Perspective of different homoeopathic stalwarts on Homeopathic POSOLOGY

Dr Aneesa Solanki

Abstract
From the time homoeopathy has been discovered by Hahnemann, Posology has been a contentious issue among homeopaths worldwide. According to Stuart Close it is a gordian knot, which no one could untangle. Every stalwart had their own clinical background and perspective on posology. The purpose of these article is to showcase the perspective of different stalwarts in the field of posology.

Keywords: Posology, potency, high & low potency, Homoeopathy, etc.

Introduction:
Posology, the science of doses is the subject of interest in this article. It covers various points like Potency selection, administration of medicines, repetition of doses etc. Posology and the related subject of potentization were the subject of so much misunderstanding, discussion and controversy in the early- days of homeopathy that the profession, after being divided into opposing camps grew tired of the subject. And it came to be regarded as a kind of “Gordian Knot”. The use of several kinds of Homeopathic potencies, from mother tincture to LM potencies, has been the subject of extensive experimentation by Hahnemann himself. Hahnemann himself at one time almost in despair of ever being able to bring his followers to an agreement on the subject, cut the know by proposing to treat all cases with the 30^th potency. Still there were many stalwarts who were not stick to this 30^th potency. These article aims to highlight the opinions of various stalwarts regarding posology.

1. Hahnemann- ^(1,2)

Before the discovery of homeopathy, Hahnemann was using massive doses of drugs, as was done by all the health practitioners in that time. His keen analytical mind soon detected that these large doses were not only unnecessary but also harmful for the patients. So, soon after the discovery of Homeopathy Hahnemann talks about minimum dose as one of the cardinal principles of Homeopathy. In this law Hahnemann strictly mentions that only that much amount of medicine is required to the patient that stimulates the deranged vital force. And theses amount is very minimum. In the 4^th edition of Organon of medicine Hahnemann introduced the single unit dose consisting the of a few poppy seed sized pellets and taught that as long there was improvement, no repetition of the remedy was allowed. Only when a definite relapse of the symptoms occurred could a remedy be repeated. (Aphorism 240-242). A drastic change was seen in the 5^th edition of Organon of medicine regarding the posology principles. The first change was that Hahnemann removed the limit of 30c, and advised the use of higher potencies. As a part of second change Dr. Hahnemann introduced to give medicines in watery solutions instead of dry doses. He had concluded that the uses of watery solutions were far superior than to give dry doses. The third suggestion given to Dr. Hahnemann in the edition was related to repetition of the dose even when improvement of the patient had set in. Finally, in the 6^th edition of Organon of Medicine Hahnemann introduced his new altered but perfect method of dynamization, the 50 millesimal scale for prescribing medicine. Thus, we see a drastic change in the posology principles from 1^st to 6^th editions of Organon of medicine.

2. Boenninghausen- ⁽³⁾

Boenninghausen in his various articles have mentioned about the use of high potencies and he has criticized those homeopaths who use low potencies for homoeopathic prescription. He has also maintained a journal since he had started the use of high potencies. In all cases either acute or chronic Boenninghausen has used the high potencies and has got wonderful results from it. Thus, throughout his life he was praises high potencies. He gives the following advantages of high potencies:

1. The higher the dose, more is the sphere of action of the medicines.
2. If acute diseases are treated with high doses the curative effects appear more quickly.

• By continues dynamization, remedies are more and more withdrawn from the laws of chemistry.

1. A defective diet, which especially hinders the cures in low potencies, the higher potencies are not bothered by this.
2. Using the high potencies all the dangerous concomitant symptoms can be avoided.
3. Finally, it must be considered a particular excellence of the higher dynamizations, that they can never be used as deceptive palliatives.
4. Carol Dunham- ⁽⁴⁾

According to Dunham in prescribing, the first essential is the correct choice of remedy. The second point is the judicious choice of potency & in both acute and chronic diseases, the preference, is to be given to the higher over the lower potencies. And Dunham has experienced that both acute & chronic cases are cured more speedily by the high than by the lower potencies. Also, Dunham has experienced that higher potencies bring no change in the case unless the remedy is strictly homoeopathic to the case. In repetition Dunham says that we must not repeat the remedies until the effects of the previous dose has been exhausted. And many failures occur due to violation of this rule.

4. Richard Hughes- ⁽⁵⁾

According to Richard Hughes after obtaining similar remedy, it should be administered, as a rule- SINGLY, RARELY, CONSTITUTIONALLY & MINUTELY. The first and foremost rule is that at one time only one medicine will be similar to the patient and so only a single medicine must be given to the patient. The similar medicine must be chosen from the correspondence of the totality of its symptoms with those of the patient (constitutionally). The second rule is that this single medicine must not be repeated unless and until the effect of first dose is exhausted. In regards with the dose of the medicine Hughes says that the dose of the medicines must be small enough to excite aggravation or collateral disturbances. By small dose he means the low potencies. According to him there is no material particle of the drug beyond 12c. Preparations of 1000 of these medicines and beyond according to Hahnemann’s directions are simple impossibilities, for it will require lot of time, labor and cost. Regarding mode of administration Hughes says that mode of entrance is comparatively unimportant. This may be the olfaction of Hahnemann’s practice at one time, or the hypodermic injection advocated for occasional use of Kafka. It may consist in absorption from the cutaneous surface or through the rectal mucous membrane. Ingestion through the mouth into the stomach is ordinarily most convenient.

5. T. Kent- ⁽⁶⁾

Kent says that first potentization seemed to be a mystery, and he began to practice with the lower potencies and with crude drugs in attempting to carry out the law, but with these he was able to cure only superficial complaints. This did not satisfy him. But one day a he prescribed Podophyllum 30c to a child, which worked for him. And then made up his mind that if the 30^th Podophyllum can work all the other 30ths would also be. He himself prepared 30ths of around 126 remedies and some in 200 and started using it in practice. And finally, he discovered that by giving higher and higher potencies the remedies seemed to operate more and more interiorly. He also found out that a chronic case would be relieved by moderately high potencies would only improve for a matter of weeks, but on the administration of much higher potencies the work would be taken up, and in that way same patient could be carried on from one potency to another. So according to him a single potency wouldn’t help a chronic case. The chronic case should be given higher and higher doses in succession to completely cure the patient. After a long observation he had settled to a SERIES OF DEGREES as of 30c, 200c, 1M, 10M, 50M, CM, DM & MM.  He had found that the degrees must be far enough apart to represent an octave, or failure would follow. For repetition of Medicine he said that when a positive effect has been obtained the medicine should always be discontinued with judgement. Therefore, it is not always that the technical single dose is the best practice, but the single collective effect is always to be sought. Regarding the drug administration Kent said it never matters whether the remedy is given in water in spoonful doses or given in few pellets dry on the tongue the result is the same. The action or power of one pellet, if it acts at all, is as great as ten.

6. Stuart Close- ⁽⁷⁾

Stuart Close emphasizes Jahr’s concept for potentization that states that by continues dilution and succussing, remedies get neither stronger nor weaker, but their individual peculiarities become more and more developed. In other words, their sphere of action is enlarged, as represented by the concentric circle. As a rule, tincture and lowest potencies of a drug, produce only the more common and general symptoms of the drug, not very sharply differentiated from other drugs of its class. It is in the proving’s of the medium and higher potencies that the special and peculiar character of the drug is revealed by its finer and most characteristic symptoms. So, he gave the general rule for selection of potency as a case where the symptoms are not clearly developed and there is an absence or scarcity of characteristic features; or where 2-3 remedies seem about equally indicated, give low potency. But when most symptoms of a case clearly indicate one remedy, whose characteristic symptoms correspond closely to the characteristic symptoms of the case, we give the high potencies- 30^th, 200^th, 1000 or higher according to the prescriber’s degree of confidence and the contents of his medicine case. Stuart Close was the first homeopath to describe the various points like age, sex, habit and environment etc. which would affect the susceptibility of the patient and help us to select the potency required for the patient. For repetition of doses the only rule which can be laid down safely is to repeat the dose only when improvement ceases.

Conclusion:
This article discusses the different perspective of the Homeopathic stalwarts on Posology. While all except Hughes are in favor of high potencies, still all of them differ in their practice. Regarding the repetition only a simple rule is to be applied, repetition is to be done only when the strength/action of the first dose is exhausted. No specification is done by the stalwarts for administration of the medicine. However, Hahnemann has himself made very clear in the 5^th & 6^th edition of Organon of Medicine that the medicine must be given in water potencies only so that every time before repetition the dose can be slighted higher than the previous dose.

Bibliography:

Bibliography:

1. Hahnemann S. The Lesser Writings of Samuel Hahnemann, 1851 (Articles)
2. Hahnemann S. Organon of Medicine 5^th & 6^th B. Jain 2013
3. Franz M. The Lesser Writings of C.M.F. von Boenninghausen. 1908 (Articles)
4. Dunham C. Homoeopathy the science of therapeutics: A collection of papers elucidating and illustrating the principles of homeopathy. New Delhi Jain. 1997 (Articles)
5. Hughes R. The principles and practice of Homeopathy. 1902
6. Kent JT. Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy. 1900
7. Close S. The genius of Homeopathy: 1981

Author:
Dr. Aneesa Solanki (M.D. Organon Of Medicine)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Surgery
V.H. Dave Homeopathic Medical College, Anand
Email : anishasolanki97@gmail.com