When homeopathy was born at the end of the 18th century, the remedies prescribed to patients were prepared by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann himself from strains taken from nature. After his death, the homeopathic doctors who succeeded him perpetuated the Hahnemannian method of preparation by making their own remedies.
As homeopathic medicine was not very widespread at the time, it did not seem necessary for practitioners to prepare medicines in larger quantities. But two centuries later, homeopathy became a therapeutic method whose popularity continues to grow among patients. In order to be able to meet a growing demand, homeopathic doctors choose to manufacture remedies in the laboratory, which consequently allows them to produce sufficient quantities of medicines while guaranteeing optimal safety for patients. Since then, homeopathic medicines have been the subject of rigorous preparation that uses all the skills of many professionals.
Where do the basic substances used in homeopathy come from?
Essential to the development of the various remedies, the basic substances used in homeopathy come from plant, mineral, animal or chemical strains. There are currently more than 3,000 basic substances, mainly from the plant, animal or mineral world.
When the strains are of plant origin, the laboratories make it a priority to ensure the freshness of the harvested species so that they can retain all their healing properties. In addition, it is important to know that the harvests are always carried out with the greatest respect for the environment so as not to disturb the balance of nature.
Substances of animal origin are collected by competent professionals so that all the therapeutic properties of the strains can be preserved. For practical reasons, the different strains used in the manufacture of homeopathic medicines are known by their scientific name. Since the Latin name is in fact internationally widespread, it is much easier for practitioners all over the world to refer to prescribed substances using names that are common to them.
How are mother tinctures prepared?
In order to be able to be used in the composition of the remedies, the substances taken must be transformed into mother tinctures which will then be diluted and dynamized several times in succession. Among the substances used in homeopathy, a distinction is made between those that are soluble in water or alcohol and those that are not. Mother tinctures from soluble substances are obtained by a long maceration of the strains in water or alcohol. Substances that are not soluble in water and alcohol must go through a preliminary crushing step, i.e. a method of grinding in a lactose-based solution. After crushing, the crushed stump can then be dissolved in water and alcohol so that a mother tincture can finally be obtained.
The dilution and dynamization of mother tinctures
The dilution and dynamization of mother tinctures are fundamental steps in the manufacture of homeopathic medicine since they are what give the various remedies all their therapeutic effectiveness. Dilution is an operation that consists of diluting a mother tincture several times in a row in a precise quantity of liquid in order to gradually reduce the dose of the drug. The dilution processes used today in homeopathic medicine can be Hahnemannian or Korsakovian depending on the case, although Hahnemannian centesimals (CH) are by far the most widespread. Dynamization corresponds to all the succussions carried out after each dilution, so that the product can retain all its healing properties throughout the preparation.
Impregnation and conditioning
After the various dilutions and dynamizations carried out during the preparation of the remedy, it is important to put the substances obtained into very small pills so that they can be consumed. Also known as impregnation, this process consists of incorporating the various substances produced into a set of granules or globules that correspond to the most common dosage forms of homeopathic medicines. To do this, each laboratory uses a method specific to it to ensure that the different active ingredients can be properly distributed in the pharmaceutical forms used. It should also be noted that there are several additional dosage forms such as tablets, suppositories, drops or drinkable ampoules. Nevertheless, it is important to know that these drug forms are much less common than granules and blood cells. Once the impregnation step is completed, the granules and globules are finally put into tubes so that they can be prescribed and consumed.