This means that a disease can be cured by a medicine that is capable of producing symptoms similar to those experienced by the patient in a healthy person. Therefore the most important part of homeopathic treatment lies in the lengthy interview which the homeopath conducts with the patient in order to determine all the symptoms which the patient is experiencing. The homeopath then decides which medicine to prescribe based on the closest match between the patient's symptoms and the known symptoms elicited by the medicine in a healthy body. A homeopathic remedy is normally a single substance usually derived from a plant, an animal, or a mineral which is then subjected to a special procedure which brings out the medicinal properties of the original substance. There are currently about 2000 substances whose specific effects on the body have been recorded.
Examples are charcoal, salt, poison ivy, snake poisons, etc.
Homeopaths have discovered by experience that the effect of homeopathic medicines is strengthened dramatically upon successive dilutions and vigorous shaking between each dilution. It is this use of high dilutions that has given rise to controversy. Many conventional doctors claim that homeopathy functions only as a placebo. However, several controlled clinical studies have been performed by medical researchers, showing that homeopathy is an effective method of treatment for many diseases. The best summary of research can be found in a study published in the British Medical Journal.