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Proving potencies
248
British Homoeopathic Journal
the details of a case into a more or less anatomical order, and leads me to wonder if any members still use Dr Margaret Tyler's case sheet, or variations of it? I believe it was handed to patients to read and reply to the questions while waiting to be seen by her. I had hoped to have comments on the effect or cure ratio: the assessment of this indicates in terms of time the results of homoeopathic treatment. For example, if a disease has existed for 3 weeks, and improves or is cured in 48 hours after starting homoeopathic treatment, it can be stated that the odds in favour of the result being due to the h o m o e o p a t h i c treatment are 10 to 1 against it being due to suggestion, or autosuggestion or mere coincidence--an elementary statistic, but of some significance. NOEL PRATt 8 Bluebell Crescent Norwich NR4 7LE
Proving potencies S I R - - I n his recent guest editorial, Dr H. Walach I proposes that provings should be made in the 30th potency, quoting in support paras. 121-148 of the 6th edition of The Organon. This edition was of course written in Hahnemann's old age, in Paris, and was published posthumously. As Richard Hughes pointed out in the last century, 2 the so-called provings of The Chronic Diseases, on which the c o m m e n t s in the 6th edition of The Organon are based, cannot have been made, at least by Hahnemann, in the same way as those of The Materia Medica Pura. They are in fact of dubious reliability. The recommendation to use the 30th centesimal potency for both provings and therapy was made by Hahnemann simply for the sake of uniformi-
ty. Modern attempts to conduct provings, even using material doses, have sometimes been disappointing;3, 4 either almost no symptoms at all were produced or else so many developed with the placebo that any potentially genuine ones were c o m p l e t e l y swamped. The reliability of provings carried out in the 30th potency, especially in the absence of placebo controls, would be questionable. Dr W a l a c h is right to e m p h a s i z e the absence of a substantial amount of scientific research on provings; little of the proving literature, which dates mainly from the 19th century, would stand up to serious criticism today. However I doubt whether this situation is remediable. Heretical though it may appear, I think the time is fast approaching when we should cease to claim that homoeopathy is founded on provings in anything except a historical sense. We should do better to accept that, for better or worse, the indications for prescribing today are largely 'clinical'. 1 Walach H. Br Hom J 1994; 83:129-31. 2 Hughes R. The principles and practice of homoeopathy. London 1902. 3 Campbell ACH, Dickson Mabon H. Three modern provings: Arnica, Bryonia and Pulsatilla. Br Hom J 1984; 73: 226-8. 4 Clover AM, Jenkins S, Cambpell ACH, Jenkins MD. Report on a provings of Pulsatilla. Br Hom J 1980; 69: 134-49. ANTHONY CAMPBELL
The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital NHS Trust Great Ormond Street London WC1N 3HR
Copy dates Copy for the April 1995 issue should reach the Editor by 7 November, copy for the July issue by 27 February 1995.
British Homoeopathic Journal
the details of a case into a more or less anatomical order, and leads me to wonder if any members still use Dr Margaret Tyler's case sheet, or variations of it? I believe it was handed to patients to read and reply to the questions while waiting to be seen by her. I had hoped to have comments on the effect or cure ratio: the assessment of this indicates in terms of time the results of homoeopathic treatment. For example, if a disease has existed for 3 weeks, and improves or is cured in 48 hours after starting homoeopathic treatment, it can be stated that the odds in favour of the result being due to the h o m o e o p a t h i c treatment are 10 to 1 against it being due to suggestion, or autosuggestion or mere coincidence--an elementary statistic, but of some significance. NOEL PRATt 8 Bluebell Crescent Norwich NR4 7LE
Proving potencies S I R - - I n his recent guest editorial, Dr H. Walach I proposes that provings should be made in the 30th potency, quoting in support paras. 121-148 of the 6th edition of The Organon. This edition was of course written in Hahnemann's old age, in Paris, and was published posthumously. As Richard Hughes pointed out in the last century, 2 the so-called provings of The Chronic Diseases, on which the c o m m e n t s in the 6th edition of The Organon are based, cannot have been made, at least by Hahnemann, in the same way as those of The Materia Medica Pura. They are in fact of dubious reliability. The recommendation to use the 30th centesimal potency for both provings and therapy was made by Hahnemann simply for the sake of uniformi-
ty. Modern attempts to conduct provings, even using material doses, have sometimes been disappointing;3, 4 either almost no symptoms at all were produced or else so many developed with the placebo that any potentially genuine ones were c o m p l e t e l y swamped. The reliability of provings carried out in the 30th potency, especially in the absence of placebo controls, would be questionable. Dr W a l a c h is right to e m p h a s i z e the absence of a substantial amount of scientific research on provings; little of the proving literature, which dates mainly from the 19th century, would stand up to serious criticism today. However I doubt whether this situation is remediable. Heretical though it may appear, I think the time is fast approaching when we should cease to claim that homoeopathy is founded on provings in anything except a historical sense. We should do better to accept that, for better or worse, the indications for prescribing today are largely 'clinical'. 1 Walach H. Br Hom J 1994; 83:129-31. 2 Hughes R. The principles and practice of homoeopathy. London 1902. 3 Campbell ACH, Dickson Mabon H. Three modern provings: Arnica, Bryonia and Pulsatilla. Br Hom J 1984; 73: 226-8. 4 Clover AM, Jenkins S, Cambpell ACH, Jenkins MD. Report on a provings of Pulsatilla. Br Hom J 1980; 69: 134-49. ANTHONY CAMPBELL
The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital NHS Trust Great Ormond Street London WC1N 3HR
Copy dates Copy for the April 1995 issue should reach the Editor by 7 November, copy for the July issue by 27 February 1995.