In 1831 a terrible epidemic of cholera swept through Europe. Thousands died, as usual, but this year was unique because in some treatment centers the death rate was very low.

The new centers were using a recently introduced medical modality called homeopathy. In the Raab Centre in Hungary only 6 out of 154 patients died. Orthodox treatments in the same area had a 59% death rate.

All over Central Europe a similar pattern emerged. The death rate in homeopathic hospitals varied between 2½% and 22%, compared with a minimum rate of 50% using the orthodox methods.