(CONTINUING HOMOEOPATHY MEDICAL EDUCATION SERVICES)

QUARTERLY HOMOEOPATHIC DIGEST, MARCH 1991

Vol. VIIIPART I CURRENT LITERATURE LISTING

A list of current homoeopathic literature, subject-wise is given below. The list includes original contributions in the British, American, German, etc. journals not readily accessible to every homeopath. Some of the articles may appear in Part II in later numbers of the Quarterly Homoeopathic DIGEST, as abstract/summary/condensation/full, etc.I. PHILOSOPHY

1. The eugenic cure in the homoeopathi medicine (FAUST-ALBRECHT, H. (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)

2. Hahnemann’s historical basis for the origin of the Psora theory KLUNKER, W. (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

3. Homoeopathy and homoeostasis in the vascular system –– Part 2, CROTTY, Thomas P. (BHJ, Vol 79, 1/1990)

4. The strange case of the vanishing antibody : the Nature controversy, LEE, Felicity (The Homoeopath, Vol : 8, 1/1988)

5. Personal viewpoint : A meta-model of homoeopathi philosophy for the integration of apparent contradictions, DAVIDSON, Robert (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 1/1988)

6. Acute intercurrent disease, EIZAYAGA, Francisco (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 1/1988)

7. Repetition of the dose LOGAN, Robin (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 2/1988)

8. Dilemmas in prescribing –– The reason we study the relationship of remedies and how best to do this ROBERT, Ernst (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 2/1988)

9. Homoeopathy and psychological problems HOLLAND, L.K. (Homoeopathy, Vol. 40, 4/1990)

10. In defence of polypharmacy MUKHERJEE, J. (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

II. MATERIA MEDIA1. “Sadness” – Stramonium GYPSER, K. H.

(ZKH, 34, 1/1990)2. Evaluation of Bacillinum in tinea infection

BHARDWAJ, O.P. MANCHANDA, R.K., GUPTA, RAMJI (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

3. Staphisagria in psychiatry BARBANCEY, Jacqueline (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

4. Background to the plant drugs in children’s diseases BODMAN, Frank (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

5. A case of Lyssin in a 10 yr. old girl MORTELMANS, Guido (JAIH, Vol. 3, 1/1990)

6. Conium in a case of multiple sclerosis JOHNSTON, Linda (JAIH, Vol. 83, 1/1990)

7. Hepar sulphuris calcareum ELMORE, DUTT (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

8. An image of DPT WARKENTEIN, David Kent (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

9. How to study Materia Media CANDEGABE, Eugenio (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

10. Another side of Phosphorous REICHENBERG–ULLMAN, Judyth (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

11. Chamomilla ELMORE, DUTT (Resonance, Vol 12, 2/1990)

12. Bromium BROWN, Plumb (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

13. Tuberculinum Children HERSCU, Paul (Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

14. Calcarea sulphurica CANDEGABE, Eugenio (The Homoeopathy, Vol. 8, 1/1990)

15. Acute and life-threatening casesi) Postman Pat and the bees : the hazards of rural life GAINE, Janetii) Case of life-threatening septicaemia CASTRO, Mirandaiii) an acute case CHAPPELL, Peter (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 1./1988)

16. Leprominium : a new nosode VAKIL Prakash (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 2/1988)

17. Aegle marmelosAranea scinenciaAthista indicaCassia fistulaTela araneaThea chinensis(CCRH Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 12, 1 & 2/1990)

18. Bowel NosodesBARMAN, Rabin (JAIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

III. THERAPEUTICS1. Homoeopathy and peppermint

REMBGES, H. (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)2. Tips from practice – Herpes Zoster

SCHWEITZER, Wolfgang (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)

3. Therapeutic observationsInternational references (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)

4. Coma and hemiplaegia in cerebral malformation MASTER, F.J. (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

5. A case of epidemic disease treated by C.v. BOENNINGHAUSEN (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

6. Day-today management of anxiety and depression SPENCE, David. S. (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

7. Sebarrhoeic dermatitis treated with homoeopathic high dilutions of tobacco –– a case study SUDAN, Bernard J.L. (BHJ, Vol. 10, 1/1990)

8. A case of staphylococcus pyodermaSULLIVAN, Andrea D., (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

9. Relief for morning sicknessREICHENBEG-ULLMAN, Judyth (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

10. Tooth pain after filling STEPHENSON, David L. (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

11. Sun allergy after antibiotics –– using the additions to Mac RepertoryCARTE, Katie (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

12. Temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction –– the most effective therapy for the TMJ patientSTEPHENSON, David (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

13. Herpes, Pre-menstrual Syndrome, Irregular Labor contractionsSHAPIRO, Michael, (The Hahnemannian, march 1990)

14. Homoeopathic treatment of HypothyroidismSHAPIRO, Michael (The Hahnemannian, March 1990)

15. Homoeopathic treatment of hypersensitive patients NCH/IFH annual case conference reportsGRAY, Bill (Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

16. Dysfunctional relationships and homoeopathic treatment, case confec. reportMORRISON, Roger(Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

17. Taking the case of a newborn, case confece. report ZAREN, Ananda (Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

18. The recurrence of acue mania in a chronically hypersensitive patient, NCH/IFH case confece. report SAINE, Andre (Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

19. AIDS : Some early clinical experience STRANGE, Mike (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 2/1990)

20. I’m sorry I don’t have a clueOLIVER, Terry (The Homoeopath, Vol. 8, 2/1990)

21. Menace of drugs and role of homoeopathy in de-addiction HARISHCHAND, Diwan (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

IV. REPERTORY1. Remedy errors in Kent’s repertory

Part II –– Myrica cerefera and Myristica sebiferaEPPENICH, H. (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

2. Additions to the rubrics ‘Sciatica’ in Kent’s Repertory SCHINDLER, M. (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

3. Compilation of the rubric from Part I & II of the Book “Synoptic Key of the Materia medica” under one head SHARMA, Mrs. Anita (CCRH Quaterly Bulletin, Vol. 12. 1 & 2/1990)

V. RESEARCH1. Water and Information

ENDLER, P. (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)2. Homoeopathy in the Veterinary practice,

Research ProjectSCHUTTE, A. (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)

3. In-vitro effects of Viscum album preparations on human fibroblasts and tumour cell lincesKOOPMAN, Gerrit; ARWERT, Fre., ERIKSOON, Aldur W., BART, J., Kippa, A., VAN KRUINING, Hans (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

4. Measles and homoeopathic immunizations NEUSTAEDTER, Randall (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

5. Science of Medicine –– A new approachMahata, C.R. (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

6. Drug response patterns in homoeopathic treatment of chronic tonsillitisDE, T.K. (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

VI. PHARMACOLOGY1. The approval of homoeopathic remedies –

A view of the homoeopathic pharmacopoeia of the United States, BORNEMAN, Jay P. (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

2. Homoeopathy for the pharmacistFINKUS, Anthony (Homoeopathy, Vol. 40, 4/1990)

3. A note on physical, chemical, pharmacological and pharmacognostical evaluation of Iberis AmaraNANDI, M., CHOWDHURY, K. GHOSH(JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

4. We need self-dependant homoeopathic pharmacy CHATTERJEE, S.N. (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

VII. VETERINARY1. Homoeopathy in Veterinary practice,

Research Project SCHUTTE, A. (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)

2. Veterinary homoeopathy prescribing MACLEOD George (Homoeopathy, Vol. 40, 4/1990)

VIII HISTORY1. Homoeopathy in the German Romantic

Movement, medico-historical and medico-philosophical spot light, R. PIESCH – Part I & II, (AHZ, 235, 1 & 2/1990)

2. Hahnemann’s GeneologyGEBBEOERM T, (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

3. Homais, Homoeopathy and Madame BovaryMICHOT-DIETRICH, Hela (The Homoeopath, Vol. 10, 1/1990)

4. Coming of age in the eightiesBORNEMAN, Jay (Resonance, Vol. 12, 1/1990)

5. A critical moment for homoeopathy in the USA (Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

IX. GENERAL1. Medicine and Toxicology, Therapeutics

International references (AHZ, 235, 1/1990)

2. Verifications and Clinical symptoms (ZKH, 34, 1/1990)

3. International references(ZKH< 34, 1/1990)

4. Where have we been, where are we going ?BARRACLOUGH, M.C. (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

5. Meeting of European homoeopathsMaison de L’Homoeopathic, Brussels, 3 June 1989 (BHJ, Vol. 79, 1/1990)

6. IFH Professional Course –– the second week LEVATIN, Janet (Resonance Vol. 12, 1/1990)

7. What in the world is homoeopathy ? A report on the 1989 IFH Public Conference

8. IFH Professional course –– the third weekLEVATIN, Janet (Resonance, Vol. 12, 2/1990)

9. An interview with Jeremy SherrWINSTON, Julian (Homoeopathy Today, Vol. 10, 9/1990)

10. Motivational factors in homoeopathic educationMURUGAN, M (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

11. Planned approach to setting up a national information center for homoeopathySATPATHI, JN., DAS, T., GHOSH, S.K. (JNIH, Vol. 1, 1/1990)

1. J A I H : Journal of he American Institute of Homoeopathy, 1500, Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Suite 42, Washington D.C. 20005., U.S.A.

2. Resonance : International Foundation for Homoeopathy, 2366, Eastlake Avenue, E., Suite 301, Seattle, Washington, 98102, U.S.A.

3. CCRH Quarterly Bulletin : Central Council for REsearch in Homoeopathy, B-1/16, Community Centre, janakpuri, New Delhi 110 058.

4. The Homoeopath : The Joural of the Society of Homeopaths, 2, Artizan Road, Northampton NN1 4 HU, U.K.

5. Homoeopathy Today : National Center for Homoeopathy, 500, Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Suite 42, Washington D.C. 20005., U.S.A.

6. Homoeopathy : The Journal of the British Homoeopathic Association, 27-A, Devonshire Street, London WIN 1RJ., U.K.

7. The Hahnemannian : Journal of the Homooeopathic Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania, C/o Guy Hoagland, M.D., 11, Flowers Drive, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, 17055, U.S.A.

8. Simillimum : The Journal of the Homoeopathic Academy of naturopathic Physicians, 11231 SE Market Street, Portland, OR 97216, U.S.A.

9. B H J : The British Homoeopathic Journal, Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3 HR, U.K.

10. J N I H : Journal of the National Institute of Homoeopathy, GE-Block, Sector III, Bidhan Nagar, Calcutta 700 091

11. Z K H ; Zeitschrift fur Klassische Homoopathie, Karl F. Houg Verlag 6900, Heidelberg 1, Germany.

12. A H Z ; Allgemeine Homoopathische Zeitung, Karl F. Haug Verlag, 6900 Heidelberg 1, Germany.

HERING TRIED TO FIND A PROTECTIVEREMEDY AGAINST PSORAJENNER INTRODUCED THE COW-POXVACCINATION IN 1798

We can only visualize with difficulty what it signified, what hopes were generated in the suffering humanity. 1 The medical world during HAHNEMANN’S time was characterized by the great infections, of helplessness of man against all acute diseases as also the exanthematic diseases of children. Measles itself often turned out to be fatal.

A method which would protect against such lifethreatening diseases must appear to be a wonder, Naturally, possibilities to protect against other diseases in this maner were searched for.

PART IIPSORINUM, PSORA AND THE MIASMSG. v. KellerAHZ, 229, 1/1984

What was there so close as to exterminate Psora 2

well known since ages as the root of all evil ?HERING experimented with Psorin and wrote3

: “I would like to have a generally preventive medicine for the itch which to me, is more significant than just one more new medicine” and in another place4 “ if one could find a remedy which would prevent Psora, then one would have reached the peak of discovery”.

HAHNEMANN tried to find a specific medicine against Psora : Homoeopathy was already, without high-flying plans, sensationally successful in the early days in treatment of the life-threatening acute diseases. Especially through the use of medicine “specific” to the infections, was it possible to astoundingly contain and bring down the mortality rate as against the usual methods of treatment.

“Specific medicine means the search for a remedy similar to the collective characteristic symptom picture of the entire infection and not the single individual patient5m which would then be administered to every individual afflicted with the infection. The same specific method cured the then prevalent venereal diseases if the primary affection had not been treated externally6. while the curative remedy for every contagion must be determined afresh each time for every epidemic and for every newly occurring infection bearing the same name, the specific remedies for the chronic venereal diseases were the same, Thuja with Acidum nitricum for the Sycosis, Mercury for Symphilis.

Up to this Homoeopathy was completely successful. But as much more hahnemann proceeded to treat chronic diseases so much poorer were the successes. HERING wrote7: “HAHNEMANN had the same experience which we all have, some men become healthy some do not. He saw in the appropriate cases cures of course but in chronic cases often without sustained permanence. HAHNEMANN’s characteristic greatness as observer indicated to him the difference between those which remained cured and those which did not remain cured. He discovered that the symptoms must be removed in the reverse order of their development, that the symptoms appearing last are always the most significant for the choice of the remedy, that if the symptoms are removed in the reverse order of their development, the patient remained cured, but not in any other order”.

“The same talent made him recognize that the chronic patients in whom an eruption followed became well better and permanently than when the internal symptoms went away without external manifestation. Thus was the first ideas, the hypothesis. Just as it usually was with HAHNEMANN to comprehend the prevailing contagion and the intermittent fever as one picture, he similarly comprehended as one picture the itch

and the chronic disease as a consequence of driving it away”.

The hypothesis of the miasmatic nature of the non-venereal diseases began so. HAHNEMANN though that with this discovery he was on the trial of a specific cure for Psora8. In a letter in 18239 he wrote : “To find without fail the art of completely eradicating the ancient chronic diseases and clear it completely, I have, during the past 4 years of my life endeavoured day an night and have made a thousand experiments and experiences as also unbroken contemplation and at last attained my object”.

Instead of that the procedure for treatment of chronic diseases were formulate : The hopes of HERING and HAHNEMANN have not been fulfilled. A specific against Psora was not found and a vaccination was, as HAHNEMANN straight away foresaw10, not possible11. But the hypothesis of the miasmatic nature of the non-venereal diseases brought about a decided progressive step in the development of homeopathis theory and practice. HERING wrote about this event, as follows12: “The HAHNEMANNian school only followed without preconceived opinions, the pure practical experience alone and whenever hypothesis were allowed they were not considered as intrinsic”.

HAHNEMANN investigated for 11 long years to find a specific remedy against the Psora. With the help of the theory of miasmatic nature of Psora he thought that he could find this specific as we have read in the above cited letter. He declared soon that there was not just one medicine against Psora and that there were more number of those remedies. In a letter in 182713he spoke of 6 or 8 medicines, in 1828 in the first edition of the Chronic Diseases of 21 remedies and at last in 1835 in the second edition they were 4714.

Even so he declared tthat in one ailment only one remedy was not sufficient and in 1829 in the fourth edition of the organon he formulated for the first time the paragraph 168 15: “In the non-venereal chronic diseases arising out of Psora more and successive one after another anti-psoric remedies are required to be employed and indeed so that after each previous medicine had completed its action the next remedy must be homeopathically chosen appropriate to the symptoms grou still remaining”.

HAHEMANN followed the specific only part of the way : This simple and laborious procedure of treating chronic diseases, the patient searching out a new curative remedy as soon as a new disease picture presents itself16 was not acknowledged by many of his contemporaries. Some held that HAHNEMANN meant as specific the medicines used in acute diseases. One of his eminent exponents, Richard HUGHES wrote in an article titled “The Two Homeopathies”, as

follows17: “The innovation that one (HAHNEMANN is meant here) in his 74 th year establishes must to bein with, not be good and the fact that HAHNEMANN introduced the 30 dilution as the standard dose for proving and treatment, this reform is not welcome. To consider the HAHNEMANN of 1830 to 1843 as our leader is , in my opinion, exposing his senility”. Richard HUGESS was 41 years old then.

Others attempted to further proceed, with HERING, Psorin researches and hoped that it would be possible to remove disease with products of the same disease.

THORER18 wrote 1833 : “The finding of a class of remedies of contagious disease products as curative medicines against those same contagious diseases form which they were drawn was a temporary muddle, which created a temporary misgiving about the correctness of the homeopathic precepts”. HERING and HAHNEMANN quickly found the doctrine of healing by symptom similarity, whereas others continued to attempt to establish the class of remedies against diseases which it had caused, thus Tubercullnum against tuberclosis in exended sense or Syphillnum against the concocted syphilitic diathesis.

The Quintescence of HAHNEMANN’s Psora experiments came to this : While in acute diseases it can be treated with one medicine perhaps with one disease-specific, in the developed Psora, that is in every prolonged and serious chronic disease, more or many remedies following each other will be needed, while the disease merely changes its form but not become extinguished. Often Psora crosses over only into its latent state, a condition which HAHNEMANN described as19 : “Subjected with one or more of these diseases (the slumbering Psora), one considers oneself healthy and others also consider him so. He can live many years tolerably well and carry on his duties apparently unhindered”.

Psorinum as Intercurrent remedy : Psorinum which HERING hopefully though could prove to be a protection against Psora, became an extraordinarily valuable remedy in another way in the treatment of chronic diseases. HERING wrote on it20: “All potentized bioproducts need not be considered to be absolute specifics but as chronic intercurrent medicines. The remedies given after that then work with longer reactions and those given before develop thei power also” and in another place21 : “In many cases have observed, what to me appears to be highly significant, a slow appearance of new symptoms which are not serious, particularly on the skin, through which an antipsoric remedy is generally very clearly indicated”. To think of it, one can confirm it from one’s own pratice. One patient, after being prescribed. psorinum for the first time said as follows22.

The anus which is so sore itches so much after cleaning it well with water; now I have used Nivea oil and cotton padding.

Sulphur was the next medicine for him. – HERING wrote further as follows23: “The nosodes24 cause the same disease symptoms which are indicated by another medicine. Just as Sulphur for example. The nosodes cure many diseases completely which were not at all similar to the mother of the stuff… But undoubtedly they cure only according to symptoms similarly because every other cure is impossible”.

Psorinum according to symptom similarity : Psorinum works as antipsoric remedy like every other remedy according to symptoms similarity. In psoric, that is chronic disease the treatment procedes just as other diseases in HAHNEMANNian Homeopathy, that is that the disease as presented before us at this moment is set against the medicine known as most similar in the materia medica. Never even once can we proceed, without examination, under preconceived medicinal sequences, we must choose each following medicine anew on the symptoms we encounter in this patient at this time25.

I would like to demonstrate this procedure with the testimony of the above cited patient26, which lead to the prescription of Psorinum, he had a colitis ulcerosa :When there is diarrhea, first it smells very much, it then smeist really much. I can note it even before when stinking flatus is discharged before that and then comes the diarrhea. First a few flatus is discharged and then the stool. Abdominal pain around the nave, a sensation as if widn would come and when I visit the loo and the wind and stool is discharged, the abdominal pain goes. Some times I mus strain so that I need not then again visit the loo.

The comparable proving symptoms are : “Cutting abdominal pains, after that much stinking flatus is passed after which it is relaxed27, “pinching in abdomen which compels to go to stool after which would be better28”; “Stool in the night almost involuntarily, he could not bear to reach the toilet, at the same time severe discharge of flatus29”.

Now, another woman patient whose prevailing symptoms were aggravated by Psorinum and in whom itching and burning skin came on. In this Sulphur given later, ameliorated30.Before the eyes it began to dance, rings like smoke rings, then so hazy, a light grey mist. That may occur to me in the mornings on waking, when I wake and open my eyes, it begins, Or it begins when I am quietly sitting in the bus, and I close the eyes. It goes off when the eyes are closed and I again open my eyes, it comes again. It does not occur while I am reading, indeed, because I must somehow concentrate.

Following proving symptom is relevant31 : “Glittering before the eyes and all objects dancing, also black flecks and rings”. The “rings” and the “dance” called to my mind Psorinum while KENT has taken these symptoms in his Repertory. The modalities “mornings when I awake and open the eyes”, “it comes again when I open my eyes again” and “I then close my eyes” are new, they are not to be found in the provings, like the continual collection of symptoms as the case is in the history of the homeopathic material medica. Impelled to compare Psorinum I recalled the other symptoms of this patient as follows: “Wears a fur cap, a coat or a shawl even in the warmest weather”, “would not like the hed exposed”.The head must always be kept war, I have always kept the head covered even at nights in bed. I always wrap a towel around the head and throat even in summer.

Now the well-known symptom32 : “Predisposition to involvement of the head, ameliorated by epistaxis”33 :

The nosebleed, I may say, I have every four weeks really, but rapidly, but everytime when I get the more really very severe flow, I am free. Every 4 weeks I have nosebleeds and have the feeling, there I am going to get the headache and when I have the headache for a couple of days and if I can again have the nasal flow and a bit of blood flows out, my head will become lighter. I am even glad when the blood comes. When I have the headache it remains for a couple of days and then it feels as if it will begin to slacken in the head and then it will flow out just as I have observed : the flow somewhat warm and it can really be blood.

Another female patient34 :Yesterday morning my nose bled again. I wake up and without any reason, the blood flowed and I allowed it to flow, you know why? Now my headache has gone I Out of both the nostrils, without my having sneezed or even having touched the nose, morning at 6 O’ clock it has flowed. Nose bleed and there the headache was not merely better but gone away!

Psora is not simply a third miasm : I have shown that for some time HAHNEMANN was of the view that Psora could be reckoned as a third miasm besides the two well-known chronic miasms Sycosis and Syphilis and Psora could, just like the Sycosis and Syphilis, be treated by a specific medicine. Soon it came to be that the venereal diseases also could be complicated with the Psora and it can therefore be treated with specific remedy but must be treated by the general direction of antipsoric cure. HERING wrote35: “As much more I attemped to learn to separate the psoric diseases from all the others so much more that limits disappeared before my eyes”.

Psora is not simply a third miasm besides Sycosis and Syphilis so that all diseases and

particularly all the remedies could be put into three classes, but Psora is that principle of chronic diseases of humans, the inherited disease disposition in general.

Through this depiction of the theory of chronic diseases I remain firmly on the foundations of HAHNEMANNian homeopathy. If modern authors have put forward their own miasms theory36, they are free to do so, but then they should not cite HAHNEMANN.BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ANNOTATIONS :

1. Compare HAHNEMANN’s foot-note to paragraph 56 of the 6th edition of the Organon”………….the benefit which mankind experienced from the use of cowpox vaccination, that hereby those who had been vaccinated remain free from infection by human pox and at the same time were cured of the latter in advance”.

2. Book 5 Moses Chapter 28, Verse 27 “If the people of Isreal do not obey the voice of the Lord their God and do not observe and do all his Commands and Statutes, – the Lord will smite you … with the scab and itch, so that you cannot be healed”. From HENCKE, “Hahnemann’s theory of nature of diseases in general”.

3. STAPF’s Archiv, 13 Vol. 3 (1833), 33.4. STAPF’s Archiv, 10 Vol. 2, (1831), 30. In

this letter HERING spoke first of all that JENNER’s cow pox vaccination was only a last resort and we should hold that since until now we do not have anything better, and proposed then, to otentise the cow pox poison and vaccinate with it. If one succeeded with it, one can perhaps prevent every infection in his manner.

5. Organon, 6th edition, paragraph 102 : “Everyone of those who suffered from the infection then had indeed a and only source from which the infection spread and therefore same disease, but such an epidemic disease encompassed in its entirety and the totality of its symptoms (the knowledge of which appertains to the whole outline of the disease picture so that a homeopathic medicine most appropriate to the symptoms comprehended could be chosen) cannot be perceived from a single sick person but drawn and fully deducted (abstracted) only from many patients of different physical conditions”. See also annotation 8 – Paragraph 241 “Every single (intermittent fever) epidemic has its own character general to the ailing individuals, which may be established according to the totality of all the common symptoms found out and which would indicate the homeopathic curative specific

(homeopathic) medicine appro-priate to all the cases which almost always helps”.

6. HAHNEMANN, the Chronic Diseases, 2nd edition, Vol 1, 18 : Even Syphilis because of its easy curability yields to the smallest dose of the best mecurial preparation, as also Sycosis because of its not difficult curability requiring few doses of the juice of the Tree of Life with Potassium Nitrate alternated and when complicated with Psora they become chronic, difficult to be cured”.

7. Homop. Vierteijahrschrift, 15 (1864) 322.

8. HAHNEMANN, The Chronic Diseases, 2nd edition, Vol. 1, p 10. “The most accurate observations have taught me by comparing different patients with so much differing apparently chronic ailments and infirmities are all merely the progeny of the one and the same primitive illness and therefore are to be seen as only parts of one and the same disease and are to be treated medicinally just as in a large epidemic of yphus in which only the symptoms of all or many other patients suffering with this disease are take together which depict the whole and complete picture of the prevalent Typhus and the curative remedy cured the whole epidemic of Typhus and thus proved to be specifically helpful in every individual patient”.

9. Allg. homop. Ztg. 32 (1847), 42.10. Annotation to paragraph 56 of the 6th

edition of the Organon : “a hman disease product, e.g. a Psorin, obtained from a human itch would cure similar human itch, – that is going far”!

11. ATTOMYR, Letters on Homoopathy, Vol. 3 (1834), 34: HERING appeared to expect more from Psorin than it is capable of”.

12. STAPF’s Archiv, 9 Vol. 3 (1830), p. 102.13. HAEHL, R., Samuel HAHNEMANN,

Letter of STAPF to HAHNEMANN on 6.9.1827, p. 155, Vol. II : “You now possess the solution to the riddle why neither Nux nor Puls. nor Ignat., etc. will or can do good, whilst the homeopathic principles remain unaltered….. Therefore be reasonable, and do what you can with your antipsorics…. you can make excellent observations on their peculiar effects and gain much knowledge, as also from the many splendid cures you may make with them, since you have only 6 or 8 medicines to choose from and not from the whole realm of medicines”.

14. ATTOMYR, Letters on Homeopathy, Vol. 3 (1834), 35: ‘How have we, a few years ago, separated the antipsoric medicines so rigorously, and how is it now ? The Psora theory has not nay more the least influence in my therapy. I do not at all any more ask about Psora and if I do, it is more out of novelty rather than for the purpose of therapy”. Page 36 : “Not to give similar medicine in a psoric disease because it is not in the list of the antipsorics would be a sin against the basic principles of homeopathy”.

15. In the 6th edition of Organon this is paragraph 171.

16. ATTOMYR, Letters on Homeopathy, Vol. 3, 28 : “Every case is different. Therefore we are, with every patient, a beginner, as a pupil”.

17. Monthly Homeopathic Review, Nov. 1877 and New England Medical Gazette, Vol. 12 (Dec. 1877), p. 556. In the CLARKE, a student of HUGHES wrote in the Journal of the American Institute of Homoeopathy. 4 (1911), p. 232 : “Dr. HUGHES has been successful in laying down the idea of disease as entity and he put it forth that diseases have their specific medicines”.

18. Practical contributions In the field of Homoeopathy (THORER). 2 (1835), P. 13.

19. Chronic Diseases, 1, 6120. STAPF’s Archiv, 14, Vol. 2 (1834), p.

99.21. STAPF’s Archiv, 13, Vol. 3 (1833), p. 6122. Mr. H. H. born 1936 died 20.3.1975. 23. Allg. homoop. Ztg. 46 (1853), 245.24. HERING, Allg. homoop. Ztg. 43,

(1852), p. 315 : I have until now considered the medicines in this whole range as nosodes and understand thereby only the disease products, and particularly the active salts contained in them”.

25. Organon, 4th edition, paragraph 166, 6th

edition, paragraph 170 : “Much more here than in other cases, where a change of the disease state has occurred, the remaining set of symptoms now present must be taken anew and (without regard to the medicine which at the beginning appeared to be the second suitable medicine) a homeopathic medicine which is as appropriate as possible to the present, new state must be chosen afresh”.

26. Mr. H.H. on 16.9.80. On 4.3.75 other symptoms indicaed Psorinum of which we are not interested here.

27. HHNEMANN’s provings in STAPF’s Archiv. 13, Vol. 3 (1833), 163, No. 206.

28. Op. cit. No. 21229. Op. cit. No. 24530. Mrs. S.M….., born 1914, on 5.12.1975.31. The last appearing symptoms in a proving

in a lady of 24 years, used by Dr. J.E.V. of Vienna, reported by HARTMANN in Allg. homoop. Ztg. 1 (1833), 162.

32. Proving in STAPF’s Archiv. 15, Vol. 3 (1836), 177, No. 1.

33. Mrs. R. W. born 1918, on 15.10.1974.34. Mr. W. A., born 1910, on 08.12.1977.35. STAPF’s Archiv. 13, Vol. 3 (1833), 3536. Compare e.g. AELBLY, Criticism on a

lecture of Frenchman VANNIER’S student in the Liga Congress 1931 in which is said : “We know from Dr. VANNIER that the phosphoric constitution stems from the basis of measles, the fluoric from the basis of scarlet fever. The first one depicts a pre-tubercular manifestation while latter one the syphilitic basis”. (Allg. homoop. Ztg. 180 (1932), 108.

The provings which appeared in STAPF’s Archiv. fur Homoopatische Heilkunst in 1833 are not those of HAHNEMANN himself only, but were carried out on a number of people. Because they are written down just as the provers experienced them, a certain amount o f near duplication will be found (c.f. Nos. 299 and 300, for example). There is also no uniform style of description; sometimes nouns are used, sometimes adjectives; sometimes the description is terse and clinical, at other times it verges on the anecdotal. Unlike today’s medical publications, many of the provings contain vernacular expressions, and some contain dialect or antiquated words which are not to be found in any German-English dictionary, not indeed in the vocabulary of any educated Germans of today.

The date of the provings, 1833, means that they were too late to be included in the third edition of reine Arznelmlttellehre. Margaret Tyler, in her picture of Agaricus, writes that she believes we have no translation of the provings of Psorinum in English. That statement provided the stimulus for this attempt, and I hope that it will be of interest both in practice and as an insight into the character of the provings carried out by the founding figures of homeopathy, upon which the early Materia Medica was based.

Alan CROOK

Introduction from the 1833 edition of Archiv fur homopathische hellkunst. edited by Johann Ernst STAPF : The following highly important symptoms of one of the most effective and therefore most beneficial of medicines have been proved by two very shrewd and notable observers, Dr. S. of L….., and Dr. R. of P….., mostly on themselves aftr a few doses of Psorinum 30 globules, and accurately and conscientiously set down. The Archiv owes the communication of these provings to the kindness of Privy Counsellor HAHNEMANN. Though far from exposing the entire, undoubtedly vast therapeutic field of Psorinum, they do at least grant us for the time being a highly desirable insight into it, and give many suggestions and hints for the healing application of this grat remedy in most serious cases. Several excellent physicians, such as ATTOMYR, GROSS, HERING and others, have discovered, as I myself have, what Psorinum properly applied can accomplish; things up to now unsuspected –– incredible things – and we can only hope that more and more new provings of Psorinum on healthy people, and more and more over the sick will unite to give us a more complete and proper understanding of it. Readers are referred to what our esteemed colleague HERING has to say about it in his invaluable article on this most important substance: that it will serve for the time being as an introductory foreword.

Johann Ernst STAPF.INDEX

Emotional 262, 267, 409b, 410, 414, 416-435, 438.

Mental 6-10, 368, 436-437.Head 4-5, 11-41, 91, 161, 405, 408.Vertigo 2-3.Face 42-52, 61.Eyes 53-83.Ears 30, 84-104.Nose 155-163.Lips 105-106, 164-169.Mouth and teeth 106-118, 128, 146-152,

199, 395, 406, 408.Tongue 119-113.Throat 117, 14-127, 129-136, 139-141,

143-145, 201.Respiratory(See also throat) 270-300, 303, 306.Chest 301-318, 281, 285, 287, 289,

290, 293-295, 297-298, 410.Neck 50, 91, 137, 142, 319-326.Back 228, 293, 327-342.Abodomen 206-207, 209-215, 217-227, 229-

239, 246.Extremities 50, 342-350, 353-364, 391, 409a,

411-414.Appetite 153-154, 170-185, 395, 407.Digestion 186-205, 208, 216, 305.Stool 240, 245, 247-249, 379.

PROVINGS OF PSORINUMSamuel HahnemannIntroduced and translated by ALAN CROOK from The Homeopath Vol. 6, No. 4

Rectum and Anus 250-253.Urinary Tract 236, 254-258.Male Genitalia 259-267.Female Genitalia 232, 238, 268-269.Skin 36, 42, 45, 47-52, 81-82, 105.,

135, 137, (See also Face and Lips) 155, 253, 321,

324, 361-362, 365, 396, 403, 409, 409a.Perspiration 361, 392, 396, 399, 400, 402,

407, 409a.Slep 370-389, 437Generalities 351-352, 365-366, 369, 390, 393-

394, 397-404, 407, 409, 415, 434.Modalities 1, 89, 113, 117, 19, 306, 325,

212-214, 223, 364, 367, 375.Psorinum : The Provings

1. Felt much better in the morning.2. Vertigo in the morning.3. Vertigo-everything going around with

him; (8th day).4. Numb sensation in the left half of he

forehead: (In the morning after 3 hours).

5. Waking in the night, his brain felt clouded, as if from a drinking party the evening before. Befogged and stupid, he fell over.

6. Thinking that he understands what he has just read, he is about to explain it to someone else, and then realizes that he has not understood it after all.

7. Memory so weak that he cannot remember what ha just been said.

8. She loses her memory and no longer recognizes the room once she has looked out of the window; (2nd day).

9. Memory very weak; she cannot remember a thing.

10. Very forgetful; (8th day).11. Stiff pain in the skin of the right

temple. (7.30 p.m.).12. Pressive pain as if sprained, to the

right of the occiput. (Noon, 1st day).13. Pressive feeling in left temple,

extending into the head; (1st evening).14. Sensation, especially in the occiput,

as of a string bound tightly round the head, seeming to be pushed outwards.

15. Frontal headache, as if he brain were too big for the cranium; bursting sensation on rising; better after washing and breakfasting.

16. Heavy feeling in the head in the morning.

17. Tearing headache.18. a boring, stabbing pain in the left

temple.19. Throbbing pain in the temples.

20. Headache, as if it wanted to come out through the forehead; (2nd day towards evening).

21. Contracting frontal headache.22. Sensation as if her whole head were

on fire.23. Headache in the evening; (2nd day).24. Headache all over the head, like

blows from a hammer inside the head.25. Violent headache, as though a stick

had been placed inside with.26. General feeling of faintness. Towards

7 O’ clock she had to lie down and soon fell asleep. Night sweat which gave great relief; (2nd-3rd day).

27. Shocks in the head; (5th day).28. Pressure headache in the forehead and

temples (7th day).29. Spasmodically contracting headache;

(8th day).30. Pressive headache with ear discharge;

(7th-8th day).31. Sensation of fullness in the head on

mental exertion.32. Throbbing of blood in the head during

intellectual tasks.33. Pain in the temple after mental

exertion.34. In the left frontal area, dully pressive

sensitive stitching pains, irrespective of rest or movement; (2nd and 3rd day).

35. Frontal headache with sensation of weakness within.

36. Itching of the forehead.37. Stitching pains in the right half of the

forehead, extending into the eye.38. Burning in the forehead; (2nd day).39. Pain in the middle of the forehead;

(4th day).40. Drawing sensation in the frontal

sinuses, as if he had a cold.41. Frontal headache; (3rd day).42. Many red patches on the forehead.43. Facial pallor (3rd day). On touching

the cheekbone, pains as though it were festering; (3rd day evening).

44. Facial sweat.45. Yellowish facial colouring and sickly

appearance, lasting from December to March, (in an otherwise health man).

46. Burning in the face.47. Above the left eyebrow and left

cheek, eruption like semolina, which soon disappeared again; (3rd day).

48. Places on the face, neck and hands which itch on being touched.

49. Burning in the face, followed by appearance of vesicles.

50. Many firm, painless, long-lasting nodules, on the face, nape of the neck and legs.

51. A lot of vescles on the face.52. A decrease of pain-sensation in the

face.53. episodes of blindness, when walking

in the street; (1st evening).54. Pressive sensation in right eye, worse

for touching.55. Tiredness of the eyes in the evening,

as after much reading by artificial light; (1st evening).

56. Pressive sticking pain left eye; (after 3 hours).

57. Sudden failing of vision, so that for a few moments he cannot see anything clearly, only hazily; (2nd day).

58. yellow butter-like substances in the eye (2nd and 3rd day).

59. Lachrymation towards evening.60. Pressive pain the eyes.61. Deep wide blue rings around the eyes.62. Burning pains in the eyes, as if sand

had been shaken into them.63. Glassy eyes; agglutinated lids in the

morning; pressive pains in the eyes.64. Red eruptions at the edges of the

upper eyelid, like developing grains of rye; sensations of something moving in front of the eyes, or as if one were playing with the fingers in front of them.

65. Sticking pains in the left eye.66. Eyes as if full of sand.67. Pressure as it of a foreign body in the

right eye as soon as it is closed. On opening it the pain goes; (Evenings).

68. Inflammation of the right eye, from 18th December to 30th December.

69. Small burning eruptions below the eyes, like heat-spots.

70. Inflammation of the eye, with pressive pains, as if sand were in the eye; lachrymation over night.

71. twitching of the right eyelid; (After 6 hours).

72. Fiery sparks before the eyes; (After 5 hours).

73. Lachrymation in the eye; (After 5 hours).

74. Fine pricking pains in the area of the eye, below the eye-sockets, as if she had sand in the eye; (After 4 hours).

75. Sticking pains in the eye; (After 5 hours).

76. Burning pains in the eyes; she has to keep closing them.

77. Lachrymation on looking at any object for a long time; (After 8 hours).

78. Pressive pain in the eyes.79. Gnawing pain in the the eyes.80. Itching of the canthi.81. Itching of the left lower eyelid,

extending from one side to the other.82. At the edge of both upper eyelids, a

small neoplasm like a grain of barley; (5th day).

83. The objects which he sees in the room appear to be trembling.

84. A dull ringing in the left ear; (1st

evening).85. Te right ear seems changed; it seems

as if he is hearing with someone’s ears; (1st evening).

86. Sensation in the left ear as if she were exhaling through it, rather than through the respiratory tract.

87. On eating, or on swallowing saliva, sensation of something bursting in the ears.

88. Sticking pains in the ears around noon.

89. Sticking pains in the inner ear, temporarily relieved by pushing a finger into the ear, then worse. Frequent recurrence, especially evenings when at rest.

90. Gnawing pain the left ear.91. Ringing noise, alternating between

left and right ears, with a buzzing in the head, so that she hardly hears a thing. Behind the ears, in the area of the trapezius muscle, painful sensation as of a wound which torments her cruelly, accompanied by momentary sensation of heat extending to the vertex, worst in the evenings, when it feels as if she were being pulled upwards by the hair.

92. Pressure in right ear; (7th day in the morning).

93. Buzzing in the ear; (1st day).94. After the buzzing, sticking pain the

left ear.95. Itching in right ear.96. Sticking pain in the ears.97. The left pinna inflamed on the inner

side, with small pustules; (7th day).98. Sticking pain in the right ear,

preceded by coldness.99. Discharge of fetid pus from the ear;

(After 7 hours).100.Discharge of reddish wax from the

left ear.101.Discharge of fetid pus from the left

ear.

102.discharge from the ears during the headache; (8th day).

103.Painful ulceration in the left ear; at the same time a neoplasm on the right ear, which looks just like the rest of the skin, but is divided into four parts by a cross-shaped split, rather like a wart, and with a deep little hole in the center.

104.A long-lasting, highly painful stitching in the left ear-lobe; (Evenings).

105.A small neoplasm on the upper lip.106.Burning of the lips.107.A sticking pain in the lower jaw-bone.108.Marked swelling of the maxillary

glands; sore to the touch; accompanied by a very painful pustule below the left lower jaw.

109.Blunt sensation of the teeth on smoking tobacco (1st afternoon).

110.Tearing pains in the teeth.111.Otherwise wobbly teeth become

firmer; (2nd day).112. Sticking pains in the teeth, moving

from one side to the other, extending upwards within the head, followed by burning pains in the right cheek which is also somewhat swollen.

113.During luncheon a tremendous stabbing pain in a hollow upper right molar, as though the teeth were being pulled out; then continuing grumbling throbbing toothache in all the teeth on the right side, only during the day-time. Better in open air.

114.When touching the teeth in order to remove something from between them, pricking pains as if from needles.

115.Front teeth (especially) so loose that he fears they might fall out.

116.Toothache intensified on touching.117.Better in the open air, but much foul-

tasting catarrh; (from 10th September to end of October).

118.Gum boils on the right side only, after the protracted toothache had quite disappeared.

119.Whitish coating of the tongue nearly all the time.

120.Almost half of the tip of the tongue burnt, so that he cannot taste properly.

121.Tip of the tongue very dry, as if burnt, painful.

122.Thick white coating of the tongue, covered, with whitish-yellow mucus.

123.Dryness of the tongue; (4th day).124.Dryness and scratchy feeling in the

throat; (4th day in the morning).

125.Pain in the throat, can only swallow with difficulty.

126.Pain in the throat, as if swollern.127.Severe inflammation of the throat

with ulceration of the right side; raw pain deep down, and burning in the palate.

128.Painful pimple on the palate.129.Tickling in the throat, causing

coughing; (6th and 7th days in the morning).

130.Dull, blunt stabbing pain in the left tonsil; (6th day).

131.Burning in the throat, extending further and further downwards.

132.Pressing pain the throat; she can only swallow with difficulty; only brief remissions, after which it returns.

133.Burning in the throat; (5th day).134.Tickling in the throat; (Morning).135.Small red spot forming on the neck,

with a carona the size of a pin-head with a blackhead in the middle; very painful or scratching; (Morning).

136.Swollen cervical glands on both sides, painful to the touch as if squashed; pain extends into the head; (7th day).

137.A red rash on the neck, beginning with a stabling pain. Small red spots on the neck and breasts.

138.Swollen sensation in the palate.139.Sore throat – cannot swallow.140.Sore throat; raw burning pain on

eating anything hot (e.g. soup); cold food causes no discomfort. (7th day).

141.Pain in the left tonsil, with feeling of engorgement.

142.On turning the head, a violent stabbing pain in the sinews on the left side of the neck.

143.Hoarseness.144.Burning in the throat.145.On swallowing saliva, painful

sensation in the throat; swallowing difficult.

146.Insipid taste, as of rotten fruit, in the mouth.

147.Aggravation of the unpleasant taste after eating and smoking tobacco.

148.Her whole lunch tasted of oil.149.Evil taste in the mouth – must drink

to dispel it.150.Tough mucus in the mouth, with a

putrid, nauseating taste. The teeth stick together as if glued, can only be separated with effort; (2nd-9th January)

151.Dryness of the mouth.152.Earthy taste in the mouth.153.Desire for breakfast; (After 2 hours)

154.After breakfast, aversion to smoking; however, when he started to smoke, his pipe tasted good; (1st morning).

155.Itching on the tip of the nose. (1st

day). The nose drier than usual, he needs to blow it less often; (3rd day).

156.Boring, stinging pain in the right nostril, followed by violent sneezing; (3rd day).

157.On the nose scurf, which use to fall off on coughing, now sticks fast and is hard.

158.Burning in the nose, followed by coryza, as in an attack of the catarrh. On blowing out of the mucus, the burning pain eased off for a short while; (4th day).

159.Pain in the left nostril like the pricking of needles, on poking the finger into it.

160.Sensitivity of the nose on inspiration. Less nasal mucus; (8th day).

161.Stabbing, drawing pain extending from the forehead down to the nose.

162.Inflammation of nasal septum, with white purulent vesicles.

163.Nose constantly obstructed.164.Dryness of the lips.165.Lips painful and look swollen.166.On the inner surface of the lower lip,

a vesicle, clear like water.167.Painful itching of the right half of the

upper lip, as if swollen.168. Lips brown, black and dry; (5th

evening).169.Lips, brown, black and dry; (5th

evening).170.In the afternoon hungry, and thirsty

for beer; (1st day).171.Strong craving for tobacco-smoking,

with loss of appetite from not smoking; (1st evening).

172.Hunger without appetite.173.Unusually strong hunger after going

for a walk; (3rd evening).174.Appetite with easy satiety.175.For three days his morning bread and

butter tasted like “Katzenbisse”, for the rest of the day it tasted as usual; (The word “Katzenbisse” literally means “cat-bites”. None of the several Germans whom I consulted felt that this conveyed any meaning, and the general consensus was that this was an intentional misprint for “Katzenpisse”; this at least has a taste, if not a familiar one! A.C.).

176.Strong aversion to pork.177.Great thirst during luncheon.178.Craving for beer.

179.Appetite for meals diminished.180.Great appetite thirst even greater.181.No appetite for meals, but thirst for

drink.182.Great thirst; dryness and burning in

the mouth.183.Hunger in the evening; (6th day).184.Great thirst; (4th day).185.Great hunger.186.Sensation of heartburn/pyrosis, at

times after drinking water.187.Sour erucations.188.Hiccough.189.Hiccough soon after eating, while

smoking a pipe.190.Rancid eructations in the evening.191.Heartburn/pyrosis.193.Eructations like rotten eggs; (2nd day).194.Week feeling in stomach after supper;

when she then ate some roast, it ceased. (1st evening).

195.Nausea in the morning.196.Vomiting after every consumption of

food; nausea and retching until eventually vomiting followed, bringing up first ingesta and then a sour, mucus fluid; (1st day).

197.Continual nausea in the day-time, with tendency to vomit. Vomiting of very sweet-tasting mucus, in the morning always at 10 a.m. and then towards eveing; (8th November – 21st

January approx.).198.Fasting in the morning, Vomiting of

sour mucus, leading to bluntness.199.of the teeth.200.Nausea with tendency to vomiting.201.Tickling sensation in the throat,

followed by empty retching– in the morning.

202.Sour vomiting.203.Weakness and nausea in epigastrium–

mornings.204.Cramps in the stomach area; (4th day).205.Stabbing pain the epigastrium.206.Cutting abdominal pains; they passed

off afer several passings of offensive flatus; (1st evening).

207.Cutting in the abdomen, as if from purging. (3rd day).

208.Cutting pain in the stomach area; (4th

day).209.Abdominal cramps, while still in bed

in the morning.210.Cutting pains in the abdomen.211.Cutting abdominal pains; weakness

and pressure in stomach then ceased.212.Griping abdominal pain in bed in the

morning, driving him to stool, which relieved.

213.Colic towards evening; immediate relief from eating.

214.when lying down, sensation of worms crawling, relieved on standing up; colic relieved by eating.

215.Colic.216.Contracting pains in the stomach area.217.Abdominal distension after icy cold

foods.218.Stabbing pain in the hepatic area.219.Stabbing pains in the spleen area.220.Stabbing pressive pain below the left

floating ribs.221.Stitching pains in the sides.222.Violent stabbing below the bottom rib

on the left; (Lasted from beginning of February to beginning of May).

223.Stabbing pains in the spleen area, relieved by standing still, renewed on starting to walk, and very often also at rest.

224.Stabbing pains to the left of the umbilicus, frequent when at rest.

225.Stabbing abdominal pains, on the right side.

226.Muscular twitching in right inguinal region (lit ; “in the right of the lap”) after driving. Once only, but very violent.

227.Sensation of a swelling/tumour on sitting, extending right across the body below the short ribs.

228.Boring pains in the vertebrae; (Mornings).

229.Abdominal pain, as if from eating rhubarb”; (Mornings). (“The word “rheum” is printed in Roman type, which elsewhere in the text indicated Latin. I have therefore translated with the Latin meaning (=rhubarb) rather than “rheumatism”, as being in any case more likely to cause abdominal pain. A.C.).

230.Unusual abdominal distension after eating.

231.Griping in the abdomen while driving.

232.griping in the whole abdomen, especially in the pubic area in young ladies.

233.Abdominal cutting pain in the umbilical area.

234.Distension of the abdomen.235.Cutting pain in the loins, so severe

that she had to be led by the hand.236.On physical exertion, pressive

stabbing pain in the symphysis pubis, several times.

237.Flatulence completely ceased until mid-February.

238.Urging bearing-down sensation towards the womb, with burning pains on micturition.

239.Dull stabbing pain in the inguinal glands; (7th day).

240.Scoft stool afer previous abdominal pain; (1st day).

241.Four to five stools a day after preceding abdominal pain.

242.Stool a few times liquid, spurting out as from a synringe; another time soft and pappy; at times the stool is well formed; (1st-4th days)

243.At times unsuccessful urging for stool; he thinks he cannot hold it any longer, but when he goes to pass it, nothing will come away.

244.Dark brown stool, very loose and offensive.

245.Stool during the night; almost involuntary- he could hardly make it to the potty in time; accompanied by violent passages of flatus. The stool, by the way, was of a proper consistency, like little balls; (6th

right).246.Rumbling in the abdomen; (6th

morning).247.Painless diarrhea four times; (2nd day).248.No stool; (1st day).249.Stool twice in the morning, otherwise

not for the whole day.250.Itching in the anus.251.Raw soreness in the rectum, while

driving; (4th-6th day).252. Itching in the anus. (4th day).253.Copious perspiration of the perineum

on moving.254.Burning cutting pains during

micturition.255.Very painful strangury, and after he

thinks he has finished, a few more drops of urine sometimes come.

256.Stabbing pain in the urethra, extending from the meatus in-wards; (2nd day).

257.After urination, in spite of all efforts to restrain it, involuntary flow of urine continues from the urethra.

258.Burning pains in the glans penis on beginning to urinate.

259.A painful, purulent vesicle on the scrotum.

260.Flow of prostatic fluid before urination; (6th day).

261.Frequent constriction in the penis.262.Uncommonly strong aversion to

coitus, almost throughout the whole period of proving.

263.Complete impotence – four weeks in duration – in an otherwise normaly very robust and virile man.

264.Failure to ejaculate during coitus.265.Sexual organs are flaccid. (6th day).266.Inflamed ulcer on the glans penis; the

testicles are swollen and heavy; (3rd

day).267.Indifference towards sexual

relationships; flaccidity of the male genital and no desire for coitus.

268.Menses eight days too late.269.Menses scanty and delayed.270.Occasional violent sneezing; (2nd

day).271.Violent sneezing following boring

pains in right nostril. 272.Frequent sneezing without a cold.273.Tough nasal mucus; he can hardly put

down his hand-kerchief, and yet he has no cold. Always a plug of mucus far up in the nose, which induces nausea. Relieved by stooping.

274.Chronic nasal catarrh; (3 months).275.Coryza after burning in the nose.276.Copious coryza, for several hours at a

time, recurring frequently.277.After hawking up the mucus, the

burning stopped for a while; (4th day).278.Catarrh with coughing and

expectoration of yellowish-green mucus.

279.Fluent coryza.280.Dry cough with raw pain below the

sternum; (2nd day).281.Cough with sensation of weakness on

the chest.282.With persistent coughing,

expectoration of saliva and sour mucus from the chest.

283.Dry cough caused by a tickling sensation in the trachea.

284.Hoarseness.285.Dry cough with sensation of

heaviness of the chest.286.Dry cough with nausea and retching,

and a tickling in the throat the whole day; (7th day).

287.Coughing and feeling of weakness in the chest.

288.Urge to cough, with sensation of coldness.

289.Coughing in the evening, with pain in chest and throat; relieved at rest; as soon as she starts to talk she needs to cough.

290.Hoarseness on the chest and in the throat.

291.Tickling in the windpipe with frequent coughing.

292.Dyspnoea in the evening; (1st day).293.On breathing, frequent stabbing pains

extending from the back through to the chest.

294. On breathing, stabbing pains in the right chest, several times.

295.On deep inspiration, stabbing pains in the sternum. On palpation pressive, broken feeling in sternum.

296.Shortness of breath in the open air; relieved by lying down and driving.

297.Oppression on the chest with terrible backache.

298.Shortness of breath is worst with the chest-pain in a sitting position, so that he could not write for six weeks. Relieved on lying down.

299.Shortness of breath, even when walking in the open air, so that he always has to hurry in order to get home and lie down, However, he feels nothing when doing light work, such a spurning trees.

300.Shortness of breath.301.Twitching throughout the left side of

the chest.302.Constriction of the chest.303.Dull boring pain in the right side of

the chest, with some respiratory constriction; (6th day).

304.Stabbing pain the left side of the chest.

305.Cutting pain lie knives in the chest. Burnt sensation in the oesophagus. Eructations, relieving much abdominal distension, in the evenings when he has a hearty appetite.

306.Tremendous chest pain, as though a heavy weight lay on the chest and pressed down on it. Continued for three days, with shortness of breath; increased to an unbearable degree on lowering the head when bending down.

307.In bed, must keep the arms as far away from the chest as possible, because otherwise they increase the chest pain.

308.Chest pain, as though the lung were torn away and something were pressing it.

309.Stabbing pain in the chest, independent of respiration.

310.On going to lift anything, sensation as if everything in the chest were torn apart.

311.Palpitations; (5th day).312.Stabbing pain in the right mammary

gland.313.Constriction in the chest.

314.Coughing with greenish expectoration, almost like tissue; especially in the morning on waking and in the evening on retiring; associated with nausea. Mucus remains tenaciously on the chest; only with difficulty can he cough some of it up.

315.On coughing, pain the chest as if something might be torn off. extending from below sternum into the throat. (7th day).

316.Ulcerative pain in the chest, beneath the

317.sternum.318.On coughing, stabbing pains in the

chest.319.Tensive pain in the nape of the neck

on waking, as if she had lain awkwardly in bed.

320.Drawing pain in the nape of the neck, extending to the shoulder, on waking.

321.Sticking pains in the nape of the neck and on it pustules the size and shape of lentils.

322.Boring pain and stiffness in the nape of the neck; (6th and 7th days).

323.Tearing pains in the nape of the neck.324.Several pustules on the nape of the

neck, with stabbing pain.325.Most violent pain in the nape of the

neck, but only indoors. Disappears almost immediately in open air, and returns immediately indoors.

326.If he rests his head on his hand, sensation as if bodiless, as though he could pass the hand right through the neck; (Lasted a whole afternoon).

327.stabbing and tearing pain in and between the shoulderblades, extending down to the sides, like rheumatic pain; (6th and 7th days).

328.Tearing pain in the shoulderblade; (5th

day).329.Stabbing pains between the shoulders,

in the morning.330.Back pain, as though the third

vertebra up were missing or broken; (Violent and lasted 8 days).

331.Tearing pain in the left shoulder; afternoons and evenings when at rest.

332.Tremendous back-pain.333.Back-pain; a kind of stabbing

pressure.334.Lame, beaten feeling in the back; he

cannot hold himself upright; (1st

evening).335.Between the 2nd and 3rd vertebrae a

dull, pressive pain; (1st afternoon).

336.Boring pains in the vertebrae. (6th

day).337.Stabbing pains in the lumbar region,

extending as far as the knee; (7th

morning).338.Pains in the small of the back.339.Sensation of weakness in the small of

the back.340.Pressive sensation in the small of the

back.341.with itching; (7th day).342.Tightness in the bones of buttocks,

extending to the knee, when walking.343.Cramping pain in the bones of the

whole left arm; evenings when resting.

344.Unusual roughness of wrists, extending to the proximal interphalangeal joints of the finger; (Lasted 5 days).

345.In the morning on rising. stabbing pain on the right ankle.

346.As above, as if from a sprained tendon.

347.Tearing pain in the left knee and the left shoulder

348.The leg on which he lies in bed is as if too weak to bear the pressure of the other. Has to keep changing his position, until he falls asleep over it (Lasted 6 days).

349.Gouty pains in the whole left foot.350.Tendency to walk with the left foot

turned inwards, with a feeling as if it had actually ben sprained, so that he must actually look down to convince himself that it is not so; (lasted 3 days).

351.Easy exhaustion from slight exertion.352.Extreme exhaustion after driving.353.torn feeling in the right elbow; (1st

evening).354.Tearing pains in the elbow.355.Itching in the left arm.356.Itching in the right elbow.357.Pricking/stabbing at intervals in left

arm.358.Itching in the biceps of the right arm.359.Tearing in the arm.360.Pricking in the left index finger.361.Sweat on the palms of the hands.362.Itching in the right wrist; red patches

form, like flea bites, which itch and soon fade.

363.Weakness in all the joints, as if they would collapse.

364.The pains in the feet are aggravated at rest, like wise the itching.

365.Yawning for the first hour; shivering, with a pale blue rash, with tearing and

cramping pains in the umbilical regions; (7th day, around noon).

366.Feels very tired; liable to fall over.367.She is at her best lying down.368.work-sky.369.Much yawning in the middle of the

day and the evening.370.For several days felt sleepy early.371.He dreams of his occupations and

intentions.372.Anxious dreams of robbers, journeys

and dangers.373.restless unrefreshing sleep.374.Frequent yawning in the evenings.375.Tiredness and lassitude towards

evenings; relieved as she got into bed.376.Very restless, serious dreams.377.Frequent yawning and early

sleepiness in the evening.378.Always very sleepy.379.He dreamt that he was sitting on the

toilet, and very nearly did it in the bed; (5th day).

380.Slept very restlessly, several nights.381.Very tense on going to sleep.382.Very sleepy in the daytime; (6th day).383.Unusually sound sleep at night.384.Whenever she sits down, she falls

asleep.385.Very restless sleep on account of

disturbing dreams.386.Cannot get to sleep in the evenings;

(Lasted 5 weeks).387.Very restless but refreshing sleep.388.Many dreams, very much liked up

and recallable. In the morning the body is in th same position as on going to sleep the evening before; (Curative result).

389.Cannot sleep on the right side as accustomed, but can sleep on the left; (Lasted 10 days).

390.Frequent cold shivers, especially in the evening, with flushes of heat, great exhaustion, feebleness and sleepiness.

391.Stretching and turning fo the limbs, without thirst or other complaints.

392.Copious sweat on walking.393.Internal shuddering in the afternoon,

with cold shivers externally.394.Around midday internal coldness,

with cold shivers.395.Sweat o the face and palms of the

hands.396.Frequent sensations of the coldness

during the day-time.397.Frequent sensations of the coldness

during the day-time.

398.When the sun shone on her, it seemed as though it were oppressing her. She had to rest for sometime in the shade before she could walk any further; (4th

day).399.Great heat in the evening; it was as

though she were going out of her mind – phantasizing, with great thirst–followed by sweating in the night; then it all stopped.

400.At table and in the evening, very frequently flushes of heat over the whole body, with dripping sweat on the face, while others were complaining of the cold. Frequent thirst, dryness and burning in the mouth.

401.Chillness lasting several days.402.Heat and sweating in the evening

while driving ; (6th day).403.Cold shivers on the skin.404.Heat in the afternoon.405.Headache.406.Thirst, coldness, dryness in the mouth

and on the lips, lasting 4 days.407.Hot, sweating and thirsty in both cold

and hot weather.408.Headache, coldness, dry mouth and

lips.409.Frequent cold sensation on the skin

during the day; (6th day).409a. Much sweating on palms of hands at night.409b. Unaccustomed anxiety while driving; (1st day).410.Anxiety-state with palpitations.411.Trembling of hands and feet; (4th

day).412.Trembling of the hands; (6th day).413.Trembling of the feet.414.Anxiety, like fearful premonitions,

with great restlessness and trembling of the hands.

415.Hot shivers through the whole body when under pressure of work.

416.Cheerful, in a good mood, eagerness and zest for work; (2nd morning).

417.Irritable, cross and jumpy in the evening.

418.So sad that she could destroy herself, then flamboyant extraversion.

419.Irritability and weepiness.420.sometimes very miserable, at other

times very merry.421.Very gloomy, sad, despairing; wishes

to take his own life when at his most optimistic.

422.Very worked-up; angry at everything.423.Despondent; very sad.

424.Merry, cheerful, pleased with life; (6th

day).425.Optimistic about the future.426.Oppression of spirit.427.Very sentimental.428.Very irritable.429.Very merry and cheerful.430.Very violent in the morning.431.Everything makes her angry.432.Very violent, liable to outbursts of

temper, always thinking of dying; suddenly very merry, just as suddenly very sad; strongly alternating moods during same day.

433.Very irritable when he has to converse a lot.

434.Every moral impression affects her so strongly that she trembles all over.

435.Gloomy in spirit and lacking in gaiety.

436.Gloomy thoughts; he believes he is going bankrupt.

437.Persistent thoughts of which he cannot rid himself; they recur in dreams at night; (Lasted 3 days).

438.Great aversion to being driven anywhere – lasted four weeks – then suddenly a desire for it which cannot be satisfied quickly enough, even in bad weather.

Introduction : This article has been created over three years and in that time I have refined my original ideas so that I feel can now write with greater certainity. I have moved repeatedly between observation, practice and theoretical considerations, in oreder to test and re-test the original ideas. I have also spent a lot of time collecting fresh data.

I felt the need to do this because there are many original observations about Psorinum, in this article. It is not just a modern restatement of HAHNEMANN’s work. The ideas presented here form part of a much larger work on the Psora theory and the history of disease which shows no sign of being finished at the moment. So these notes are mainly about Psorinum as a remedy in homeopathy and the major indications for its use. Inevitably, we must also consider some aspects of HAHNEMANN’s controversial Psora theory, though I have tried to keep this brief.

Psorinum has become the single most interesting and important tremedy in the Materia Medica. One reason for this interest is personal, I myself had scabis in 1971, along with 5 other members of my family. Since then I have watched

with fascination, not only the unfolding of myriad illnesses and symptoms within the members of the family and their offspring, but I have also seen the profound and curative effects of Psorinum as a remedy.

Psorinum is a very full remedy, with a very large symptomatology, much larger thean is indicated in any Materia Medica. It could prove to be as vast as to include all the antisporic medicines with in its “sphere of action”.

It is the Alladin’s Cave and the Pandora’s Box of homeopathy, as it contains and can release both wonder and demons !

Psorinum appears to be a cure-all or panacea (more on this later). It broadly covers and includes Sulpur, Zincum, Natrum muriaticum, Petroleum and Graphites and to a lesser extent Sepia, Arsenicum album, Phosphorous, Argentum nitricum, Calcarea carbonica, Silica and Lycopodium. All these remedies are “big stars” n their own right, but I feel that they are better seen as merely a part of the Constellation sorinum, for that seems to be their natural habitat. In other words, Psorinum is a vast remedy, that embraces all the above remedies.

In general, cases with a strong indication for one of the above remedies will almost certainly lead into Psorinum eventually.Such cases are moving towards Psorinum, because the underlying driving force of the case is Psora. A case begins to unravel under the influence of our rremedies. It unravels in the general direction of the original cause, be it Sycosis, Syphilis or Psora. Thus strongly Psoric cases unravel towards Psorinum and it is sensible to accept this fact and be guided by it.

While there have always been some theoretical objectives to confusing the remedy with the miasm (see ALLEN and DUDGEON), these are of more inerest to pedants than to practitioners of homeopathy ! Theory that cannot be substantiated in fact, is always inferior to fact tht can be substantiated, no matter how peculiar or heretical the latter may seen to be, and no matter how attractive and intellectually satisfying the theory. It is all too easy to be deceived into. what Russell called “intellectual rubbish”! Reading DUDGEON should ensure that this point is clearly understood. The truth of the Psora theory, comes not from grandiose reasoning, but through accurate observation of cases.

The tree main features of Psorinum are offensiveness, itchiness and inveterate states. Thes three run through all of its conditions. There is nearly always itchiness and offensiveness, often combined with a torpid lack of reaction. This lack of reaction is often deep-seated and insidious. In the worst cases it is slumbering lack of symptoms which fails to manifest itself at all: a dormant or quiescent sora (Physical and mental torpor?).

PSORINUM,MORELL, PeterThe HomeopathVol. 6, No. 4

Sulphur, of course, is sufficiently close to Psorinum to bring about a shift and dislodge the blockage of many cases. But Psorinum itself is even better. Psorinum unjams jammed-up cases because it is a feature of the miasm. Sulphur does the same because it is the leading antipsoric remedy after Psorinum. In torpid cases, one of the first and centrifugal effects of taking Psorinum is the return of itchiness of the skin, and of taking Psorinum is the return of itchiness of the skin, an dthis, as KSNT among others, noticed is always a good sign.The Drug Picture.The main features of Psorinum are :

1. Inveterate conditions in general (never get well).2. Inveterate dirtiness and offensiveness – mouth, sweat, axillae, genitals, flatus, stools, eruptions, feet, etc.3. Lack of reaction (sensitivity) to remedies, to diseases, to weather, to low potencies, to anything (torpor).4. Itchiness of the skin especillay in folds and where the skin is thin, for example : behind ears, behind knees, in fold of elbow, folds of neck, wrists, axillae, groin, genitals, between toes, between fingers, around and in th navel, around anus and perineum, on face, along the jawline, in whiskers and around mouth. Itchiness made worse by wool, abrasion of clothes, heat, hot bath, het of bed, undressing, (NB. the above symptoms also apply to scabies itself).5. Skin cented case and complaints –– psoriasis, eczema, impetigo, acne, blackheads, herpes, warts, itchiness, dry crusts or watery oozing, scabs, scales, cracks, desquamtion, etc. Generally itching intensely at times and in place indicated above. At first relieved and later aggravated by scratching.6. A history of skin conditions (see 5) in certain places (see 4) in parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc.7. Hard and uncomfortable nasal crusts and scabs form high up in the nostrils, difficult to detach and re-form after doing so. Leads to chronic nose-picking.8. Fungal infections – oral and genital candida (thrush), ring-worm (of scalp, hands, legs, etc), anthelete’s foot, recurrent attacks that are temporarily improved by Sulphur, Lycopodium or Sillca.9. Parasitic infestations –– pinworms, nits, fleas, headlice, crabs. Recurrent attacks, especially among children. 10. Allergic reactions of all kinds – asthma, hayfever, skin, nose and eye

reactions to pollens, dust, feathers, certain foods, detergents, oils, chemicals, etc.11. Reactions to vaccinations and immunizations, giving rise to chronic nasal catarrh (mucus clear or green), asthma, bronchial colds, frequent colds, chronic coughs, and more serious conditions, for example : brain damage.12. A hose of infant and childhood complaints, especially as listed above (See 5, 8, 9 an d10) in places indicated (see 4, 5). Theses also include nappy-rash, nasal catarrh, painful teething, susceptibility to colds of flue, night terrors, sleeplessness in infants, petulant behaviour, waxiness, crustiness and offensiveness of the ears including discharges (otorrhoea), measles German measles, chicken pox, heat rash.13. Haemorrhoids, Varicosities, ulcers and chilblains of extremities – ankles, feet, toes, fingers, legs – all itching and painful inflamed to some degree, worse for cold, heat, undressing, scratching.14. Non-sycotic (that is most forms of ) asthma, bronchial catarrh, bronchitis, shortness of breath, incipient tuberculosis.15. Offensively sweaty feet, hands and axillae of an inveterate nature, often associated with fungal infection (tinea pedis).16. Dandruff, greasy hair, itching of scalp, greasy and dirty skin (face, hands, chest, back). Desires to wash them frequently. especially hands.17. The patient will not improve while drinking coffee or remedies seem to be antidote by coffee.18. Well indicated remedies fail to act, or act for a time and then abort and fail thereafter. Needs remedies too frequently. Needs high potencies to achieve an effect. Needs the highest potencies too frequently (e.g. weekly or even daily).19. Frequent indications for Sulphur, Petroieum, Zincum, Graphites, Natrum muriaticum, Lycopodium, Arsenicum album, Phosphorous, Argentum nitricum, Calcarea carbonica, Sepia or silica which improve for a time and then abort.20. A history within a family of any or several of the above symptoms (esp. 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13 & 15) strongly indicates a Psoric state and thus the certain indication of Psorinum at some time in their treatment, most probably towards the end of it.21. Seasonal conditions, that appear in one season only for example : the spring, summer or winter (less so autum), worst

for warmth, cold, warmth of bed, undressing, standing, hot baths, scratching. Better for quiet, rest, lying down, Often feels unusually well the day before an aggravation.

I have observed all the above symptoms and conditions in a variety of people who have had scabies or whose parents have had the disease. This particularly includes myself, my mother, my wife (and her family ) and our two children. An increasing number of the symptoms have also been confirmed in practice. The rest of the Psorinum picture can be found in the standard Materia Medica.

The mass of evidence out of which this article grew is too large to include but will be part of a larger work.

None of these features require much further amplification. They are all self-evident, bare features of the remedy and the underlying Psoric state. Clearly, for use in practice they should be though about carefully so as to become thoroughly familiar.

If psora does over 85% of all human illness and Psorinum is the major antipsoric medicine, then we need a clearer picture of Psorinum than is presented in most Materia Medica. The material presented here is an effort in that direction. Much of this material is either unavailable elsewhere or it is present in a garbled, underemphasized or misleading form. KENT’s Repertory is also deficient for Psorinum.Other Symptoms :

There is also a host of other symptoms, some minor and others as yet only partly substantiated. which I include for the sake of completeness. These include.

1. Shyness, timidity, melancholy, introverted, anxious, irritable, depressed.2. Great overreaction to slights, angers easily, becomes abusive and violent.3. Excessive tiredness.4. Insomnia, sleeplessness, wakes too early and cannot sleep again due to activity of mind, heat, sweat, itching, or etc.5. Hair tangles, becomes brittle, sticks together easily becomes dry and white. Split ends of the hair (recurrent or chronic).6. Ophthalmia, photophobia, glaucoma.7. Lip herpes.8. Bleeding of the gums, while cleaning teeth. Recession of gums from the roots of the teeth, especially lower incisors, Accumulation of tarter on inner side and between lower incisors. Furriness of the tongue, esp. at base.9. Nausea, after eating, smell of food, smell of tobacco smoke, in pregnancy, in

mornings. Acid dyspepsia, buring in stomach after certain foods.10. Offensive diarrhea, alternating with constipation. Difficult stool, must wait, partial, inco,plete, must return to several times. Hot sulphurous (highly offensive) flatus.11. Urinary disorders––polyps, cystitis12. Uterine, menstrual and childbirth disorders; for example : delayed opening of the cervix, weak labour.13. Impotence.14. Coronary thrombosis and strokes.15. Tuberculosis.16. Arthritis, aching, swollen joints, cracking or snapping of joints of ankle, fingers, jaw, also toes, shoulders, knees, hips.17. Viral infections in general seem to rest on a Psoric base; for example : colds and flue. Cancer.18. Great sensitivity to cold weather, draughts, especially hands, fingers, toes and head, must wrap up.

These lists cover nearly all modern illness. HAHNEMANN said that Psora covers 85% of all human illness : I would go further and say 95%. HAHNEMANN also said that Psora is a hydra-headed miasm that grows out into numerous and diverse forms, which has also been illustrated in these lists.

Finally, there is a good deal of overlap with what HAHNEMANN includes in his list “symptoms of Latent Psora”. It is not that I have copied HAHNEMANN but that there is overlap of observations. I originally observed similar symptoms and then use HAHNEMANN’s lists as the basis of further observations. I have checked and confirmed only a small portion of HAHNEMANN’s lists. Although many of the above conditions and symptoms may be relieved by conventional homeopathic treatment, often for several years, eventually the usual constitutional remedies will come fail and the patient will move towards graver conditions as the need for Psorinum increases. It is at this point that the remarkable and truly unique power of Psorinum manifests, being able to turn back the seemingly inexorable tide of grave illness even at the eleventh hour. This appears to be an aspect of Psorinum that HAHNEMANN did not have the necessary time to discover.The Psoric Miasm

The relationship between Psora and Psorinum has an interesting and not untroubled history. As many homeopaths will be aware, the debate raged in the last century over the relative truth or absurdity of HAHNEMANN’s Psora theory. As a result, within homeopathy, two divergent schools of thought ware formed : firstly the cynical and

critical disbelievers who though HAHNEMANN had finally lost his marbles ! And secondly the gullible sycophants who lapped up every word the “Master” uttered. Between these two extremes there was little room for careful or rational conjecture. I feel that this situation was to some extent a product of HAHNEMANN’s obsessive and paranoid attitude to any form of even mildly critical suggestion. It is well known that he demanded total devotion from his closest colleagues, he often formed theories on scant evidence and he was unnecessarily angry and impatient with other medical theorists and practitioners of the day. These attitudes are still common in medicine and were also present to some extent in KENT.

It is quite possible that now, a century and a half later, similar emotional reactions will reappear to a new airing of the Psora Theory. Yet I am happy to brave the storm of derision, should there be one. perhaps people do not believe the Psora Theory because of their poor powers of observation of cases, symptoms and connections, often over very long periods of time One also needs considerable thinking time available in order to deeply ponder the available data. It took HAHNEMANN 12 years of the most meticulous observation to formulate his Psora Theory. 12 years in which he was a very busy man, by no means wealthy and father of a large and nomadic family. Perhaps that venom he reserved for his critics was due to his conviction of the unique and precious nature of his “arcane” discoveries. He viewed homeopathy as his brainchild, his precious discovery and his gift to ailing humanity, and he viewed himself as its sole guardian and patriarch.

I feel that he was right about Psora and in particular the following now modified premises :

1. That the itch or scabies does produce a deep-seated and “congenital” miasm, that is, an inner predisposition dormant or active and able to produce clearly recognizable and predictable symptoms and complaints in the individual and her or his offspring or perpetuity.2. That the history of al human illness is traceable to skin diseases in ancestors.3. That all skin diseases are traceable to scabies in self or ancestors.4. That possibly plague and certainly leprosy and elephantiasis are closely allied to Psora, in some, as yet, undetermined way, as portrayed by Leviticus in the Bible.5. That the word Psora does not come from the Hebrew “Tsorat” meaning a groove or stigma,

(equating it with “original sin” or spiritual downfall), but that it comes from Psora, the Greek word fro scabies. “Being a great linguist it is hardly likely that HAHNEMANN would have chosen an ambiguous name for the theory that, to him, would ensure his immortal fame, and rank him along with figures like KEPLER, PYTHAGORAS and PLATO.

In my view, homeopaths like KENT have done a great disservice to the PSORA Theory by pursuing ‘religious’ arguments and introducing moral elements that are completely alien to the

*Editorial Note :The Hebrew bible has no concept of original sin, a later Christian concept. Many Hebrew words were ‘transliterated’ to Greek without being translated, for example, Angel, Similarly Tsorat, a general word for trouble, also groove or stigma, is transliterated to Psora, meaning scabies in Greek. Being an accomplished linguist HAHNEMANN may have understood this. The notion of Psora as original sin may be a SWEDENBORGian idea.original theory as conceived by HAHNEMANN. KENT’s writings are packed with pure conjecture about the miasm; ideas which are unsubstantiated and highly misleading opinions. Unfortunately, these accretions to the original theory have become generally accepted as part of the theory itself. It must be emphasized that they are not part of the theory.6. These conclusions are substantiated by the use of potentised itch vesicle and its obvious and profound power to influence that health of all human beings.

It may seem difficult to comprehend all of this data and grasp the main issues. The two most important points to emphasise about Psorinum are its unique power and importance as a remedy, and the effect of scabies on subsequent human health.

Both of these points seem to be indisputable in practice and form a firm sheet-anchor for the rest of the theory. They are the most easily verified points upon which the whole theory rests. It is a very worthwhile undertaking for any competent homeopath, to explore them both with the utmost diligence and care. If necessary a personal proving should be undertaken. The critics of the Psora theory ought first to carefully consider the following questions :1. If the Psoric Miasm does not exist then why does scabies give rise to the conditions listed above, and leave them in a family for generation upon generation ?2. If the Psora theory is a nonsence, then why is the potentised product of “mere” scabies the most powerful remedy in the Materia Medica, which is capable of unjamming blocked cases, causing

beneficial changes in all cases (most clearly seen in young children) and being able to turn the tide of serious illness?3. If the Psoric Miasm does not exist, then how can we explain the ability of Psorinum to remove all the above listed conditions and symptoms from an individual and her or his offspring ? This question outlines the non-sequitur of separating the miasm from the nosode, (which I speculate applies equally well to Medorrhinum and Syphilinum).

The answer to these questions follow the same line of reasoning as HAHNEMANN himself and can be read in the Chronic Diseases. More theoretical considerations will have to wait for a future article. The Psora Theory becomes more and more vivid and sensible only through observation in practice. It is elevated to the status of Truth (Natural Law) not only by speculation and grandiose reasoning, but through the sheer dint of observation of cases and experience of using Psorinum as a remedy, Compiling evidence in this way proves inductively the good sense of th e Psora Theory.

The long-term and internal health of the patient is protected if conditions are left untouched on the skin. The more they are tampered with, the greater is the danger to the health of the patient. These observations are confirmed repeatedly in practice. Chronic illness within a family begets and stems from a state that s passed on to the progeny and which perpetuates further illness. This chronic illness can always be traced back to a veneral disease or a skin eruption and ultimately these can be traced back to a case of scabies. this is the main thrust of HAHNEMANN’s Psora Theory and I have seen nothing in practice so far to contradict a single word of it. If he had had the time, HAHNEMANN would have seen that ultimately the miasm can only be removed by using the nosode, and this is why Psorinum is the single most powerful remedy in the whole of medicine. That the miasm and the nosode are two sides of the same coin and that this forms a uniquely potent key to unlock the mysteries of human disease. It could be called the Philosopher’s Stone of the healing art !Use fo Psorinum in Practice :

First a word of great caution, which is extremely important. Do not give Psorinum in high potency first over 200c. Appalling aggravations can occur, including the most ugly and inveterate skin eruptions, often all over the face and head and lasting for many, many weeks. These will not be removed even if coffee is drunk by the gallon nor if Nux vomica is consumed as liberally ! They must be left until they disappear of their own accord. Untold distress to patients is the obvious Possibility here, which must be avoided at all costs. The eruptions can also cover the whole body and seem to gravitate especially to the same areas as

scabies itself (see note 4 above). This warning especially applies to people who have had scabies themselves. The same effortless and magical curative results ensue, if we are patient and very gradually ascend the potencies. A typical and safe dose pattern might be as follows : start at 30 or 200 (one dose of triple split dose) and leave well alone for 1 month. If symptoms are still coming, leave for a further month. Repeat the 200 and wait 2 to 4 weeks. Continue up to 1M and 10M in the same way, waiting longer each time. It will be necessary to go up to the DM & MM eventually, but one must be very patient as it is a very slow, profound and deep-acting remedy, that elicits change and symptoms for many months. One of the interesting features is that after ingesting the remedy there is often a delay of 9-10 days before any change appears. This is just the same with scabies itself, during which time the female mite burrows into the skin, lays her first batch of eggs, which hatch and disperse around the host.

A case can go on needing the remedy for many months or years. Psora is not a blockage that is quickly removed after a few doses of the 200 or 10M. That is an impatient approach that will not bear fruitful results. Greater patience is required than with probably any other remedy. In using Psorinum one is frequently amazed at its ability to spring back into activity with undiminished power after a period of relative dormancy and still bring beneficial changes to a case. It has remarkable felicity of action, rising phoenix like from the ashes fo the last spent dose and taking up the work again, bringing renewed vigour with each dose. It genuinely seems to be a remedy of inexhaustible power and intensity. No case would seem to be too far gone for its use. I can find no remedy to match it, no parallel within the whole Materia Medica. It is a truly awesome and inspiring remedy to use in general practice.

The chief antidotes, if its action is rather coarse, are Nux vomica and Coffee. Tuberculinum bovinum and Carcinosin will also tame its action. Tuberculinum bovinum is considered to be its main acute parallel, and the two will antidote each other. The use of coffee should be reduced, and if necessary eliminated, when on Psorinum, as it certainly spoils its action. This is probably yet further evidence of the universality of the Psoricmiasm : for coffee will antidote most Psoric (and other) remedies and the action of any remedy in some possibly psoric cases. The effect of coffee on Psoric cases was noticed by HAHNEMANN and deceived him into ranking it as a major cause of human disease, until he realized the Psora theory, based on his observations of skin conditions and family medical histories. Careful examination of the drug picture of Coffee should convince you that unlike Psorinum, it is clearly not a very profound and constitutional remedy.

The action Psorinum is centrifugal and this is due to the origin of the miasm, which has been suppressed inwards from the skin. Thus Psoric remedies in general and Psorinum in particular, expel the miasm in reverse order, from within outwards and from above downwards and conditions triggered or initiated by the miasm are alleviated in the reverse order of their original appearance.

All skin creams, footsprays and similar items should be banned during its use, as these also spoil its action and undo the work it is doing This especially applies to cortisone creams, zinc-based ointments and footsprays, calamine lotion, zinc and castor oil cream (for baby’s nappy rash), anti-fungal creams, etc.

I have also noticed that single doses of Psorinum 200, 1M and 10M used 3-4 times a year with infants and young children acts as an excellent prophylactic against nearly all childhood illnesses. And this is also worth knowing, but these and many other observations require further confirmation in practice.References :

The main sources of useful information about Psorinum and Psora are as follows:ALLEN Psorinum in Materia Medica of the Nosodes.BORLAND : Children’s Types.DUDGEON : Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Homeopathy.HAHNEMANN : Chronic Diseases.KENT : Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica.KENT : Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy.PHATAK : Materia Medica

Of the above sources, the most valuable and informative are HAHNEMANN’s Chronic Diseases and ALLEN’s Materia Medica of the Nosodes.