Homeopathic Potencies and Use
It can be confusing for beginner to navigate the labelling and use of homeopathic remedies.
Mother essences are the original essence. These are for practitioners who dilute and succuss their own remedies.
Stock bottle dilutions are the first dilution of the original essence. This is the potency you would find at your local health food store; for example Bach flower essences.
For acute symptoms 6x, 6C, and 30C potencies are often used, with initial hourly doses and then 3-4x daily.
For chronic symptoms lower and higher potencies may be used, 200C and 1M potencies taken every other day to once a week, once a month or even less often.
For mental symptoms homeopaths may select 200C and 1M potencies or higher, taken every other day to once a month or less often.
Low potencies - 6x, 6C
Medium potencies - 30C, 200X
High potencies 200C, 1M
Very high potencies - 10M, 50M, MM
The process of dilution and succussion is called potentization.
Methods of Potentization
Hahnemann - The most common type of dilutions is “C” dilutions (centesimal dilutions). The 1C is obtained by mixing 1 part of the Mother Tincture with 9 parts of ethanol in a new vial and then vigorously shaking the solution (succussion). The result is a 1/100 dilution of the original substance, ie a plant tincture.
The 2C is obtained by mixing 1 part of the 1C with 99 parts of ethanol in a new vial and succussing. Recurrently, the 3C is obtained by mixing 1 part of the 2C with 99 parts of ethanol in a new vial and succussing.
Hahnemann/LM potencies - 0.06gm of 3C trituration powder dissolved in 30ml alcohol (1:500). One drop is then diluted in 99 drops of 96% alcohol (1:50,000) and succussed = LM1
Korsakovian - Dilutions made using one vial for the entire process. Using ultra-purified water as the solvent, the machine removes 99% of the Mother Tincture and replaces it with the same volume of solvent. The vial is succussed for 10.5 seconds. The result is called 1CK. The 2CK is prepared identically from the 1CK. The automatic process using only 1 vial allows higher dilutions to be reached. The most common Korsakovian dilutions are 200CK, 1,000CK (also called 1M), 10,000CK (10M), 50,000 CK (50M) and 100,000CK (100M or CM).
Fincke - Dilutions made using a constant stream of water into a vial containing substance to be potentized. Starting with potency of existing remedy, usually 30C, the timed steady flow of water is indicated as H (hour).
1/128H or 28.125 seconds
1/64H, 1/32H, 1/16H, 1/8H 1/4H 1/2H or 30 minutes
1H, 2H, 4H, 8H, 16H, 32H, 64H, 128H
Arnica 30C using the Fincke method of potentization for 8 hours is written as
Arn 30C/8H
Mother essences are the original essence. These are for practitioners who dilute and succuss their own remedies.
Stock bottle dilutions are the first dilution of the original essence. This is the potency you would find at your local health food store; for example Bach flower essences.
For acute symptoms 6x, 6C, and 30C potencies are often used, with initial hourly doses and then 3-4x daily.
For chronic symptoms lower and higher potencies may be used, 200C and 1M potencies taken every other day to once a week, once a month or even less often.
For mental symptoms homeopaths may select 200C and 1M potencies or higher, taken every other day to once a month or less often.
Low potencies - 6x, 6C
Medium potencies - 30C, 200X
High potencies 200C, 1M
Very high potencies - 10M, 50M, MM
The process of dilution and succussion is called potentization.
Methods of Potentization
Hahnemann - The most common type of dilutions is “C” dilutions (centesimal dilutions). The 1C is obtained by mixing 1 part of the Mother Tincture with 9 parts of ethanol in a new vial and then vigorously shaking the solution (succussion). The result is a 1/100 dilution of the original substance, ie a plant tincture.
The 2C is obtained by mixing 1 part of the 1C with 99 parts of ethanol in a new vial and succussing. Recurrently, the 3C is obtained by mixing 1 part of the 2C with 99 parts of ethanol in a new vial and succussing.
Hahnemann/LM potencies - 0.06gm of 3C trituration powder dissolved in 30ml alcohol (1:500). One drop is then diluted in 99 drops of 96% alcohol (1:50,000) and succussed = LM1
Korsakovian - Dilutions made using one vial for the entire process. Using ultra-purified water as the solvent, the machine removes 99% of the Mother Tincture and replaces it with the same volume of solvent. The vial is succussed for 10.5 seconds. The result is called 1CK. The 2CK is prepared identically from the 1CK. The automatic process using only 1 vial allows higher dilutions to be reached. The most common Korsakovian dilutions are 200CK, 1,000CK (also called 1M), 10,000CK (10M), 50,000 CK (50M) and 100,000CK (100M or CM).
Fincke - Dilutions made using a constant stream of water into a vial containing substance to be potentized. Starting with potency of existing remedy, usually 30C, the timed steady flow of water is indicated as H (hour).
1/128H or 28.125 seconds
1/64H, 1/32H, 1/16H, 1/8H 1/4H 1/2H or 30 minutes
1H, 2H, 4H, 8H, 16H, 32H, 64H, 128H
Arnica 30C using the Fincke method of potentization for 8 hours is written as
Arn 30C/8H