Further to the issue of homoeopathic dilutions, the symbols “C” and “X” together with their leading numbers reveal not only the dilution factor but also
how the preparation was diluted. The “D” is a variant of “X” that seems to be preferred by German, or possibly central European homoeopaths. The symbols “C” and “X” come from the Roman system of numeration and denote, respectively, “by hundreds” and “by tens.” For example, a nostrum marked “8C” was diluted eight times in succession, each time by a factor of one hundred, whereas one marked “13X” was diluted thirteen times, each time by a factor of ten. Thus, the “8C” concoction is diluted to a 1/100
th concentration eight times in succession using the concentration from the prior step, giving a final concentration of (1/100)
8 = (1/10)
16 = 1/10,000,000,000,000,000, and the “13X” to 1/10
th thirteen times, giving (1/10)
13 = 1/10,000,000,000,000 as a final concentration.
In practice, one litre bottles with screw caps are used together with 100 ml beakers for “X” dilutions, or 10 ml beakers for “C” dilutions. 10 ml is 1/100
th of a litre (100 ml is 1/10
th of same), and generally, dilutions are done by volume rather than weight, which in itself opens a whole new can of one-quadrillionth of a worm that we’ll simply slither over
sans a second thought.
Suppose now we want to formulate a homoeopathic murder mix of prodigious scope. We consult our
Materia Medica (or our grandmother, whichever happens to be closer to hand) and find that chicken broth in normal concentrations is life-sustaining and induces a ruddy glow of good health in its consumers. Being canny in the ways of homoeopathy, we realise that, in great dilutions, chicken broth must therefore produce a cure for “a ruddy glow of good health,” i.e. it is a ghastly venom, one that
Dr John Bodkin Adams would have been proud to feed his victims.
A little thought suggests a 20C dilution should be more than powerful enough to produce a comprehensive ruination of life – after all, any stronger and we might denude the planet! So we scoop up 10 ml of chicken broth with our beaker and pour it into our one litre mixing flask. Adding one litre of water, we heartily shake it up exactly twenty-three times (see below), and then decant 10 ml from the mixing flask, disposing of the rest. The saved 10 ml now goes back into the mixing flask, to repeat the addition of one litre of water, the twenty-three shakes and saving 10 ml from the mixing flask. This dilute-shake-save cycle is done twenty times in total, yielding a potency of 20C in the final flask. As a precaution, we should probably engage the services of a toxic waste disposal crew because the stuff we throw away in each cycle becomes progressively more toxic, and without such a precaution against indiscriminate disposal, we could easily precipitate some manner of ecological Armageddon.
There is also the practice of “succussion” following each dilution step, which practice is a vigorous rhythmic shaking of the preparation so that it smacks bodily into the wall of its container a number of times. It also clarifies why one litre bottles are generally favoured because slinging, say, ten-litre canisters around would soon enough tax even the hardiest homoeopath. This pounding is supposed to convince the curative properties to become active, as in, “Awaken, ye powers of flummery!” and to distribute them evenly into the mixture. Some homoeopaths consider this shaking at least as important as dilution, and will go to extraordinary lengths to count the number of shakes as well as the “amount of vigour” applied to each one. The latter, of course, presents some practical difficulties but obviously not enough to deter the courageously determined quack.
'Luthon64
(Edited for improved clarity … I hope.)
