Classification of Homeopathic Repertories

The number of repertories available in the market has increased manifolds since the time of master Hahnemann.There are about 200 various types of repertories which can be helpful for different purposes.

Purpose of classification
Each classified group is a representative of specific application and value
Grouping will help to highlights the group characteristics and individual peculiarities of the repertories.
The classification is necessary to group the similar repertories together ,so when the schools of philosophy points to a group of repertories ,the most similar among can be selected for repertorisation.

Levels of classification

• Overall appearance
• Internal formatting
• Group characteristics

Level.1 over all appearances

• Book Repertories
• Card Repertories
• Software Packages

Book repertories
Most of the repertories are available in the book form.
Advtg.
They are most numerous and easily available
They are cost effective
They are easy to carry and to use
Dis advtg.
Due to multiplicity very difficult to select the required repertory.
Up gradation & Corrections are difficult
Out dated terminologies are used in many repertories.

Card repertories
Is a system of visual sorting which eliminate the necessarily of righting out the rubrics & remedies against them. Even though it has many advantages they  are outdated in the event of computers.

Computer repertories
They have many appealing features. The number of options available for reference is immense and the work is also very fast, may also carried to the bedside in the form of laptop computers.

Level. 2 Internal formatting
Based on the internal formatting they are divided in to

• Puritan group
• Logical utilitarian group

Puritan group – They are called so because the purity of the language of the drug proving is maintained. They are used for the purpose of reference and not for systemic repertorisation. They help us to refer the symptoms without much variations in the language of the provers. Thes repertories are analogues to the index of the symptoms as they are presented in the materia medica.
Kneer repertory
Gentry’s repertory

logical utilitarian group – are called so because of their arrangement and their utility value, they have distinct principles of their own.
In this repertories the symptoms may not be found in the language of the materiamedica, but the symptoms change their forms to fit in to the arrangement of the repertories.
Eg. Kent’s repertory
Synthesis.

Level. 3 Group characteristics
The classification made on the basis of group characteristics is the most pragmatic one for selecting the repertory according to the demands of the case.

1. General repertories
Based on deductive logic
Eg. Kent’s repertory
Based on inductive logic
Eg. Therapeutic pocket book
Based on Clinical approach
Eg. Repertory to Homoeopathic MM by Oscar E Boerick

2. Regional repertories
Dealing with the organs
Eg. Berridges Repertory to Eye
Dealing with the system
Eg. Morgan’s repertory to urinary organs

3. Particular repertories
Dealing with particular states
Eg. Repertory to time modalities
Dealing with the particular diseased condition
Eg.Repertory of diarrhoea By Bell james

4. Alphabetical repertories
The symptoms are arranged in alphabetical order
Eg. Repertory to Homoeopathic MM By Pathak

5. Concordance repertories
Repertory of Concordance by Kneer

6. Comparative repertories
Comparative repertory of Hom.MM by Docks & Kockelenberg

7. Pathogenic repertory
Repertory to Cyclopedia of drug pathogenesy by Richard Huges

8. Reference repertories
Select your remedy by Biswamber das

9. Therapeutic digests
Raue’s special pathology & therapeutics

10. Card repertories
Kishore’s cards

11. Computer repertories
Cara,Radar,Hompath

GENERAL REPERTORIES
The general repertories are logical utilitarian repertories
Useful for individualization as desired by the principles of Homoeopathy
They facilitate the adapt ion of general symptom for repertorisation.

3 major groups

1. Based on deductive logic
Here the generals are given prime importance, then follows characteristics particulars. The analysis of the case for these repertories is also based on the premise of the deductive logic, where the generals symptoms are given higher ranking than the particular symptoms.
Eg. Kent’s repertory,  Synthesis
Synthetic repertory also adopted the principles of deductive logic but do not included particular symptoms, it deals exclusively with particular symptoms.

2. Based on inductive logic
Means from particulars to generals
In these repertories the different elements of a symptom like location sensation modality & concomitants can be brought together on the basis of certain constants & and a general symptom can be constructed .The resulting general symptom is called a Synthetic general
When there is a particular sensation that is expressed at more than two location at any given time, the sensation can be elevated to the level of a general symptom, provided the modalities remain the same for all the locations expressing that sensation. If a concomitant is also present the generalization become stronger
Eg. TPB is based on doctrine of analogy & concomitant Boger’s repertory operates on complete symptom Synoptic key by Boger give important to pathological generals

3.Clinical repertories
These repertories  have many clinical rubrics under different systems, and the medicines are given against the name of the disease.
As in the general repertories the clinical repertories also cover the therapeutic information for the whole of the organism & come under logical utilitarian group.
The construction of these repertories affords the flexibility of adopting either the deductive or inductive logic at any given time, and highly useful when there is a significant amount of clinical data available in a case.
Eg. Clinical repertory by J.H.Clark
The prescriber by J.H.Clark

!!. Regional repertories
Regional repertories mainly focus on the information relevant to a particular system or a region. They are mainly used for reference purposes, not for individualisation, but having the advantage of elaborating on a particular theme witha high degree of specificity.
Eg. Berridg’s eye
Morgan’s urinary organs

iii. Particular repertories
These repertories are based on clinical orientation, focused on certain particular states or particular diseased condition. The specific state may be a modifying factor. This repertories also affords a high degree of specification in the particular area.
Eg. Time modalities by Shedd.P.V
Diarrhoea by Bell james

iv. Alphabetical repertories
The symptoms in this repertories are arranged in a   alphabetical order. This repertories are qualifying as general repertories to a reference book.
Eg. General alphabetical repertories
Murphy’s repertory
Pathak repertory
Clinical alphabetical repertories
The presciber by Clark
Reference repertories
Highlights of Homoeopathic practice by T.P.Chatterjee

V. Concordance repertories
Word meaning In agreement or In harmony
OR
An index of words or passages of a book or an author
Here the medicine is analyzed for its relationship with other medicines at different levels and at different spheres.
Logical utilitarian repertories are popular as repertories and the puritan repertories are known as Concordance repertories or Concordances.
These repertories are comprised of mainly of the symptoms in the language of the provers, the whole symptoms expressed by the patient may be obtained as a single unit in these books. The demerit is that the search is very difficult & time consuming.

 VI. Comparative repertoris
This is one of the latest repertories, which is aimed to assist the user in differentiating the medicines with in the rubric, often this save the labor of consulting the materia medica for the differential references.
This repertory is a beginning of a movement for improving the service of repertory use. The comparative repertory is deficient in data, because all the remedies are not compared and differentiated.
Eg. Comparative repertory by Docks & Kockelenberg.

V11. Pathogenic repertories 
This is an index to the symptoms as presented during the drug proving. This repertory is useful when the pathological changes form the only available database in a case.
Also useful in case where the differentiation of the medicines and prescription of the appropriate remedy has to be made only on the basis of the objective symptoms.
In concordance  repertories the symptoms are written in the language of the provers _ the verbal expression.
But in the pathogenic repertories the expression at the level of altered physiological phenomena & the pathological process are explained.
Eg. Repertory of drug pathogenesy By Richard Huges.

VII. Reference repertories
These are not repertories in strict sense, but these books are handy for prescribing in acute cases and in cases with insufficient data.
They are used as ready recokners for assessing the information about a symptom or a condition with certain constant features.
Eg. Qiuck bed side presciber by Singhal

V111. Therapeutic digests
These are miniature versions of repertories and deals mainly with a particular clinical condition.
Eg. Raue’s Special pathology & therapeutic hints.

References
Tiwari : Essentials of repertorisation
Munir Ahmed : Introduction to Repertorisation
Mohanty : Text book of Repertories