Basic Principles of Homeopathy
Historic Edition of the Organon of the Healing Art by Samuel Hahnemann.
Throughout his life, Samuel Hahnemann conducted research to develop a remedy that is as gentle as possible yet deeply effective. His aim was to be able to offer an individualized therapy for each person. Discontent with the medical practices of his time, which he found too drastic, Hahnemann soon turned away from them. In 1796, he formulated the fundamental rule of homeopathy, known as the Law of Similars. For many years, Hahnemann conducted experiments and, based on his observations, developed the C potencies. He worked successfully with C potencies for many decades in his practice. However, he found the healing processes to be too slow, prompting him to search for a more rapidly effective therapy.
The breakthrough came in the early 1840s: With one drop of medicine, Hahnemann moistened 500 neutral globules. Hence, he diluted one drop to a 1/500 ratio. The moistened globule was then dissolved in 100 drops of ethanol. The new dilution was thus a ratio of 1:50,000, now commonly referred to as LM potency. This new potency could be administered daily even in chronic cases, without causing initial aggravations.
The Rediscovery of LM Potencies
Hahnemann described the LM potencies and their production in the 6th edition of the Organon of the Healing Art. Shortly after completing this work, Hahnemann passed away. The knowledge of Hahnemann's latest research and the discovery of this new method of potentization remained concealed for many years. It wasn't until 100 years later that the Swiss physician Dr. Rudolf Flury (1903–1977) took notice of the LM potencies. Flury had discovered them while studying the 6th edition of the Organon and subsequently used them in his practice with great success. It wasn;t until the 1940s that Dr. Flury disclosed his therapeutic experiments with LM potencies, introducing them to professional circles.
The new potencies gradually gained recognition in Switzerland and eventually found their way into homeopathic practices, including the one of the Swiss physician Dr. Voegli.
Dr. Voegli, a radiologist and homeopathic practitioner, co-founded the Journal for Classical Homeopathy and for many years served as a mentor and teacher to Dr. Willi Sewerin, the founder of Arcana.
Development of Arcana LM Potencies
Through his studies of the Organon, Dr. Sewerin was captivated by homeopathy. From the beginning, it was clear to him that the LM potencies represented the culmination of knowledge and experience of Hahnemann's six decades of medical practice and research.
Driven by a quest for a gentle and side-effect-free therapy for his animal patients, Dr. Sewerin initially took on the task of manufacturing his own homeopathic remedies for his veterinary practice.
As Dr. Sewerin continued his professional development, fellow doctors and therapists approached him, expressing a desire for him to produce LM potencies for their use as well. This request led to the founding of the Arcana company in October 1957. The company name (from Latin arcanum, meaning „the secret“) still reflects the concept of the profound concealed knowledge within the LM potencies.
Arcana was the first company in the German-speaking region to provide a comprehensive range of homeopathic LM potencies in a ready-to-use liquid form to therapists and patients. Today, our inventory includes 1,300 individual remedies. All LM potencies are available from LM 1 through LM 120; selected remedies up to LM 500.