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Schwabe News :: Volume 6 | Issue 7-9 | July – September 2015

Research News

Use of nosodes in homoeopathic clinical practice

Nosodes are homoeopathic preparations derived from inactivated disease products, cultures of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses or parasites. Nosode word came from Greek word noso which means disease. Nosode has been used by Dr. Contestine Hering in between 1827 to 1833.there are around 150 nosode mention in homoeopathic literature but only few of them are the part of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. In clinical practice there are some two thoughts. One group of physicians says that it is to be used in low potencies below 30CH and frequent repetition. The other group considers using it as intercurrent or anti-miasmatic remedies. For the foresaid consideration present study sought to survey the actual use of nosode in clinical practice.

The study had been done by questionnaire following lecture review. The final version of questionnaire consisted of 13 multiple choice, 2 open-ended questions and 5 additional questions which was designed to collect sociodemographic data.  The questionnaire was circulated by e-mail and posted online from January 2012 to December 2013.

204 individuals responded to questionnaire without any duplication. In which 105 are female and rest are male of different age group especially 50-60 years of age. The largest proportion was of clinical practitioners. Most respondents was from India and United states. Result shows that 69% of respondents stated that they use nosode in 200CH or 1M dilution, while 15% in other potencies.  64 % of respondents use nosode in single dose and 36 % in repeated dose. 12% use nosode in daily dose 10 % in once in a week, and other 10% use once in a month. According to the results, 71% of respondents believed that it is fit to give nosode as a common remedy where as 28% believed it should be given as constitutional remedy; only 6% think to give as anti-miasmatic. Variability was found in method of dispensing nosode. 44% of respondents give in globules, 24 % in lactose, and 23 % in aqueous dose whereas 11% gives direct on tongue. Two-thirds of the sample reported that nosodes are easily available at pharmacies, while 32% reported some difficulty.

From the study it is known that nosode are used also as common remedy. The present study on nosode shows that there is no adverse effect of nosode used in lower potencies like 30CH and if doses are repeated frequently.

Reference: Saurav Arora & Bharti Arora, Use of nosodes in homoeopathic clinical practice, Revista De Homeopatia, 2015;78(1/2):8-13.