How homeopathic remedies are made

Plant, mineral or animal substances are used to prepare the mother tincture. Examples are Aconite, from Wolf's Bane, Lachesis from the venom of the Bushmaster Rattlesnake and Kali. Bich. from potassium dichromate.

Depending on the solubility of the substance it is either chopped into smaller bits (plants) or ground into a powder before they are soaked in a solvent. Substances like metals are combined with lactose sugar and ground into a very fine powder to make them water soluble (a process known as trituration).

The substance is then placed in a glass jar and a mixture of alcohol and water added (depending on the substance the ratio of alcohol to water varies but it is normally 90/10).

Depending on the substance (steeping plant matter normally takes weeks while dissolving some metals could only take a day) this concoction is set aside for a time, often stirred occasionally before being filtered thereby obtaining the "mother tincture"

Dillution or Succussion:
One drop of this mother tincture is added to a blend of alcohol and water that was carefully measured.

Measurement of dilution is mostly decimal (1:10 denoted as x) or centesimal (1:100 denoted as c) although millesimal (1:1,000 denotes as m) and even more extreme ratios of dilution are used for very high potency remedies in specialized applications.

After corking the vial the solution is shaken vigorously, which apart from dissolving the solution evenly also serves to potentize the solution.

This solution is labeled either 1c (if diluted 1:100) or 1x (if diluted 1:10).

One drop of this 1c or 1x solution is then added to a vial containing either ten drops or 100 drops of the alcohol and water blend and the process of shaking (succussion and potentizing) is repeated.

This creates a potency of 2c or 2x depending on the scale of dilution used.

Potentizing:
The vigorous shaking or even banging on a firm surface is believed to be intrinsic to the process of dilution or succussion. Devised by Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, this process of succussion is believed to potentize the solution rendering higher solutions (say 6c) more potent than lower solutions (say 3c).

Preparing for administration of the remedy:
Once the desired level of potency (strength) or dilution has been reached a few drops of the mixture is added to lactose tablets, pillules or powders, which are then stored in darkened glass jars or bottles for prescription. The remedy is finally ready for use.

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