Homeopathic Glossary

Accessory Symptom: When a remedy improves existing symptoms but causes new, temporary symptoms to appear due to an imperfect match. These new symptoms, like abdominal rumbling after joint pain relief, resolve once the remedy is adjusted or discontinued.

Acute Illness: A condition that may (or may not) be intense but is of short in duration. Examples of this are: flu, broken bones, fever etc. In some cases, acute illness can  become a chronic disease if not appropriately treated.

Aetiology/Etiology: The cause of a disease, considered a key aspect of a complete symptom in homeopathic case-taking.

Aggravation: A noticeable introduction of symptoms, or an intensification of existing symptoms, by a homeopathic remedy.

Agrohomeopathy: The use of homeopathic remedies with plants or soil to enhance growth, treat diseases, or manage pests.

Allopathy: From the Greek ‘allos’ (other) + ‘pathos’ (disease). Allopathic treatments use medicines that produce symptoms different to (or opposite to) those being treated, in contrast to the similar-effect principle of homeopathy.

Antidote: A substance or remedy that counteracts or neutralizes the effects of a homeopathic remedy.

Antipathy: Treatment that directly opposes or suppresses disease symptoms (e.g., using sedatives for insomnia), in contrast to homeopathy’s similarity-based approach.

Aphorisms: Numbered paragraphs in Hahnemann’s Organon, each stating a core principle or truth about homeopathy.

Bach Flowers: A system of 38 flower essences developed by Dr. Edward Bach to address emotional and mental states. Related to but distinct from homeopathy, it uses sub-material doses.

Biphasic Action: The dual response to a homeopathic remedy: an initial primary response (temporary symptom increase) followed by a secondary healing response.

Bioresonance: A controversial therapy using electromagnetic frequencies to diagnose or treat imbalances. It is sometimes associated with homeopathy but not part of standard practice.

Boenninghausen: Clemens von Böenninghausen, a 19th-century homeopath who developed the first repertory and advanced case-taking methods.

Cancer Miasm: A controversial miasm linked to chronic degenerative diseases, including cancer, indicating a deep predisposition to cellular dysfunction.

Case-Taking: The detailed process of collecting patient information (symptoms, modalities, history) to select an appropriate remedy.

Causation: The specific event or factor (e.g., injury, infection) that triggered a disease, a critical element in homeopathic case-taking for remedy selection.

Centesimal Scale: A potency scale in which remedies are diluted 1:100 at each step, reflecting the number of dilution and succussion cycles. (e.g., 30C)

Chronic Problems: Persistent or recurring health conditions treated with remedies addressing the individual’s overall symptom profile.

Classical Homeopathy: A term introduced after Hahnemann’s time to identify homeopathic practice that closely followed his original principles, particularly the use of a single remedy selected according to the law of similars and matched to the totality of the patient’s symptoms since last well in order to stimulate the vital force. Some practitioners prefer the designation ‘Hahnemannian Homeopathy’ to more precisely emphasise practices that adhere to Hahnemann’s methodology, as the term ‘classical’ has, over time, been applied more broadly to include certain modern appraoches that diverge from his foundational teachings.

Combination Remedy: A preparation containing multiple remedies, used for broad symptom relief but considered less specific than single-remedy prescribing.

Common Symptom: A symptom typical of a specific disease and experienced by most people with that condition (e.g., itching in poison ivy).

Complementary Remedy: A remedy that enhances or completes the action of another remedy, often prescribed in sequence to support healing.

Complete Symptom: A symptom that includes aetiology, location, sensation, modalities, and concomitants; used for precise remedy selection.

Concomitant: A symptom that occurs simultaneously with the main complaint (even though appearing unrelated), forming part of a complete symptom.

Constitutional Prescribing: Selecting a remedy based on a patient’s overall physical, mental, and emotional characteristics, often for chronic conditions.

Contagion: An infectious state transferred by contact, considered in homeopathic case-taking when considering disease disease aetiology.

Conventional Medicine: A medical system that uses drugs, surgery, or other interventions to directly suppress or eliminate disease symptoms, often contrasting with homeopathy’s holistic approach.

Cure: The complete symptom-free restoration of health through addressing the root cause of symptoms in alignment with the vital force.

Decimal Scale: A potency scale where remedies are diluted 1:10 per step (e.g., 6X); commonly used for lower potencies.

Diathesis: A mental or physical predisposition to disease, often inherited or acquired, that influences remedy selection.

Direction of Cure: The typical order in which symptoms resolve during treatment: from most vital to less vital organs, inside to outside, and top to bottom.

Disease: A state of dis-ease or ill health.

Dissimilar Aggravation: A worsening of symptoms due to a poorly matched remedy, producing new or unrelated symptoms and requiring a change in remedy.

Doctrine of Signatures: The historical concept that a substance’s appearance or characteristics indicate its therapeutic use for similar conditions.

Dose: The administration of a remedy (via pills, drops, or inhalation), with frequency determined by symptom intensity and remedy potency.

Drainage Remedy: A low-potency remedy used to support organ function or detoxification before prescribing a deeper-acting remedy.

Drainage Therapy: The use of low-potency remedies to promote detoxification or organ support. Used by some as a precursor to deeper homeopathic treatment.

Dynamisation: The process of potentisation, involving dilution and succussion, to enhance a remedy’s energetic effect.

Dynamism: The philosophical view in homeopathy that health and disease are governed by dynamic, non-material forces (such as the vital force) that influence remedy action.

Elimination Rubric: A repertory rubric used to exclude remedies not associated with a specific symptom, thereby narrowing remedy choices.

Energetic Medicine: Remedies that act through an energetic imprint rather than chemical content, Particularly at high potencies.

First-Aid Homeopathy: Use of remedies for immediate relief of injuries or emergencies (e.g., cuts, shocks), gocussing on rapid symptom relief.

Follows Well: A remedy that effectively follows another in treatment, enhancing or continuing its therapeutic action without interference.

Generals: Symptoms that affect the whole person (e.g., energy levels, temperature preferences); these are prioritized in remedy selection due to their broad impact.

Genus Epidemicus: The remedy that proves most effective for the majority of cases in a specific epidemic; used for treatment and prophylaxis.

Hahnemann: Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, who developed its core principles and authored its foundational text, the Organon of the Medical Art.

Healing Crisis: A temporary intensification of symptoms during homeopathic treatment, signalling the body’s effort to heal and rebalance.

Hering’s ‘Law’: The typical order in which symptoms resolve during treatment: from the most recent symptoms to older ones, from most vital to less vital organs, inside to outside, and top to bottom.

Homeopathic Aggravation: A temporary worsening of existing symptoms after taking a well-matched remedy, followed by improvement.

Homeopathic Kit: A collection of commonly used remedies for home use, usually designed for first-aid and acute conditions.

Homeopathic Provings: Controlled experiments in which healthy individuals take a substance (usually potentised) to record the symptoms it produces to form the basis of the remedy’s symptom profile.

Homeopathy: A holistic system of medicine that uses highly diluted substances to stimulate the body’s vital force and promote healing, based on the law of “like cures like.”

Homeoprophylaxis: The use of homeopathic remedies to prevent disease, typically administered during epidemics.

Hormesis: A biological phenomenon in which low doses of a substance stimulate a beneficial response while higher doses have a negative or harmful effect; sometimes linked to homeopathy’s minimal dose principle.

Hypersensitivity: Abnormal overreaction to remedies or environmental stimuli, managed with diluted doses or olfaction.

Imponderable: A remedy prepared from non-material energy sources (e.g., sunlight, x-ray, magnetic field).

Imponderables: Remedies derived from non-material energy sources (e.g., sunlight, X-rays), used for energetic imbalances, often in subtle or hypersensitive cases.

Inimical Remedy: A remedy that may interfere with or counteract another remedy’s action, to be avoided in close succession.

Intercurrent Remedy: A remedy given temporarily to address an acute flare-up or obstacle during chronic treatment, helping to restore progress.

Isopathy: A homeopathic approach using potentised remedies prepared from the same substance causing the condition (e.g., pollen for pollen allergy).

Kent: James Tyler Kent, a prominent and influential homeopath who developed a widely used repertory and emphasized dry-dose prescribing.

Keynotes: Distinctive or prominent symptoms of a remedy that strongly guide its selection.

Kingdoms: The broad categories of remedy sources in homeopathy: plant, mineral, animal, nosodes, sarcodes, Fungi, Bacteria/Viruses, synthetic, and imponderables.

Korsakovian: A method of remedy preparation using a single container for serial dilutions and succussions, developed by Semyon Korsakov, often denoted with a “K” (e.g., 30K).

Law of Similars: The foundational principle/law that a substance capable of causing symptoms in a healthy person can treat similar symptoms in a sick person.

Like Treats Like: A common synonym for the Law of Similars: substances that produce symptoms in the healthy individuals are used to treat similar symptoms in the sick.

Liquid Remedy: A homeopathic remedy prepared as a liquid solution, often used for flexible dosing or for hypersensitive patients.

LM Potency: A high-dilution potency scale (1:50,000) developed by Hahnemann for gentle, frequent dosing, commonly used in chronic cases.

Location: The specific body area where a symptom is experienced; one component of a complete symptom in case-taking.

Materia Medica: A comprehensive reference that lists remedies and the symptom they produce. Used to match treatments to patient symptoms.

Mental-Emotional Symptoms: Psychological or emotional symptoms (e.g., grief, anxiety) that are often as important as physical symptoms to guide remedy selection.

Miasm: A deep-seated, inherited, or acquired predisposition to chronic disease that influences long-term remedy selection.

Minimal Dose: The smallest amount of a remedy needed to stimulate healing – a key homeopathic principle to avoid overstimulation.

Modalities: Factors such as pain, motion, rest, weather, time of day, that worsen (<) or improve (>) symptoms, guiding remedy choice (e.g., pain < motion, > rest).

Mother Tincture: The initial concentrated extract of a substance (e.g., plant, mineral) used as the starting point for homeopathic dilutions.

Nanotherapy: The theory that homeopathic remedies may act through retained nanoparticles even after extreme dilution.

Never-Been-Well-Since: A chronic condition traceable to a specific past event (e.g., trauma, infection); identifying this origin is critical in case-taking.

Nosode: A remedy prepared from diseased tissue, microorganisms, or pathological discharges, used for treatment or prophylaxis.

Olfaction Dosing: Inhaling the vapour a remedy, used for hypersensitive patients to minimize aggravation, as described in Hahnemann’s Organon.

Organ Therapy: The use of remedies (often sarcodes) to support or stimulate specific organs or systems, especially in cases of localized dysfunction.

Organon of the Medical Art: Hahnemann’s foundational text, produced in 6 editions, outlining homeopathy’s principles through 294 aphorisms.

Organopathic Remedy: A remedy that targets a specific organ or system, used when symptoms are primarily localized rather than systemic.

Organopathy: A homeopathic approach focusing on remedies to support or heal specific organs or systems, often using low potencies or sarcodes.

Palliation: Temporary relief of symptoms without addressing the underlying cause, considered less desirable than a true cure.

Particulars: Symptoms specific to a localized area or organ (e.g., knee pain); these are less prioritized than generals in remedy selection.

Pathogenetic Trials: Experiments in which healthy individuals take a substance to document its effects; synonymous with homeopathic provings and the foundation of remedy symptom profiles.

Pill or Globule: A homeopathic remedy prepared as small sugar-pills or globules, commonly used for easy administration and storage.

Plussing: The technique of extending a remedy’s dose by adding water to the solution and succussing it further to enhance its effect.

Polycrest: A versatile remedy with a broad range of applications, capable of addressing multiple symptoms across various conditions.

Polypharmacy: The simultaneous use of multiple remedies simultaneously; generally discouraged in homeopathy in favor of single-remedy prescribing.

Posology: The study and practice of remedy dosing, including selection of potency, frequency, and administration method, tailored to patient sensitivity and condition.

Potentiser: A device or machine used to prepare homeopathic remedies through serial dilution and succussion.

Potency: The dilution level of a remedy (e.g., 30C), reflecting the degree of dilution and succussion and influencing its therapeutic strength.

Potentisation: Serial dilution and succussion used to prepare homeopathic remedies and enhance enhance their energetic properties.

Primary Response: The initial reaction to a homeopathic remedy, often a temporary aggravation, indicating the body’s engagement with the remedy.

Protocols: Structured guidelines for administering homeopathic remedies, including potency, dosage, and timing, tailored to specific conditions.

Prophylaxis: Homeopathic prevention of disease, often epidemics by using remedies to enhance resistance.

Psora: The fundamental miasm described by Hahnemann, associated with chronic skin and functional disorders, considered the root of many chronic diseases.

Psoric Miasm: The chronic predisposition linked to Psora, characterized by hypersensitivity, inflammation, and skin-related symptoms.

Radionic Remedy: A remedy prepared using radionics devices to imprint energetic patterns; controversial and not part of Hahnemannian practice.

Radionics: A controversial alternative therapy that uses devices to detect or treat imbalances via energy fields; sometimes linked to but not part of Hahnemannian practice.

Remedy: A potentized substance (from plant, mineral, etc.) used to stimulate healing when its symptom profile matches the patient’s.

Remedy Relationships: The interactions between remedies (complementary, inimical, or follows-well, etc) that guide sequential prescribing.

Repertory: An indexed reference of symptoms and remedies that address them, used to narrow down remedy choices.

Return of Old Symptoms: The reappearance of previous symptoms during treatment, often a positive sign of progress toward deeper healing.

Rubric: A specific symptom description or category in a repertory, along with the remedies associated with it; used for accurate remedy selection.

Sarcode: A remedy prepared from healthy animal or human tissue or secretions, used to support function or restore balance in corresponding organs or systems.

Scheussler: Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler, a 19th-century physician and homeopath who developed the biochemic system of 12 salts to correct mineral deficiencies at the cellular level.

Sensation: The subjective quality or feeling of a symptom (e.g., burning, throbbing), forming a key component of a complete symptom in case-taking.

Secondary Response: The healing reaction following the primary response, where symptoms improve as the vital force restores balance.

Sensitivity: The degree to which a patient responds to a homeopathic remedy when its symptom picture matches their own, triggering a healing response

Similar Aggravation: A temporary intensification of existing symptoms following administration of a well-matched (similar) remedy, that will be followed by and improvement.

Similia: Short for “similia similibus curentur (Latin: “let likes be cured by likes”), the foundational principle of homeopathy.

Simillimum: The single remedy that precisely matches the totality of a patient’s symptoms (physical, mental and emotional), considered the ideal choice for stimulating a curative response.

Strange, Rare, and Peculiar Symptoms: Unusual, distinctive, or idiosyncratic symptoms that are highly characteristic of the individual and often carry a strong weight in remedy selection.

Succussion: Vigorous shaking or striking of a diluted remedy solution against a firm surface during potentisation to dynamise or imprint the substance’s energetic properties into the liquid.

Suppression: The artificial masking or worsening of symptoms (e.g., through allopathic treatment), which may force the underlying imbalance deeper and lead to more serious chronic conditions.

Sycosis: One of Hahnemann’s three primary miasms, linked historically to suppressed gonorrhea, characterized by overgrowth, proliferation. and excess (e.g., warts. discharges. or hypertrophic tendencies).

Sycotic Miasm: The chronic predisposition linked to sycosis, featuring proliferative or overgrowth conditions (e.g., warts. fibroids. or allergies), which influences long-term remedy selection.

Syphilitic Miasm: One of Hahnemann’s primary miasms. associated with suppressed syphilis. marked by destructive, ulcerative or degenerative processes (e.g., bone destruction, neurological issues).

Tautopathy: The therapeutic use of a potentized form of a conventional drug or toxin to counteract or treat adverse effects cause by that same substance (a form of isopathy applied to pharmaceuticals).

Therapeutics: In homeopathy, this term often denotes practical guides or lists of common remedies associated with specific diseases or conditions, based on characteristic symptoms that align with a diagnosis (rather than strictly the totality of the individual’s unique symptom profile). More broadly, it is the art and science of selecting and applying remedies to stimulate the vital force and restore health, guided by the principle of symptom similarity.

Tissue Salts: The 12 biochemic remedies developed by Schuessler, administered in low potencies to address mineral imbalances and support cellular function.

Totality of Symptoms: The complete, holistic picture of a patient’s symptoms – encompassing physical, mental, emotional, and general characteristics – used as a primary basis for remedy selection.

Tubercular Miasm: A miasmatic predisposition (sometimes considered intermediate between sycosis and syphilis) associated with tuberculosis tendencies characterised by weakness and respiratory issues, discontent and a desire for change.

Trituration: The mechanical grinding of an insoluble (e.g., a mineral) with lactose powder to render it soluble and prepare it for further dilution and potentisation.

Unhomeopathic Aggravation: The introduction of temporary new symptoms by a mismatched remedy.

Vibrational Medicine: A theoretical framework suggesting that homeopathic remedies exert effects through energetic or vibrational properties rather than material substance.

Vital Force: The dynamic, non-material life energy or organising principle, described by Hahnemann, that maintains health and coordinates the body’s responses; homeopathic remedies aim to stimulate and restore its balance.

Vitalist Principle: A foundational belief within homeopathy that a vital force or life principle governs health and disease, enabling the organism to self-regulate and heal when properly stimulated.

Xenobiotic: A remedy prepared from synthetic chemicals, environmental pollutants, or foreign substances (e.g., pesticides, dyes, plastics ), used to address toxicities or sensitivities arising from modern exposures.