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The oldest forms of medicine are enjoying a comeback. Modern holistic medicine is an approach that treats the whole body, not just the disease. It is a way to maintain good health rather than cure illness.
    Holistic medicine usually combines diet, physical exercise and meditation, together with other alternative techniques such as massage and acupuncture. Herbal treatment is a practice of treating illness by using plants. Homeopathy is one of the forms of holistic medicine which is widely practiced in Europe and the US. Homeopathy began in Germany in the early 1800s, when Samuel Hahnemann described how very tiny doses of a drug had an effect on his patients. According to Hahnemann, the more the drug was diluted, the stronger its effects. The substance selected would produce similar effects to the disease itself if given in large doses. In the UK, homeopathy is regarded as a non-traditional but just about acceptable treatment.
    Meditation and contemplation have an important role in holistic medicine. They were brought to Europe by Indian teachers who combined Indian Ayurvedic medicine with Western beliefs. Transcendental meditation is one of the best known of these techniques. People repeat words inside their head to reach a state of deep relaxation.
    Holistic medicine emphasizes good diet, exercise and fresh air, all of which contribute to health. Some clinics now offer holistic medicine along with traditional treatments, so that their patients can choose a combination of treatments that suits them.