Homeopathic remedies are natural remedies that are made from extracts of plants, animal and mineral extracts, diluted in altering degrees with the purpose of avoiding side effects. Although it might seem paradoxical, the more dilute the remedies are, the greater are their effectiveness. Homeopathic remedies are processed in a very distinct way. In making remedies derived from soluble substances like animals or plant extracts, the raw material is first dissolved in an alcohol and water mixture that contains approximately 90% pure alcohol and 10% distilled water; the ratio may vary though depending on the substance. The mixture is then left to stand till about 1-4 weeks, occassionally shaken and then strained. The result of this process is called the mother tincture. Some substance that are insoluble such as calcium carbonate, gold and graphite, must first pass through a process called trituration. In this process, the substance is ground continuously until they become microscopic and eventually soluble substances.

The different potencies of these remedies are based on scale of dillution of the mother tincture; the decimal scale (x), and the centesimal scale(c). In between the stages of dillution, the diluted tincture is shaken vigorously. In medical terms, the vigorous shaking is also known as succussion. Based on the decimal scale, the dilution factor is 1:10 while on the centesimal scale, the dilution factor is 1:100. So in making a mixture of 1c potency, the mother tincture is added to 99 drops of the alcohol and/or water mixture and succussed. Additionally, to produce a 2c potency one drop of a 1c potent mixture is added to 99 drops of the alcohol and/or water mixture and then succussed. Therefore, the number of a homeopathic remedy is suggestive of how many times it has been diluted and succussed.

Homeopathic potencies are not simply highly diluted solutions though; they are made with careful scientific procedures involving consecutive dilutions and succussions. In fact, the dilutions are so extremely refined that it is likely that not even one microscopic molecule of the original substance can visibly be found on the final solution. So basically, a homeopathic medicine does not work by the value of the amount of the original substance but rather by something more refined. It is also said that the constant dilution and succussion of a homeopathic medicine exceeds Avogadro’s number of molecular concentration that it alters the original substance’s physical state to a point where its normal subatomic structure and telltale electromagnetic signature has actually been changed. There are a number of studies that proved this principle of medicine being as effective, if not more, as the traditional forms of medicine. The use of herbs and minerals should not mistaken with Homeopathy though, as a branch of herbalism as what is generally thought. The effects of these diluted medicines, as what homeopathic practitioners say, should not also be regarded with placebo effect as it is quite a different approach.