Charles Darwin and Homeopathy

Of course, we all know who Charles Darwin is and what he is famous for, but how many of us know that he used homeopathy successfully to overcome a severely life-limiting disease?

Whilst Darwin was traveling around South America he developed several symptoms including sickness, stomach pains, heart palpitations, frequent fainting spells and severe boils amongst others. These symptoms got progressively worse until it reached a point where he was "unable to do anything one day out of three." Indeed his illness was so limiting that he was unable to attend his father's funeral in 1848.

No orthodox doctors of the time could diagnose his disease, and their treatments were not helping him, even making him worse. One day someone suggested to him that he try a Dr. James Gully. Gully was an "alternative" physician of the time and practiced homeopathy, hydrotherapy and nutrition. Darwin decided to take a trip to this physicians health spa.

Darwin in his own words says "I grieve to say that Dr.Gully gives me homeopathic medicines three times a day, which I take obediently without an atom of faith." However, even though Darwin showed initial scepticism towards the treatment, within a couple of days he reported "I Have already received so much benefit that I really hope my health will be much renovated."

Darwin's health improved to the point where he managed to go a whole month without any vomiting, a first for him, and was able to go on 7 mile walks. 4 months later Darwin says that he was "of almost perfect health."

His symptoms very rarely returned throughout the rest of his life, and when they did he would go back to his physician Dr. James Gully and receive more homeopathic treatment.

Later on into Darwin's life he conducted his own experiments into homeopathically prepared solutions. He would treat the Drosera plant with solutions diluted past Avogadro's constant and would be continually amazed by the results seen.

There is a certain irony to this of course, as there are many enthusiasts of Darwin's work out there, such as Richard Dawkins, who also want to routinely "bash" homeopathy. They claim it be Ascientific and a "pseudo-science," which of course is incorrect as we now know, yet without homeopathy Darwin may never have been well enough to continue his scientific investigation into the evolution of life.

I'll leave you with a few questions, why is it that the fact that Darwin was so successfully treated with homeopathy always left out of the history books? Where has homeopathy's place in history been cast aside to? and Why?

References and Further Reading

Ullman, D, 2007, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, North Atlantic Books USA