Hahnemann and the Miasms
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2001 6:51 am
Dear Minutus,
Epidemiology in Homoeopathy
Hahnemann is the founder of modern epidemiology and his ideas about
infection are still more advanced than their allopathic counter part. Some
modern homoeopaths do not realize that miasms are the acquired and
inherited effects of infectious diseases. Hahnemann made it quite clear in
On the Mode of Prorogation of the Asiatic Cholera that cause of cholera
miasm was an “enormously increased brood of the excessively minute,
invisible, living organisms so inimical to human life” (The Lesser
Writings, page 758, 1831). Miasms are infectious diseases caused by
microorganisms and their sequels.
The Chronic Diseases (1828) is an early study of inheritance,
constitution, temperament, susceptibility, infection, and collective
diseases. The infectious miasms are collective diseases of common cause,
fixed character, and similar symptoms. The case taking method for
collective disease is the group genus anamnesis (§100, 101, 103). The group
anamnesis is the source of preventative and curative remedies for the
acute, half-acute and chronic miasms. Miasms are caused by microorganisms
that have the capability to breed in the human organism and cause sequels.
Their affects may be transmitted by heredity.
"Or have these various, acute, half-spiritual miasms the peculiar
characteristic that--after they have penetrated the vital force in the
first moment of the contagion which (and then, one each in its own way has
produced disease) like parasites have quickly grown up from within."
The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic
Cure, Hahnemann, Nature of Chronic Diseases, footnote, page 75.
Hahnemann says the acute miasms “die out and leave the living organism
again free" if the patient lives through the attack and its sequels. Then
he speaks about the chronic miasms."
"On the other hand, are not the chronic miasmas disease-parasites,
which continue to live as long as the man seized by them is alive, and
which have their fruit in the eruption originally produced by them (the
itch-pustule, the chancre and the fig-wart, which in turn are capable of
infecting others), and which do not die off of themselves like the acute
miasmas, but can only be exterminated and annihilated by a
counter-infection, by means of the potency of a medicinal disease quite
similar to it and stronger then it (the antipsoric), so that the patient is
delivered from them and recovers his health?"
The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure,
Hahnemann, Nature of Chronic Diseases, footnote, page 75-76.
The Founder was well aware of the use of the microscope in scientific
investigations. He noted that some animalcule-miasms have latent states
that take years to develop secondary pathology. Stressful emotional and
physical circumstances ignite the latent miasms causing secondary pathology.
"To the superficial observer [they look-dl] healthy for years, even for
many years, until circumstance unfavorable to the body or the soul, or to
both, may arise and serve as a hostile impulse to awaken the disease
slumbering within and thus develop it germs."
The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure,
Hahnemann, Nature of Chronic Diseases, footnote, page 98.
Hahnemann used the word germs and living organisms more than once.
Although the Chronic Disease (1828) records three chronic universal miasms,
Constantine Hering noted in his preface to Hempel’s translation of the
Organon that Hahnemann discovered a new miasm he called pseudo-psora, the
TB miasma.
"Hahnemann distinguishes the venereal miasms as syphilis and sycosis;
and also subdivides psora with pseudo-psora."
Hempel’s American translation of the Organon.
Hahnemann’s miasmic theory included two non-venereal miasms, Psora
(the itch disease) and Pseudo-psora (the TB miasm) and two venereal miasms
Sycosis (the fig wart diseases) and Syphilis (the chancre disease). All of
these miasms may be acquired through a primary infection or their effects
can be experienced through inheritance. The Great Experimenter was the
first to teach the constitutional nature of skin infections and how they
may progress into serious internal disorders, especially when suppressed.
The miasms include soft tissue infections caused by fungi, mites, and
bacteria as well as gonorrheal sycosis, tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS,
chronic infectious hepatitis and endemic miasms like yaws, Lyme disease,
and malaria. Those that deny the existence of miasms are saying that these
documented infectious diseases that kill and maim 1, 000, 000s of people do
not exist. If they close their eyes to these truth they will not see any
miasms but these diseases will still torment humanity. Only by
understanding that the miasms are collective infectious diseases and their
sequels does one see them everywhere and treat them in the clinic.
Knowledge of the disease state is essential in treating chronic
degenerative diseases. The Chronic Diseases clearly pointed out the
difference between functional and latent states and secondary organic
pathology. To attempt to treat a disease like active TB just by the
symptoms without proper knowledge of the disease state is to put the
patient in great danger. To treat organic pathology by symptoms alone
without knowledge of the stages and degrees of the disease state can speed
the early demise of one's patient. One can not safely practice as a full
homoeopathician unless they understand the homoeopathic pathology that is
taught in the Chronic Diseases and Organon.
The Evolution of Aphorism Five (1829-1833)
Although Samuel Hahnemann introduced the subject of the chronic miasms
in the Chronic Diseases he had not yet integrated his advanced theories
into the main body of the Organon. Every medical practitioner knows the
difficulty of finding the cause of many disease states. Many causes are
hidden in the past so they are only witnessed in the signs and symptoms.
For this reason, homoeopathy pays as close attention to the objective
signs, coincidental befallments, and subjective symptoms. This is one of
the great gifts of homoeopathy.
"It may be conceded that every disease is dependant on an alternation
in the interior of the human organism. But this alternation is only guessed
at 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
alternation can not 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 Similia and individualization
were sufficient to treat all diseases. The central causal doctrine was
countering the one-sided tolle causum of the orthodox school. It was
Hahnemann’s failure to permanently cure chronic disease and miasms with the
symptoms alone that led him to reassess this clinical approach. As early as
the Medicine of Experience (1805) he speaks of causation but he did not see
the bigger picture completely until the 1828. From 1810 to 1827 Hahnemann
emphasized the difficulty of ascertaining causation and stressed Similia
and individualization.To treat serious cases while ignoring causations and
stages and degrees of pathological development is irresponsible in the clinic.
Knowledge of the nature, duration and stage of the disease state is
essential to the safe and effective treatment of human beings. The
ramifications of his study of causation, constitution, character,
susceptibility, miasms, and complex disease states is contained in aphorism
five of the 5th edition of the Organon. This is how important the studies
included in the Chronic Diseases are to homoeopathy.
"Useful to the physician in assisting him to cure are the particulars
of the most probable exciting cause of the acute disease as well as 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.,
is to be taken into consideration."
Organon of Medicine, 5th & 6th Edition, Hahnemann, Dudgeon & Boericke
Editions, 5th Organon, Aphorism 5.
This paragraph contains the breakthrough first introduced in the
Chronic Diseases in a nutshell. It was now necessary for the homeopath to
investigate the exciting causes of acute disease as well as the complete
history of a chronic illness to ascertain the fundamental cause, which is
often due to the miasms. In this aphorism Hahnemann introduces causation,
acute and chronic diseases, miasms and the study of the seven attendant
circumstances; the intellect, emotional disposition, occupation, life
style, domestic and social relationships, age, and sexuality. These areas
of study are essential to homoeopathy.
There are those that wish to say only Similia is important but this
only mimics the homoeopathy of the 3rd Organon. They somehow think one can
ignore the greater realities of scientific medicine and homoeopathic
pathology This leaves out all of Hahnemann advanced practices that were
developed between 1828 and 1843. These years represent the definitive years.
My advice to students and practitioners is to study the Organon,
Chronic Diseases, and Lesser Writings very closely and help bring these
teachings up to date for our times. Collective infectious miasms and their
acquired and inherited sequels produce many idiopathic diseases, autoimmune
syndromes, and immunodeficiency disorders are responsible for scores of
degenerate pathological conditions. This research is too important to
ignore if one wants to be a real homoeopathician. Hahnemann's work from
1828 to 1843 presents a perfect balance between Similia and individuation
and the knowledge of causation and collective disease states. The Founders
complete system is complete medical science that makes homoeopathy de
Medicina Futura.
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
Epidemiology in Homoeopathy
Hahnemann is the founder of modern epidemiology and his ideas about
infection are still more advanced than their allopathic counter part. Some
modern homoeopaths do not realize that miasms are the acquired and
inherited effects of infectious diseases. Hahnemann made it quite clear in
On the Mode of Prorogation of the Asiatic Cholera that cause of cholera
miasm was an “enormously increased brood of the excessively minute,
invisible, living organisms so inimical to human life” (The Lesser
Writings, page 758, 1831). Miasms are infectious diseases caused by
microorganisms and their sequels.
The Chronic Diseases (1828) is an early study of inheritance,
constitution, temperament, susceptibility, infection, and collective
diseases. The infectious miasms are collective diseases of common cause,
fixed character, and similar symptoms. The case taking method for
collective disease is the group genus anamnesis (§100, 101, 103). The group
anamnesis is the source of preventative and curative remedies for the
acute, half-acute and chronic miasms. Miasms are caused by microorganisms
that have the capability to breed in the human organism and cause sequels.
Their affects may be transmitted by heredity.
"Or have these various, acute, half-spiritual miasms the peculiar
characteristic that--after they have penetrated the vital force in the
first moment of the contagion which (and then, one each in its own way has
produced disease) like parasites have quickly grown up from within."
The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic
Cure, Hahnemann, Nature of Chronic Diseases, footnote, page 75.
Hahnemann says the acute miasms “die out and leave the living organism
again free" if the patient lives through the attack and its sequels. Then
he speaks about the chronic miasms."
"On the other hand, are not the chronic miasmas disease-parasites,
which continue to live as long as the man seized by them is alive, and
which have their fruit in the eruption originally produced by them (the
itch-pustule, the chancre and the fig-wart, which in turn are capable of
infecting others), and which do not die off of themselves like the acute
miasmas, but can only be exterminated and annihilated by a
counter-infection, by means of the potency of a medicinal disease quite
similar to it and stronger then it (the antipsoric), so that the patient is
delivered from them and recovers his health?"
The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure,
Hahnemann, Nature of Chronic Diseases, footnote, page 75-76.
The Founder was well aware of the use of the microscope in scientific
investigations. He noted that some animalcule-miasms have latent states
that take years to develop secondary pathology. Stressful emotional and
physical circumstances ignite the latent miasms causing secondary pathology.
"To the superficial observer [they look-dl] healthy for years, even for
many years, until circumstance unfavorable to the body or the soul, or to
both, may arise and serve as a hostile impulse to awaken the disease
slumbering within and thus develop it germs."
The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure,
Hahnemann, Nature of Chronic Diseases, footnote, page 98.
Hahnemann used the word germs and living organisms more than once.
Although the Chronic Disease (1828) records three chronic universal miasms,
Constantine Hering noted in his preface to Hempel’s translation of the
Organon that Hahnemann discovered a new miasm he called pseudo-psora, the
TB miasma.
"Hahnemann distinguishes the venereal miasms as syphilis and sycosis;
and also subdivides psora with pseudo-psora."
Hempel’s American translation of the Organon.
Hahnemann’s miasmic theory included two non-venereal miasms, Psora
(the itch disease) and Pseudo-psora (the TB miasm) and two venereal miasms
Sycosis (the fig wart diseases) and Syphilis (the chancre disease). All of
these miasms may be acquired through a primary infection or their effects
can be experienced through inheritance. The Great Experimenter was the
first to teach the constitutional nature of skin infections and how they
may progress into serious internal disorders, especially when suppressed.
The miasms include soft tissue infections caused by fungi, mites, and
bacteria as well as gonorrheal sycosis, tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS,
chronic infectious hepatitis and endemic miasms like yaws, Lyme disease,
and malaria. Those that deny the existence of miasms are saying that these
documented infectious diseases that kill and maim 1, 000, 000s of people do
not exist. If they close their eyes to these truth they will not see any
miasms but these diseases will still torment humanity. Only by
understanding that the miasms are collective infectious diseases and their
sequels does one see them everywhere and treat them in the clinic.
Knowledge of the disease state is essential in treating chronic
degenerative diseases. The Chronic Diseases clearly pointed out the
difference between functional and latent states and secondary organic
pathology. To attempt to treat a disease like active TB just by the
symptoms without proper knowledge of the disease state is to put the
patient in great danger. To treat organic pathology by symptoms alone
without knowledge of the stages and degrees of the disease state can speed
the early demise of one's patient. One can not safely practice as a full
homoeopathician unless they understand the homoeopathic pathology that is
taught in the Chronic Diseases and Organon.
The Evolution of Aphorism Five (1829-1833)
Although Samuel Hahnemann introduced the subject of the chronic miasms
in the Chronic Diseases he had not yet integrated his advanced theories
into the main body of the Organon. Every medical practitioner knows the
difficulty of finding the cause of many disease states. Many causes are
hidden in the past so they are only witnessed in the signs and symptoms.
For this reason, homoeopathy pays as close attention to the objective
signs, coincidental befallments, and subjective symptoms. This is one of
the great gifts of homoeopathy.
"It may be conceded that every disease is dependant on an alternation
in the interior of the human organism. But this alternation is only guessed
at 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
alternation can not 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 Similia and individualization
were sufficient to treat all diseases. The central causal doctrine was
countering the one-sided tolle causum of the orthodox school. It was
Hahnemann’s failure to permanently cure chronic disease and miasms with the
symptoms alone that led him to reassess this clinical approach. As early as
the Medicine of Experience (1805) he speaks of causation but he did not see
the bigger picture completely until the 1828. From 1810 to 1827 Hahnemann
emphasized the difficulty of ascertaining causation and stressed Similia
and individualization.To treat serious cases while ignoring causations and
stages and degrees of pathological development is irresponsible in the clinic.
Knowledge of the nature, duration and stage of the disease state is
essential to the safe and effective treatment of human beings. The
ramifications of his study of causation, constitution, character,
susceptibility, miasms, and complex disease states is contained in aphorism
five of the 5th edition of the Organon. This is how important the studies
included in the Chronic Diseases are to homoeopathy.
"Useful to the physician in assisting him to cure are the particulars
of the most probable exciting cause of the acute disease as well as 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.,
is to be taken into consideration."
Organon of Medicine, 5th & 6th Edition, Hahnemann, Dudgeon & Boericke
Editions, 5th Organon, Aphorism 5.
This paragraph contains the breakthrough first introduced in the
Chronic Diseases in a nutshell. It was now necessary for the homeopath to
investigate the exciting causes of acute disease as well as the complete
history of a chronic illness to ascertain the fundamental cause, which is
often due to the miasms. In this aphorism Hahnemann introduces causation,
acute and chronic diseases, miasms and the study of the seven attendant
circumstances; the intellect, emotional disposition, occupation, life
style, domestic and social relationships, age, and sexuality. These areas
of study are essential to homoeopathy.
There are those that wish to say only Similia is important but this
only mimics the homoeopathy of the 3rd Organon. They somehow think one can
ignore the greater realities of scientific medicine and homoeopathic
pathology This leaves out all of Hahnemann advanced practices that were
developed between 1828 and 1843. These years represent the definitive years.
My advice to students and practitioners is to study the Organon,
Chronic Diseases, and Lesser Writings very closely and help bring these
teachings up to date for our times. Collective infectious miasms and their
acquired and inherited sequels produce many idiopathic diseases, autoimmune
syndromes, and immunodeficiency disorders are responsible for scores of
degenerate pathological conditions. This research is too important to
ignore if one wants to be a real homoeopathician. Hahnemann's work from
1828 to 1843 presents a perfect balance between Similia and individuation
and the knowledge of causation and collective disease states. The Founders
complete system is complete medical science that makes homoeopathy de
Medicina Futura.
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