Almost 100 years after Samuel Hahnemann created a stir in the medical circles of his day by the introduction of his homeopathic system of medicine based on the law of similars and minimum dosages, Doctor Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler published his first pamphlet. It was called "An Abridged System of Homeopathic Therapeutics", and in it he laid down the corner stone for his own system of healing. It caused a lot of dissent amongst his fellow homeopaths who argued that it was not homeopathic. Schuessler argued that since it was based on the law of minimums (the minimum dose being one of the tenets of Homeopathy) it could therefore be regarded as an extension of homeopathic theory.

There are certainly some similarities to Homeopath, although Doctor Schuessler system is not based on the law of similars but uses exclusively the twelve tissue salts essential to organic life. He later began to call them biochemic tissue salts as he believed that they worked on both the chemistry and biology of the body at a nutritional level.

Almost 100 years after Samuel Hahnemann created a stir in the medical circles of his day by the introduction of his homeopathic system of medicine based on the law of similars and minimum dosages, Doctor Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler published his first pamphlet. It was called “ An Abridged System of Homeopathic Therapeutics”, and in it he laid down the corner stone for his own system of healing. It caused a lot of dissent amongst his fellow homeopaths who argued that it was not homeopathic. Schuessler argued that since it was based on the law of minimums (the minimum dose being one of the tenets of Homeopathy) it could therefore be regarded as an extension of homeopathic theory. There are certainly some similarities to Homeopath, although Doctor Schuessler system is not based on the law of similars but uses exclusively the twelve tissue salts essential to organic life. He later began to call them biochemic tissue salts as he believed that they worked on both the chemistry and biology of the body at a nutritional level.

The structure and vitality of the organs are dependent upon certain quantities and adequate distribution of certain organic constituents. For instance the blood is made up of water, sugar, fat, albumin, chloride of sodium, chloride of potash, fluoride of lime, magnesium salts and potash, the latter also being combined with phosphoric, carbonic and sulphuric acids. These salts are found everywhere in the body but with relatively larger amounts found in certain areas.

Doctor Schuessler believed that disease was caused by the lack of one or more of these inorganic substances or minerals. He discovered that by observing the subjective and objective symptoms of his patients he could identify the imbalance of these salts in their systems. His theory was that his Tissue salts influenced the way that these minerals were distributed and utilised by the body, and so could correct both deficiencies and excesses in his patients. He saw that they had a balancing effect on the body's systems rather than a more direct action on their deficiencies; that they regulated rather than replaced. He believed that they influenced the distribution of ions (electrically charged atoms) throughout the system

They are prepared in a similar way to homeopathic remedies. The salt is mixed with nine parts of lactose (milk sugar) and ground in a mortar and pestle, one part of this mixture is mixed with nine further parts of lactose and the process is repeated six times, until the required dilution of 6x is reached. Through this process of grinding (trituration) and dilution the salt becomes potentised or energised into an active substance. The powder is then made into small tablets, which dissolve very easily under the tongue

The tissue salts can be useful in both acute (short-lived) complaints such as influenza and chronic (prolonged) diseases such as arthritis, and not only are they very effective; they are also extremely safe. Because of the dilutions involved they are completely non-toxic and safe for use in any situation from pregnancy to the complaints of newborn babies.