Abstract
M.Tech .(Homoeopathy)
The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth rate of germinating Zea Mays
seeds subject to the administration of homoeopathically potentised Carbo vegetabilis
in the potencies 12CH, 13CH and 14CH. The purpose of the study is to help
disprove the popular "placebo effect" explanation as to why homoeopathy works by
showing that homoeopathic medicine can have a fundamental effect on a living
organism and thereby lend credibility to homoeopathy as a science. This study is of
value as previous botanical studies have not attempted to provide an explanation as
to how homoeopathic potencies may be acting and have mostly merely
demonstrated their effects on cleoptile growth. Six hundred Zea Mays seeds were
selected and planted in rolls of germination paper. There were 150 seeds in each of
the three test groups as well as in the control group. The control group received
distilled water only and the test groups their respective liquid potencies of Carbo
vegetabilis, which were prepared using distilled water. The germination rolls were
incubated at 24°C in darkness for a total of 135 hours. After 39 hours the
germinating seeds were replanted into fresh germination rolls. The process was
repeated at 87 hours after the first measurements were taken. The final
measurements were taken at 135 hours. Shoot lengths and root lengths were
recorded and overall lengths calculated. Mean shoot, root and overall lengths were
expressed as percentages ofthe control using bar graphs.
At 87 hours the potency that consistently decreased the growth of Zea Mays was the
13CH. The 12CH potency only decreased the shoot growth, whereas the 14CH
improved root growth. At 135 hours overall growth was significantly decreased in
all the test groups, but most markedly in the 12CH groups where root growth was
drastically inhibited. When compared with the 87th hour measurement, the 13CH
group showed a 13% increase in shoot growth. Carbo vegetabilis potencies 12CH,
13CH and 14CH were found to significantly influence the growth of germinating
Zea Mays seeds.