Concomitants as a Diagnostic and Prescribing Tool in Homoeopathic Materia Medica

Research Article

Abstract

Individualisation in homoeopathy depends on selecting symptoms that distinguish one patient from another suffering from the same disease. Among these, concomitant symptoms, which accompany the chief complaint without belonging to its usual pathology, hold a special place. They were developed into a formal concept by Boenninghausen and remain useful where mental and general symptoms are scanty, as in acute illness, paediatric cases and cases dominated by pathology. This article reviews the origin and definition of concomitants, proposes a working classification, shows how they serve both as a diagnostic aid in remedy differentiation and as a prescribing guide, describes a stepwise method for using them, and discusses their limitations. Tables, a conceptual diagram, a decision flowchart and a chart illustrate the discussion.

Keywords concomitant symptoms; Boenninghausen; complete symptom; individualisation; materia medica; repertorisation