Variolinum
Quick Facts
- What it is: A homeopathic single remedy made from smallpox sore fluid and diluted until none of the source is left.
- Main uses: Claimed protection against pox illness (not supported by evidence), Complaints blamed on old smallpox vaccination, Comfort during a rash illness
- Best for: Nothing has been shown to work better than a dummy pill
- Active ingredients: None left at 30C, Carrier: lactose and sucrose pellets, Carrier: water and grain alcohol in drops
- Forms: Sugar pellets, Liquid drops in alcohol, Tablets, Potencies 6C to 1M
- Time to effect: No effect beyond placebo has been shown, so no time frame can be given.
- Side effects: Almost none from the pellets; the real risk is delaying care that works.
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What is Variolinum?
Variolinum is a homeopathic remedy. It is a single drug, not a mixture. It is also called the smallpox nosode.
The Latin name is Variola virus. The source is lymph fluid taken from a smallpox sore.
The source material is diluted again and again, with hard shaking between each step. At the usual 30C strength, no smallpox material is left in the final pellet or drop. There is nothing in it that can pass on smallpox.
Old homeopathic books used it to try to ward off smallpox, and to settle complaints blamed on the old smallpox vaccine. Tests in people have not shown it works better than a dummy pill (placebo).
It has a long record inside homeopathy, but long use is not proof that a thing works, and that rule holds for every claim on this page. Variolinum is not a vaccine and must never take the place of one.
How does Variolinum work?
There is no known way for it to work in the body. At 30C nothing of the source is left, so there is no drug action to measure.
Homeopathy explains it a different way. A nosode is made from diseased matter, and the idea is that a tiny trace of what caused an illness can prompt the body to answer it. Homeopaths also hold that shaking leaves an imprint in the water or alcohol.
That idea is not accepted by chemistry or biology, and no test has shown such an imprint. Any change people notice is best explained by time, by care and attention, or by the placebo effect (feeling better because you expect to).
What forms does Variolinum come in?
It comes as small sugar pellets you let melt under the tongue. It also comes as liquid drops and as pressed tablets.
Common strengths are 30C, 200C and 1M. The higher the number, the more dilution steps were used. Some suppliers sell 6C and 12C as well.
It is sold by homeopathic pharmacies and some health shops. It is not a licensed medicine for smallpox or mpox anywhere.
Where it comes from:
Variolinum came out of 19th century homeopathy, during the last big smallpox outbreaks in Europe and North America. German and American homeopaths, including Clemens von Boenninghausen, used nosodes in that era.
It was given as a supposed shield against smallpox, and to treat complaints laid at the door of the old arm-to-arm vaccine. Smallpox was wiped out by real vaccination, declared gone in 1980.
Today it sits in homeopathic materia medica books as a minor remedy, and some sellers push it again whenever mpox is in the news.
Who should avoid Variolinum?
- Never use this in place of a smallpox or mpox vaccine, or in place of any other vaccine.
- Do not use it in place of an antiviral drug or any treatment your doctor has prescribed.
- Do not use it to treat a suspected pox illness at home. Smallpox and mpox must be reported and managed by a doctor.
- Do not use it instead of seeing a doctor if you have a fever with a new rash.
- Do not use it if you have a weak immune system from illness or from drugs such as steroids, cancer treatment or anti-rejection medicine. Get medical care for any rash illness instead.
- Do not give it to a baby or young child in place of proper medical care.
- Do not use the liquid drops if you are avoiding alcohol, or if you take disulfiram or metronidazole (two drugs that react badly with alcohol).
- Avoid the pellets if you cannot handle lactose (milk sugar) and react to small amounts.
- Do not use it during pregnancy or breastfeeding in place of care from your midwife or doctor.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor straight away if you have a fever with a new rash, blisters that spread, or sores in your mouth. Do this the same day, and phone ahead so the clinic can prepare.
Get urgent help if you have trouble breathing, a stiff neck, confusion, a rash that does not fade when you press a glass on it, or a rash that becomes hot, swollen and full of pus.
Also call your doctor or public health service if you think you have been near someone with mpox or another pox illness. A real vaccine may still help if given early.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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