Dr Greeshma Vikraman
ABSTRACT:
This article focuses on the review of book written by Dr Proceso Sanchez Ortega about the miasm, its origin and evoulution. He says that reader of this book will be able to apply, more skilfully and ambly, the incomparable Hahnemannian doctrine of miasms.
KEYWORDS :Miasm, Psora, Sycosis, Syphilis, Hahnemann, Organon, medicine,Philosophers, Ortega
INTRODUCTION
A student or a practitioner in thinking about miasms will definitely come across books like the chronic diseases by our great leader and master Dr Samuel Hahnemann, or philosophies written by kent, close or H A Roberts which are considered as the basic philosophies for the understanding of budding homoeopaths as well as emerging practitioners. But very rarely will people think of notes of miasms by Dr Ortega. This book was written by him with the great support of his students who forced him to put down what he has deduced, investigated and verified over years. This book is designed in such as way that every beginner will come to understand the miasm and its evoulution without much confusion as it is in simple language. Hence below we will try to understand the parts and chapters along with brief summary of each chapter hoping to bring this long lost book into the light to the budding homoeopaths
FIRST ENGLIS EDITION: 1980
PUBLISHED BY: National Homoeopathic Pharmacy 1, Hanuman Road, New Delhi-110001, India
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF : Dr Diwan Harish Chand and Dr Diwan Vijay Chand
FOR : Library of Homoeopatia DE MEXICO A.C.
DEDICATED TO: THE MEMORY OF SAMUEL HAHNEMANN MEDICINES GREATEST GENIUS
TO THE READER
Under this author says that he is offering the book to those studying homoeopathy especially those who want to understand this doctrine deeply and also to his students who compelled him to put down his experience he had acquired during his long years in the field of homoeopathy.
PROLOGUE
Prologue was written by Dr David Flores Toledo. He starts by saying a quotation that “ from time to time, in any area of human knowledge, and especially in homoeopathy, there arises a thinker- a true master- who marks a milestone in the discipline” and he says that this is the case with Dr Ortega. He praises sir Ortega saying that he could have published this book long time back but did not do that without verifying thinking of its contribution to the benefit of mankind. This book is as a result of his 30 years of observation and practice of orthodox homoeopathy. He adds that this book can be understood only by those who had read Hahnemann’s and Kent’s philosophical writing about the miasms. He concludes saying that during the phase of this book there have been only three names- Hahnemann, who structured doctrine; Kent, who placed it within the reach of the practitioner; and Proceso, who explains doctrine of miasms and above all makes its clinically useful
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK
First paragraph starts by dissecting the cause for variation between individuals for example among seven brothers one differs in various aspects like appearance, way of thinking, his tastes, even physical features and characteristics which are not even found in the trait of father or mother. Hahnemann not only established a method for applying remedies but also tried to understand the cause of causes. He verified the condition which causes the disease and moving on to destruction – the concept of CAUSA CENSORIUM. This source or germ of suffering and death is positive, demonstrable and perfectly recognizable which he called MIASM. He says that understanding Psora, Sycosis and Syphilis will enable all to deduce everything relating to man’s conduct and expression of his being. Disease should be seen as matter of being of the entity of miasm.
PARTS, CHAPTERS AND CONTENT
Book is divided into three parts with total of 18 chapters, part one with 11 chapters and part two with 4 chapters and part 3 with 3 chapters. Part 1 deals with the evolution and concept of doctrine of miasm whereas part two deals with how to apply the concept clinically.
PART I
CHAPTER 1
TITLE: HAHNEMANNIAN THOUGHT
This chapter focuses on:
- Concept of sickness
- Fundamental concept of general pathology and its evolution in accordance with Dr Tamayo
- Trousseau’s concept of diathesis in relation to Hahnemann’s concept of miasm
- Classification of constitution
- Quotations of authors like Jacinto Viola, Nicola Pende, Kretschmer, Maranon
CHAPTER 2
TITLE: THE HAHNEMANNIAN THEORY OF THE MIASMS
This chapter focuses on
- Discovery of miasms by Hahanemann in his clinic and his analyses of cases in clinic for identifying causes, his hypothesis about the failure of chronic cases
- Consideration of theory of Psora and its explanation about how its suppression leads to exacerbation of pathology
- Brief introduction of Sycosis and syphilis
- The Hahnemannian miasm as diathesis, dyscrasia, or predisposition as presented in his fundamental works – The Organon and The chronic diseases.
CHAPTER 3
TITLE: CONDITIONS FOR ACCEPTING THE DOCTRINE OF MIASMS
This chapter aims in understanding
- The theory of miasms
- Concept of health, sickness and cure
- Concept of NATURA MEDICATRIX MORBORUM
- A clinical case demonstrating the underlying psoric personality who was treated with mercurius but turned out to be calcarea after detailed case taking
CHAPTER 4
TITLE: WHAT SOME OF THE GREAT HOMOEOPATHS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE MIASMS
This chapter includes:
- Opinion of various authors about the concept of miasm
- Includes the concept of Dr A J Grooso, Vijnovsky, Horacio L Roux, Nicolas M Cicenia, Thoms P Pachero, Granier,
- Evoulution of concept of miasm is well understood with quotes of these authors
CHAPTER 5
A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE MIASMS, THE BASIS OF THEIR RECOGNISION: DEFICIENCY, EXCESS, AND PERVERSION
This chapter deals with
- Basic concept of miasms that is Psora is explained as deficiency, Sycosis as excess and Syphilis as Perversion
- Explanation is done based on pathology, material medica and clinical experience
- Assignment of colour for each miasm; Psoric blue, Sycotic yellow, Syphilitic red
CHAPTER 6
TITLE: PSORA
This chapter contains explanation about the mind and characteristics of psoric personality explained with the help of calcarea personality and as its antipsoric characteristics
CHAPTER 7
TITLE: SYCOSIS
Under this chapter:
- Sycosis is considered as second Hahnemannian miasm
- Mind of Sycosis
- General signs and symptoms of Sycosis
CHAPTER 8
TITLE: SYPHILIS AS THE THIRD HAHANEMANNIAN MIASM
This chapter focuses on most salient features of syphilitic miasm
- The chancrous illness, how it moves from interior to exterior, its perversions and characteristics
CHAPTER 9
TITLE:ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL ON THE EVIDENT CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF THE MIASMS, TAKEN FROM VARIOUS COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE ASSIMILATED OUR INTERPREATATION AND APPLICATION OF HAHANEMANNS DOCTRINE OF MIASMS
Includes example of clinical case each on:
- A predominant psoric
- A predominant Sycotic
- A predominant Syphilitic
CHAPTER 10
TITLE: DEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND THE MIASMS
Says that
- Degenerative diseases are always due to outcome of active mismatic mixtures
- 3 clinical cases explaining the evolution of miasm in a human being and how it gets mixed up
- How miasmatic change of mind along with external factors leads to degenerative disorders
CHAPTER 11
TITLE: APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF MIASMS TO THE TREATMENT OF THE PATIENT
This chapter focuses on
- How to identify dominant miasm
- Case illustration on how to derive miasm
- Advantages of defining patient by his miasm
- Movement of particular miasmatic condition to other phases and its effect on person
PART 2
CHAPTER 12
TITLE: APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF MIASMS TO HUMAN AFFINITIES AND SOCIAL RELATIONS
This chapter focuses on
- Observations in the clinic as well as outer world
- Practical examples of miasmatic aspect
- Change of miasm in a person illustrated with clinical examples
CHAPTER 13
DEFINITION OF THE SYMPTOMS
This is the longest chapter of this book discussing on:
- Symptoms and its utility in various cases
- Miasmatic analysis of symptoms
- Differences of different miasms
- Investigation of symtoms
- Malobervation and non observation of symptoms and how it affects the therapeutics
CHAPTER 14
TITLE: THE MIASMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF MEDICINES IN FUNCTION OF THEIR SYMTOMS
This chapter can be told as the miasmatic study major antimiasmatic medicines. This includes:
- Lycopodiun studied as trimiasmatic
- Calcarea carbonicum analysed as predominant antipsoric
- Pulsatilla and thuja as antisycotics
- Mercurius as antisyphilitic
- Various trimiasmatic remedies additional to the above are also discussed
CHAPTER 15
TITLE: MIASM AND EUGENICS
This chapter is divided into three parts
- 1. Application of miasmatic doctrine to prenatal prophylaxis and genetics
- 2. Eugenics from miasmatic point of view
- 3. Examples of the above explained topics
PART 3
CHAPTER 16
TITLE: THE DOCTRINE OF MIASMS AS IT RELATES TO GENERAL HUMAN PROBLEMS
This chapter deals with the modern miasmatic concepts of
- War as consequence of miasmatic dominance
- Views and ideas of various miasmatic minds
- Miasms and its structure in commercial medical science
CHAPTER 17
TITLE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Includes three points:
- All therapeutic action must be found in vis mediicatrix naturae of Hippocrates
- Miasm are the cuase of true chronic diseases
- Acute disease should be treated as stimulation of the patients miasm
CHAPTER 18
TITLE:TECHNIQUES OF APPLYING THE HAHANEMANNIAN MIASMATIC DOCTRINE
This chapter is explained under various sections;
- 1. Procedures during case taking
- 2. Case interpretation
- 3. Identification of miasms
- 4. Totality
- 5. Selection of remedy and potency
- 6. General symptomatology
- 7. similimum
SUMMARY
Knowledge of the condition or activity of our own miasm will provide answers to the questions about what is destructive, disturbing and displeasing which causes assault and harm to humanAn understanding of the miasm understand the person in his full potential with respect to defects and failures which hinder him
Dr Greeshma Vikraman
Department Of Organon of Medicine and Homoeopathic Philosophy
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital
Mangalore
