Clinical Verification: Verification of Homeopathic Symptoms

From the Book

ANALYSIS METHOD

Two different verification methods of homeopathic symptoms are tested and compared here. In order to check a symptom, one has to study the relation which could exist between the symptom and the efficiency of the prescribed remedy.

For Dr Constantin Hering, the study of a homeopathic remedy must be done in 5 steps (possibility, probability, confirmation, corroboration and clinical verification);

First step: The possibility, one substance provoked some symptoms which sometimes might even be toxic.

Second step: The probability, when this substance, diluted and dynamised, has provoked various symptoms on volunteers in good health.

Third step: The confirmation, when this same substance, diluted and dynamised, given to volunteers in good health, has confirmed some symptoms issued from a previous pathogenesis and provoked probable new symptoms.

Fourth step: The corroboration, this means the examination of the place taken by the probable symptom and its confirmation by the notions actually known of physiology and pathology

Fifth step: The Clinical Verification, at the bed of the suffering/sick patient, the correspondence of the probable symptom confirmed and corroborated is verified by the obtained clinical results.

The study on healthy volunteers (provings) may be done in double blind and so may reach evidence level I. This book is only dedicated to the fifth step of a homeopathic remedy study.

The first method of clinical verification kept is the traditional method. Only the unquestionable cases are taken into account, either spectacular recoveries (results 5 or 4) or the failures (results 0 or -l). This traditional verification would be possible for 267 remedies of this databank (2,087 symptoms of the repertory).

Traditional verification
· Collection of clinical data
· Selection of a remedy
· Selection of doubted cases (good or bad)
· Used symptoms for the remedy selection
· Verification
· Adaptation of values in the repertory

The limits of the method are linked to this selection which still reduces the number of available patient's files. It only allows the verification of only a restricted amount of symptoms.

The statistical method has been created in 1958 and does not make any case selection. It takes into account all results (even intermediate results). It allows thus a more detailed analysis on a larger number of patients.

Statistical approach
· Collection of clinical data
·Selection of a remedy
·All cases are considered
·Used symptoms for the remedy selection
·Statistical analysis within the complete databank
·New repertory based on mathematical probabilities

This method is based on the Bayes theorem which studies the existing relation between two elements. It is more and more used in medicine, for example for the study of the relation between a method of diagnosis (or several associated) and the real diagnosis.

The evaluation of results of a positive appendicitis echography and the real diagnosis allows asserting that the echography is not an absolute certitude for this diagnosis (8/10); but on the other hand the association of a positive echography and a positive biology allows a near certainty.

Like in homeopathy, the similar law assigns the efficiency of a remedy to the presence (or the absence) of specific symptoms of a remedy. This method is thus perfectly adapted to the study of this link. The gradient of likelihood which exists between the symptom and the efficiency of the prescribed remedy will be studied (Likelihood Ratio = LR).

Back to the Top

Details

After the description of the method analysis, the first part of the book gathers the homeopathic medicinal remedies allowing to formally predict a positive result when administrated to patients showing several associated symptoms. For these remedies, not only the symptoms but also the globality law are verified.

The second part of the book gathers the homeopathic medicinal products for which several symptoms are verified. Considering the restricted number of patients who were given one of those remedies, it only verifies the link existing between each of these symptoms and the obtained medicinal effect.

Finally, the third part of the book presents the homeopathic medicinal products for which only one symptom can be verified linked to the efficiency of the medicine. So it concerns remedies prescribed only to a few patients.

In order to ease further studies, it also indicates the symptom verification values which could not yet be proved but which could be verified in the future, using a larger panel of patients.

Back to the Top

Author

Michel Van Wassenhoven

Dr. Michel Van Wassenhoven is President of the professional Union: Unio homeopathica Belgica, Brussels, Belgium. He is founder of the European Committee for Homeopathy and also Research secretary of the LMHI (Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis). He has presented many papers like Homeopathic Medicine Research Group Report, Direction Generale XII, Commission Europeenne, Homeopathy and health related Quality of life: a survey in six European countries, Entretiens, du Carla, L'homéopathie : relations entre les recherches actuelles et la pratique médicate et pharmaceutique and An observational study of patients receiving homeopathic treatment.

Back to the Top

Reviews

This book is of enormous value for the homeopathic community. With this book Michel van Wassenhoven opens doors to the future and to an Evidence-Based- Homeopathy.

The author shows with great success a new approach for the clinical verification of homeopathic symptoms. The author applies a new statistical methodology to the verification of homeopathic drug proving symptoms and opens new perspectives for an Evidence-Based-Repertory.

This book is an important step to the future of homeopathy and of enormous value for the homeopathic community.

— Dr. Ulrich D. Fischer. President
Liga Medicorum Homoeopathies Internationalis

Back to the Top

Contents

Forward -- 4
Préface -- 6

Introduction -- 10
Introduction -- 11

Frame of the study -- 12
Cadre de l'étude -- 17

Analysis method -- 14
Méthode d'analyse -- 19

Part 1. Similitude and Globality - Partie 1. Similitude et Globalité -- 23
ALUM - ARS- ARS. S.F. - AUR - CALC. AR - CALC - CALC. S
CARB. V - CAUST - CINNB - COCC - IGN - LAC. C - LACH
LYC - MERC - NAT. A - NAT. C - NAT. M - NAT. P - NAT. S - NIT. AC
NUX. V - PHOS - PULS - SEP - SIL - STAPH - SULPH - VERAT

Part 2. Similitude - Partie 2. Similitude -- 111
ACON - ARG. N - ARS. I - ARS. S.R - AUR. MUR - CALC. P - CIMIC
COLOC - GELS - GRAPH - HYOS - KALI. C - MERC. I. F. - MEZ
PHOS. AC - PLAT - RHUS. T - STRAM - TARENT - THUJ

Part 3. Elements of Similitude (Partie 3. Eléments de Similitude)
AESC - AGAR - ALL. C - ANAC - ANTHR - ANT. T - APIS - ARN
AUR. AR - AUR. M - AUR. S - BELL - BRY - CACT - CALC - CAU - CARC - CHEL
CHIN - CHIN. ARS - CHIN. S - CON - CUPR - CUPR. ARS - CYCL - DIPLOC
FERR. AR - FERR. M - FERR. P - FERR. S - HIPPOZ - KALI. AR - KALI. BI - KALI. I
KALI. P - LAP. A - LED - MAG. M - MAG. P - MERC. S - MORB - NUPH - PETR
PSOR - RAN. B - RHEUM - SARS - SPIG - TAB - ZINC - ZINC. S

Conclusions -- 281
Annexes - Annexes -- 285

Back to the Top