Photo: Dr Nik Omar presenting paper at Malaysian Medical Association MMA Seminar at Kuala Lumpur.
FIFTY MILLESIMAL SCALE
This scale was introduced by Hahnemann in Aphorism 270 of the 6th edition of Organon of Medicine, published in 1921. Hahnemann termed it - "Renewed Dynamisation".
Dr. Pierre Scmidt and Dr. Charles Pahud popularized this method. Since the publication of French translation of the 6th edition of Organon by Pierre Schmidt of Geneva and his articles in British Homoeoapthic Journal, July - October 1954: ''The Hidden Treasures Of The Last Organon'', attention of homoeopaths was drawn to these changes. These potencies were termed by Pierre Schmidt as "Fifty Millesimal Potencies".
DESIGNATION
The potencies prepared according to this method are denoted by prefixing '0', representing symbolically - 'medicamens au globule' or by the letters 'LM', representing 'fifty millesimal'.
* 0/1, 0/2, 0/3, ... 0/30 [in India and Bangladesh]
* LM 1, LM 2, LM 3, ... LM 30
* LM I, LM II, LM III, ... LM XXX
* 0/I, 0/II, 0/III, ... 0/XXX
* 1/0, 2/0, 3/0,... [in Western world]
PREPARATION OF LM POTENCIES
APHORISM 270, 6th EDITION, ORGANON OF MEDICINE
1. 1 grain of the drug substance is triturated for three hours with sugar of milk up to 3C in powder form.
2. 1 grain of 3C is dissolved in 500 drops of a mixture of one part of alcohol and four parts of distilled water.
3. 1 drop of this solution is put in a vial. To this are added 100 drops of pure alcohol and given one hundred strong succussions with the hand against a hard but elastic body. This is the medicine in the first degree of dynamization in the liquid form.
4. Small sugar globules are moistened and kept in a well-corked vial with the sign of (I) degree of potency. These globules are such that 100 weigh 1 grain and 500 of which absorb one drop.
5. Only one globule of this is taken for further dynamization, put in a second new vial (with a drop of water in order to dissolve it) and then with 100 drops of good alcohol and dynamized in the same way with 100 powerful succussions. With this fluid, globules are again moistened and put into a well-stoppered vial and protected from heat and sunlight and given the sign (II) of the second potency.
HOMOEOPATHIC PHARMACOPOEIA OF INDIA
1. Triturate the crude drug substance with sugar of milk in the proportion of 100 mg of dry substance or 0.1 ml of liquid substances with 10 g of milk sugar, up to 3C.
2. Prepare solution of 3C potency by adding in the proportion of 100 mg of the third potency to 50 ml of a mixture of Purified Water and dispensing alcohol prepared by taking 4 parts of Purified Water and 1 part dispensing alcohol. This is termed ''mother solution''.
3. Mix one drop or part of this mother solution with 100 drops or part of dispensing alcohol and give 100 strong succussions. This makes the first Fifty Millesimal potency, expressed as ''0/1''.
4. Soak globules of nearly uniform size, 100 globules of which weigh 65 mg, in a drop of the preceding potency, dry them. Take one globule and dissolve it in a drop of Purified Water in new phial. Add 100 drops of dispensing alcohol to it and give 100 strong succussions.
COMPARISION BETWEEN LM POTENCIES AND CENTESIMAL POTENCIES
1. For preparation of further potencies in centesimal scale, 1 part of previous potency is potentised with 99 or 100 parts of vehicle - MEDICAMENS A LA GOUTTE. In LM scale, globules are saturated and used to further potencies - MEDICAMENS AU GLOBULE.
2. The mother tincture or substance in the centesimal scale is a drop of the drug or one grain in weight. In LM, the starting solution is the solution of 1 grain of 3C in 500 drops of diluent containing water and alcohol in the ratio 4:1.
3. No. of strokes is ten in the centesimal scale and 100 in the LM scale.
PREPARATION OF THE DOSE FOR LM POTENCIES
In the 6th edition of Organon of Medicine, Hahnemann mentions making an aqueous solution of the LM potency. A fundamental reason for using the medicinal solution is to make it easier to adjust the dose of the remedy to fit the sensitivity of the constitution.
The preparation of the medicinal solution for administration is as follows
1. Take 1 globule of the desired potency and place it into a clean bottle. Take 4 oz. of distilled water. Add a small amount of pure alcohol, as a preservative and stabilizer. This medicinal solution is now ready for use.
2. Succuss the bottle just prior to ingestion 8, 10 or 12 times, depending on the sensitivity of the patient. This raises slightly the potency and activates the remedy.
3. Take 1 or 2 teaspoons of the medicinal solution and place it in 4 oz. of water and stir. Most cases are begun with 1 teaspoon and the amount is increased only if necessary. This is the first dose. Throw away the rest.
4. Each dose from the medicinal solution of each potency is to be applied in the same manner. In case of any aggravation to this dose, further administration is halted and the aggravation is allowed to settle down. If the same remedy is indicated, then it is now administered by diluting the medicine in 2nd, 3rd or 4th glass of distilled water, to make the dose as safe and harmless as possible.
POINTS TO CONSIDER
1. The remedy is always succussed just prior to ingestion for slightly raising the potency. The number of succussions is directly linked to the dynamic effect of the remedy at the time of ingestion. In aphorism 248 Hahnemann mentions 8 (hypersensitive), 10 or 12 (hyposensitive) as the number of succussion given to the solution prior to ingestion.
2. The dosage of the medicinal solution can be carefully adjusted to suit the sensitivity of the individual's constitution.
3. The average size of the dose is 1 teaspoon of the medicinal solution stirred into the water in the dosage glass. From this glass the patient takes 1, rarely 2, teaspoons of the mixture. Normally, start with 1 teaspoon and only increase the amount when necessary.
4. This two-fold process of succussing and diluting causes a considerable change in the dynamization of the remedy. As the succussing raises the potency, the dilution reduces the amount, thus allowing the remedy to work rapidly, gently and permanently.
ADVANTAGES OF LM POTENCIES
1. It becomes easy to select from a limited range of potencies.
2. No fear of aggravation of disease or patient's condition by administering it in high or low potency and in repeated doses.
3. Can be repeated any time when there is need for medicine according to Law of Similars.
4. Action is quick and rapid.
5. Accurate judgment of the nature of cure.
ADVANTAGES OF LM POTENCIES
1. Hahnemann wrote the preface to the 6th edition of Organon in February 1842. After a gap of 77 years, Dr. Haehl of Germany managed to get hold of the original manuscript in the early part of 1920 with the financial assistance of Dr. Boericke. In 1922 Dr. Boericke published the English translation of this edition. This long delay is one reason for the unpopularity of this scale.
2. Some of Hahnemann's followers started using these high potencies, even before Hahnemann had laid down instructions about this new method. Hering, Kent, Dunham and Nash advocated the practice of using high potencies like 200, 1M, 10M, 50M, CM, MM and claimed better therapeutic results in many cases that did not respond satisfactorily with thirtieth and lower potencies. With the absence of the new directions and the popularity of the high potencies for about ninety years, sufficient experience was gained with the high potencies. When the 6th edition of Organon was available for the profession, it found some reluctance amongst the profession also due its authenticity.
3. The intricacy of the mode of preparation of medicines and its administration and regulation has led to a lack of usage amongst the profession.
