A drug is a substance that has medicinal properties. Medicines are drugs whose exact medicinal properties are known. A remedy is a medicine that is suitable for a specific patient at a particular time point. Apparently, one might think that the drug, medicine, and remedy mean the same.
Homeopathic remedies are those homeopathic medicines that are selected for a patient on the basis of the following points:
- Patient’s disease
- Patient’s individual symptoms (other than those of the disease)
- Patient’s emotional and intellectual characteristics
- Patient’s past history, family history, and other factors
The homeopathic remedies are selected from among the 3000 homeopathic medicines available in the armory of homeopathy. On the basis of a patient’s characteristics, only a few medicines will be selected for a patient at a given time and prescribed in a particular sequence.
To select the appropriate homeopathic medicines for a patient, the physician will require a detailed case study. The homeopathic doctor has to investigate the patient thoroughly and gather information on all the points mentioned above.
Homeopathic remedies can be classified as follows:
- Constitutional homeopathic remedies
- Disease-specific homeopathic remedies
- Inter-current homeopathic medicines
a. Constitutional homeopathic remedy or remedies are those selected on the basis of a complete study of the patient’s physical and mental constitution. Such medicine has to be deep-acting medicine and must have the power to address the disease at a fundamental level. A patient may require one or maybe a couple of constitutional homeopathic remedies over a period of time.
Commonly used constitutional homeopathic remedies are Lycopodium clavatum, Silica, Kali carbonicum, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Causticum, Sepia, Pulsatilla nigra, and Zincum metallicum.
b. Disease-specific homeopathic remedies are chosen on the basis of the following points:
- Nature of the disease and its pathogenesis
- Extent or stage of the disease
- Curability or incurability of the disease
- Reversibility or irreversibility of the disease
Homeopathic remedies are sometimes chosen to relieve disease symptoms, while constitutional homeopathic remedies are used to act at a deeper level.
Commonly used disease-specific homeopathic remedies are Hepar sulphuricum, Arnica montana, Merc solubilus, and Sangunaria.
c. Inter-current homeopathic remedies:
These are the medicines that assist, push, and enhance the effects of constitutional homeopathic medicines. These homeopathic remedies are selected largely on basis of the genetic characteristics of the patient and are very powerful and deep-acting. It is very important that these remedies be carefully chosen by the homeopathic doctor.
The selection of homeopathic remedies involves a deep understating of homeopathy, medicine, and the art of patient interaction on the part of the homeopathic doctor. Skill, training, wisdom, experience, and knowledge are the basic requirements that will help a homeopathic doctor select the appropriate homeopathic remedy in each case.