The Principles of Homeopathic Philosophy

From the Book

Key features include:

• Basic concepts and laws in homeopathy
• How to read and record symptoms homeopathically
• The use of Repertories of symptoms
• How to interpret and analyze a case

Three books will be used alongside this text. The authors are masters of homeopathy from different phases in history. The language and concepts used are indicative of the period in which they practiced and wrote. You will find them an interesting backdrop to your course.

1. The Organon
versions 5 & 6 - Dudgeon
version 6 - Decker/O'Reilly
version 6 - Boericke
version 6 - Naude

2. Kent's Lectures in Homeopathic Philosophy
Indian printing
US Printing

3. George Vithoulkas
Science of Homeopathy

Back to the Top

Details

An understanding of homeopathic principles is fundamental to the successful practice of homeopathy. Roy provides an invaluable resource for all students and readers coming to the subject the first time.

Three books are to be used alongside this text. Click on "From The Book" for details.

Back to the Top

Contents

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Homeopathy
What is Homeopathy? -- 1
Basic Homeopathic Principles -- 1
The Law of Similars -- 2
The Single Remedy -- 2
The Single Dose -- 2
The Minimum Dose -- 3
Potentization -- 3
The Law of Cure -- 4
The Homeopathic Concept of Disease -- 5
Vitalism -- 5
What Happened to the Vital Force? -- 5
Symptoms Indicate Cure -- 5
Holistic and Natural Medicine -- 6
Holistic Medicine -- 6
Natural Medicine -- 6
Medicine for the Individual -- 7
Readings -- 8

Lesson 2 - The Vital Force
The Vital Force -- 9
Vitalism -- 9
Integrity of the Whole -- 10
Symptoms Restore Normal Functioning -- 10
Disease: Resistance to Flow -- 10
The Homeopathic Theory of Disease -- 11
One Disease -- 11
Each Vital Force is Unique -- 11
Predisposition -- 11
Vitality -- 12
Exciting Cause -- 12
The Maintaining Cause -- 12
Readings -- 13
Self-Assessment Questions -- 13

Lesson 3 - Resonance - The Law of Similars
Homeopathy is the Law of Similars -- 15
The Dynamic Vital Force -- 15
Energy Affects Energy -- 15
Subtle Causes -- 16
The Law of Similars -- 16
The Simillimum -- 17
Understanding the Opposite -- 18
The Total Symptom Picture (TSP) -- 19-20
Amelioration and Aggravation -- 21
The Point of Change or Exciting Cause -- 21
Readings -- 22
Self-Assessment Questions -- 22

Lesson 4 - The Symptoms
Definition of a Symptom -- 23
Types of Symptom -- 23
Presenting Symptoms -- 24
Prescribing Symptoms -- 24
Concomitant Symptoms -- 24
Objective Symptoms -- 24
Subjective Symptoms -- 25
Characteristic Symptoms -- 25
Hierarchy of Symptoms -- 25
The Hierarchy -- 26
Strange -- Rare and Peculiar -- 26
Mental and Emotional -- 27
General Symptoms -- 27
Particular Symptoms -- 28
Common Symptoms -- 28
How to Construct a Hierarchy -- 29
Why Was This Order Adopted? -- 31
A Complete Symptom -- 31
Time -- 31
Location -- 32
Sensation -- 32
Modality -- 32
Intensity -- 33
Grades of Symptom in the Repertory -- 33
Exercises -- 34
Readings -- 34

Lesson 5 - The Action of the Medicine
What is a Medicine? -- 35
Finding the Field of Action of a Medicine -- 35
The Action of the Medicine on the Vital Force -- 36
The Self-Limiting Action of a Medicine -- 37
Susceptibility -- 38
The Speed of Action of a Medicine -- 39
The Nature of the Medicine -- 39
The Vitality of the Vital Force -- 39
The Nature of the Exciting Cause -- 39
Summary -- 39
Readings -- 40
Self-Assessment Questions -- 41

Lesson 6 - The Law of Cure
A Means of Assessing Treatment -- 43
The Organism as a Self-Perpetuating Mechanism -- 43
The Centrifugal Action of the Vital Force -- 44
Different Types of Change -- 45
Sensation -- 45
Dysfunction -- 45
Structural Change -- 45
The Progress of Disease -- 45
The Law of Cure -- 46
From Vital to Less Vital Organs -- 46
From Within Outwards -- 46-47
From Above Downwards -- 48
In Reverse Order of Appearance -- 48-49
Readings -- 50
Self-Assessment Questions -- 50

Lesson 7 - The Homeopathic Theory of Disease
Acute and Chronic Disease -- 51
Acute Disease -- 51
Chronic Disease -- 52
From Acute to Chronic Disease -- 53
Miasms -- 53-54
Acute Miasms -- 55
Four Types of Acute Disease -- 55
Four Types of Acute Disease - Epidemic -- 55
Four Types of Acute Disease - Sporadic -- 56
Four Types of Acute Disease - Endemic -- 56
Four Types of Acute Disease - Contagious -- 56
Readings -- 57
Self-Assessment Questions -- 57

Lesson 8 - Selecting a Potency
Introduction -- 59
A Model of Potency Action Using Water -- 60
Light on a Few Questions -- 60
The Effect of Multiple Crude Doses -- 60
Palliation and Suppression -- 60
More Reaction with Low Potencies -- 60
The Single Dose -- 61
A Model of Potency Action Using Sound Waves -- 62
A Change in Octave -- 63
Life Energy Dances Faster or Slower -- 63
How Potency Resonates -- 63
Some Questions Answered -- 64
Non-reaction to a High Potency -- 64
Non-reaction to Low Potencies -- 64
The Appearance of Proving Symptoms -- 64
The Optimum Dose -- 65
How Do We Select the Potency Needed? -- 65
Physical Symptoms: 6th Potency -- 66
The General Level and Intense Physical Level: 30th Potency -- 66
Emotional Turmoil and Violent Acutes: 200th Potency -- 66
The Level of Temperament or Constitutional Treatment:
1M or 10M Potency -- 66
The Lower the Vitality; the Lower the Potency -- 66-67
The Collective Single Dose -
The Ascending Collective Dose and the Split Dose -- 68
Readings -- 68

Lesson 9 - Proving the Remedy
Introduction -- 69
What is a Proving? -- 70
Proving a Remedy -- 70
The Stages of a Proving -- 70
Criteria -- 70
Preparation -- 70-71
A Biased Sample -- 72
Exact Recording -- 72
Procedure -- 73
The Quality of the Symptoms -- 73
Susceptibility -- 73
The Quality of the Reaction -- 73
A Complete Proving -- 74
Idiosyncrasy -- 75
Readings -- 75-76

Lesson 10 - Taking the Case
Introduction -- 77
The Aim of Case-Taking -- 77
The Aim of Case-Taking - Accuracy -- 78
The Aim of Case-Taking - Precision -- 78
The Aim of Case-Taking - Objectivity -- 78
The Interview Technique -- 79
The Interview Technique - The Information -- 79-80
The Interview Technique - The Questions -- 81
Recording the Case -- 82
Causation -- 83
Readings -- 84

Lesson 11 - The Repertory
Role of the Repertory -- 85
Different Repertories -- 85
The Organization of the Repertory -- 85
The Phatak Repertory -- 85
Kent's Repertory -- 86-87
The Other Repertories -- 88
Exercises -- 89-91
Readings -- 92

Lesson 12 - Repertorization I
What is Repertorization? -- 93
Drawbacks to Repertorization -- 93
Drawbacks to Repertorization - Quantitative -- 93
Drawbacks to Repertorization - Qualitative -- 93
The Process of Repertorization -- 94
Summary of 1, 2, 3 -- 95
Selecting Prescribing Symptoms -- 95
Mental and Emotional Symptoms -- 95
General Symptoms -- 96
Look up the Materia Medica -- 96
Example 1 -- 97
The Mental and Emotional Symptoms -- 97
Generalities -- 98
Analysis -- 98
Example 2 -- 98
S R P -- 98
Mental and Emotional -- 99
Generalities -- 99
Particulars -- 99
Analysis -- 100
Example 3 -- 100
S R P -- 101
Mental and Emotional -- 101
General Symptoms -- 102
Analysis -- 102
Summary of Practice Points -- 102
Exercises -- 103

Lesson 13 - Repertorization II
The Language of the Patient -- 105
The Words Used -- 105
The Structure and Function of Language -- 105
Case Example -- 105
Raw Data -- 105
Prescribing Symptoms -- 106
What Language Do We Use? -- 107
The Hierarchy of Symptoms -- 108
The Repertorization Process -- 108
Selecting the Remedy -- 109
Exercises -- 110-111

Lesson 14 - Case Analysis
Introduction -- 113
Nine Questions to Guide Case-Taking and Analysis -- 114
Acute, Chronic or Pseudochronic? -- 114
Vitality -- 115
What has Disturbed the Vital Force? -- 115
What Changed After the Disturbance? -- 115
To What is the Vital Force Sensitive? -- 115
When is the Vital Force Sensitive? -- 116
Where is the Vital Force Sensitive? -- 116
Individuality -- 116
The Disease Process -- 116
Case Example -- 117
Raw Data -- 117
The Prescribing Symptoms -- 117
The Hierarchy of Symptoms -- 118-119
Analysis -- 120
Three Cases to Analyze Yourself -- 121-126

Appendix 1 - Hints to Aid Study -- 127-132
Appendix 2 - Guidelines on Conducting a Proving; from the Society of Homeopaths Research Group -- 133
Appendix 2 - Dear Prover; reproduced with kind permission of Jeremy Sherr -- 134
Appendix 3 - Some Model Answers to Activities -- 135-144
Glossary of Terms -- 145-148
Bibliography -- 149-150
Index -- 151

Back to the Top