Some substances are simply too toxic to be used as a remedy (arsenic, belladonna, mercury, for example).
Hahnemann came up with the idea of rubbing, diluting & shaking these original substances.
He called this potentisation, as the remedies increased in potency with repeated diluting & shaking (e.g. potentised chamomile shows very extreme symptoms such as outbursts of rage, throwing objects, biting, unbearable pain, etc., which we do not know from chamomile tea).
| Potency | Dilution |
|---|---|
| D – Decimal | 1:10 |
| C – Centesimal | 1:100 |
| Q – Quinquangiemillesimal | 1:50.000 |
The D-potencies are more effective on the physical level, the C- and Q-potencies also reach the soul and spirit.
Nevertheless, it is not the potency that is decisive for a homeopathic treatment, but the law of similarity.