Flicking through Kent's Lesser Writings (as one does!) I came across this which I'd like to share with you

CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTITUTIONS USELESS IN PRESCRIBING

Why should we attempt to classify constitutions as an aid in prescribing? Every individual is a constitution, and no two sick persons can be classified as of the same class to the satisfaction of any clear, observing, and thinking homoeopathist. It is a fatal error to classify constitutions, as no two are sufficiently similar, when observed by a genuine homoeopathician to form even a common class. Human beings are a thousand times more complex than the chess-boards in the hands of most skillful players.

Every change in combination in mental or physical signs and symptoms brings a new view of the entire patient as observed collectively. Normal mental methods come to all thinkers in such diverse appearances as to justify the well-known statement that no two minds are alike. In similar manner, all abnormal minds appear to the alert physician as sick individuals. Mental abnormalities may be classified by their common manifestation by the alienist, but the classification is never useful to the homoeopathist when searching for a remedy. The classification is made up from common symptoms of the mental-disease symptoms for the purpose of medical diagnosis, but the peculiar symptoms in each and every morbid mental case must guide to the presription, and these prevent classification.

Nothing leads the physician to failure so certainly as classification. The physician who prescribes on a diagnosis is a failure, except for his chance shots. Individualization is the aim of every homoeopathic physician. The symptoms that represent the morbid constitution or disorder of the individual are the ones that the skillful prescriber always seeks. Symptoms that are uncommon in one constitution are common in another,m because such uncommon symptoms are common to some diseases and uncommon to others.

Classification is necessary to the prop[er study of diseases, pathological conditions, and diagnosis, but every case of sickness in an individual is so dissimilar to another case that each and every patient must be examined and measured by the symptoms that represent his disordere3d economy, or prescribing will be followed by very ordinary results.

Bravo, what i do..this..always prescribe, after whats present, not after prejudice..medical pictures..

I'll second Tine's post. My experience with "constitutionals" has been very disappointing. Every member of my family has been prescribed a "constitutional" at some point, with results ranging from no effect, provings, or suppression of the symptoms. And these "constitutionals" were almost perfectly matched to the individual.

RF

RF.
You meen that prejudice was perfectly adjusted to each member of the family.
Constitutional= prejudice...in that classical prejudiced wiew......
The correct classical wiew is what Tine describes, short told, always prescribe after whats present!

Thanks GM for your statement, it was an affirmation for me. "Now days you will find several constitutions in one person" and "always prescribe, after what's present." This I knew but didn't always act on. It clarifies how to treat patients and changes my approach. It fits in with treating the acute problem with the constitution in mind? No more "mixopathi". Have I got it right???

Here it is Ma and Ricky...I had to search a bit, but found it...it's a good thread. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Re-reading it now, makes even more sense to me months later!!!
Lisa

Lisa
Nice of you to bring back this old thread...one I missed entirely the first go-round. Much wonderful information!


zmyst

I also found it good to re-read. Well done Lisa for finding it!!

Regarding the repeating of the same dose, and the difference between Kent's advice to repeat the same potency which contrasts with Hahnemann's latter view that the potency should not be repeated:

There is not such a discrepancy between the two views if one considers that the remedy, in the interval of time between prescriptions, might have antidoted, in which case a repetition of the same dose is permissible.
If however, the remedy has not been antidoted - the remedy having run its full course - and there are indications for prescribing the same remedy as before, then the next potency up is indicated.

Hi All

Has anyone chesked out Gentletouchremedies.co.uk ? They have some really great deals on
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whatever potency. They have great info available and have helped me out on loads of
occassions. I heard about them from a friend as they don’t advertise much and don’t appear
on Yahoo yet. Try them out, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed by the service or the prices.
It looks like we’ve finally found a company that wants to help not just sell loads of product.

Sincerely yours

RF