A Supplement to Clarke's Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

by Peter David Fraser

     
           

 

These are Clarke's original abbreviations used in The Dictionary which I have generally followed in adding remedies to the Supplement. Additional Abbreviations that I have introduced are listed at the end.

 

Explanation of abbreviations and signs

Books

M.M. P.-Materia Medica Pura of Hahnemann, Dudgeon's translation.

C.D. P.-Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy.

B.P. -Bristish Pharmacopoeia.

Journals.

H.W. -Homoeopathic World.

H.R. -Homoeopathic Recorder.

H.P. -Homoeopathic Physician.

Med. Adv.-Medical Advance.

Amer. Hom.-American Homoeopathist.

N.A. F.H. -North American Journal of Homoeopathy.

H.M. -Hahnemannian Monthly.

Words.

N.O. -Natural order.

A.W. -Atomic weight.

Esp. -Especially.

R. -Right.

L. -Left.

Roman figures following the name of a work signify the volume of the work,

Arabic figures signify the page.

Signs

< means "aggravation", "worse", or "increase."

> means "amelioration", "better", or "decrease."

These signs are used in the sense indicated, either as nouns, verbs (present or past tense), or adjectives. For instance : "Pain { by rest" may be translated "Pain aggravated by rest," or "Pain worse by rest." Here the sign is used in the adjective way. "{By rest" means that there is "aggravation by rest." Here { takes the place of a noun. "Motion { pain" means "Motion aggravates or increases pain." Here it is a verb. The idea is the same in all cases, and the sense obvious. ">By rest" means amelioration or relief by rest. "Motion > pain" means "Motion relieves or decreases pain." "Toothache > by cold" means "Toothache relieved, ameliorated, or lessened by cold." Sometimes the particle is omitted, but the sense is the same. ">Rest" means "Relief by rest." "Rest >" means "Rest relieves." "Kali bi. has blindness with headache; blindness > as headache {". This means that the blindness of the Kali bi. headache becomes better as the headache becomes worse. I think the utility of the these signs will be generally recognised, and the sense cannot be in doubt in passages where they occur.

Another sign which I have often found useful in my private notes I have introduced occasionally into the Dictionary. I mean the equation sigh "=" in the sense of causation. "Causation" and "aggravation" are not always identical, though the influences which set up a morbid condition will generally aggravate the condition if existing already. I have used, "=" as an indeclinable verb : "Motion = vomiting" means "Motion causes vomiting." "Heat = all eruptions to itch intolerably," means "Heat causes all eruptions to itch intolerably."

Additions