Advocates of homeopathy and other forms of alternative medicine often use the term allopathy or allopathic medicine to refer to mainstream, Western medicine.
The term allopathy was coined by Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, who used it to refer to what he saw was a system of medication which combats disease by using remedies which produce effects that are different (hence Greek root allo- "different") from those of the disease being treated. He claimed his theory of homeopathy, which tries to mimic the symptoms (hence homeo-, "the same") was a more effective and humane alternative.
The term allopathy today is used most frequently (and incorrectly) in criticisms of modern medicine made by practitioners of alternative healing. However, standard medicine has never paid allegiance to an allopathic principle.
History of Allopathy
Practitioners of alternative medicine have used the term "allopathic medicine" to refer to the practice of "conventional" medicine in both Europe and America during and before the 19th century. In America, this was also referred to as regular medicine: that is, medicine that was practiced by the regulars. The practice of "conventional" medicine in both Europe and America during the 19th century is sometimes referred to as the age of heroic medicine.
The allopaths blamed the public for the situation, contemptuously regarding them as ignorant, undiscriminating and easily deceived, clearly needing to be protected from their own perverse ignorance.
The brunt of the blame for declining allopathic fortunes was laid at the door of the Homeopaths.
The allopaths had concern about the growing competition from Homeopathy, stated as "quackery in the profession." They felt the apparently declining standards of medical education was the cause of physicians converting to Homeopathy and these ideas were the prime motives in the founding of the American Medical Association in 1847.
Allopaths are what we commonly call Medical Doctors in the United States now in the late part of the twentieth century, and early twenty first century.
The difference is that Allopaths are taught only accute methods of alleviating problems and have little to no understanding of what makes daily living with optimal care possible.
Of that entire population, the standard allopathic methods utilized for fighting cancer, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and some hormone therapy (dependent upon the cancer) were only able to help less than 2% of the people treated.
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