Frequently Asked Questions.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed between 1790 and 1843 by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician whose aim was to restore health to the sick through rapid and gentle means. In short, homeopathy is a holistic medicine which understands that when a person is ill, he or she displays a unique set of symptoms through the mind and the body together. The totality of these mental, emotional and physical symptoms reflects the whole of the person’s health. It is precisely this totality of symptoms that homeopathy treats. Treatment begins by giving the one remedy that best matches, and therefore is most suitable for, this unique symptom totality. This carefully chosen homeopathic remedy stimulates the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. By restoring health and harmony, homeopathy works to help each person strive for his or her highest potential in life.
Homeopathy takes a holistic approach, treating the whole person. It does so by giving the one remedy that acts most similarly to the person’s overall state of illness as expressed by the totality of mental, emotional and physical symptoms (not in accordance with any specific diseases or diagnoses).Conventional medicine is the exact opposite of the homeopathic method. Conventional medicine approaches disease as an alteration in an organ or physiological system rather than as a change of state of the whole person. It uses drugs specifically intended for the symptoms and diseases found in these organs and systems rather than for the peculiar totality of symptoms that affect the whole person.
There are three potency scales available in homeopathy: C, X, and LM.
Homeopathy was discovered by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in 1790. He first caught a glimpse of the principles of homeopathy when he tested the prevailing (and to his mind, suspicious) theory as to why Peruvian bark (the natural source of quinine) cured malaria. After taking Peruvian bark repeatedly to see what exactly it did to the human body, he came down with malarial symptoms. He repeated the experiment and came up with the same results. This experiment showed that natural substances can change the state of people’s health just as diseases do: Peruvian bark changed Hahnemann’s state of health in the same way that malaria would. From this, Hahnemann discovered that treating a disease with a substance that produces symptoms similar to that disease, will cure that disease, just as Peruvian bark (also known as China or Cinchona) could cure certain cases of malaria because of its similarity of action.
Homeopathic remedies are highly dilute, nontoxic yet powerful medicines typically made from substances of the various natural kingdoms (plants, animals, chemicals, fungi, etc.). They are made by taking a small amount of the substance and diluting it in a larger amount of water, alcohol, or powdered milk sugar (depending on whether the medicinal substance is soluble or not). Friction is then applied to this mixture of the medicinal substance diluted in water, alcohol, or milk sugar. The friction is applied by succussion (vigorous shaking of the liquid) when the remedy is diluted in water or alcohol, or by trituration (grinding with a mortar and pestle) when in milk sugar. If a substance is not soluble and needs to be triturated, it is taken through three steps of dilution and trituration, after which it becomes soluble and is then switched over to liquid dilution and succussion. This process of dilution and succussion (or trituration) creates the particular strengths or “potencies” of the homeopathic preparation.
The C potency (also known as the centesimal potency) uses a dilution ratio of one part medicinal substance to ninety-nine parts water, alcohol, or milk sugar. “C” is the Roman numeral for 100, as in a dilution ratio of 1:100. For example, one part of salt is put into 99 parts of water to make a 1:100 dilution ratio of salt in water; this solution is then succussed. Having just diluted the salt at a 1:100 dilution ratio, with the requisite succussions, we have made the 1C potency. The number in front of the “C” tells us how many times it has been diluted and succussed. A 1C has gone through a single step of being diluted at the ratio of 1:100 and then succussed. A 30C has gone through thirty steps of being diluted and succussed.
The X potency (also known as the decimal or “D” potency) uses a dilution ratio of one part medicinal substance to nine parts water, alcohol, or milk sugar. “X” is the Roman numeral for 10, as in a dilution ratio of 1:10. For example, a 1X has gone through one step of being diluted at a ratio of 1:10 and then succussed. A 30X has gone through thirty steps of being diluted and succussed.
To compare the decimal and centesimal scales, we divide the decimal potency number in half to get a comparable centesimal potency, or multiply the centesimal by two to find the comparable decimal. For example, a 30X is similar to a 15C, while a 30C is similar to a 60X. This is easily explained by the fact that a 1C has a 1:100 dilution ratio, just as a 2X does, since a dilution of 1:10 done twice becomes a dilution of 1:100 (10 x 10 = 100).
There is no actual M potency. M is the Roman numeral for 1,000. Remedies identified as an M potency are really part of the C potency scale, with the “M” being shorthand for 1,000C (not for a dilution ratio of 1:1,000). Therefore, the 1M is a 1,000C, meaning that a remedy has been diluted at the ratio of 1:100 and taken through the dilution and succussion process one thousand times. A 10M potency is a 10,000C and a 50M potency is 50,000C. CM is the 100,000C, DM is the 500,000C, and MM is the 1,000,000C.
Yes. Anything that is alive can benefit from homeopathy. An animal’s case would be approached in the same way as a human’s, collecting the unique totality of symptoms presented and giving the remedy that best suits that totality.
The LM potency uses one part medicinal substance in fifty thousand parts of the diluting substance. “LM” stands for 50,000, as in a dilution ratio of 1:50,000. (The LM is also called the Q potency, stemming from the word “quinquagintamillesimal,” which is a combination of the Latin words for “50” (quinquaginta) and for “1,000” (millesimal), forming a word for 50,000.) An example of the LM potency is, one part of the starting material is put into 50,000 parts of water and succussed 100 times. This makes the LM1. The LM5 has been taken through the steps of diluting at a 1:50,000 dilution ratio with 100 succussions, 5 times.
Hahnemann Laboratories sells C and LM potencies. The lowest C potency we sell is the 6C, and we proceed from there to the 12C, 30C, 200C, 1M and 10M, with intermediate potencies available as well. Many remedies are available up to 50M or even CM.
On average, we send out orders of stock items by the following business day, if not the same day they were ordered. Business days are Monday through Friday. Orders of 10 items or more may take more time to prepare. Hahnemann Laboratories, Inc. will contact you if there are any unusual delays.
We have a variety of shipping services available that will suit your needs. The range of time it takes to receive your order will be anywhere from the next day to over a week, depending on where you live and which service you choose. The cost for shipping depends on which service you choose.
Generally, homeopathic remedies do not have any contraindications with other types of medicine. However, it is always important to consult with an experienced, trained practitioner who understands how to administer homeopathic remedies.
Unfortunately, no. We are strictly a pharmacy and manufacturing laboratory and are without a clinical facility. We are not staffed to conduct consultations or able to suggest remedies for you to take. The National Center for Homeopathy can help you find a homeopath in your area; please go to their web site at www.homeopathycenter.org/find-homeopath
