Hahnemann, Psora and Hering's Preface to the Chronic Diseases (1845).

[David Little]

Dear Minutus,

It is important to understand the "origins" of something to put it
into perspective. It is often said that psora was something like the
"original sin" which developed first on the mental or spiritual plan and
then descended to the body. We did this all start? The answer to this
question and many other interesting aspects of homoeopathy is *Hering's
Preface to the American edition of the Chronic Diseases (1845).*

DR. HERING'S PREFACE TO THE 1845 AMERICAN EDITION OF THE CHRONIC DISEASES
TRANSLATED BY DR. HEMPEL, PART 1.
(The following article has been kindly furnished by Dr. Hering of
Philadelphia, In German. The Editor is responsible for the translation.)

Hahnemann’s work on chronic diseases may be considered a continuation
of his organon; the medicines which will follow the present volume may
therefore be considered a continuation of his materia medica pura. As the
principles and rules of general therapeutics have been developed in the
organon, so does Hahnemann develop, in the present treatise, the principles
and rules which ought to prevail in the treatment of chronic diseases,
whose name is “legion.” In the materia medica pura Hahnemann describes to
us the symptoms which the general remedies that he tried upon healthy
persons, are capable of producing; the present treatise, on the contrary,
will be succeeded by an account of those remedies, which Hahnemann
specially employed in the treatment of chronic diseases, which he therefore
called “anti-psorics”. In the Organon Hahnemann tries to establish the fat
that the principles “similia similibus curantur” is the supreme rule is to
be followed in the treatment of diseases; whereas in his treatise on
chronic diseases, which is based upon the organon and does not, in the
least, modify or alter its teachings, Hahnemann shows that most chronic
diseases, originating in a common source and being “related amongst each
other, a special class of remedies designated by Hahnemann as
anti-psorics,” should be used in the treatment of those diseases. This
common source of most chronic diseases, according to Hahnemann is Psora.

COMMENTS BY DL: The Organon and the Chronic Diseases are companion
volumes which offer a complete view of the Homoeopathic healing art. The
Organon establishes the supremacy of the law of similars, Similia Similibus
Curantur, while the chronic diseases emphasizes, Cessante Causa, Cessant
Effectus; if the cause ceases the effects ceases. In the Organon Hahnemann
stresses the symptoms while in the Chronic Diseases the Founder highlights
the aetiological constellation. In this way, these companion volumes are
complementary opposites that form the functional polarity of
homoeo-therapeutics. In the 1st through 4th edition of the Organon the
Founder taught that the causation and workings of disease was a most
difficult factor to establish in most cases of illness.

It may be conceded that every disease is dependant on an *alteration
in the interior of the human organism*. But this alteration is only
*guessed a*t by the understanding in a dim and illusory manner from what
the morbid symptoms reveal concerning it (and there are no other data for
it in non-surgical diseases); *but the exact nature of this inner invisible
alteration cannot be ascertained in any reliable manner*.

Organon of Medicine, 5th & 6th Edition, Hahnemann, Dudgeon & Boericke
Editions, Appendix, 4th Organon, Aphorism 5, page 183.

In his early years Hahnemann taught that principles of similia and
individualization were sufficient to treat all cases of disease. The
central causal doctrine was the rebuttal of the one-sided tolle causum of
the orthodox school. In its place the Organon taught the importance of
studying the totality of the symptoms of each individual case to understand
the complete Gestalt of the disease state. It was Hahnemann’s failure to
permanently cure chronic disease that caused him to reassess his clinical
approach. This led to an eleven year study of chronic disease that produced
a fundamental change in his views of etiological factors. As early as The
Medicine of Experience (1805) he discussed the need to study causation but
he did not see the bigger picture until the 1830s.

The 5th edition of the Organon presents a radical change in Hahnemann’s
views of causation. This is most obvious in the changes he made to aphorism
5 of in 1833. This paragraph includes the ramifications of his prolonged
study of causation, constitution, character, susceptibility, miasms, and
complex disease states.

"Useful to the physician in assisting him to cure are the particulars
of the most probable *exciting cause* of the acute disease, as also the
most significant points in the complete history of the chronic disease, to
enable him to discover its *fundamental cause*, which is generally due to a
chronic miasm. In these investigations, the ascertainable physical
constitution of the patient (especially when the disease is chronic), his
moral and intellectual character, his occupation, mode of living and
habits, his social and domestic relations, his age, sexual function, etc.,
are to be taken into consideration."

Organon of Medicine, 5th & 6th Edition, Hahnemann, Dudgeon & Boericke
Editions, 5th Organon, Aphorism 5.

This aphorism contains many of the breakthroughs first published in The
Chronic Diseases in a nutshell. The new version of the aphorism 5 emphases
the entire case history, Causa, the chronic miasms and the attendant
circumstances (aph 5) as well as the objective signs, coincidental
befallments and subjective symptoms (aph 6). The idea of basing one's case
on *symptoms and circumstances" is echoed in aphorism 7, 24, 85 and 145. It
was now necessary for the homœopath to understand the exciting causes of
acute diseases as well as the complete history of a chronic illness to
ascertain the fundamental cause, which is often due to the miasms.

On this basis,, Hahnemann now classified his remedies into two great
categories, the apsoric and anti-psoric medicines. The anti-psoric remedies
are those medicines which have the potential to remove the entire syndrome
of the psoric miasm because they are similar to its entire disease process
in its human sufferers. In order to remove all the symptoms of a chronic
disease it is necessary to remove its cause. If only one aspect or another
of the underlying disease state is treated the illness will either be
suppressed or palliated. If the leaves and branches of a weed are cut of
without removing the root, the weed will only grow again.

DR. HERING'S PREFACE CONTINUES:

"The shallow opponents of Homoeopathic and we never had any
other! pounced upon the theory of the psoric miasm with a view of
attacking it with their hollow and unmeaning sarcasms. Making *Psora* to be
identical with itch, they sneeringly pretended that according to
Hahnemann’s doctrines the itch was the primitive evil, and that this
doctrine was akin to the doctrine of the original sin recognized by the
Christian Faith.*

(This statement of Hering’s is accompanied by a note from the editor, Dr.
Hempel:)

*Note of the Editor: I beg pardon of my distinguished and learned
friend for annexing a few remarks to this passage. In doing so I merely
anticipate what I intend to express more fully on this subject some other
occasion.

As it would be absurd for a philosophical Christian to reject the
doctrine of original sin, so it is absurd for any one who professes to have
a clear perception of Homoeopathy, to reject the doctrine of an hereditary
morbific miasm. Both these doctrines must stand and fall together; and, as
truth is one and indivisible, they both hold and illustrate each other. If
we admit with Rousseau that every thing which leaves the hand of God, is
perfectly holy, then the first created man must have been perfectly pure,
and must have appeared in the image and likeness of his maker. It seems to
me absurd to suppose that something perfectly pure can, of itself, by its
own free and orderly development, produce things impure and evil. We do not
know how far God permitted an *adaptation* to evil to co-exist in the first
man together with an adaptation of goodness. But this we certainly know
that evil fruits must be the results of evil forces. In a certain moment
man, or God through man, permitted the adaptation to evil to prevail in his
nature; and instaneously the forces of evil, be they called the serpent,
devil, or otherwise, invaded man’s nature, engrafted themselves upon it,
and have, up to this moment, perpetuated their existence in it.

This is relatively speaking, a fall, although, this fall, having been
the first necessary phasis of human development, it may, in reality, be
considered a progress. Man’s destiny consists in reuniting himself again
with the Divine Life through the universal expansion of all the facilities
of his soul, and the realization of all the celestial harmonics in the germ
of which God had depositied in his nature, and towards the construction of
which science and art will furnish him the means. The principle of division
or dissolution which man had suffered to be introduced into his spiritual
nature, must necessarily have embodied itself in the corresponding
principle in the material organism. It is this principle which Hahnemann
calls *Psora*. In proportion as man’s spiritual nature becomes developed
and purified, this psoric miasms will be diminished, and will finally be
completely removed form the life of humanity. This complete physical
regeneration of human nature will necessarily be attended with great
changes in all the external relations of man, education, mode of labouring,
living, etc., etc

The principle of division or dissolution existing in the human organism
as an established and constituted fact, does not preclude the possibility
of this organism being invaded by acute miasms. The psoric principle marks
the general adaptation to evil, recognized and inherently received by the
human organism by the forces of evil which I have named subversive forces
in my preface. Those sudden invasions could never have taken place without
man having first admitted the psoric principle to be constitutional in his
organism."

COMMENTS BY DL: It was Hempel that used the analogy of the original sin
to inherited psora in rebuttal of the criticisms of the allopaths! The
Hempel's footnote that contains a number of interesting statements that
affected the development of Homoeopathy. This preface points to the Deist
teachings of Rousseau, the great French philosopher of the 18th century.
Samuel Hahnemann was taught the works of Rousseau by his father from his
youth and Deism continued have a great influence on the Founder throughout
his entire life. This is confirmed in Hahnemann’s private letters, and the
Deist teachings are apparent in his written works. Rousseau pointed out
that far from human beings being essential “evil”; they were based on a
perfection that proceeds from the Godhead. This perfection is a reflection
of those who were made in the image of the loving Creator. For this reason,
there was a time when human beings lived in accordance with God’s laws and
experience a life of harmony. This period is symbolized by the archetypal
Garden of Eden and the early part of the story of Adam and Eve.

What led to the fall of humanity and how did disease enter the human
organism? In a spiritual sense free will is a gift instilled in human
beings that allows them to act as independent creatures for better or
worse. The actions of human beings have a direct relationship with the
condition of their internal and external environment. The fall, however, is
a natural part of the evolution of human beings so that they eventually use
their own free will to seek to reunite themselves with God and live in tune
with the laws of nature. Right thinking, proper diet and a balanced life
style are conditions that perpetuate a harmonious state of health while
wrong thinking, bad food and unhealthy habits lead to a fall into the state
of illness.

Such ideas bring one automatically to the subject of the susceptibility
to disease as part of the aetiological constellation of the illness
itself. In the Chronic Diseases Mental and emotional stress, improper
diet, unhygienic practices, and poor living and working conditions are
situations that potentiate the susceptibility to psora, as well as ignite
the flare up of latent psora in those who are relatively healthy. Hahnemann
also noted that psora can be a heredity disease and effect the vary make up
of the human constitution and its susceptibility to disease in general. The
condition of the congenital constitution and acquired miasms also forms the
basis for a person’s susceptibility to acute illness and miasms.

James Tyler Kent’s Lectures on Homœopathic Philosophy echoed a similar
vision of the origin and the fall of humanity and its relationship to
chronic diseases. Boenninghausen taught that innate predispositions were
the proximate cause and that the fundamental cause was psora. Although the
psora stems from prior infection, its ramifications go back to the ancient
of human days, and have affected the constitution of the entire human race.

"Psora is the underlying cause, and is the primitive or primary
disorder of the human race. It is a disordered state of the internal
economy of the human race. This state expresses itself in the forms of the
varying chronic diseases, or chronic manifestations. If the human race had
remained in a state of perfect order, psora could not have existed."

Lectures on Homœopathic Philosophy, James Kent, Chronic Diseases Psora,
page 146.

James Kent did not equate the idea of psora with the original sin. This
idea originated in Hering and Hempel’s debate with the critics of the psora
hypothesis. He was careful to point out that the fall from the state of
perfection was the proximate cause that produced the SUSCEPTIBILITY to
psora and the other miasms. About the deeper aspects of the genesis of
disease James said:

"It is altogether too extensive, for it goes to the very primitive
wrong of the human race, the very first sickness of the human race, that is
the spiritual sickness, from which first state the race progressed into
what may be called the true susceptibility to psora which in turn laid the
foundation for other diseases."

Lectures on Homœopathic Philosophy, James Kent, Chronic Diseases Psora,
page 146.

The fall of humanity from perfection is based on an ethical decline but
hitting the external ground is psora, the mother of all miasms. From this
tainted soil springs the predispositions to all the other chronic miasms.
From this time the “sins of the fathers have been passed on to the sons
through the generations”. James Kent preserved many older teachings and
passed them on to a new generation in the late 19th century before they
were lost. This includes Hempel’s discussion of Rousseau’s teachings and
the origin of disease, the doctrine of heredity and the miasms. Kent,
however, made a clear distinction between susceptible and psora which
Hempel did not. Hering's also discussed Hahnemann's direction of cure (Kent
called these Hering's laws) in the same preface 1845 edition of the Chronic
Disease.

Hahnemann did not equate psora with the original sin. He stressed the
fact that psora was based on prior infection and he acknowledged in the 6th
Organon that this miasm could be inherited as well as acquired. He never,
however, never said that psora started as a mental disease. When he was
speaking of psora and the miasms he was talking about constitutional
affects of unresolved in infections and suppression. This makes Hahnemann
the father of modern epidemiology and the first to record the chronic
affects of auto-mmune disorders and immuno-deficiency diseases. This is a
fact that should be made clear in every medical history!

If one was able to ask Hahnemann personally about the spiritual causes
of disease he would have answered in the paradigm of the Deist and the
Masons. Samuel held these universal ideals his entire life and made this
clear in his personal statements and letters. He was life long student of
the teachings of Rousseau, which includes the idea that human fell from a
perfected state. Hahnemann once spoke of returning to "Eden" in reference
to returning to this state of perfect health. Nevertheless, Samuel did no
associate psora with the fall of humanity in the spiritual sense. This idea
is based on a misinterpretation of the teachings of James Kent, who was
referring to the ideas raise by Hempel in Hering's 1845 preface to the
Chronic Diseases.

Kent, like Rousseau, spoke of the first spiritual sickness of humanity
and how it made people susceptible to psora and the miasms. Many
homoeopaths have echoed the idea of psora first being mental or spiritual.
This, however, is a misrepresentation the statements by James Kent. He
actually stated the humanity fell from grace through ethical and emotional
causes and this open up *susceptibility* to physical illness like psora and
the miasms. This is quite a different matter than saying "psora" started as
a mental disease and then became the itch, etc..

I hope this clears up some of the misunderstandings.
Similia Minimus,
Sincerely, David Little

[Rosemary C Hyde PhD]

What a wonderful, insightful exegesis of these texts! Thanks, David.

Reading this does bring to my mind something I've wondered about relative to Psora and Kent's interpretation of it as "original sin" -- which I know is not Hahnemann's spin on it. Yet Hahnemann, too, refers to the moral component of disease. I wonder about this every time I treat a domestic non-human animal, and find the same susceptibilities and miasmatic patterns as in human patients. The apparent susceptibility of non-human creatures to Psora would seem to de-emphasize the moral aspect of its supposed etiology in favor simply of the inevitable cumulative traumas experienced during a life.

Rosemary

[Farbod Rahnamai]

Dear David

It was wondeful.

Thanks
Farbod

[Magda Aguila]

Rosemary,

I would like to throw a "spin" into this one...
I used to feel the same way as you, until I took into consideration that the
animals we are dealing with, are the result of "human intervention". Dogs,
cats, horses, especially are being influenced by what humans consider
"improvements" on the breeds. There are sisters bred to brothers, mothers
to sons, etc., etc. Humans determine what characteristics are most
desirable in the breeds and purposely breed to improve or eliminate these
characteristics. A few years back I had a case that was so clearly psycotic
it was scary. I asked for the dog's pedigree and I was speechless. The
same dog had been used in half sisters over and over again for five
generations. Even I as a long time show breeder was in shock.
So, my point is that when we treat these animals, we are also, in a round
about way, dealing with the miasms present in the breeders and owners, which
color their "seeing glasses" as it may, to bring about those qualities that
in that human's mind are appealing. The human's miasms are represented in
the animals thru the humans' choices in their breeding programs.

Throw in the number of vaccines animals are subjected to, and the
substantial amount of suppression is typical veterinary care, and you can
see every spectrum of every Miasm known to us. JMO.

Magda Aguila
Aquiline
Animal Nutrition and
Homeopathic Consultations
Ask me about Juice Plus
http://www.juiceplus.com/+ma21937

[Rosemary C Hyde PhD]

Hi, Magda.

Interesting "spin," and it makes sense. But even in "mutts"? especially cats -- feral ones with no specific breeding and little or no vaccination history? I agree that the miasms seem more implanted in purebreds and animals whose whole history has involved human manipulation. Rosemary

[Miguel F]

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