Homeopathy is a system of medicine discovered by a physician and chemist named Samuel Hahnemann over 200 years ago. It falls under the umbrella of complementary and alternative medicine. Within homeopathy, disease is viewed as a state of imbalance within the body that is expressed through various symptoms, but given the appropriate support, the body is capable of returning to a healthy state.
Homeopathic care relies on its own set of remedies made from substances found in nature. Remedies are selected based on how well they match the symptoms of the person. They act energetically rather than chemically to stimulate the innate healing capacity of the body.
Homeopathy reflects a paradigm shift in how we view the body, symptoms and healing. There are many words or terms used in homeopathy that are not found elsewhere and may be unfamiliar to someone that is new to this modality. Below are many of these terms and their definitions.
Homeopathic Terms
Acute illness: An illness that is a short duration, has an exciting cause (e.g. exposure, injury, etc.) and symptoms that come on quickly. For example, the flu or an earache would an acute illness.
Aggravation: A situation when a person may feel temporarily worse after taking a remedy or symptoms are increased by a remedy. This may also be referred to as a healing crisis. An aggravation can actually be a good sign that the remedy is well-suited for the person, but it is also not necessary or the only indication of a well-suited remedy. If you suspect that you are experiencing is a homeopathic aggravation, then you should consult with your homeopath. To learn more about aggravations, check out this blog post: What to expect when taking homeopathic remedies.
Antidote: Something that neutralizes or counters the effect of a homeopathic remedy on the body. Coffee, strong mints or odors (e.g. peppermint or camphor), and extreme stressors are common antidotes. Not all homeopaths strictly adhere to the effects of antidotes for all people since everyone responds differently. Those that are particularly sensitive to homeopathic remedies or to their environment may be more likely to antidote a remedy. If you are concerned about anti-doting your remedy, then you should consult with your homeopath.
Chief complaint: The main or primary issue that bothers you.
Chronic condition: A long-standing illness that persists or worsens over time consisting of symptoms that come on slowly and insidiously over a period of time. For example, asthma or arthritis would be a chronic condition.
Concomitant: An accompanying state, circumstance, or thing that occurs concurrently with the chief complaint or illness. For example, if a person coughs and experiences watering eyes at the same time as the cough, then the watering eyes is a concomitant symptom because it occurs concurrently with the cough.
Dilution: Refer to “potentization.”
Isopathy: The use of homeopathically prepared substances responsible for the disease itself. The difference between isopathy and homeopathy is how homeopathic remedies are used, not what remedies are used. The isopathic remedy is given based on the identical nature of disease, whereas a homeopathic remedy is given based on the similarity to the disease. For example, using arsenicum prepared homeopathically for arsenic poisoning would be isopathy. Only take an isopathic remedy under the care of a qualified homeopath. See also “tautopathy” and “law of similars.”
Law of similars: A fundamental principle of homeopathy such that a substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person will act in a curative or healing way when given to a sick person in potentized (homeopathically prepared) form.
Location: The location or area of the body where the symptom is experienced. This can include the head, ear, leg, stomach, rectum, ankle, etc. The location can also be the joint, bone, muscle, etc.
Modality: What makes a person feel better or worse overall or what makes a particular symptom feel better or worse. Modalities include time, temperature, weather, motion, menstruation, position, touch or pressure, application, perspiration, eating or drinking, and emotion.
Materia medica: A reference work consisting of homeopathic remedies and their symptoms. The information on remedies found in materia medica come from provings, clinical data, and toxicological reports. Some popular homeopathic materia medicas intended for homeopathic home users include The Complete Homeopathy Handbook (M. Castro) and Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms (R. Morrison).
Miasm: An infectious agent (e.g. bacteria or virus) that may cause or explain chronic disease. It represents an energy pattern that manifests as symptoms. Miasms reflect your susceptibility to disease and may be inherited, acquired, or acute. The primary miasms are psora, sycosis, and syphilis. There are additional miasms, including tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, cancer, etc. For more information on miasms, check out this blog post by Luke Norland: Miasms and mythology.
Nosode: A homeopathic remedy made from diseased tissue, discharge or the product of disease. Nosodes can address a miasm or the associated disease of the tissue. Common nosodes include Carcinosin, Medorrhinum, Syphilinum, and Tuberculinum. Only take a nosode under the care of a qualified homeopath. See also “miasm.”
Potency: The power or strength of a homeopathic remedy, often represented as a number and letter next to the remedy name (e.g. 12x, 30c, 1M, etc.). The potency of the remedy comes as a result of the potentization (dilution and succussion) of the remedy in the manufacturing process. The more potentized (diluted) a substance, the stronger it is. See also “potentization.” To understand more about how remedies are made, check out this blog post: Understanding homeopathic potencies.
Potentization: A series of dilutions and succussions of a substance in its homeopathic preparation. Potentization is what creates the potency or strength of a homeopathic remedy and makes the homeopathic remedy powerful but also gentle. See also “potency” and “succussion.” To understand more about how remedies are made, check out this blog post: Understanding homeopathic potencies.
Proving: A test of a remedy to determine its medicinal or curative properties. The remedy is administered to healthy human subjects in order to observe and record the symptoms it is capable of producing, and hence healing. At the end of the proving, all of the participant records are compared to identify the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that the provers had in common. To learn more about provings, check out this blog post: How we know the symptoms of remedies.
Remedy: A homeopathically prepared substance or medicine that remedies a symptom, ultimately resolving it and leaving the person in a healthier state. To understand more about how remedies are made, check out this blog post: Understanding homeopathic potencies.
Repertory: An index ordered by body system and symptom (e.g. nose, congestion) that homeopaths use to find a remedy. There are numerous repertories, with the most famous being Kent’s Repertory by J.T. Kent. Now, there are computer repertories available for homeopaths – Complete Dynamics, RadarOpus, and Synergy.
Sarcode: A homeopathic remedy made from healthy tissue. The use of sarcodes falls under the practice of organotherapy in homeopathy. A sarcode supports or restores the function of the respective tissue or organ from which it is made by stimulating normal functioning. Only take a sarcode under the care of a qualified homeopath.
Sensation: How a particular symptom feels to a person. Sensations may include pinching, prickly, throbbing, squeezing, pressing, sore, bruised, burning, constricting, aching, wandering, stinging, heavy, enlarged, loose, stiff, etc.
Simillimum: The homeopathic remedy that is the most similar to the totality of symptoms of the person.
Source: The substance or material that is used to make a remedy. For substances readily soluble in alcohol and water, the pharmacy prepares the mother tincture, and from the mother tincture, they make potencies. For insoluble substances (e.g. metals), they must first triturate them, which involves grinding the substance with lactose or sucrose to reduce its particle size. Once they triturate the substance, the potentization process can begin. See also “potentization.” To understand more about how remedies are made, check out this blog post: Understanding homeopathic potencies.
Succussion: This refers to the shaking or agitation of a remedy solution (in water). You can succuss a remedy by shaking a liquid remedy bottle, hitting it against the palm of your hand, or stirring it. See also “potency” and “potentization.” To understand more about how remedies are made, check out this blog post: Understanding homeopathic potencies.
Suppression: The act of driving the symptoms of disease inward or deeper, resulting in more serious symptoms in time. Anything that eliminates or dials down a symptom without addressing the underlying cause or susceptibility can be suppressive. For example, antibiotics, steroids, and pain relievers are suppressive. Homeopathy can also be suppressive when used in a way that does not align with the principles of homeopathy. To learn more about suppression, check out this blog post: What to expect when taking homeopathic remedies.
Tautopathy: This is a form of isotherapy that involves using a homeopathically prepared conventional or allopathic medicine in order to counter the ill effects caused by that particular medicine. Only take a tautopathic remedy under the care of a qualified homeopath.
Totality: All of the signs and symptoms of a condition experienced by a person. The totality can also refer to a single symptom and all of its features, including its origin, history, and progression, as well as its location, sensation, and modalities. See also “sensation” and “modality.”
Vital force: The energy that gives and maintains life in the individual or human body. The vital force is a unique principle distinct from chemical or physical phenomenon.
References
Yasgur, J. (2021). Yasgur’s Homeopathic Dictionary and Holistic Health Reference (6th edition). Van Hoy Publishers.
Jill Page, CCH, CHP is a certified classical homeopath based in Kentucky offering virtual consultations. To learn more, visit Hope and Healing Homeopathy.