05 | Vol 2 | Issue 12
dilutions and crystallization test
-Dr. R. Valavan, BHMS, [MD(Hom)]
R. Valavan is a young homoeopath and post graduate student doing
his final MD (hom) in Homoeopathic Pharmacy at Vinayaka Mission’s
Homoeopathic Medical College, Salem.
is the formation of solid crystals from an over saturated homogenous
solution. It is essentially a solid-liquid separation technique.1
Any solid dissolved in a liquid can be separated by crystallization.
This may be done by evaporating the liquid slowly.
a solid substance is dissolved in a liquid, the solid is said
to be the solute and the liquid is the solvent. After dissolving
the solute into the solvent, the resultant is called the solution.1,2
If a solution is taken
in a plate and the solvent is evaporated slowly and at the end
of the crystallization, the solute forms as crystals in the bottom
of the plate.3 This crystal pattern is different according to
the atomic arrangement of that particular solute, element or compound.
Each element or compound produces its own characteristic crystal
pattern. This characteristic crystal pattern can be altered, if
any material present in the solution other than that particular
solute (element or compound).
when a few drops of human serum is added with the particular homogenous
solution and crystallized, the resultant crystal pattern is altered
and is of a specific character. The pattern produced by every
healthy individual’s serum is very similar and possess unique
appearance. Likewise if a few drops of a particular plant or organic
extract is added with the solution, the resultant crystal pattern
is different from the human serum. Different plant or organic
extract produces its own characteristic crystal pattern.4
If a few
drops of diseased person’s serum is added with the solution,
the resultant crystal pattern is different from the healthy person’s
serum. Further the pattern differs according to the nature of
late 1920’s, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer and co-workers had carried
out the above experiment with copper chloride solution. They used
5,10 and 20% solutions of copper chloride for their experiments
[5% solution = 5 ml of copper chloride salt (solute) dissolved
in 100ml of water (solvent)]. Their discovery has proved, copper
chloride solution method is the most suitable method in the study
of crystallization pattern.5
was conducted with serum from patients with various diseases,
running into hundreds of patients since 1925. Even without physical
examination of a patient they could arrive at exact determination
of the disease with the help of these crystal pattern studies.
Further, they extended their studies with homoeopathic dilutions
and obtained very interesting and useful results.
involves addition of a few drops of aqueous homoeopathic dilution
to a few drops of the patient’s serum. Determined quantity
of 5,10 or 20% copper chloride solution is added to it and mixed
thoroughly. The solution is poured on a smooth glass plate, so
that the thickness of the prepared solution is about ½
mm. Then the glass plate is kept in the crystallization chamber,
which should be vibration free, under controlled temperature and
humidity. By this way the preparation is allowed to crystallize
between 28°C to 32°C. The crystallization takes about
14-18 hours for completion. After the completion of this process,
the crystal patterns can be studied by naked eye and also with
microscope.6 Pfeiffer was having a sophisticated laboratory for
indicated homoeopathic medicinal dilution is mixed with the diseased
blood serum, then added with copper chloride solution and crystallized,
the resultant crystal pattern appears like the healthy serum’s
crystal pattern. So the indicated homoeopathic higher dilution
is capable to normalize the diseased crystal pattern into normal
crystal pattern. If, a homoeopathic dilution mixed with diseased
serum produces very abnormal crystal pattern, that indicates,
the drug is contra-indicated to that patient.
homoeopathic ultra high dilutions influence the process of crystallization.
The arrangement of molecules of the solute present in the solution
is altered in a specific manner according to the relationship
of that particular drug and patient.
from this, the experiment helps physicians to arrive at the similimum
between drug and patient. Because accuracy and efficiency in homoeopathic
therapeutics is only possible to those who have a clearly defined
idea of the field in which the principle of similia is operative.7
This method can help in improving the accuracy and efficiency,
even there is a confusion in choosing the similimum. Drugs can
be selected through the crystallization test, before it is administered
in the patients. Pfeiffer and co-workers claim to have successfully
treated cases of nervous and mental diseases, asthma, cancer and
other disorders by administering medicines in this way.5 By this
copper chloride crystallization test we arrive to the following
The arrangement of molecules
of the solute during the process of crystallization is influenced
and altered by highly diluted different homoeopathic drugs,
which does not contain the molecules of the original drugs in
order of the Avagodro’s law.
This experiment permits the
testing of remedies-whether they should or should not be employed-before
they are tried on patients.
One can select a similar remedy
for a patient, where the difficulty arises to choose a most
similar remedy among a few, by this method of crystallization
article of Aijing Shang et al challenging the power of homoeopathic
remedies, has provoked multiple reactions. Under the circumstance,
this paper explains the homoeopathic investigations and scientific
treatment of patients on proven facts of this science.
the author wishes to place in record that homoeopathic medicine
is the scientific treatment of diseases, and invites every reader
to review the above said article of Aijing Shang and team under
Brice .J.C, ‘Crystal Growth
Processes’, Hasted Press, New York, 1986.
Peters .E.I, ‘Introduction
to chemical principles’, Third edition, Holt - Saunders
International editions, 1982.
Sankaran. P, ‘Elements
of Homoeopathy’, Vol-II, edited by Dr. Rajansankaran,
Homoeopathic Medical Publishers, Mumbai, 1996, 584-585.
Pfeiffer .E, ‘Sensitive
Crystallization Processes’, Anthroposophic Press, New
Stuart Close, ‘The Genius
of Homoeopathy’, B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, New Delhi,
Pp. 37. Reprint edition, 1997.
Dr. R. Valavan, BHMS, [MD(Hom)]
PG Student, Department of Homoeopathic Pharmacy,
Vinayaka Mission’s Homoeopathic Medical College,
NH-47, Sankari Main Road,
Seergapadi, Salem - 636 308.
Mobile : +91-9443858360
E-mail : email@example.com