Homeopathic remedies are made by dilution and succussion of the original substance. This combination of dilution and succussion is called potentisation, and it is this combination that makes a remedy homeopathic, not merely dilution.
Succussion refers to the glass bottle containing the substance being shaken vigorously and banged against a surface such as a pad, producing bubbles in the liquid. This succussion is repeated many, many times at each stage of the dilution.
This is the key to a substance becoming a homeopathic remedy: it seems to have something to do with the physics of what happens in the bubbles on the edge of the container. Modern analytical techniques are becoming able to distinguish between a dilution that has been succussed and one that has not, and it is now scientifically provable (as well as abundantly clear to those of us who use homeopathy) that simple dilution does not produce a homeopathic remedy: repeated succussion at each stage of the process is vital.
The dilution scales homeopaths use
There are three dilution scales used in homeopathy:
- the x scale,
- the c scale and
- the Q (or LM) scale.
The process for the x scale and the c scale is very similar and is the focus here. We will look at Q potencies in a different blog.
x potencies are diluted 10 times at each stage of dilution and succussion – hence the term x, being the Roman symbol for 10. Some countries use the letter d instead of x, d standing for decimal, and again referring to dilution by 10.
c (and M) potencies are diluted 100 times at each stage of dilution and succussion – hence the term c, which is the Roman symbol for 100. Some countries use the letter k instead of c, from Korsakov, who advocated a very slightly different method of dilution, and some use the letters ch, c standing for centessimal (100) and h standing for Hahnemann, the founder of modern homeopathy.
In each of these cases the dilution rate is 100 times at each stage of dilution and succession.
The higher potencies of 1000 or more are usually written as M (which is the letter the Romans used for 1000). So rather than 1000c, homeopaths write 1M. 10,000c is written 10M, and 100,000c is written CM (C again being the Roman numeral for 100).
How is a homeopathic remedy made?
The process starts with either a saturated solution of the substance from which the remedy is to be made (such as sodium chloride for Nat mur) or a mother tincture if the substance is a plant. Let’s call this stage the “starting solution”.
One drop of the starting solution is then placed in a clean glass vial with 99 drops of a mixture of ethanol and water and succussed vigorously. The ethanol is included to ensure that the solution remains bug-free.
So at this point, we now have a solution which is 1% the starting solution and 99% water and ethanol. This is 1c.
To make 2c, we take one drop of the 1c solution and add 99 drops of water and ethanol, and succuss vigorously. The solution has now been diluted 10,000 times and contains 0.01% of the starting solution.
To make 3c, we take one drop of the 2c solution and add 99 drops of water and ethanol, and succuss vigorously. The solution has now been diluted 1,000,000 times and contains 0.0001% of the starting solution.
This process of serially diluting and succussing is continued to make 4c, 5c, 6c etc. etc. So by 12c, the starting solution has been diluted 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times – i.e. by a factor of 1024.
The process for making x potencies (also called d potencies) is exactly the same, except that the dilution at each stage is 1 drop to 9 drops – so 1x will be 10% of the starting solution and 90% water and ethanol, and 2x will be 1% of the starting solution and 99% water and ethanol, 3x will be 0.1% of the starting solution and 99.9% water and ethanol etc.
How can a remedy made from something toxic, like Aconite, be safe to take?
You can see from the above that homeopathic remedies are absolutely safe, non-toxic and non-addictive, because of the degree of dilution of the starting solution in the final potency you take. Indeed, potencies of 12c and above will statistically have no molecules of the starting substance left in them at all.
You could take Aconite 12c every day for years and you would not be exposing yourself to any toxicity from the remedy. You would not, of course, do this, because apart from palliative care, you take a remedy until you are better – and then you stop.
Homeopathy is absolutely safe for any age – from pregnancy through birth and then right through to old age and death.
