The Single Unit Dose Wait and Watch Method

The Single Unit Dose Wait and Watch Method

"As long, therefore, as the progressive improvement continues from the medicine administered, so long we can take for granted that the duration of the action of the helpful medicine, in this case at least, continues, and hence all repetition of any dose of medicine is forbidden."

"Even one dose of the same medicine which has up to now proved beneficial, if repeated before the improvement has begun to stand still in every direction, will, like an untimely interference, only aggravate the state....."

These aphorisms introduced the "wait and watch philosophy" which is a manifestation of the principles of minimal intervention and the minimal dose. If the client is improving after the administration of the first dose of a remedy all repetitions of the dose are completely counter indicated. It is only when there is a clear relapse of the symptoms that a second dose of a remedy may be contemplated. This injunction was introduced to prevent disruption of the natural healing process by the premature repetition of the homoeopathic remedy.

From early on Hahnemann observed that premature repetition of homoeopathic pellets often caused a relapse of the disorder as well as accessory symptoms of the remedy. This mixture of natural and remedial symptoms confuses the picture and slows down the curative process. This is why classical homoeopaths are very conservative about the repetition of the remedy before there is a definite relapse of the symptoms. This demands great patience as even during slow progressive improvement the client must experience a relapse of symptoms before a remedy can be repeated..

Study Guide One: The methods of the 5th and 6th Organon are based on the methods of the extraordinary 4th edition. Without understanding the wait and watch philosophy so well elucidated by James Kent it is impossible to understand the methods of repeating the dose to speed the cure. The 'Second Prescription' deals with the complex phenomena associated with the first follow up appointment after the administration of the first test dose of a homoeopathic remedy. This weighty contemplation is just as applical to the posology methods of the 5th and 6th editions of the Organon.

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