top of page

Preparation of Homeopathic Medicines / Remedies

Updated: May 31, 2023


Homeopathic medicine is unique, potentised energy medicine, drawn from the plant, mineral and animal worlds. They are diluted to such a degree that not one molecule of the original substance can be detected (after the 12c potency, or 24x potency, past the Avogadro law - based on Amedeo Avogadro - 1776-1856). In essence all that is left is the blueprint of the substance.


 


Preparation


The process of making Homeopathic remedies is very distinct.


Homeopathic medicines are classified as potencies with either a decimal or centesimal extension.


For example Calc Phos 6x is a Homeopathic dilution of Calcium Phosphate to a potency of 6x, a decimal potency.


Calc Phos 6c is a Homeopathic dilution of Calcium Phosphate to a potency of 6c, a centesimal potency.



Mother Tinctures


The first step in the preparation of a homeopathic medicine from plant or animal starting material is the preparation of the ‘mother tincture’ (Ø).


From chemical or mineral starting material, a first dilution is made. It can be a liquid dilution with ethanol/water or a solid dilution (a 'trituration') with lactose. All procedures, both the preparation of the mother tincture and the preparation of the first dilution or trituration, are performed according to a homeopathic manufacturing method given in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur), the German Pharmacopoeia (HAB) or the French Pharmacopoeia (Ph Fr).


For remedies derived from soluble substances, such as animal or plant extracts, the raw material is dissolved in an alcohol/ethanol (sugar beet) / water mixture (ratio may vary depending on substance). This mixture is left to stand for some weeks, shaken occasionally and then strained through a press. The resulting liquid is known as the mother tincture.


Insoluble substances such as gold, calcium carbonate and graphite, must first be made soluble by a process known as trituration, in which they are ground continually until they become soluble substances.


These are then given the same process as above of dissolving in a mixture of alcohol and water.


To produce different remedy potencies, the mother tincture is diluted in an alcohol/water mixture according to the two scales, and as mentioned, the decimal (x) and the centesimal (c).



In the decimal scale the dilution factor is 1:10 and in the centesimal it is 1:100.


It is important to point out here that between every stage of dilution the diluted tincture is succussed (shaken vigorously).


One can refer to this as active agitation. Active agitation, or succussion, the key to potency, is a system of specialized agitation during the production process and as such is a special part of the manufacture of homeopathic medicine.

In allopathic medicine, when prescribing a drug, often the principle is based on the bigger the dose the greater the therapeutic effect.


Homeopathic prescribing adopts the opposing view: the smaller the drug dose, the more potent its effect.



20 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page