Explanation Of Abbreviations And Signs

Books.

M. M. P. -Materia Medica Pura of Hahnemann, Dudgeon's translation. C. D. P. -Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy. B. P. -British Pharmacopoeia. H. N. G. -Henry N. Guernsey's Materia Medica. R. T. C. -Robert Thomas Cooper's works J. C. B. -James Compton Burnett's works

Journals.

H. W. -Homoeopathic World. H. R. -Homoeopathic Recorder. H. P. -Homoeopathic Physician. M. A. or Med. Adv. -Medical Advance. A. H. or Amer. Hom. -American Homoeopathist. N. A. J. H. -North American journal of Homoeopathy. H. M. -Hahnemannian Monthly. M. H. R. -Monthly Homoeopathic Review B. J. H. -British Journal of Homoeopathy B. M. J. -British Medical Journal

(Roman figures following the name of a work signify the volume of the work, Arabic figures signify the page.)

Words.

N. O. -Natural order. A. W. -Atomic weight. Esp. -Especially. R. -Right. L. -Left. h. -hour. d. -day.

signs.

< means "aggravation," "worse," or "increase."

> means "amelioration,", "better," or "decrease."

These signs are used in the sense indicated, either as nouns, verbs (present or past tense), or adjectives. For instance "Pain < by rest" may be translated "Pain aggravated by rest," or "Pain worse by rest." Here the sign is used in the adjective way. "< By rest" means that there is "aggravation by rest." Here < takes, the place of a noun. "Motion < pain" means "Motion aggravates or increases pain." Here it is a verb.

The idea is the same in all cases, and the sense obvious. "> By rest" means amelioration or relief by rest. "Motion > pain" means Motion relieves or decreases pain." "Toothache > by cold" means "Toothache relieved, ameliorated, or lessened by cold." Sometimes the particle is omitted, but the sense is the same. "> Rest" means "Relief by rest." "Rest >" means "Rest relieves." "Kali bi. has blindness with headache; blindness > as headache <." This means that the blindness of the Kali bi. headache becomes better as the headache becomes worse.

I think the utility of these signs will be generally recognised, and the sense cannot be in doubt in passages where they occur.

Another sign which I have often found useful in my private notes I have introduced occasionally into the Dictionary. I mean the equation sign "=" in the sense of causation. "Causation" and "aggravation" are not always identical, though the influences which set up a morbid condition will generally aggravate the condition if existing already. I have used "=" as an indeclinable verb: "Motion = vomiting" means "Motion causes vomiting." "Heat = all eruptions to itch intolerably," means "Heat causes all eruptions to itch intolerably."