From JREF
05-04-2001.htm

Reader Nick Gessler had this inquiry:

   I was waiting at the pharmacy in Rite Aid (Los Angeles) to pick up a prescription, and was
shocked to find I was shoulder-to-shoulder with an aisle-end 6-foot high display of Boiron
Homeopathic Medicines. I decided to read the labels but could find no explanation of their
measurement of what they call their "active ingredients." Their "C" values were clear but not
explained. Could someone please explain again what the "C" values mean in terms of dilutions? Lots
of stuff at 6C and 30C. I asked the pharmacist (where did she get her working papers?) and she said
(quite sincerely I believe) that she didn't know anything about these measurements. I was amused
looking at their cough syrup's "Active ingredients" list and then comparing it to their "Inactive
ingredients" where I found "honey" listed. Seems to me they've got these categories reversed. Honey
therapy....

   They say on their labels that their products conform to the "Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the
United States." Who publishes that tome? They give a toll-free number of 1-800-264-7661. Their
French website is http://www.boiron.fr/

   Can someone give me a crash course on their measurement of dilutions so I can relate this to the
store manager? I know this was discussed before, but the calculation is still unclear to me...

I responded, and I'll share that with you all:

Nick: You will note asterisks (*) used in some of the following numbers. Their meaning will be made
clear.

The traditional method of making homeopathic dilutions is successively diluting the "active
ingredient" 1 to 10, and repeating. A one-in-ten dilution would be referred to as, "1X" but it is
NEVER used. Diluting one part of the 1X solution in 10 parts of water, would give
one-in-one-hundred, or a "2X" dilution. Thus, for example, a "6X" dilution has one part in 1,000,000
parts of water.

However, the more popular, "modern," method of diluting is to put one part into 100 parts of water
to get a "1C" solution, then proceeding as above. Diluting the 1C solution again, gives a "2C"
dilution, or one part in 10,000 parts of water. And, of course, a "3C" dilution is one in 1,000,000
parts of water. And so on.

Thus, your "6C" and "30C" dilutions that you inquired about, are respectively, one part in
1,000,000,000,000 parts of water, and one part in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,0*00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 parts of water.

Ah, but wait. We uninformed laymen might think that a 6C dilution is equal to a 12X dilution. Not
so, because they were made differently! The same amount of "active ingredient" is there (or not
there) but the therapeutic claims are not the same!

Because of this, most homeopathic preparations are made today in 10X,and 30X, and 100X "potencies"
for each ingredient! That means that part of the preparation has a concentration of one part of
"active ingredient" in 10,000,000,000, another part has a concentration of one part in
1,000,000,0*00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, and a third part has a concentration of one part in
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0*00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 parts of water!

Incredible, but true.

Of course, after 23 such dilutions (that position marked by an asterisk) there is only possibly one
atom/molecule of the "ingredient" present.... That's why arsenic, lead, and mercury are often used
as "active ingredients" in homeopathic preparations. They're simply not present!

--

W_B
Take out the G'RBAGE
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