Homeopathy differs from classical pharmacology also for the techniques of preparation of remedies.
Homeopathic dilution
In the general article we have seen how in the homeopathic context all substances present in nature are used, or can be used, not as they are found, but diluted. In this sense, the clear contrast with classical pharmacology, which tends to isolate and increasingly concentrate the active principles of health interest, appears evident.
The first and most important characteristic of homeopathic preparations is therefore dilution . If on the one hand this peculiarity makes homeopathy a science practically immune to side effects (to which modern pharmacology is heavily burdened), on the other it raises many doubts about its scientific nature, given that often dilutions are used that are so numerous that the content of the original substance. On the other hand, modern pharmacology, although very effective in emergency conditions, where it is a question of saving life in extreme cases (wars, accidents, surgical operations, acute illnesses, etc.), often fails - directly or indirectly (in excess) of side effects) - in the treatment of complex pathologies such as autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, allergic diseases, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, skin diseases such as psoriasis, etc.
Homeopathic dynamization (strengthening)
In addition to dilution, the techniques used for the production of homeopathic remedies exploit a second element of fundamental importance: the dynamization (or "strengthening").
The dynamization consists in shaking the diluted product, to be carried out at least 100 times in a vertical sense, with net movements, fast and of short distance (about 20 centimeters).
Currently, for obvious reasons, most companies use special equipment for the dynamization of homeopathic products; however, there are still producers who prefer manual preparation, advocating greater effectiveness.
In conclusion, the preparation of homeopathic products consists of successive steps, in which a basic substance (for example arsenic, chamomile or coffee) is first diluted and subsequently dynamized.
Hahnemannian dilutions
In homeopathy, dilution occurs commonly according to a factor of 10, 100 or 50, 000: dilutions made with decimal passages are called «decimals» and are indicated with «D» (sometimes, more rarely, with «X»). Similarly, the dilutions that occur with centesimal passages are called "centesimal" and are indicated by "CH"; the «C» stands for «centesimal», while the «H» is the initial of Hahnemann (1755-1843), surname of the German doctor founder of homeopathy.
Hahnemann initially supported the use of centesimal dilutions. Only in later periods did the fifty-thousand-millionth dilutions, indicated with the Roman numeration "LM", be preferred.
As an example, consider cooking salt, sodium chloride, which in homeopathy is called by its Latin name, Natrum muriatìcum.
Suppose we use the centesimal technique: we then take a gram of cooking salt and dissolve it in 99 grams of water, shaking the bottle 100 times with energy in a vertical direction: what we get is the first centesimal dilution, which is indicated with 1 CH. Subsequently, take 1 cubic centimeter (1 cc) of the 1 CH dilution and dissolve it in 99 cc of water, dynamize it and obtain 2 CH; take 1 cc of 2 CH, dissolve it in 99 cc of water, dynamize and obtain 3 CH, and so on.
Suppose we use the decimal technique; take one gram of cooking salt and dissolve it in 9 grams of water, shaking the bottle 100 times with energy in a vertical direction: what we get is the first decimal dilution, which is indicated with 1 DH. Next, take 1 cubic centimeter (1 cc) of the 1 DH dilution and dissolve it in 9 cc of water, dynamize it and obtain 2 DH; take 1 cc of the 2 DH, dissolve it in 9 cc of water, dynamize and obtain the 3 DH and so on.
The most commonly used dilutions in homeopathy are 4, 5, 7, 9, 15, 30, 60, 100 and 200 CH; this naturally also applies to decimals, while the most common LMs are 6, 18 and 30 LM.
Less commonly used dynamizations are the thousandths (Latin symbol "M"), the decamillesimali (symbol "XM" or "DM") and the millionths (symbol "MM"). For the preparation of such dynamizations, new glass containers are used for each step: it can be imagined, therefore, that in order to prepare a dynamization for two hundred years, as many as 200 steps are needed, with 200 different glass containers!
Dynamization VS dilution
In homeopathy the dynamization of the dilution is more important, since the dilution simply removes the potential toxicity of the substances used, while the dynamization gives the dilution the much discussed "energy quid", which is the basis of action of the remedy.
This is why in homeopathy, when referring to a product, we speak of it in terms of dynamization and not dilution. They consider themselves
"Low" dynamizations up to 9 (D or CH or K or LM etc.),
"Medium" those between 10 and 15;
"High" those above 30 up to 200;
The dynamizations greater than 200 are very high. From the point of view of the clinical effect, for example, a 7 CH is closer to a 7 D than to a 14 D (which would be equivalent to a 7 CH, based on the dilution ).
A synonym of dynamization is the term "power", used above all by the German and Anglo-Saxon schools. Still referring to the clinical effect, the low potencies (or dynamizations) act more on fast-growing tissues, in particular the mucous membranes, the skin, the bone marrow and the gastrointestinal territory in general; the medium powers on the muscles, the liver, the kidney, the bone, the cartilages; the high powers on the endocrine, the peripheral nervous system, the neurovegetative innervation, the sub-cortical nuclei and partly on the central nervous system; the highest powers mainly on the central nervous system in its highest functions.
Korsacovian dilutions »
