On Using the Repertory
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1998 Mar / Apr VOL VII NO 2.
Mr S M Gunvante
'Puls / Phos / Calc-c / Tell / Staph
9] The hierarchy of symptoms has been well described in various books from masters like Kent, Margaret Tyler, Lippe, Boenninghausen, Boger, Pulford, Guernsey etc, but the Homoeopath, especially in his early years of practice, finds it difficult to identify the classifications such as mental, physical , general, particular, causation, modalities, concomitants or generals, when a patient pours out his complaints with no order and sometimes even relevance. A proper detailed study of the repertory, chapter wise, complain wise [eg, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, menstrual complaints, urinary complaints , respiratory difficulties etc] will reveal to the physician all the relevant symptoms with their modalities, causations, concomitants, etc.
A doctor, who has not cared to use the repertory extensively, will continue to grope in the dark, leading to haphazard prescriptions. Unsupported by the appropriate symptoms, he will continue to bungle and take to unscientific practices. Constant use of the Repertory makes him work, and continue to work, on the right track from the beginning leading to satisfactory results and correct habit.
10] Stuart Close, on pg 2567 of his "Genius of Homoeopathy," has brought out a very important point: he says: "A prescription can only be made upon those symptoms which have their counterpart or similarity in the Materia Medica and the repertory.
Familiarity with the Repertory from beginning to end, will help us to immediately pick out a statement of the patient and connect it with its counterpart in the repertory.
Acquisition of this ability to seize the "counterparts', helps us to weed out many complaints- ill defined or not qualified by modalities, and therefore of no great importance. We are thus able to sift the grain from the chaff -a facility of no mean order.
This ability to identify symptoms from the patient which have their counterpart in the repertory, also facilitates our task of selecting the appropriate rubrics for repertorisation. This then makes repertorisation a pleasant and welcome task instead of boredom.
11] Every Homoeopath knows, his principal task consists in finding the single remedy whose characteristic symtpoms are similar to the individualizing symptoms of the patient. Symptoms, which are common to many diseases, do not help us to identifying the curative remedy. As H C Allen says in the preface to "Keynotes and Characteristics": "The life work of the student of Hom MM is one of constant comparison and differentiation. He must compare the pathogenesis of a remedy with the recorded anamnesis of the patient; he must differentiate the apparently similar symptoms of the two or more medicinal agents in order to select the similimum. To enable the student /practitioner to do this correctly and rapidly, he must have as a basis for comparison, some knowledge of the INDIVIDUALITY of the remedy, something that is Peculiar, uncommon or sufficiently characteristic in the confirmed pathogenesis of the polycrhrest remedy, that may be used as a pivotal point of comparison. It may be called a key note, a "characteristic" the "red strand of the rope" and central modality or principle - as the aggravation from motion of Bryonia, the amelioration from motion of Rhus, the furious, vicious delirium of belladonna... some familiar landmarks around which the symptoms may be arranged in the mind for comparison."
12] Now, what are the tools at the disposal of the Homoeopath to compare remedies with apparently similar symptoms" and then differentiate between these similar remedies with the help of peculiar, individualizing symptoms, or with aggravations, or with keynotes or other characteristic symptoms - and this correctly and rapidly.
A little thought, even a search among the vast literature on Homoeopathic practice, will lead us to the conclusion that the only tool available to carry out these two functions [comparison and differentiation] is the repertory. Every rubric has against it a good number of remedies which are similar, in that they produced these symptoms /rubrics in the provings. The rubrics thus provide us with a ready list of comparable remedies. Now, a s for differentiating between two or more remedies, the sub rubrics in the repertory provides us this differentiation based on the characteristic individualizing modalities [agg or amel] or causation or peculiar symptoms [although they are not designated by this type of classification] For e.g. Diarrhea after fright [764] Rectum, passes stool easier when standing [759] menses, copious lying aggr. [897] chill with perspiration [1469] fever with shivering; Indurations of glands [1617 and so on.
13] How to use the Repertory: in Day-to-day practice: Before going into details "how to" a few words on the philosophical approach, which explains WHY we advocate the approach given below are necessary. H A Roberts says in his "Principles and Art of cure by Homoeopathy" at pg 97 under the chapter " Chief Complaint" :
"The chief complaint has a psychological value out of all proportion to its value in Homoeopathic prescribing; it brings the patient to the physician, and if the physician responds, and by careful questioning draws out the history or other symptoms, the patient feels a satisfaction and confidence that the physician is not treating his case was of no consequence....
The older prescriber, while giving due weight to the chief symptom, feels that in prescribing he must consider the totality of symptoms, and in order to do so he must give more weight to the other part [probably unexpressed] which is an even more necessary part of the case than the chief complaint, because it is that part which manifests more clearly the individuality of the patient and thus becomes the totality, if you prefer.
H. A Roberts defined the chief symptom thus: "The chief complaint, or the leading symptoms, are the symptoms for which there is clear pathological foundation; or the symptoms which first attract the attention of the patient or physician or which cause the most suffering; or which indicate definitely the seat and nature of the morbid process; and which form the "warp of the fabric" as it has been expressed.
14] Roberts further explained: "The group of which the patient complains, most ... cannot almost without exception, be relied upon for the definite selection of the remedy; it is the concomitant group of symptoms which, taken in conjunction with the major group of symptoms makes possible the definite selection of the remedy by greatly reducing the number of remedies indicated in such conditions; and upon closer analysis we can pick the similimum unerringly form this small group.
