Since homeopathy is different from any other system of medicine, it makes sense that there are terms which are unique to it. Sometimes it makes things confusing when talking or reading about homeopathy. Here are some of the more commonly used terms that may be helpful to understand:
Acute illness: A disease state which is usually brief and is self-limiting. An example would be a cold or flu.
Aggravation: A temporary worsening of symptoms the patient was already experiencing. It is often an indication that the remedy has begun to work.
Allopathy: The treatment of disease using medicines with no relationship to disease symptoms. Based on contraria contrariis (law of opposites) while homeopathy is based on similia similibus curentur (like cures like).
Antidote: Something that slows or stops the action of a remedy. This is often another remedy. For example, Belladonna is known to be antidoted by Aconite. Strong essential oils can also antidote remedies.
Cell salts: Twelve salts determined by homeopathic physician WH Schuessler to be essential to the functioning of the human body. Prepared in 3X and 6X potencies.
Chronic disease: Disease which arises due to miasmatic influence and will continue to increase throughout life without the proper remedy.
Classical homeopath: A homeopathic practitioner who prescribes one remedy at a time based on the presenting symptom picture.
Constitution: The emotional, mental, and physical makeup of a person. Their overall health.
Cure: When treatment has ceased and the symptoms of the disease have resolved.
Dynamization: The process of dilution and succussion which results in potentized homeopathic remedies.
Etiology: The cause of disease.
Intercurrent: A remedy which is given to move a case forward when it has stalled, with the intention of returning to the previous remedy.
Keynotes: Strong and striking symptoms which point to particular remedies. For example, symptoms notably worse from movement would immediately make one think of Bryonia.
Law of similars: Similia similibus curentur— “let likes be cured with like”. Something capable of producing symptoms of in a healthy person can cure those symptoms in a sick person. The core tenet of homeopathy.
Materia medica: Reference works which list homeopathic remedies and their therapeutic action.
Minimum dose: A dose which is small enough to be curative without causing aggravation.
Organon: First published in 1810 with the title Organon of Rational Medicine Doctrine (Organon der Rationellen Heilkunde) and later editions published under Organon of Medical Art (Organon der Heilkunst). Describes the principles and practice of homeopathy.
Polycrests: Remedies which are often prescribed because they cover the symptoms of numerous diseases.
Repertory: A book which categorizes information in order to find information more easily. Derived from materia medica as well as clinical data.
Rubric: In the repertory, an abbreviated symptom followed by a list of remedies that have been shown to produce this symptom in healthy subjects.
Simillimum: The one remedy that corresponds to the totality of symptoms.
Succussion: Part of the process of developing homeopathic remedies. It involves the vigorous agitation of liquid in a container.
Suppression: Driving disease inward using medicines causing deeper issues. Most of allopathy works in this way.
Susceptibility: How sensitive a person is to a particular disease or other outside influences.
Totality: All symptoms of a particular case combined.
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