Self-assembled Patterns Formed in Evaporating Droplets to Analyze the Simple Homeopathic Bi-component Complex Luffa 4x–Mercurius Bijodatus 9x

Background: Homeopathic complex remedies are frequently used in the treatment of various common disorders. At the same time, there is only little basic research conducted in this field. The aim of the study was to analyze by means of patterns from evaporated droplets a specific complex (Luffa 4x–Mercurius bijodatus 9x; LMb) and to test what influence the complex’s compounds have upon the patterns and if there are any interactions between the single compounds.

Methods: In a series of 5 experiments conducted by means of the droplet evaporation method (consisting in evaporation induced self-assembly of structures in droplets) the complex LMb was compared with three control samples, in which one or both complex’s compounds were replaced by potentized solute. The patterns were photographed and evaluated for their gray-level distribution and texture using the software ImageJ. The stability of the experimental set-up was tested by means of systematic control experiments.

Results: We found that the patterns of the complex LMb were significantly more homogeneous than those of the combination “control–Luffa 4x,” indicating that the addition of Mercurius bijodatus 9x to the complex increased its homogeneity. At the same time, the patterns of the combination “Mercurius bijodatus 9x–control” were characterized by lower homogeneity than those of the combination of the two controls, indicating that in this combination Mercurius bijodatus 9x acted oppositely and reduced the homogeneity.

Conclusion: In this phenomenological assay the complex LMb does not correspond to a simple addition of the two components Luffa 4x and Mercurius bijodatus 9x. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the exact nature of the underlying interaction.

Keywords: Homeopathic complex remedies, patterns, evaporated droplets, texture, homeopathy

Publication History

Article published online:
30 January 2024