Abstract
M.Tech. (Homoeopathy)
The aim of this study was to produce evidence that homoeopathic medicines
stimulate biological activity, that it is not psychosomatic healing, and that it has
therapeutic benefits by creating an effect on living tissue, thereby providing the
validity and credibility of homoeopathy as a healing science in practice. As well as to
give the medical profession scientific evidence that homoeopathic medicine
stimulates biological activity and has an effect on living tissue. Hypothesis one was concerned with the homoeopathically prepared Avena Sativa having an effect on the growth rate of the Zea Mays seeds. Hypothesis two was concerned with the different potencies of homoeopathically prepared Avena Sativa, namely the six x, nine x and twelve x potencies, having different effects on the growth rates of the Zea Mays seeds.
A trial experiment was conducted to perfect the technique of the methodology that
was to be used in the experiment. The experiment consisted of twelve groups of Zea
Mays seeds (three control groups, three six x groups, three nine x groups and three
twelve x groups) of the seed lot number SNK2943 SPM which were randomly
selected. Throughout the experiment it was made certain that no cross
contamination of the different potencies took place. Germination rolls were incubated at twenty five degrees Celsius for twenty four hours. The Zea Mays seeds, fifty per roll, were then placed on the germination rolls and placed in the incubation chamber for thirty nine hours. Twenty four hours before replant, fresh germination rolls were prepared and incubated. Seeds were then replanted on the fresh germination rolls and placed in the incubation chamber for a further forty eight hours. Twenty four hours before measurement and replant, fresh germination rolls were prepared and incubated. The length of the coelioptile and the mesocoelioptile respectively were determined with a digitiser, then replanted and placed back in the incubation chamber for a further forty eight hours. At the time of forty eight hours the length of the coelioptile and the mesocoelioptile respectively were determined with the digitiser. All data was recorded and the results were statistically analysed. The mean and standard deviations were determined for all the groups of the experiment. The correlation between the different groups was determined by the testing of a one-way analysis of variance. The average growth rate of the control group was compared with that of the different experimental groups, by means of a one-way anova. There was found to be a statistical significant difference between the control group and the six x group. The six x potency had an initial detrimental effect on the growth rate of the Zea Mays seeds, the six x group however, completely recovered from this initial detrimental effect at the time that the second measurement was taken. The average growth rate of the control group was then compared with that of the nine x and twelve x potency groups respectively, no statistical difference could be determined between these three groups. It was concluded that further research is necessary using a larger sample size, a larger number of consecutive potencies and that more measurements be taken of the seeds at closer time intervals.