Abstract: Mother Tincture are relatively good as treatment options for a homoeopathic physician in current time as they have quick action and effective for a longer time period. Mother tinctures are extracted from varied drug sources by several methods as defined under pharmacopoeia. This article explained about the role of some rare homoeopathic mother tinctures with their therapeutical action .
Keywords: Mother tincture, Homoeopathy,
Introduction– Mother Tinctures are extract prepared from different sources of drugs containing all the therapeutic properties of the drug. Every drug is prepared from different methods as guided by Dr Hahnemann in Homoeopathic Pharmacy. Different potencies are prepared from Mother tinctures that’s why it is called Mother Tincture. There has been always a about including the concept of mother tincture in the system of homoeopathy but nobody has been able to deny the efficacy of mother tincture in homoeopathy practice.
Dr Boericke explained in his Homoeopathic Materia Medica under the medicine Alfa -Alfa that the good results are kept with material doses with some drops of mother tincture several times a day. He said to continue its use until the tonic effect is assured.
Dr Hahnemann himself recommended the use of mother tincture in his 6th edition of Organon of Medicine (aphorism 284-285) that the curative medicine should also be continued internally as well as the same remedy is used externally as an ointment, Liniment, create etc. The external application is a combination of two or more mother tinctures that can be used as a vehicle, it gives fast relief in symptoms. The external application is the combination of two or more mother tinctures to dispense in the vehicle to provide quick relief. In pathological changes where body organs are deranged, in that condition mother tincture becomes very useful.
Preparation of Mother tincture-
∙ Drugs which are soluble in water, are only used to prepare mother tincture. The method of preparation of mother tincture is given by Dr Hahnemann.
∙ Old method- The old method of preparation of mother tincture according to Dr Hahnemann (aphorism 264-271 of 6th edition of Organon of medicine) classified into 9 classes for preparing medicines, with 3 ways of preparing the medicine depending on the sources, solubility, and moisture content of drug substance.
∙ New Method- This method was introduced by H.P.U.S. in 1941, introduced to secure uniform drug strength of mother tincture. In this method, unlike the 9 classes of the old method, only 2 methods of preparation of drugs exist.
1. Maceration- In this process of mother tincture hard, gummy and mucilaginous substances are used. This process of preparation is very long.
2. Percolation- In this process soft, non-gummy and non – mucilaginous substances are used. This process of preparation takes a short time.
Advantage of Mother Tincture in Homoeopathy-
∙ In Maintaining advanced pathological cases- Mother tinctures are given to patients where pathological changes occur in organs in severe diseases to avoid the aggravation of constitutional homoeopathic medicine. Sometimes in cases where pathological change occurs, if we give deep-acting medicine it may aggravate the symptoms and deteriorate the patient’s
condition.
∙ In Drug dependent cases- Mother tincture will decrease the dependency of allopathic medicines like Anti-hypertension, Anti-Diabetic, Anti-Allergic, and constitutional homoeopathic medicine will improve the actual constitution of the patient when prescribe accordingly and cure the disease.
∙ In One-sided disease- Since the mother tincture can be prescribed easily on the basis of very few symptoms thus it is useful in cases of one-sided disease. The one-sided diseases are those diseases with a scarcity of symptoms (Having one or two symptoms only) without any pathological basis.
∙ Management of Patient who is on constitutional medicine -Mother tincture is also used to meet the accessory symptoms produced in the patient who is on constitutional treatment without disturbing the action of the constitutional remedy. During the treatment of chronic disease, the patient may experience episodes of an acute attack of the disease which is successfully met by homoeopathic mother tinctures. Since the mother tincture has a very superficial action thus will not disturb the dynamic action of the remedy.
∙ To boost up the function of an organ- In some diseases advanced pathological changes occur, so the pressure on the organ is increased multiple times to function normally, in that case, mother tincture decreases the pressure on the organ and improves the nutrition quality and functioning of that particular organ.
∙ Nutritional benefits of mother tincture- Some mother tinctures like Alfa-Alfa will influence immunity provide nutrition, and boost the digestive system of the body. It is used in children with mal-nutrition, helps to improve the appetite and works as a tonic, resulting in physical improvement and weight gain. It recovers the nutritional deficiency in children.
∙ Used as External Application– Hahnemann himself advocated in the 6th edition of Organon of medicine, that mother tincture should be used internally as a curative remedy as well as externally as Ointment, Liniment etc.
∙ To increase the vitality of the patient- In some cases patient is too weak to react or respond to the dynamic medicine, in that cases Mother tincture will boost the vital force to fight against the disease, and increase the vitality of the patient, by providing nutrition and preparing the base for the dynamic medicine to act in a better way.
∙ In Drainage Remedy-Once the deep constitutional remedy is administered to the patient the remedial effect of the constitutional medicine rapidly removes the toxins into the system. Here the mother tincture acts as a complementary to the constitutional remedy helping the body to eliminate the toxins from the system resulting in decreased toxins from the system resulting in decreased toxins loads. Here, this action of the mother tincture is drainage action and the indicated mother tincture becomes the drainage remedy.
Disadvantage of Mother Tincture-
∙ Medicinal Poisoning due to overdose- Excessive repetition of mother tincture may develop alkaloid poisoning because it is pure extract of the crude drug substance.
∙ Alter the original Constitution- Some homoeopathic physicians will disturb the original constitution of the patient by prescribing mother tinctures to relieve some unwanted/ annoying symptoms of the patient, thus the original constitutional picture of the patient will alter and it’s difficult to select a similar medicine.
∙ No curative effect– Mother tincture is used mostly for therapeutic purposes and it acts very superficially, so a permanent cure is very difficult from the use of mother tincture.
Rare Homoeopathic Mother Tinctures with their Therapeutical actions:
1. Acorus Calamus(Sweet flag): it is useful in allergic asthma, Bloody diarrhea due to infection in the intestine, Indigestion -bloating during and after eating, flatulence, Low appetite, watery stool due to atonicity of children. It is also useful in uncontrolled emotional excitement (hysteria) and pain in nerves. Research reports indicate that alcoholic plant extract has sedative analgesic effects with moderate depression of blood pressure and respiration.
2. Curcuma Longa (Turmeric)- It is a commonly found spice in India in households, and acts as an anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and anti-oxidant. It boosts the immunity system.
3. Helianthus Annus- it is used in black-coloured stool, Inflammation of the mucus membrane of the nose, old catarrh, Thick bloody discharge from the nose, and splenic conditions.
4. Lamium Album- Used when Stool is Hard with blood. Farrington recommends it for external piles. Trembling movement of limb, complaints due to Backward and forward motion of the head.
5. Mimosa Pudica- Sensitiveness and pain in the head above the eyes, complaints aggravated by movement, ameliorated by closing eyes.
6. Psoralea corylifolia- It is used in cases of leprosy and Vitiligo or leucoderma.
7. Rhamnus Californica- There is profuse sweat all over the body.Pain in muscles, Rheumatism, Metastasis tendency.
8. Agrimonia Eupatoria- Used in indigestion, Menstrual complaints, pain in the kidney region, and Bronchial asthma.
9. Cassia Sophera- Continuous thin watery discharge from nose with sneezing and thick expectoration. It is used as a homoeopathic bronchodilator in asthma cases. Cough with thick yellow discharge and pain in the chest while coughing.
10. Cynodont Dactylon– It is useful in bleeding tendencies like blood in cough, Bleeding from the nose, watery bloody stool, and scabies. It is useful in acute and chronic bloody diarrhoea, painful urination with inflammation and discharge of the conjunctiva. Bleeding from nose, Excessive menses, Dropsy.
11. Luffa Amara– Excellent drug for irritation and inflammation of gastric mucosa. It is also used as a gastric tonic, improving the function of the stomach and increasing appetite.
12. Melissa officinalis- Mainly used in mental conditions like Anxiety, Depression, and Restlessness. Irritability, disturbed sleep. Cold sores. Pain in the head. Hyperchlorhydria.
13. Wrightia Tinctoria– Low appetite, Debility and physically very thin. Amoebic dysentery.
14. Zingiber– Asthma without anxiety. Cough; dry, hacking with copious sputum in the morning.
Conclusion: Homoeopathic mother tinctures have proved more effective in acute cases where a homoeopathic physician needs some time to prescribe a similar medicine in doubtful cases. It can be used as a palliative medicine. To improve the quality of cure in homoeopathy with mother tincture, more new research should be done in the field of pharmacy, to enhance the quality of medicine and advance sources are recognized to use it in a better way.
References:
1. Organon of medicine by Dr Samual Hahnemann 5th & 6th edition combined. Presented by R.E. Dudgeon, William Boericke, B. Jain publisher Pvt. Ltd.
2. Robin Murphy, Lotus Materia Medica 3rd edition, B Jain Publisher Pvt. Ltd. 3. William Boericke New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia medica with Repertory 9th edition, B. Jain Publisher Pvt. Ltd.
4. Clark J.H. Dictionary of Practical Materia medica. Indian Book & Periodicals Pub. 5. Mandal and Mandal .A textbook of Homoeopathic Pharmacy 3rd edition, New Central Book agency.
6. Yudhvir S. Miracle of Mother Tincture with Therapeutic hints and Treatment of disease. 7. D.D. Banerjee’s, Augmented Textbook of Homoeopathic Pharmacy.
