AIAPGET Homeopathy Repertory Syllabus

Define 'Case Taking' in homeopathy.

Case taking is the systematic, unprejudiced recording of the totality of the patient's symptoms — mental, general, and particular — to obtain an accurate, complete picture of the disease for individualized remedy selection.

Which aphorisms of the Organon deal specifically with case taking?

Aphorisms §83 to §104 of Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine deal with the examination of the patient (case taking).

What three qualities must a physician possess for ideal case taking according to §83?

Freedom from bias (unprejudiced observer), sound senses, attention in observing, and fidelity in recording the picture of the disease.

What is meant by 'totality of symptoms'?

The totality of symptoms is the complete, characteristic image of the disease formed by all the mental, general, and particular symptoms taken together — the only basis on which the similimum is selected (§7, §18).

Define a 'characteristic symptom' (per §153, the keynote concept).

§153 directs the physician to attend especially to symptoms that are striking, singular, uncommon, and peculiar (characteristic) — these have the greatest value in selecting the similimum over common/ordinary symptoms.

What is a 'common symptom' versus an 'uncommon/peculiar symptom' in symptom evaluation?

A common symptom is one that ordinarily belongs to the disease (low individualizing value); an uncommon/peculiar (characteristic) symptom is unexpected or unusual for that disease and has high value for individualization.

State Kent's order of importance (hierarchy) of symptoms in analysis.

Mental/Mind symptoms (will, understanding, memory) → General (Physical Generals) → Particular symptoms. Within generals: cravings/aversions, reactions to environment, sexual sphere, sleep, menses, etc.

What are 'mental generals' and give the order of their importance per Kent?

Mental generals concern the whole person's psyche. Kent's order: symptoms of the Will (loves, hates, fears, desires) are most important, then the Understanding (intellect/perception), then the Memory.

Define a 'Physical General' and give examples.

A physical general is a symptom referring to the patient as a whole (uses 'I'), e.g., thermal reaction (hot/chilly patient), desires and aversions for foods, perspiration in general, reaction to weather, sides of the body, time aggravations, menstrual state, sleep.

Differentiate a 'particular symptom' from a 'general symptom'.

A general refers to the patient as a whole ('I feel worse in cold'); a particular refers to a part/organ ('my knee is worse in cold'). When a particular symptom is extended to the whole patient it becomes a general.

What is the 'doctrine of generalization' (Bonninghausen)?

If a modality or sensation is found repeatedly in several particular locations of a patient, it can be generalized and applied to the patient as a whole, allowing it to be used as a general symptom in repertorization.

What are 'concomitant symptoms' and why are they valuable?

Concomitants are symptoms that occur alongside the chief complaint but have no pathological connection to it (e.g., 'headache with constipation'). Being unusual, they are highly characteristic and individualizing.

Define 'Repertorization' (repertorial technique).

Repertorization is the process of converting the patient's selected characteristic symptoms into rubrics, finding the remedies covering them in the repertory, and analyzing/evaluating those remedies to arrive at a group from which the similimum is selected.

List the basic steps of repertorization.

1) Case taking and recording totality; 2) Evaluation/erection of symptoms into a hierarchy; 3) Conversion of symptoms into suitable rubrics; 4) Selection of rubrics; 5) Repertorization (finding and grading remedies); 6) Analysis of result; 7) Consultation of Materia Medica to select similimum.

What is the difference between 'eliminative' and 'evaluative' methods of repertorization?

Eliminative method uses one strong, reliable rubric to eliminate remedies not covering it, narrowing the field (Bonninghausen/Boger style). Evaluative method weighs and totals remedy grades across all chosen rubrics (Kentian style) without eliminating early.

Describe Kent's method of repertorization.

Select a generalized symptom as the starting (anchor) rubric, then proceed from generals to particulars, eliminating remedies that do not run through the most important rubrics, and finally compare the remaining remedies in the Materia Medica.

Describe Boenninghausen's method of repertorization.

Uses the complete symptom (location, sensation, modality, concomitant) with generalization of modalities and the Therapeutic Pocket Book; relies on the doctrine of analogy and grand generalization, useful for incomplete/one-sided cases.

Describe Boger's method of repertorization.

Emphasizes pathological generals, time and modalities (the 'seven sycotic remedies' concept etc.), and the complete symptom; uses the Boger-Boenninghausen repertory and Card Repertory, combining elimination with characteristic pathological totality.

What is the 'card repertory' technique?

A mechanical repertory using punched cards (one card per rubric with holes for remedies); cards for chosen rubrics are superimposed, and the light passing through common holes reveals remedies covering all selected rubrics. Example: Boger's and Kishore's card repertories.

In repertorization, what does 'totality of remedies covering all rubrics' indicate versus 'highest numerical marks'?

Covering all rubrics (running through every selected symptom) ensures completeness of similarity; highest numerical total reflects intensity/grade. The ideal remedy both covers all important rubrics and scores high — but coverage of characteristic rubrics is weighed above raw totals.

Define 'similimum'.

The single remedy whose drug-symptom picture most completely and characteristically corresponds to the totality of the patient's symptoms — the most similar remedy, selected after repertorization and Materia Medica confirmation.

What is a 'one-sided disease' and which repertorial approach suits it (§173-§174)?

A one-sided disease presents too few, mainly one or two prominent symptoms, making the case difficult. Bonninghausen's method (complete symptom, generalization, concomitants) is well suited because it extracts maximum value from limited data.

What is the role of the Materia Medica after repertorization?

Repertorization only narrows the field to a group of probable remedies; the final similimum must be confirmed by studying the genius/characteristics of each candidate remedy in the Materia Medica and matching it to the patient.

Name two widely used homeopathic repertory software programs.

RADAR (Rapid Aid to Drug Aimed Research, using the Synthesis repertory) and CARA; also Hompath, MacRepertory, and the Complete Dynamics software.

What repertory database does MacRepertory typically use, and who developed the software approach behind it?

MacRepertory uses the Complete Repertory (Roger van Zandvoort) and is associated with David Warkentin; it is known for graphic analysis and family/periodic-table visualization tools.

State three advantages of repertory software over the book repertory.

1) Speed — instant searching of huge databases; 2) Multiple repertories/Materia Medica cross-linked and word-searchable; 3) Flexible analysis (different weighting, elimination, graphical output, saving cases).

What does 'word search' / 'find' feature in repertory software allow?

It lets the user locate any rubric or sub-rubric containing a given word or remedy across the entire repertory instantly, overcoming the difficulty of locating rubrics manually in book repertories.

State four limitations of the repertory.

1) It is only an index/aid, not a substitute for Materia Medica or the physician's skill; 2) Errors in source provings/clinical additions carry over; 3) Incompleteness — not all remedies/symptoms are included; 4) Mechanical use without individualization can mislead; rubric interpretation and grading vary.

Why is repertory called an 'index' and not a substitute for Materia Medica?

Because it only points to a group of probable remedies by indexing symptoms; the actual confirmation of the similimum and understanding of the remedy's whole picture must come from the Materia Medica and clinical judgment.

What is the chief precaution when adding 'clinical' remedies to rubrics in a repertory?

Clinically added remedies (not from provings) must be verified; uncritical inclusion lowers reliability, so the source and grade of additions should be known, and pure proving-based rubrics are weighed more heavily for the characteristic totality.