Homeopathic Dilutions, Hahnemann Principles, and the Solvent Issue: Must We Address Ethanol as a 'Homeopathic' or a 'Chemical' Issue?

摘要

Introduction Homeopathic remedies usually contain a significant amount of ethanol as a co-solvent with water, a pharmaceutical formulation that may raise some concern when remedies are tested in vitro or in laboratory animals, due to the assessed toxicity of ethanol on cell cultures and organisms. The amount of alcohol in a homeopathic remedy is adjusted following the different homeopathic pharmacopoeias but it is rarely below 30% v/v, which is a molar mass established to meet both Hahnemann's traditional heritage and the hypothetical role of ethanol in "imprinting" water, through the formation of nanobubbles, with the homeopathic activity of the remedy.