The Repertory, faithful friend and servant of the physician, should stand upon his working-desk ever ready for consultation. The cases are few and far between that do not require the help of repertory. The more the physician uses it the more he increases his usefulness, provided he uses it correctly. Repertorisation consists in finding as many symptoms of the case as possible in the repertory.

The very existence of homoeopathy depends upon the thorough training of the followers in knowledge of the philosophy together with an intelligent use of the repertory. Successful study and use of the repertory is impossible apart from a study and knowledge of the philosophy of homoeopathy.

Naturally, almost the first inquiry of the beginner, in taking up the study is: How to approach the case and repertorise efficaciously?

Case Taking: We must never allow our knowledge of repertory -work to lead us to neglect practice of case-taking. Many fail here, at the starting point, and are surprised and disappointed with homoeopathy when the prescription fails not withstanding repertory-study was employed.

One difficulty in this must be recognized. It is true that, in this day of drugging and 'scientific medicine '(which is the same as prescribing proprietary medicine ), we meet many obscure cases presenting only a few common symptoms, and repertory study can guide us only to a group of remedies, in which the similimum  must be found after further questioning the patient, and by closer study of individual remedies in the materia medica. Some times in these obscure cases, we find the needed remedy by going back to the patient's beginning's, proceeding from child hood to, and through, adult life, noting the signs and symptoms that appeared long before ultimates or pathology came to clog the free expression of deranged vital force, and before vicious drugging was employed to mask the case by implanting vile drug images on the organism.

Having taken the case in accordance with the directions of Hahnemann, we have to prepare to analyze it for repertory study, and just here a knowledge of the philosophy is of value to indicate the relative value of symptoms, for selecting the proper rubrics with which to start the study.

Symptoms To Be Used : 

(A)The mind symptoms are of highest value as guide in selecting the indicated remedy. The mind symptoms, from the degrees of value, may be divided into three groups

- The first group comprises those of the will, manifesting perversions of the loves (affections), together with the various fears.

these are most interior, and are often concealed from the physicians as also from the world in general, but when obtained, are of the highest possible value in selection of the proper medicine.

- The second group in point of value are perversions of the understanding or intellect, manifesting illusions, delusions, hallucinations, delirium etc,

- The third group embraces perversions of the memory, which are of lowest value among the mental symptoms.

(B) next in order are the physical generals which manifest the physical loves and the sensations of the body as a whole. The highest in rank among these are perversions in the sexual sphere. Taking the normal as our guide, any excess, decrease, or perversion constitute a symptom. We need to study the normal, which is health, that we may recognize what is abnormal or disease.

The sexual symptoms are found in the repertory under "genitalia "

Next are symptoms pertaining to the appetite, food, desires and aversions, found under stomach, because appetites are manifested through the stomach.

(C) then follow the responses to things affecting the entire physical body, weather and climatic influences, and extremes of temperatures found in " generalities "

foods that aggravate are also listed in this section because the entire patient is affected by them.

(D) Any symptom which the personal ' I ' is used to describe is a general symptom

Hemorrhages and discharges from the body are in their nature, general, because the organism as a whole is concerned in their elaboration.

(E) after considering the generals in the order named, we take the symptoms pertaining to the various parts of the body : head, extremities, chest, etc., found in the special part sections of the Repertory. these are known as particulars and are of lower value than the physical generals.

Extending through all these symptoms, from the inner most to the outer most, from mind to skin, from generals to particulars, we must distinguish 2 grand divisions. (a) the strange, rare, peculiar and there fore uncommon.

                  (b) those that are common, symptoms that are : common to provings of many remedies : commonly found in certain diseases : and those common to nearly all illnesses are of very low value. Be they general or particular, mental or physical, they must be considered last in every case of repertory -study as in fact, in every case of sickness when the correct prescription is desired.

It is best to start the repertory -study of a case with a general group of remedies and proceed to the more particular. for example : a symptom of pain referred to the fingers may not be found at all under the heading fingers, but the same pain or sensation will probably be found under hand. the method of procedure to be followed through out the entire work is to take the broad general group first, then work through the more particular.

As general groups belonging to the class of common symptoms are of less value, of course, if one of these be selected, considerably more work is necessary to attain the desired end : viz ; the remedies or remedy extending all through the case.

The following typical case is sufficiently full of repertory study, to illustrate working to a single remedy.

Mrs X, aged forty eight years : Head ache constant : <lying -Occipital pain, sense of pressure, dizziness, and dimness of vision, dyspnoea when ascending stairs ;, when leaning back, sighs much, recently, sleep good, at night, but tired in morning, wants to sleep all the time. < after eating, hungry, but easily satisfied, no thirst, flatus considerable, very restless, sadness from music, memory poor, speech stuttering recently, concentration difficult, imagines she sees things running across the floor : mice etc., thinks of nothing but death, home sick whenever visiting, irritable and cross, sensitive to noise, desires company, better in open air, must have it, very sensitive to tight collars, urination frequent ; copious

< when on her feet, menses irregular, delayed at times two or three months, flow copious 3 or 4 days, discharge very dark, strong odor, excoriating, during later part of period ----LYCOPODIUM..10 M

 Mentals :
Imaginations; acon., ambr.,ars.,aur.,bapt.,bell., Canni-I.,cann-s.,crot-h.,carb-v., apis., cocc.,coff.,glon., hep., hell.,Hyos., ign.,lach.,lyc.,merc.,nat mur.,op.,Petr.,phos.,phos-ac., pal.,psor., puls.,rhus-t.,Sab.,sec.,sil.,staph.,Stram.

Staph.,Stram.,Sulph.,tarent.,thuj.,zinc;,

Desires company : Apis.,ars.,Lyc.,phos.,stam.,

Sensitive to noise : Ars.,lyc.,zinc.,

Sadness from music :Lyc.,

Physical generals : Open air amel: Ars.,Lyc.,phos.,puls.,Rhus-t.,sulph.,zinc

Restless : Ars.,lyc.,Puls.,Rhus-t.,Sulph

Menses acrid : Ars.,rhus-t sulph.,

--intermittent : Lyc.,sulph.,

--irregular : Lyc.,sulph.,

--Offensive : sulph.,

--dark : Ars.,lyc.,sulph.,

Tight clothing agg :LYC.,sulph.,

ANALYSIS :

The most important general here is the derangement of the rational sphere, where the imagination holds temporary sway, but not to the extent of insanity, for the patient is yet aware that it is only an illusion that affects her ;

Imagines that she sees mice and insects running across the floor, etc.

We begin with imaginations (in general) because it is the broadest rubric on the subject, and it can not be omitted from the remedy ; the required remedy must be in this group.

If we start with delusions of animals, or mice, or of insects, etc. we might omit the remedy needed by the patient, since many special symptoms have not been observed and recorded in details, even in the thoroughly proved remedies.

Think of synonyms ; select the rubric containing the largest list of remedies, or broadest in scope.

Another thought arises that is available when starting study of a case : we can save much work by bearing in mind that the remedy which is to be prescribed must correspond to the sickness, not only in symptomatology, but also in nature 

For a chronic case it is folly to include the remedies that relate to acute conditions and are superficial, and of short duration, in action, although they extend through the symptoms of the case.

They may palliate for a while, but they can not cure and will only spoil the case by changing the image

From the record just cited, one might conclude that only a case completely recorded or one containing striking and uncommon symptoms is suitable for repertory study. In fact reverse of this is true., cases specially of chronic type, that have had much drugging and present few but common symptoms often will yield an astonishing result, through careful repertory study when other methods have failed to bring satisfaction.

A brief case will illustrate :

Mrs Xy, aged forty one : constipation for the past year, Must take drugs, and then ; has diarrhoea, lost 6 or 9 kgs in the past month, head ache frequently, with nausea and vomiting < by rest ;head > after vomiting.vertigo with head pain. Stomach : aversion to mild and eggs, to all foods, vomits every thing eaten and drunk almost immediately after taking into stomach, even water Mind : irritable < from noise, loathing of every thing in life : Apathetic, much unhappiness and trouble, menses every 2 weeks, with out pain, discharge copious, black

The remedy can be worked out chiefly by use of stomach symptoms :

Sensitive to noise : Acon.,ars.,barc.,Bell.,bor.,calc.,caust.,China.,cocc.,Coff.,con.,ferr.,lyc.,merc.,nat-c.,Nat-m.,nit-ac.,Nux-v.,sep.,Sil.,Zinc.

Irritability is so common we refer immediately to stomach symptoms.

Aversion to milk : calc-c., nat-c.,nux-v.,sep.,sil.,  ---to eggs : ferr

Vomiting after drinking : Ars.,calc.,lyc.,nat-m.,nux-v.,sil.,

----After eating : Ars.,calc.,nat-m.,nux-v.,sil-c.,

----Menses frequent : Ars.,Calc.,Nat-m.,nit-ac.,Nux-v.,sil.,

----Dark : ars.,calc.,nit-ac.,Nux-V.,

----copious : Ars.,Calc.,nit-ac.,Nux-V.,

----Diarrhoea after cathartics : nit-ac., Nux-V.,

Here we worked readily to Nux-v.,and the results were really amazing,in a very short time. The improvement has been constant to the present date, including increase in weight and in strength

The mental symptoms, indolence and irritability, have disappeared. the remedy was prescribed but twice, six weeks apart, in 10 M potency Grades of remedies : For beginners direct attention to the three types used for names of remedies through out the repertory

1^st The heavy type records the remedies that brought out the symptoms in many provers and have been verified by a number of cures.

2^nd the italics are a grade lower. these have been noted in fewer provers, yet, having been verified by cures, are reliable.

3^rd The remedies in common type have been observed to cause the symptoms in only few provers, or these were observed clinically, they are some what doubt full or at least, of lower grades in ascertained value

SUMMARY :

A few hints in summarizing this all important will guide old and young.

1)     study and practice the art of "taking the case"

2)     do not hope to obtain the fullest use of the repertory with out a study and a good understanding of the philosophy of homoeopathy.

3)     regard the relative value of symptoms when starting the repertory study of a case.

4)     in cases expressed largely in common symptoms do not expect the repertory to guide you to the single remedy, work to the smallest group you can reach, and then consult the materia medica for the similimum.

5)     when you fail to find a symptom in the language of the patient, do not despair but try some synonym. we are working continually in similars !

 VALUATION :

Those who love the law and aspire to be of higher use in the art of healing, who have been trained to work with the repertory in the office and at the bed side, ever resort to it in a spirit of gratitude and reverence. they have known its power for good, in many a hard struggle against suffering and disease.

Hence we must respect, honor, and love the author, the instrument of eternal truth, who gave many laborious years of service to perpetuate the practice of homoeopathy, and to make the paths easier for us to read. while we may, let us acknowledge to him the debt we can pay by following the light that has been his guide.

No words can express the magnitude of his accomplished work, but the knowledge that this work, given to the world, has attained unlimited use will effort more joy than any expressions of praise could bring.

Kent's repertory will stand, a lasting monument to perpetuate his name, linked indissolubly with the law of similars.