Animal Ingredients in Homeopathic Products

The World Homeopathy Day is celebrated on 10th April every year to honour the birthday of the creator of Homeopathy Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843).


Homeopathic pills are pure sugar, whereas powders contain lactose (sugar derived from milk). Both pills and powders can contain animal ingredients but the percentage would be tiny. Most substances used are in minute quantities, e.g. a single cockroach makes millions of bottles of potencies. Insects are harmed far more than bigger animals whose blood or milk is generally utilised.


Homeopathy works on the principle that less is more, and X, C and M are Roman numerals. The number that precedes them indicates the potency or number of times the product has been diluted. Therefore X means that the substance has been diluted 10 times, C 100 times, and M 1000 times. In short, the higher the potency, the lesser is the amount of the substance in the product and is considered stronger and deeper-acting.


Below is not an exhaustive list of animal derived substances. New remedies are developed every year using blood, feathers, milk, and so on. As remedies are not prescribed for specific ailments but on the basis of the patient as a whole, medicinal uses of products can vary and have therefore not been listed.


Medicine Source
   
Ambra grisea       Ambergris from Sperm Whale
Anthracinum Anthrax poison
Apis

Honey Bee

Aranea diadema Cross Spider
Astacus fluviatilis Crawfish
Blatta orientalis Indian Cockroach
Bufo Poison from the glands of Toad
Cantharis Spanish fly
Castor Equi Horse hoof
Castoreum

Secretion from preputial sacs of Beaver

Cenchris Contortrix Venom of Copperhead snake
Chenopodi glauci aphis Plant Lice
Cimex acanthia Bed Bug
Coccinella septempunctata Ladybird
Coccus cacti Cochineal
Corallium rub

Coral

Crotalus horridus Venom of Rattle Snake
Doryphora Colorado Potato Bug
Elaps corallinus Venom of Brazilian Coral Snake
Fel tauri   Gall bladder of Ox
Formica rufa

Ants

Hydrophobinum

Saliva of rabid Dog
Lac caninum Dog’s milk
Lachesis  Venom of Surukuku snake
Latrodectus mactans

Spider

Limulus  

King Crab

Medusa

Jellyfish

Mephitis 

Skunk

Moschus Musk of Musk Deer
Murex Purple Fish
Mygale lasiodora Large black Cuban Spider
Naja tripudians

Venom of Cobra

Oleum aniale Animal oil
Oleum jecoris aselli Cod liver oil
Oniscus asellus Wood louse Millipedes
Pulex irritans Common Flea
Robina

Yellow Locust

Sepia Cuttlefish
Serum anguillar

Eel serum

Spongia Common Sponge
Tarantula cubensis Cuban Spider
Tarantula hispania Spanish Spider
Thyroidinum Thyroid gland of Sheep or Calf
Vespa

Wasp

Vipera Venom of German Viper
Page last updated on 16/09/23