remedies.” again in the same journal in 1846, Constantine Hering stated “All constituents of the human body act in such organs principally where they have a function.” In 1847, Grauvogl in his text book took some notice of these remarks and amplified them. The chemical composition of nearly every fluid and tissue of the human body was known after the introduction of Chemistry. The chemical analysis of the blood shows that it contains organic and inorganic matter. Organic constituents are sugar, fat and albuminous substance. Inorganic constituents are water and certain minerals, commonly called as cell-salts. Inorganic cell salts are little in quantity but they are known to be the vital portion, the ‘workers’ and ‘builders’ of the body. The water and the organic substances are simply inert matter usedby these salts in building the cells of the body. All the substances necessary to heal, restore, and overcome the diseased condition are normally found within the organism itself.
By this time Dr. Schuessler had already spent years searching for his new method of treatment. Studying Virchow’s and Moleschott’s works, Dr. Schuessler started his own investigations on cells and minerals. He wanted to find the most common mineral salts present in the human body. In order to explore this, he analysed the ashes of dead bodies from the crematory. By doing this, he discovered that certain mineral salts predominated in certain tissues and organs.
For example, potassium phosphate and magnesium phosphate were chiefly present in the muscle tissue, while potassium chloride was present in the mucous membranes and calcium phosphate was present in the bone tissue. Dr. Schuessler then theorised that these mineral salts were vital for the normal functioning and health of body tissues. Further, he concluded that deficiency of any of these tissue salts would lead to dysfunction and illness. Consequently, the treatment of this mineral imbalance in the body by ingestion of tissue salts must be a vital factor in the healing process. Schuessler stated that the salts had to reach the diseased cells directly. For that reason he chose to have his remedies to be prepared in the same way as homeopathic remedies, such that, repeated dilution distributes the particles of the respective substance to such an extent that it is able to penetrate
each individual cell.
Dr. Schuessler said: “The biochemic healing method provides the endeavour of natural healing with its missing natural remedies the inorganic salts. Biochemistry aims at the correction of physiological chemistry that has deviated from the norm.” However, the aim of the Schuessler Salts is not to supply the body with the deficient minerals but to stimulate the human body to improve the absorption of the lacking minerals from ingested food and reorganise them in the tissues. Dr. Schuessler clinically tested his theories on his own patients with excellent results. One of his first attempts was the use of magnesium phosphate in a patient suffering from muscle cramps; they subsided within a few minutes. During his lifetime Dr. Schuessler limited the number of his mineral salts to twelve.
In 1874, Dr. Schuessler published his work “An Abridged Therapy”, based on the physiology and cellular pathology presenting a concise system of treatment, and based on scientific criteria as well. Later he called his healing system “biochemic” or “Biochemistry”. (The Greek word “bios” means life and “chemistry” is a branch in natural science that deals with the qualities, composition and the alteration of substances and their combinations.)
Dr. Schuessler’s work was translated to English by Dr. H.C.G Luytics, and was published in the Medical Investigator in 1873. Dr. C.Hering translated Dr. Schuessler’s book and titled it as “Twelve Tissue Remedies.” Several editions of this book were published. The twelfth German edition was translated into English. In 1898, Dr. Schuessler, published twenty five editions of his book and then ‘Twelve Tissue Remedies’ was published by Dr. Boericke and Dewey.
Biochemic remedies are prepared by decimal scale. Dr Schuessler recommended repetition of doses at every ten minutes or as per the case and lower potencies like 3x, 6x onwards were used.
The inorganic salts mainly found in the body are sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, silica and magnesium. There may be other salts also existing in the cells but the above salts are always present in the cells.
Dr Schuessler died on 30th of March, 1898 at the age of 77 years due to an apoplectic stroke, near Oldenburg where he spent many years of his life. Until today, treatment with the Schuessler tissue salts is a widely used and very successful alternative therapy besides homeopathy. Schuessler tissues salts are available as tablets with lactose powder as base in the potencies 3X, 6X, 12X, 30X and 200X. They are also available as ointments.
The Biochemic System of Medicine consists of twelve important salts as follows
Fluorides of - Lime - Calcarea Flour –CaF2
Chlorides of - Potassium - Kali Mur - KCI
Sodium - Nat Mur –NaCI
Sulphates of - Lime - Calcarea Sulph - CaSO4
Potassium - Kali Sulph - K2SO4
Sodium- Natrum Sulph- Na2SO4.10H2O
Phosphates of - Iron – Ferrum Phos – Fe(PO4)2
Lime – Calcarea Phos - Ca3 (PO4)2
Magnesium- Magnesium Phos - MgHPO4.7H2O
Potassium - Kali Phos - K2HPO4
Sodium – Natrum Phos - Na2HPO4.12H2O
Oxides of - Silicea - Silicea Oxide - SiO2
Twelve Tissue Remedies
1. Cal Flour (Elastic tissue builder) CaF2
2. Cal Phos (General nutrient) Ca3 (PO4)2
3. Cal Sulph (Blood purifier) CaSO4
4. Kali Mur (Blood conditioner) KCl
5. Kali Phos (Nerve nutrient) K2HPO4
6. Kali Sulph (Oxygen exchanger) K2SO4
7. Natrum Mur (Water distributer) NaCl
8.Natrum Phos (Acid neutralizer) Na2HPO4.12H2O
9. Natrum Sulph (Liver salt) Na2SO4.10H2O
10. Ferrum Phos (Oxygen carrier) Fe3(PO4)2
11. Mag Phos (Nerve stabilizer) MgHPO4.7H2O
12. Silica (The cleanser) SiO2
