glossaryBy Homeopathy Network TeamMarch 4, 2026

Tincture

A tincture is a liquid preparation made by extracting a substance — typically a plant — in an alcohol-water solution. In homeopathy, the tincture serves as the starting material from which potentized remedies are prepared. The mother tincture (designated by the symbol MT or Ø) is the foundational extract from which all subsequent potentization steps proceed.

In Practice

The preparation of a homeopathic tincture follows precise pharmacopoeial standards. Fresh plant material is macerated in a defined ratio of alcohol and water — the exact proportion varies depending on the moisture content of the plant and the pharmacopoeia being followed (the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia, or Indian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia each specify their own protocols). After maceration for a prescribed period, the liquid is filtered to produce the mother tincture.

For Arnica, the whole fresh plant in flower is used. Belladonna requires the entire plant at the beginning of flowering. Each remedy has its own specification for which plant parts to use and at what stage of growth.

The mother tincture is pharmacologically active — it contains measurable concentrations of the source substance's chemical constituents. It is not yet a potentized remedy. Potentization begins when measured drops of the mother tincture are diluted in a precise ratio (1:10 for decimal potencies, 1:100 for centesimal) and vigorously succussed. Each cycle produces the next potency level.

Some practitioners use mother tinctures directly in clinical practice, though this is distinct from classical homeopathic prescribing, which relies on potentized preparations. The tincture's primary role within homeopathy is as the base from which the remedy is developed.

Related Terms

  • Potentization — the process of serial dilution and succussion that begins from the mother tincture
  • Remedy — the potentized preparation produced from the tincture

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