The Second Principle

“MINIMIZE THE DOSE TO INCREASE ITS CURING POWER”

This brings us to the second great principle of Homoeopathy-Minima Minimus, smaller the dose, better the result.

To minimize the dose Dr. Hahnemann mixed the medicine with non-medicinal substances such as alcohol distilled water or sugar of milk. By a special procedure not only the dose was minimized but it was also dynamited that is as the molecules of the medicine were divided and subdivided, their curative power was increased. Though it was difficult to be explained in the days of Hahnemann, now it can be easily explained in accordance with the atomic theory. Hence minimized doses, though termed dilutions in early stages, were named as Potency later on.

These Potency are of two types: X Potency and C Potency.  X Potencies are prepared by mixing well one part of the original medicine with 9 parts of Vehicle, that is alcohol or distilled water or sugar of milk in cases of solid drugs. Similarly, C Potencies are prepared by mixing one part of the original medicine with 99 parts of Vehicle.

A Potency prepared in this manner is called 1x or 1c. One part of it is again mixed, according to the given method, with 9 and 99 parts of Vehicle to obtain 2x or 2c- and this process is repeated to give up to 3,4,6,15,30,200,500,1000,10000 Potencies. The higher the Potency the greater its dynamic power to cure.

Ordinarily X is always mentioned against the name of the drug such as ACONITE 1x, ACONITE 6X or 30x but C is not mentioned. ACONITE 30 means ACONITE 30c. 1000 is often mentioned as 1m, 10000 as 10M, and 100000 as CM. The original medicine is called Mother Tincture which is indicated by Greek alphabet Q (theta). As already mentioned, solid mother drugs are mixed with sugar of milk and grinded well in pestle and mortar according to prescribed procedure. This process of grinding is called triturating and the power potencies are called triturations such as ARSENIC 3x TRIT, BARYTA CARB 6x TRIT or CALCAREA PHOS 12x TRIT.