How can we know the degree of the special susceptibility to the action of the drug before its administration? Simply by the same process of inquiry that led to the choice of the true remedy; it is that which is like; it is what the drug, whose action on the healthy living organism is most like the phenomena of the lost balance of the vital energy which we call disease. Then institute this inquiry: *How much is it like? This answer determines the quantity of the drug required, and *this is in the inverse ratio of the similarity. This constitutes the basic law of the dose as to quantity and potency.
What is the like, the similarity? The like which cures is the resemblance of the characteristic symptoms of the drug to those of the disease; the characteristic symptoms of the disease and the drug are those symptoms that give to each its individual character, *not all those symptoms held in common with the general disease group or the family group of drugs.
It is the similarity of the characteristic symptoms of the drug to those of the disease; and again, how nearly similar it is to the number of characteristic symptoms, that marks the exact similitude. The greater the number of characteristic symptoms of the disease that are found to correspond to the drug, the less the quantity and the higher the potency that can be used.
The whole relationship of drugs to disease rests on the susceptibility. The power of the drug over disease is solely in its similarity; without it, it has no power except in a physiological from, and that is never curative. If in the patient there be wanting a susceptibility to its impressions, this relationship of the patient to the drug does not exist. It rests on the very similarity to those elements of the disease which show its specific nature, to those which are characteristic of the drug and according to the degree of susceptibility; it is in direct ratio to this susceptibility.
In sickness, susceptibility is markedly increased, as the avenues of diseased states are widely opened so that which would have no effect in health will be quickly grasped in disease. The resemblance of the group of symptoms is marked, therefore accordingly the very smallest possible dose will satisfy the susceptibility and therefore be curative.
A knowledge of the basic principles of this law explains why often a very high potency will cure intractable disease states where the low potencies do not even give relief. Again, the knowledge of this law necessitates a thorough knowledge of our materia medica. A knowledge of this law makes for a clearer understanding of the homoeopathic art.
Why did Hahnemann first begin to experiment with the divided dose?
Why do we believe that the remedy should be dynamic in action?
What did Hahnemann mean when he said: “… crude medicinal substances… will not disclose the same wealth of latent powers as when they are taken in a highly attenuated state”?
What is the simple process that liberates the latent powers in the diluted substances?
What is a homoeopathic aggravation of a disease?
What symptoms are produced by massive doses or crude drugs?
Why are these symptoms of little or no value in homoeopathic prescribing?
Why do we believe that the law of least action is that which should be our law of dosage?
What two elements enter into our consideration of the cure of disease conditions?
What relation does the degree of similarity of drug symptoms to disease symptoms bear to the size of the dose?
On what does the relationship of drugs to disease rest? (*Answer : Susceptibility.)
What effect does sickness have on the susceptibility of the patient?
Why does this explain the efficiency of a high potency when a low potency does not give relief.
