There has been a great diversity of opinion in the past and much controversy in our school of medicine over the question whether our potencies were simply dilutions of medicine and nothing more, or something dynamic that could not be brought about by mere dilution. Many wordy wars have been fought over this question, but up to the present the conflicts seem to have been drawn, and each faction is of the same opinion still.
Hahnemanns position on the question has never been scientifically refuted, nor has it been scientifically proved, but there seemed to be no doubt in his mind that in the making of a homoeopathic remedy far more than dilution was involved; in fact, that the power inherent in a potency was not at all a matter of dilution, but essentially one of succussion. I quite you the foot-note to paragraph 270 of Dudgeons translation from the fifth edition of the Organon:
In order to maintain a fixed and measured standard for developing the power of liquid medicines, multiplied experience and careful observation have led me to adopt two succussions of reach phial, in preference to the greater number formerly employed (by which the medicine were too highly potentized).
There are however, homoeopathists who carry about with them on their visits to patients the homoeopathic medicines in the fluid state, and who yet assert that they do not become more highly potentized in the course of time, but they thereby show their want of ability to observe correctly. I dissolved a grain of soda in half an ounce of water mixed with alcohol in a phial, which was thereby filled two-thirds full, and shook this solution continuously for half an hour, and this fluid was in potency and energy equal to the thirtieth development of power.
In the sixth edition of the Organon the foot-note to the same paragraph reads as follows:
We hear daily how homoeopathic medicinal potencies are called mere dilutions, when they are the very opposite, i.e.a trey opening up of the natural substances bringing to light and brought forth by rubbing and shaking. The aid of a chosen, unmedicinal medium of attenuation is but a secondary condition.
“Simple dilution, for instance, the solution of a grain of salt with become water, the grain of salt with disappear in the dilution of much water and will never develop into medicinal salt which by means of our well-prepared dynamization, is raised to most marvelous power”.
In paragraph 238 of the last edition of the Organon Hahnemann, speaking of the repetition of the dose in intermittent fever, says in part: “When the character of the symptoms has not changed, doses of the same medicine may be given without difficulty by dynamizing each successive dose with 10-12 succussions of the vial containing the medicinal substance”.
Such was Hahnemanns belief. I shall not comment upon it in this paper. Instead I shall relate a few simple experiments that may shed some light on an heretofore obscure subject, and this can be so only because we now have a means of definitely measuring our potencies.
EXPERIMENT I.
I made the 3rd. centesimal potency of Sepia according to Hahnemanns instructions. I then put it on my machine (a McRoberts energy detector), and measured it; it measured the 3rd. centesimal. I then put one drop of this 3rd. potency in 100 drops of water, being careful not to success it; it still measured the 3rd. potency; but after giving it 5 shakes or succussions is measured the 4th. potency. With this same 4th. potency still in the vial I gave it 100 hard shakes; it then measured the 24th. potency. I continued the succussions until they numbered 1,000, and the machine gave me the 204th. potency, that is, one potency for every five successions.
EXPERIMENT II.
I attached a vial containing the 2x liquid potency of Puls. to the rocker arm of an electric sewing machine. After running the machine for one minute I examined the potency and it red 2,600.
EXPERIMENT III.
A vial one-fourth full of Acon. tincture was subjected to the same succussion as in experiment II, but with no result as to potency.
EXPERIMENT IV.
A liquid potency of Acon. IX was shaken on the sewing machine arm for one-half a minute; it registered the 1300th. potency.
EXPERIMENT V.
I poured eight gallons of water into a washing machine called the “Easy”. This machine had an up and down movement of 70 strokes to the minute and produced very vigorous successions. Into this water I placed one drop of Acon. tincture. After allowing ten minutes for the Acon. to become diffused in the water, a simple of the mixture was taken and tested for potency; no potency was found.
Then at a height of two feet two additional gallons of water were poured into the washing machine. A sample of this tested out as the 2nd. centesimal potency. The machine was then set in motion for five minutes, when a sample was taken and tested. It registered the 3421st. potency.
EXPERIMENT VI.
A tumblerful of water was placed in a bowl and one drop of Cactus tincture added. Tested it measured no potency. This mixture was then vigorously stirred with an egg beater for one minute. It then measured the 12600th. potency.
EXPERIMENT VII.
I filled a two-dram viral one-fourth full of Tarax. 200th. in pellet form. This vial was then attached to the rocker arm of an sewing machine which was operated for three minutes. Tested it gave a potency value of 89000.
I have not used any of these potencies clinically, for the reason that these experiments were concluded but few days previous to this meeting. Therefore I make no comment in this paper, but trust that it may provoke a healthy discussion of the subject.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
I think it an error to say that psora is that which gives us a susceptibility to all other troubles and lays the foundation for syphilis, sycosis, etc. The error lies in looking at it purely as a disease. The susceptibility to outside influences was present at the beginning of life itself, or there would be no life, for there could be no reaction. The disease part of it resulted from too strong external stimuli and mans ignorance in trying to overcome them.
The mental phase a s a cause of this state was ignorance, which first bred fear; then a desire to overcome it by cunning and overt mental acts. The effects of the original appetites of men were primarily due to ignorance. He instinctively did things which pleased him most and did not control his appetites by intelligence.- D.PULFORD.
