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The chief complaint has a psychological value out of all proportion to its value in homeopathic prescribing: it brings the patient to the physician…
The young physician places much dependence upon this part of the case; it is close to his training along diagnostic lines. The older prescriber, while giving due weight to the chief symptoms, feels that in prescribing he must consider the totality of the symptoms…
That group of which the patient complains most, almost without exception cannot be relied upon for the definite selection of the remedy; it is the concomitant group of symptoms which, taken in conjunction with the major group of symptoms, makes possible the definite selection of the remedy by greatly reducing the number of remedies indicated in such conditions, and upon a closer analysis we can pick the simillimum unerringly from this small group.
We might site numerous complaints where the chief complaint would lead us into a morass of remedies, any one of which might give relief to the patient, but only one of which would cure.
At times, the chief complaint seems contradictory to the auxiliary group of symptoms brought out by the physician's questioning… The physician will find many such alternating symptoms groups, any one of which may be the chief complaint. Only the thoughtless physician will tell the patient that the present symptom group is the one to be considered at the present time, and when the other symptom group appears it will be plenty of time to consider that group.
All quotes above from: Roberts, Herbert A., M.D., The Principles and Art of Cure by Homeopathy.
Young woman complains of tension, stiffness and lameness through the muscles of her back, between the shoulders, in the nape of the neck, causing a pulling sensation even into the cheeks. Turning head, bending the body, raising the arms especially the left aggravates. Any remedies yet? No, you need more questioning even though this is the chief complaint.
She says she also has leucorrhoea. It might match several remedies already considered but in itself it has no value as a differentiating symptom.
She also says that the leucorrhoea comes on only while sitting and is free of it as soon as she gets on her feet. This is a truly auxiliary symptom that has a unique value: Leucorrhoea only while sitting. (Genitalia — Female, Leucorrhoea, sitting while: Ant-t)
There is only one remedy which in the proving has developed this characteristic symptom, and that is Fagopyrum according to Roberts.
Check the remedy back with the chief complaint and all the other symptoms are there so we know that we have found the simillimum.
