Hahnemann developed his remedies from 1801 to 1842, step by step, and in quite an understandable manner. In § 2 of Organon, sixth edition, Hahnemann lays out his general message. This, at the same time, represents the main objective of his entire work.

The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in it´s whole, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensive principles.

First, Hahnemann started to develop the law of similarity: "Similia similibus curentur" - in other words, a reliable, rational method of healing based on a maximum of self-evident causes. Second, to achieve a durable and permanent restoration of health, what was needed was the discovery of "miasms" and of anti-miasmatic remedies. Third, to achieve a most gentle kind of health restoration, he undertook frequent changes and modifications in the production, and dosage of remedies (1801-24). Fourth, to accelerate the curing, or to abbreviate the desease, he undertook experiments between 1832 and 1841. He finally reached his objective with the development of the Q-potencies.

Apart from the choice of the most appropriate homeophatic remedy, there are two further conditions being decisive for curing in a rapid, gentle, and permanent manner. The first condition is the quantity or volume of doses. The following quotations from the Organon clearly spell out what is meant here:

 1.a:. The suitableness of a medicine for any given case of disease does not depend on ist accurate homoeopathic selection alone, but likewise on the proper size, or rather smallness of the dose. If we give too strong a dose of a medicine ... it must ... prove injurious by ist mere magnitude (...). (Organon § 275)

1.b.(...) a medicine ... does harm in every dose that is too large, and in strong doses it does more harm the greater its homoeopathicity and the higher the potency selected ... Too large doses of an accurately chosen homoeopathic medicine, and especially when frequently repeated, bring about much trouble as a rule. They put the patient not seldom in danger of life or make his disease almost uncurable ... he is in consequence more ill with the similar but more violant medicinal disease which is most difficult to destroy. (Organon § 276)

1.c. (...) the dose of the homoeopathically selected and highly potentized remedy for the beginning of treatment of an important, especially chronic disease can never prepared so small that it shall not be stronger than the natural disease and shall not be able to overpower it (...) (Organon § 279)

Between 1801 and 1814, Hahnemann experimented with the dilution of remedies and used different modes of succussions ("one minute", "intensively", "three minutes"). Starting in 1816, he diluted following the centesimal procedure, mainly in the sixth, twelvth, eighteeth and thirteeth potency. Each time, he only applied one single globule without repetition and observed its effects. After 1821, he shook 10 times per level of potency. Due to heavy aggravations, he reduced the number of succussions to two (1824). During that time, he mainly applied the thirteeth potency, one globule orally, or, alternatively, asked the patient to smell (i.e. by olfaction). When interested in strengthening the effect of the remedy, he asked the patient to intake the globule together with some liquids. In his fifth edition of the Organon, published in 1833, Hahnemann also advocated the use of centesimal scale of potencies, yet he was not satisfied with this scale and this for the following reasons. Firstly, the potencies were not acting sufficiently rapid, secondly, they often tended to produce violant medicinal aggravations, especially among more sensitiv patients. Third, the period of cure took quite a long time. Fourth, the duration and frequency of remedies were difficult to ascertain correctly.

The dosage apart, this also establishes a second basic condition for a most efficient process of curing: the remedy’s repetition in correct intervals. Problems that might occur during the repetition of remedy, he describes in the fifth Organon, in a ten pages annotation to the § 246. In the case of lasting and chronic deseases, he suggests the use of intermediary remedies before starting to apply the previous remedy (Sulf., for example, is followed by Hep.s, Nux-v., or Puls). A couple of very interesting cases following this method can be found in Bönninghausen’s "Lesser writings". Hahnemann had frequently observed that the same unchanged dose of a remedy, applied in brief intervals, was not easily accepted.

2. It is impractical to repeat the same unchanged dose of a remedy once, not to mention ist frequent repetition. The vital principle does not accept such unchanged doses without resistance, that is, without other symptoms of the medicine to manifest themselves than those similar to the disease to be cured, because the former dose has already accomplished the expected change in the vital principle and a second dynamically wholly similar, unchanged dose of the same medicine no longer finds, therefore, the same conditions of the vital force. The patient may indeed be made sick in another way by receiving other such unchanged doses, even sicker than he was,(...). But if the succeeding dose is changed slightly every time, namely potentized somewhat higher then the vital principle may be altered without difficulty by the same medicine (...) (Organon § 247).

3.  

Yet, since frequent doses appeared to be necessary for accelarating the cure, he looked for ways of modifying the administring of the remedy. He suggested to give the medicine pellet in solution only, dissolved in water, and in divided doses, well shaken five or six times every time before intake. Once finishing the solution of one vial, he diluted a further globule of minor potency, for instance, twentyfourth or eigteenth potency, in another vial and continued this way until healing was achieved. The successful remedy could now be applied in more frequent and shorter intervals without any negative reaction – yet, only on condition that it was shaken once again before every new intake. Although this procedure had already been developed by Hahnemann in 1835 and 1837, the main objective of his fourty year-long research in homeophatic remedies was achieved only by finalizing the sixth edition of Organon.

Writing a letter to his publisher in 1842, he happily stated: "After eigtheen months of work, I have now finished the sixth edition of my Organon, the nearly perfect of all". Yet, before completion of the negotiations with his publisher, Hahnemann died the second July 1843. Owing to various circumstances but, especially, due to the mercanary tactics of Mrs Melanie Hahnemann, the work was not published until 1921. Dr William Börecke received the original manuscript from Melanie Hahneman’s heirs and the English version was finally published in 1921. Astonishingly, further twenty years had to pass before the public recognized and acknowledged the immense innovative contribution represented by this book. Within the German-speaking context, the Swiss homeopath Dr. Flury was the first to present these innovations to a wider public in 1950. The introduction of the not entirely correct term LM-potencies was also due to the same scholar.

In his own words, Hahnemann describes his "newly altered but perfected method" in paragraphs 269-71.

In order to best obtain this development of power, a small part of the substance to be dynamized, say one grain ( = 60 mg ), is triturated for three hours with three times one hundred grains sugar of milk up to the one-millionth part in powder form. One grain ofthis powder is dissolved in 500 drops of a mixture of one part of alcohol and four parts of distilled water, of which one drop is put in a vial. To this are added 100 drops of pure alcoholand given one hundred strong succussions with the hand against a hard but elastic body. This is the medicine in the first degree of dynamization with which small sugar globules may then be moistened and quickly spread on blotting paper to dry and kept in a well-corked vial with the sign of (Q1) degree of potency. Only one globule of this is taken for further dynamization, put in a second new vial and then with 100 drops of good alcohol and dynamized in the same way with 100 powerful succussions (...) (Organon § 270)

In this way the process is continued until the thirtieth dynamization degree is reached.

By means of this manipulation of crude drugs are produced preparations which only in this way reach the full capacity to forcibly influence the suffering parts of the sick organism. (ibid.)

Most interesting is the annotations to this paragraph. It is there, where the new quality of the method is best explained.

But if only one such globule be taken, of which 100 weigh one grain, and dynamize it with 100 drops of alcohol, the proportion of 1 to 50.000 and even greater will be had, for, 500 such globules can hardly absorb one drop for their saturation. With this disproportionate higher ratio between medicine and diluting medium many succussive strokes of the vial ... can produce a much greater development of power (Annotation 155 to § 270).

Four main items are of relevance here. The first regards the abbreviation of the treatment, especially in chronic deseases (a) by way of repeated appliance of the liquid dose of remedy and (b) by way of successively increasing the scale of potency: That is, in Hahneman’s words:

Every perceptibly progressive and strikingly increasing amelioration during treatment is a condition which, as long as it lasts, completely precludes every repetition of the administration of any medicine whatsoever, because all the good the medicine (Organon § 246)

Equally important is annotation no. 132 which reads as follows:

What I said in the fifth edition of the Organon, in a long note to this paragraph in order to prevent these undesirable reactions of the vital energy, was all that the experience I then had justified. But during the last four or five years, however, all these difficulties are wholly solved by my new altered but perfected method. The same carefully selected medicine may now be given daily and for month,(...).

The second item concerns the simultaneous presence of highest power and mildest effects. Already the lower scales of potency may have clearly evident positive effects – even as regards the state of the mind and disposition. These effects, nevertheless, are also milder. Chosing the appropriate dosage, there will hardly ever be homeopathic aggravations in the case of chronic deaseases of normally reacting patients.Here we have to differentiate between acute and chronic diseases:

When I here limit the so-called homoeopathic aggravation, or rather the primary action of the homoeopathic medicine that seems to increase somewhat the symptoms of the original disease, to the first or few hours, this is certainly true with respect to diseases of a more acute character ... ; but where medicines of long action have to combat a malady of considerable or of very long standing, where no such apparent increase of the original disease ought to appear during treatment and it does not so appear if the accurately chosen medicine was given in proper small, gradually higher doses, each somewhat modified with renewed dynamization. Such increase of the original symptoms of a chronic disease can appear only at the end of treatment when the cure is almost or quite finished (Organon § 161). (...) It would be a certain sign that the doses were altogether too large, if during treatment, especially in chronic diseases, the first dose should bring forth a so-called homoeopathic aggravation (Organon § 282).

Even in cases where an aggravation should occur as a result of overdose, these problems habitually disappear after some hours or after a maximum of a fortnight without giving any antidote. This also applies to the appliance of non-appropriately chosen homeopathic remedies. As you see, relative to the reactivity or sensitivity of the patient, we are able to identify with Q-potencies the optimal dosage for each type of desease. This is being done by increasing or decreasing the dosage, i.e. by speeding up or by braking. Of particular relevance is the individually-tuned application of the dose in the case of those highly sensitive patients who react dramatically even to minor doses. This especially concerns allergic people, people with neurodermitis or asthma, or elderly and particularly weak patients.

In another annotation to § 270, Hahnemann warns from using C-potencies which are mechanically produced in the case of patients with a weaker vital force. Kent also points to thoughtless use of highly potentised remedies:

It is important, however, to avoid remedies with profound impacts in cases where the vital force of the patient is diminishing, that is where the organism is clearly weakened to an extent that healing is very unlikely in any case (in that type of cases, Kent suggested, for example, to turn to Sanguinaria which may seem to be a rather superficial remedy but, in reality, is an excellent palliativum (...). You should well be aware of the fact that you are dealing with high-potencies. I myself would prefer being alone in the same room with a dozen of wildly-looking aborigines armed with knives rather than being subjected to the treatment of somebody who is working with high-potencies without actually knowing about their effects (source: J.T. Kent; Lectures on Materia Medica).

The third advantage is as follows. Eventual disturbances occurring during the treatment are less relevant than the single dose of a C-potency, because the dose is being repeated every day or every second day. If we speak of disturbances, we especially mean things as coffee, camphora, menthol, or spiritual traumata such as fright or chock.

Let me finally point to a couple of hints concerning the choice of potency and dosage. Given the precise indications supplied by Hahnemann himself, I shall limit myself to extensive quotations. The first issue is the one of the choice of potency. We should start treatment with the lowest possible degrees of Q-potencies, for instance, Q1, Q2, or Q3 (see: annotation 132 to § 246). Moreover, as regards the question of dosage and repetition, he asks (...) how small must be the dose of each individual medicine, homoeopathically selected for a case of disease, to effect the best cure? Hahnemann claims that this (...) is not the work of theoretical speculation. Rather, (...) pure experiment, careful observation of the sensitiveness of each patient, and accurate experience can alone determine this in each individual case (...) (Organon § 278).More specifically,

(...) we potentize anew the medicinal solution (with perhaps 8, 10, 12 succussions) from which we give the patient one or (increasingly) several teaspoonful doses, in long lasting diseases daily or every second day, in acute diseases every two to six hours and in very urgent cases every hour or oftener. Thus in chronic diseases, every correctly chosen homoeopathic medicine ... may be repeated daily for months with ever increasing success. If the solution is used up (in seven to fifteen days) it is necessary to add to the next solution of the same medicine if still indicated one or (though rarely) several pellets of a higher potency with which we continue so long as the patient experiences continued improvement without encountering one or another complaint that he never had before in his life. For if this happens, if the balance of the disease appears in a group of altered symptoms then another, one more homoeopathically related medicine must be chosen in place of the last and administered in the same repeated doses (..) (Organon § 248).

As to the further treatment of the patient, the dose is to be continued until the patient begins to feel, in a mild degree, the return of one or several old original symptoms. This would indicate, indeed, that the vital principle no longer needs to be affected by the similar medicinal disease in order to lose the sensation of the natural disease. Also, it shows that the life principle - now free from the natural disease - begins to suffer only something of the medicinal disease hitherto known as homoeopathic aggravation (see Organon § 280). To be sure of this, the homeopath is advised to leave the patient without any medicine for several days. If it is true - as it is in most of the cases - that these problems are resulting from the appliance of the medicine (i.e. artificial desease), then they should disappear in a brief time span. The patient will definitely be cured if symptoms of the original desease will not re-appear again - provided he or she sticks to a balanced diet and to a generally healthy regiment of both body and mind (see for this Organon § 281)

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