Despite all the written material available on homeopathy there is no theory that fits modern science as to why small remedies work. Still, many people have found relief from their illnesses by taking homeopathic remedies. Abdul Qaiyum, the owner of Mertz Apothecary, one of the oldest homeopathic pharmacies in the Chicago area, was trained in Western pharmacology. Although he grew up using homeopathic remedies as a child, his college training made him doubt its effectiveness. Then Qaiyum got sick and was offered help by a medical doctor who happened to be trained in classical homeopathy.
Classical homeopaths believe in using only one remedy at a time.
The doctor gave Qaiyum a constitutional remedy which addresses all the symptoms a patient has experienced both in the past and present. The physician warned Qaiyum that he might experience adverse reactions to the remedy, but assured him that it was nothing to worry about since it was part of the healing process. Qaiyum says that for the first couple of hours he had forgotten that he had even take the remedy, but later that day he felt so bad that he thought he was going to die. I was in bed and had three or four blankets on me, and I was shaking. But this reaction was just what the doctor anticipated.