Salient Features of LM Potency

 The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.
Hahnemann, Aphorism 2, Organon of Medicine, 6th ed.
Introduction
Hahnemann, while he was practicing homoeopathy actively in Paris in 1840, had to deal with a large number of patients suffering from mainly nervous disorders. During treatment, he noticed troublesome medicinal aggravation in maximum cases, even after using low potency, as laid down in the Organon 5^th ed. He realized that, one of the vital homoeopathic principles ‘Ideal  of cure’ could not be materialized with that centesimal potency. Then the Master switched over to LM potency.
He then renewed the Organon carefully going through it, paragraph by paragraph, making necessary revision, addition and alteration. This led him to process further minimizing the material quantity of the drug.
Disadvantage of centesimal scale
·         These lower potencies are not adequate to stimulate a healing reaction.
·         This potency takes long time in cureing disease. So, rapid cure is not possible with this potency.
·         Higher potency brings undesirable medicinal aggravation.
·         Single dose of high potency continues to act for a period of several weeks to months. So, the physician has to wait to have positive outcome. If the result is negative, then he is to prescribe new medicine. In the meantime patient may  suffer severely and may lose faith in homoeopathy.
·         Will not be possible to repeat the dose, even if there exists the remnants of symptoms of disease.
·         Controversy and confusion in the administration of dose and potency.
TERMINOLOGY
• In the footnote no. 132 of the aphorism 246 Master Hahnemann denotes the new method “new dynamization method”, “new, altered but perfected method”.
• In Aphorism 161, he termed it as ‘renewed dynamization’ .
• Dr. Pierre Schmidt of Geneva (translator of  Organon 6th ed. in France version) termed  this new scale as ’50 Millesimal’.
•  Dr. S. Rawson described it as ‘succussed  dilution’ (Hahnemannian Glinings,  Volume XLIII, 1976).
• In eastern region, some of homoeopaths indicate it as ‘new method’ and western countries as ‘LM method’.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TERM ’50 MILLESIMAL’ OR ‘LM’
No.10 globules are required for saturation of medicine in LM potency. 100 glob- ules are equivalent to 1 grain (i.e. 65 mg). 500 globules to be soaked in one drop of previous potency. One such medicated globule is required for next degree of dynamization in LM scale.            .
Hence 1/500th of a drop instead of one full drop is used in LM potency. The material part of the medicine is reduced by (1/100 x 11500 = 1/50,000) 50,000 times for each degree of dynamization and at the same time the curative power of the medicine increases tremendously.
Therefore, the terminology used for denoting this potency 50 MiIlesimal or LM potency is justified.
SIGN AND SYMBOL
•This new method of dynamization is denoted by prefixing ‘0’, which represents symbolically the poppy size globules to be used in this scale or by capital letters ‘LM’, where T stands for ’50’ and ‘M’ for ‘Millesimal’ .
• Hahnemann used to write it as 0/1, 0/2, 0/3 etc.            ‘
• In western countries the homoeopaths used to write 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 etc.
• At present new style of writing is LM/1 LM/2, LM/3 etc., which is more scientific.
•In this subcontinent, the homoeopaths write as 0/1, 0/2, 0/3 or M/1,M/2,M/3 etc.
MATHEMATICS OF LM POTENCY
In this new process of dynamization – six steps are to be passed from original substance (or mother substance) to LM/@.
1st step: 1 drop or 1 grain of original substance + 100 grains of sac lac + 1 hour trituration by grinding, pounding, and scraping processes = l st trituration.
The drug strength here will be = 1/100
2nd step: 1 grain of 1 st trituration + of sac lac + 1 hour trituration = 2nd trituration
The drug strength here will be = 1/100 X 1/100 = 1/10,000
3rd step: 1 grain ‘of 2nd trituration + 100 grains of sac lac + 1 hour trituration = 3^rd trituration.
The drug strength here will be = 1/10,000 x 1/100 = 1/10,00,000
4th step: 1 grain of 3rd trituration + 500 drops of solution (100 drops of H2O + 400 drops of R.S.) = Mother solution of LM potency.
The drug strength will be = 1/10,00,000 X 1/500 = 1/50, 00, 00,000
5th step. 1 drop of Mother Solution + 100 drops of R.S. (Rectified Spirit) + 100 succusions = I st potency of LM scale or LMI/1.
The drug strength here will be = 1/50,00,00,000 x 1/100 = 1/50,00,00,00,000
6th step: One globule No.1 0 (whose 1/100 grain) soaked with LM/I + 1 drop of H2O + 100 drops of R.S. + 100 succussions = 2^nd potency or LM/2
The rest of all potency will be potentized according to the same process .
Difference in the drug strength with previous potency is 1/100 x 1/500 = 1/50,000
Hence, in LM scale, decreased medicinal property in each degree of dynamization is 50,000 times.
COMPARISON BETWEEN CENTESIMAL AND LM
·         C’ scale prepared according to the directives of Organon 5th ed. and LM according to 6th ed.
·         In C’ scale the proportion of medicinal substance and vehicle is 1 :99 in 1 st poten- cy, whereas in LM scale it is 1:50,00,00,00,000
·         During potentization C’ needs 10 succussions and LM needs 100 succussions.
PREPARATION OF THE DOSE
For oral application
·         It is essential to make an aqueous solution of LM potency to adjust the doses to fit sensitivity of the patient.
·         Take one clean 40z bottle with cork. Put 2/3rd part of that phial with H20 & add few drops of R.S. for prevention the solution.
·         Mixed only one medicated globules No.10 to that solution. Now this is ready for use.
·         Divided the solution into 7 or 8 doses by marking.
For olfaction
•Take one clean l oz bottle with cork.
•Put one medicated globules and one drop of H20 to dissolve the solution.
•Then put 2/3rd part of that phial with R.S.
This is ready for inhalation ..
ADMINISTRATION OF REMEDY
Oral application
•According to the sensitivity of the patient, succus the phial 8110/12 times prior taking medicine. This may enhance in releasing the kinetic energy, which may activate that medicinal solution more vigorously.
• . Each dose from the solution is to be applied in the same manner. In case of aggravation, administration of the medicine should be stopped and to be allowed to settle the aggravation.
•If the same remedy is indicated, now administer the remedy through dilute solution in 1″, 2nd, 3rd or 4th glass of H20.
Olfaction
This method of application is used in hypersensitive, irritative in nature.
According to the sensitivity of the patient, succus the phial 8/10/12 times before administrating the selected medicine.
Put for few seconds near one nostril for inhaling the medicine.
Apply according to the necessity.
MODE OF ADMINISTRATION OF LM POTENCY
Hahnemann had clearly advised about the administration of the medicine in aphorism 248, Organon 6^thed.
·         In very urgent cases, well selected medicine is to be administered every hour or oftener (i.e. in this case we may apply medicine every 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes interval as necessary – S.C.)
·         In general acute cases, medicine is to be applied every two to six hourly.
·         In long lasting diseases (i.e. Chronic diseases – S.c.), daily or every second day.   .
ADVANTAGE OF LM OVER CENTESIMAL
·         Rapid and gentle ideal of cure of acute and chrome diseases       .
The greatest boon to the profession. The course of treatment may be minimized to one-half, one-quarter or even more less.
·         Requires no antidote
·         Highest development of power
·         The most powerful in action
·         Mildest reaction
·         Can be safely administered even in most fatal cases without fear
·         Frequent repetition permissible.Even long acting medicines may be repeated when necessary.
·         Observation is very easy
Observation of the patient after administration of medicine is very easy.
CONCLUSION
In our daily practice, if we follow the directives of our Master in case of selection of potency and administration of dose, we can surely achieve our goal by relieving the ailing being in shortest periods without any furious medicinal aggravation.
Source: The Homoeopathic Heritage, July 2003.