A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica
by C.M. Boger • 1861–1935
A Synoptic Key — Boger's analytical, generalist approach to materia medica in one volume.
About C.M. Boger
Cyrus Maxwell Boger, MD (1861–1935) was an American homeopath of the Boenninghausen school. Based in Parkersburg, West Virginia, he corresponded with the leading homeopaths of Europe and is considered one of the most rigorous analytical prescribers in the history of the profession.
Boger was a German speaker and translated much of Boenninghausen's work into English. His own contribution was to combine Boenninghausen's generalist approach — emphasizing modalities, concomitants, and sensations — with the American clinical tradition.
About A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica
A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica was first published in 1915 and revised through 1931. It is a one-volume reference that combines a materia medica, a repertory, and a summary of Boger's analytical method.
The materia medica section is organized around generals, modalities, and characteristic concomitants — in the Boenninghausen style — rather than the anatomical head-to-toe schema used by Boericke. This makes it ideal for cases where the modalities are clear but the particulars are diffuse.
Together with General Analysis, the Synoptic Key forms the core of Boger's practical teaching.
Best for
- Analytical / Boenninghausen-style prescribing
- Cases dominated by modalities and concomitants
- Practitioners trained in generalist methodology
- Serious study of a lesser-known but rigorous classical school
Frequently asked questions
What is Boger's Synoptic Key?
A one-volume homeopathic reference by C.M. Boger, first published in 1915, combining a generalist materia medica, a compact repertory, and a summary of Boger's analytical prescribing method.
Who was C.M. Boger?
Cyrus Maxwell Boger (1861–1935) was an American homeopath of the Boenninghausen school and one of the most analytically rigorous prescribers in homeopathic history.
What is the difference between Synoptic Key and General Analysis?
Synoptic Key is a practical one-volume reference with materia medica, repertory, and methodology. General Analysis is a more focused exposition of Boger's analytical framework. Together they form the core of his teaching.
Is Boger's method the same as Kent's?
No. Kent emphasizes mental and emotional constitutional portraits. Boger, following Boenninghausen, emphasizes physical generals, modalities, and concomitants. The two methods complement each other and are sometimes combined in practice.
All remedies in this book
322 remedies — jump to a letter or scroll the list.