2. POTENTISATION
Potentisation is a mathematico-mechanical process by
virtue of which the inherited dormant dynamic curative
Power of drugs is aroused or increased by modifying drug
strength or Drug power to dynamic power through
simultaneous and successive process of dilution and
friction in definite order according to pharmacopoeia.
3. Modern Potentisation Techniques
Keeping pace with the scientific and industrial revolution ,
many followers and students of Hahnemann and
homoeopathy started to perceive the principle of
Potentisation from the view of constructing labour saving
techniques and machines, by which they could prepare
high potencies.
4. Dr.Gross , Dr.N.Schreter and General Korsakoff of Russia
played the principal part and became the real founders of
the theory of high potencies
6. Count Graf von Korsakoff – Real originator of high
potencies
One single medicated globule when placed among many
non-medicated globules communicate it’s medicinal power
to the non-medicated globules
7. All these globules are been medically activated and there
medicinal strength was almost equal to that of original
globule
Hahnemann did with the fluid potencies and Korsakoff did
with the solid dry globule.
He went on to do this with 13500 unmedicated globules
and one single dry globule of Sulphur 30.
He believed that the material division of the medicine
ceased with the 6th potency
9. Caspar Julius Jenichen pursued the idea that further
attenuation is not necessary for the Potentisation of
medicine ,but continuous succussion without dilution is
sufficient.
The degree of strength developed through Potentisation
was directly proportional to no.of strokes given.
10. Every ten strokes given would increase the dynamic
strength of medicine by one degree
10 strokes – increase by one degree of potency.
For 200, he gave ten strokes; up to 800, 12 strokes and from
800- 40000, thirty strokes.
12. Mechanised the process of Potentisation.
Used oil-mill ( made of string oak) for preparing.
“D” is used as the suffix for his potencies.
13. One hundred and twenty five such succussions were given
to each potency.
The Dunham potencies were given to Smith’s Pharmacy in
New York City.
Several doctors inherited potencies marked '200D' and
these are probably all that remained of Dunham potencies.
15. 100 drops of drug substance in a glass jug
Allow a stream of water to flow into it.
For every drachm of water entering in and out, count as
one potency.
Eg)100 drachms of water entering in and out would raise
the potency to 100.
16. The important concept in this process is that the walls of
the glass vial have adsorbed the medicinal substance.
Potentization is not achieved by dilution but rather by
attenuation.
18. Skinner developed ‘Skinner Fluxion Centesimal
Attenuator’.
This device was designed to mount above a small sink in
the office or home. The motive power was water pressure.
The potencies are labeled ‘F.C.’ (Fluxion Centesimal).
19. Skinner’s potencies were prepared by a process of
discontinuous fluxion in contrast to the continuous fluxion
of Fincke.
It claimed to make 50 potencies per min, 3000 per hour,
72000 per day, 100000 in 33 hours.
21. Swan used fractional part of potencies and attenuated from
them.
If 1 drop of tincture were used to make 1M potency, then
1/10 th of a drop of the 1M would be used to make 10 M .
22. Multiple or Single Vial Potencies
Hahnemannian method of potentization requires a new
vial to be used for every stage of potentization, which is the
original method developed by Hahnemann.
It is known as Hahnemann’s Multiple Vial method.
23. Single vial potencies are easier and cheaper to produce.
They are called Korsakoff potencies.
His method is based on the fact that when a phial is
emptied, some of the fluid remains adhering to the walls.
Hahnemann’s method was and still is more accurate.
24. Hahnemann mentions that these potencies should be
prepared by hand process.
The hand process is suitable for preparing smaller
quantities. The question of mechanical devices came up
when shaking of large quantities in big vessels became
necessary.
25. Practically, it is too hard to pursue the Hahnemannian
hand process in cases of higher and highest potencies that
came up after Hahnemann. Hahnemann himself made
potencies upto 60C.
Practically, automatic machines now prepare all higher and
highest potencies or dilutions.
