Homoeopathic pills stored in vials. Homoeopathy states that an illness may be cured by administering minute doses of substances which cause similar symptoms to those of the illness. Homoeopathic medicines are made from natural sources such as herbs. It was first proposed by the German doctor Samuel Hahnemann, when he observed that quinine taken by healthy patients produced malaria-like symptoms. His theory was that quinine would stimulate the body's own power of healing. Dosages are formulated through a series of dilutions in water; the more dilute the solution, the stronger its curative powers.