Toward a new homoeopathic semantics

JAMES STEPHENSON, MD, FIHA From the Section on Philosophy of the International Hahnemannian Association.

Conceptually, homeeopathy suffers from a plethora of riches. The name itself-- seductively simple in its stated similitude between the patient's symptoms and the medicine's effects----depends on at least seven implied premises, adhered to wholly, or in part, by each homoeopathic physician. 1 that the potential medicines were first tested on healthy human beings, not

laboratory animals 1-A from this it follows that the test does not produce serious pathology or

even particularly uncomfortable or long-lasting symptoms, as this would effectively do away with any future supply of testers and might produce lawsuits against the tester.

1-B from this it follows that testing would have been limited to relatively innocuous--and therefore ineffective--substances, either by their inherent nature or their high degree of dilution, unless some method had been found of liberating a new type of non-chemical, therapeutic action for low dilutions of inert substances such as silica, or for ineffectually high dilutions of toxins such as snake venom. This method is, of course, described by Hahnemann's famous term, dynamization, based on serial dilutions of succussed and/or triturated medicines. Both the term dynamization, and the extension of dilution to previously unheard of levels, were unique to Hahnemann.

2 that their full emotional, mental and subjective physical effects have been recorded--providing the complex panoply of homoeopathic symptomatology used in what is called "individualizing" the patient. Practically, the term is unfortunate, as many physicians "individualize" their patients diagnostically, and psychiatrists and allergists, among others, certainly must "individualize" their patients symptomatically. Since the unusual aspect of a hom0eopathic semiology is inclusion of the totality of medicinal actions, a more correct--and currently fashionable--term might be "holistic semiology".

3 that the human subjects were healthy, not ill, providing a pure picture of the medicine is effect unaltered by the subject's pathology.

4 that a placebo--what pharmacologists today would call a "single blind" control--be used to rule out adventitious symptoms in the test subject.

5 that--since the medicines were tested individually, not in groups-- homoeopathic treatment only occurs with single doses of medicines of known effects, never with combinations of tested medicines, and never with single medicines of unknown effect.

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Thus, implied in its very name, homceopathy contains a logically derived sequence of therapeutic precepts: 1 the symptomatic similitude--similia similibus curentur 2 human testing---hyganthropharmacology 3 the single dose--mono-pharmacy 4 the placebo effect--the single blind control 5 patient individualization based on the symptom totality 6 the dynamization of medicines to extreme degrees of dilution.

The symptomatic similitude based on healthy human testings of single sub- stances controlled by the placebo effect appears to have been readily accepted from its inception. However, thanks to Anton Stoerck and Hippocrates, none of this was new in Hahnemann's day, except possibly the use of a placebo control.

Individualization, based on the symptom totality, was of course against the prevailing pathologically and philosophically oriented medical culture with its bleedings and Brunoism, etc. With the growth of scientific pathology and, par- ticularly, bacteriology, many physicians became so disease-oriented as to abhor the symptomatic simplicity of homceopathic practice. Indeed, in the mid-nine- teenth century, continental homceopathy, and British homceopathy under the influence of Richard Hughes, developed a largely pathological basis for prescrip- tion which lasted until just prior to World War I when Margaret Tyler and John Weir exposed their British colleagues to the new American Kentian interpretation of the Organon based on individualization of the patient from the totality of symptoms. This return to classic Hahnemannian homoeopathy still lags on the Continent, although it is strong in Britain, the Americas and India.

The remaining principle of homoeopathic treatment---dynamization--has never been understood or properly appreciated by homoeopathic physicians or their fellow scientists and remains an undigested ferment until the present time. Thousands of articles have been written about it through the years, but no resolu- tion has been made because it was literally a century and a half ahead of its time. It remained, as Sir William Osier said, the greatest deterrent to the acceptance of homoeopathy by the medical profession. Even though always present by state- ment or implication, these premises have remained controversial both within and without the hom0eopathic profession. The lack of organized recognition of these implied premises in homoeopathic therapy and, in particular, the lack of a proper method for describing and naming them, has underlain a great deal of the confusion among homoeopathic physicians. Hahnemann, of course, made his initial semantic contribution in the Organon with the terms Homoeopathy, Isopathy and Allopathy. Unfortunately, although he was pre-eminently a medical philosopher, he never extended his terminology other than with the word "dynamization", probably as the result of his seduction by the miasms.

Hom0eopathy is not unique in its lack of proper semantics. Non-hom0eopathic medicine (what Hahnemann termed "allopathy") even prides itself on its non- philosophic, laboratory-oriented, basis. This anti-philosophical stance was a reaction against medical "philosophers" such as John Brown of Edinburgh. By not developing a properly based medical philosophy, medicine has restricted itself largely to experimental findings. What would be the position of physics if it had

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not enriched experimental physics with the mathematically and philosophically guided intuition of its theoretical physicists? There has been little organized attempt to apply to medicine the best of modern philosophy and mathematics. Possibly we homoeopathic physicians can guide our non-homaeopathic brothers toward a new science of theoretical medicine!

Now to return to our thesis. Physics has advanced to a point where the dynamization principle, particularly

beyond Avogadro's number, can be instrumentally demonstrated, making way, hopefully, for a new appreciation of homceopathy by the medical profession. It might be useful to consider this point in some detail.

Essentially, in dynamization-----either by trituration or succussion--the solute is moved rapidly in space from place to place, and is also subject to the shearing effect of the pestle in the mortar or the ethyl alcohol/water molecules in the diluting flask. Thus, a relationship is set up between the solute and the space which it occupies.

Now, it so happens that the new relativity and quantum physics, particularly as the result of the work of Einstein, Planck, Schroedinger, Heisenberg and Di rac - - has completely redefined the function of so-called space as opposed to matter. In place of the empty void believed in (but unproven) by western science and philosophy for the past two millenia, space is now seen as a four-dimensional magma of energy-matter transmutations in which matter is constantly created and destroyed. The new particle physics of the cyclotron shows that nuclear particles such as mesons, hadrons, quarks, etc. exist as transient energy events, fusing into and out of space, so that energy and matter and space now are viewed as a con- tinuum, functioning as an inseparable unit. The more "solid" particles such as electrons, positrons, neutrons, etc. from which all atoms are made, are now viewed as wave crests in moving energy fields, magically appearing and dis- appearing into "space".

Of course, Faraday's and Maxwell's work in electromagnetism in the mid-nine- teenth century implied this death of atomism, for it was based on the concept that an electric current will appear when a copper wire is moved across the field between two magnets and that an iron core wrapped in copper wire will become magnetized when electricity is passed through the wire. Faraday and Maxwell hypothesized that a force was held latently in space and could be activated by moving electrical conductors. They replaced the concept of a force residing within matter with that of a force "field" surrounding matter. This completely revolutionized Newtonian physics which had always defined forces by the bodies they act upon. Now, electromagnetic force was shown to reside in the spatial field surrounding the bodies acted upon.

This electromagnetic field theory of Faraday's and Maxwell's has been expanded by physicists to include other phenomena. Thus, we speak of a tensor field to describe force vectors, gravitational fields to describe the attraction between masses in space and quantum fields to describe all subatomic particles and their interactions, each type of particle corresponding to a different field. As we have already pointed out, since all matter is formed of subatomic particles such as the over 200 types of mesons and baryons, it follows that the quantum

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field is a four-dimensional continuum present everywhere in space, and matter merely represents an ever changing local condensation in the field. Or, as Einstein ~ said, "we may therefore regard matter as being constituted by the regions of space in which the field is extremely intense . . . There is no place in this new kind of physics both for the field and matter, for the field is the only reality." As Einstein predicted, the new particle physics has demonstrated the continual creation of matter from units of energy previously locked-up in space. So matter and space are in a continuous interchange.

Thus, the very atomistic philosophy which prevented the scientific acceptance of homoeopathic high dilutions has been shifted from its previous omnipotence to a relatively minor role in modern physics. Although the limitations of our physical senses trap us in a Newtonian mechanics, mathematical and experi- mental physics, spawned by our mind, has freed us.

Since dynamization also occurs from a particle-space interaction, it may be that a dynamization field exists, capable of producing dynamized medicines. These special forms of dynamized substance might be called D Y N O M S , appearing when solutes are triturated and/or succussed. Schematically, th6 following relations would appear:

1 insoluble solute trituration to 10 .-8

+ milk sugar

2 soluble solute + succussion up to 10 -24

hydr. ethyl alcohol

3 soluble solute + succussion beyond 10 -24 hydrous ethyl = alcohol

solute + milk sugar + dynom hydrous succussion ethyl to 10 --24

alcohol dynom + hydrous ethyl alcohol solute + hydrous ethyl alcohol + dynom

dynom + hydrous ethyl alcohol

It is often useful to name an unknown substance before it has been demon- strated. J. G. Galle discovered the planet Neptune in 1846, based on perturba- tions in the orbit of Uranus, previously calculated by J. C. Adams and V. J. Levessier. Dirac named the positron, predicting its mass and charge, 2 years before its actual demonstration. Although the structure of the dynom has not yet been described, some of its physical characteristics may be known.

These are: 1 The necessary presence of a solute (Heintz2). 2 The necessary dynamization of the solute (Heintz2). 3 Destruction of dynom action by boiling (Heintz 2 and NagelP). 4 Alteration of infra-red absorption (Heintz2).

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5 Alteration of electrical conductivity (Heintz2). 6 Alteration of electrical capacitance (Gay4). 7 Alteration of di-electrical strength (Brucato and StephensonS). 8 Alteration of the intensity and wave length of a fixed light source (Wurmser

and Loch6). 9 Alteration of the hydroxyl portion of a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

spectroscopic analysis (Smith, Stephenson and Boericke 7) and the loss of this NMR effect when D20 (deuterium is non-magnetic) was substituted for H20 in the solvent, showing that the dynom effect was in the water moiety of the ethyl alcohol-water solvent.

10 Alteration of a genetically determined cancer in the fruit fly (Stearns and StarkS).

11 Alteration in the Oxidase reaction in human granulocytic leukocytes (Seitschekg).

12 Alteration in the hydrolysis of soluble starch by malt diastase. (Boydl~ 13 Alteration in plant and animal growth rates (Wurmser, 1~ Persson, ~2 Kolisko, 13

Jarricot, 14 et.al.). 14 All the effects were sinusoidal in nature similar to the sinusoidal effects noted

in the formation and destruction of sub-nuclear particles and the energy equilibrium patterns of orbital electrons around atomic nuclei.

Some theories have been offered as to the structure of the dynoms. One of the early homoeopathic physicians, General van Korsakoff, in 1832, believed the power of the high dilution came from a "kind of infection or communication of the medicine's power . . . to the non-medicine vehicle". Gay 4 believed that the sinusoidal waves of dynom solutions came from labile electrons in the solute. Barnard & Stephenson ~5 posited that they were stereospecific, isotactic polymers of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions similar to DNA and RNA. Obviously, this could only apply to alcohol-water solute succussions, unless no dynoms are formed by the usual trituration of non-soluble solute below 10 -s. The transfer of dynom activity from fluids to milk sugar and the common practice of "grafting" medicines would be hard to explain by this polymer theory.

The dynom hypothesis does have a number of practical advantages. 1 Research is easier if you have an approximate idea what you are looking for. 2 The notorious controversy between so-called low dilutions (below 10 -24, macrodilutions, molecular dynamizations) and high dilutions beyond 10 -24, microdilutions, microdoses, ultramolecular dynamizations) may be resolved. Low dilutions may be simply combinations of solvent, solute and dynoms, and high dilutions be pure solvent and dynoms. Thus one might speak of chemical-dynom therapy and dynom therapy. Hopefully, the day may come when more quantitive terms may be used. Also, since the blood is succussed by the heart, an under- standing of dynoms may lead to a new biology, physiology and pathology. 3 In 1838, "homoeopathic" was first used in non-medical sense to refer to some- thing very small. This perversion from its true meaning of the symptom similitude has muddled the public mind for over a century--possibly the use of dynom may change this. 4 The public is also confused about "homoeopathic" medicines. There are no

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homoeopathic medicines, there are chemicals and/or dynoms which may be rendered homoeopathic by a knowledgeable physician.

If we differentiate between homoeopathic practice, which requires the presence of a homoeopathic physician, and dynom therapy, which refers solely to the method of preparation of the medicine and not to the therapeutic rationale of the physician, this confusion would disappear. Thus, homoeopathic physicians usually use dynom therapy, but they can also use simple tinctures or chemicals on a homoeopathic premise if they choose. It was Hahnemann's use of Bryonia tincture, and a subsequent almost fatal reaction, which stimulated him to develop the high dilutions.

In summary then, a new semantics for homoeopathic and dynom therapy might be based on various combinations of the following elements: 1 Individualization via symptomatic holism (I) 2 A homoeopathic symptomatic similitude (HO). This would assume previous

medicine testing on healthy humans. 3 Healthy human testing of medicine--hygantropharmacology (A) 4 Monopharmacy (MO) 5 Polypharmacy (PO) 6 Dynom therapy (D) 7 Chemotherapy (C). This would apply to any type of molecular therapy.

In this age of acronyms, based historically on symbolic logic developed by G. Boole in 1854, the letters in brackets could be used to build homGeopathic acronyms. A similar schema might also apply to non-homoeopathic therapies such as isopathy and anthroposophical medicine. Using these criteria, we could speak of the following homoeopathic approaches: 1 The classical Hahnemannian (Kentian) approach--Monopharmaceutically

Individualized homoeopathic chemo and/or dynom therapy. Acronym Homoeopathic Monopharmaceutical Individualized Dynom therapy (HOMOID)

2 Monopharmaceutical hom~eopathic chemo and/or dynom therapy as in the pathologically oriented prescribing of Hughes or Boericke or in first-aid homoeopathic therapy. Acronym HOMOD

The following approaches use dynom therapy but would be non-hom~eopathic. 3 Monopharmaceutical dynom therapy as used by

A--Hering and Lux in their isopathic use of disease product dynoms for the treatment of the diseases from which the products were taken--for instance anthrax and hydrophobia. Acronym ISOMOD

B--Schuessler in his system of"cell salt" theory. Acronym PATHOMOD

C--Steiner in his system of anthroposophical medicine. Acronym PSYCHOMOD

In none of these systems were medicines first tested on healthy subjects; they are therefore by definition non-homoeopathic.

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4 Polypharmaceutical healthy human tested dynom therapy as used by Vannier and his followers in France, the Humphrey's medicines in the United States and many physicians over the world. The multiple use of medicines renders this non-homceopathic. Acronym POAD. A sub-type of this would be the use of medicines which had not been tested on healthy humans, or poly- pharmaceutical dynom therapy. Acronym POD. Both POAID and POID would be theoretically possible, but rare. The following approaches, not involving dynom therapy or homceopathic

relationship are often confused with hom0eopathy: The Bach "flower remedies" which are simple herbal tinctures (T) prescribed on Bach's psychic criteria. Acronym PSYCHOMOT. That this semantic system would apply equally to non-homoeopathic medicine

can be seen by the following: ISOMOC --Endocrinology

Allergy Vaccination Immunization

ISOPSYCH --Psychiatric abreaction therapy Dianetic "Programming" Biofeedback Autohypnosis

POC - - M o s t allopathic treatment

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713-25. 3 Nageli V. On oligo-dynamic effects in living cells. Neue Denkschriften derAllg. Schweiz. Gesellschaftfffrdie

ges. Naturwissenschaft 32, Sect. l (1893). 4 Gay A. Presence of a Physical Factor in Homteopathic Dilutions. Lyon: Editions des Laboratoires PHR,

1951. 5 Brucato A, Stephenson J. Dielectric strength testing of homoeopathic dilutions of HgCl 2. J Am Inst Horn

1966: 59: 281-6. 6 Wurmser L, Loeh P. Experimental research work on homaeopathie dilutions. Pp. 37-48. Congr6s National

des Soci6t~s Hom6opathiques de France, 1948. 7 Smith R, Boerieke G, Stephenson J. Modem instrumentation for the evaluation of homoeopathic drug

structure. JAm Inst Horn 1966: 59: 263-80. 8 Stearns GB, Stark M. Experiments with homoeopathic potentized substances given to Drosophila

melanogaster with hereditary tumours. Horn Rec 1925: 40. 9 Seitschek R. Granulocyte reactions after homoeopathic high potencies. Br Horn J 1962: 51: 111.

10 Boyd W. Biochemical and biological evidence of the activity of high potencies. Br Horn J 1954: 44" 6-44. 11 Wurmser L. Evolution de la recherche en homaeopathie. Asnieres: Les Laboratoires Homceopathique de

France, 1965. 12 Persson V. The effect of inhibitors on the diastatic enzyme of muscle. Archives lnternat, de

Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1938; 58. 13 Kolisko L. Physical and physiological demonstration of the effect of the smallest entities. Der Kommende

Tag 1923; Pp. 1-10. 14 Jarricot J. The infinitesimals of homceopathic physicians. Pp. 1-64. Lyon: Editions des Laboratoires PHR,

1951. 15 Barnard GO, Stephenson J. Microdose paradox: a new concept. JAm Inst Horn 1965: 58: 205.

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