Are We Using The Medicines Potentised According to Hahnemannian Ways
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Mar / Apr Vol III No 2.
Chowdhury.
Philosophy and discussion.
In our daily practice we prescribe Homoeopathic remedies in Decimal 1/10 (X). Centesimal 1/100 (C), Millesimal 1/100X, 1/500 (LM) scale of potency. But have we ever raised the question. Are we using the medicines potentised according to the Hahnemannian way? Critics may question the need to waste time on such thoughts. But, I feel it is of importance.
As Hahnemannian Homoeopaths we should follow the cardinal principles of Homoeopathy. Drug dynamisation or potentisation is one of the basic principles of Homoeopathy which were set forth by our Master Dr. S. Hahnemann.
In the year 1799, an epidemic of scarlet fever broke out. Dr. Hahnemann experimented by administering diluted and succussed drugs and found that the latent curative property of the medicines are infinitesimal and enhanced its action.
Dr. Hahnemann himself tried many ways of succussion and in his 5th edition (1833) of the Organon of Medicine he advocated only two succusions for preparing potencies upto 30th Centisimal. But in his Chronic Diseases written in 1837, we find that he had modified it and directed us to give ten succusions in preparing each Centisimal potency. So, the question which arises is Are our Homoeopathic laboratories potentising the medicine upto MMc by giving 2 or ten succussions and following 5th edition of the Organon of medicine or Chronic Diseases respectively?
Dr. Hahnemann also used potencies higher than the Centesimal scale of medicine but never recommended above 30th Centisimal. Yet we prescribe our selected remedies above 30C upto MMc with the usual interval for curing the patient. So, are our prescriptions at par with Hahnemannian methods? I think obviously not. No doubt we are Kentian and follow Kents Octave method.
It is a fact that Dr. Kent could not see in his lifetime (he died on 6th June 1916) the 6th Edition of Organon of Medicine, which was completed by Dr. Hahnemann in the year 1842 but due to unavoidable reasons, was published posthumously in December 1921 in English. Only then Homoeopaths saw that the latest recommendation of Dr. Hahnemann was 50,000 scale of potency where he advocated 100 succussions in preparing each potency upto 30th of LM.
Regarding Centisimal potency:
Are we using the series of higher potencies like 200c, 500c, 1Mc, 10Mc, 50Mc, CMc, DMc, MMc and so on which were potentised by the many glasses method? Are our Homoeopathic laboratories collecting the above series of back potencies or direct potencies from Boericke and Tafels of USA or other reputed Homoeopathic laboratories and fully depending on them? It is a fact that these laboratories are keeping the potentising machine a secret and no homoeopathic pharmacopia are accepted till now. So, are we not kept in the dark regarding the preparation of high and higher Centisimal potencies?
It is very difficult to prepare homoeopathic medicines in Centesimal scales in many glasses method after 200th or 500th potency. Naturally we surrender with folded hands to a single glass method (korsakovian) of higher potentisation.
Now-a-days many recognized homoeopathic laboratories are using different types of dynamisera for the preparation of Korsakovian dilutions.
The theory of single glass method is true but it is impractical. Here are some relations between (1*) the Hahnemannian (CH) and the Korsakovian (K) dilutions.
4CH is equal to 6K
5CH is equal to 3C
7CH is equal to 200K
9CH is equal to 1MK
10CH is equal to 10MK
18CH is equal to CMK
So may we safely say that Dr. Hahnemann himself was a user of higher dilution in comparison with Korsakovian method?
About 50 Millesimal scale of potency:
Are our pioneer Homoeopathic laboratories of 50 millesimal scale of potency in the world (HAPCO) and other Homoeopathic laboratories preparing each mother tincture of 50 millesimal from 3C, by three hours of triturations in case of soluble or insoluble drug substances? Do our laboratories prepare each mother tincture of 50 Millesimal from 3C by 30 succussions as shown in the comparison table (2* Indian Journal of Homoeopathic Medicine Vol 22 No. 4 Oct-Dec 87) described by Dr. P.C.C. Raja? Does the method (3* The Homoeopathic Heritage Vol 18, Sep 1993 No. 9) of preparing 50 Millesimal scale of potency follow Dr. Hahnemanns 6th edition of the Organon of Medicine (on the basis of which Dr. V.P. Bansal potentised human blood for the treatment of allergic rhinitis with auto-blood therapy? Can we turn the medicine of 50 millesimal scale of potencies saturated in globules no 15 or 20 instead of poppy seed globules (no 10) as supplied by Homoeopathic International or other globules. Do our Homoeopathic laboratories properly medicate the poppy seed globules in about 2/3rd of a bottle and add the required amount of potentised solution and allow them to stand sufficient length of time (6-8 hours) until saturated before supplying to their consumers? If any excess of liquid is poured off do our laboratories use blotting paper to absorb the excess of liquid?
Lastly, let us see the fancy points of mathematical calculations:
If we accept without debate that each Homoeopathic medicine is potentised in Decimal, Centisimal and 50 Millesimal scale under the many glasses method, then the relation (4* A Treatise on Homoeopathic Pharmacy- Dr. Banerjee and Dr. Sinha) between Decimal Centisimal and 50 millesimal (5* Hahnemanns 50 Millesimal Potency- Dr. S. M. Bhattacharya) will be as given in Tables I and II.
Therefore can we prescribe our selected remedy in
6X potency instead of 3C
24X potency instead of 12C
60X potency instead of 30C
CMX potency instead of 50Mc
5C potency instead of LM /1
17C potency instead of LM /6
73C potency instead of LM/30 or vice-versa?
So, colleagues come forward and think this over keenly. Are we using the medicines potentised according to Hahnemannian way?
