KEY TO THE MATERIA MEDICA; OR, COMPARATIVE PHARMACODYNAMIC BY AD. LIPPE, M.D. – A STUDY OF ORIGINAL SOURCE BOOK OF MATERIA MEDICA & REPERTORY - homeopathy360

KEY TO THE MATERIA MEDICA; OR, COMPARATIVE PHARMACODYNAMIC BY AD. LIPPE, M.D. – A STUDY OF ORIGINAL SOURCE BOOK OF MATERIA MEDICA & REPERTORY

ABSTRACT
This article is an attempt to show the importance and utility of a seldom used homoeopathic repertory i.e. Adolph Lippe’s repertory.
INTRODUCTION:
Adolph Graf zur Lippe Weissenfield had born in 11th may, 1812 near Goerlitz, in Prussia and died in 23rd January, 1888 in Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1838 Lippe registered in the first and only homeopathic medical college in the world, the North American Academy of the Homeopathic Healing Art in Allentown, Pennsylvania, (i.e. Allentown Academy).
The repertory which I am discussing in this article is written by Adolph Lippe and published in 1854. Actually it is a materia medica but we can use it as a repertory. “This work will serve the student likewise as a Repertory, and there will be found in it, many things that he would look for in vain in all previous works on homoeopathy,” Adolph Lippe told about this book. The name of the book is “Key to the Materia Medica; or, Comparative Pharmacodynamic.”

  • Published by: Henry Duffield, M.D.

Boericke & Tafel – Matthew & Houard, Philadelphia.
J.T.S. Smith, New York—Otis Clapp, Boston.

  • Number of pages: 144
  • Number of medicines: 356
  • Number of grades: 3

The grades are in italics, roman and roman in parentheses. E.g. Phos. Phos. (Phos). He has mentioned the last grade in few places only like under Phosphorus we will get the grade roman in parentheses.
In this book the author has also graded the symptoms by giving more emphasis on some words and mentioning them in bold, italics, roman and roman in parentheses. E.g. Secretion, more frequent…..Ant-cr. Bar-c. Calc-c. Merc. Led. Lyc. Psor. Sulph. Valer. Phos. and Catamenia, too early, and too scanty (and watery)…..Alum. Ars-met. Asaf. Mang. Petrol. Phos.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS MATERIA MEDICA

  • The object of this work is to facilitate the study of the Materia Medica.
  • This plan is to give only the characteristic and most prominent symptoms of each remedy, and to compare them with all other medicines already proved.
  • The description and analysis of the drugs, their history, and their preparation, the author could easily have copied from larger works, but he has clearly said that they belong to other branches of Medical Science.
  • In this work he has only given what he has considered most essential and also said that this work will serve the student likewise as a Repertory.

CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS BY ADOLPH LIPPE:
In preface he says “By Characteristic Symptoms I understand such symptoms, as have been repeatedly produced upon the healthy, and cured in the sick, by each respective drug; and such symptoms especially, as assist to distinguish it from all, or most other drugs, endeavouring by stating the drugs analogous to a given symptom, to compare the one with all other drugs, as regards their similarities and differences. The more frequently a symptom has been produced and cured, the more it increases its relative value to the student of the Materia Medica; and while these symptoms may often determine the choice of a remedy in a given case, Pathology must determine the relative value of the various symptoms presenting to us the disease to be treated.”

CONSTRUCTION
Preface (page 3 to 4).

  • Abbreviations used in this work ( page 5—8).Here he has given abbreviations of 356 medicine, from Aconite napellus to Zingiber officinale.
  • 11 polychrests are described elaborately under several headings  ( page 9—144)

The symptoms of 11 polychrests are described elaborately under several headings and every symptom of each polychrest is   compared with some remedies. Each page is separated by a line into two half. In left side symptoms of the polychrest and on the right side corresponding remedies of that symptom are mentioned.  The polychrests are as follows-

  • ACONITUM NAPELLUS.
  • SULPHUR.
  • ARSENICUM ALBUM.
  • PHOSPHORUS.
  • BELLADONNA.
  • CALCAREA CARBONICA.
  • PULSATILLA PRATENSIS.
  • TILIA EUROPEA.
  • SEPIA.
  • AGARICUS MUSCARIUS.
  • RHUS TOXICODENDRON.

Polychrests are described under these following headings:

  1. Generalities
  2. Mind and disposition
  3. Sensorium
  4. Head
  5. Eyes
  6. Ears
  7. Nose
  8. Face
  9. Teeth
  10. Mouth
  11. Pharynx & oesophagus
  12. Taste & appetite
  13. Gastric symptoms
  14. Stomach
  15. Hypochondria
  16. Abdomen
  17. Stool & anus
  18. Urinary organs
  19. Male sexual organs
  20. Female sexual organs
  21. Coryza
  22. Larynx & trachea
  23. Chest
  24. Back
  25. Upper extremities
  26. Lower extremities
  27. Sleep
  28. Fever
  29. skin



ARRANGEMENT OF SUB-RUBRICS:
Dr. Adolph Lippe uses the symbol dash “____”  to mark the subrubrics and “____  _____” for sub sub-rubrics. e.g.
Taste, empyreumatic…………………………………………….
_____stale………………………………………………………..
_____putrid……………………………………………………….
_____fatty…………………………………………………………
_____bitter………………………………………………………..
_____  _____especially after swallowing food…….
_____  _____  _____or drink………………………………
_____sweetish……………………………………………………
 MERITS

  • Facilitate the study of the Materia Medica in a comparative manner.
  • As this work deals with characteristic and most prominent symptoms of each remedy it is having very much clinical importance.
  • He first gave the Polychrests, as necessarily the most important, and most frequently used, and therefore, claiming the attention of the student, at the commencement of his course.
  • It is having many clinical rubrics. E.g.
  1. Encephalitis, Crusta lactea, Phlegmasia alba dolens etc. (under Belladonna)
  2. Metrorrhagia, Herpes, Steatoma etc.  (under Calcarea)
  3. Rachitis, Phthisis, Chlorosis etc. ( under Phosphorus)

  DRAWBACKS:

  • Only 11 polychrests are discussed elaborately, 2nd part of this work is needed very much.
  • Same symptom is present under two medicine but the group of corresponding remedies are not same. E.g.
  1. Under SULPHUR:  Aversion to meat ……Calc. Carb-veg. Fer. Graph. Lyc. Mur-ac. Petrol. Rhus. Sabad. Sep.  Sil. Zinc.
  2. Under BELLADONNA: Aversion to meat………. Calc-c. Carb-veg. Graph. Lyc. Mur-ac. Petr. Sabad. Sep. Sil. Sulph. Zinc.

 SOME RUBRICS/ SYMPTOMS OF CLINICAL IMPORTANCE:

  • Bad effects from catching cold- Dulc. Nux-v. Rhus. Acon. (mentioned under aconite)
  • Better in open air (nervous symptoms)- Alum. Croc. Magn-c. Puls. Phos. Acon. (mentioned under aconite)
  • Better when sitting still (Rheumatic and inflammatory) – Bry. Colch. Nux-v. Acon. (mentioned under aconite)
  • White stools with red urine- Colch. Cop. Dig. Hep-sul. Natr-sulph. Puls. Sulph. Acon. (mentioned under aconite)
  • Vomiting with perspiration- Gran. Ipec. Sulph. Acon. (mentioned under aconite)
  • Vomiting followed by thirst- Sulph-ac. Acon. (mentioned under aconite)
  • Stooped gait (his head is stooped when he walks) – Mez. Tereb. Sulph. (mentioned under Sulphur)
  • Great inclination to philosophical and religious speculation – Ars. Lyc. Puls. Selen. Sil. Sulph. (Mentioned under Sulph.)
  • No appetite, but constant thirst- Calc. Nitr. Phos. Psor. Spig. Tart-em. Sulph. (Mentioned under Sulph.)
  • During stool congestion to the head- Rhus. Sulph. (Mentioned under Sulph.)
  • Attacks of pain with chilliness-Puls. Ars. (mentioned under Arsenicum album)
  • Sprains- Calc. Lyc. Natr-c. Natr-m. Petrol. Rhus. Vitex. Phos. (mentioned under Phosphorus)
  • Glandular diseases, especially after contusions- Con. Dulc. Iod. Kali. Petrol. Phos. (mentioned under Phosphorus)
  • Pupils contracted- Chel. Cocc. Sep. Sil. Sulph. Verat. Phos. (mentioned under Phosphorus)
  • Bleeding from the nose during stool- Phos.
  • Tongue red only on the edges with white coating on the middle- Sulph. Bell. (mentioned under Belladonna)
  • Great emaciation with swelled abdomen and good appetite- Iod. Staph. Calc-c (mentioned under Calc-c.)

CONCLUSION
Regarding repertory Dr. J.T.Kent says “the best is that which one makes oneself”. If we try to use this materia medica cum repertory in our day to day practice then it can be very effective and useful in treating patients as this book contains only characteristic symptoms and most prominent symptoms of each remedy which have been verified time and time again.
Authors
Dr. Dhiraj Debnath, P.G. Scholar, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata.
Dr. Subhas Singh, M.D. (Hom.), HOD, Dept. of Organon of Medicine, National Institute Of Homoeopathy, Kolkata.
 

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