Arrangement and Construction of Kent’s Repertory – New Perspective

Dr  Aji Punnen

Dr. James Tyler Kent was born at Woodhull , Newyork on March 31 1849. He graduated from Madison university at Hamilton. He went to study medicine at the faculty of  Bellevue Medical College He also attended two courses of lecture at the Eclectic medical institute at Cincinnati in the state of Ohio.

Dr. Kent was converted to Homoeopathy by Dr. Phelan who cured her Insomnia.

Editions of  Repertory of  Homoepathic Materia Medica

  • First edition – 1897
  • Second edition – 1908
  • Third edition – 1924
  • Fourth edition – 1935
  • Fifth edition – 1945
  • Sixth edition – 1957
  • Sixth Indian edition – 1961

Other works

  • Lectures on Philosophy
  • Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica
  • New Remedies Clinical Cases Lesser Writings
  • The Dunham Lectures
  • Use of the repertory
  • How to study the repertory
  • What The Doctor Needs To Know In Order To Make a Successful Prescription

There are 37 / 33 chapters in kent’s repertory. If urinary organs are considered as one chapter the H is 33 & as five separate chapters ( Bladder, kidneys, prostate, urethra, urine) the number of chapters are 37.

Chapters start with mind and ends in  generalities.

Systematic arrangement of chapters

  • Central Nervous System – (Mind, Vertigo, Head)
  • Special Senses With Its Functions( Eye, Vision, Ear, Hearing, Nose)
  • Face
  • Gastrointestinal System (Mouth, Teeth, Throat, Stomach, Abdomen, Rectum,  Stool)
  • External Throat Comes After Throat
  • Genitourinary System (Bladder, Kidneys, Prostate, Urethra, Urine, Genitalia Male, Genitalia Female)
  • Respiratory System (Larynx & Trachea, Respiration, Cough, Expectoration, Chest)
  • Cardiovascular System ( Chest)
  • Locomotor System (Back, Extremities)
  • Sleep
  • Stages Of  Fever  (Chill, Fever, Perspiration)
  • Skin
  • Generalities

In the arrangement of chapters  structures are followed by functions

  • Eye, vision
  • Ear, hearing
  • Exception – respiration, chest

The name of the chapter is given above the pages in capital roman letters

Chapters starting in alphabetical order

Mind, Head, Eye, Vision, Ear, Hearing, Nose, Face, Mouth, Teeth, Throat, External Throat, Stomach, Abdomen, Rectum, Stool, Bladder, Kidneys, Prostate, Urethra, Urine, Genitalia Male, Genitalia Female, Larynx &Trachea, Respiration, Chest, Back, Extremities, Sleep, Skin,

Chapters starting with time followed by alphabetical order

Cough, expectoration, generalities

Chapters starting with the name of the chapter, followed by time, then alphabetical order –   vertigo, perspiration

Chapters starting with rubrics related to the chapter, followed by time, then alphabetical order –   chill — coldness, fever — heat

Rubrics

Rubrics are arranged in alphabetical order with exceptions given above

Rubrics are represented in bold capital roman letters

Rubrics are arranged from generals to particulars i.e. it starts with a general rubric followed by particular rubrics with exceptions

Many rubrics start with particular rubrics – e.g. Nose, Discharge, right

Rubrics & medicines are separated by a colon

Medicines are separated by a semicolon

Medicines are given in alphabetical order with gradations.

In rubrics medicines are given as abbreviations , index of which is given in the beginning of repertory.

Medicines in rubrics are represented in 3 grades

I – bold roman

II – Italics

III – Roman

Sub rubrics           

Sub rubrics are represented with ordinary roman letters with locations as exception which is given as a separate heading

Subrubrics are arranged under the rubric with indentation to the right

Subsubrubrics are arranged under the subrubrics with indentation to the right.

Subrubrics are arranged in STME pattern ie side, time, modalities, extension with many exceptions

STME pattern is inappropriate to represent the arrangement of subrubrics in  kents repertory

STMEL is  a better pattern to represent the arrangement of subrubrics , ie side ,time , modalities, extension, locations.

Generally all sub rubrics are in STMEL pattern except at some places

In a set of rubrics,  time is given after modalities , i.e. , MT  pattern instead of TM

TIME rubrics

Side

  • Side is not given in alphabetical order
  • Right is given first  then left 

Time

Time is arranged under rubrics in the order of sunrise to sunset followed by night with the exception of daytime

  • Day time —  dawn – dusk ( 6am – 6pm)
  • Morning – (6 am — 8 am) – (9 am — 11 am)
  • Forenoon – (8am — 11 am) – 12pm
  • Noon — 12 pm – 1 pm
  • Afternoon – 1pm –  ( 5pm – 6 pm)
  • Evening – (6pm – 9pm), twilight
  • Night – 9 pm – 6 am, it includes sub rubrics like midnight before, midnight, midnight after.

In some chapters midnight is given as a separate rubric. E.g – Chill

Defects of time arrangement

  • Clock timings overlap at many places
  • Difficult to find out a particular time
  • Rubrics & subrubrics over laps
  • Does not follow arrangement  — STME

Modalities

Modalities are arranged in alphabetic order

It includes aggravations, ameliorations, concomitants, alternations, causations, accompaniments

Locations

Locations are not directly represented in Kent’s repertory.

Locations are represented under sensations or modalities ( ie under rubrics) with some exceptions.

Locations are given directly at some places

Eg. Liver, Spleen, pancreas

Locations are represented under rubrics after the completion of STME pattern of general rubric & given in bold roman letters as a separate section but as a part of the rubric under which STME pattern is followed.

Locations are also  represented at the end of the general rubric as normal subrubrics ie after extension.

Locations are arranged under the rubric in anatomical order& in alphabetical order.

Anatomical order – Extremities

Alphabetical order – Head, Throat, Abdomen, Genitalia male

In chest locations are given in alphabetical order except for the heart which is given at the end of locations

Head – Brain, Occiput, Sides, Temples, Vertex, Forehead, Hair,

Eye – Margins, Conjunctiva, Canthi, Lids, Lachrymal Glands, Eye Brows, Iris, Lachrymal Canal, Lachrymal Sac, Meibomian Glands, Retina, Optic Nerve,

Ear – Concha, Eustachian Tube, Antitragus, Lobule, Tragus,

Nose – Root, Posterior Nares, Septum, Tip, Wings,

Face – Cheek, Chin, Infra Orbital, Lips, Jaw, Articulation, Mental Foramen, Parotid Gland, Submaxillary Gland, Zygoma, Sub Lingual Gland

Mouth – Gums, Palate, Tongue, Inside Of Lips

Teeth – Incisors, Canines, Molars, Upper Teeth, Lower Teeth, Bicuspid,

Throat – Oesophagus, Oshyoids, Tonsils, Pharynx, Uvula, Fauces

External Throat – Carotids, Thyroid Gland, Jugular, Cervical Glands

Stomach –  Stomach

Abdomen – Mesentrics, Region Of Hip, Caecal Region, Liver, Spleen, Inguinal Region, Sides Of Abdomen, Lower Abdomen, Muscles Of Abdomen, Hypochondrium, Hypogastrium, Umbilicus, Ileocaecal Region

Rectum – Perineum, Between Nates, Anus

Bladder – Neck Of Bladder, Region Of Blader, Sphincter,

Kidneys – Ureter, Region Of Kidneys

Prostate Gland – Prostate, Region Of Prostate

Urethra – Anterior Part Of Urethra, Fossa Navicularis, Meatus, Glandular Portion Of Urethra

Genitalia Male – Penis, Scrotum, Testes, Spermatic Cord, Prepuce, Glans Penis, Fraenum, Root Of Penis

Genitalia Female – Ovaries, Vagina, Uterus, Cervix,

Larynx & Trachea – Larynx, Trachea, Throat Pit, Epiglottis,

Chest – Axillae, Lungs, Mammae, Region Of Heart, Heart, Nipples, Sternum, Clavicles, Lowerpart Of Chest, Middle Of Chest, Sides Of Chest, Upper Part Of Chest, Pleura, Diaphragm, Endocardium, Pericardium, Pectoral Muscles

Back – Cervical Region, Dorsal Region, Lumbar Region, Sacral Region, Spine, Scapular Region, Between Shoulders, Sacrum, Coccyx, Scapulae, Ilium, Iliac Crest, Lumbo Sacral Region, Sacro Iliac Junction,

Extremities – Psoas, Nates, Lower Limbs, Upper Limbs,Shoulder Joint, Humerus,  Upper Arm, Elbow, Fore Arm, Hand, Metacarpal Bone, Wrist,  Fingers, Thumb,  Finger Joints, Hip, Femur, Thigh, Knee, Tibia, Fibula,  Leg, Ankle Joint, Foot, Heel,  Toes, Toe Nails, Soles,

Pain
Pain starts as in general followed by STME pattern , types of pain in alphabetical order  with subrubrics in STME pattern -Eye, ear, nose, throat, kidneys, extremities,

In Head, chest, male genitalia pain is not followed by sides  but sides are given under locations only

In abdomen, face pain starts with particular types – aching not with pain in general

In mouth, penis pain in general have no subrubrics & immediately followed by locations with subrubrics & with particular  type of pains

In teeth pain starts with locations followed by STME pattern.Under some locations side is given.

In generalities pain starts with the appearance of pain followed by locations followed by type of pains in alphabetical order.

Cross references & synonyms
Cross references & synonyms are given soon after the rubic or subrubric in brackets

Synonyms contain medicines only in one rubric.

Cross references contains medicines in both or all rubrics. Cross references means rubrics with similar meaning & used in different context.

Cross references or synonyms are given after prefix see

They are  also given without the prefix  eg. Bladder ,urination, feeble stream, ( slow)  

Reference
Repertory of  Homoeopathic Materia Medica —  J T KENT

Dr. Aji Punnen
email : 
ajipunnenkocheril@gmail.com

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