This topic is rather technical and may not be interesting for everyone (scroll to this week’s materia medica at the end if this is you!), but it is vital to homeopathy, so if you are interested, read on!
All homeopathic medicines are made in labs with strict controls. In the United States, the lab must follow the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). All labs are overseen by the FDA.
The first step in making a homeopathic medicine depends upon the substance. If it is insoluble in water or alcohol, it is first ground into a powder with lactose, using 1 gram of the substance and 99 grams of lactose. This is also referred to as trituration. In the past this was done with a mortar and pestle. Now, this is usually done mechanically using something called a ball mill. The process takes several hours, and the end result is a 1C potency. At this point, 1 gram of the resulting substance is again triturated with 99 grams of lactose for an equal period of time in a clean ball mill. The result is a 2C. The process is repeated once more, resulting in a 3C, which can then be used to prepare a liquid potency. 1 gram of the 3C is dissolved in 100ml of an alcohol/water solution which can now be prepared just as a soluble substance would be.
If the substance being used to make the medicine is soluble in water or alcohol, something called a mother tincture is made by following HPUS guidelines in an alcohol/water solution. Specific preparations vary depending on the substance. At this point, 1 part of the liquid substance is combined with 99 parts ethanol/water solution. The resulting solution is succussed multiple times. Succussion is the process of hitting the remedy vigorously into a firm object. This is essential for the potentization process. Some labs do this by hand to create the lower potencies, but at higher potencies, mechanical means are a must.
After the first succussion process is complete, the result is a 1C (a 4C if using a solution made via trituration). It is repeated again, using 1 part of the 1C and 99 parts ethanol/water solution. The result is a 2C. Each time a new solution is made, a new clean vial is necessary. The potencies most often used are 6C, 12C, 30C, 200C, and 1M (equivalent to 1,000C).
If the desired potency is an X potency, the process is the same, except the ratio is 1 part mother tincture to 9 parts ethanol/water solution.
HPUS can be found online here.
Materia medica

Arnica (Arn) is one of the most well known homeopathic remedies. Many people who do not otherwise use homeopathy use this for sprains, strains, and bruises. It can also be used postoperatively to aid in recovery. A patient needing this remedy might express that they are fine and do not need a doctor, when that is clearly not the case. They may groan and appear agitated and the bed feels too hard.
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