LM potencies

Hahnemann worked from 1838 to 1842 to revise the 5th edition of the Organon, the one that most people know. In it, he created another bracket of potencies, sometimes called the LM or Q potencies, to supercede his centesimal potencies. Haehl obtained this yet unseen 6th edition of the Organon and published the German version in 1920 while William Boericke obtained it from the Boenninghausen family in Germany, translated it, and published the English version in 1921. The French, most notably Dr. Pierre Schmidt, drew attention to the LMs since 1954. The Indians also started experimenting in the ‘50s with the new method.

Why did Hahnemann feel the need to improve on his potencies? It was because he had difficulty getting what he thought was the best cure. The main problems were:

• Not achieving a gentle and rapid cure or just taking too long.
• An aggravation comes even after getting the best selected remedy.
• A high potency dose will continue to act for a long time.
• Not being able to repeat the dose even though there are still symptoms so that the patient suffers.
• Giving the right dose and potency was still argued and still confusing.

In practice, it is not possible to directly compare the potency of an LM with a C. Will Taylor, MD, likes to think of an LM1 as sharing the qualities of a 6C & a 30C (working as deeply as a 30C, but as gently as a 6C); and an LM3 as similarly sharing the qualities of a 12C & a 200C.

Making LMs

extracted from Julian Winston's massive online comments

The manufacturing process is outlined by Hahnemann in Paragraph 270 of the 6th edition of the Organon. The process starts with a 3C trituration. In the case of plants (where a tincture is the usual starting point), the plant material is triturated directly with the milk sugar. It is unclear how one would proceed with something like APIS which has to start with a tincture.

1 grain (or .05gms) of the 3C (1:1,000,000) is dissolved in 400 drops of distilled water and 100 drops of 90% alcohol.

Place 1 DROP of the above in a vial and add 100 drops of 95% alcohol. The bottle should be no more than 2/3 full. Cork the vial and succuss 100 times.

The granules, which are the size of poppy seeds, are placed in a small thimble with a hole in the bottom. The granules are smaller than #10 granules. (Hahnemann describes them as weighing one grain per 100). They are then saturated by pouring the liquid potency over them. When the liquid starts to run out the bottom, the granules are saturated. Spread the granules on blotting paper. When they are dry, put them in a bottle and label them “I” or “0/1.” This is the first millesimal potency.

To go up the scale, take one globule of the 0/1, dissolve it with one drop of distilled water, add 100 drops of 95% alcohol, and succuss 100 times. Saturate granules with this, dry them, bottle them, and label them “II” or 0/2.

These steps can be repeated up to the “XXX” or 0/30.

To be faithful to the Organon, the LM potencies should be sold only in globule form. The administration of the dosage is a second issue.

Hahnemann suggested that the dose is one globule. He also suggests (#272) that the dosage be administered in water. He outlines the dosage process in a footnote to #248. Dr. Robert Schore has translated this paragraph into the following dosage guide:

Dissolve one globule in 110cc distilled water. Succuss 12 times. This becomes the “stock” bottle given to the patient.

One tablespoon of this stock solution is placed in 4 oz. of pure water. The dose is one-half teaspoon. Hahnemann suggested that in the case of very sensitive people, the half teaspoon should be put into another glass of water, stirred, and then a dose is taken from the second glass. This mixture is good for 24 hours. If more is needed, a fresh glass should be made.

Making LMs

extracted from Kim McDodge's online discussion

Potentize by succussion (1 drop of the previous dilution and 99 drops of water/ethanol. Of this you use 1 drop to moisten about 500 pellets. To take this up to the next step, you would dissolve one medicated pellet in a drop of water, add 99 drops of diluted ethanol, succuss, medicate 500 pellets, and so on.

The most economical and most interesting way to start one's own process with the LMs is to purchase the LM1s preferably from a pharmacy who triturates the substances, then works them to the LM1.

When I have to make a LM2 or 3 or whatever is the next in line for that particular remedy, I take the Last Potency out and put it in my basket where I have a plastic box with tops and labels - round for the tops in 2 sizes, small for 1/2 dram top and bigger for the 1 dram and stock bottle (4oz. Boston brown) tops as well as some rectangles for the names, dates and phone and and pen, a small envelope of poppy seed sac lacs and my 3 measurement bottles: a clear 1 dram with 1 drop of water and 99 drops of alcohol - I use organol, a clear 1 dram with 500 poppy seed sac lacs and a brown 1/2 dram of 500 poppy seed sac lacs.

I toss in my 2 oz dropper bottles of water and organol, add new brown 1/2 dram and a new clear 1 dram and a clean brown 4 oz boston, drop the basket at the kitchen table take the boston to fill with filtered water and sit down.

I arrange these things on a 9x12 sheet of blotter paper.

Put a seed of previous remedy into a clear 1 drammer, add a drop of water from my dropper bottle and wait for it to dissolve.

Take my liquid measurement bottle and the dissolved pellet bottle in left hand and fill the dissolved pellet bottle to the same level with organol and cap it.

Stand and take my leather Kent from the shelf and beat it up 100 times in a cha cha rhythm - I like 1,2 1,2,3 myself.

Drop one drop of this into the new brown 1/2 dram bottle and take both of these open bottles and shake all out so that the insides are empty but for the coating on the sides and bottom.

Take measurement bottle and each of these in turn and fill to their respective points with the seeds. Cap, shake to moisten and label.

Drop one into the clean filled Boston brown. Preserve with brandy or charcoal or not. Cap. Label. Stock bottle ready for use.

Toss stuff back to basket, take to my storage box, but for the 4 oz stock bottle. Put the 2 1/2 dram browns into their bullet box, put the extra in the clear bottles into a cardboard shoe box for some apprentice down the line along with a copy of Vermuellen's Concordant, Schoycens' Synthesis and/or Reference Works.

Pass on or use the stock LM.

I would use new brown 1 dram bottles if they could be had and put them in better box for next generation when I can afford. I also got shotgun size boxes for the tubes of 2 dram OTC.