Methods of Preparation of Homeopathic Medicines
The methods of preparation we employ at Hahnemann Laboratories are rooted in the traditional methods used by homeopathic pharmacists since the days of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann himself who prepared the very first homeopathic medicines in 1801.
In some respects we are even radically traditional. We are also following very carefully the standards established by the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS). We strive to exceed FDA requirements of “current Good Manufacturing Procedure” (cGMP) by using procedures designed to guarantee that our remedies are of the finest quality available.
The entire process of making a Homeopathic medicine consists of the following steps:
- Selection of raw material
- Trituration of raw material (if insoluble) in lactose w/mortar & pestle
- Preparation of liquid potencies by dilution and succussion
- Medication of blank pellets with liquid potencies
- Drying of medicated pellets
- Packaging of final product in glass containers
We select our raw materials by purchasing the highest quality starting materials available, such as metals, salts, elements, and compounds of the Materia Medica. For example, we purchase gold foil of the highest purity to make Aurum metallicum. We obtain our plant mother tinctures of the highest quality from reliable manufacturers.
Materials insoluble in water or alcohol are triturated (ground) according to the directions of Hahnemann and the HPUS. Traditionally this was done manually by grinding the material in a mortar and pestle, or a ball mill similar in design to a rock tumbler. The material is placed into the jar along with 99 times as much lactose and the extremely hard porcelain cylinders which will grind the material to a fine powder. Homeopathic materials are triturated for many hours to produce the final 3C triturate which is used to prepare liquid potencies.
For the preparation of liquid potencies from solutions of soluble substances, triturates, or plant mother tincture, we prepare a one to one hundred dilution of the solution and then succuss this new dilution vigorously at each step. Succussion is the forceful pounding of the liquid dilution against a firm but resilient surface in order to fully develop its potential. Current scientific trials show the formation of nano-particle-clouds stabilized by silica from the glass container as a result of the dilution and succussion process. We require that trained lab staff witness the entire procedure to guarantee that each critical step was performed correctly.
At Hahnemann Labs we always prepare the first fifteen potencies in separate vials, which is the Hahnemannian method. We prepare the following potencies on our Potentizer designed by Michael Quinn, which ensures that each succussion is performed with the same number and with the same force of strokes to ensure that every medicine we make is of the highest quality. The design of the Quinn Potentizers was guided by a simple principle that the machine actions should duplicate the actions of a person preparing a homeopathic medicine by hand as closely as possible. The engineers who built the equipment actually measured Michael Quinn's arm from elbow to closed hand in order to build a mechanical arm of the same length. They measured his movements while vigorously succussing the vial. The data was used to produce the drive system which pounds the mechanical arm against a firm rubber pad. Each potentizer is located in a separate room which is supplied by high purity HEPA filtered air to prevent cross-contamination, and driven by compressed air.
Crucial steps of pharmaceutical manufacture are physically separated from each other.
Medication of the blank pellets happens in a room dedicated for this purpose. We medicate the pellets by adding a measured amount of solution of the homeopathic liquid to the container of pellets. This step is also observed by the witness to insure absolute accuracy. Shaking the container distributes the alcohol uniformly over the pellets. The medicating solution saturates the pellets for a minimum of five minutes. This step is also observed by the witness to insure absolute accuracy.
The medicated pellets are dried by placing them on a clean paper filter in a drying chamber. The separate drying chambers are vented by filtered air that is constantly flowing across the pellets and to the outside.
The dried pellets are packaged for sale in several vial sizes in our packaging room free of any interference with any other medicine. Here again, the air flow is designed to pull clean air over the pellets and exhaust it keeping each remedy handling area clean.
Quality Control and Assurance guarantees that all pharmaceutical products generated at Hahnemann Labs, Inc. comply with our high standards of integrity and purity.
A small portion of the Hahnemann Labs remedy stock is medicated on pellets which contain sucrose with a lesser amount of lactose. If this is a concern for you, please give us a call.