ARTICLE
What about the potency ?
Peter Berryman | MSc BMedSc PGDipHSc BSc ND AdvDipHom DipAstPsych GradCertEd GAICD
Abstract A lack of consistent clear guidance for selecting an individualised potency and dose regimen to make a full prescription , that includes the simillimum medicine , is addressed . By formulating an appropriate individualised attitude relevant to each patient , adjusted at each follow-up , and applying this attitude to the range of potency and dose choices that are available , a precedent is set for a first full prescription . Reflective learning from patient feedback in follow-up reviews is used to set up ideal trends in the second and subsequent prescriptions , which sees the Direction of Cure truly fulfilled for the patient .
What About The Potency ?
“ What a really good question !” is the most likely first response that a member of the audience will receive , when they ask , “ What about the potency ?”. This reply will come from an exasperated presenter who has just spent an exorbitant amount of their valuable time in their glorified case presentation explaining to their audience of practitioners and students how they found the elusive curative medicine , also known as the simillimum , for the totality of the disease state of their patient . In my opinion , finding this simillimum medicine from the 6,107 proven homeopathic medicines that are currently available is considered by our community as the “ holy grail ” of homeopathy , and that most other matters , such as an optimum potency and dose regimen , as well as ongoing patient management , fade into the sunset as the presenter soon departs on their flight back to their far-off homeland .
Back in 2004 , Castro 1 wrote , “ We are a community that loves books – that loves to write , one that has been writing abundantly for nearly two hundred years . It is strange then , that we don ’ t have any books dedicated to potency .”
Yes , I ’ ve often been that humble member of the audience asking this inevitably embarrassing question , “ What about the potency ?” And how many imperfect answers have I been given ? “ Any potency will do .” “ Whatever you have available in your dispensary will be just fine .” “ Always start with a moderate potency .” “ I always use 10M .” “ Use low potencies for physical problems , and high potencies for mental problems .” “ Give a test dose once of 30C and then do a follow up review a week later .” “ Use the potency that corresponds to the level of their disease .” “ Hahnemann always began with Q1 ”. “ In my country , we always start with Q12 .” Oh dear , how unhelpful .
The best answer to this very pertinent question that I ’ ve ever received from a presenter when I was a student in the audience was , “ I didn ’ t know what potency to use , so how about we work this out together .” So this is the journey that I ’ ve been on ever since …
Ideal Uncertainty
We aspire to provide a rapid , gentle and permanent cure for our patient . Ideally , this is intended to be neither an overwhelming nor an underwhelming process , 2 and instead just right on all of the four guidelines related to the Direction of Cure . 3 Our patients have high expectations of us , so do we tell them that we first try this , and then that , until we eventually succeed and make a curative prescription of a simillimum medicine with an optimal potency and dose regimen ? This implies that tolerating considerable uncertainty and making mistakes is an authentic part of the therapeutic process , 4 continually hoping that our trusting patients
14 | vol27 | no1 | JATMS