A group analysis evaluation of the selected acidums family in terms of known materia medica

http://ir.dut.ac.za:8080/bitstream/handle/10321/1338/PHAHAMANE_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

[Edward Peter Phahamane]

Homoeopathy has advanced as an empirical art and has become a modern age science backed by the kind of massive research data and critical reviews that helps scientific knowledge become acceptable within the global knowledge space.

Two centuries ago, the practice of homoeopathy was possible with a few hundred proven remedies of that time but as this science developed through both research and collection of empirical data the number of remedies available increased exponentially. As both the study of remedies and the remedy selection process became more challenging, group analysis by famous homoeopaths such as Farrington (1992), Sankaran (2003), Scholten (1993), Mangliavori (in Vidal 2005) emerged.

Currently, with a database of over 3000 remedies available for prescription, group analysis, though a contested approach has proven to be an adequate tool that helps consolidate mass homoeopathic data into meaningful groupings that makes both the study of remedies and their application in practice easier.

Classifying homoeopathic remedies into groups by means of group analysis and allowing such methods and results thereof to go through rigorous critiquing refines homoeopathic knowledge and improves its ability to sustain itself as a competent science.

Homoeopathy has emerged as a technologically inclined science, utilising various software programs enabling more thorough correlation of symptoms and remedies and

so improving the prescription process. Software programs have proven to be very useful tools for the development of group analysis.

The aim of this study was to extract the common characteristic symptomatology of five selected homoeopathic remedies belonging to the acidum family as represented

in the known materia medica and repertory.

The acidum remedies appearing in Radar® 10 repertory (Archibel 2008) were analysed in terms of rubric representation (frequency) and the top five were selected for

inclusion in the study.

The top five remedies were: Nit-ac. Ph-ac. Mur-ac. Sul-ac. Fl-ac.

All rubrics in which the selected remedies appeared were extracted using the homoeopathic software package Radar® 10 (Archibel, 2008) and analysed for sensations and active, passive and compensation reactions of the selected remedies, as per Sankaran (2002).

The common primary sensations identified were, burning, sore, swelling, pressing, cramping, dryness, weakness, tearing, and coldness. Sensations of anxiety, restlessness, delirium, delusions, dullness, sadness and cheerfulness.

Active reactions identified were: hot, heat, inflammation and sensitivity.

Passive reactions identified were: coldness, numbness and weakness.

Compensation reactions identified were: restlessness, hurriedness, intense reaction and passion.

Miasmatic keywords as per Sankaran (2002) were used to determine the miasmatic tendencies of the selected top five acidum remedies. In general all acidum remedies appeared to have a dominant syphilitic miasmatic tendency but acidums were present through all the miasms. Their miasmatic tendencies are easily recognised when viewed

in the light of their pathophysiological processes.

The pathological tendencies of acidum remedies examined in this study include:

haemorrhoids, general haemorrhage, syphilis, warts, neoplastic and non-plastic tumours, irritable bowel syndrome (reflux, colic, constipation), rheumatism, muco-cutaneous ulcerations (STIs, Xerostomia, diabetic ulcers) and bone diseases (osteoporosis, osteitis, and peri-osteitis).

The results of this research were compared to the findings of Scholten (1993) and Mangialavori and Marotta (2005).

It is the researcher’s view that Sankaran’s methodology of group analysis which he used to explore biological groups of remedies (plants and animals) is adequate for use

with non-biological groups of remedies such as mineral acidums.

The researcher found group analysis methodology worthy as a tool for classifying the mass data of acidum remedies into orderly sets of meaningful data. Group analysis is consistent with the laws and principles of homoeopathy and encourages the use of materia medica and repertory which are fundamental to the study and application of homoeopathic knowledge.

The development of group analysis by new masters of homoeopathy such as Scholten, Sankaran and others is the continuation of the work of the great old masters of homoeopathy such as Hahnemann, Farrington and others (Gray 2000). Group analysis has come at the right time, when the accumulated mass of homoeopathic data is

tending to inundate earlier grouping systems such as the miasms and the overall appreciation of materia medica. It is a relatively impossible intellectual task for a physician

to remember over 3000 remedies during prescription.

Students in homoeopathy may also have the same intellectual problem while learning materia medica (Sankaran 2002).

Therefore, in order to remedy this problem, intuitive, creative and problem solving minds of people such as Sankaran(2002), Scholten (1993) and Mangliavori (in Vidal 2005) have thought of and designed systematic methods of arranging remedies according to central themes, kingdoms and states of matter.

The need to remember a huge number of remedies during prescription in order to match individual patient symptoms to remedy symptoms in the materia medica not only makes homoeopathy difficult to practice but also affects the remedy selection outcome, the treatment outcome of the patient and the general effectiveness of homoeopathic treatment (Sankaran 2002).

If remedies do not seem to work, a very common public perception is that homoeopathy is slow, or does not work and only rarely is it perceived that the choice of the remedy might be wrong. The outcome of homoeopathic treatment is pre-destined by the careful choice of the remedy.

Thus, group analysis aims to fine-tune the remedy selection process to improve the competency and efficiency of homoeopathic treatment (Gray 2000).

Group analysis not only systematizes mass homoeopathic data but also illuminates smaller remedies by defining their characteristics alongside relatively large polychrests. Group analysis can also be used to predict the potential remedy within a related group which is closer to the case. For example, according to the Sankaran kingdom model

of group analysis, the plant kingdom has sensitivity as a major theme; the mineral kingdom has structure as a major theme while the animal kingdom has survival as a major theme. During case taking, the practitioner can use presented symptoms as a guide and can discern which is the main kingdom and forecast that a remedy in that kingdom

is likely to be most suitable. This forecast does not exclude the Law of Similars, miasms, the knowledge of learned materia medica and the holistic nature of homoeopathy (Sankaran 2005; Scholten 1993).

However successful group analysis may have been with the majority of homoeopathic practitioners, there have been controversies, debates and heated criticism regarding

the group analysis approach.

According to this criticism, group analysis is viewed as a new method therefore as such it is perceived in some quarters to be based on non-homoeopathic principles, making

it a threat to the dogmatic principles set out by Hahnemann and therefore not an acceptable way to arrive at a remedy. Even so, group analysis has sustained itself through

this criticism because it follows on from the principles of miasms and the repertory which are forms of systematized grouping methods consistent with the works of the great old masters of homoeopathy which are still in use today.

Robust science welcomes criticism and group analysis embraces the development of homoeopathy as an objective, competitive science suitable for the current era (Moskowitz 2002; Vithoulkas 2000 and Gray 2000).

New research on group analysis has revitalized the advancement of group analysis. This research relies on high quality material data sourced from the materia medicas, reputable journals and repertories.

The caution to use quality data helps advance the acuity and competency of group analysis as well as its acceptance within the broader homoeopathic community.

The emergence of group analysis, like all other new grouping methods such as miasms, has met its challenges in some quarters of the homoeopathic community but continues

to sustain itself through these challenges because of its dynamic design which incorporates the Law of Similars, the knowledge of learned materia medica and a holistic approach to homoeopathy (Kasiparsad 2012).

The emergence of group analysis does not replace, substitute or reduce the dogmatic principles set forth by Hahnemann, or the knowledge and application of learned materia medica but to fine tune the selection process of remedies in a clinical setting (Moskowitz 2002).

Homoeopathy is on an evolutionary growth journey in terms of provings being constantly conducted and new remedies entering the materia medica and new symptoms entering the repertory. Therefore filter techniques are needed to guide the system of prescribing to help practitioners and students to get the correct remedy individual to

the patient (Kasiparsad 2012). Group analysis can be such a filter technique.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The materia medica of homoeopathic medicines consists of more than 3000 individual remedies. It is impossible to remember all remedies individually, so some sort of

an organisation system is helpful. Miasmatic organisation is already well known. Group analysis is emerging as a helpful tool for organising knowledge and warrants further exploration.

The researcher aimed to extract the common characteristic symptomatology of five selected homoeopathic remedies belonging to the acidum family as represented in the known materia medica and repertory. This was performed by analysing the selected remedies according to the group analysis method as proposed by Sankaran (2002) including kingdom analysis and sensations (Sankaran 2005).

The study further compared these results with Scholten’s analysis of mineral acidums (Scholten 1993) and Mangialavori and Marotta’s (2005) analysis of acidums.

Remedies were selected on the basis of the number of repertory rubrics they appear in, with an increase in number of rubrics corresponding to an increase in significance.

Based on an extraction process using the Radar® 10 Synthesis (Archibel 2008) repertory software, all the acid family remedies were listed in order of most significant to

least significant, according to the number of rubrics per remedy. The top five remedies were selected: Nit-ac. Ph-ac. Mur-ac. Sul-ac. Fl-ac.

The aims were met by:

1^st choosing five well represented acidum group of homoeopathic remedies in the repertory.

2^nd identifying, analysing and describing common sensations in the acidum group of homoeopathic remedies according to known materia medica. Sensations are defined

as “consciousness of perceiving or seeming to perceive some state or condition of one’s body or its parts of senses or of one’s mind or its emotions...” (Allen 1990b).

3^rd analysing and describing the reactions to the sensations. In other words a person feeling a particular sensation or set of sensations may be inclined to act or respond in

a certain way.

In simpler terms reactions can be active, passive, or compensatory.

An active response is a reflex action following a stimulus,

a passive response is an arrested or negated reflex action following a stimulus and a compensated response is an adapted action to the known or like stimulus (Sankaran 2002).

4^th analysing and classifying individual remedies in terms of Sankaran’s miasms in terms of known homoeopathic literature.

5^th identifying the themes which emerge from the acidum group. “A theme is an idea that persists in or pervades a work of art or literature...” (Oxford Dictionary 2013).

The application of group analysis as a tool used to achieve the above aims further tested its viability and validity and furthered understanding of its competency and its limitations.

RATIONALE

a) The acids, with the exception of a few which are well proven, are rarely prescribed and are poorly understood in terms of their therapeutic action as outlined in the current grouping models such as the Sankaran’s miasmatic model and the Scholten periodic table model (Wulfsohn 2005).

b) According to the knowledge of the researcher, there has never been a group analysis of the acidums except that of Scholten who only analysed mineral acids. Therefore, there was a gap in knowledge regarding the acidums in homoeopathic materia medica and practice.

c) The success of Sankaran in the development of the group analysis methodology based on the scientific classification of matter, as seen in kingdom analysis, and on the sensations and reaction to sensations associated with each substance, is a break-through discovery (Sankaran 2002; Sankaran 2005).

The sensation approach will add value to Scholten’s approach which is based on analysis of the periodic table of elements (Scholten 1993). This methodology has provided

a window of opportunity in research and the researcher wished to apply Sankaran’s discovery to acids.

d) Scholten (1993), and M. Tech. Homoeopathy students at the Durban University of Technology have conducted group analysis evaluation studies that have yielded valuable information and have refined the understanding of remedy relationships in terms of materia medica (Leisegang 2007). This research output will add to that body of knowledge.

The unique nature of acidum remedies as described by Farrington (1992), who applauds their curative actions in chronic diseases, makes this study worthy to pursue so as to contribute to a better treatment outcome for chronic diseases in homoeopathic practice.

Acidums by Sankaran

Sankaran identifies the main theme of acidum patients as ‘struggle’ which is followed by collapse (exertion, followed by exhaustion). Sankaran perceives acidum patients

to be individuals in a constant struggle who in themselves believe that struggle gives direction because the efforts of their struggle have to be made in a particular direction. The specific direction of their effort is a clue to the acid that the patient may represent. When all effort invested in a particular direction reaches a climax and burns out all

their resources, they suddenly decline. These cause the feeling of failure at all levels (mental, emotional and physical). Sankaran further clarifies that the theme of struggle

and collapse are well represented by common acidum symptoms such as:

hurry, industry, feeling that their efforts are unsuccessful, fear of failure as well as fatigue, indolence and indifference (Sankaran 1994).

Group analysis according to Scholten

According to Stuut (1993), Scholten a general allopathic practitioner and a homoeopath, had for many years been unhappy about “the gaps and the lack of system in our knowledge of homoeopathic remedies”.

[Scholten] developed his system of group analysis in order to improve the situation.

In his observations, two groups of homoeopathic remedies exist;

The first group is the so-called polychrests, which have too much information available.

The second group is the lesser known or unknown homoeopathic remedies with little or no information available. The latter set of homoeopathic remedies is important to Scholten’s practice

but does not exclude the use of polychrests where such need arises.

“With in group practice we are constantly surprised by and treated to new images of both unknown and known remedies. This makes us look at our patients in more detail so that we may be able to help them” (Stuut 1993).

Acidums in Scholten

Exhaustion is the common and well known theme that characterizes acids.

This exhaustion is seen to affect the mental, emotional and physical planes bringing on a state of weakness (Scholten 1993).

As explained below, the acid-base balance is important for proper function of human physiology. During activity and periods of great stress, glucose is rapidly utilized and insulin is suppressed.

The decline of glucose and subsequent withdrawal of insulin causes a decline in energy provision. This negative feedback leaves the body without enough energy and so exhaustion sets in (Beukes 2001).

High intensity exercise can drop the average pH from 7.4 at rest by as much as 0.5 pH units. This drop is due to the increase in lactic acid concentration (McArdle, Katch and Katch 1994).

The decrease in the pH value is a large contributing factor to muscle fatigue during exercise (Guyton and Hall 1997) and so fatigue in general.

Accumulation of lactic acid within skeletal muscles during intense activity affects the acid-base balance in the body. The skeletal muscles become easily fatigued, incompetent and cramping

may result (Beukes 2001). During chronic illnesses, acute infections and body repair, cellular activities increase beyond their normal levels resulting in increased acid levels in the cell. DNA is intensely

acidic in nature surrounded by an alkaline cytoplasm. The more the DNA activity, the more the overall cell becomes acidic. DNA activities include constant DNA mitosis, replication and meiosis while

repairing damage, synthesizing new cells and killing infectious agents (Kumar et al. 2007). When this increase of acid at cellular level is viewed at the level of organs and systems, then it is

evident that the overall acid-base balance is affected causing the body to become more acidic instead of relatively alkaline.

Exhaustion follows intense activity in all acidum remedies. They are seen to be involved in rapid activity which causes the use of large amounts of energy over a short period of time.

They may also have large amounts of activities to do and this brings on a state of being hurried in an effort to attend to all the activities within a short, set time frame. This is another theme that

Scholten has observed with acids (Scholten 1993).

The rapid behavioural characteristic of acidum remedies can be compared to strong acids in solution. Strong acids react rapidly in solution, resulting in complete dissociation (Atkins et al. 2010).

Acidums have been observed to be lively fresh extroverts initially. They are highly spirited, optimistic, talk easily, lively and openly. They have high libido and may exhibit perfectionism. These qualities are all energy consuming and at the point of depletion, acidums become exhausted and depressed (Scholten 1993).

Acidums may exhibit aggression as they force their ideas through in spite of the opposition encountered. They will fight to be heard and acknowledged to achieve their goals.

The physical expression of this theme may vary: biting, fissuring and ulceration (Scholten 1993).

Desire for unification is another important theme that hides behind the aggressive character. They may do an activity, or be involved in an experience just for the sake of it.

The reason behind this is that they want diversified understanding of phenomena and to become one with everything and everyone. This theme comes out strongly in the studies of hydrogen and it is not surprising because acids are proton donors (H+). During rapid dissociation of acids, the presence of one electron in the outer most shell increases the need for hydrogen to bind and form hydronium ions in solutions,

representing the desire for unification (Scholten 1993).

Group analysis according to Mangialavori

Mangialavori also emphasizes the importance of the ‘essence’, which, according to him, describes a set of symptoms which need to be present in a case for the prescription

of a certain remedy. Sets of symptoms from many cases are grouped, analysed and concluded to be central to the essence of a particular remedy. This technique shares similarities with group analysis in terms of application and readiness to arrive to a remedy. Another important aspect Mangialavori agrees upon is that there is a dire need for

a system similar to miasmatic theory and the repertory that would be used to assemble lots of symptoms into a system such as group analysis which is user friendly to the homoeopathic practitioner. The group analysis tool is recommended to be used with the full knowledge of materia medica and homoeopathic philosophy, not in a reducing manner (Mangialavori and Zwemke 2004).

Mangialavori: has outlined the themes of acidum remedies differently compared to Scholten (1993). The themes are discussed in greater detail below.

‘Loss’ is the first theme identified by Mangialavori. He records that loss is an important aspect in acidum patients. He asserts that acidum loss represents more physical body deterioration than emotional deterioration. In support of his observations he cites as an example that when any biological system comes in contact with an acid, corrosion occurs, leaving a scar that reminds the biological system of loss or sense of losing.

He states that loss following damage can be amplified by the inability to repair the damage (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Serving family - duty’ is a theme that puts acidum patients under great strain but the results of their efforts are minimal or non-existent at times. They may present with an over-consuming sense of duty but with a very poor outcome and this sense of duty is viewed as an initial product of a self-destructive behavioural pattern common to acidum patients (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Duty - Never for themselves’ is a theme that highlights the actions of acidums as being similar to those of servants. They would not please themselves but rather sacrifice themselves to please others in duty. They are easily diverted in to doing something for their family and nothing for themselves. “All acids speak of responsibility and what

has to do with the masculine part of their duty, but whatever has to do with their female approach to life is empty, a vacuum or a disaster” (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Self-sacrifice with no pleasure’ is the theme that represents most acidum patients. Acidum patients sacrifice their bodies to destruction for a purpose they cannot enjoy.

They are socially competent and their interaction is good but their competence and interaction is solely to make others happy not themselves. The overall picture is that

acidum patients behave as if they do not deserve anything at all.

Food intolerances are some of the symbolical features that underline restricted pleasure in acidum patients. Pleasure brings on guilt which causes them to seek displeasure (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘No personal identity or structure’ is a theme that outlines the weakness of acidum patients at a very subtle level. Acidum patients in structure are viewed as houses with no walls or support structures.

They can only count on themselves for everything even in cases where they have little energy to do anything. This feature defines their lack of support structures in life.

They are known to exert themselves hard yet with little or no results and without pleasure in return.

Their identity is defined by family not by their own terms. Family gives them limited support structure and a defining strategy because they feel useful and work hard to sustain the family but in the process break themselves down (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘No safe place’ is a theme that substantiates the previous theme where acidum patients are viewed as houses without walls or support structures. The idea of walls also

brings on safety that goes hand in glove with the feelings of being in prison (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Consumed (by serving or working too much)’ is a theme that defines a burning destruction. Acidum patients are duty bound and must sacrifice for the benefit of others and without pleasure.

Their destructive behavioural patterns, bad digestive patterns and all-consuming personalities predispose acidum patients to emaciation. Following failure to compensation,

decompensation ensues and they eventually become overly consumed (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Weakness or depletion or empty’ is a combination theme.

Emptiness is related to the idea of death and depression in acidum patients and it reminds them of death. Depression brings on so much emptiness that they eventually think that they have nothing good to give. [Mangialavori]

Acidum children feel very weak after nursing as if the mother has bad milk and may become better when put on formula milk (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Loss of memory’ is an important theme in acidum patients. Loss of memory is viewed as loss of everything in acidum patients. The digestive dysbiosis halts acidum patients from accessing food in way that would remind them who they are through foods that they eat. Their loss of digestive control is detrimental but the idea of losing the ability

to repair is much more detrimental (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Depression’ is a theme that in acidum patients equates to no pleasure. This theme defines the idea that acidum patients get involved with tasks at the expense of their

pleasure therefore resulting in inevitable depression. Depression brings on a feeling that they cannot be helped, that the situation is hopeless and that it will forever be.

The ultimate price of this type of feelings is a severe form of depression (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Self-destructiveness - corrosive’ is a theme that describes the gradual ruin of acidum patients at a mental, emotional and physical level which eventually leads to their complete destruction. They often find themselves in a precarious situation without a possible escape except but to adapt. The fact that they have to live in a precarious situation forever without any possible escape is a double blow that destroys them. In their ability to adapt, they soon forget their identity which in turn leads to possible self-destruction.

The special ability of acidum patients to survive harsh situations makes them patients who often present with pain of long duration. This ability of acidum patients to adapt through difficult times enables them to use their pain in a constructive manner to achieve better things (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘All or nothing’ is a theme defining extremes in attitudes of acidum patients. In their effort to achieving a set task, acidum patients rapidly use up a lot of energy and most of their resources to achieve a set target. The other side of acidum patients is that they may choose to withdraw their efforts if a task requires too much attention. This usually happens when the task is overwhelming and exhausts their energy and resources without much change to what calls for change (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Cutting off in order to escape’ is a theme that acidum patients use to distance themselves from a problem that cannot be adequately solved. The same is true for their destruction where their physical body is destroyed piece by piece (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Destructive family history’ is a theme that acidum patients present with in most cases. Often a family history of suicide. They are often coming from an environment where they were poorly fed, supported and therefore are not able to give anything out. Their expression of inner turmoil is observed in their behaviour (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Burning’ is a common theme in acidum remedies. It is represented in many levels but more commonly in the physical levels where most sensations are recorded as burning, sore and corrosive (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Headache’ is a symptomatic theme. This type of headache arises from failure of the digestive tract. The connection of headaches to gut dysbiosis and their chronicity is a common feature to most acidum remedies (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Backache’ is also a symptomatic theme. Backache follows on loss in the lives of acidum patients. Loss of a support structure such as the spine brings into the picture a theme of loss of structure (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Cheese, chocolate, sweets and acid foods’ are food themes. Most acids have been observed have a strong desire for cheese. It appears to allay the void of loss that causes depression (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Water’ is a theme present in most dreams of acidum patients. Mangialavori believes that water is representative of the feminine side which acidum patients struggle to be part of and therefore to balance their struggle needs, they dream about water (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Dependency on substances but don’t tolerate’ is a theme that acidum patients may present with. They may react badly to medicines intended to do good. “It is a contradiction for them because they are living and enduring a horrible life that requires an artificial substance or drug, but yet they know they cannot tolerate them” (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

‘Closing off’ is a theme that defines relationships of acidum patients outside of their family. However socially competent, they struggle to cope with the outside world due

to self-dependency. Self-dependency limits their resources and therefore their ability, so when a task demands more than the capacity of their own resources, they just give-up and distance themselves from the task.

They can therefore give up everything (‘all or nothing’) one by one until they are left with nothing (Mangialavori and Marotta 2005).

CRITICISM OF GROUP ANALYSIS

The inadequacy of poorly conducted group analysis provokes a debate about the whole group analysis technique among masters of homoeopathy such as Vithoulkas (2000), Olsen (1996) and Winston (2002), but defendants of group analysis insist that group analysis should be used only if the group analysis is sufficiently researched and available (Wulfsohn 2005).

Vithoulkas (2008) believes in dogmatic homoeopathy as set out by Hahnemann and is critical of the new grouping of data systems as proposed by Scholten and Sankaran, having the view that they undermine the dogmatic principles and practice of homoeopathy. Group analysis relies on well proven remedies, those well represented in the repertory and those well represented in the materia medica. Therefore, protagonists seek to eliminate error by avoiding data that is not homoeopathic so as to favour the yield of quality results with group analysis. Vithoulkas is against imaginative homoeopaths who provide unscientific provings to be included in the materia medica, then into the repertory which can skew the overall weighting of rubrics and outcomes of group analysis results (Kasiparsad 2012).

Therefore, protagonists seek to eliminate error by using quality data in the first place.

Vithoulkas (2000) and Winston (2002) have expressed their criticism and concern about the modern trends developing in homoeopathy, including group analysis.

Their criticism stems from their perception that some of these developments are not scientific and therefore cannot be relied upon to draw valid conclusions upon which to

base treatment protocols and may deter the acceptance of homoeopathy by mainstream medical practitioners.

Vithoulkas (2000) is of the view that these new concepts are founded on imaginative thinking rather than objective scientific facts which can be re-tested to qualify as scientific fact.

Winston (2002) believes that speculation is the basis for group analysis and therefore group analysis is not fit to be recognized as a mature prescribing tool in homoeopathy.

He believes that modern group analysis is too peripheral, too far from the central principles of Hahnemannian homoeopathy, to be useful. Kasiparsad (2012) points out that if group analysis as a whole can be viewed as speculative, then the information used to form group analysis system is subject to questioning. However, several group analysis research studies have been conducted at the Durban University of Technology (e.g. Weston 2010; Vogel 2007; Harkhu 2011; Chhiba 2013) based on information from the standard homoeopathic knowledge sources of the repertory, journals and materia medica, thus contributing to the solid foundation of this methodology as a suitable prescribing tool.

Moskowitz has led a spirited defence of new methods of homeopathic analysis and practice (Moskowitz 2002). He is of the view that group analysis is a mature system, and should not be relegated to the periphery (as per Winston 2002). He states that the sustained clarity and depth of knowledge derived from these new methods of mass homoeopathic data research improves the accessibility and usefulness of homoeopathic knowledge. Further, he asserts that this type of approach to homoeopathic knowledge

is consistent with the tradition of classical homoeopathy. It is not only the current generation of homoeopaths who are utilising group analysis. Moskowitz points out that Farrington understood the need to study remedies beyond their detailed particulars, and to group them into an integrated unity that was more than the sum of their parts.

Thus, even though group analysis may be viewed as a new method, it is relatively old, and compliant with the teachings of old masters

of homoeopathy.

Moskowitz accepts that dogmatism in homoeopathic principles is warranted and sustains the quality of the profession and protects it from modifications that may lead to its destruction and or loss of its primary focus. However, he objects to fundamentalism (Saine 2001) which opposes innovation, stating that new methods should be welcomed

but should be subjected to rigorous critical review to evaluate their acceptance or rejection into mainstream homoeopathy based on sound merits.

Grouping methods as designed by Scholten, Sankaran and Mangialavori are becoming mature systems that, even though not identical, overlap to a large extent.

Their methodology of grouping analysis is relatively similar and is capable of deducing symptoms of unproven remedies, not substituting the need for provings but testing

the adequacy of group analysis as a forecasting tool. Considering all of the above points, Moskowitz concludes his defence of group analysis by stating his view that group analysis does show maturity as a tool of modern homoeopathic practice (Moskowitz 2002).

The general consensus of proponents seems to be that group analysis is not contradictory to Hahnemann’s original principles of homoeopathy. Group analysis is reliant on provings which are an integral part of a complete remedy picture. When miasmatic theory was established, it did not replace the initial proving of remedies even though it could forecast accurately the predictions in disease outbreaks. In the same way, group analysis aims to amplify the accuracy of remedy selection and predictor potential

of remedy selection not excluding or belittling the principles of homoeopathy

and its philosophy.

Hydrogen holds the pivotal role in the composition of all acidum remedies analysed in this research study and so it is necessary to explore the data relating to hydrogen including its discovery, composition with other elements, its uses and the related toxicology.

The discovery of hydrogen was in 1671 by Robert Boyle. In 1766 Henry Cavendish recognized that hydrogen gas was a discrete ‘flammable gas’ an d that it produced water when burned. But the name ‘hydrogen’ was given to this flammable gas by Antoine Lavoisier in 1783 after the re-experimentation of Henry Cavendish’s findings (Rigden 2003; Cotton, Wilkinson and Gaus, 1986).

Natural occurrence

Atomic hydrogen (H) is the most abundant chemical element in the universe which makes up 75% of normal matter by mass and over 90% by the number of atoms (Lewis and Waller 1980).

Throughout the universe, hydrogen is mostly found in atomic and plasma states. In a plasma state, hydrogen’s electron and proton are not bound together which results in very high electrical conductivity and emissivity (producing the light from the sun and other stars). The charged particles are highly affected by the magnetic and electrical fields as is evident from polar winds ’interaction with the earth’s magnetosphere resulting in Birkland currents and the aurora (Rigden 2003).

Potentization of remedies in homoeopathy is another example (Gray 2000).

Hydrogen exists as a rare diatomic gas (H2) in the earth’s atmosphere due to its light weight which enables it to escape from earth’s gravity into outer space.

However, elemental hydrogen is the third most abundant element on earth mostly found in chemical compounds such as hydrocarbons, DNA, water, etc. Biological matter

that produces hydrogen include bacteria, algae and animals (= natural component of flatus) (Lewis and Waller 1980; Cotton, 36 Wilkinson and Gaus1986).

Table 1:

Hydrogen: compounds and natural occurrence (Lewis and Waller 1980).

Combined with Compounds Where found

Oxygen Water (H2O) Seas, rivers, lakes, water vapour.

Carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen Organic compounds All living things

Carbon Hydrocarbons (fuels) Deposits in the earth’s crust, oil, coal, natural gas

Table 2:

Hydrogen: Industrial production and uses

Industrial production 1. During the reduction of steam using red hot coke

2. During the electrolysis of a brine solution

3. As a by-product of the oil industry

Uses

1. Ammonium manufacture

2. Hardening of oils, conversion of unsaturated hydrocarbons to saturated hydrocarbons.

3. Manufacture of all types of organic compounds. E.g. methanol.

Hydrogen compounds with other elements are known as hydrides-metallic and non-metallic hydrides. Hydrogen reaction with halogens (such as fluorine, chlorine, etc.) and oxygen are explosive. Hydrogen reaction with sulphur, bromine and iodine are less violent and reversible while carbon and phosphorus hydrides cannot be made by reacting elements together (Lewis and Waller 1980).

Toxicology

Hydrogen has hazard potentials to human safety from potential detonation and fires when mixed with air to being an asphyxiant in its pure, oxygen free form.

Liquid hydrogen is a cryogen and presents dangers such as frostbites. Hydrogen-oxygen combustion is invisible and therefore may cause severe injuries if exposed to

(Lewis and Waller 1980).

The materia medica of Hydrogen

Provers during Jeremy Sherr’s (1992)

Hydrogen proving reported feelings of being distant and detached. They reported morning aggravations of feeling angry and or dangerous. The feelings are in line with the properties of hydrogen in its elementary state, i.e. hydrogen is very light so that it rises up against earth’s gravity and escapes into the outer space. In its di-atomic state hydrogen is highly explosive in the presence of oxygen and therefore it is dangerous (Sherr1992).

Other symptoms of Hydrogen include feelings of being cut off from people; concentration difficulty; aversion to sex and or company. They may have delusions that people think they are insane. At a general level they desire comforting foods such as sweets, pineapple and have aversions to spicy foods. They have dreams of great confusion, dreams of murder and or suicide (Sherr 1992). Once hydrogen is ignited in the presence of oxygen it gives off an invisible flame, so high in temperature that it causes total demise of exposed matter (Lewis and Waller 1980).

The dangers of hydrogen cannot be underestimated and so is its potential to create and sustain life.

At a fundamental level Hydrogen desires union, being one with the universe. Their feelings of being separate or cut-off fuel the need to be one with all. These feelings are in line with themes of acidums as outlined by Scholten (1993). It is not surprising because all acidum remedies have hydrogen in their molecular structure and so the properties

of Hydrogen arise when hydrogen comes into abundance as is the case in metabolic acidosis.

Acid base balance in the body.x

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AND HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA OF THE SELECTED ACIDS

A substance that donates a proton (hydrogen ion) in solution is classified as an acid and a substance that accepts a proton in solution is classified as a base (Atkins et al. 2010).

The strength of an acid is determined by the size of its acidity constant while the strength of a base is measured by its basicity constant. A substance is classified as a strong acid if the proton transfer equilibrium favors rapid, complete proton donation to a solvent.

Strong acids have a pK a < 0 (corresponding to Ka

> 1 and usually to Ka >> 1).

Strong acids go into full dissociation in solution and as a result becomes fully de-protonated e.g. hydrochloric acid (HCl) in water (H2O) goes into full dissociation resulting

in H3O+ and Cl- and a negligible amount of HCl molecule. On the other hand, a weak acid is a substance that fails to go into full dissociation in solution; the proton transfer equilibrium favors the non-ionized acid e.g. hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water (H2O) slightly dissociates into fluoride ions, hydrogenium ions, and the non-ionized acid remains in high proportion as hydrofluoric acid molecules (HF) (Atkins et. al. 2010).

Strong bases are substances that accept protons to become fully protonated while a weak base is a substance that becomes partially protonated in water.

The conjugate base of a strong acid is a weak base because thermodynamically it is impossible for such a base to accept protons e.g. the weak acid NH3 in H2O results in OH-, O2- and a negligible amount of NH4+ions (Atkins et. al. 2010).

The purpose of an organic chemistry section in this research study is to make explicit the relationships of chemistry, toxicology and materia medica.

Chemical burns are largely as a result the processes of hydrolysis and dehydration which is caused by acids and alkalis during complete or partial dissociation within an organism, and are regarded as a toxic effect. The clinical symptom atology that result there of form empirical data of the materia medica, informing the choice of prescription. Thus, homoeopathic acids are worth considering in the treatment of burns. This illustrates the intimate link between homoeopathy and chemistry as well as the formulation

of scientific knowledge.

Table 3 classifies the strengths of the five acids chosen for this study (Atkins et al. 2010).

Hydrochloric (Muriatic acidum) HCl Cl- Strong acid

Sulphuric (Sulphuricum acidum) H2SO4 HSO4- Strong acid

Nitric (Nitricum acidum) HNO3 NO3- Weak acid

Phosphoric (Phosphoricum acidum) H3PO4 H2PO4 Weak acid

Hydrofluoric (Fluoricum acidum) HF F Weak acid

Materia medica of Muriaticum acidum

Muriaticum acidum has an elective affinity for blood, producing septic conditions similar to those found in low grade fevers with high temperatures and great prostration (Phatak 2002).

Chiefly affects the mucous membranes of the digestive tract (mouth and anus). The membranes become dry, crack, bleed, and become deeply ulcerated. The whole body becomes sore and the patient becomes restless, frequently changing position then soon grows weak and very debilitated therefore wants to just lie down, slides into bed due

to lack of energy to get into bed, eyes fall shut. Dropsical swelling is another important feature. General bruised feeling in the joints. It acts on the muscles (heart/bladder/anus/tongue) causing paralysis. There are violent haemorrhages (Vermeulen 2001).

Keynotes: Great debility, lower jaw hangs down; patient slides down in bed; aversion to meat, haemorrhoids very sensitive, blue, tender, like a bunch of grapes, so sensitive cannot bear the slightest touch. Haemorrhoids during pregnancy with violent stitches; cannot pass urine without bowels being moved; profound weakness during and after

a major febrile illness; initial debility followed by mental debility. Introverted, sad and taciturn; suffers in silence; irritable; muttering; persistent loud moaning (Vermeulen 2001).

Ailments from sun (Vermeulen 2001).

Modalities: <: touch/wet weather/walking/cold drinks/bathing/sitting/human voice/sun;

>: motion/warmth/lying on left side; (Vermeulen 2001).

Materia medica of Sulphuric acid (also known as Sulfuric acid, CAS number: 7664-93-9) is historically known as the oil of vitriol. It is one of the oldest known acids of medieval times which still holds its relevance in literature today. Sulphuric acid is readily available in nature in its dilute form as acid rain (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2010).

Discovery: The study of vitriol (sulphuric acid) began in ancient times with some of the earliest discussions on the origin and properties of vitriol being found in the works

of Dioscorides, a Greek physician of the first century AD and the Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder (23 - 79 AD).

Galen who was the co-author of a standard medical text book of medieval universities also wrote on the medical uses of vitriol.

Ibu Sima, the Persian icon of medicine discussed the medical uses of vitriol.

The metallurgical uses of vitriol substances date back to the times of the Hellenistic alchemical works of Zosimos of Panopolis (Karpenko and Norris 2001).

Natural occurrence

Sulphuric acid is encountered as dilute sulphuric acid in nature as a constituent of acid rain which forms after the atmospheric oxidation of sulphur dioxide in the presence

of water. Sulphuric acid has great affinity for water therefore it cannot be found naturally occurring in its pure anhydrous form (Encyclopaedia Britannica2010).

Sulphuric acid is found in extra-terrestrial space on planets such as Venus and around the moon of Jupiter known as Europa (Orlando, McCord and Grieves 2005).

Industrial production and uses of sulphuric acid

Industrial production

Contact process

Wet sulphuric acid process

Lead chamber process

Uses 20% is used as detergents, synthetic resins, dye stuffs, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, catalysts, paper sizing, water treatment,

insecticides, antifreeze, oil well oxidizing, aluminium reduction.

6% is used as pigments-paints, enamels, print inks, coated fabrics and paper.

Other uses include - production of explosives, cellophane, acetate, viscose textiles, lubricants, non-ferrous metals and batteries.

Removal of rust; lead-acid (car) batteries; acidic drain cleaner;

Health - Debacterol® for recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

The materia medica chiefly shows its effects on the digestive tract. There is much debility giving a very relaxed sensation in the stomach, with craving for stimulants. Haemorrhages are violent, of thin, black blood from orifices. There can be swelling of veins. Weakness is so profound that it is out of proportion to the disease/symptoms. There is tremor and weakness. Ulcers become red and blue and painful. There is a bruised sensation of parts or generally (Vermeulen 2001; Phatak 2002).

Keynotes include: Weakness out of proportion to disease; general internal trembling without visible trembling; hurry, hasty, quick; sullen; impatient, angry because things move slowly; pains increase gradually but disappear suddenly when at peak; “As if a plug is thrust in”; sour babies; smell cannot be washed off; craving stimulants, alcohol which also causes complaints; pain felt during sleep and disappears on waking; seriousness alternating with buffoonery; discharges are offensive, acrid, stringy; < odor of coffee;

easy sweat especially in upper parts of the body; water feels cold in the stomach, must be mixed with alcohol (Allen 1990a).

<: open air/cold/alcohol/injuries/surgical operations/concussions of the brain/odor of coffee/climacterium/towards evening;

>: excessive heat or cold/touch/pressure/sprains/lifting arms/drinking cold water/hot drinks/hands near head/moderate temperature/warmth; (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Ailments from: Mechanical injuries; taking alcohol; climacteric period; lead poisoning; surgical operation (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Nitric acid (a.k.a. Salpeter säure/ Nital/ Acidum nitricum/ Nitrous fumes/ Aqua fortis/ Azotic acid/ Hydrogen nitrate, CAS: 7697-37-2 (Von Meyer 2009).

Nitric acid products are one the most consumed products world-wide. In 1986 alone, the world-wide consumption of nitric acid products in the form of fertilizers rated

26 metric tons, making it the world’s highest consumed agricultural product.

The products thereof which are produced from fertilized soil further increase its consumption in the form of agricultural food products. The effects of the use of Nitric acid

in humans have an influence on health in either a detrimental or beneficial way (Thiemann, Schreiber, and Wiegand 2005).

Discovery

The earliest mention of nitric acid is found in Pseudo-Geber’s “De Inventione veritatis”, wherein it is obtained by calcinating a mixture of niter, alum and blue vitriol.

Nitric acid has also been described by Albert the Great in the 13^th century and by Ramon Lull prepared it by heating niter and clay and named it ‘eau forte’ (= aqua fortis).

In 1776 Lavoisier proved that nitric acid contained oxygen and in 1785 Henry Cavendish showed its precise composition and that it could be produced by passing a stream of electric sparks through moist air (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2010).

Natural occurrence

Nitric acid is believed to be formed in the troposphere by gas phase chemistry (Calvert 1983).

Industrial production and uses

Table 6 shows methods of industrial production and uses of nitric acid (Thiemann, Schreiber, and Wiegand 2005; Eaton et al. 1998; Jeff 1997; Douglas 1974).

Industrial production Reaction of nitrogen dioxide and water

Ostwald process - named after the German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald

Thermal decomposition of copper II nitrate then passed through water to produce nitric acid.

Uses Used in the manufacture of fertilizers (26 metric tons/ year)

Used in the production of explosives TNT

Used in the production of nylon precursors and organic compounds.

Used as an oxidizer in liquid fuelled rockets (Red Fuming Nitric acid)

Used in the fuelling of some missiles (BOMARC)

Analytically it is used to determine metal traces in solutions.

It is used in the digestion process of turbid water samples, sludge samples, solid samples.

In electrochemistry, it is used as a doping agent for organic semiconductor and in the purification process of raw carbon nanotubes.

In woodwork, it is used to artificially age pine and maple. The colour it produces is grey gold much like very old wax or oil finished wood.

It is also used for pickling stainless steel

In the food industry, it is used for cleaning food and dairy equipment in order to remove calcium and magnesium compounds.

Nitricum acidum chiefly acts where the mucous membranes meet the skin; on blisters and ulcers that bleed easily in the mouth, tongue, and genitals; on discharges which

are acrid, thin, dirty, or brown cause redness or destroy hair; on sore, stiff muscles during pains; on fistulae; on caries and exostosis of bones; one pileptiform convulsions

which < at night on going to bed; on pains which are sticking like splinters, ulcerative, burning and gnawing (Vermeulen 2001; Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Keynotes of: Affections of muco-cutaneous junctions; splinter like pains in affected parts; corrosiveness, offensiveness of all discharges; headstrong; vindictive (Vermeulen 2001; Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Nitricum acidum ailments from: Abuse of mercury; syphilis; scrofula; continued loss of sleep; long lasting anxiety; over exertion of mind and body from nursing the sick;

loss of dearest friend; bad effects of repeated doses of digitalis (Vermeulen 2001; Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

<: evening/night/light causes/touch/jarring/noise/rattling/motion/milk/fatty food/after eating/cold air/dampness/changing weather/heat of bed/mental exertion or shock/ mercury/loss of sleep;

>: gliding motion/riding in a carriage/mild weather/steady pressure; (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Phosphoric acid (a.k.a orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric (V) acid, tri-hydroxidophosphorus, CAS number: 7664-38-2) is a mineral (inorganic) acid.

Phosphorus, a major constituent of phosphoric acid is a bio-element important in the development of life.

The principal source of prebiotic phosphorus present on earth’s crust was inorganic phosphate which Gulick (1955) recognised as playing a central role in the origin of life

on earth (Schwartz 2006).

Discovery: in 1770 by K.W. Scheele and J.G. Gahn in bone ash. Scheele later isolated phosphorus from bone ash in 1774 and produced phosphoric acid by the action of

nitric acid on phosphorus in 1777 (Slack 1968)

Natural occurrence

Cooper, Onwo, and Cronin (1992) published the first account of the presence of phosphoric acids in meteorites.

Specifically, they observed water soluble alkyl-phosphoric acids.

Industrial production and uses

Industrial production and uses of phosphoric acid

Wet process-phosphoric acid is prepared by adding sulfuric acid to tri-calcium phosphate rock, typically found in nature as apatite.

Thermal process- Very pure phosphoric acid is obtained by burning elemental phosphorus to produce phosphorus pentoxide, which is subsequently dissolved in dilute phosphoric acid. This route produces a very pure phosphoric acid, since most impurities present in the rock have been removed when extracting phosphorus

from the rock in a furnace.

The nitro-phosphate process is similar to the wet process except that it uses nitric acid in place of sulfuric acid. The advantage to this route is that the co-product, calcium nitrate is also a plant fertilizer. This method is rarely employed.

Uses The dominant use of phosphoric acid is for fertilizers, consuming approximately 90% of production.

Food-grade phosphoric acid (additive E338) is used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas. It provides a tangy and sour taste. Various salts of phosphoric acid, such as monocalcium phosphate, are used as leavening agents.

Phosphoric acid may be used to remove rust by direct application to rusted iron, steel tools, or other surfaces

In medicine, Phosphoric acid is used in dentistry and orthodontics as an etching solution, to clean and roughen the surfaces of teeth where dental appliances or fillings will

be placed.

Phosphoric acid is also an ingredient in over-the-counter anti-nausea medications that also contain high levels of sugar (glucose and fructose). This acid is also used in many teeth whiteners to eliminate plaque that may be on the teeth before application

The materia medica of Phosphoricum acidum

Weakness and debility usually after ravages of acute disease, excesses, and grief.

There is haemorrhage of dark blood from weakened tissue; bruised sensation; formication; bone diseases such as osteitis, periostitis, caries, and rachitis. It also affects the mucous membranes.

Chest symptoms + a weak feeling in the chest (Vermeulen 2001).

Ailments from: Loss of vital fluids, sexual excess; violent acute disease chagrin; care grief; sorrow separation from home; disappointed affection; shock; over-lifting; over study; long succession

of moral emotions; injuries; operations; bad news; disappointed love; drug abuse after illness (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Keynotes: Apathy; indifference; listlessness; ailments from loss of vital fluids; being worse for short sleep; all discharges are profuse and debilitating except diarrhoea; headache feels like crushing weight on the vertex worse for music, motion (< for lying down); (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

<: loss of fluids/sexual excess/fatigue/convalescence from fevers/emotions/grief/chagrin/mental shock/homesickness/unhappy love/drafts/cold/music/talking/standing/over-lifting/operations/fright (chronic);

>: warmth/short sleep/at stool; (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Fluoric acid

Also known as (= Fluoric acid/Fluorhydric acid/Hydrogen fluoride/Fluorhydric acid/Fluorane/Hydrofluoride/Rubigine/Fluorwasserstoff/Antisal 2B; CAS number:7664-39-3 (Von Meyer 2009)

Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water and also found as vapour.

It is a precursor to almost all fluorine compounds, including pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine (Prozac), diverse materials such as PTFE (Teflon), and elemental fluorine

itself (Waite 1992; Koontz 2005; Greenwood and Earnshaw1984).

The discovery of hydrogen fluoride began in the late 16^th century because of the artistic work of a 1670 Neurenberg glassworker, Heinrich Schwanhard who exploited the findings of the following reaction process. If to a sample of fluorspar (fluoride) some acid, e.g. sulfuric acid, is added and the mixture is gently heated, toxic fumes develop which attack glass. The toxic fumes that developed from this reaction were hydrogen fluoride which at the time were not yet named and not well known but then Heinrich used this reaction for artistic etching on glass (Berzelius 1833; Rabuteau 1887; Roholm 1937; Partington 1961; Greenwood and Earnshaw 1984; Von Meyer 2009).

The first account of the fluorspar process was published by John George Weygand in 1725, the recipe being given him by Matthäus Pauli, of Dresden, who in turn had become aware of this secret knowledge of an unknown English glassworker around 1720 (Partington 1961).

The first, though superficial, examination of the chemical reaction was published by Andreas Marggraf in 1768 (Waite 1992; Greenwood and Earnshaw 1984).

Fluoric acid has been known to dissolve glass since the 17th century, even before Carl Wilhelm Scheele prepared it in large quantities in 1771. Years later Scheele went

on further to show that the acid can also be made by treatment of fluorspar with phosphoric acid or nitric acid.

Even though the name "fluoric acid" (fr.: "acide fluorique", ital: "acido fluorico") applied to the new acid discovered by Scheele clearly reminds us today of the element "fluorine" bound in it, nothing was known at the time about the chemical nature of this acid (Waite 1992; Scheele 1971; Von Meyer 2009).

Natural occurrence

Volcanoes are the major natural source of hydrogen fluoride emissions to air, ranging from 0.6 to 6 million metric tons per year (ATSR 2003; Koontz 2005).

Industrial production and uses

Hydrofluoric acid is produced by treatment of the mineral fluorite (CaF2) with concentrated sulfuric acid.

HF is also produced as a by-product of the production of phosphoric acid, which is derived from the mineral apatite.

Uses

The principal use of hydrofluoric acid is in organofluorine chemistry.

Many organofluorine compounds are prepared using HF as the fluorine source, including Teflon, fluoropolymers, fluorocarbons, and refrigerants such as freon.

In a standard oil refinery process known as alkylation, isobutane is alkylated with low-molecular-weight alkenes (primarily a mixture of propylene and butylene) in

the presence of the strong acid catalyst derived from hydrofluoric acid.

Most high-volume inorganic fluoride compounds are prepared from hydrofluoric acid

In metalworking, hydrofluoric acid is used as a pickling agent to remove oxides and other impurities from stainless and carbon steels because of its limited ability

to dissolve steel.

It is used in the semiconductor industry as a major component of Wright Etch and buffered oxide etch, which are used to clean silicon wafers.

Because of its ability to dissolve (most) oxides and silicates, hydrofluoric acid is useful for dissolving rock samples (usually powdered) prior to analysis.

Fluoricum acidum is highly destructive and this destructiveness serves as the key feature of this remedy.

Discharges are thin, foul, salty or acrid causing itching and erosion of tissue.

Affected tissues may swell and become puffy, indurated and cause fistulation due to tissue erosion.

Calcareous and bone degeneration is typical of this remedy. It corrodes even the enamel, the hardest part of the bone.

It is also indicated for deep phagedenic ulcerations (Vermeulen 2001).

Fluoricum acidum has ailments from; Syphilis; abuse of mercury or silica; alcoholism; gonorrhoea (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Keynotes: Young people who look old; cold; increased ability to exercise without fatigue; lascivious; cold drinks; worse for toothache; < washing with cold water; desires highly seasoned food and cold drinks; aversion to coffee; old cicatrices become red around the edges, then threaten to become open ulcers (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

<: at night/heat of room/alcohol (red wine)/sour foods;

>: cool bathing/rapid motion/short sleep/bending head back/eating (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

Summary of the systemic effects of acids

The chemistry and toxicology of acids shows relative evidence that an excess of free ions of acidic compounds in systemic circulation can result in serious metabolic derangement. Such derangements can lead to dehydration, circulatory collapse, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis. The toxic effect

of acidic ions on tissues, enzymes and metabolic processes is destructive and may lead to renal and hepatic failure, cardiac arrest and death due to refractory ventricular fibrillation and torsade’s de pointes (Goldfrank 2002).

From the materia medica of the above acidum remedies it is evident that they are relevant for varied types of degeneration at tissue level, therefore are indicated for clinical features such as ulcers, debility, and weakness (Allen 1990a; Phatak 2002).

JUSTIFICATION OF GROUP ANALYSIS

Homoeopathic literature on group analysis is receiving deserved attention in its development and fine tuning through research.

Group analysis has the potential to consolidate and strategically arrange homoeopathic mass data into usable knowledge accessible by the practitioner and student alike within reasonable time and resulting in the best quality of information (Scholten 1993; Sankaran 1994; Mangialavori and Marotta 2005). This allows for a comprehensive but speedy arrival at the selection, verification and prescription of the applicable remedy.

Acid remedies have been given attention by Scholten (1993) who has written extensively about them. Scholten has studied and spear-headed group analysis of acidum remedies using his format of periodic table analysis and chemical analysis of each mineral.

Sankaran’s approach is different to Scholten’s in that he emphasises subjective sensations and reactions to sensations which are the behavioural/clinical consequences of the sensations.

Therefore, analysing acidum remedies in terms of this dimension will add value to the known body of knowledge on acidums produced by Scholten.

Scholten and Sankaran’s methods of approach are different yet their results are complimentary and serve a common goal, alleviation of suffering and promotion of health and wellness. It is therefore the view of the researcher that group analysis is effective, supports homoeopathy and its growth and is flexible enough to develop through research without compromising the fundamental principles as initially set out by Dr. Hahnemann.

Jain and Trivedi (2000) state that mineral acids are known to have a centrifugal as well as centripetal action. Acidum remedies are relevant for diseases with high cell turn-over such as severe acute infections, malignancy, allergies as well as in generalized septic, toxic conditions. In cases of chronic metabolic acidosis of organs and tissues, acidums have yielded positive results in anti-doting the bad effects of increased secretions of acidic organs and tissues where the process of excretion is compromised (Farrington 1992; Jain and Trivedi 2000).

Acidum remedies are represented in all miasms although, according to Jain and Trivedi (2000), they are more syphilitic, sycotic and tubercular. The constitution of people requiring acidums is: thin; weak; broken-down; often pale looking and anaemic; with hair loss and early baldness. Acidum persons have poor thermal tolerance, most of them experience hypothermia and a few are hyperthermic (Jain and Trivedi 2000).

Acidum remedies are deep acting, but with the propensity to act upon pathological changes at tissue level. They help decrease acidic secretions of the body and increase the alkalinity of the body (Jain and Trivedi 2000).

All acid remedies have pain and inflammation depending on the level of tissue damage and the dynamis of the vital force. During ulceration, toxaemia, and gangrene which results from inflammation, there is severe pain which is characteristic of Nitricum acidum or numbness characteristic of Muriaticum acidum and is a feature of advanced disease. As explained earlier in the toxicology of acids, the amount of tissue damage is determined by the size of the dissociated molecule, its molecular weight as well as its ability to bind readily.

However, in homoeopathic terms, the memory of these substances in infinitesimal doses rather than the destructive molecule itself is the remedy form used to treat according to the Law of Similars (Jain and Trivedi 2000).

Group analysis should be viewed by homoeopaths as a modern science that is scientific and empirical in its approach, resting upon fundamental principles of homoeopathy with the single goal of advancing the readiness of homoeopathy in the modern science era. Group analysis does not replace the study of individual remedies, learned materia medica and homoeopathic philosophy.

Different schools of thought in homoeopathy including Sankaran (2007), Mangialavori and Marotta (2005) and Scholten (1993) have undertaken group analyses by focusing on the permeating idea and have arrived at relatively similar breakthroughs even though different approaches are used (Kasiparsad 2012). Continued research into the meaningful consolidation of homoeopathic mass data shows that the homoeopathic community of researchers yearn to advance homoeopathy to become adequate in relation

to modern technology where ease and time are essential in the use of knowledge.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This is a literature based, qualitative, descriptive study design analysing and evaluating selected members of the acidum family of homoeopathic remedies in terms of known materia medica.

This study did not involve research participants; rather it involved an extensive literature search and subsequent organization and analysis from existing data sets which exist

in the Public domain. Therefore no gate keeper permission was required.

POPULATION OF ACIDUM REMEDIES

The first step in the research process was to list the acidum remedies that appear in Radar® resulting in 150 remedies as listed here. Remedies in bold capitals are graded ‘4’

in the repertory.

[MINERALS and CHEMICALS other families] acids: (150)

SAMPLE SELECTION

The second step was to narrow down the overall list of 150 acidum remedies to homoeopathically significant remedies in terms of the number of repertory rubrics they

appear in, with an increased number of rubrics corresponding to an increase in significance.

The reason for the narrowing down process is that the group analysis method focuses on well-defined remedy characteristic features such as those seen in polychrests.

These well-defined features will be well represented in the more significant remedies and under-presented in the less significant remedies of the group (Sankaran 2002).

Based on an extraction process using the Radar® 10 Synthesis repertory software, all the acid family remedies were listed in order of most significant to least significant, according to the number of rubrics per remedy. Sankaran used MacRepertory® software for his group analysis of families and it would be ideal to have used the same

software in this research study but it was not available to the researcher.

However, Sankaran stated that any good homoeopathy software with similar functions would be adequate (Sankaran 2002).

The top five remedies based on the number of rubrics they appear in became the sample for the study. The sample consists of five remedies only because this is the sample size of other group analysis studies at DUT (e.g. Weston 2010; Harkhu 2011) and is the minimum sample size recommended by Sankaran for group analysis studies (Sankaran 2002).

All the rubrics were saved into a file (see Appendix B).

The result of the narrowing process was as follows:

a. Nitricum acidum (Nit-ac) - 8835 rubrics

b. Phosphoricum acidum (Phos-ac) - 7390 rubrics

c. Muriatic acidum (Mur-ac) - 4886 rubrics

d. Sulphuricum acidum (Sul-ac) - 4510 rubrics

e. Fluoricum acidum (Fl-ac) - 3073 rubrics

Determination of the common group sensations

Step 1: All the extracted rubrics were visually inspected and only rubrics containing at least two acidum remedies and with less than 50 remedies in the rubric,

were retained for analysis. The rubrics with more than 50 remedies are considered large and represent the more ‘common’ nature of a remedy as compared to the smaller rubrics, which reveal a more ‘characteristic’ picture.

Step 2: All the rubrics retained were visually inspected and were analysed, compared, and contrasted to identify the common sensations present within them, including mental, general and particular symptoms. Sensations are defined as “consciousness of perceiving or seeming to perceive some state or condition of one’s body or its parts of senses or of one’s mind or its emotions...” (Allen 1990b).

Sankaran (2005) describes sensation as “discernment of consciousness of any experience”, where the experience itself and the nature of the experience qualify the sensation.

A confirmation test was performed to ascertain the validity of the selected set of sensations by expanding the range of sensations by obtaining their dictionary definition and synonyms and then searching Radar® for these words to see if they appear in rubrics with acid remedies, as per the extraction process explained above. This testing process

is known as first order analysis.

Step 3: If new sensations emerged from Step 2, these sensations were subjected to the same process of analysis laid out in Step 2. This is known as second order analysis.

3.3.2 Determination of the reactions to the sensation

After a successful analysis of common sensations, reactions to these sensations were analysed as per Kasiparsad (2012) in accordance with Sankaran’s methodology.

Reactions can be active, passive, or compensatory. An active response is a reflex action following a stimulus, a passive response is an arrested or negated reflex action following a stimulus and a compensated response is an adapted action to the known or like stimulus (Vogel 2007).

These reactivity modes are interrelated and oppose each other in clinical symptomatology representation. For example if the sensation is ‘caught up’ or ‘stuck’ the active reaction will be to want to move, the passive reaction will be being immobile or unable to move, while the compensation will be a person who is always on the move

(Sankaran 2004). The methodology employed for allocation of sensations to reactions was through inspection and assessment by the researcher.

3.3.3 Determination of the miasmatic classification of the remedies

The extended miasmatic model of Sankaran was used to classify the acidum remedies according to their miasmatic tendencies after the common sensations and reaction

to sensations had been analysed (Sankaran 1997).

Sankaran (2005) has already identified key words which are representative of the miasms in his extended model of miasms. These key words were searched for as they appeared in the literature associated with the five acid remedies in the sample, and on that basis remedies were classified in suitable miasms. The miasm was determined depending on the predominance of the keywords of a particular miasm in the literature of the remedy i.e. if syphilitic keywords were dominant in the search results then

the remedy was considered to be syphilitic.

In summary, the following steps were followed:

a. Keywords used to describe Sankaran’s miasmatic model were identified and tabulated;

b. For each remedy, a keyword e.g. ‘ulcer,’ as per the syphilitic miasm, was searched for amongst the rubrics data already collected (Appendix B);

c. All literature, from materia medica such as the Concordant Materia Medica (Vermeulen 2001), Clinical Materia Medica (Farrington 1992), relating to the keyword e.g. ‘ulcer’ were consulted to confirm the miasmatic orientation;

d. The search and confirmation process was repeated using tabulated keywords from each of the miasms.

The miasmatic classification of the remedies further supports the common characteristic sensations. For example; ‘burning’ in the context of an acute miasm would be,

‘violent burning’.

‘Violent’ is a keyword related to the acute miasm (Scholten 1993).

3.4.4 Determination of themes of the group

The extracted sensations and miasmatic tendencies were used to formulate themes which indicate the basic expression of the group as an entirety (Scholten 1993).

A theme is “...an idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art or literature” (Oxford Dictionary 2013). The common characteristic sensations that pervade all the selected remedies were considered to formulate the themes.

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 4 presents the results according to the methodology set out in Chapter 3. The results of the extraction process are tabulated so that they are more accessible.

Group sensations, reactions to sensations, miasmatic classification and group themes are presented.

THE ACID GROUP REMEDIES SELECTED FOR THIS STUDY

A list of all the acidum remedies represented in Radar® Synthesis along with their chemical family appears in Appendix A. The list includes acidums from the mineral,

plant and animal kingdoms.

Table 9 is a representation of the top 15 acidum remedies in terms of the number of rubrics (containing 50 or less remedies) in which they appear in Radar ® Synthesis repertory.

The number of rubrics range from 727 to 8835. The top five remedies on this list have been selected for this study, on the assumption that they will be most representative

of the characteristics associated with the acidum group of remedies.

Acid remedies well represented in the Radar®

Synthesis repertory

Full name Abbreviation Family Number of rubrics

Nitricum acidum Nit-ac. Nitrate 8835

Phosphoricum acidum Phos-ac. Phosphate 7390

Muriaticum acidum Mur-ac. Murate 4886

Sulphuricum acidum Sul-ac. Sulphate 4510

Fluoricum acidum Fl-ac. Fluorate 3073

Oxalicum acidum Ox-ac. Oxalate 1792

Carbolicum acidum Carb-ac. Carbolate 1614

Picricum acidum Pic-ac. Picrate 1382

Benzoicum acidum Benz-ac. Benzoate 1125

Antimonium tartaricum Ant-t. Tartrate 1051

Manganum aceticum Mang-act. Manganite 1041

Arsenicum acidum Ars. Arsenate 1021

Lacticum acidum Lac-ac. Lactate 946

Hydrocynicum acidum Hydr-ac Hydrocyanate 901

Aceticum acidum Acet-ac. Acetate 727

From the 15 remedies listed in Table 9, the top five were selected.

A search of materia medica entries for these remedies in the Encyclopaedia Homoeopathica (Archibel 2008), and a Google internet search, reveals that these remedies are represented in many texts.

Examples: Concordant Materia Medica (Vermeulen 2001), Concise Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Remedies (Phatak 1999), Clinical Materia Medica (Farrington 1992),

Condensed Materia Medica (Hering 1991), Characteristic Materia Medica (Burt 2004), Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica (Kent 2000), European Pharmacopoeia 5.0

(Council of Europe 2004), case studies such as that of Sulphuricum acidum by Souter (Souter 2014.) and clinical trials such as that of Nitricum acidum by Manchand a et al. (1997).

In addition, there are provings available of these remedies in Hahnemann revisited by De Schepper (De Schepper 2006)..

EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS OF COMON RUBRICS

A comparative extraction of all rubrics containing at least two of the chosen acid remedies was performed, limiting the results to rubrics containing 50 or fewer remedies in total to ensure that rubrics represented characteristic features of the chosen remedies.

The Synthesis Repertory (Schroyens 2007) and complete repertories from Radar® were used to correlate researched data. This process was accomplished by creating a

Word document of the data from Radar® and Synthesis.

This document was visually inspected and all duplicated and double entries were eliminated. After this, all rubrics with 50 or less remedies were selected and saved on a separate Word document.

The rubric limit was set at 50 in order to have a more reliable sample size, to provide sufficient data from a sufficiently varied selection of acidum remedies. Previous studies

at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) have used the restriction of 50 remedies with successful analysis (e.g. Kasiparsad 2012; Weston 2010).

The extracted rubrics were then reduced to those that contained at least two or more of the chosen top five acid remedies (Appendix B). Thereafter the rubrics were visually scanned for words describing sensation. Sensation can be defined as “consciousness of perceiving or seeming to perceive some state or condition of one’s body or its parts

or senses or of one’s mind or its emotion...” (Allen 1990b).

Sankaran (2005) describes sensation as “discernment of consciousness of any experience” where the experience itself and the nature of the experience qualify the sensation.

Table 10: Sensation rubrics

Sensations Nit-ac Mur-ac Phos-ac Sul-ac Fl-ac No. of rubrics

Throat-Pain-burning, itching, smarting 1 1 12

Throat-Pain-oesophagus, sore 1 1 10

Throat-Swelling-uvula, oedematous 2 2 2 21

Throat-Pain- < swallowing, pressing 3 1 22

Generals-Pain-internal parts, cramping 1 1 24

Throat-Dryness-night 1 1 45

Generals-Weakness-excessive 1 1 30

Generals-Pain-tearing pain, asunder 3 1 1 38

Coldness, fingertips 1 1 41

Note: Words in bold represent the sensations that have been selected The selected sensations were defined using Oxford Dictionary (2010) (see Table 11).

As is evident from Table 10, many of the sensations appear to be synonymous with each other. For this reason one sensation was chosen to be representative of the synonymous group.

For example: burning, itch, heat, desire, is represented by the sensation ‘burning’.

Sensations Definition

Burning On fire, very hot, intense, hotly discussed

Swelling Abnormally swollen place especially on the body; a condition of being larger/ rounder than normal due to injury/illness.

Weakness Lack of strength, power or determine; a weak point system; difficulty in resisting something liked

Pressing Needing to be dealt with, difficult to refuse or to ignore, tenseness; the condition when feelings are tense; unfriendly; feeling of anxiety and stress that makes it

impossible to relax; feeling of fear and excitement

Coldness Having a lower than usual temperature. Unfriendly, emotionless, not easy to find.

Tearing Damage something by pulling apart, injure a muscle by stretching too much, to move somewhere very quickly or in an excited way. To cry. To attack

somebody or something physically or with words, to start doing something with a lot of energy. To destroy something violently by pulling

it apart, to make people in a country or an organization fight or argue with each other.

Sore A painful, often red, place on the body where there’s a wound or infection; upset, angered due to unfairness/ annoyed to be very

noticeable in an unpleasant way.

Dryness Without water or moisture; ill humour; without emotion; boring; without alcohol, thirsty.

Cramping A sudden pain that is experienced when a part of a body contract usually caused by cold or too much exercise; to prevent development

or progress; to stop somebody from behaving in the way they want to; not enough space.

In order to expand the understanding of the extracted sensations, a thesaurus was consulted (Collins, 2006) and the synonyms listed.

4.3

ANALYSIS

4.3.1 First order analysis

The most significant sensations were burning, swelling, sore, cold, dryness, pressing, cramping, tearing, and weakness.

Burning

Although there is a distinction between a physical burning and a perception or sensation of burning, both of these concepts of burning connect to the underlyingsensation as defined by Sankaran (2005)

Who describes sensation as “discernment of consciousness of any experience” where the experience itself and the nature of the experience qualify the sensation.

According to the toxicology of acids, on first contact most acids induce a burning sensation especially the strong acids. The burning sensation is a result of tissue destruction that occurs locally where there is contact with the acid compounds. The burning sensation may be perceived as itchiness, heat, fiery, smarting, glowing, hot sensation, etc., in line with the synonyms of burning.

Rubric examples:

Eye – Pain during heat

Nose – Itching tip;

Face – Discoloration - red one sided; Red glowing cheeks.

Skin – Ulcers painful, smarting;

The repertory representation of the burning sensation appears in Table 14.

Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum