Homeopathy Glossary
A
aggravation - a noticeable intensification
of the disease symptoms previously observed. Often associated
with the action of the correct homeopathic remedy. See aphorisms
157-161, 247-249, 280, 282 of the Organon.
antidote - a substance, or
a remedy, that counteracts the effect of a homeopathic remedy.
High temperatures are thought to antidote remedies. Mint is said
to be an antidote of Natrum muriaticum. Many feel that coffee
antidotes homeopathic remedies. When a person is reacting incorrectly
to a homeopathic remedy, an antidote may be given to neutralize
the effects.
anti-psoric - The group
of homeopathic medicines, identified by Hahnemann, that cure
the psoric miasm and associated diseases.
allopathy - the treatment
of disease by using medicines that oppose the presenting symptoms.
Avagadro's Number - 6.03
x 10 to the 23rd power. The number of molecules contained in
1 mole of a substance. Potencies greater than 12c or 24x no longer
contain any molecules of the original substance.
B
Boenninghausen's Concordances - Boenninghausen's
lists of remedy relationships.
C
causation rubric - A rubric
that reflects the cause of the disease.
cell salts (biochemic remedies,
tissue salts) - a homeopathic physician, W.H. Schuessler, developed
the Biochemic system using 12 different 'cell salts'. Schuessler
felt these were fundamental to the proper function of the human
body. Prepared in low potency(3x or 6x) and used based on homeopathic
indications.
Centesimal - one of three
potency scales used in homeopathic pharmacy. It was the first
potency developed by Hahnemann. 1 part medicinal substance (dry
or tincture), mixed with 99 parts diluent (lactose or alcohol),
and then succussed (shaken), yields the 1c potency. Taking 1
part of that potency mixed with 99 parts diluent, then succussed,
yields the 2c potency. This is continued until the desired potency
is reached. A 200c has gone through this process 200 times.
A 1M potency has gone through this process 1,000 times. The
higher the potency, the stronger the stimulation of the vital
force.
centrifugal - moving away
from the center
centripetal - moving towards
the center
characteristic symptom -
a symptom that is 'striking, strange, unusual, peculiar' in the
case. Close attention is paid to characteristic symptoms as they
must correspond to symptoms of the remedy if it is to cure. For
example, burning pain better heat, or better lying on the painful
side. See aphorism #153 of the Organon.
chronic
disease - Disease
that arise from the dynamic contagion of a chronic miasm. Left
to themselves without their specific remedy, they continue to
increase indefinitely, despite the best mental and dietary habits.
collective disease - In
epidemics, the collective disease reveals itself in the totality
of the signs and symptoms of several cases.
common symptoms - symptoms
that are common to a specific disease, for example, stiff joints
in arthritis, or yellow skin in jaundice.
complementary - Complementary
remedies enhance or augment the action of the previous remedy.
complete symptom - etiology,
location (including radiation or extension of sensation), sensation,
modalities, and concomitants all together give a complete symptom.
concomitant - occurring simultaneously.
Refers to symptoms that happen at the same time as the chief
complaint. One of the parts of a complete symptom.
constitution - The physical
body and mental temperament that is expressive of the natural
traits and predisposition of the individual.
contagion - An infectious
state transferred by contact.
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D
decimal -
the first experiments with the decimal scale were performed by
Constantine Hering in 1833. 1 part medicinal substance (dry or
tincture), mixed with 9 parts diluent (lactose or alcohol), and
then succussed (shaken), yields the 1X(D) potency. Taking 1 part
of that potency mixed with 9 parts diluent, then succussed, yields
the 2X(D) potency. This is continued until the desired potency
is reached.
degree - A combination of
the frequency with which a remedy cures a symptom in provings
or clinical practice. A numerical value is assigned to a remedy
in a rubric in a repertory. In the Synthesis Repertory, this
is a range from 1-4.
diathesis - A mental or
physical [inherited or acquired] chronic predisposition or disease
state.
Doctrine of Signatures -
The concept that any organic substance carries within itself
the likeness of some organ or part of the human economy, as a
sign that this particular substance was applicable to disturbances
of that organ.
drainage remedies - Remedies
used to balance, nourish, or detoxify the system.
dyscrasia - An illness or
sickness.
E
elimination rubric - A rubric
used in a repertorization to eliminate consideration of any remedy
that is not found within.
etiology - the cause of disease.
One of the aspects of a complete symptom.
F
Families - Looking at remedies
from the standpoint of botanical relationships, animal groupings,
or place in the Periodic Table.
fluxion - method of homeopathic
pharmacy that does not succuss past a 30c potency. The pressure
of water is used instead.
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G
geginwirking (counter action)
- Hahnemann divides the symptoms we see into two different types:
those which result from the first encounter between the vital
force and the external agent, and the ones which are a result
of the vital force's reaction to the symptoms of that primary
encounter-counter action.
gemut - emotions, emotional mind.
Genus Epidemicus - A remedy
which is found to be curative in the majority of cases of the
same disease(eg., epidemics). Hahnemann taught that the genus
epidemicus remedies should be chosen by the uncommon characteristic
symptoms of all the patients not the common symptoms of the epidemic
disease.
grafting - method of making
medicated pellets by placing non-medicated pellets in contact
with medicated ones. Also done with liquid potencies.
H
Heilkunst - complete medical
system
Hering's Law - A true cure
takes place from within to without; from the more important organs
to the lesser important; from above to below; heals the symptoms
in the reverse order of their development.
homeopathy - system of natural
medicine developed by Samuel Hahnemann. Based on the Law of Similars.
homeoprophylaxis - Use of
homeopathic medicines to prevent the occurrence of a disease.
I
inimical - These are remedies
that have been shown to have an adverse effect on following one
another.
intercurrent - remedy used
to provide renewed activity in a stalled case.
isopathy - the treatment
of a disease with the identical disease agent.
J
K
keynote - a unique feature or fundamental
aspect of a remedy.
L
Lebenskraft - life force or
life power
LM (50 millesimal, Q) - the
second potency scale developed by Hahnemann, introduced in the
sixth edition of the Organon. Start with a 3c triturate of a
remedy. One part is placed into 500 drops liquid (400 drops water,
100 drops alcohol). One drop is placed into 100 drops of alcohol.
This is succussed by hand 100 times. One drop of this mixture
is used to medicate 500 #10 pellets. This is the Q1 potency(sometimes
written 0/1). The Q2 is made by taking 1 of these medicated
pellets, putting it into 1 drop of water, and then mixing into
100 drops of alcohol. This mixture is succussed 100 times by
hand.
Today, the HPUS standard differs from Hahnemann's. The following
excerpt is taken from HPUS Abstracts - General Pharmacy:
"LM (50 millesimal, Q) - the second potency scale developed by Hahnemann,
introduced in the sixth edition of the Organon. Start with a 3c triturate of
a remedy. One part is placed into 500 drops liquid (4 parts water,
1 part alcohol 95% v/v). One drop is placed into 2 ml alcohol 95% v/v. This
is succussed by hand 100 times. One drop of this mixture is used to medicate
500 #10 pellets. This is the Q1 potency (sometimes written 0/1). The Q2 is
made by taking 1 of these medicated pellet and placing it into 2 ml
alcohol 95% v/v. This mixture is succussed 100 times by hand."
location -
where the symptom is experienced. Location is one of the parts
of a complete symptom.
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M
magnetism -
Rubbing or stroking.
materia medica - "materials of medicine" in Latin.
A reference that lists the curative indications and therapeutic actions of
homeopathic medicines. This information is derived from provings and clinical
experience.
Mesmerism - Healing force
by which a well-intentioned man exerts his strong will over a
patient with or without touching him, or even at some distance,
in such a way that the vital force of the healthy mesmerizer
gifted with this power dynamically flows into the patient.
miasm - A diathesis based
on an infection, its sequellae, or inherited effects.
modality - a condition that
makes a person or their symptom better or worse. For example,
better in a hot bath, abdominal pain better bending over, worse
rainy weather, etc. Modalities are one of the parts of a complete
symptom.
N
nosode -
a homeopathic remedy prepared from diseased tissue or the homeopathy.
This book describes the principles and practice of homeopathy.
Hahnemann wrote 6 editions of the Organon from 1810-1842. The
sixth edition, though finished in 1842, was not published until
1921.
O
One-sided diseases -
Diseases that seem less amenable to cure because of an apparent
paucity of symptoms, one or two symptoms predominate, obscuring
almost all the others.
Organon - The Organon
of Medicine, by Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homeopathy.
originating cause - The factor responsible
for the genesis of something.
P
potency - the strength of a
homeopathic remedy. Determined by how many times the remedy has
been succussed and diluted during preparation. A number and a
letter are associated with the remedy name to indicate which
potency scale has been used. An example of the decimal scale
would be Arnica 6x. An example of the centesimal scale would
be Arnica 30c. An example of the 50 millesimal scale(LM) would
be Arnica LM1. These are the 3 potency scales currently in use.
potentized - usually refers
to a substance prepared according to homeopathic pharmaceutical
standards. This means that it has gone through serial dilution
and succussion.
plussing - Extension of a
dose by adding water to the remedy solution and succussing further.
Primary effects - Every power
that acts on life, every medicine, alters the vital force more
or less and brings about in human health certain modifications
of greater or lesser duration. Although it is a product of both
the medicinal and the vital force, this primary action nevertheless
belongs more to the domain of the former.
proving - the most accurate
method of ascertaining the action of medicines on human health.
Medicines(usually potentized) are administered to healthy people
to discover the symptoms they are capable of producing and thereby
able to cure. See aphorisms 20, 21, 108, 121, 136, 141, 145 of
the Organon.
Psora - the 'itch dyscrasia'.
One of the three major miasms described by Hahnemann. Deficiency
is a key element.
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Q
R
remedy - medicine, as in homeopathic
remedy.
repertorize - to repertorize
a case one looks up symptoms in a repertory.
repertory - an index of the
homeopathic materia medica by symptom. A list of remedies is
indicated for each symptom. All modern day repertories use Kent's
Repertory as their starting point.
rubric - a symptom as written
in a homeopathic repertory.
S
sarcode - a tissue or glandular
extract made into a homeopathic remedy.
scrofula - tuberculosis of
the lymph glands.
Secondary effects - Our vital
force strives to oppose its energy to this influence. This, its
life-preserving reaction, is an automatic activity called secondary
effects.
sensation - the experience
of a symptom, what it feels like. One of the parts of a complete
symptom.
Similia Similibus Currentur - "Likes
are Cured by Likes".
The homeopathic doctrine stating that any substance which is
capable of producing morbid symptoms in the healthy will remove
similar symptoms occurring as an expression of disease.
Simillimum - the most similar
remedy corresponding to a case. As such, the remedy most likely
to cure.
simple substance - the basic
material from whence all force and forms in the universe have
their origin.
stimmung - tuning, mood, pitch.
Health is harmony, tone, and perfect pitch [Stimmung].
succussion - the process of
forcefully striking a homeopathic remedy against a firm surface.
Sycosis - Hahnemann's term
for the chronic effects of the gonorrheal miasm. Excess is a
key element.
Syphilis - Chronic effects
of the syphilitic miasm as described by Hahnemann. Destruction
is a key element.
susceptibility - The degree
to which a person is sensitive to a remedy or a disease.
symptom complex - The group
of symptoms pertaining to a particular remedy.
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T
totality - The aggregate of
the characteristic symptoms in a case. The totality of a single
symptom refers to a complete symptom.
U
underlining - Method of recording
the intensity of a symptom.
V
verstimmung - Disease
is a mistuning [Verstimmung] of this healthy tone causing dissonance
in life.
vigor vitae - life force
Vis Medicatrix Naturae -
The healing power of nature.
vital force - the energy that
maintains life in the individual. See aphorisms 9-12 of the Organon.
W
wesen - essence, nature, substance.
X-Y-Z
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