Aphorism 105
§ 105
The second point of the business of a true physician related to acquiring a knowledge of the instruments intended for the cure of the natural diseases, investigating the pathogenetic power of the medicines, in order, when called on to cure, to be able to select from among them one, from the list of whose symptoms an artificial disease may be constructed, as similar as possible to the totality of the principal symptoms of the natural disease sought to be cured.
Explanantion
Once we have acquired the knowledge of disease, that is, what is curable in the patient, we now turn our attention to acquiring the knowledge of the medicines. (Refer to point 2 given in aphorism 71).
This can be done by giving the medicinal substance to healthy human beings and observing the effects in the form or signs and symptoms. This process is known as ‘DRUG.
PROVING
The definition of drug proving given by Dr. Hahnemann is,
“it is acquiring the knowledge of the instruments intended to cure the natural disease”. This can be simplified as “the method of ascertaining the curative powers of the medicine”. After noting the signs and symptoms of many medicinal substances, that medicine is given to a patient that has symptoms most similar to the symptoms seen in the patient. Hence, the relation between the drug and disease in homeopathy is SIMILAR.
