Predispostion: a key to understand individuality of healthy and disease state

Dr Jaimin R Chotaliya

ABSTRACT:
Homoeopathic science of medical field known for its concepts and fundamental laws from nature. Among all these concepts, predisposition attracts many minds in recent time period. Predisposition means dispose in advance or to make susceptible. Variations in disease pattern and its distribution in populations denotes predisposition of population. It may vary from level of community to individual person. Variations and manifestation of predisposition depends upon external as well as internal factors like hereditary pattern, geographical factor, atmospheric changes etc. In Homoeopathy, Predisposition is known for its role in developing certain kind of disease conditions that depend upon disposition to that person. Role of predisposition in disease state is widely known among homoeopaths but its role in healthy state is also an important consideration. Study of predisposition in healthy state will help you to understand individuality of a person which is another essential concept of Homoeopathy.

KEYWORDS: Predisposition, Homoeopathy, Individuality

INTRODUCTION:
Medical science deals with understanding related cause of human suffering and its possible treatment. In order to understand the cause of suffering, many physician develops concepts according to their experiences and experiments. Germ theory, miasmatic theory, multifactorial causation theories are fruits of their efforts that explain the pattern of causation in human suffering. In homoeopathic therapeutic science, miasmatic theory considered as fundamental cause for development of true chronic disease. They are disturbances in vitality of person that gives their unique manifestations on mental and physical plane of person. These unique manifestations are varying from person to person and provide them their unique quality called individuality. Predisposition is nothing but a manifestation that explained existence of miasma in person.

Predisposition – An understanding

Dr. Stuart Close mentioned about predisposition in following manner, ‘Every individual develops according to a certain morphological tendency or predisposition, inherent in his constitution. It is from this tendency that he derives his individuality. This tendency or predisposition may be or become morbid. If it does, the symptomatic form of that morbidity will also be individual. It is necessary, therefore, to study each case of disease from the morphological as well as the semasiological standpoint in order to be able to determine its individual form and characteristics.’ ⁽¹⁾

Here as mentioned by Dr. Close, this predisposition from which individual derives his/her individuality in healthy state and which also manifests as unique individual manifestation in disease state.

Physicians must understand this predisposition of case in order to practice Homoeopathy. Homoeopathic physicians gain their in skills in understanding the predisposition by studying the factors that helps to create a certain type of predisposition for individual.

As mentioned earlier, study of external and environmental factors surrounding the person help us to understand the predisposition of that person.

Predisposition – Idiosyncrasy- Temperament: A merger to manifest individuality

Dr. J. H. Allen defines predisposition as ‘predisposed to a thing is to have a weakness in that direction before-hand; or, in other words, we have within us a sort of attribute (perverted, of course) or weakness that predisposes us to certain diseases or conditions of life.’ ⁽²⁾

Dr. Hahnemann mentioned about idiosyncrasy in aph. 117 of Organon of medicine, ‘so-called idiosyncrasies,  by which are meant peculiar corporeal constitutions which, although otherwise healthy, possess a disposition to be brought into a more or less morbid state by certain things which seem to produce no impression and no change in many other individuals.’ ⁽³⁾

Predisposition and idiosyncrasy, both are responsible for developing certain unique characteristics that gives individuality to that person than other one.

Dr. Allen mentioned about their relationship with following words, ‘They are so closely allied to each other that we can scarcely separated them-the one becomes the prefix, very often, of the other.’ It is a difficult mater to say just where idiosyncrasy ends and predisposition begins. Quite often they are so intimately associated that we can not separate them, or they commingle and becomes a complement of each other. The removal of one is very apt to cause the disappearance of the other. For instance, a patient may be predisposed to orbital neuralgia, who has an intense craving for salt, the removal of which may take away the predisposition to the orbital pain and the desire for salt. The same may be said of gastritis. This we have often seen to disappear by ah high potency of Nat. Mur.’

Temperament contributes to person for their mental / psychical symptoms. Even temperament predispose person to certain type of disease pattern. Example, bilious temperament will predispose to hepato biliary or gastric related to disturbances in future. So, study of temperament helps us to understand the predisposition of person and advice for the preventive measure to protect them from morbidity.

Predisposition – A key to holistic cure

Dr. Hahnemann in his medicine of experience said that ‘In order to be able to perform a cure, it is requisite to have a faithful picture of the disease with all its manifestations, and in addition, when this can be discovered, a knowledge of its predisposing and exciting causes in order, after effecting the cure by means of medicines, to enable us to remove these also-by means of an improved regimen-and so prevent a relapse.’⁽⁴⁾

As mentioned by Dr. Richard Hughes in his writings, ‘let me remind you again that drug-giving, however important, is not the beginning and end of the physician’s duty. He has to adapt to his patient all natural forces and circumstances within his control heat and cold, light and air and water, rest and exercise, food and stimulus. He has to remove mechanical obstacles and neutralise chemical or organic infections.’⁽⁵⁾

Above statements suggest that one must understand natural influences surrounding patient for giving advice regarding diet and regimen. So, it explained that in order to prescribe medicine for case with the goal of attaint holistic cure one has to understand not only his individuality but also predisposition of that particular patient.

CONCLUSION:
Homoeopathic science is known for its holistic cure in medical science and for achieving that goal of holistic cure of human sufferings, one must be well acquainted with the basic concepts of Homoeopathy that are essential during practice. Predisposition and its application in homoeopathic science open new insights for many homoeopaths to explore this wonderful therapeutic system called homoeopathic medical system.

REFERENCES:

1. Close S., Genius Of Homoeopathy, Cure And Recovery, Revised edition (Jan.2008), India: B. Jain. Publishers (P) Ltd.
2. Allen J. H., The Chronic Miasms with Repertory, Predisposition, Revised Edition, India: B. Jain. Publishers (P) Ltd.
3. Boericke W., Organon of medicine by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, sixth edition, India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.
4. Dudgeon R., The Lesser Writings of Samuel Hahnemann; Medicine of Experience, revised edition April 2007, India: B. Jain. Publishers (P) Ltd.
5. Hughes R., The Principles & Practice of Homoeopathy, Homoeopathic Practice, fourth edition (13^th impression 2020), India: B. Jain. Publishers (P) Ltd.

Dr. Jaimin R. Chotaliya, M. D. (Hom.)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Repertory
Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital
AT & PO Dethali, Ta. – Siddhpur, Dist. – Patan, Gujarat.
jaiminchotaliya@gmail.com