Vital Force, Primary and Secondary Actions 1

[David Little]

Hello all,

Just thought I would add a few words to some threads that have been
going on. During Hahnemann's time the allopathic physicians based their
medical philosophy on the teaching of Galen combined with contemporary
mechanistic concepts. They constantly talked imitating Nature (Physis)
while indulging in radical intervention and invasive treatments. They
taught that to heal one should imitate the activities Physis during crisis
and use medicines by the rule "Opposite to cure Opposites". For example, if
plethoric high blood pressure causes bleeding during crisis the physician
should imitate nature by bleeding patients in such conditions. If a person
suffers from heat they often seek cold so they figured if the organism
suffers from cold symptoms, they should be given hot medicines. Such
actions were suppose to be following how Nature cured.

Like Paracelsus, Hahnemann rejected the teachings of Galen and the
Roman school and preferred the teachings of Hippocrates and the Greeks.
Hahnemann pointed out that Hippocrates used similars as well as the single
remedy and was a true student of Nature. Samuel was deeply critical of the
allopathic so-called ministers of Nature as they were following the
instinctive struggle of the vital force during crisis rather than
developing a medical system that was truly based on how Nature cures
disease. The Founder taught that healers should develop a healing art that
followed awareness and reason not blind instinct. This was one of the
reason why Hahnemann was critical of the self aid of the vital force in one
place, while pointing out in another, the important role of the vital force
in homeopathic healing.

Hahnemann wrote that susceptibly is condition (Organon, aph. 31). One
will only suffer those diseases to which one is susceptible. Once a disease
establishes itself it has overcome one's susceptibility. Now the disease
process begins. Hahnemann wrote that the vital force could help in
"neutralizing" moderate acute diseases and quietly conclude them when their
natural course comes to the end. In more serious acute diseases the vital
force responds by producing a crisis involving the destruction of tissues
and sacrifice of humours but it may save the organism. This instinctual
response will sacrifice a part to save the whole in order to survive. After
such a crisis, however, the organism only recovers slowly and imperfectly
over time.

In true chronic diseases (which Hahnemann defined as caused by the
affects of infectious miasms) the vital force cannot cure the disorder
through crisis and its associated sacrifices and diversionary methods. The
idea of not being curable without medicine is ingrained in Samuel's
definition of "chronic disease". At the same time, Hahnemann wrote that
"Homoeopathy is aware that the cure can only succeed through the
counter-action of the vital force against the correctly taken medicine.
There stronger the life force that still prevails in the patient, the more
certain and faster the cure that takes place (Preface, 6th Organon, 184-)".
Some have trouble reconciling these two facets of Hahnemann's vitalist
philosophy.

In this statement Hahnemann reminds us that even though the vital
force can not cure serious acute disorders and chronic diseases - the vital
force plays an essential role during homeopathic treatment through the
curative action. He even equates the amount of vitality that remains in the
patient directly to the time of cure. When Hahnemann spoke of primary and
secondary actions in relationship to healing he was speaking of the primary
effect of the a homoeopathic remedy and the secondary curative action of
the vital force. He also spoke of the primary and secondary actions of
certain remedies (Ignatia, etc) which have strong alternating actions
within their symptoms. This is a different subject that deals with the
primary and secondary actions within a medicinal substance.

Hahnemann mentions seven aspects of healing in the introduction to the
Organon. Below is my recapitulation of those areas with added information
from other sections of Samuel's writings.

1. The vital force can only act through instinct and crisis, which is only
relatively effective in moderate acute diseases. In severe acute and
chronic disorders these attempts at self healing are ineffectual and come
with a price. The development of a true healing art takes awareness, reason
and the higher human spirit so that medicines that are safe and gentle can
be discovered. This takes the knowledge of disease, knowledge of remedies,
and knowledge of how to apply the remedies to diseases. This requires a
philosophy that is harmonious with Nature and the proving of medicines as
well as the development of the repertory and materia medica, etc..

2. In order to cure the healing artist must develop a safe way to alter the
"automatic and energetic life force when it has been mistuned through
disease". As disease is dynamic mistuning of the vital force - cure must
also be dynamic and retune the vital force to the state of health.

3. To do this the healer administers a homoeopathic remedy that tunes the
life force to a similar affection. This is the basis of the principle
"Similars cure Similars". The vital force is hypersensitive and susceptible
to a similar remedy in a small dose of a potency. This is why the
Simillimum has great powers!

4. The primary action of the homoeopathic remedy replaces the natural
disease with a stronger but temporary medicinal disorder. A homoeopathic
potency is subtle yet so powerful it can delusively replace the sensation
of the natural disease with its own similar medicine power. At the same
time, a homeopathic "disease" is dependant of the duration of the remedy
actions, which unlike chronic disease, is only temporary. In this way a
temporary medicinal disease can remove a permanent chronic disease.

5. At this time, Hahnemann wrote that the secondary curative action of the
vital force "directs its whole energy" against the remedy-disease "which it
soon overcomes". The combination of the secondary action of the vital force
to the medicinal disease and the transient nature of homeopathic remedy
lead to cessation of remedy induced illness. The vital force only uses as
much action as necessary remove the remedy-disease from without while
returning to the state of health within without any noticeable crisis or
over-reactions

6. When the vital force gains ascendency over the medical disease, and the
remedy duration ceases, the organism becomes completely free of the
medicinal disorder and returns to the sate of full health with renewed
vitality. This then completes the cure.

7. The vital force can do this without any painful sacrifices if the case
is manage properly. If the size of the dose, the potency and the
administration of the remedy are correct - this entire process can take
place without any over reactions of the organism. If the size of the dose
is too large, the potency is too high or the remedy is given too many times
- there may be aggravations that delay the cure. If the over medication is
serous there may be antagonistic secondary actions by the vital force. For
this reason, the case management and posology must be carefully applied.

The counter actions of the life force to allopathic stimulation is
quite different than the counter actions to a homoeopathic remedy. If one
has diarrhea and takes an opiate the primary action of the opium produces
constipation, and as soon as the duration of the remedy ceases, the
secondary action of the vital force will try to produce more diarrhea. If
the opium is given in larger and larger doses the counter action may be
suppressed so the negative derangement is diverted to a new channel causing
new more serious symptoms like the irritable bowel syndrome or ulcer, etc.

Hahnemann defined disease as a derangement of the vital force by a
negative influence, which means the life force itself does most of the
damage. This has been confirmed by modern science which shows that the
organism's own pro and anti-inflammatory hormones and deranged immune
proteins are chief pathogenic factors in disease. The confused vital force
can not tell "self from other" and will attack its own tissues with stress
chemicals and auto-immune factors as well as fall into immuno-deficiency.
In this sense disease most certainly is a derangement of the vital force.

In homeopathic cures a temporarily stronger remedy-disease replaces the
weaker natural disease and the vital force seeks to remove the
remedy-disease from without while re-establishing homeostasis within with
restored vitality. In the Preface to the fourth edition of the Chronic
Diseases Hahnemann wrote that if the image of the disease foe could be
"magnified to the apprehension of the vital force by a homeopathic remedy"
that delusively simulates the original illness, it could cause the vital
force "to increase its energies by degrees" until it was more powerful than
the original disorder.

Is the homoeopathic remedy an information package that replaces the
confused impression of the natural disease with a clear image of the
homoeopathic remedy-disease? Does the secondary curative action of the
vital force then seek to differentiate itself from the former confusion
caused by the natural disease and remove the remedy-disease moving the
organism in the direction of health? During this process one does witnesses
an increase in vitality and strength with added vigor. How does this all
take place? What do you think?

During the homeopathic healing process the vital force only produces
as much curative secondary action as necessary to bring on the state of
health and complete the cure. If the posology and case management has been
correct the entire process can be carried out without any noticeable over
reactions of the vital force. It is really quite amazing how gentle the
process of cure is under the influence of a correctly applied homoeopathic
remedy. If the remedy is applied incorrectly the process can produce much
discomfort through aggravations, accessory symptoms and antagonistic
secondary actions of the vital force. Hahnemann alludes to something like
this in aphorism 64 part 2 and 68 which deals with primary and secondary
actions to homeopathic remedies as well as other places in his writings.
Homeopathic cure takes place through the interplay of the remedy and vital
force in a manner that is most amazing,

Sincerely, David Little.
---------------
"It is the life-force which cures diseases because a dead man needs no more
medicines."

Samuel Hahnemann

Visit our website on Hahnemannian Homoeopathy and Cyberspace Homoeopathic
Academy at
http://www.simillimum.com
David Little © 2000

[J.VENKATASUBRAMANIAN]

In response to David Little's posting;
taking a look at this posting, there seems to be a too generalised
view
as far as the term "vital force" is concerned.

Hahnemann mentions three different things: vital principle, vital
forceand vital energy.( org. sixth edition). They are DIFFERENT and
not to be studied together under a vague single term "vital force".

Aph 9:"In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual VITAL FORCE
( autocracy),the dynamis that animates the material body
(organism),rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of
the organism in admirable, vital operation, as regards both
sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason gifted mind
can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher
purposes of our existence."

In the 10 th aphorism,we see
" The material organism without the VITAL FORCE is capable of no
sensation, no function, no self preservation; it derives all
sensations and performs all the functions of life solely by
means of the immaterial being( the VITAL PRINCIPLE) which
animates the material organism in health and disease.

Again, the 12 th aph: " It is the morbidly affected VITAL ENERGY
alone that produces diseases, so that the morbid phenomena
perceptible to our senses express at the same time all the
internal dynamis; in a word, they reveal the whole disease;
consequently, also,the disappearance under treatment of all
the morbid phenomena and of all the morbid alterations that
differ from the healthy vital operations, certainly affects
and necessarily implies the restoration of the integrity
of the vital force and, therefore, the recovered health of the
whole organism.
The VITAL ENERGY is the limited power of the individual
to exist. As the physical being is drained, the energy
is also drained.This is non renewable.

The VITAL FORCE is that which does all functions of the
individual. In pure terms of physics, force is just a
scalar quantity and subject to exist only with respect
to a source of energy which can produce it.

The VITAL PRINCIPLE is life itself,or the spirit.It leaves
the physical being when the vital energy is exhausted.
Then the body will not be capable of any functions (which
are the domain of the vital force).

The vital force fights with diseases drawing from the
Vital energy.

The vital energy and vital force can exist only when the
vital principle is present. But the existence of the
vital principle is not subject to the existence of the
VE and the Vf.The VE and VF are relative and the Vital
Principle is the absolute. But that would be branching
out into the other domain of Philosophy.

This is my understanding.I think I have made myself clear.

Regards
venkat

David liitle's posting, being long, can be viewed separately
on the list's site. Saving time and space on the list. Thanks.

[Paul Booyse]

Hello all,

Just thought I would add a few words to some threads that have been
going on. During Hahnemann's time the allopathic physicians based their
medical philosophy on the teaching of Galen combined with contemporary
mechanistic concepts. They constantly talked imitating Nature (Physis)
while indulging in radical intervention and invasive treatments. They
taught that to heal one should imitate the activities Physis during crisis
and use medicines by the rule "Opposite to cure Opposites". For example, if

*******

That would be the system of palliation (contraria contrariis - a part of
allopathy), not allopathy itself

What Hahnemann says is they first taught allopathy, a theory based on the
idea that imitating nature by creating similar disturbances e.g. in your
example: you wrote: "For example, if plethoric high blood pressure causes
bleeding during crisis the physician should imitate nature by bleeding
patients in such conditions."

That's similar, performed at a different locality.

But patient's would not be improved by this method and some alleviation of
suffering was achieved by the use of opposites - palliation as in your
example "If a person
suffers from heat they often seek cold so they figured if the organism
suffers from cold symptoms, they should be given hot medicines."

*******
you wrote:
Like Paracelsus, Hahnemann rejected the teachings of Galen and the
Roman school and preferred the teachings of Hippocrates and the Greeks.
Hahnemann pointed out that Hippocrates used similars as well as the single
remedy and was a true student of Nature. Samuel was deeply critical of the
allopathic so-called ministers of Nature as they were following the
instinctive struggle of the vital force during crisis rather than
developing a medical system that was truly based on how Nature cures
disease. The Founder taught that healers should develop a healing art that
followed awareness and reason not blind instinct. This was one of the
reason why Hahnemann was critical of the self aid of the vital force in one
place, while pointing out in another, the important role of the vital force
in homeopathic healing.

**************

Actually their problem also, and more importantly, was they were classifying
disease as an internal disorder of a part, such as an excess of one or other
system such as bile. They failed to recognize the disease as a dynamic
process which could not be expunged or drained out by releasing those vital
fluids which occure in disease states.

******************

Hahnemann wrote that susceptibly is condition (Organon, aph. 31). One
will only suffer those diseases to which one is susceptible. Once a disease
establishes itself it has overcome one's susceptibility. Now the disease
process begins. Hahnemann wrote that the vital force could help in
"neutralizing" moderate acute diseases and quietly conclude them when their
natural course comes to the end. In more serious acute diseases the vital
force responds by producing a crisis involving the destruction of tissues
and sacrifice of humours but it may save the organism. This instinctual
response will sacrifice a part to save the whole in order to survive.

*******************

But if we do this with homeopathy we would be breaking the request of aph 2

*********************
you wrote:
After such a crisis, however, the organism only recovers slowly and
imperfectly
over time.

snip ...........
In this statement Hahnemann reminds us that even though the vital
force can not cure serious acute disorders and chronic diseases - the vital
force plays an essential role during homeopathic treatment through the
curative action. He even equates the amount of vitality that remains in the
patient directly to the time of cure.

**************

Because of the repairing quality of the VF, which can only take place once
the dynamic disease state is overcome. Thats why we must spare the VF and
avoid unnecessary aggravation.

**************

regards,
Paul

[Paul Booyse]

Hello all,

addendum to clarify on my previous reply
this was posted by David Little, not myself

if

I forgot to say "hello David"

regards,
Paul