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Homeopathy 2009; 98(02): 122-124
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2009.02.003
Social and Historical
Copyright © The Faculty of Homeopathy 2009

20 years ago: The British Homoeopathic Journal, April 1989

S.T. Land
Subject Editor:
Further Information

Publication History

Received17 February 2009

accepted17 February 2009

Publication Date:
15 December 2017 (online)

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History of potentizing machines

‘A brief history of potentizing machines’ is by Julian Winston. From 1850 to 1920, coinciding with the rise of the science and technology of the industrial revolution, a number of homeopaths attempted to construct labour-saving machines to create high potencies. Hahnemann gave a clear outline of the methodology of attenuation in Paragraphs 267–271 of the fifth edition of the Organon, but spoke only of the 30th centesimal. When his pupil Boenninghausen made a preparation of the 200th, and Von Korsakoff introduced new methods for higher attenuations, Hahnemann corresponded with the latter, but only suggested that, for the sake of ‘uniform results’, it would be best to stay with the 30th. It was another early experimenter, Julius Casper Jenichen, who believed that it was the succussion which gave the drug its strength; and introduced the concept of potency rather than simply dilution.

The quest began in earnest for mechanized forms of potentization after Hahnemann's death, all the experimenters believing that they were following him to the letter ‘because all the essential points are most scrupulously observed and greatly improved upon, whilst time is economized, and error is next to an impossibility, so perfect are the methods used’, as Thomas Skinner wrote. Eight pages are devoted to detailed descriptions of the machines, with many quotations from their originators, giving detailed outlines of the methodology used. There are seven figures of drawings by the designers. Carroll Dunham was one of the first to attempt to mechanize the process, but the result was rather unwieldy, with rather more force used than was necessary. The potencies were given to Smith's Pharmacy in New York City; some of which still exist marked ‘200D’. Francis Boericke and Adolph Tafel established the still then extant firm of Boericke and Tafel, selling homeopathic medicines; while Boericke developed his own machine. Little is known of its fate and that of the possible potencies produced.

Bernard Fincke was the prime mover of efforts to find less labour-intensive ways of producing high potencies. He experimented with several methods and wrote a small volume On High Potencies, published by Tafel. He was granted a patent for a new process, ‘fluxion’, which involved a continuous water flow. There was much debate about the method, but Thomas Skinner, a convert to homeopathy, developed the Skinner Fluxion Centesimal Attenuator, which was much praised by J T Kent and was still in use at Boericke and Tafel in Philadelphia. A single-vial Skinner machine, made by Skinner himself, was on display at the Faculty of Homeopathy in London. Kent developed his own machine, and many of his potencies were still in use. It is interesting that Skinner completely changed his view about succussion, stating: ‘It is now my firm conviction, founded on experience, that it is attenuation, and attenuation only, which is the agent or factor in the dynamization of homoeopathic medicine! and that succussion has nothing whatever to do with it!’

With the decline of homeopathy in the United States came a parallel decline in the demand for high potencies. Winston quoted Jeremy Collier from 1941 ‘We must not let go manifest truths because we cannot answer all the questions about them. It is evidently in just this spirit that a small group of physicians have firmly held to the tremendous therapeutic power of the high attenuation. Relegated to comparative obscurity it has long remained a sleeping giant who should be awakened’. The author considered that, 47 years later, it could still be done.[ 1 ]