2. WHAT DICTIONARY SAYS:-
1. STATE OR CHARACTER OF BEING SUSCEPTIBLE: SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISEASE.
2. CAPACITY FOR RECEIVING MENTAL OR MORAL IMPRESSIONS; TENDENCY TO
BE EMOTIONALLY AFFECTED.
3. SUSCEPTIBILITIES, CAPACITIES FOR EMOTION; FEELINGS: HIS SUSCEPTIBILITIES
ARE EASILY WOUNDED.

3. WHAT STALWARTS SAID:
• SUSCEPTIBILITY IS THE GENERAL QUALITY OR CAPABILITY OF THE LIVING ORGANISM TO RECEIVE
IMPRESSIONS AND THE POWER TO REACT TO STIMULI - BY S. CLOSE
• SUSCEPTIBILITY HAS ALSO BEEN DEFINED AS AN EXPRESSION OF VACUUM IN THE INDIVIDUAL,
WHICH VACUUM ATTRACTS AND PULLS FOR THE THINGS MOST NEEDED THAT ARE IN THE SAME
PLANE OF VIBRATION AS THE WANT OF THE BODY. PRIMARILY SUSCEPTIBILITY IS THE REACTION OF
THE BODY TO EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL INFLUENCES - BY H.A. ROBERTS.
• THE APHORISM § 30,31,32,33 BEAR A LIKELY EXPLANATION FOR THE CONCEPT OF SUSCEPTIBILITY
WITH REGARD TO ARTIFICIAL MORBIFIC AGENTS. SUSCEPTIBILITY IS ONLY A NAME FOR A STATE
THAT UNDERLIES ALL POSSIBLE SICKNESS, AND ALL POSSIBLE CURE. THERE IS THE INDIVIDUAL
BEHIND IT ALL – BY J.T KENT

4. SUSCEPTIBILITY PLAYS VITAL ROLE IN MAINTENANCE OF VARIOUS BODILY
FUNCTIONS, AS WELL AS ALTERATION OF STATED TO DISEASED. FOLLOWING ARE
SOME OF THE FACTORS WHICH ARE ROOT TO SUSCEPTIBILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL :
1. PHYSICAL CONSTITUTION
2. DIATHESIS
3. MENTAL MAKE UP
4. BIOCHEMICAL REACTIONS OF BODY
5. EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT
6. PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTLOOK

5. TYPES OF SUSCEPTIBILITY
IN HOMEOPATHY, SUSCEPTIBILITY IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS ON CAUSATION OF DISEASES
AND REMEDY REACTION.
EVEN THOUGH THE TERM SUSCEPTIBILITY IS NOT DIRECTLY REFERRED IN ORGANON OF MEDICINE BY DR
HAHNEMANN, DR JAMES TYLER KENT IN HIS LECTURES ON HOMEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY, QUOTES
APHORISMS (§) 30,31,32,33 IN ORGANON TO EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF SUSCEPTIBILITY.
FURTHER, H.A. ROBERTS DEFINES SUSCEPTIBILITY AS THE EXPRESSION OF VACUUM IN THE INDIVIDUAL. THE
VACUUM ATTRACTS AND PULLS FOR THE THINGS MOST NEEDED THAT ARE IN THE SAME PLANE OF
VIBRATION AS THE WANT OF THE BODY. PRIMARILY SUSCEPTIBILITY IS THE REACTION OF THE BODY TO
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL INFLUENCES.
DR STUART M. CLOSE DEFINES SUSCEPTIBILITY AS THE GENERAL QUALITY OR CAPABILITY OF THE LIVING
ORGANISM TO RECEIVE IMPRESSIONS AND THE POWER TO REACT TO STIMULI.

6. NATURAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OR NORMAL SUSCEPTIBILITY
• THERE IS AN INNATE ABILITY OF THE ORGANISM TO REACT DEFENSIVELY TO A TOXIN, A CONTAGION OR
AN INFECTION AND TO REACT CONSTRUCTIVELY TO FOOD AND DRINKS. THIS IS CALLED IMMUNITY.
• HUMAN BODY IS PROTECTED FROM THE EXTERNAL INFLUENCES LIKE PATHOGENS OR CHANGES IN
ROUTINES DUE TO THIS IMMUNE RESPONSE. WHEN THE IMMUNITY IS REDUCED OR THE IMMUNE
MECHANISM IS DERANGED, THE PERSON BECOME SENSITIVE AND GET EASILY SICK.
• HOWEVER, THERE IS A NATURAL SUSCEPTIBILITY IN EVERY LIVING ORGANISM TO PROTECT IT FROM
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCES THAT WE USE ON ROUTINE LIFE.
• FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE PEEL ONION, IT IRRITATES EYE PRODUCING WATERING AND BURNING, RUNNING
NOSE AND SO ON. THIS IS A NATURAL RESPONSE OF THE BODY TO PROTECT THE BODY. LIKE THIS WHEN
ONE IS EXPOSED TO SMOKE OR DUST, SOME IRRITATION OR DISCOMFORT IS EXPERIENCED AND THE
MOMENT, WE COME OUT TO OPEN AIR, WE FEEL NORMAL. THIS IS NATURAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OR NORMAL
SUSCEPTIBILITY.

7. ARTIFICIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY
•KENT SPEAKS OF ARTIFICIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY IN HIS LECTURE OF
HOMOEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY.
•WHEN MEDICINES ARE GIVEN THEY ACT FOR A TIME SATISFYING THE
SUSCEPTIBILITY. THEY ALTER THE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND WHEN THAT DOSE
OF MEDICINE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO ACT ON ALTERED SUSCEPTIBILITY
ANOTHER DOSE OR POTENCY IS REQUIRED.
•THIS ALTERED SUSCEPTIBILITY THAT IS ARRIVED AT IS CALLED ARTIFICIAL
SUSCEPTIBILITY.

8. MORBID SUSCEPTIBILITY
SUSCEPTIBILITY MAY BECOME MORBID AND PERVERTED
UNDER CONDITIONS OF DISEASE, SUFFERING AND DEATH.
ACCORDING TO S.CLOSE MORBID SUSCEPTIBILITY COULD BE
REGARDED AS A STATE OF NEGATIVE OR MINUS
CONDITION-A STATE OF LOWERED RESISTANCE.

9. ABNORMAL OR ALTERED
SUSCEPTIBILITY
ABNORMAL SUSCEPTIBILITY EITHER DEMANDS
EXCESSIVE OR DEFECTIVE STIMULI OR REACTS TO
STIMULI IN AN EXAGGERATED OR A DIMINISHED
WAY.

10. SUSCEPTIBILITY AND HEALTH & DISEASE
THE NORMAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL IS EVIDENCED BY HIS(HER) CONSTITUTION, TEMPERAMENT, ETC.
IT IS THIS SUSCEPTIBILITY, WHEN MORBID RESULTS INTO DEVELOPMENT OF DISEASE IN AN INDIVIDUAL AND AT THE SAME
TIME ALSO DETERMINES HIS(HER) RESPONSE TO THE SIMILIMUM IN THE DISEASES STATE (SC).
SUSCEPTIBILITY IS MODIFIED BY AGE AND IS GREATEST IN CHILDREN.
IT IS ALSO MODIFIED BY CONSTITUTION & TEMPERAMENT, HABITS AND ENVIRONMENT.
THE POWER OF ASSIMILATION AND NUTRITION IS ONE OF THE PHASES OF SUSCEPTIBILITY. ONE EASILY ASSIMILATES ONE
KIND OF FOOD WHILE ANOTHER FINDS THE SAME FOOD INDIGESTIBLE.

11. •SUSCEPTIBILITY IS MODIFIED IN VARYING DEGREES BY THE CHARACTER AND STAGES OF THE DISEASE
AND BY PREVIOUS TREATMENT (SC).
•MANY MEDICINES OR PREPARATIONS ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE ORGANISM EITHER BY MOUTH OR
BY INJECTION (SERA, ANTISEPTICS) INTO THE BLOOD STREAM THAT HAVE NO BASIS OF SIMILARITY TO
THE SUSCEPTIBILITY, AND WHICH ARE THEREFORE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE RESTORATION OF NORMAL
SUSCEPTIBILITY (HR).
•THE DEGREE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY OF A PATIENT CAN BE SAFELY JUDGED BY THE CHARACTER AND
COMPLETENESS OF THE SYMPTOMS.

12. THE KIND AND DEGREE OF REACTION TO MEDICINES DEPENDS UPON THE DEGREE OF
SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE PATIENT.
IN TERMINAL CONDITIONS THE POWER OF THE ORGANISM TO REACT EVEN TO THE
INDICATED HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY MAY BECOME SO LOW, THAT ONLY MATERIAL DOSES
CAN AROUSE IT.
THE PHYSICIAN MUST JUDGE THE DEGREE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY FOR MAXIMUM RESPONSE
FROM INTERVENTION IN A SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME. THE POWER TO MODIFY
SUSCEPTIBILITY IS THE BASIS OF THE ART OF THE PHYSICIAN. CURE CONSISTS SIMPLY IN
SATISFYING THE MORBID SUSCEPTIBILITY.

13. SUSCEPTIBILITY & MIASMS
• THE PREDISPOSITION OF CERTAIN SOMATO-TYPES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN DISEASES
LED TO THE DOCTRINE OF SUSCEPTIBLE CONSTITUTIONS OR DIATHESIS.
• THE DIATHESIS REPRESENTS CERTAIN DEVIATIONS IN SUSCEPTIBILITY WHICH ARE NOT
SUFFICIENTLY MARKED TO MERIT THE LABEL DISEASE AND IN WHICH HE RESPONSES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI TEND TO BE EXAGGERATED OR ERRATIC (ML DHAWALE).
• AS PER THE HOMOEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY, THE MIASMATIC INFLUENCE (OR THE INHERITED
DYSCRASIAS) IS THE FUNDAMENTAL OR THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL DISEASES. THE PSORA IS A STATE
OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISEASE FROM WILLING EVILS (JK). A PERSON WITH PSORIC DIATHESIS IS
LIKELY TO DEVELOP DISEASES AT THE FUNCTIONAL PLANE TO WHICH HE/SHE IS SUSCEPTIBLE.

14. SPORADIC DISEASES ARE SUCH A KIND AS ATTACK SEVERAL
PERSONS AT THE SAME TIME, HERE AND THERE (SPORADICALLY),
BY MEANS OF METEORIC OR TELLURIC INFLUENCES AND
INJURIOUS AGENTS, THE SUSCEPTIBILITY FOR BEING MORBIDLY
AFFECTED BY WHICH IS POSSESSED BY ONLY A FEW PERSONS AT
ONE TIME (S HAHNEMANN).

15. SUSCEPTIBILITY &THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE
• SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF DISEASE DEPENDS NOT ONLY UPON CONSERVING AND UTILIZING THE
NATURAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE LIVING ORGANISM, BUT ON PROPERLY ADJUSTING BOTH REMEDY
AND DOSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANISM SO THAT SUSCEPTIBILITY SHALL BE SATISFIED, NORMAL
REACTION INDUCED AND EQUILIBRIUM OR HEALTH RESTORED (SC).
• SIMILAR THE REMEDY, THE MORE CLEARLY AND POSITIVELY THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PATIENT TAKE
ON THE PECULIAR AND CHARACTERISTIC FORM OF THE REMEDY, THE GREATER THE SUSCEPTIBILITY
TO THAT REMEDY AND THE HIGHER THE POTENCY REQUIRED (SC).
• FURTHER AS PER APHORISM § 281 (6TH ED) PERSONS WITH LESS SUSCEPTIBILITY WILL REQUIRE
FREQUENT REPETITION OF MEDICINE AND HIGHER DOSAGE, WHERE AS PERSONS WITH HIGH
SUSCEPTIBILITY WILL RESPOND FASTER AND THE DOSAGE IS REQUIRED TO BE RAISED LESS AND MORE
SLOWLY (SH).

16. FACTORS WHICH MODIFY
SUSCEPTIBILITY
• AGE: – SUSCEPTIBILITY IS GREATEST IN YOUNG PERSONS AND CHILDREN AND IT DIMINISHES
WITH AGE. CHILDREN ARE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE DURING THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD.
THE MOST SENSITIVE ORGANS ARE THOSE, WHICH ARE BEING DEVELOPED.
• CONSTITUTION AND TEMPERAMENT: –
• HIGH POTENCIES - NERVOUS, SANGUINE AND CHOLERIC TEMPERAMENT, INTELLIGENT, INTELLECTUAL,
ZEALOUS AND IMPULSIVE PERSONS WHO ARE QUICK TO ACT AND REACT.
• LOWER POTENCIES -TO TORPID, PHLEGMATIC INDIVIDUALS, COARSE FIBERED, SLUGGISH INDIVIDUALS
OF GROSS HABITS AND TO THOSE OF GREAT MUSCULAR POWER WHO REQUIRE POWERFUL STIMULI
TO EXCITE THEM.

17. • HABIT AND ENVIRONMENT: –
• SUSCEPTIBILITY IS INCREASED BY INTELLECTUAL OCCUPATION, BY EXCITEMENT OF IMAGINATION AND
EMOTIONS, BY SEDENTARY OCCUPATION BY LONG SLEEP AND EFFEMINATE LIFE. THEREFORE HIGH
POTENCIES ARE REQUIRED. A PERSON WHO IS ACCUSTOMED TO LONG AND SEVERE LABOR OUT OF
DOORS WHO SLEEP LITTLE AND WHOSE FOOD IS COARSE IS LESS SUSCEPTIBLE.
• PERSONS EXPOSE TO CONTINUOUS INFLUENCE OF DRUGS SUCH AS TOBACCO WORKER AND DEALERS,
DISTILLERS AND BREWERS AND ALL CONNECTED WITH LIQUORS AND TOBACCO TRADE, DRUGGIST,
PERFUMERS, CHEMICAL WORKERS ARE LESS SUSCEPTIBLE AND REQUIRE LOW POTENCIES. MENTALLY
LESS ALERT REQUIRE LOW POTENCIES. PERSONS WHO HAVE TAKEN MANY CRUDE DRUGS OF
ALLOPATHIC, HOMOEOPATHIC OR BARGAIN COUNTER PRESCRIPTION OFTEN REQUIRE HIGH POTENCIES
FOR THEIR CURE.
• PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS: – IN CERTAIN TERMINAL CONDITIONS THE POWER OF ORGANISM TO
REACT EVEN TO INDICATED HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY IS LOW THEREFORE MATERIAL DOSES ARE
REQUIRED. THIS MAY BE DUE TO EXISTENCE AND GROSS PATHOLOGICAL LESIONS, LONG EXISTENT
EXHAUSTING CHRONIC DISEASE OR MUCH PREVIOUS TREATMENT. IF THE GRADE OF DISEASE IS LOW,
POWER OF REACTION IS LOW; THE REMEDY MUST BE GIVEN LOW.

18. • SEAT CHARACTER AND INTENSITY OF THE DISEASE: IN CERTAIN RAPIDLY FATAL DISEASES
LIKE CHOLERA, SUSCEPTIBILITY IS LOW SO IT REQUIRES MATERIAL DOSES OR LOW
POTENCIES. DISEASES CHARACTERIZED BY DIMINISHED VITAL ACTION, TORPOR,
COLLAPSE REQUIRE LOWER POTENCIES AND INCREASED VITAL ACTION REQUIRES HIGH
POTENCIES.
• PREVIOUS ABUSE OF MEDICINE: – DUE TO THIS WE MAY FIND THAT THE PATIENT IS NOT
AT ALL SENSITIVE EVEN TO THE INDICATED REMEDY. THEN THE MEDICATION HAS TO BE
STOPED FOR FEW DAYS, REGULATE THE DIET AND REGIMEN. HAHNEMANN
RECOMMENDS THE ADMINISTRATION OF OPIUM IN ONE OF THE LOWEST POTENCIES
EVERY 8TH OR 12TH HOUR UNTIL SOME SIGNS OF REACTION ARE PERCEPTIBLE. BY THIS
MEANS, SUSCEPTIBILITY IS INCREASED AND NEW SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE ARE BROUGHT
TO LIGHT. CARBO VEG, SULPHUR AND THUJA ARE OTHER REMEDIES, WHICH SERVE TO
AROUSE THE ORGANISM TO REACTION SO THAT INDICATED REMEDIES WILL ACT.

19. HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH
• THE “HOMŒOPATHIC AGGRAVATION," IS ALSO THE REACTION OF THE ORGANISM OF LOWERED
SUSCEPTIBILITY, AS IT RESPONDS TO THE GENTLY STIMULATING ACTION OF THE MEDICINE. IT IS
UNDERSTOOD THAT ACTION AND REACTION IN THE MEDICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSE TAKES
PLACE ONLY IN THE LIVING ORGANISM, AND THAT IT DEPENDS UPON THAT FUNDAMENTAL
QUALITY AND ATTRIBUTE OF LIFE WHICH WE CALL SUSCEPTIBILITY.
• WE SHALL SEE THAT THE KIND AND DEGREE OF REACTION TO MEDICINES DEPENDS UPON THE
DEGREE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE PATIENT, AND THAT THE KIND AND DEGREE OF
SUSCEPTIBILITY, IN ANY PARTICULAR CASE OR PATIENT, DEPENDS LARGELY UPON HOW THE CASE
IS HANDLED BY THE PHYSICIAN; FOR IT IS IN HIS POWER TO MODIFY SUSCEPTIBILITY. INDEED,
THIS POWER TO MODIFY SUSCEPTIBILITY IS THE BASIS OF THE ART OF THE PHYSICIAN.

20. • THIS MORBID SUSCEPTIBILITY WHICH CONSTITUTES DISEASE MAY EXIST TOWARD SEVERAL
DIFFERENT MEDICINES, THE DEGREE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO EACH DEPENDING UPON THE DEGREE
OF SYMPTOM SIMILARITY; BUT THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY EXISTS TOWARD THE
MOST SIMILAR - THE SIMILLIMUM, OR EQUAL. HENCE, A GIVEN PATIENT MAY BE CURED OF HIS
DISEASE HOMŒOPATHICALLY BY EITHER OF TWO METHODS; BY GIVING SEVERAL MORE OR LESS
SIMILAR MEDICINES IN SUCCESSION, OR BY GIVING ONE EXACTLY SIMILAR MEDICINE--THE
SIMILIMUM OR EQUAL. IT DEPENDS UPON WHETHER HE IS BEING TREATED BY A BUNGLER OR AN
EXPERT. THE BUNGLER MAY "ZIG ZAG" HIS PATIENT ALONG THROUGH A PROTRACTED ILLNESS
AND FINALLY GET HIM WELL, WHERE AN EXPERT WOULD CURE HIM BY THE STRAIGHT ROUTE
WITH A SINGLE REMEDY IN HALF THE TIME.