A KEYNOTE symptom is a specific ‘symptom complex’ of ‘accessory symptoms’ that when appears associated with an ABNORMAL BASIC SYMPTOM in a patient, specifically indicates a particular remedy. These KEYNOTE ‘symptom complexes’ are constituted by two or more very characteristic ‘accessory symptoms’ belonging to categories such as causations, locations, presentations, sensations, modalities and concomitants.
A Keynote ‘symptom complex’ becomes more useful in practice, when it contains minimum number of ‘accessory symptoms’ and it indicates minimum number of drugs- preferably SINGLE drug. In such cases, that drug could be prescribed very easily, and with full confidence.
Keynote symptom is a symptom, which if present in a patient, will directly lead us to a specific remedy. That symptom will work as a KEYNOTE in deciding a prescription for that case.
Most probably, a ‘keynote’ symptom is a ‘symptom complex’ that represents a specific molecular error produced in the organism by a specific pathogenic molecule. When same ‘keynote’ ‘symptom complex’ is also present in a drug, that shows the drug also contains a constituent molecule similar to that pathogenic molecule, which produced similar molecular errors during drug proving. Due to that similarity, molecular imprints of that particular drug molecules can bind specifically to those pathogenic molecules, there by removing the molecular inhibitions they produced in biological molecules.
‘Totality of symptoms’ in a patient means totality of all the diverse types of ‘symptom complexes’ expressed by the patient, representing all the diverse types of molecular errors produced by all the diverse types of pathogenic molecules.
‘Keynote symptom’ in a patient means a particular ‘symptom complex’ expressed by the patient, representing a particular type of molecular error produced by a particular type of pathogenic molecule.
When finding similimum by ‘totality of symptoms’, we are trying to find a drug that contains maximum number of diverse chemical molecules matching to maximum number of diverse pathogenic molecules that produced the diverse types of molecular errors as well as ‘symptom complexes’ in that particular patient.
When finding similimum by KEYNOTE method, we are trying to find a particular drug that contains a particular constituent molecule that is SIMILAR to a particular pathogenic molecule that produced a particular molecular in the organism and expressed through a particular ‘symptom complex’.
KEYNOTE PRESCRIPTION tries to address a case by identifying a specific molecular error in the patient, where as TOTALITY OF SYMPTOMS tries to address the case by considering maximum number of diverse molecular errors existing in the patient.
In KEYNOTE prescriptions, we select a similimum by considering only specific SYMPTOM COMPLEX representing a specific MOLECULAR ERROR in the patient as a standard single UNIT, and identifying a drug that could produce SYMPTOM COMPLEX similar to it during drug proving.
‘Burning pains in stomach, amel by cold drinks’ is a KEYNOTE of APIS MEL. Here, this keynote ‘symptom complex’ consist of ‘burning- sensation’, ‘stomach- location’, and ‘amel by cold drinks- modalities’.
‘Urticarial skin rashes alternating with asthma’ is a KEYNOTE of CALADIUM. Here, the keynote symptom complex consist of ‘urticaria- presentation’, ‘skin-locations’ and ‘alternating with asthma- concomitants’.
‘Fever with Urticaria after getting wet in rain’ is a KEYNOTE of RHUS TOX I have compiled. This ‘symptom complex’ is constituted by ‘fever-presentation’, ‘getting wet in rain- causation’ and ‘urticaria during fever- concomitant’. This is an example of preparing KEYNOTE symptom complexes by combining ‘accessory symptoms’. We can confidently prescribe RHUS TOX in any case of ‘Fever with Urticaria after getting wet in rain’ on the basis of this KEYNOTE.
‘Cramping pain abdomen after eating, amel by pressure’ is a KEYNOTE of COLOC. This symptom complex is constituted by ‘abdomen- location’, ‘cramping pain- sensation’, ‘eating- causation’ and ‘pressure- modality’. COLOCYNTHIS is a sure-shot remedy for this type of abdominal pains.
‘Fatty degeneration of liver with desire for warm food’ is a KEY NOTE of CHEL and LYCO. If the patient is HOT, it is LYCO. If he is cold, it is CHEL. This is another example of selecting similimum by using KEYNOTES.
You can analyze any known keynote symptoms in this way. That will help you in synthesizing a lot of new keynote symptom complexes by combining small characteristic rubrics from repertories, so as to indicate single specific drugs. That will make your clinical practice very easy, by compiling a complete collection of strong KEYNOTES that could be combined with any basic symptoms appearing in your patients.
KEYNOTE SYMPTOMS are interpreted as ‘main theme of medicine’ by ‘classical homeopaths’. According to them, a drug will have only a single keynote. They say keynote of fluoric acid is ‘destructiveness’, keynote of carbo-veg is ‘imperfect oxidation and disintegration’, key note of aethusa is ‘violence’.
According to their view, a keynote will be a mental or general only, and there will be only one main theme or keynote for a drug. They should explain, if ‘destructiveness’ is the keynote or main theme- of acid fluor, it is useful only in cases having ‘destructiveness’? What about other drugs having ‘destructiveness’? How can anybody select acid fluor only on the basis of ‘destructiveness’, ruling out other drugs having ‘destructiveness? What is their evaluation of the great work of H C ALLEN onn keynotes of different drugs? Did he list only ‘destructiveness’ under acid fluor?
Please see allen’s keynotes. Nowhere he mentions ‘destructiveness’ as keynote under acid fluor. He has given following keynote symptoms for acid fluor. He never mentions them as ‘main themes’.
“Complaints of old age, or of premature old age; in syphilitic mercurial dyscrasia; young people look old.
Increased ability to exercise without danger (Coca.); is less affected by excessive heat of summer or cold of winter.
Old cicatrices become red around edges, and threaten to become open ulcers (Caust., Graph.).
Varicose veins and ulcers, obstinate, long standing cases, in women who have borne many children.
Caries and necrosis, especially of long bones, psoric or syphilitic, abuse of mercury or silica (Angus.).
Naevus, flat, of children (r. temple); capillary aneurism (compare, Cal. fl., Tub.).
Ulcers: red edges and vesicles; decubitus; copious discharge; < from warmth, > from cold; violent pains, like streaks of lightning, confined to a small spot.
Rapid caries of teeth; fistula dentalis or lachrymalis; exostosis of bone so face (Hekla).”
ALLEN’S WORK ON KEYNOTES CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE HE DID NOT CONSIDER ‘KEYNOTES ARE MAIN THEMES’ OF DRUGS.
Actually, a KEYNOTE symptom is a symptom, which if present in a patient, will directly lead us to a specific remedy. That symptom will work as a KEYNOTE in deciding a prescription for that case.
REDEFINING HOMEOPATHY 