Bönninghausen’s seven questions: describing the whole symptom
A symptom can be described in a few words, yet leave much of its character unstated. Where is it felt? What changes it? What happens alongside it? In the March 2021 newsletter, we returned to Bönninghausen’s seven questions as a way of organising those details before opening the repertory.
The questions belong to a historical homeopathic framework. They are useful to study as a structure for the account being recorded, rather than as a substitute for medical diagnosis. Each question draws attention to a different part of that account.
Seven questions, seven perspectives
- Quis — who? The person’s individuality, disposition and constitution, including changes noticed since the onset of illness.
- Quid — what? The nature of the complaint or disease process. The original outline distinguishes such processes as inflammation, ulceration and changes in absorption or elimination.
- Ubi — where? The location: which part, organ or system is involved?
- Quibus auxiliis — with what accompanying features? The concomitants: symptoms that occur alongside the main complaint and help describe its particular pattern.
- Cur — why? The reported circumstances of onset and possible causation. A reported association should remain distinguishable from an established medical cause.
- Quomodo — how? The way the complaint is experienced and modified, including what aggravates or ameliorates it.
- Quando — when? The time of appearance, recurrence and periodicity: time of day, season or a repeating interval.
Use CLAMS as a compact reminder
The same newsletter brings five aspects together in CLAMS: Concomitants, Location, Aetiology, Modalities and Sensation. The value of this shorter form is that it keeps the description of a symptom in view. A location alone, or a sensation alone, leaves other parts of the picture unrecorded.
When reading a written case for study, place its actual words beneath the relevant headings. Empty headings reveal what the account does not tell you; they are not an invitation to fill the gaps with assumptions. The seven questions also keep timing and the person’s changed state visible alongside the more compact CLAMS outline.
From description to repertory
Bönninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocketbook is the companion work discussed in the original issue. Its approach can be explored alongside later interpretations by George Dimitriadis and Heiner Frei. Begin with the meaning of the recorded symptom, then examine how the chosen repertory organises that meaning.
Read the introduction to the Therapeutic Pocketbook, or explore the Radar UK Bönninghausen guide.
Adapted from Luke Norland’s Zeus Soft teaching newsletter of 12 March 2021, with the accompanying repertory reading.
This article is for educational purposes and does not replace individual medical advice. Seek appropriate medical care for health concerns and continue any prescribed treatment.
