​Different Types of Repertories

Book repertory can be classified into two ways which are as follows:

A.  on the basis of maintenance of purity of symptoms or not

(a)  Puritan group
(b)  Logico utilitarian group

(a)  Puritan Group :

In detail; The puritan group insists on maintaining the purity of symptoms precisely as described and recorded in the words of the provers or clinicians (for the authentic clinical symptoms). Additionally, There are ​Different Types of Repertories in puritan group.
For Example :
(i) Analytical Repertory of the symptoms of the Mind
(ii) “Repertory of Hering’s Guiding symptoms of the Materia Medica C.  B.  Knerr
(iii)  The Concordance Repertory of Materia Medica”  W.  D.  Gentry
(iv)  Sensation as if H.  A.  Roberts
(v)  Sensation as if Woodward

(b)  Logico-Utilitarian group:

This group does not care so much for the actual words,  but gives sole value to the essence and real meaning of the symptoms.  Generally, Here the symptoms are arranged logically with some philosophical background for utilizing them in finding out the similar medicine. There are ​Different Types of Repertories in logico-utilitarian group.

For Example;
(i) “Therapeutic Pocket Book”  Boenninghausen
(ii)  Boenninghausen’s Characteristics and Repertory”  C.  M.  Boger
(iii)  Repertory W.  Boericke
(iv) “Concise Repertory”  Dr.  S.  R.  Phatak
(v) “Clinical Repertory”  John Henry Clarke
Again under each of these two main groups there are a number of varieties on the basis of the nature of the selected rubrics also their arrangement.

B.  On the basis of the nature of the selected rubrics and their arrangement.

They are as follows i.e.:
(a)  Firstly, General Repertory
(b)  Secondly, Particular Repertory

(a)  General Repertory :

General repertory refers to that repertory which contains all the symptoms of human being beginning from head to foot.  It is more useful than the regional repertory.
General repertory may be of two types
(i)  Firstly, symptomatic general repertory
(ii)  Secondly, clinical general repertory

(i) Symptomatic general repertory:

This type of repertory contains all the symptoms of human being arranged symptomatically beginning from head to foot.
For Example;
(a)  Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book
(b)  Kent’s Repertory
(c)  Boger’s Boenninghausen’s characteristics and Repertory etc.

(ii)  Clinical general repertory:

Clinical general repertories refer to those repertories in which the various either regional or special (Clinical) repertories (Instead of being confined to a particular region or specific disease),  have all been collated into a general form.  Thus they consists of different clinical conditions involving various regions from head to foot. There are ​Different Types of Repertories in Clinical general repertory.
For Example;
(a)  Dr.  J.  H.  Clarke’s Clinical Repertory
(b)  The repertorial portion of D.  Raue’s Special Pathology
(c)  The repertory portion of Dr.  W.  Boericke’s Pocket Mannual
(d)  Dr.  Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book is more a clinical repertory than a symptomatic one.

General repertory may be a Puritan group and logico-  utilitarian group.
Example

General repertory of puritan type i.e.

(a)  Repertory of Hering’s Guiding symptoms of the Materia Medica By.  C.  B.  Kneer
(b)  The Concordance Repertory of Materia Medica  By W. D.Gentry

General repertory of logico-utilitarian type i.e.

(a)  “Therapeutic Pocket Book”  By Boenninghausen
(b) “Boenninghausen’s characteristics and Repertory”  By Boger
(c) “Synoptic Key” By Boger
(d)  Repertory to Homoeopathic Materia Medica By Kent
(e)  Repertory by Lippe,  Boericke and many others

(b) Particular repertory:

This refers to that repertory which deals with a particular symptom or region or to some specific disease entities.  Depending upon the rubrics it contains,  it may be of the following two types
(a)  Firstly, Regional repertory
(b)  Secondly, Clinical(Special)  repertory

(a)  Regional repertory:

This refers to various organs,  systems (such as genital organs,  respiratory organs,  digestive system,  nervous system and so on)  and regions.
Examples

1,  ORGAN i.e.

(a)  Repertory of Head Niedhard
(b)  Repertory of Eyes Berridge
(c)  Repertory of Tongue Douglass
(d)  Repertory of Throat W.  J.  Guernsey
(e)  Repertory of Respiratory organs Lutze
(f)Repertory of urinary organs A.  R.  Morgan
(g)  Repertory of Uterine Therapeutics Minton
(h)  Repertory of Foot sweat O.M.  Drake

2.  SYSTEM  i.e.

(a)  Repertory of Respiratory system Van Den Bug
(b)  Repertory of Digestive system Arkell Mc Michell

3,  REGION i.e.

(a)  Regional Leaders Nash
(b)  Repertory of Back Wilsey

Advantages of Regional Repertory i.e.

(a)  For ready reference while in doubts and confusions.
(b)  In acute cases it helps best as the patient usually does not say all his symptoms during suffering except particular symptoms.
(c)  It helps much to the specialists than the general physicians
(ii)  Clinical(Special Repertory:  This type of repertory deals with various types of disease entities.  As a matter of fact most of the books of Homoeopathic Therapeutics are appended with Repertory on the respective disease towards the end of the treatise.

For Example

(a)  Repertory of Haemorroids Guernsey
(b)  Repertory of Neuralgia Lutze
(c)  Repertory of Intermittent Fever w.  A.  Allen
(d)  Repertory of Fevers H.  C.  Allen
(e)  Repertory of Rheumatism Parkins
(f)  Repertory of Rheumatism Pulford
(g)  Repertory of Eczema C.  F Mills Paugh
(i)  Repertory of Headache Knerr
(j)  Repertory of Headache Neatby Stonham
(k)  Repertory of Labour Yingling
(l)  Repertory of Spasm and Convulsions Holcomb
(m)  Repertory of Diarrhoea Bell
(n)  Cough and Expectoration Lee and Clarke
(o)  Repertory of Mastitis W.  J.  Guernsey
(p)  Repertory of Respiratory Diseases W.  J.  Guernsey
The principle of arrangement of these either Regional or Special repertories fall under the puritan/or utilitarian group referred to above,  but mostly the latter.
Each of the above repertory has its own advantages also suitability in use.  A clever prescriber will make the best use of every repertory suitable to the cases at hand.

CARD REPERTORY

All these repertories mentioned so far are presented In the form of book.  But in order to expedite as well as to simplify the labor of selection of similimum by quick collation and arrangement of the rubrics of the case in hand,  various devices of presentation have been developed.  Card repertory is one of such device of presentation.
The card repertory consists of many cards.  Each card represents one rubric e.g. “Pain,  du All the medicines included in the repertory are printed on each card but only the medicines which have this symptom of Paln,  dull”  are punched.  The name of each medicine is printed in such a manner that they will overlap each other,  when the cards are put together in an uniform manner.  Hence,  a medicine which is common to all the rubrics in a case will be found through and such a medicine will be considered as similimum,  if there is no other common remedy to challenge it There are several repertories of the punched card type.
e.g.
(a)  Boger’s Card Index (it closely follow his Synoptic Key)
(b)  Field’s Card Repertory.
(c)  Dr.  P.  Sankaran’s Card Repertory
(d)  Kishore’s Card Repertory etc.

The Repertory has two purposes:

(i)   Primary index to the Materia Medica Primarily repertory functions as a simple also straight forward Index to Materia Medica
(ii)  Secondary Elimination of non-indicated medicines Secondarily it helps in the elimination of the non-  indicated medicines which is very important to the homoeopathic practitioner
These two functions are closely related and are the two different stages of the evolutionary development of the homoeopathic repertory.
Dr.  H.  A.  Roberts says: ‘A repertory has two definite purposes i.e.:
(i)  Firstly, To serve as a reference and guide in looking up a particular symptom that may indicate the similimum,  or that may make the necessary distinction between two or more similar remedies in any given case.
(ii) Secondly, For careful study of the symptoms that may appear in a chronic case.
A repertory is like a consulting physician and its development is always based on some philosophy. Moreover, There are different types of repertories,  each of which has its suitability.
Thus in the selection of the remedy the repertory has a very useful and important role to play.

Tenner quotes J.  H.  Clarke as saying It is impossible to practice homoeopathy as it should be practised without the help of Repertories.”
Ewart writes, “If Repertorisation were more widely practised it may be that Homoeopathy would forge (to more steadily)  ahead also occupy a more exalted place in therapeutics than its present humble one.”

Advantages of ​Different Types of Repertories:

Repertory functions in two ways:
(a)  Primary Index to the Materia Medica Repertory is a straightforward index to the Materia Medica and helps in picking up the medicines of different grades against a particular symptom.
(b)  Secondary Elimination of the non-indicated medicines Secondarily it helps to exclude the non-  indicated medicines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Different Types of Repertories?

It is possible to obtain the needed correspondence between medicines also disease conditions in a varieties of ways, and there are  Different Types of Repertories, each with its own distinctive advantages in finding the similimum.

What are the main types of Repertory?

• Book
• Card
• Mechanical aided

Give 2 purposes of Repertory?

• Primary Index to the Materia Medica
• Secondary Elimination of non-indicated medicines

What are the advantages of Repertory?

• Helps in picking up the medicines of different grades against a particular symptom
• It helps to exclude the non-  indicated medicines