It is well known by prescribers of individualized homeopathy and established via systematic review with meta-analysis,1 that the only reliable prescription of homeopathic medicine which has the potential for positive therapeutic effect is the simillimum.2
After all, what is a word if not a construct…
homeo-, pref. Gk. homoio-, form of homoios, used in compounds , ‘like, similar’, fr. homos, ‘same’. See homo-, pref., fr. Gk. homos for *somos, ‘the same’; cogn. w.Scrt. sama-; O. Slav. samu; Goth. sama. See same. Form used in compounds, usually of Greek origin; denoting the same, of the same kind; contrasted with hetero-.
-pathy, suff. (1. pathi; 2. pepi) representing Gk. -patheia, in homoipatheia, ‘similar feeling, equal suffering’, see homoeopathy, fr. Gk. path(os), ‘suffering’, see pathos. Used to form ns., indicating methods of curative treatment, e.g. allopathy. 3
No matter how it is dressed up and sold to you, the reality is that the success of a homeopathic prescription depends upon the accurate individualization of each person.
Researchers find the reliability of a homeopathic prescription increases when the prescription is made in accordance with the objective signs and guiding symptoms of a remedy, and suggest that the epidemiological concept of likelihood ratio is well adapted to homeopathy.
WHAT IS LIKLIHOOD RATIO?
Likelihood ratio (LR) is a modern epidemiological tool for determining the characteristic and keynote symptoms of a homeopathic medicine.4
LR is the prevalence of x symptom in the population who improved with x homeopathic medicine divided by the frequency of the same symptom in the remainder of the whole treated population.5
For example, researchers found statistically significant positive LR of the following objective signs attributed to Natrium muriaticum6 (Nat-m):
lip cracks
recurrent herpes
hairline eruptions
dry hands
NATRIUM MURIATICUM (Nat-mur) was first proved by Hahnemann with some contributions by Dr. Rummel, Dr. Roehl, Dr. Schreter in Hungary, and Dr. Foissac in Paris.7
The homeopathic medicine Nat-mur was prepared by Hahnemann as follows; Half an ounce of ordinary, kitchen salt is dissolved in an ounce and a half a boiling, distilled water, in order to free it from its associated salts, it is filtered through printing paper, and left to crystallize by evaporation at a temperature of 122@ Fahrenheit. The crystals, which are allowed to dry off on blotting paper, are of cubical shape with pyramidal indentation on every side. One grain of these crystals is triturated to the one millionth attention, and then brought to the decillionth attenuation, as indicated in the first part of this work.8
Hahnemann wrote; ‘‘there is hardly any pure experience of the real medicinal effects of common salt in diseases… If we then assume, that common salt in its natural condition, shows no injurious effects on the human health, when used daily in moderate quantity, we ought not to expect from it any curative effects in diseases. Nevertheless, the greatest medicinal virtues lie hidden within it.’’9
Do I need to remind you here that sodium is the most abundant electrolyte in the human body?! There are many salt myths highlighted for example., in the article Got salt? Salt, Dopamine and Health10 and by the book The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong-and How Eating More Might Save Your Life.11
Roger Morrison MD writes Nat-mur for AILMENTS FROM GRIEF, DISAPPOINTED LOVE. ‘Their grief leaves scars on them, they change, becoming closed & mistrustful thinking of their grief for a long time afterwards - they cannot overcome it.’ And gives a note of caution that as deep grief and sorrow are keynotes for Nat-mur and because these emotions have, or will have, shaped and touched every human, most will identify with this remedy’s description! 12
SIDE NOTES Bayes’ theorem predicts that the chances of success with x medicine increase if x symptom is frequently present in people who are cured by that medicine, more frequently than in other patients.13
Initiatives to refine, standardize and modify existing homeopathic literature using LR are underway for the Kent and Boenninghausen repertories, with it’s proponents stating ‘‘We should continue to update repertories consistently using LR instead of casual observations to indicate which medicines are indicated if a symptom is present, and how strong the indication is. Bias in different forms already exist and shall continue to exist, but may be curtailed by systematic research.’’1415
Hamre et al., 2023. Efficacy of homoeopathic treatment: Systematic review of meta-analyses of randomised placebo-controlled homoeopathy trials for any indication. Syst Rev. Oct 7;12(1):191. Available from: https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-023-02313-2#Abs1
The Universal English Dictionary. Ed., Henry Cecil Wyld. 1940. George Routledge & Sons, LTD. London.
Rutten AL, Stolper CF, Lugten RF, Barthels RW. ‘‘Cure’’ as the gold standard for likelihood ratio assessment: theoretical considerations. Homeopathy. 2004;93:78-83.
Stolper CF, Rutten AL, Lugten RF, Barthels RJ. Improving homeopathic prescribing by applying epidemiological techniques: the role of likelihood ratio. Homeopathy. 2002;91:230-238.
Eizayaga et al., 2021. Prevalence and Likelihood Ratio of Six Objective Signs among Good Responders to Natrum muriaticum: Multi-centre Observational Assessment. Homeopathy. Feb;110(1):36-41. Available from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33482668/
Hahnemann Chronic Diseases. Natrum Muriaticum Chloride, common salt. ISIS.
Hahnemann. 1997. The Chronic Diseases their peculiar nature and their homeopathic cure. Translation of the 2nd enlarged German ed. (1835) by Prof. Loui Tafel, edited by Dr. P. Dudley. New Delhi; B.Jain Publishers. (Reprint ed.)
ibid.
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/salt-dopamine-and-health/#gsc.tab=0
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30555572-the-salt-fix
Morrison, 1993. Desktop Guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms. Hahnemann Clinic Publishing. Grass Valley; California.
Rutten AL, Stolper CF, Lugten RF, Barthels RW. Statistical analysis of six repertory rubrics after prospective assessment applying Bayes’ theorem. Homeopathy. 2009;98:26-34.
Rutten AL, Stolper CF, Lugten RF, Barthels RW. New repertory, new considerations. Homeopathy. 2008;97:16-21.
Rutten AL, Frei H. Opposite repertory-rubrics in Bayesian perspective. Homeopathy. 2010;99:113-118.
This is so interesting. I've often wondered about salt and this generally promoted idea that 'salt is bad for you'.
When Hahnemann spoke of 'ordinary kitchen salt', what kind of salt was 'ordinary' in Samuel Hahnemann's kitchen?
Having not had any (industrial) 'table salt' in my kitchen for over 30 years, and having so many options now from sea salt to rock salt ~ the ones we use mostly are either locally sourced 'flor de sal' (Salt flower) or rock salt from Mongolia (a gift from my Mongolian daughter in law) ~ I wonder whether different salts would produce different remedy pictures, or whether 'dissolved, distilled and filtered' the hidden medicinal virtues would be the same...