The word Homeopathy is derived from the Greek words homoios meaning similar and pathos, meaning suffering. Homeopathy was developed more than 200 years ago by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843).

Hahnemann (1755–1843) was one of the most sophisticated scientists of his time. He was a medical doctor who studied medicine and chemistry. He turned his back on the medicine of his time which with its bloodlettings and enemas he found more harmful than beneficial for his patients. He was well-read and got impetus for his work from translating medical and chemistry books into German.

Translating Cullen’s Material Medica his attention was drawn to a paragraph on the effect of Cinchona (quinine) bark in the treatment of malaria. In an experiment he carried out on himself, he took a quantity of Cinchona bark and observed that he developed pathological symptoms similar to those occurring with malaria. He concluded that applying a substance that produces symptoms in a healthy person could cure a disease exhibiting the same symptoms.

He made many trials on himself, his family and colleagues to substantiate his simile hypothesis and carefully documented the many successes of treatment of his patients.