Effects of potentization

Abstract

In his paper `Effects of potentization in acqueous solutions', Schulte reviewed some prominent models and experiments. Many researchers have suggested different pathways. But most of them were more philosophical and less physical. However, the theories reviewed by Schulte are physical but too idealistic, posing great dif®culty at the experimental level. The properties of potentized homeopathic medicines are yet to be directly observed. None of the scienti®c methods succeeded so far in establishing the presence of molecules of medicines in a high homeopathic dilution. The presence of the molecules of the medicine at homeopathic dilutions is to be established ®rst experimentally to bring homeopathy in the scienti®c mainstream. Scientists are trying to search for this presence in terms of a `code', presumably existing in the form of an `ordering'. In my opinion, the existence of the type of permanent `ordering' in homeopathic remedies seems dif®cult to determine from `electronic' considerations only as one has to deal with the dilutions ranging from infra-low to ultra-high (well beyond the Avogadro limit where the probability of the presence of molecules of the medicine is almost zero). If the ordering results from some other `nonelectronic' property of unknown type, then how can one expect to measure it using experimental techniques which measure the effects arising due to electronic changes only? Interestingly, all the efforts to date to bring homeopathy into the mainstream of science have been unsuccessful. Homeopathy thus poses a serious problem before science. It seems that we are in a similar dilemma as confronted by `classical physics' in the late nineteenth century while explaining the problem of `black body emission' and the `non-existence of the ether'. The `new physics' emerged from the existing clues but in unconventional ways. Similar attempts should be made to solve this dilemma. The only clue available at this time is the symptoms it produces in the human body. It suggests that the homeopathic medicines should have some sort of `bio-identi®cation' recognizable by the mind, in addition to its well-established `electronic identi®cation'. Further, as the use of mother tinctures and remedies at very low potencies are close to the allopathic use of remedies, the mode of action at the physiological level should be similar in both the curative systems. KM Jain Kaliyasot Dam, Old Walmi Campus Ravishankar Nagar Post of®ce, P.B.No. 588 Bhopal, 462 016, India