Hahnemann's Use of the C and LM Potencies

[David Little]

Dear Colleagues,

It has come to my attention that there are those who are saying that
Samuel Hahnemann only used the LM potency 27 times starting in early1840
before he attempted to publish the 6th Organon around February 1842. This
appears to be based on a work by a gentleman named Adler. Then they
combined this idea with Hahnemann's statement in the footnote to aphorism
246 of the 6th Organon where he says he introduced changes in his methods
in the last "four or five years". They say that since Hahnemann only used
the LM potency 27 times between 1840 and 1842 he must be a liar and he
actually had almost no experience with the LM method. They opine that
since he tried to introduce the LM potency in this manner he was must have
been too old and senile to be trusted. For this reason, they say all the
innovations Hahnemann introduced between the 5th Organon in 1833 and the
year 1843 must be ignored. This includes the 6th Organon, the medicinal
solution, the split-dose, and the LM potency.

A preliminary review of DF13, just one of Samuel's casebooks, has
already revealed 40 clear LM prescriptions! The names, dates and remedies
are clearly listed and have been recorded. This study does NOT include any
of the LM prescriptions found in DF5, DF6, DF7, DF8, DF9, DF10, DF11, DF12,
and DF 13, which contain 100s and 100s of cases. We have seen more LM
prescriptions in these works. Just a quick glance at some of the cases I
have collected for translation from DF6 and DF11 show 25 more clear LM
prescriptions. This makes a number of 65 LM prescription found in a very
small sample of the possible cases within the stipulated dates ending at
February, 1842. I don't not have time to do an extended statistical study
at this time, although I now plan to do one in the future.

In the footnote of aphorism 246 of the 6th Organon Hahnemann states
that in the "last four or five years, all such difficulties [those
remaining in the 5th Organon DL] have been fully lifted through the
modifications I have made since then, resulting in my new, perfected
procedure". Let us analyze this statement.

1. Hahnemann said, that in the "last four or five years" from the time of
writing this statement he has made new experiments. That would be around
1837-1838. He says that he had made "modifications" since then, resulting"
in a more new more perfected "procedure". What do we find in this time
period in his public writings, eyewitness accounts, personal letters and
the Paris Casebooks? First of all, this is the exact period that Hahnemann
introduced the medicinal solution and the split dose when necessary. In the
5th Organon Hahnemann was only dissolving remedies in water on their
administration. He had not yet worked out the full medicinal solution in a
remedy bottle that was sucussed just prior to the administration of the
remedy, the use of the dilutions glass, or the split-dose in liquid.

Hahnemann first wrote a personal letter to Hering telling his about
this new medicinal solution method, and then he published his results in
the 1837 edition of the Chronic Disease in an article call Concerning the
Technical Parts of Homoeopathy. The case of Duke de Valmy (DF5), which
starts on July 26, 1837, shows that during this time period Hahnemann was
using a medicinal solution with the addition of a dilution glass. This
method is an integral aspect of Hahnemann's "new perfected procedure"
because this is exactly how Hahnemann gave the C and LM potency up to the
end of his life in 1843.

The use of the medicinal solution is one of the most important parts
of Hahnemann's new methods. The Paris Casebooks show that he used this
method with both the low and high potency Cs as well as the LM potency even
during 1843. Note that Hahnemann speaks about "modifications" he in made in
the last four or five years "resulting" in his new perfected procedure,
which includes the LM potency. His early experiments with the medicinal
solution are an important factor that resulted in the development of the LM
potency. He does not say he *finished* his experiments 4 or 5 years ago.
This marks the beginning of his experiments.

2. The earliest LM case found at this time that uses the classic 0/1
notation appears in the year 1838 on March 9, 1838 (DF6, page 145). This is
also within the stipulated time period of "four or five years". So far we
have only found 2 such notations 1838 but there may be more. By 1840
Hahnemann was running a massive clinical trial using several different
posology methods side by side. This included low to higher potency Cs, and
LMs like 0/1, as well as number of mysterious notations like the 00/5,
25+++, and 200/100 which we do not understand to date. Some bottles with
these mysterious notations were found in Hahnemann's medicine chest by
Richard Haehl..

In the Organon Hahnemann speaks about the laborious experiments he
undertook to find his new more perfected methods. Rev. Everest wrote an
eyewitness account that was published in 1853 (Bradford's Life and Letters,
page 473) in which he describes some of these extensive clinical
experiments. This letter offers some clues to potencies like the 00/5 but
it leaves many more questions unanswered. By 1841 the mysterious notations
begin to disappear leaving the roman number notations like X and VIII for
30c and 24c, and the notations like the 200th, while the vertical LM
notations like 0/1 begin to increase in numbers.

3. After years of experiments that included countless clinic trials,
Hahnemann settled on using the lower to higher C potencies and LM potencies
side by side in medicinal solution in the split-dose when necessary. It
appears by the beginning of 1842 Hahnemann had made up his mind and
attempted to published the results of his exhaustive clinic experiments.
Unfortunately, the copy of the manuscript that he sent was never published
and it has not been recovered. Hahnemann's personal handwritten copy,
however, was recovered by Richard Haehl in 1920. We do not know when the
last entry was made into *this* copy as it remained with Hahnemann until
his death. At this time, we do not know if he made addition alterations of
the text over the next year and four months that he lived. There is every
possibility that he did make a few changes as he had much more time to
think about what he wanted to include. His personal manuscript has *no
date* recorded in his new Preface.

4. We have provide sufficient historical data with sources to show that
Samuel Hahnemann's statements in the 6th Organon are truthful and reflect
his final years of experiments "resulting" in the development of his new
more perfected methods which includes the medicinal solution, the
split-dose and the use of the LM potency. Hahnemann casebooks show that he
continued to use the lower and higher C potencies and the LM potency side
by side even in his last year. The following case demonstrates Hahnemann
use of potencies in 1843.

Folio number DF14 records the case of Reverend Everest, one of Samuel
Hahnemann closest friends. In 1843 Hahnemann used C potencies like 30c, an
olfaction of Nux Vomica 199C, as well as several potencies of the LM
potencies. In this example case Hahnemann uses the Roman numeral X for his
lower potency Cs, horizontal Arabic notation like 199 for his potency Cs,
and vertical Arabic notations like 0/1 for his LMs. This study shows that
Hahnemann used a wide range of C and LM potencies even in his last year. I
will be placing translations and original pictures of cases and their
notations, repertory insertions, and comments in the not too distant future
on my new website.

Unfortunately, there are individuals that are using selected quotes
taken out of context combined with false historical information and using
it to challenge the integrity and even the sanity of the Founder of
Homoeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann. Some accuse the Samuel and Melanie Hahnemann
of being liars rather than face the historical evidence. Others try to
neutralize the tremendous innovations Hahnemann developed in the
Homoeopathic healing art between the years 1833 and 1843 by saying the
Founder was "senile". For this reason, it is the duty of all homoeopaths to
defend the historical truth as well as the Founder of Homoeopathy from
false accusations and historical falsehoods that lead to confusion.

In his preface to the 1845 American edition of the Chronic Diseases
Constantine Hering reminds every generation of homoeopaths to go further in
the practice of Homoeopathy than Hahnemann, and correct the errors of the
past while remaining true to the principles he introduced. Hahnemann
represents the beginning of Homoeopathy not its end. He is a "Alpha" and
the "Omega" has yet to come. It is the responsibility of every generation
of practitioners to stand on the strong foundation introduced by Hahnemann
while bring our healing art up to date for our times. This can only be done
if there is a fair and honest assessment of the works of Samuel Hahnemann
as well as clinical research that is carried outs as meticulously as the
Founder's. Only if we follow this balanced middle path will Homoeopathy
really become the Medicine of the Future.

Similia Minimus,
Sincerely, David Little