Now that homotoxicology has given scientific substance to the working principles of the homoeopathic remedies through extensive literature on homotoxins, it has become increasingly necessary to make these remedies accessible to physicians for their therapeutic work by supplying a description of the chief individual homoeopathic remedies used in treatment to effect antihomotoxic stimulation of the body’s defensive systems.

Over the past 40 years, combination remedies have been developed, and these exhaustively described in specialist literature. Descriptions also exist of numerous individual homoeopathic remedies, among them the most commonly used polychrests in homoeopathy. However, these descriptions are dispersed throughout the relevant literature, and it is therefore highly necessary to collate them into one volume.

This is all the more necessary since the range of individual substances used in antihomotoxic therapy far exceeds that of the homoeopathic remedies in common use and which are described in the homoeopathic materia medicas.

It has been made clear in the scientific explanation of the working principles of homoeopathy that homoeopathic preparations of whatever  kind  achieve  their effect according to the Law of Similars of Hahnemann and the Reversal Effect of Arndt and Schulz. All  the  individual  and  combination  remedies  used in antihomotoxic therapy are derived from substances or compounds referred to in the German Pharmacopoeia and of course in the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia, including chemical compounds, plant-tinctures, poisons of animal origin, etc.

Particularly in view of the many toxic aspects of civilisation, such as insecticides, pesticides, and especially also in view of the increasing incidence of iatrogenic damage by chemical drugs and other non-biological treatments, a number of environmental toxic factors and toxic drugs in homoeopathic potency are also in therapeutic use. Thus it may still be possible to compensate for some of the damage which has been caused, by employing stimulative methods according to the Reversal Effect and the Law of Similars.

Here, descriptions will be found of sarcodes (remedies from healthy organs and tissues), intermediary catalysts (intermediate products playing a part in intermediary metabolism), other factors in enzyme-activity such as vitamins (particularly in combination remedies), and especially the so-called nosodes (i.e. morbid material in homoeopathic potency), both morbid bodily exudates and also bacterial cultures, isopathic excreta such as perspiration, discharges, pus, etc., and also, for example, viral excreta or cultures (such as Coxsackie Virus A₉ and B₄). The result of this is a substantially more comprehensive compendium of the remedies needed for the treatment of patients in a homoeopathic, antihomotoxic way: remedies which have since come into wide use in general therapeutic practice.

All substances which have an action on the body can be homoeopathically potentized and used in a wide variety of medicaments to achieve antitoxic effects in counterpoint.

In consequence of this, practically every substance and every material in everyday life, including foodstuffs, common medicines, bodily secretions etc. – in other words, everything around us – can be used in an antihomotoxic way, i.e. in the form of homoeopathic single remedies. These also include homoeopathic attenuations of synthetic drugs, substances such as nitrosodiphenylamine, which do not otherwise occur in nature, environmental toxins and factors which are isolated from them, as well as quinones etc.

People often enquire why the sarcodes are obtained from organs and tissues of the pig. The reason for this is the similarity between these and human tissues. Because of this, the organs and tissues of the pig act like organ-specific nosodes, the toxic effects of pork coming into their own as a result of homoeopathic potentization, both according to the Reversal Effect and as homoeopathic Similars. Thus they are ideal remedies to use in stimulative treatment where damage has occurred to the organs and tissues in question: (mostly impregnation and degeneration phases, but they may also be used experimentally in neoplasm phases).

Experiments carried out over a period of years have shown that the action of homoeopathic remedies, whether single or in combinations, is in no way impaired by adaption to the familiar dispensing methods of Galen. This applies not only in the case of ampoules, but also in the case of suppositories, ointments, eye-drops, nose-drops and ear-drops.

The recent investigations by Veith, Snell and others of the molecular combinations which take place in aqueous solutions and in colloids have shown – along with earlier investigations  by  Junker,   Kolisko,   Nebel,   Cahis   and   others   –  that several stages of attenuation (potencies) of one and the same original substance may be combined within one remedy yet still retain their own individual action.

As has been shown in experiments carried out on plant-shoots, certain interferences are possible in this process. Whenever there are various stages of attenuation, culminating points result. When several potencies of the same substance are combined, these culminating points interfere with the intervals between one potency and another.

One important outcome was the establishment of action – explainable in molecular terms – of potencies above Avogadro’s number (6.02X1023).

The action of homoeopathic attenuations, triturations, powders etc. is not impaired by their incorporation into ointments and suppository-bases, not even, for example, by preservatives added to the ointments, but is maintained independently. This means that homoeopathically potentized antihomotoxics have had widespread external use.  In  these cases the  choice of  a  suitable base  for  the  ointment  is of importance. It must have an affinity for the skin, must penetrate it easily yet be free of side-effects.

So as not to present the antihomotoxic therapist with too confusing an array of the extremely many-sided treatment methods involved in the use of individual remedies, in this book we thought it important to offer a selective materia medica. Of course, any other homoeopathic remedies which are recommended in other materia medicas and which fit the symptomatology of the case may be used when working along antihomotoxic lines. This is because the symptomatology corresponds to a particular “toxic state”, which must be broken down by the homoeopathic or antihomotoxic remedy by stimulating either the mechanisms which create antidotes, the organs of the “Defensive System”, or the intracellular detoxification mechanisms.

Much proof indicates that these mechanisms are brought into play by the introduction of specific enzymes which have detoxifying action. In this process, both the Law of Similars (along the lines of the Law of Matrices, which is generally valid in biology: mirror-image effect) and the Reversal Effect are valid. The Reversal Effect follows the basic biological law of Arndt and Schulz governing the opposing action of large and small doses: small doses have a stimulative effect, medium doses act indifferently, large doses inhibit, disable or kill. These pharmacological points of view are likewise scientifically confirmed and established by homotoxicology.

Of course it would be pointless to attempt to treat a case of arsenic poisoning with higher attenuations of the same poison, i.e. Arsenicum 6X, or some similar potency. The receptors of the relevant enzyme-systems are blocked or engaged by the action of massive toxic doses, so that smaller doses can no longer get through. However, it is possible to administer another homoeopathic preparation, and so activate other similar defence-mechanisms (which are still held in reserve) by creating a similar remedy-picture. According to Hahnemann’s theory, this would be a “second healing-illness”: according to homotoxicological theory, which  sees illness as equal to the repelling of toxins, a second, reserve defence-mechanism is being brought into action. From this it may be seen that arsenic poisoning  may very well be susceptible to treatment with homoeopathic preparations of substances which have a similar effect, e.g. with potentized aluminium tartrate, and vice-versa.

In view of the operation of the Law of Matrices (Law of Similars) it is understandable how even homoeopathic remedies which do not provide a 100% identical match with the remedy-picture or disease-picture at hand may nevertheless prove highly effective. In that case, usually, further remedies will be needed to clear up the case, until the point at which the simillimum (i.e the remedy providing the closest match with the picture of the patient’s illness) brings about the final healing.

It also follows that, where a mixture of states of illness is present, in which the effects not only of the patient’s own intermediary toxins are evident, but also side- effects of allopathic drugs (so-called “iatrogenic pathology”) and possibly the burdens of environmental toxins as well (insecticides and others), then a mixture of antidotal therapies must be applied.

This provides the basis for the development of combination remedies, which are also more suited to the treatment of a syndrome than to the symptomatology of a single homoeopathic remedy, although the aim of the therapist should always be to find the simillimum which gives an exact match with the picture of the patient’s illness.

However, in a large number of cases this is not in fact possible. Thus, in such cases, the use of a combination- or compound-remedy is required, especially in degenerative phases to the right of the Biological Division.  This  sets  the  whole toxic state once more into motion, which is indicated by recurrence of inflammation and other symptoms along the lines of a regressive vicariation.

There may be a recurrence of earlier illness which had apparently been cured, such as fistulae, eczema, abscesses, etc. These now form channels of elimination for the homotoxins which have been set in mobilized.

Thus it should be self-evident that such changes in a state of illness must be correctly assessed in the light of homotoxicology. This means that these detoxifying processes – and an inflammation must be understood as such (in other words, nature’s self-healing tendency) – must not be curbed with antibiotics, chemical drugs or other suppressive measures such as suppression of fevers or discharges, use of anti-perspirants etc., at the first signs of a slight cold or sore thorat; only when there are indications of vital significance are such measures justified.

Homoeopathic remedies, properly applied, are capable of rehabilitating blocked enzyme-systems and thus re-stimulating the process of detoxification. This is expressed by the restoration of detoxifying mechanisms (e.g. inflammations), which should therefore only be welcomed by any therapist working along antihomotoxic and biological lines.

If antihomotoxic biotherapists wish to steer a course of “accelerated natural healing” (for this is the only way of understanding the action of homoeopathic remedies), aware of the biological context and fully in control with antihomotoxic methodology, then they must not only be fully conversant with the combination remedies – thus easing substantially the work-load of the practice – but will also find the single remedies of inestimable value.

It may be helpful to think of the toxins as first being surrounded by an army (of one or more combination remedies etc.). Other units (complex remedies etc.) may be brought in to give support in the detoxification-battle for the cure of the disease. Finally the last remaining basic homotoxin – the commander of the enemy troops, as it were – is finished off by the “pistol shot” of the simillimum.

The   physician  working  along  antihomotoxic  lines  has   need  not   only   of combination- and complex-remedies in every medical form (drops, triturations, powders, ampoules, ointments, suppositories, etc.), but also of single remedies in both low and high potencies, in order to achieve the best therapeutic results.

A knowledge of single-remedy methodology can be combined with general biotherapy, not to mention other additional procedures such as Niehan’s therapy, hydrotherapy, Felke mud-baths, ozone therapy, acupuncture, climatic treatments, massage etc. All this affords both a freedom of action conducive to true healing, and a profound degree of professional satisfaction.

Baden-Baden, January 1977

Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg