Homeopathic Medicines
The medicines are usually sold either as liquids or in pillules of calcium lactate, otherwise known as sugar of milk.
An alcohol-and-water mixture is the most common liquid form, and most prescriptions in this book will be for
liquid, although a few different preparations exist.
Mother tinctures are concentrated extracts, in an alcohol and water base. They can be made from any substance in
the animal, vegetable or mineral kingdoms. All told, probably about 2000 homeopathic mother tinctures have been
prepared from different substances, and more are always being tested somewhere in the world. Mother tinctures are
used as raw material, and in homeopathy are seldom used undiluted, except occasionally on wounds. The
proportion of alcohol, which is used as a preservative, can be as high as 80 per cent in some preparations.
Lotions are dilutions of the mother tincture, usually by about 1:10 tincture:water, but up to about 1:50. They can be
applied externally as often as desired to control suppuration and promote healing. When applied direct to the skin
they may also have a drying effect. When added to gauze, as a dressing for a wound, the gauze should not be
allowed to dry out. Lotion can be re-applied to the outside of a dressing before it dries, so the dressing may need
to be changed less often.
Potencies are higher dilutions of the mother tincture than are lotions, and are given internally. The dilutions used
by homeopaths are very high by allopathic standards, but homeopaths maintain that this very dilution produces a
medicinal action not yet properly researched.
Normally, I part of mother tincture is added to 9 parts water, and shaken rhythmically. This is known as a Ix
(decimal) dilution, or I part in 10. One part of this is then taken and added to another 9 parts water, and again
shaken, to give a 2x dilution, or I part in 100. Similarly, a 3x dilution is I part in 1000, and a 6x is I part per
million. These dilutions, also known as potencies, can be repeated a lot of times; the higher the dilution, the higher
the potency number.
Dilutions are also made on a centesimal scale, or I part in 100, yielding 1c, 2c, and so on. A 6c potency, commonly
recommended in this book, is a dilution of 1 in 10 followed by 12 zeroes. A 12c potency, often used by homeopaths, is a dilution of 1 in 10 followed by 24 zeroes, very close to the point at which there is none of
the original substance remaining in a normal dose of about 6 drops. Yet the medicine still works, and many notable
cures have been obtained at these dilutions.
The shaking procedure is known as succussion, and is regarded by homeopaths as an essential part of the dilution
stage. Together, the dilution and succussion process is known as potentization, and can be repeated many
thousands of times in the preparation of the medicines.
Although medicines for domestic use are not normally used above 6c and 12c, much higher potencies can be
obtained from homeopaths for more specialized treatment. A number of 30c potencies, recommended for
protection against infectious diseases such as influenza and measles, for example, are included in this book, and
can be obtained from any homeopathic practitioner or homeopathic dispensary. Higher potencies are best obtained
from a homeopath after consultation.
Mention should also be made of the tissue salts, which are homeopathic preparations of the twelve main mineral
salts found in the body. These are also called cell salts and biochemic salts, and are widely available as
homeopathic pilules in a 6x potency through health food shops and homeopathic pharmacies. Their use now has
extended for over a century since their development by Dr. William Schuessler in Europe, and they are a valuable
addition to any domestic homeopathic kit.
