Selection Of Potencies For Acute Diseases

Author:
Dr Shashikant Kammar
B.Sc, BHMS
Reader, HOD, Dept. of FMT
Yenepoya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Mangalore, Karnataka

Abstract –
After complete studying the case, for Homoeopathic Physician it is an important task, to select a suitable homeopathic medicine and appropriate dose and potency. Here, he tries to maintain Homoeopathycity. The true nature of the case, the susceptibility of patient, and the totality of symptoms of the diseased individual guide to select the correct remedy. Based on these criteria selection of dose and potency is done.
Keywords –
Homeopathic medicine, Susceptibility, Potency, Totality of symptoms, Acute disease
Introduction –
A homeopathy is a holistic approach to sickness. Here Physician understands the Patient as a whole, his Physical aspect, mental aspect and emotional aspect, and tries to restore the sick to health. While doing so, the disease which is invading the Human being should be studied thoroughly with presenting signs and symptoms in all three aspects. After complete studying the case, for Homoeopathic Physician it is an important task, to select a suitable homeopathic medicine and appropriate dose and potency. Here he tries to maintain Homoeopathicity. The true nature of the case, the susceptibility of the patient, and the totality of symptoms of the diseased individual guides to select the correct remedy. Based on these criteria selection of Dose and Potency is done.
Heading/ body –
Once the nature of the disease is certainly known, whether it is sub-acute, acute or chronic, the main difficulty in the selection of dose and potency is solved. Observation of the case, after administration of Homoeopathic Medicine, is a must to know how far our medicine is affecting the sick individual and what the prognosis of the case is. Here homeopathic physician expecting the Homoeopathic Aggravation. This aggravation is observed as Kent’s 3rd Observation which tells that the aggravation should be strong, quick and short, followed by immediate improvement.   Depending upon this Observation our next line of Management is based.

As the topic is ‘Selection of Potency for Acute Disease’, it is obvious to know, what acute disease and potency are. Dr Hahnemann explained in Aphorism no 72 about Acute and Chronic Diseases – ‘the diseases to which man is liable are either rapid morbid processes of the abnormally deranged vital force, which tend to finish their course more or less quickly, but always in moderate time – these are termed acute diseases’ further he is explaining about chronic diseases. Our emphasis is only on the acute disease. So, in short, the acute disease is rapid in onset, fast prognosis and rapid decline. If you see both, acute disease and Kent’s 3rd observation i.e. Acute disease is rapid in onset, fast prognosis and rapid in decline and Kent’s 3rd observation the aggravation should be strong, quick and short, followed by immediate relief, there is something which is matching to each other. In acute disease, if you give most similimum, single and simple dose you will get rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of health, as explained in aphorism no. 2, all these three points are interrelated to each other.

The pathogenetic power of medicine is Potency. This is studied by proving attenuated drugs on healthy individuals, each attenuation gives a different group of symptoms.

Some diseased individuals need lower potencies some need higher potencies; it is the totality of symptoms that relate to Potency through Susceptibility. The totality of symptom is a group of symptoms which comprises of only characteristic symptoms,  more the similarity in symptoms of disease and remedy selected, higher will be the susceptibility, higher the susceptibility higher the potency. Lower Susceptibility needs low potency.

Susceptibility is tending to react toward stimuli, it is a reaction of the human being to external or internal stimuli. Depending upon the Susceptibility there will be different reactions to the same cause. For a disease some show high susceptibility some show low susceptibility. It has been told by our master that higher the susceptibility higher the potency, lower the susceptibility lower the potency and we should always start with high potency in Acute disease. While treating acute cases if the selected remedy is most similimum with Homoeopathycity the result would be expected within one hour. If not then, repeat the same medicine in attenuated form for every 5 minutes 10 minutes. The result will come positive as the selected remedy is most similimum. There would not be a need for any other remedies. But sometimes there would be a standstill condition, wherein disease shows progressively improvement but suddenly cease the further action of the medicine. In this situation, slightly higher attenuation of the same medicine will show further progress and improvement of the case would be very fast.

Conclusion

Here knowledge of the physician plays a vital role to treat the condition. The selection of medicine and dose with proper potency is entirely based upon the case and individual as a whole. Repetition of medicine is necessary not the potency, it should be in attenuated form in every dose of repetition. Then only the ideal cure will take place.