When you look at the label on a homeopathic remedy, you’ll see numbers and letters following the Latin name, such as Nux vomica 6C. What do those mean? Homeopathic medicines are made by a process of successive dilutions that reportedly transform the original substance into a therapeutically active remedy. With each dilution, the original substance is diluted with an alcohol solution and vigorously shaken, or succussed. A 6X potency, for instance, has been diluted in a 1:10 ratio six times (“X” stands for the Roman numeral for 10). “C” stands for the Roman numeral for 100 and means the solution has been diluted in a 1:100 ratio, and so on. Lower potency (6X–30C) doses are best for home use, especially with acute, short-lived symptoms. Higher potency doses (200C and higher) are generally prescribed by homeopaths. They are believed to work at a deeper level and be more appropriate for general conditions such as allergies, stress, and sleeplessness.
