Stages of Disease and Remedies 1
Posted: Sat May 14, 2005 7:00 am
Hello all,
The question of stages and degrees is an interesting area of study so
I thought I would comment on the subject. Understanding the 4 stages of
pathology offers insights into the nature the disease and its corresponding
remedies. This includes functional and organic pathological states as well
as stages and degrees of pathology. A function disorder only incudes
changes in the functions of system, organs and tissues. These changes
produce dynamic symptoms but as of yet there is no organic pathology. This
is associated with the earlier stages of pathology.
An pathological state includes organic tissue changes in systems,
organs and tissues. This is considered part of the later stages of disease.
These two major states also have fours stages that included different
degrees. These types complaints cannot be approach in the same manner. The
nature, degree and stage of the disease have relevance to the choice of
remedy (acute, chronic, anti-miasmic, intercurrent, alternation, etc), the
size of the dose (small, medium. large), the delivery system (dry, liquid,
oral, olfaction), the potency system (C or LM), the potency degree (low,
medium, high) and the repetition (single dose, split-dose, timing of the
intervals) The four stages of physical pathology are:
1. Irritation and inflammation
2. Infiltration, induration and swelling
3. Suppuration, scarification, bleeding
4. Ulceration and necrosis
These four stages are found in both acute and chronic diseases. For
example, in the first stage of a acute cold, flu and other infections there
is usually redness, heat, irritation, and inflammation of mucus tissue. In
the second stage the is usually swelling and a clear or white discharge. In
the third stage there is sacrifice of white cells and the production of pus
at the inflammatory barricade with mucus discharges of yellow to yellow
green color sometimes tinged with blood. In the forth stage their is
usually sores and ulceration of the mucus membranes with the discharge of
foul, yellow-green to brownish -to to blackish mucus.
This signs show the stages and degrees of the pathology and come with
corresponding concomitant systemic symptoms. For example, the first stage
may have prodromal chill and malaise then remittent fever and irritability;
the second continuous fever, sweats, weakness, moodiness, etc.; the third
chill, heat, sweat, hectic fever with high spikes, restlessness, etc; and
the fourth with high fever, coldness, depression and collapse. These are
only illustrative ideas of a process rather than fixed examples witnessed
in each and every case.
The same pattern is noted in chronic diseases. They also start with
irritation and inflammation and progress with infiltration and
indurations,that tend to suppurate, bleed and scar and end in ulceration
and necrosis. For example, the diseased blood vessels first become inflamed
and irritated; then thickened and occluded; then hemorrhagic and scared;
then degenerative and necrotic; and THEN .the patient is dead!
The development of the miasms also has four stages and differing
degrees of pathology. These are the prodrome period, the primary symptoms,
the latent states and secondary or tertiary stage..Each of these stages has
unique symptoms that progress from early functional to early pathological
to moderate pathological to advanced pathological states. The road to cure
is the reversal of the advanced pathology to moderate pathology to early
pathology to functional stages to the state of health. This is part of
Hahnemann's direction of cure commonly called "Hering's laws".
The late, great Dr, Dhawlae MD pointed out many years ago that the four
stages of pathology correspond to the four major characteristics of miasms,
psora, sycosis, pseudopsora TB and syphilis. Psora is exemplified by
irritation and inflammation; Sycosis by induration, infiltration, and over
growth; Pseudospora TB by suppuration, scarification, and bleeding; and
syphilis by ulceration and necrosis. The non venereal miasms like psora and
pseudopsora TB involve heat, inflammation, suppuration, bleeding,
scarification, etc., while the venereal diseases like sycosis and syphilis
are more prone to infiltration, induration, swelling, over growth,
degeneration, ulceration and necrosis. This show the different in
infections spread by skin contact the droplets and those passed by sexual
intercourse.
As the miasms progress from 1 to 4 they also tend to include some of the
symptoms of the previous miasms. For example, pseudopsora is an
intensification of some of the symptoms of the psora. Syphilis is an
intensification of some of the symptoms of sycosis. An illustration of this
is that pseduospora starts with inflammation similar to psora but then
moves to quickly to easy suppuration, bleeding and scaring and systemic
syphilis first starts with an over growth called gumma which is similar to
sycosis but it quickly breaks down into necrosis and ulcerations. HIV/AIDS
has all of these symptoms in various degrees and aids in the proliferation
of psora and TB. There are many such relationships.
Chronic remedies and anti-miasmic medicines also have different stages
and degrees of disease that reflect these four areas. Some remedies like
Aconite reflect mostly in the first phase of inflammation and acute
diseases while others like Mercury have all stages in differing degrees but
has very marked ulceration and necrosis. Some remedies are more adapted to
a single physical type of constitution, temperament and miasma. Others suit
several different types of patients due to their broad action over human
constitutions, chronic diseases and complex miasms. Nevertheless, each
remedy has a characteristic pattern in which its own stages, degrees,
adaptability and anti-miasmic actions are predominate.
The four stages of pathology also show up on the psychological level.
This is also a very interesting and gratifying area of study. The four
major stages are:
1. This is the early functional stage. This involves of coping mechanisms,
compensation, and other methods of control used to repress complexes while
maintaining the appearance of normality.
2. This is the late functional and early pathological stages. This involves
the breakdown of coping mechanisms and the temporary or intermittent loss
of control over the complexes.
2. This is the establishment of the full pathological stage with neurotic
states. This is where the complexes are exerting control over the patient.
4. This is the advanced pathological stags with psychotic states. This is
when the complexes have complete control over the patient.
Persons in the first stage are controlling their emotions through
coping mechanisms and compensation. For the most part they appear "normal"
but it is a contrived state in which the persona puts on a good face but
the shadow will react by showing opposite states sooner or later. A person
with repressed anger will speak very softly in an effort to control their
emotions but there is stiff masking of the facial expressions and
corresponding body postures. It is impossible to keep up this front forever
because there is a need for problem solving. There will be moment of
uncharacteristic moods accompanied by "Freudian slips" combined with
automatic actions, rigid body posturing, and obvious inner tensions. The
anger will leak out and others will wonder "what has gotten into them?". It
is not what got into them. It is what is coming out of them. This will be
noticed by those close to the person as they are often part of the
triggering mechanism or a convenient target of the "kicking the dog"
syndrome . This corresponds to the state of inflammation or irritation.
The second states begins when the coping mechanisms begin to break down
and the emotions can not longer be compensated or totally repressed. The
anger will now be expressed and the symbolic powers of the word
association, tone and setting will now begin to take over. Certain
situations will trigger inappropriate actions in which the patient appears
to be overreacting to others. The energy of the undigested archetypes and
the complexes in the personal unconscious begin to activate and take
control of the persona and the mask begins to fall off. At this time the
patient alternates between control and coping and loss of control and
troubling moods. The signs of mood affective disorders like depression and
mood swings begin to show themselves. The patient is obviously trouble but
as of yet they are for the most part still in control of their emotions.
This corresponds to the stage of infiltration or induration.
In the third stage the patient begins to take on neurotic behavior which
is noticed by the patient and those around them. This is when anxiety,
hysterical, obsessive compulsive and hypochondriacal neuroses and paranoid
disorders begin to take shape. The undigested archetypes and complexes in
the personal unconscious now control the action of the patient and the
coping mechanisms no longer work. Mood affective disorders like simple
depression takes on the signs of clinical depression and mood swings become
manic depressive bipolar states. The patient begins to suffer all the
classical symptom of full melancholia. The patient life becomes a drama of
symbolic actions and the power of the undigested archetypes rule that
person's actions. Mood, setting and situations trigger stronger reactions
that the patient cannot control and they begin to avoid certain persons,
places and things. Paranoid disorders with fear and phobias increase. There
may be fits of violence toward self and others and suicidal behavior may be
noted. This is corresponds to the stage of suppuration and scarification.
The fourth stage the patient begins to lose contact with reality and
their delusions, projections and hallucinations are taken as the sole
reality. They no longer see their own behavior as inharmonious and lose
self awareness of their actions. They believe that their actions and
thoughts are rational and the actions of others are irrational and
perverse. At this point, the energy of the undigested archetypes takes the
patient over completely and they act out their complexes on the stage of
the delusions and believe that this is the real world. Now the neurosis
gives way to psychosis and schizophrenia and the patient is considered
truly insane. This corresponds to the stage of ulceration and necrosis.
Many times the concomitant physical symptom will correspond the mental
pathology. The body becomes inflamed, infiltrated, suppurated and necrotic
as the psyche becomes more irritated, indurated, scared and ulcerated. The
systems, organs and tissues become targets for related psychosomatic
disorders and conversions diseases. The psyche and soma become mirror
images and the brain will take on chemical imbalances that affect the
nervous system and endocrine glands. This is very common in mood affective
disorders, neuroses, and paranoid diseases.
In some cases, however, the former physical disorders are transferred
to the psyche and the body will remain relatively normal. This is
occasionally witnessed in psychosis and schizophrenia. The patient may
appear strong and healthy although they are seriously compromised mentally.
Mental diseases that start with organic degenerations often have more
serious physical symptoms than those that start at the level of psychic
then target the body. The physical symptoms that original in the psyche are
often transferred back and forth depending on the situation. There are many
potential manifestations of these states so each situation must be
individualized according to its causes, symptoms and attendant circumstances.
If one analysis the remedy with these four stages in mind it become very
easy to see the layers and strata within the proving symptoms and their
clinical confirmations. Our remedies are extremely multi-faceted and
multi-polar. This includes both the physical and psychological symptoms.
That is why not one single essence or theme can complex cover the entire
Gestalt pattern of a homeopathic remedy. They have phase in which their
symptoms are the opposite of other phases. This makes it impossible to
pigeon hole the remedies into one signal keynote. Trying to categorized
remedies in simple categories like hot or cold is impossible. There are few
remedies that are completely hot or cold. One can call Sulphur a "hot
remedy" but it also is a 3 for lack of vital heat! This multifaceted nature
is true with most of the deep acting chronic remedies. Looking at the
remedies in stages helps to clarify why a remedy is hot at one stage, has
mixed thermals at another, and is cold in the end.
Stages and degrees also explains how to use symptoms that might appear
"healthy" like cheerfulness. In the first stage cheerfulness is often a
coping mechanism to cover up sadness by compensations that are not natural.
When someone is too cheerful bordering on hysterical laughter this is not a
healthy state. One can almost here them crying in the tone of their
laughter! When so-called healthy states are presented are part of persona
mask it is a form of compensation not healthy conditions. Excessive of
normal beneficial emotions are also diseases. Pride is good but the pride
of Platina is pathological because it involves ego-inflation and delusions
of being royal, precious and better than all others.
Stages and degrees also shows one how contradictory symptoms fall into
place. For example, a keynote of Natrum Muriaticum is said to be sadness,
depression, and a closed grief stricken state where the patient is unable
to cry, etc. This, however, only relates to Natrum Muriaticum in the 3rd
stage of mental pathology. In the first stage Natrum Muriaticum is
cheerful, open, romantic, hopeful and cries fairly easily. In the second
stage they suffer mood swings in which they are sometimes cheerful and
sometimes sad and sometimes they laugh and sometimes they cry, etc. In the
third stage they become depressed, emotionally rigid, hopeless, suicidal
and never cry or show much emotion. In the fourth stage their complexes
take over and they act out there undigested archetypes and express their
complexes in a manner that is complete psychotic. These could manifest as
an extreme form of any of the symptoms of the previous stages. They now
become what people call insane because they are completely out of touch
with reality.
This same analysis in stages and degrees can be applied to diseases,
patients and remedies. Nevertheless, one should realize that any system of
analysis can only function relative to the time and circumstances to which
it is applied and has it exceptions. The observer is always part of the
observation and should not think that reality is easily place in neat,
little boxes. I hope this helps elucidate the stages and degrees of illness
as well as the multifaceted nature of our remedies.
Similia Minimus
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
The question of stages and degrees is an interesting area of study so
I thought I would comment on the subject. Understanding the 4 stages of
pathology offers insights into the nature the disease and its corresponding
remedies. This includes functional and organic pathological states as well
as stages and degrees of pathology. A function disorder only incudes
changes in the functions of system, organs and tissues. These changes
produce dynamic symptoms but as of yet there is no organic pathology. This
is associated with the earlier stages of pathology.
An pathological state includes organic tissue changes in systems,
organs and tissues. This is considered part of the later stages of disease.
These two major states also have fours stages that included different
degrees. These types complaints cannot be approach in the same manner. The
nature, degree and stage of the disease have relevance to the choice of
remedy (acute, chronic, anti-miasmic, intercurrent, alternation, etc), the
size of the dose (small, medium. large), the delivery system (dry, liquid,
oral, olfaction), the potency system (C or LM), the potency degree (low,
medium, high) and the repetition (single dose, split-dose, timing of the
intervals) The four stages of physical pathology are:
1. Irritation and inflammation
2. Infiltration, induration and swelling
3. Suppuration, scarification, bleeding
4. Ulceration and necrosis
These four stages are found in both acute and chronic diseases. For
example, in the first stage of a acute cold, flu and other infections there
is usually redness, heat, irritation, and inflammation of mucus tissue. In
the second stage the is usually swelling and a clear or white discharge. In
the third stage there is sacrifice of white cells and the production of pus
at the inflammatory barricade with mucus discharges of yellow to yellow
green color sometimes tinged with blood. In the forth stage their is
usually sores and ulceration of the mucus membranes with the discharge of
foul, yellow-green to brownish -to to blackish mucus.
This signs show the stages and degrees of the pathology and come with
corresponding concomitant systemic symptoms. For example, the first stage
may have prodromal chill and malaise then remittent fever and irritability;
the second continuous fever, sweats, weakness, moodiness, etc.; the third
chill, heat, sweat, hectic fever with high spikes, restlessness, etc; and
the fourth with high fever, coldness, depression and collapse. These are
only illustrative ideas of a process rather than fixed examples witnessed
in each and every case.
The same pattern is noted in chronic diseases. They also start with
irritation and inflammation and progress with infiltration and
indurations,that tend to suppurate, bleed and scar and end in ulceration
and necrosis. For example, the diseased blood vessels first become inflamed
and irritated; then thickened and occluded; then hemorrhagic and scared;
then degenerative and necrotic; and THEN .the patient is dead!
The development of the miasms also has four stages and differing
degrees of pathology. These are the prodrome period, the primary symptoms,
the latent states and secondary or tertiary stage..Each of these stages has
unique symptoms that progress from early functional to early pathological
to moderate pathological to advanced pathological states. The road to cure
is the reversal of the advanced pathology to moderate pathology to early
pathology to functional stages to the state of health. This is part of
Hahnemann's direction of cure commonly called "Hering's laws".
The late, great Dr, Dhawlae MD pointed out many years ago that the four
stages of pathology correspond to the four major characteristics of miasms,
psora, sycosis, pseudopsora TB and syphilis. Psora is exemplified by
irritation and inflammation; Sycosis by induration, infiltration, and over
growth; Pseudospora TB by suppuration, scarification, and bleeding; and
syphilis by ulceration and necrosis. The non venereal miasms like psora and
pseudopsora TB involve heat, inflammation, suppuration, bleeding,
scarification, etc., while the venereal diseases like sycosis and syphilis
are more prone to infiltration, induration, swelling, over growth,
degeneration, ulceration and necrosis. This show the different in
infections spread by skin contact the droplets and those passed by sexual
intercourse.
As the miasms progress from 1 to 4 they also tend to include some of the
symptoms of the previous miasms. For example, pseudopsora is an
intensification of some of the symptoms of the psora. Syphilis is an
intensification of some of the symptoms of sycosis. An illustration of this
is that pseduospora starts with inflammation similar to psora but then
moves to quickly to easy suppuration, bleeding and scaring and systemic
syphilis first starts with an over growth called gumma which is similar to
sycosis but it quickly breaks down into necrosis and ulcerations. HIV/AIDS
has all of these symptoms in various degrees and aids in the proliferation
of psora and TB. There are many such relationships.
Chronic remedies and anti-miasmic medicines also have different stages
and degrees of disease that reflect these four areas. Some remedies like
Aconite reflect mostly in the first phase of inflammation and acute
diseases while others like Mercury have all stages in differing degrees but
has very marked ulceration and necrosis. Some remedies are more adapted to
a single physical type of constitution, temperament and miasma. Others suit
several different types of patients due to their broad action over human
constitutions, chronic diseases and complex miasms. Nevertheless, each
remedy has a characteristic pattern in which its own stages, degrees,
adaptability and anti-miasmic actions are predominate.
The four stages of pathology also show up on the psychological level.
This is also a very interesting and gratifying area of study. The four
major stages are:
1. This is the early functional stage. This involves of coping mechanisms,
compensation, and other methods of control used to repress complexes while
maintaining the appearance of normality.
2. This is the late functional and early pathological stages. This involves
the breakdown of coping mechanisms and the temporary or intermittent loss
of control over the complexes.
2. This is the establishment of the full pathological stage with neurotic
states. This is where the complexes are exerting control over the patient.
4. This is the advanced pathological stags with psychotic states. This is
when the complexes have complete control over the patient.
Persons in the first stage are controlling their emotions through
coping mechanisms and compensation. For the most part they appear "normal"
but it is a contrived state in which the persona puts on a good face but
the shadow will react by showing opposite states sooner or later. A person
with repressed anger will speak very softly in an effort to control their
emotions but there is stiff masking of the facial expressions and
corresponding body postures. It is impossible to keep up this front forever
because there is a need for problem solving. There will be moment of
uncharacteristic moods accompanied by "Freudian slips" combined with
automatic actions, rigid body posturing, and obvious inner tensions. The
anger will leak out and others will wonder "what has gotten into them?". It
is not what got into them. It is what is coming out of them. This will be
noticed by those close to the person as they are often part of the
triggering mechanism or a convenient target of the "kicking the dog"
syndrome . This corresponds to the state of inflammation or irritation.
The second states begins when the coping mechanisms begin to break down
and the emotions can not longer be compensated or totally repressed. The
anger will now be expressed and the symbolic powers of the word
association, tone and setting will now begin to take over. Certain
situations will trigger inappropriate actions in which the patient appears
to be overreacting to others. The energy of the undigested archetypes and
the complexes in the personal unconscious begin to activate and take
control of the persona and the mask begins to fall off. At this time the
patient alternates between control and coping and loss of control and
troubling moods. The signs of mood affective disorders like depression and
mood swings begin to show themselves. The patient is obviously trouble but
as of yet they are for the most part still in control of their emotions.
This corresponds to the stage of infiltration or induration.
In the third stage the patient begins to take on neurotic behavior which
is noticed by the patient and those around them. This is when anxiety,
hysterical, obsessive compulsive and hypochondriacal neuroses and paranoid
disorders begin to take shape. The undigested archetypes and complexes in
the personal unconscious now control the action of the patient and the
coping mechanisms no longer work. Mood affective disorders like simple
depression takes on the signs of clinical depression and mood swings become
manic depressive bipolar states. The patient begins to suffer all the
classical symptom of full melancholia. The patient life becomes a drama of
symbolic actions and the power of the undigested archetypes rule that
person's actions. Mood, setting and situations trigger stronger reactions
that the patient cannot control and they begin to avoid certain persons,
places and things. Paranoid disorders with fear and phobias increase. There
may be fits of violence toward self and others and suicidal behavior may be
noted. This is corresponds to the stage of suppuration and scarification.
The fourth stage the patient begins to lose contact with reality and
their delusions, projections and hallucinations are taken as the sole
reality. They no longer see their own behavior as inharmonious and lose
self awareness of their actions. They believe that their actions and
thoughts are rational and the actions of others are irrational and
perverse. At this point, the energy of the undigested archetypes takes the
patient over completely and they act out their complexes on the stage of
the delusions and believe that this is the real world. Now the neurosis
gives way to psychosis and schizophrenia and the patient is considered
truly insane. This corresponds to the stage of ulceration and necrosis.
Many times the concomitant physical symptom will correspond the mental
pathology. The body becomes inflamed, infiltrated, suppurated and necrotic
as the psyche becomes more irritated, indurated, scared and ulcerated. The
systems, organs and tissues become targets for related psychosomatic
disorders and conversions diseases. The psyche and soma become mirror
images and the brain will take on chemical imbalances that affect the
nervous system and endocrine glands. This is very common in mood affective
disorders, neuroses, and paranoid diseases.
In some cases, however, the former physical disorders are transferred
to the psyche and the body will remain relatively normal. This is
occasionally witnessed in psychosis and schizophrenia. The patient may
appear strong and healthy although they are seriously compromised mentally.
Mental diseases that start with organic degenerations often have more
serious physical symptoms than those that start at the level of psychic
then target the body. The physical symptoms that original in the psyche are
often transferred back and forth depending on the situation. There are many
potential manifestations of these states so each situation must be
individualized according to its causes, symptoms and attendant circumstances.
If one analysis the remedy with these four stages in mind it become very
easy to see the layers and strata within the proving symptoms and their
clinical confirmations. Our remedies are extremely multi-faceted and
multi-polar. This includes both the physical and psychological symptoms.
That is why not one single essence or theme can complex cover the entire
Gestalt pattern of a homeopathic remedy. They have phase in which their
symptoms are the opposite of other phases. This makes it impossible to
pigeon hole the remedies into one signal keynote. Trying to categorized
remedies in simple categories like hot or cold is impossible. There are few
remedies that are completely hot or cold. One can call Sulphur a "hot
remedy" but it also is a 3 for lack of vital heat! This multifaceted nature
is true with most of the deep acting chronic remedies. Looking at the
remedies in stages helps to clarify why a remedy is hot at one stage, has
mixed thermals at another, and is cold in the end.
Stages and degrees also explains how to use symptoms that might appear
"healthy" like cheerfulness. In the first stage cheerfulness is often a
coping mechanism to cover up sadness by compensations that are not natural.
When someone is too cheerful bordering on hysterical laughter this is not a
healthy state. One can almost here them crying in the tone of their
laughter! When so-called healthy states are presented are part of persona
mask it is a form of compensation not healthy conditions. Excessive of
normal beneficial emotions are also diseases. Pride is good but the pride
of Platina is pathological because it involves ego-inflation and delusions
of being royal, precious and better than all others.
Stages and degrees also shows one how contradictory symptoms fall into
place. For example, a keynote of Natrum Muriaticum is said to be sadness,
depression, and a closed grief stricken state where the patient is unable
to cry, etc. This, however, only relates to Natrum Muriaticum in the 3rd
stage of mental pathology. In the first stage Natrum Muriaticum is
cheerful, open, romantic, hopeful and cries fairly easily. In the second
stage they suffer mood swings in which they are sometimes cheerful and
sometimes sad and sometimes they laugh and sometimes they cry, etc. In the
third stage they become depressed, emotionally rigid, hopeless, suicidal
and never cry or show much emotion. In the fourth stage their complexes
take over and they act out there undigested archetypes and express their
complexes in a manner that is complete psychotic. These could manifest as
an extreme form of any of the symptoms of the previous stages. They now
become what people call insane because they are completely out of touch
with reality.
This same analysis in stages and degrees can be applied to diseases,
patients and remedies. Nevertheless, one should realize that any system of
analysis can only function relative to the time and circumstances to which
it is applied and has it exceptions. The observer is always part of the
observation and should not think that reality is easily place in neat,
little boxes. I hope this helps elucidate the stages and degrees of illness
as well as the multifaceted nature of our remedies.
Similia Minimus
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