Homeopathic remedies are made from substances derived from plant, mineral, and animal sources. Depending on their natural state, they may be prepared in a variety of different ways. Plant and animal material may be used whole or chopped, depending on its size and density. Metals that are insoluble in their natural states are combined with lactose sugar crystals and ground repeatedly to form a powder fine enough to be soluble in water: this process is called trituration. Crystalline substances, seeds, and beans may also be ground up if they are hard, large, or insoluble in water.
- Plant material such as leaves, roots, and flowerheads (above), and some animal material, such as starfish, is chopped finely, while other substances are dissolved in water or ground to prepare them for use.
- The substance is put in a large glass jar, into which is poured a solution of alcohol and distilled water (often 90 percent alcohol to 10 percent water, but this ratio varies depending on the substance).
- The mixture is left to stand for a
varying amount of time; mixtures that are macerated for longer periods may be shaken at intervals. Plant material may be steeped for several days or weeks, while mineral-based mixtures may be processed on to the next stage almost immediately. - After being macerated for the required period of time, the mixture is poured through a filter to strain it or expressed through a press to extract the liquid. This resulting liquid becomes the “mother tincture” for the remedy, and is stored in a dark glass jar.
- One drop of the mother tincture is diluted in a mixture of pure alcohol and distilled water according to one of several scales, although the two most commonly used scales are the decimal and the centesimal.
- This mixture is shaken vigorously
(see right) or banged down firmly on a hard surface, a process devised by Hahnemann. He called it “succussion” and believed that the action enabled the liquid to be “potentized”. - After the mixture has been succussed, steps 5 and 6 are repeated over and over again, as many times as necessary.
Each time, the resulting mixture is diluted afresh in a mixture of pure alcohol and distilled water until, finally, the required
level of dilution, and therefore the required potency for the homeopathic remedy, is obtained. - Once the mixture has reached the required strength and potency, a few drops of it are added to lactose tablets, pilules, granules, or powder, to impregnate them with the remedy. These are then stored in dark glass bottles.
Referenced by Encyclopedia of Homeopathy