Homeopathy :: Repertory Rubric – Changeability *

In the earlier years of homeopathy, Hahnemann and his followers proved many remedies, and carefully recorded the provings’ symptoms. Over the years, provings’ symptomatology started growing with each addition of proving symptoms and new remedies. Then obviously we required some sort of indexing for these homoeopathic provings and materia medicas. Thus was the concept of repertory born – an index to materia medicas and provings.

The ability to use a repertory effectively enlarges the practitioner’s scope to find the similimum. I am, therefore, analyzing certain similar rubrics / synonymous rubrics in the Kent’s Repertory – Mind section. I chose Kent’s Rep. because this repertory is widely used in practice. To highlight some of inconsistencies, I have examined synonymous rubrics pertaining to changeability, and it has been found that the remedies and their gradations in one rubric do not agree with the other synonymous rubric. I tried to find out how these rubrics are represented in other classical repertories also.

In the end of this article, you will appreciate that if you are using Kent’s Rep., it is necessary to take care of similar rubrics and their remedies. It is therefore better to repertories the case considering other similar rubrics too.

To start with my topic, I take some rubrics from Kent’s Repertory:

A.

Refuses things asked for (see Capriciousness) (page 71)

Wants something he knows not what (see Capriciousness) (page 92)

Capriciousness (page 10): acon. agar. alum. am-c. arn. ars. asaf. aur-m. bar-c. bell. brom. bry. calc. calc-s. cann-i. canth. caps. carb-an. carbn-s. cham. chin. chin-ar. cimic. cina coff. croc. dig. dros. dulc. grat. hep. ign. ip. kali-ar. kali-c. kreos. lach. led. lyc. mag-m. merc. nit-ac. nux-m. nux-v. op. par. phos. puls. raph. rheum rhod. sarr. sec. sil. spong. staph. stram. sulph. thuj. viol-t. zinc.

Who is capricious?
– a personality characterized by sudden changes in attitude or behavior with no obvious cause

Capriciousness is represented in materia medicas as a behavior pattern in children generally, where child refuses the things which he was demanding, but this changeability may be present in adolescent, adult or old ages.

Under Capriciousness, Kent has mentioned 61 remedies.

B.

Now, look another set of rubrics:

Whimsical (see Mood; changeable) (page 95)

Instability (see Mood; changeable) (page 57)

Vacillation (see Mood; changeable) (page 91)

Mood; changeable, variable, etc. (page 68): acon. agn. aloe alum. ambr. anac. ant-t. apis arg-n. arg. arn. ars-i. ars. asaf. asar. aur-m. aur. bar-c. bell. bism. bor. bov. bry. bufo calc-s. calc. cann-s. caps. carb-an. carbn-s. carl. caust. chin. cocc. con. croc. cupr. cycl. dig. dros. ferr-ar. ferr. gels. graph. hyos. ign. iod. kali-c. kali-p. kali-s. lac-c. lach. lachn. lyc. mag-c. meny. merc. mez. morph. nat-c. nat-m. nit-ac. nux-m. op. petr. phel. phos. plan. plat. psor. puls. ran-b. rat. sabad. sanic. sars. seneg. sep. sil. spig. spong. stann. staph. stram. sul-ac. sulph. tarent. thuj. tub. valer. verat. verb. zinc.

Who is changeable?
– a changeable person, mood, behavior – that has become different, that has passed from one state to another state of mood, behavior, emotion, temperament

This is a changeable personality. They go from one thing to the next without ever sticking to one thing and persevering with it.

Under Mood; changeable, Kent has mentioned 93 remedies.

C.

A third set of rubrics:

Persists in nothing (see Mood; changeable and Inconstancy): lac-c., lach., plan. (page 69)

Undertakes; many things perseveres in nothing: acon., lach., lac-c., plan. (page 91)

Inconstancy (page 54): act-sp. agar. ars. asaf. bism. canth. cimic. coff. dros. ign. lac-c. lach. led. nat-c. op. plan. sil. spig. thuj. zinc.

Who is inconstant?
– a person having feelings and intentions that change often
– changeableness, lack of constancy, one who cannot stick to one place or in one occupation (Key to the Rubrics of Mind – Dr. M. L. Agrawal, page 90)

Under Inconstant, Kent has mentioned 20 remedies.

Here I would like your attention on two rubrics – Persists in nothing, and Undertakes; many things perseveres in nothing. All four remedies (acon., lach., lac-c., plan.) are present in Mood; changeable and Inconstancy also, and being an example of changeability, Kent insisted to consider bigger rubric as – see Mood; changeable and Inconstancy.

Understanding of rubrics is one part, and analyzing the remedies mentioned against these rubrics is another important aspect.

I.

Now, we analyze remedies for Inconstancy and Mood; changeable

Out of 20 remedies under Inconstancy, 14 remedies are present under Mood; changeable, i. e. common in both rubrics, and 6 remedies only in Inconstancy:

Remedies only in INCONSTANCY: act-sp agar canth cimic coff led

Remedies only in MOOD; changeable, variable, etc.: acon agn aloe alum ambr anac ant-t apis arg arg-n arn ars-i asar aur aur-m bar-c bell bor bov bry bufo calc calc-s cann-s caps carb-an carbn-s carl caust chin cocc con croc cupr cycl dig ferr ferr-ar gels graph hyos iod kali-c kali-p kali-s lachn lyc mag-c meny merc mez morph nat-m nit-ac nux-m petr phel phos plat psor puls ran-b rat sabad sanic sars seneg sep spong stann staph stram sul-ac sulph tarent tub valer verat verb

Remedies common in both rubrics: asaf bism dros ign lac-c lach nat-c op plan sil spig thuj
with difference in grading:

II.

Analyzing Inconstancy and Capriciousness

Out of 20 remedies under Inconstancy, 14 remedies are present under Capriciousness, i. e. common in both rubrics, and 6 remedies only in Inconstancy:

Here, you note Ign. is 3+ under Inconstancy and 1+ in Capriciousness.

Remedies only in INCONSTANCY: act-sp bism lac-c nat-c plan spig

Remedies only in CAPRICIOUSNESS: acon am-c arn aur-m bar-c bell brom bry calc calc-s cann-i caps carb-an carbn-s cham chin-ar cina croc dig dulc grat ip kali-ar kali-c kreos lyc mag-m nit-ac nux-m par phos puls raph rheum rhod sarr sec spong staph stram sulph viol-t

Remedies common in both rubrics: agar asaf canth cimic dros lach led op sil thuj zinc
with difference in grading:

III.

Analyzing Capriciousness and Mood; changeable

Out of 61 remedies under Capriciousness, 37 remedies are present under Mood; changeable, and 24 remedies only in Capriciousness.

Here you note certain important remedies are missing under Mood; changeable, like: cham cina coff dulc ip rheum

Remedies only in CAPRICIOUSNESS: agar am-c brom cann-i canth cham chin-ar cimic cina coff dulc grat hep. ip kali-ar kreos led mag-m nux-v. par raph rheum rhod sarr sec viol-t

Remedies only in MOOD; changeable, variable, etc.: agn aloe ambr anac ant-t apis arg arg-n ars-i asar aur bism bor bov bufo cann-s carl caust cocc con cupr cycl ferr ferr-ar gels graph hyos iod kali-p kali-s lac-c lachn mag-c meny mez morph nat-c nat-m petr phel plan plat psor ran-b rat sabad sanic sars seneg sep spig stann sul-ac tarent tub valer verat verb

Remedies common in both rubrics: arn ars asaf aur-m bell calc-s caps carb-an carbn-s dros lach nit-ac op sil spong thuj
Here, I would like to emphasis that there are many remedies which have very different grades.

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Now, we will see how these rubrics are represented in Mind section of Boger’s Boenninghausen’s Repertory.

Capricious (see Changeable) (page 230)
Inconstant (see Changeable) (page 232)
Irresolute (see Changeable) (page 232)
Changeable, inconstant, irresolute (page 194)

Alternating moods (see Variableness) (page 230)
Indecision (see Variableness) (page 232)
Vascillation (see Variableness) (page 235)
Variable, vascillating, and alternating moods (page 220)

In Boger’s Boenninghausen’s Repertory 2 main rubrics are present for changeableness i.e. Changeable, inconstant, irresolute and Variable, vascillating, and alternating moods. Here you must see the rubric phrases used in both repertories Kent’s & Boger’s Boenninghausen’s.
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Now, we will see these rubrics in Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book, there you will find only one rubric for changeability as Mood, alternating. This rubric is represented in Kent’s Repertory as Mood; alternating having 59 remedies.

MOOD; alternating (KR): acon. agn. alum. ant-t. arn. ars. ars-i. asaf. asar. aur. bar-c. bell. bism. bor. bov. calc. cann-s. caps. carb-an. caust. chin. con. croc. cupr. cycl. dros. ferr. ferr-ar. ferr-i. ferr-p. graph. hyos. ign. iod. kali-c. kali-s. lyc. med. merc. naja nat-c. nat-m. nux-v. op. phos. plat. puls. sars. seneg. sep. stann. staph. sul-ac. sulph. tarent. tub. valer. verb. zinc.
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IV.

On comparing MOOD; alternating with MOOD; changeable, variable, etc.

Remedies only in MOOD; alternating: ferr-i ferr-p med naja nux-v

Remedies only in MOOD; changeable, variable, etc: aloe ambr anac apis arg arg-n aur-m bry bufo calc-s carbn-s carl cocc dig gels kali-p lac-c lach lachn mag-c meny mez morph nit-ac nux-m petr phel plan psor ran-b rat sabad sanic sil spig spong stram thuj verat

Remedies common in both rubrics: acon agn ant-t arn ars-i asaf asar bar-c bism cann-s caps caust chin con croc cycl ferr-ar hyos ign kali-c kali-s lyc nat-c nat-m op sars seneg stann staph tarent verb zinc
with difference in grading:

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Now, we analyze these rubrics under Synthetic Repertory by Barthel, we notice that more remedies have been added under all these rubrics from other sources like Hahnemann, Boenninghausen, Knerr, Allen, Kent, etc.

If we consider 4 rubrics of Kent’s Repertory as a combined single rubric then it is evident that all remedies mentioned in Synthetic’s rubrics are already present in Kent’s 4 rubrics !

So, when looking for any rubric of changeability, you must consider other remedies present in other similar rubrics also. If you give importance to grades then check the grades of same remedy in other similar rubrics too.

* This paper was presented by Dr. Anil Singhal in the regular clinical meeting of Progressive Homoeopathic Society, New Delhi, on Sunday, 31st Oct. 1999.