Prescribing on the basis of Specifics

The proving of Cinchona bark by Hahnemann on himself brought out the similar symptoms to Ague Fever. He felt that the chill, fever, sweating, followed by Apyrexia are very symptoms common to the Ague fever. Thus he concluded that the remedy which in its proving produce similar symptoms of a disease is a specific homoeopathic remedy because it acts though the vital force and produces a similar disease. On the basis of this he laid down the 'Law of Similars'.

A number of drugs having specific similarity to other diseases has also been noticed by Hahnemann in his further provings. For example, for Measles Pulsatilla; Chickenpox Antum Tart; Whooping cough Drosera; Dengue Fever Eupatorium Perf; Yellow Fever Crotalus Hor; Scarlet Fever Belladonna; Cholera Veratrum Alb; Pulmonary Tuberculosis Ars Iod.; For Secondary Syphilis Kali Iod. etc.

Next we found Arnica is specific for blunt injuries; Ledum for punctured wounds; Hypericum for Nerve injuries; Cantharis for burns; Carbo Veg for sudden shocks; Raphnus for post operative gas pains; Causticum for post operative retention of urine etc.

Dr. Boericke in his 'Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Therapeutic Index' provided homoeopathic specific remedies for various ailments but he advised that these specific remedies should only be prescribed when other principles of prescribing are not applicable. 

The place of specific remedies lies between the homoeopathic and physiological remedies. The more similar they are in the symptomatology of acute diseases, the more they are homoeopathic to the sick individual and act in minimal and infinitesimal potencies but the more they are similar in pathological sphere, the more they belong to the organopathic nature of the disease and act in lower potencies. 

Following is the list of few medicines which are specific to the indications given against each:

Medicine	Potency	Indications
Adonin	1x Trituration	Cardiac dropsy and substitute for Digitalis
Allium Sat	Mother Tincture	High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure
Antum Crude	30C - 1M	Painful corn of sole, headache from bathing
Antum Mur	Low potency	Cancer of lower lip
Anthracinum	30C - 200C	Carbuncles or gangrene with burning pains
Argentum Met	6C - 200C	Ailments from abuse of mercury, total loss of voice of professional singers
Avena Sativa	Mother Tincture	Affects of morphine habit, sleeplessness, tonic after exhausting diseases, tremors of aged people
Cadmium Sulph	3C - 30C	Post effect of radiation in cancer
Capsicum	6C - 200C	Mastoiditis
Ceanothus Ame	Mother Tincture	Enlargement of spleen in malaria
Chaparro Am	Mother Tincture	Chronic Dysentery when indicated remedies fails to provide relief
Cina	Mother Tincture - 1M	For round worms, when indicated Drosera has relieved the severe symptoms but fails to provide complete relief
Conium Mac	30C - 1M	Suppressed sexual desire, pain from contusion of testicle
Cuprum Acet	30C	Exam fear
Curare	200C - 1M	Weakness of hands and fingers or pseduo hypertrophic paralysis of pianists
Fraximus Am	Mother Tincture	Fibroid of uterus
Galega	30C	Increases milk in nursing women
Gnaehalium	3C - CM	Sciatica with alternation of numbness with pain
Heckla Lava	3X - 6X Trituration	Bone affections, osteo-sarcona, exostosis, dental caries
Helonias D	Mother Tincture	Misplacement and prolapsed of uterus
Hoang Nan	Mother Tincture	Removes fetor and hemorrhages in cancer and revives the healing process
Iris Tenax	3C - 1M	Appendicitis
Lec Can	200C - 1M	Drying off the secretion of milk in women who for any reason which to stop feeding their infants before the usual time
Lactic Acid	6X - 1M	Diabetes with rheumatic pains
Lactuca Vir	Mother Tincture	Increases milk in nursing women
Lactrodectus Mac	3X - 6C	Angina pectoris
Lecithinum	3X - 6X Trituration	Improves nutrition and increase hemoglobin
Magnesia Carb	30C - 1M	Allergic to milk, problem related to wisdom teeth
Magnetis Polus Aust	30C - CM	Ingrown toe nails
Mezarium	6C - CM	Cilliary neuralgia after removal of eye ball, deafness from suppressed head eczema
Pothos Foe	30C - 1M	Asthma due to dust allergy
Ruta G	30C - 1M	Mechanical injuries to bone and periosteum, Carcinoma of rectum
Sabal Serr	Mother Tincture	Undeveloped mammary glands, prostatic troubles
Scrophularia Nod	Mother Tincture	Hodgkin's Disease
Senega	Mother Tincture - 1M	Promotes the abortion of fragments of lens after cataract operation
Thallium	30C - 1M	Falling of hairs, baldness
Thymol	6X Trituration	Hook worm infection
Trombidium	6C - 200C	Diarrhea worst by food and drinks
Vipera	6C - 30C	Phlebitis

Note: Kindly note that this is not a complete list. It only covers most frequently used specifics.

Updated on: 01 Feb 2010