Homoeopathic Posology – Tailoring the dose by Ajit Kulkarni

Authored by Dr Ajit Kulkarni M.D. (Hom.)

Published by Soham Prakashan, 38, Bhavani peth, Satara
First edition – 1999
Second enlarged edition – 2005
Pages- 72
Price – Rs. 50/-

Book reviewed by Dr Mistry M S., Editor, Homoeopathic Clinical Case Recorder

The popularity of this book is evident from the fact that it has come out as a second edition after the first one was published in 1999. As the author has stated in its preface, he has made a further earnest effort to give his readers clarity into this difficult, often confused, and vexed situation regarding potency selection. As we all know that potencies range from mother tinctures to CM & beyond and each practitioner seems to have his favorite potency based upon his own evolution as a homoeopath. While this is true for most of us there is no reason to be dogmatic and fixed in a narrow range of potency. Some sway by the low potency, some by middle and some by higher and highest potencies. This is often very confusing for students and beginners in their practice. So are there any guidelines according to scientific homoeopathic principles as to when certain potency could best be used? In other words, can this situation of potency selection be standardized, and not remain essentially controversial?

Dr. Ajit’s book is an attempt and a very laudable attempt to build up the entire subject of posology on some pivotal components. I shall briefly deal with the contents of the book. My advice is that each reader should go through this book at least three times and keep it handy on his consulting table.

The author begins with 12 points of what essentially is Dynamis i.e. it is a form of energy, invisible force, creativity, and that its only attachment with matter that makes it visible to us. Essentially it is an aspect of the infinitesimal that holds the infinite. He then goes on to deal with definitions of posology and potency and standardization and then goes on to deal with the historical background of potency selection. Further on, he has briefly talked about the concept of minimum dose, Arndt Schultz Law, Potentization, the law of potency, as enunciated by the French physician Mauperitius. He talks about the state of homeostasis and has in one paragraph rightly pointed out the fact that the minimum dose should not be confused with the infinitesimal dose.

Dr. Kulkarni presents essential ideas of authorities in the form of Box brackets, wherein he gives adequate quotes of those masters like William Boyd, Stuart Close, Hahnemann and others. On page – 10 he has given 27 prescribing methods of how a homoeopathic physician can deal with his patient – adding that every homoeopathic physician should know them thoroughly as each prescribing method has its own scope and limitations. He emphasizes that a physician must cater to the needs of each individual in determining the selection of a remedy. Unfortunately, I understand this is a very tall order and not at all easy for an average homoeopath.

Page -11 deals with components of potency selection divided into 9 categories:

1. Disease potential
2. Sensitivity
3. Susceptibility
4. Etiological factors
5. Miasmatic assessment
6. Similarity; degree and level
7. Suppression
8. Type of patient and
9. Nature of vitality.

He then goes on to elaborate on these 9 points with a bewildering array of schematic presentation described in the form of bracketed boxes that makes the reader feel that he should go over this background very carefully. The vexed question of sensitivity and susceptibility which is not understood by many students is then dealt with from page 22 onwards and makes interesting reading. Wherever possible the author has given examples to clarify this difficult subject so as to give the readers a better mental understanding of these two topics.

He next deals with the etiological factors, the four miasmatic constitutions and then goes on the talk about level and degree of similarity, the various types of suppression, the type of the patient like childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age and the nature of vitality which is essentially a store house of energy. He illustrates this through materia medica. Flouric acid and Calc-flour are good reservoirs of energy, Medorrhinum remains plump and well nourished despite long suffering, Psorinum has an inherited debilitated state and hence is unreacting and Carcinocin comes from a poor hereditary stock with the constitutional peculiarity of being depraved.

A susceptibility chart has been portrayed on page 39 which is nutshell gives total information on all points of susceptibility from page 41 onwards, the aspect of repetition of doses is dealt with and goes on to give the impressions of the stalwarts of the past to the present era from those who favoured frequent repetition and those who favoured infrequent repetitions. Dr. Ajit then deals with what, how and why of repetition which means assessing what is happening to the system as a whole, how it is happening after the remedy, meaning whether the patient’s system is following Hering’s Law or deteriorating, thirdly why the system is slipping back and not responding i.e. in other words what are the obstacles either to the similimum or from the miasmatic force or from the pathology. He then goes on to deal with points that tell us when not to repeat and when the repeat. These points must be read carefully by the reader, though I confess that it will be very difficult to remember all these points when the patient is before us.

Page -51 deals will the views of stalwarts of the past era from Hahnemann, Boiennghausen, Kent, Hering and Elizabeth Hubbard. Pages 53 to 59 give the guidelines for potency selection and repetition wherein Dr. Ajit has given 20 points to the reader followed by indications for low potency with its contraindications, medium potency, high potency with its contraindications, and the 50 millisimal scale and its indications. The same points he has presented on pages 60 and 61, but I feel he could have well omitted these two pages because too much of information can dull the brains of those readers who are beyond 50, including this reviewer.

The last part of the book contains 6 brief cases giving practical implications and I wish Dr. Ajit would give in future editions more cases of this type. The author’s conclusion comes on page 67 and 68 and then there are 15 references given both of books and journals which he has read for this treatise.

If I were to summarize the impressions of this book, I would feel that it is in a short scope of 72 pages packed with the most intense and useful information about this aspect of posology which I feel is as vast as an ocean, as the ocean of case taking, remedy selection and the second prescription. The author has dedicated this book to me and I feel a little bit humble that he has done so because it seems that in 1996 I asked him to write down the points that he had selected in a conference at Ahmednagar. The book is excellently published, and very reasonably prized, the print is very easy to read and with my editorial eye I could hardly point out any printing mistakes.