Allopathic medicine

Common card · No. 216369

Allopathic medicine, or allopathy, from Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), meaning "other", and πάθος (páthos), meaning "pain", is a label originally used derogatorily by 19th-century homeopaths to describe heroic medicine. In its current usage, the term generally refers to contemporary conventional medicine. However, there are regional variations in usage of the term. For example, in the United States the term is primarily used in contrast with osteopathic medicine, especially in the field of medical education; whereas in India the term is used to distinguish modern medicine from Siddha medicine, Ayurveda, homeopathy, Unani and other alternative and traditional medicine traditions, especially when comparing treatments and drugs. The terms were coined in 1810 by the creator of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann. Heroic medicine was the conventional European medicine of the time and did not rely on evidence of effectiveness. It was based on the belief that disease is caused by an imbalance of the four...

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