Magic and Medicines #22: Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine

Get ready for some vigorous shaking of bottles, because in today's episode of Magic and Medicine we're talking all about Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine!

Although herbal medicine has very deep roots, stretching back to Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China, theories about disease and its transmission have been pretty varied over time.

From foul, stinking miasmas to the adorably named 'animalcules', mysterious lichen and even the humble cup of coffee, ideas about the causes of disease have certainly evolved.

In the 19th century, a time of cholera epidemics, bloodletting, leeches and other sticky things, a doctor named Samuel Hahnemann began experimenting with the system he would develop into homeopathic medicine.

Almost from its beginnings, homeopathy has attracted a storm of criticism - quite the backlash, in fact, for a manner of treatment which is gentle, holistic, and plant-based!

Our discussion covers the history and politics of homeopathy, the memory of water, the effect of modern austerity measures on the alternative medicine community, and the many people who have sought to prove that it really is all just nonsense!

Unlike Hahnemann's remedies, though, we promise this one isn't diluted...

We really hope you enjoy the episode and we will speak to you again on Saturday with our new Local Legends interview with the wonderful Will Millard!

Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

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