Berridge’s Repertory of Eye

Introduction : Complete Repertory to the Homoeopathic Materia Medica on diseases of the eye (commonly known as Berridge's Repertory of Eye) is authored by Dr. E. W. Berridge in April 1873. The main source for the book was C.Hering's Materia Medica and addition from later provings but Berridge also added many valuable symptoms from cases of poisoning, reported in the allopathic journals

Dr. C. Hering commented about the book as

"it is the only complete one we have , it is the clearest and best arranged and it will enable us to do twice as much as formerly in diseases of the eyes"

Plan and Construction :

The Repertory is constructed in such a form that Each chapter of is divided into two sections:

Section-I: the symptoms themselves.

It is further divided into 5 subsections

IA – functional symptoms

IB – Anatomical regions

IC – General character, sequence & directions

ID – Right side

IE – Left side.

Section –II : their conditions (including concomitants)

It is further divided into 2 subsections.

II A – aggravations

II B – Ameliorations

The conditions including the concomitant are arranged in 23 groups as follows:

1] Time,

2] Situation and external influences,

3] Posture,

4] Touch,

5] Motion

6] Head (including mental symptoms),

7] Eyes.

8] Ears,

9] Nose,

10] Face and front of neck,

11] Teeth,

12] Mouth and throat,

13] Abdomen (including stomach, anus and all functional symptoms there of,

14] Urinary organs,

15] Sexual organs

16] Chest and larynx,

17] Back and nape of neck,

18] Arms,

19] Legs,

20] Sleep,

21] Fever (chills, heat, sweat),

22] Generalities (including skin, Bones, convulsions, other drugs etc.)

All the symptoms in these subsections are arranged alphabetically, excepting the peculiar symptoms, which not falling under any general heading are placed last. All symptoms of a nearly identical meaning are placed under the same rubric, according to the table of synonyms. The arrangement of the symptoms in section –II is in every respect exactly the same as that of section I.

In the subsection I C direction, the symptoms are given in the chapter belonging to the organ in which they commence, thus "shooting from eyeball to head" is given in the subsection I C of the chapter on "eyes", but not in that on "Head".

Sometimes in a complex group of symptoms one symptoms follows another; in this case if they are both in the same organ they are given in section I. Subsection C; if in different organs, in section II. Thus " Blindness followed by heat in eyes" would be given in IC. Under the rubric " symptoms changing character", but "Blindness followed by heat in head" would be given in II under rubric " Before head symptoms", and also in the head chapter under "after eye symptoms".

Collectives of medicines agreeing with regard to anatomical regions, the chief divisions of the functional symptoms, general character, sequence, direction, and sides, are given under their respective rubrics, and in these collectives doubtful symptoms only are bracketed. In these collectives also, the principle one contains the less; thus under the general rubric "Eye to face" are given all the medicines which have any variety of the above e.g., "Eye to lower jaw", to make the collective complete; but, "shooting from eyeball to lower jaw" is given under the latter rubric only, and not under both.

In the rubrics "right then left", "above then below", and the reverse, clinical symptoms are marked with an asterisk, to facilitate the application of Hering's low of inverse directions.

In the last the General chapter, the arrangement is similar to that of the preceding ones. First is the arrangement according to specific character, the medicines to which belong any variety of symptom ( e.g. shooting) in any part of the body being arranged under their respective rubrics, next comes the arrangements according to tissues (e.g., glands, skin, bones, entire body etc.) which correspond to the Anatomical regions of the preceding chapter; followed by general character sequence and direction, right side and left side, just as before. In the conditions of this chapter the same rule is observed; thus under aggravation " by warmth" we have (1) a collective of all the medicines having aggravation of any symptoms by warmth; 2] those having aggravation of any particular variety of symptoms (e.g., shooting) in any tissue (e.g., Bones ) and 4] those having aggravatio of any variety of symptoms in each of these tissues. In this chapter doubtful symptoms are bracketed.

ABBREVIATION : ciphering is used. The ciphers of the elements and simple haloid salts are the same as their chemical symbols; the – ate salts are ciphered by adding – I, to the cipher of the element or compound radicle from which they are formed. Thus

Na. Sodium, Na-s. sulphide of sodium, Na–as sulphate of sodium, Na-si sulphite of sodium; s sulphur; s.x sulphuric acid; s.ix sulphurous acid; s.hx sulphydric acid.

GRADATION OF DRUGS :

First rank – Italic capitals ARSENIC

Second rank – plain capitals ARSENIC

Third rank – italics Arsenic

Fourth rank – Roman letters Arsenic

Doubtful drugs – Roman in brackets (Arsenic)