Evolution of Miasm Psora according to master Hahnemann-

Dr Meenu Priya A

Introduction
Psora is the most ancient, most universal, most destructive, most misapprehended chronic miasmatic disease. It has disfigured and tortured the mankind. Psora is the mother of all the thousands of incredibly various acute and chronic non venereal diseases.

It is one the oldest miasmatic chronic disease. The most hydra headed of all chronic miasmatic diseases. All natural chronic diseases other than syphilis and sycosis find their real origin and source in psora.

The Outline of evolution of psora theory according to Hahnemann

Psora in oldest monuments of history à Oriental Psora à Occidental Psora à Suppression of Psora à Infectious Psora à Psora, the most universal mother of chronic disease à Older physician’s treatment of Psora à Examples of driving the itch into the body à Origin of chronic maladies à Psora, the thousand headed monster (Mode of infection, Disease transformation, Methods of suppression, treatment)

Psora in oldest monuments of history

• Moses had pointed out several varieties of psora manifestation, around 3400 years ago
• During ancient times, the chief seat of disease was the external parts of the body
• Leprosy was the usual external symptom of psora
• Leprosy prevailed in Israel, uncultivated Greece, Arabia, Europe during the Middle Ages.

Author	Terminology for Psora
Leviticus	Garab Malignant itch
Alexandrian	Psora agria
Vulgate	Scabies fugis
Talmudic interpreter: Jonathan	Dry Itch
Moses, Yalephed	Lichen, tetter herpes
Calmet English bible work	Leprosy is similar to an inveterate itch with violent itching
Plato	Itch glykypikron
Cicero	Dulcedo of scabies

 Oriental Psora

• Psora presented itself in the form of dreadful eruption. External alleviation was done by cleanliness.
• It spread to occident through warm baths and shirts (cotton/Linen)
• Exquisite diet + Refinement in mode of living + Cleanliness, changed the dreadful eruption into common eruption of itch after several centuries. In the end of 15^th century, by 1493, Syphilis began to rise its dreadful head in the oriental part of Europe.

Occidental Psora

• Brought by the returning crusaders in 13^th century from the oriental part of Europe
• Raged in Europe during the Middle Ages for several centuries
• Appeared in the form of Malignant Erysipelas called St. Anthony’s Fire
• Reassumed the form of Leprosy.

Suppression of Psora

• Psora reduced externally in cultivated countries into common eruption of itch which was easily removed from skin by baths, washes, ointments of sulphur and lead, preparations of copper, zinc and mercury which led to the quick suppression of external manifestation of psora by which the history of itch in many remain undiscovered.
• Earlier, psora appearing as leprosy was troublesome due to lancinating pain and violent itching around tumours and scabs but the rest of the body enjoyed a fair share of good health
• Because the obstinately persistent eruption on the skin, served as a substitute for the internal Psora
• The horrible and disgusting appearance of Lepers, made a terrible impression on healthy people and hence they were secluded and kept separately in Leper hospitals
• Due to this, the infection was limited and became rare.

Infectious Psora

• After suppression of Psora, in 14^th and 15^th century, milder form of psora appeared with little signs and symptoms and in a concealed form
• The milder form presented with Itch and Pustules with unbearable itching and continuous scratching. The fluid from the pustules were diffused. The psoric miasma from the fluid was communicated very certainly, easily and extensively
• In the poorer and lower class, the infection spread to many people as they allowed the itch to spread on their skin for a long time
• It contaminated more people even without their knowledge thus making Psora, the most infectious and most general of all chronic miasms

Psora, the most universal mother of chronic diseases

• After psora was mitigated externally into a mere itch, it did not become mild but grew even worse because, after the destruction of external complaints, it started causing innumerable secondary symptoms thus converted into a difficult chronic disease which was even more aggravated by faulty remedies
• External eruption of itch is driven away not only by faulty treatments but unfrequently it withdraws from the skin on its own
• Sycosis and Syphilis has an advantage in that the chancre and figwart never leave the external parts until either mischievously destroyed through external repressive remedies or by internal cure
• The external eruption of psora disappears on its own due to unlucky psychical or physical occurrence such as violent fright, continual vexations, deeply affected grief, catching a severe cold, cold temperature, cold, lukewarm & warm river baths/ mineral baths, fever arising from any cause, acute disease, persistent diarrhoea, peculiar want of activity in skin. Through these means, the eruption is driven away externally leading to secondary ailments of Internal psora which breaks out sooner or later
• Diseases such as nervous troubles, painful ailments, spasms, ulcers(cancers), adventitious formations, dyscrasias, paralysis, consumptions and crippling of soul, mind & body were never seen in ancient times when psora was in the form of Leprosy
• The mankind has been flooded with these diseases only in the last few centuries due to causes such as drinking of warm coffee and Chinese tea which increased the irritability of muscular fibre and excessive excitability of the nerves hence palliating several symptoms of psora which led to the development of internal chronic disease which is called PSORA which became the most universal mother of chronic diseases.
• 7/8^th of all diseases is due to psora and 1/8^th of all diseases is due to syphilis and sycosis or due to compilation of both or due to compilation of all the three miasms
• Psora is the most misapprehended disease which is medically treated in the most and worst injurious manner.

Older and Ancient Physician’s treatment of Psora

• The older physicians were more conscientious and observed with less prejudice
• They knew that diseases would follow if itch eruption were destroyed from skin
• Hence, they used multitude of internal remedies to extirpate the internal malady
• The drawback they had was they didn’t know exactly as to which remedies to be employed. Only Homoeopath can find it.

Older physicians observation of suppression of Psora: Examples of “Driving the itch into the body”

Ludwig Christian Junker: Hahnemann mentions about his observations that a patient with a particular temperament developed certain class of symptoms after the suppression of itch

Temperament	Disease after suppression of itch
Sanguine temperament	Phthisis Piles Haemorrhoidal colic Renal Gravel
Sanguino-Choleric temperament	Swelling of inguinal glands Stiffness of joints Malignant ulcers (German Todenbruche)
Fat persons	Suffocating catarrh Mucus consumption Inflammatory fever Acute pleurisy Inflammation of lungs Swelling of bones and ulcers
Phlegmatic persons	Dropsy Delayed menses ·Monthly haemoptysis (when itch is suppressed during menstrual flow)
Melancholy	Insane Abortions Sterility Reduced lactation Oligomenorrhoea Ulcerated uterus Deep burning pains Cancer uterus

Few examples of older physician’s observations of suppression of itch

Physician	Patient	Disease after itch suppression
FHL Muzell	Man, 30-40 years	Asthma, treated with Squilla, internally. Itch reappeared. Asthma cured
Hundertmark – Zieger	Man, 32years	Violent Asthma treated with birch juice. Itch reappeared on 23rd day
Pelargus	Boy, 13years	Tinea capitis, removed, suffered from asthma, violent pain in limbs, back, knee pain followed by which, itch broke out, felt better
Schiller	Woman, 43years	Pain in right ribs, lassitude in limbs, heat, feverish irritation
Morgagni	Man	Malignant fever with vomiting, hiccough; Died on the 9th day
Grossman	Man, 50years	General dropsy, raving madness, blindness, suppression of urine, strong emetic, itch reappeared, previous ailments disappeared.

Origin of chronic maladies
Time of infection (first)

Period of time during which the whole organism is being penetrated by the disease infused, until it has developed within (Second)

Breaking out of external ailment (third)

Infection with miasmas takes place in one single moment, the one most favourable for infection

Eg: Morbid fluid in the bloody scratch of skin contacts the exposed nerve (favourable moment), communicates disease à Small pox and cow pox develops and complete their course along with fever and eruptions. No ablution, cauterizing or burning, cutting off of the part will help in preventing the communication of disease

In every disease manifestation, 1^st whole body becomes sick and local symptoms appear later

Psora, the Thousand headed monster

• Psora is most contagious of all chronic miasmata because other miasms need certain amount of friction with most tender parts of the body but miasm of itch needs only the touch of general skin especially with tender children
• Everyone is disposed under all circumstances to be infected with the itch miasm
• Miasm of itch infects generally, surely, easily, absolutely and in the most contagious way

“Wash which is washed with wash is infected with the Itch”

Modes of infection with miasma of Itch

• Physician feeling pulse of one patient & immediately touching the other
• New gloves first tried on itch patient and used on others
• Strange lodging place
• Strange towel used for drying
• Transmission to new born during delivery through infected organs of mother
• Hands of midwife who is infected by another parturient woman
• Lactation & care during nursing

No-one can escape from the infection with miasma of itch

The Itch Disease transformation

• Once the miasma of itch touches hand, it no more remains local.
• The infection is communicated to the rest of body which leads to the internal development of psora.
• The vital force now endeavours to alleviate and to soothe the internal malady through establishment of suitable local symptoms of skin.
• After 6/7/10/14 days, the itch vesicles with slight or more severe chill aggravated in evening with general heat, perspiration aggravated at night.
• The Itch enlarges on skin, first in the region of spot, 1^st infected and then generalizing which is a voluptuously tickling itching, unbearably aggregable which compels patient to irresistibly rub and scratch.
• If itching is controlled, a shudder passes over skin.
• This itching followed immediately by burning of part affected which is aggravated in evening and before midnight
• The lymph of vesicles in the 1^st hour is clear as water after which it is filled with pus till the tip of the vesicle
• The humor pressed out of vesicle furnishes abundant material for infecting the surroundings by which the disease is propagated Ex: Herpes, Tinea capitis
• Only the eruptions of Psora are communicable. Once the secondary symptoms are set in, they cannot be communicated
• The eruption acts as a substitute for the internal malady
• Psora with its secondary ailments remain latent and confined
• If internal remedy id not given, the disease increases rapidly where the eruptions increase to soothe the internal malady. The patient appears healthy but the skin eruptions become unbearably torturous and make the patient to get freed from it hence starts applying external applications which exposes himself to the misfortune
• It is like a person in poverty steals money, gets caught and is sent to dungeon and gallows.

The usual methods by which the itch eruption is driven away from the skin

• Cold shower bath
• Rolling in snow
• Cupping
• Rubbing the whole skin or only skin around joints with mixture of sulphur and lard

Treatment of Psora

• Eruption along with the internal malady is known as Psora
• It can be cured by Specific Homoeopathic remedies but in a difficult way
• It is difficult to cure when compared with cure of venereal diseases
• According to maximum number of physicians, “The unbearably itching pustules are only a mere superficial ailment of the skin and by their local destruction, man is delivered from the whole disease and has fully recovered”
• All the sufferings which follow from the one-sided destruction of the cutaneous eruption which belongs to the natural form of psora, they passed off as a newly arisen disease, owing to quite another origin
• With the methods employed to treat the psora, the disease is neither destroyed nor cured; and so, this thousand headed monster, instead of being conquered, is inexorably let loose against the deceived patient to his destruction, by tearing down the barriers that shut it in.

Reference
Hahnemann S. The chronic diseases their peculiar nature and their homoeopathic cure. 35th impression. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) ltd; 2015.

Dr Meenu Priya A
PG Scholar, Department. of Organon of Medicine with Homoeopathic philosophy, GHMC&H, Bengaluru

UGO: Dr Vijayalakshmi M. Angadi
Associate professor, Department of Organon of Medicine with Homoeopathic philosophy, GHMC&H, Bengaluru.