A SYNOPTIC KEY OF THE MATERIA MEDICA Dr. Smita Brahmachari Correct prescribing is the art of carefully fitting pathogenetic to clinical symptoms, and such at present requires a special aptness in grasping the essential points of symptom images, great drudgery, mastering a working knowledge of our large materia medica and a most skillful use of many books of reference. It is the aim of this book “A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica” is to simplify and introduce method into this work, so that the truly homoeopathic curative remedy may be worked out with greater ease and certainty.

1. A SYNOPTIC KEYA SYNOPTIC KEY
OF THEOF THE
MATERIA MEDICAMATERIA MEDICA
Dr. Smita Brahmachari,Dr. Smita Brahmachari,
M.D. (Repertory) from N.I.H., Kolkata.M.D. (Repertory) from N.I.H., Kolkata.
M.O., Dept. of AYUSH,M.O., Dept. of AYUSH,
Govt. of NCT Delhi.Govt. of NCT Delhi.

3. Author – Dr. Cyrus Maxwell BogerAuthor – Dr. Cyrus Maxwell Boger

4. Editions of the bookEditions of the book
• I edition – 1915I edition – 1915
• II edition – 1916II edition – 1916
• III edition – 1928III edition – 1928
• Fourth edition – 1931Fourth edition – 1931
• Augmented edition – 1935 byAugmented edition – 1935 by
Dr. Banerjee of KolkataDr. Banerjee of Kolkata

5. ANATOMY OF THE SYNOPTIC
KEY
Foreword
List of remedies in Materia medica portion
Part I – Analysis
Part II – Synopsis
Part III – Comprises of 4 appendices
List of remedies & their abbreviations

6. PART- I
ANALYSIS

7. A SHORT REPERTORY
4 sections
 The periods of aggravation
 Conditions of aggravations and amelioration
 Generalities i.e. consideration of drug affinities for the entire
organism
 Regional repertory

8. CONSTRUCTION OF THE
REPERTORY
 Each page is arranged in two columns
 Name of the chapter is written on the top of the page in
BOLD CAPITAL
 Rubrics also represented in BOLD CAPITAL
 Sub rubrics are represented in bold roman letters
 Synonyms are given soon after the rubric in bold roman
letters with the prefix ‘see’
 Cross references are given after the medicine in bold
roman letters with the prefix ‘comp.’

9.  I ORDINARY CAPITALS – ACON
 II Bold roman – Acon
 III Ordinary roman – Acon

10. The periods of aggravation
• Consists of time periods of aggravations
• Starts with the rubric PERIODICALLY, in general
• Time periods are given in the order of
 Morning – 6 am to 12 noon
 After noon – 1 pm to 5 pm
 Evening – 6 pm to 8 pm
 Night – 9 pm to 5 am
• Both day timings and clock timings are given
• Periodically----- daily, agg ; at same hour, agg; Weekly, agg etc

11. Conditions of aggravations and amelioration
• Rubrics arranged alphabetically from AIR to
YAWNING
• Can be taken as causative modalities.
• Some important rubrics : Anticipation <;
Breakfast <; Dust,feathers etc <; Emotions <;
Females <; Foods drinks, <; Mental exertion<;
moon phase, full moon <; moon light, <;
Vaccination <; Position<; Rising from sitting <;
Sea, <; Seasons <; Smoke<; Sleep<; woollens<.

12. Generalities
• It consists of the consideration of the drug
affinities of the entire organism
• Rubrics are arranged in alphabetical order
ACHING to YELLOW.
• Rubrics include locations in general like
bones, joints; sensations; complaints;
pathological generals; clinical rubrics; mental
rubrics

13. Regional repertory
• Given as subchapters
• Starts with INTELLECT & ends with SWEAT
• Each subchapters are separated by a
horizontal line
• It is one of the repertories whose regionals or
locations starts with intellect.

14. PART -II
SYNOPSIS

15. • An exposition of the Important and
Characteristic Features of the most important
remedies of the Homoeopathic materia medica,
with their-
Physiological spheres of activities
Modalities
Relationships
• 323 remedies from Abrotanum to Zinc
valerianate with gradation of symptoms (using
similar 3 gradations used in repertory part).

16. THE SYNOPSIS
• General expression or genius of each remedy
• Strain which runs through every pathogenetic
complex has been called the “genius” of the
drug. Its proper place in the prescription
should be the ideal of every prescriber.

17. Construction of synopsis
• Name of the medicine written on the top of the page in BOLD
CAPITALS
• followed by 2 columns - Rt & Lt
• on left column – REGION i.e., sphere of action of the remedy
• on Right column - modalities as WORSE & BETTER
• followed by characteristic features of the remedy as a single paragraph
• by bracketing the most nearly affiliated remedies after some of the
symptoms
• Followed by Antidotes; Complementary & Related and [ not seen in every
medicines]

18. PART III

19.  Minimum duration of action of 127 remedies are given, by weeks
 The no. of weeks mentioned as superscript… Ex:- Phos5
-- 5
weeks.
 2 important quotations :
 As long as old ailments reappear or are worse, without
the appearance of essentially new symptoms which lie
outside of its sphere of action, we should guard
against a repetition of the remedy, or changing to a
new one – Boenninghausen.
 Symptoms appearing last in a proving have the highest
value – Hering.

20.  A list of 114 remedies
 From Abrotanum to Zincum
 with their complementary remedies
 with gradations….Bold roman & ordinary roman are
used.
 The introduction of gradation in the complementary
relationship is a unique concept.
 Ex.: Agar – Calc-c; Asaf – Puls; Baryta-c – Ant tart;
Caps. – Nat m; Led. – Sep.; Nat carb – Sep.

21.  It contains 35 remedies from Acetic acid to
Zincum
 with their antagonistic remedies (inimical
relationship).
 without any gradations
 Ex. : Apis * Rhus tox; Coloc * Caust; Lyco
* Nux mos; Merc * Sil; Phos * Caust; Sepia
* Lach.

22. SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCE TABLESUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCE TABLE
 With a foreword by C.M. Boger. He mentions that it has been
enlarged considerably, especially by transferring most of the
comparisons to it from the text of respective remedies.
 Benefit: adds clearness & facility of reference.
 Here rubrics are arranged alphabetically, with sub rubrics.
 Many rubrics are provided with page number against them for easy
reference as an index to analysis part with gradation of medicines.
 The additional subrubrics & medicines mentioned in this section
should be combinedly referred to with analysis part.
 Clinical conditions pertaining to various parts of body are vividly
described under specific part.

23.  Asthma – bronchial – Terb; catarrhal – Calad., Caps; with coryza – Just; dry weather –
Cham; of hay fever – Aru-t, Chlor; from hives – Apis; humid – Cann.
 Back – acne – Rumex; cyst on – Phos; mental exertion – Pic-ac; stiffness ascends – Ars.
 Bones – exostoses – sulph iod, syph; weather changes agg. – Am-c.
 Bowels – inactive – Phys.
 Burns – Urt-u.
 Bruised wrist – Rhod.
 Calculi – Coc – c.
 Callosities – Radm., Symp.
 Chloasmae – Card-m, Lyco, Rob.
 Climaxis – Mang, Mell, Stro, Ust.
 Mucous colitis – Asar, Zinc-val.
 Dandruff – white – Ars, Kali-m; yellow – Calc-c, Kali-s.
 Duodenum – Pod, Uran-n.
 X-ray burns – calc fl.

24.  It contains 489 medicines.
 From Abies canadensis to Zizia aurea.
 with their abbreviations used in repertory.

25.  Is too simplify and introduce method of finding
out true homoeopathic curative remedy with
greater ease and certainty.
 Combination of the analytic and synoptic method
is best.
 Is to make clear the general expression orthe general expression or
genius of each remedygenius of each remedy and thereby help to
prescribe correctly.
 The strain which runs through every pathogenetic
symptom complex is called “genius” of the drug“genius” of the drug

26. The scope of its content is much enlarged by
bracketing the most nearly affiliatedbracketing the most nearly affiliated
remedies afterremedies after some of the more
important symptomsimportant symptoms; this also help inhelp in
making differentiation.making differentiation.

27. FINDING OUT SIMILIMUM

28. FIRST STEP
• Elicit the evident cause and course of
sickness.
• Things that causes sufferer discomfort.
• Natural modifier of sickness – the
modalities.

29. MODALITIES:
NATURAL MODIFIERS OF THE SICKNESS
• The modalities – be very definitely ascertained.
• Most vitally important of such influences: time,
temperature, open air, posture, being alone,
motion, sleep, eating and drinking, touch,
pressure, discharges, etc

30. SECOND STEP
A consideration of
mental state- presence
of irritability, sadness
or fear is the ruling
factor

31. THIRD STEP
Patients own description of sensation

32.  Always ascertain whether any of the following
primary sensations are present:
burning
cramping
cutting
bursting
soreness
throbbing
and thirst.
 There may be many others, but the presence of any
one of these often overshadows them.

33. FOURTH STEP
ENTIRE OBJECTIVE ASPECT OR EXPRESSION OF
THE SICKNESS

34. This should specially include:
THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONTHE FACIAL EXPRESSION
DEMEANOR (behavior, conduct towardsDEMEANOR (behavior, conduct towards
others).others).
NERVOUS EXCITABILITYNERVOUS EXCITABILITY
SENSIBILITYSENSIBILITY
RESTLESSNESS OR TORPOR,RESTLESSNESS OR TORPOR,
STATE OF THE SECRETIONS AND ANYSTATE OF THE SECRETIONS AND ANY
ABNORMAL COLORING.ABNORMAL COLORING.

35. FIFTH STEP

36. CORRECT PRESCRIBING IS THE ARTCORRECT PRESCRIBING IS THE ART
OF CAREFULLY FITTINGOF CAREFULLY FITTING
PATHOGENETIC TO CLINICALPATHOGENETIC TO CLINICAL
SYMPTOMS.SYMPTOMS.

37. • All symptoms stand on the sameAll symptoms stand on the same
level,level, for certain effects must be morefor certain effects must be more
important than othersimportant than others, yet be part and, yet be part and
parcel of them.parcel of them.
• We must learn to know our remedies,We must learn to know our remedies,
just as we do our friendsjust as we do our friends, by their air, by their air
or personality; and ever changingor personality; and ever changing
composite effect, but alwayscomposite effect, but always
reflecting the same motive.reflecting the same motive.

38. IT REQUIRES
A special aptness in grasping the
essential points of symptom images.
Great drudgery in mastering a
working knowledge of our large
materia medica.
Most skillful use of many books of
reference.

39. REPETITION OF THE DOSE
• General benefit derived from a single dose
lags, the remedy should be repeated in the next
higher potency instead of looking upon the
new symptoms as indicators for some other
drug; for only the most inveterately rooted
dyscrasia can, by varying its expression, resist
the whole scale of an indicated remedy

40. WHENEVER THE CHOSEN REMEDY
EXCITES LITTLE OR NO REACTION
• FAULTY selection
OR
• Presence of one of the
FUNDAMENTAL MIASMS which
call for either, Psorinum, Sulphur,
Medorrhinum or Syphilinum.

41. SCOPE OF BOGER SYNOPTIC KEYSCOPE OF BOGER SYNOPTIC KEY
• Synopsis i.e., the whole sphere of action of drugs isSynopsis i.e., the whole sphere of action of drugs is
presented in a nut shell.presented in a nut shell.
• Modalities are given which is helpful for
prescription esp. in the repertory section i.e., time
and conditions of aggravation and amelioration.
• Sphere of action of drug are given which will helpSphere of action of drug are given which will help
physician to study or classify the drugs in a groupphysician to study or classify the drugs in a group
which in turn will help clinician in quickwhich in turn will help clinician in quick
prescribing.prescribing.
• The repertory is intended to orient the searcher.The repertory is intended to orient the searcher.

42. SCOPE OF BOGER SYNOPTIC KEYSCOPE OF BOGER SYNOPTIC KEY
• Complementary and related medicine given at
the end that will help physician in prescribing.
• Concept of materia medica & repertoryConcept of materia medica & repertory
together, helps for easy referencetogether, helps for easy reference
• Gradation of symptoms in synopsis is very
valuable
• As less number of medicines are used inAs less number of medicines are used in
repertory, it helps for quick bed side referencerepertory, it helps for quick bed side reference
• Part III, esp supplementary reference table is
the highlight of this book

43. LIMITATION OF BOGER SYNOPTIC
KEY
List of medicine is very less
Contain less number of nosodes
Number of the related medicine is less
It can not be used systematic repertorisation
Rubrics in each chapter is very less with less
number of medicine

45. THANK YOU