Abstract: Homoeopathy is a holistic and individualized method of treatment that renders valuable service for the suffering humanity. It is one of the most widespread forms of complementary medicines. In homeopathy, the natural substances are taken and made into a diluted form of medicines and prescribed according to the symptom similarity. The concept of dose in homeopathy always makes hardships in the way of therapeutics and practice. Here I am portraying the concept of master Hahnemann on the theory of dose.
Keywords:similimum, Individualize, Holistic, Dose
INTRODUCTION
Rather than selecting the similimum, more difficult is to decide what quantity of suitable medicine should give. Hahnemann devoted more than 30 yrs of his life to find out a solution to this problem, but he couldn’t complete that task. In his notes on Cullen’s materiamedica& Munro’s pharmacology, he went to a certain extent beyond the prescription of these physicians by recommending stronger medicines in even large doses. At the same time, he advised caution and very small doses, particularly in the case of narcotic medicinal herbs& arsenic.1 In 1796 he first made known the principles of Homoeopathy in Hufelands journal ( An essay on new principles…) he frequently recommended the administration of “small doses” but did not tell what he meant by small. From then onwards he selected his remedies from the standpoint of similarity.2
EXPERIMENTS AND EXPERIENCE OF THE HAHNEMANN
He started practicing remedies as per the law of similar, but still, he administered them in large doses. Then he found out the homeopathic aggravation followed upon the administration of the specific remedy. This induces him gradually to decrease the dose. 1799he announced without particular explanations about very small and infinitesimal doses. In the “Treasury of medicine” or “ The collection of the selected prescriptions(1800) there is an increasing number of remarks concerning very much smaller doses and on one occasion he said; “ as the physicians of today will not consider giving 1/10 millionth part of a remedy. There Arsenic is not a medicine for them”.From his work on this subject, we can see what self-sacrifice and precautions inexhaustible industry and zeal Hahnemann displayed in testing the effects of the medicines on himself and trying to investigate the same. His chief endeavor was obviously to establish a theory of dosage, testing each separate medicine.1
1st detailed statements about dilution he mention in the publication of his Cure and Prevention of Scarlet fever. But whenever he gives details he mentioned only the 100th, 1000th, or 1,000,000th part of a medicinal dose with reference to opium he declares: If a certain small dose of a diluted tincture of poppy juice is able to take away a certain amount of unnatural sleepiness then the hundredth and thousandth part of this poppy juice solution will be almost completely adequate for the same purpose.ie, a medicine which when given by itself in a sufficiently large dose to a healthy individual produces a definite effect, ie, a no of its peculiar symptoms preserving its tendencies, will be able to produce them even in the smallest dose. Only a few general indications that we can find out from Hahnemann’s published works concerning the development of the homeopathic theory of doses during the years ( 1801 – 1806)1
PIECES OF EVIDENCE FROM THE BOOKS AND RECORDS
The patient’s registers of Hahnemann give the impression that,
- He stood firmly on the ground of the similarity between disease and remedy.
- He only prescribed one medicine at a time
But he had not yet obtained a clear insight into the aggravation after strong doses
The diaries of 1807 and 1808: note about the remedies prescribed give no details concerning the quantity by weight or the degree of dilution in which they were administered. In this absence of definition statements, we might see a strong reason to think that Hahnemann desired to preserve complete freedom at this time in the individual prescriptions. He aimed to go on testing the effect of the different doses and therefore he omitted to make exact statements about the different remedies. The size of the dose is treated in the greatest detail at $ 247.3 About this Hahnemann says that:” when I speak of the smallest possible doses in homeopathic therapy I cannot here establish a chart of weights and measures of the medicine, because the medicines themselves are so varied in strength”. Hahnemann in his practice most of the time gave preference to 30th potency.
In 1813 Hahnemann published the dissertation “ spirit of the new theory of healing “ in this he says: the spiritual power of medicine attains its purpose not by quantity but by quality. The experiments and experiences which Hahnemann had been able to gather up to that the efficacy of the remedy did not stand in direct relation to the size of the doses, but that the medicinal substances in a diluted and refined state often proved to be much more practicable and effective than in the crude state.
Size of the dose ∞ 1
Quality of action
CONCLUSION
The appropriateness of the dose is very much important in Homoeopathic treatment. The work of theoretical speculation, fine–spun reasoning, and specious sophistry can not find out this appropriateness of the dose. Only through pure experiment, careful observation of the sensitiveness of each patient and accurate experience can alone determine this 3. For this Dr Hahnemann gives the full freedom to each homoeopathic physician to select the suitable potency and dosage ( $ 278).
REFERENCE
- H. Richard ,Samuel Hahnemann His Life and Work ,Vol 1,12thedition,B.Jain Publishers,2016,Pg : 310-321
- Dudgeon.R.E ,Lesser writings of Samuel Hahnemann, reprint edition,B.Jain Publishers Pvt.Ltd,2002,Pg : 249- 303
- Hahnemann s, Organon of medicine,8th edition, B.Jain p.LTD,2014,Pg:126, 141-142
