Conceptually, eight concepts of homeopathy literature are distinguished[1]:
- Protocols of Homeopathic Drug Trials (historical Homeopathic Drug Proving - HDP) and their evaluations, from Hahnemann's Reine Arzneimittellehre[2] and Die Chronischen Krankheiten to the drug reactions collected by E.M. Hale in Neue Amerikanische Arzneimittelprüfungen, C. Hering's HDP, up to today's drug trials
- Guiding symptom collections, the presentation of statistically proven and choice-indicating drug reactions, which represent the basic features of the drugs, such as W. Boericke's Materia Medica, M. Tyler Homoeopathic Drug Pictures, K.C. Bhanja Masterkey to Homoeopathic Mat. Med., S.R. Phatak Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines, H.C. Allen's Guiding Symptoms or A. and D. Pulford's Graphic Drug Pictures
- Clinical handbooks, such as W.H. Burt: Physiological Materia Medica, J. Mezger: Gesichtete homöopathische Arzneimittellehre, E.A. Farrington: Klinische Materia Medica, T.S. Hoyne: Praxis der homöopathischen Heilkunst, T.F. Allen: Handbook of Materia Medica or lecture notes such as J.T. Kent: Drug Pictures
- Lexicons of comprehensive symptom collections of validated remedies, from G.H.G. Jahr's Ausführlicher Symptomen-Kodex, J.H. Clarke's Dictionary of Materia Medica, T.F. Allen's Encyclopedia of Materia Medica, C. Hering's Guiding Symptoms of Materia Medica
- Differential diagnostic compendia on common indications or drug comparisons, such as G.H.G. Jahr's Therapeutic Guide, E.A. Farrington's Clinical Materia Medica, S. Lilienthal's Homeopathic Therapeutics, K. Stauffer's (alphabetical) Symptom Index
- Collections of case reports, such as O. Eichelberger's Klassische Homöopathie in 4 vols, H. Leer's Homöopathie in Fallbeispielen in 2 vols, often also as seminar reports such as A. Geukens Praktische Homöopathie in 10 vols plus Hechtel Conference Small Remedy Seminars in several volumes
- Repertories, phenomenological symptom directories, from C.M. Bönninghausen Systematisch Alphabetisches Repertorium and the Therapeutisch Taschenbuch (TTB) via C.B Knerr's Repertory of Guiding Symptoms to J.T. Kent's Repertory of Materia Medica in various editions and the supplementary repertories developed from these, such as J. Künzli: Repertorium Generale, H. Barthel: Synthetic Repertory as well as the large PC-based repertories, R. v. Zandvoort: Complete Repertory and F. Schroyens: Radar Synthesis, plus around 100 other special symptom directories on differentiating topics such as H.A. Robert: Sensations As If or J.H. Clarke: Clinical Repertory or O. Boericke: Repertory
- Treatises and textbooks on theory and practice[3] , from different eras and movements, dealing with theoretical models and case analysis strategies.
In addition to the central works of S. Hahnemann and some epoch-making works of the 19th century such as E. Altschul: Systematisches Lehrbuch der theoretischen und praktischen Homöopathie, the collected writings of C.M. Bönninghausen, G.H.G. Jahr and C. Hering as well as J.T. Kent: Lectures on the Principles of Homeopathy and S. Close: The Genius of Homeopathy. At the transition to the 20th century, only a few treatises that are actually helpful for a deeper understanding of homeopathic principles can be found in the following decades - despite the confusing abundance.
These include G. von Keller: Gesammelte Aufsätze und Vorträge zur Homöopathie, R.P. Patel: Kunst der Fallaufnahme, A. Saine: Vorlesungen zur Methodik as well as J. Ahlbrecht and N. Winter, Die Homöopathie C.M. Bogers, in German-speaking countries the textbook Homöopathie by T. Geneper and A. Wegner and in particular the new versions and revisions of S. Hahnemann's Organon der Heilkunst by J. Schmidt.
[1] The works listed are a selection of classical works without any claim to completeness.
[2] According to Hahnemann, the term "pure" means unmixed reactions of the individual remedies from observations of participants and patients.
[3] Journal publications, such as the extensive publications by A. Lippe, are not included here.