The medical theme is one of the best known in philately. Stamps and postmarks are entrusted with important “messages” that allow medical progress to be made known to many people through the commemoration of doctors and researchers who have contributed to scientific progress. Stamps can also be the means for health service prevention campaigns and the treatment of infectious diseases, such as TB, malaria or leprosy, and those of social interest such as cardiovascular diseases or diabetes, as well as the promotion of international organisations such as the Red Cross or the WHO. The first stamp dedicated to homeopathy (to Doctor Vicente Licinio Cardoso) was issued by Brazil in 1952, for the 4th Brazilian Congress. Since then a number of national postal services (Principality of Monaco, India, Romania, Germany) have honoured homeopathy with stamps or commemorative cancellation postmarks for congresses and events.
The “Philately and Homeopathy” Collection preserves all stamps postmarked so far, as well as the cancellation postmarks for the first day on which they were issued. The collection also has a section dedicated to advertising stamps.
