A comparative analysis of the natural history of selected remedies from the Anacardiaceae plant family with their respective homoeopathic symptomatology
Authors:   , Mbatha Magic Msawenkosi 
Published: February 2022

The ever expanding homoeopathic Materia Medica poses multiple difficulties for the physician whose aim is to prescribe a single and specific remedy. The homoeopathic discipline has also been under immense pressure in the past few decades from scientific practitioners to display “scientific plausibility”. Comparative analytical studies are an approach that can create a platform that can be utilized to address these challenges. Comparative analytical studies collect and compare existing data from various sources with the aim of formulating an improved opinion regarding a subject. Aim of the Study The aim of this study was to develop the learning, understanding, and teaching of the Anacardiaceae plant family of remedies by exploring and comparing the family’s natural history, respective homoeopathic symptomatology, and identifying concepts and ideas to facilitate the development of the “scientific plausibility” of homoeopathic medicine. The study focused on both similarities and differences that exist between the family’s natural history and homoeopathic symptomatology, ultimately extracting common features of both aspects and developing a new and better understanding of the Anacardiaceae plant family of remedies. Methodology The researcher established the Anacardiaceae plant family, by definition, and determined its various members. Using Macrepertory (2017), the list of members was then refined to include only those members utilized homoeopathically. This list included 19 remedies. The list of 19 remedies was further refined to include only those remedies that have been clinically verified. Remedies, featuring in less than 2000 rubrics, were considered to be less significant for the purpose of this study, and thus excluded. A total of five (5) remedies featured in more than 2000 rubrics. Various literature sources were consulted to retrieve information on the natural history of these five (5) remedies required for the purpose of this study. These remedies met the datasufficiency standard determined by the researcher, and thus formed the subset group for this study. Using Macrepertory (2017), a computer repertory extraction was performed for the individual members of the subset group. The parameters were set to include only the general and mental symptoms as the study focused only on those symptoms. Various literature sources were consulted to acquire information on the natural history of the different members of the subset group. Keywords and concepts from the natural history of the individual members of the subset group were then identified and extracted. These were then tabulated for ease of reference. The components for the criteria of comparison for the natural history included physical properties, habitat and distribution, historical significance, associated mythology, uses, active principal, physiological action, and toxicology. The Oxford Paperback Thesaurus (2012) and Thesaurus.com (2019) were consulted to identify keywords and synonyms related to the homoeopathic general and mental symptoms of the various members of the subset group. This information was also tabulatedto facilitate the grouping of similar themes. The commonalities pertaining to the natural history of individual remedies and their respective homoeopathic general and mental symptoms were tabulated and discussed. On conclusion of individual remedy analysis and correlation, a collective analysis of the entire subset group was conducted. Results The themes found to be common in all the members of the subset group, when collating and contrasting the Anacardiaceae plant family’s natural history and homoeopathic general and mental symptoms, were pain, inflammation, swelling, redness, coldness, burning, irritable, eruptions, and weakness. These themes were further compared to those obtained by Sankaran (2002), Scholten (2013), and Yakir (2017) in their respective studies. Conclusion The results obtained from this study indicate that the aims and objectives, as set out by the researcher, were achieved. The researcher also believes that the outcome of this study is an accurate reflection of the relationship between the natural history and homoeopathic general and mental symptoms of the Anacardiaceae plant family of remedies employed homoeopathically.