Which materia medica to buy?

​Let’s begin this conversation by establishing what a materia medica actually is.

A materia medica is a body of collected knowledge about substances used as medicines: their origins, their properties, the preparation and how they are used to treat illness/injury.

Materia medicas/medicae are nothing new — Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica dates to the 1st century AD. With such a long history, it’s no surprise there are many to choose from!

Homeopathically though, the first one was Samual Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura which was published in six volumes between 1811 and 1821 and covered around 60 substances.

On the other end of the spectrum, Robin Murphy’s Nature’s Materia Medica (4th edition) covers 1,500 homeopathic and herbal remedies. (The first edition was published in 1995 as The Homeopathic Remedy Guide.)

Frequent readers of Ruminating on Remedies will know that I am a big fan of Dr. Murphy’s materia medica and repertory. One of the main reasons for this is that he incorporates material from many other materia medica authors: Boericke, Clarke, Phatak, and others and puts their words into more modern language.

In addition to the materia medicas/e proper, there are also a slew of specific titles which would fall under the materia medica umbrella but are not addressed here. These are more specific tomes, such as: Mangialavori’s Milk Remedies and Vermeulen’s Fungi and Klein’s Orchids in Homeopathy.

With that bit of background, let’s dive into a few of my favorite materia medicas/e (alphabetically by author). (The prices I grabbed are all accurate at the time of writing (either from the author’s website when available or from Amazon US) and please remember there are many more used options available at lesser prices!)

Note #1: All of these books essentially give the same information — it’s just the depth of that information and how it is presented. To keep comparisons on an even footing, I used Belladonna as my test remedy.
Note #2: I aimed these selections at home users and did not address the fantastic, deeper works of many other homeopaths like Frans Vermeulen or George Vithoulkas or Bönninghausen, for example.

• H. C. Allen’s Key-notes Rearranged & Classified: With Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica & Bowel Nosodes
  • Why I like it:
    • Not a lot of books include information on bowel nosodes.
    • It also includes a handful of sarcodes and nosodes.
    • It is as it says — keynotes, meaning that the descriptions are kept short and sweet.
  • How many remedies*?
    • 188
  • What I don’t like about it:
    • I have no complaints about this book.
  • Is it worth the $15.89 (or, $3.99 Kindle)?
    • Sure thing, especially with the bowel nosode information.

 

• *William Boericke’s New Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory
  • Why I like it:
    • Nice info at the end of each remedy listing more complete remedy relationship information than most of the other books mentioned here.
    • It also provides further information, like non-homeopathic uses which can be interesting.
  • How many remedies*?
    • ~600
  • What I don’t like about it:
    • My copy (purchased in 2014) has some major printing errors making it pretty unreliable.
  • Is it worth the $27.70?
    • That broken copy certainly wasn’t worth it.
    • For this article, I relied on the Kindle edition of Boericke’s Collected Works of Boericke: Homeopathy Materia Medica & Repertory ($8.99).
      • One Amazon review mentions “it is missing huge chunks of material, especially from the respiratory section.” With this knowledge, I looked a little closer at my Kindle copy and something definitely feels off about it.
      • Based on this review, I searched “respiratory” and though I didn’t click on all 81 respiratory links, I don’t see any evidence of a repertory in my copy.
    • It would not be my first choice.

 

• C.M. Boger’s A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica: Including A Brief Repertory
  • Why I like it:
    • It’s succint.
      • Even an enormous remedy like Belladonna is just a page and a half.
      • After the name of the remedy, it lists the “sphere of action” and aggravations and ameliorations.
    • It lists a couple of related and complementary remedies to compare.
    • The brief repertory is a nice addition, making this a basic “one and done” book on the shelf.
  • How many remedies*?
    • 323
  • What I don’t like about it:
    • As you can see by how I am writing this article, I like bullet points and lists. This book has each remedy written as one big paragraph.
  • Is it worth the many varied prices?
    • Yes.
      • I see it ranging on Amazon from $16.95 to $27 to a $40 leather bound version. There is also a Kindle version for $2.99 — making it searchable!!
    • Note: My hard copy says “rearranged & augmented edition” on the top. Are there other less pleasing versions out there? Perhaps.

 

• John Henry Clarke’s A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica (accessed through Radar Opus software for this review)
  • What I like:
    • Each remedy begins with a list of clinical applications, providing a quick overview of how the remedy can be used.
    • It contains a lot of information!
    • Fortunately, Clarke breaks all this information into bodily systems.
  • How many remedies*?
    • 1,000+
  • What I don’t like:
    • It contains a lot of information! You have to be dedicated to dig through pages and pages of information.
    • Unlike most of these books, Clarke leaves the “Generalities” section until near the end of the write up. I find it more useful to read the generalities at the beginning to get a feel for the remedy right off the bat.
  • Is it worth the $44.95?
    • This 3 volume set is for someone who is really interested in homeopathy. I have this set but it has been relegated to a back cupboard because it is available in my homeopathic software which I find much easier to dig through.
    • Also available on Kindle for $7.99-$9.99 per volume.

 

• Constantine Hering’s The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica (accessed through Radar Opus software for this review)
  • Why I like it:
    • You don’t just get “head” as a heading; you get “outer head” and “inner head” and “upper face” and “lower face” — it really walks through the entire body, section by section.
    • There is a lot of information in this 10-volume set. I have this set but it has been relegated to a back cupboard because it is available in my homeopathic software which I find much easier to dig through.
  • How many remedies*?
    • ~400 (I didn’t believe Venice’s answer of ~200, so I turned to Grok for another opinion)
  • What do I not like about it:
    • It’s very wordy.
  • Is it worth $170?
    • It is an investment but it holds a lifetime of learning.
    • It’s available for free online here.

 

• James Tyler Kent’s Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica
  • Why I like it:
    • It’s often available for free online.
  • How many remedies*?
    • Again, I’m getting conflicting information here, but I’m going to go with Grok’s ~650.
  • What do I not like about it:
    • Descriptions like the following: “Brainy people have complaints coming on suddenly…” I don’t love restricting remedies to “brainy” people or “plethoric, vigorous individuals and intellectual people.”
    • At least the Kindle version reads as a list — it isn’t broken out by body system. You have to read a lot of pages to get to the same information that other materia medicas mentioned here will give you in a concise writing.
  • Is it worth $97.60?
    • Nope. But, it’s often available for much less money, including the Kindle version for $1.47 and online for free.

 

• Adolph Von Lippe’s Keynotes & Redline Symptoms of Materia Medica
  • Why I like it:
    • It’s keynotes and redline symptoms — nothing but the highlights here.
    • Most of the symptoms listed also include a list of other remedies to compare alongside which is very helpful.
  • How many remedies*?
    • ~300
  • What do I not like about it:
    • It’s a little scattered — it’s not separated by body parts.
  • Is it worth the $29?
    • Probably.
      • Kindle 99¢ — an absolute no brainer!

 

• Maha Mansour’s The Visual Homeopathic Materia Medica - Part One
  • Why I like it:
    • It’s different.
    • The pictures make it a little more accessible.
    • A good option for teaching homeopathy to kids.
  • How many remedies*?
    • ~55
  • What do I not like about it:
    • If I had to guess, I would say it is AI generated.
      • Having said that, I see these posted individually on Instagram and they always get my attention.
  • Is it worth the $39.99?
    • I don’t think so.
    • Kindle price is $16.99 and that price may be more worth it but it depends on your tastes.

 

• Roger Morrison’s Desktop Guide to KeyNotes & Confirmatory Symptoms was a required necessity in my early days of homeopathic learning at Homeopathy School International.
  • Why I like it:
    • It’s laid out simply.
      • Bold type is used effectively.
    • It doesn’t overwhelm with information.
    • There is a brief overview of (most) remedies which immediately gives you the feeling of what’s behind the remedy and where it may be useful.
    • It provides a few remedies which are good comparisons or considered complementary.
    • It provides a nice list where the remedy would be useful, clinically speaking.
  • How many remedies?
    • ~300
  • What do I not like about it?
    • As you dig deeper into homeopathy, it feels a little limited, but it’s an excellent place to start.
  • Is it worth the $68?
    • Absolutely, especially if you are interested in learning more than casual home prescribing.
  
  
  Dr. Morrison has a fabulous new (2025) version called Clinically Verified Materia Medica. The problem with this one is only volume 1 has been published so far (Abelmoschus - Euphrasia), and it’s pretty spendy at $140. He also authored a very useful Desktop Companion To Physical Pathology ($79) which I also like — more of a repertory than a materia medica, though.

 

• S.R. Phatak’s Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines
  • Why I like it:
    • Let me begin by saying that I love my petite hardcover copy of this book. It has a bold red sticker on the inside front cover saying, “One Week Loan” and all the date stamps of people who checked it out from University of Westminster from 2002 to 2005.
    • Using my Belladonna example, Phatak gives us about 4 compact pages of descriptive information.
  • How many remedies?
    • ~300
  • What I don’t like about it:
    • The print might be a little small for some people’s liking (but this could just be my copy).
  • Is it worth the $22.50?
    • This title is often available at heavily discounted pricing, but it’s definitely worth the $22.50.
    • $5.99 Kindle edition.

• Richard Pitt’s Therapeutic Guide & Thematic Materia Medica of Homeopathic Medicine.
  • Let me begin by saying that I first learned of Richard Pitt through his “Comparative Materia Medica” ($60) which I absolutely love. But, that’s a different beast than we are talking about today.
  • Why I like it:
    • The first “Generalities” paragraph provides a very nice overview of each remedy.
    • This is also a repertory and a therapeutic guide. The introduction says: “The idea of a therapeutic guide is to find practical and efficient ways to select a homeopathic remedy for practitioners predominantly working in a busy, clinical environment.” The conditions listed range from allergies and the common cold to teething to shingles to tinnitis.
      • In other words, this is a book which goes beyond basic home prescribing.
      • Very useful chapters of “Accidents, Injuries and Trauma,” “Female Conditions,” and “Infectious and Tropical Conditions.”
    • Following the materia medica is a nice section of about 20 pages giving quick therapeutic remedy pictures.
      • Listing the name of the remedy, followed by the common name of the substance with a list of conditions, key symptoms and a few comparison remedies.
      • The next chapter gives a brief overview of “Indications for some unusual and specific remedies.”
        • These are indeed primarily “unusual” remedies as well as sarcodes, nosodes and bowel nosodes.
    • The end of the book is an abridged Kent’s repertory.
  • How many remedies*?
    • ~150
  • What I don’t like about it:
    • I like this book. The only thing I can say here is that the author has since divided this book into two pieces (though this version is still available) and I have a little FOMO about what I might be missing in: Thematic Materia Medica, Volume 1 ($40) and Clinical Therapeutics of Homeopathic Medicine ($40).
  • Is it worth the $50?
    • Absolutely.

 

• Robin Murphy’s Nature’s Materia Medica (4th edition)
  • Why I like it:
    • It is very complete!
      • Keeping with the Belladonna example, Murphy takes 6 full pages and a bit to teach us about this important remedy.
      • 2,342 pages of Bible-style thin paper.
    • Dr. Murphy pulls from other sources (all listed at the end of each remedy write up).
    • It is written in mostly modern language but there is also a helpful glossary at the back to help explain some terms.
      • For instance: “Barber’s itch — Ringworm of the beard. Pustular folliculitis affecting facial hair.”
    • There is a short (~70 pages) clinical repertory in the back.
  • How many remedies*?
    • 1,500
  • What do I not like about it?
    • Not much!
  • Is it worth the $89?
    • Absolutely. This is without question my go-to materia medica.
  
  
  

If you have anything more than a passing interest in homeopathy, I highly recommend picking up one of these books to have handy to learn a little more, piece by piece, remedy by remedy.




Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits


For more thoughts on homeopathic readings, see also, Books!!


*I relied on Venice AI to tell me how many remedies are covered in each book.
**This should be a solid choice but I am unable to provide detailed information given my broken copies. Boericke also has Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory but I don’t own it and have no way of evaluating it.

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Reference listAllen, H. C., 2002. Allen’s keynotes: Rearranged & classified. B. Jain Publishers.
Boericke, W., 2002. New manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and repertory. B. Jain Publishers.
Boger, C. M., 2012. A synoptic key of the materia medica atreatise for homoeopathic students (rearranged and augmented edition). B Jain Publishers Pvt Limited.
Clarke, J. H., 2005. A dictionary of practical Materia Medica. B. Jain Publishers (P) Limited.
Hering, C., 2024. The guiding symptoms of our materia Medica-10 volume set. B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd.
Mansour, M., 2026. The Visual Homeopathic Materia Medica.
Morrison, R., 1993. Desktop guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Pub.
Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ.
Morrison, R., 2025. Clinically verified materia medica volume I, the tapestry of homeopathy. Hahnemann Clinic Publishing.
Murphy, R., 2020. Nature’s Materia Medica. Lotus Health Institute.
Phatak, S. R., 1988. Phatak’s Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines. Foxlee-Vaughan.
Pitt, R., 2015. Comparative Materia Medica : Integrating new and old remedies. San Francisco, California: Lalibela Publishing.
Pitt, R., 2024. Therapeutic Guide & Thematic Materia Medica of Homeopathic Medicine. Lalibela Publishing.
Vithoulkas, G., 1998. Essence of materia medica. Usa: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.