Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Miasms (a thumbnail sketch)

Hahnemann was extremely successful in curing acute illness (that illness that comes on suddenly and leaves just as quickly such as flu, colds, headaches, sprains, diarrhea, constipation, insomnia, etc). He did find that even though his success rate was probably 95%+ (as is common for experienced homeopathic practitioners dealing with acute illness), he was revisiting these acute illnesses every so often in the same patient.

Hahnemann reviewed several decades of his treatment with homeopathic remedies applied to a vast amount of cases. He also reviewed a thousand years of history and came to the conclusion that there was an underlying illness that affects all humans. This base ailment at times makes the more superficial illnesses almost impossible to completely cure. Hahnemann spent the next 15 years compiling evidence and clinical therapy to determine this underlying illness common to all living beings. He termed this basic underlying illness “miasm”. The term miasm can be defined most easily as “pollution”; a base pollution to a living organism giving rise to chronic as well as some acute illness.

So Hahnemann viewed the treatment of illness from two perspectives. One was treatment of acute illness which may or may not be the result of an underlying miasm and two, the treatment of chronic or long term illness which was definitely the result of an underlying miasm.

Hahnemann found that there were three basic miasms common to most if not all people. They are as follows:

1. PSORIC (psora)- called the “itch” disease. It is the mother of the other miasms and affects every living thing on the earth according to Hahnemann. It is spread through skin contact (often mother to child). Some common ailments attributed to the psoric miasm include constipation (sometimes alternating with diarrhea), psoriasis, wide ranging itching, burning ailments, leprosy and other skin related symptoms. It is characterized by under functioning ailments (hypo).

2. SYPHILITIC- called the “chancre” disease. It is created by suppressed syphilis and passed to resulting generations. It can be caused by a primary infection (not inherited) that is suppressed by antibiotic treatment. Some common ailments attributed to the syphilitic miasm include ulcerations of all types, gangrene, insanity, sterility, premature death, heart disease, suicide, destructive cancer, and ulcers of ear, nose, urinary organs, and mouth. It is characterized by self destructive tendencies and ailments.

3. SYCOTIC (sycosis)- called the “figwart” disease. It is created by suppressed gonorrhea and passed to following generations. It can be caused by a primary infection (not inherited) that is suppressed by antibiotic treatment. Some common ailments attributed to the sycotic miasm include abortion, anemia, appendicitis, pelvic disease, hemorrhoids, prostatitis, kidney swelling, gout, arthritis, asthma, eczema, rheumatism, warts, and other urinary ailments. It is characterized by red moles about the abdomen and/or figwarts (clusters). It is denoted by over functioning ailments (hyper).

There is also a fourth miasm defined by J H Allen as Psuedo-Psora or Tubercular miasm. This miasm can be created by suppressed tuberculosis and is passed from one generation to the next or contracted primarily and suppressed by antibiotic treatment. The Tubercular miasm is a combination of psoric and syphilitic miasms and as such is much more complex and lethal than either of these alone. Some common ailments attributed to the tubercular miasm include hernias, swelling (no reasonable cause), bedwetting, some cancers, diabetes, some types of cough, epilepsy, chronic fatigue, influenza, malaria, insomnia, night sweats, heart palpitation, and pneumonia. It is characterized by “restricting” type ailments.

Miasms can be inherited or contracted through exposure to the primary disease that creates them. Inherited miasms are the most common except in our time where it is not uncommon to have exposure to primary gonorrhea or tuberculosis. Even syphilis is making a comeback in Europe and other areas.

The inheritance factor of miasms is one reason that allopathic medicine finds some hereditary component to common chronic diseases.

To make it more complicated, the above miasms can be and are usually bound together creating an even more complex series of symptoms and diseases. It is rare not to find that a patient exhibits signs from all the miasms simultaneously, but there is almost always one predominant miasm at a time. Care must be taken to remove these layers of illness as they are not as easily seen independently like a typical acute disease. After all, a miasm is a “pollution” to the body and not the resulting disease that it creates (only the source).

At the time that Hahnemann expressed his miasmic theory, the homeopathic community was divided on its acceptance. Even today there are some homeopathic practitioners that do not fully accept this theory or apply it properly. I can say after much time exploring this idea, the miasms do exist and influence many diseases that are common today. The most obvious diseases affect urinary organs and also cause rheumatoid arthritis. Generally sycosis is at the root of these chronic urinary disorders as is arthritis. By treating the sycosis directly, the resulting illness is much improved if not eliminated entirely when caught in time (see homeopathic case studies). This is just one minor example of how the miasms are found in common illness and the most compelling reason that common allopathic therapy only holds these illnesses at bay while they slowly progress; treating the symptom and not the cause. Common medical therapy is no match in actually curing the cause of these illnesses (miasms) as it doesn’t believe the miasms exist. Homeopathy can be easily verified to affect these conditions with considerable alleviation when applied to the miasm behind the chronic illness.

What this means to you…

Now you have an idea of the root of many (most) chronic illnesses. You just have to treat this condition (miasm) to verify its existence, but that is often complicated. Homeopathy is very straight forward in treating and alleviating (curing) acute illness. It is just a matter of understanding how to apply it. Chronic illness and its basis in the miasms is much more difficult to treat and does not easily follow the basic concepts in homeopathy. Miasms tend to be woven in layers and are often inextricably combined in different ways. And, chronic illnesses of all types are generated by multiple miasms even as one or another of the miasms can be the most dominating factor. It is because of these various combinations of miasms that chronic illness should only be treated by an experienced practitioner. When such a practitioner is found, a chronic illness will be approached layer by layer and mental as well as physical ailments will fall to the homeopathic remedies available.

Just because chronic illnesses are more difficult to treat does not mean that you shouldn’t learn homeopathy and start to treat your own acute ailments. You will find the basics of treating ALL illness when you start with the basics to treat that next cold or flu. Study homeopathy… it is time well spent and a worthwhile goal towards your renewed health.


  1. Interesting blog! Chronic illness is a huge problem. If only we would all watch we we do, eat, drink, and prevent it.

  2. Hi Jenn,

    Hahnemann specifically stated that environmental causes of acute and chronic illness should be carefully examined and corrected. In the long run unless the underlying miasm is cured, no amount of change in diet and exercise will eliminate the chronic ailment and palliation is the best you will be able to provide. There are many examples of chronic illness overturned even in the later years of life. It is always through treatment of a miasm. Thanks for the comment and link.

  3. Thank you for the compliment! =) I'm also a fan of natural medicine!

  4. Interesting info about miasms. I have not heard of this before though I utilize homeopathics in my home. My children have not seen a doctor for seven years!

  5. What an excellent post - this is my first visit here am very new to homeopathy and found this very interesting (am always on the lookout of ptsd relief) - will be reading more tonight for sure - thank you so much for sharing this with me - peace for all

  6. Hi R Max,

    Great comment! Please take some time and read through all of the posts if you have not already. It is refreshing to see the members to this blog treating their children as this limits the amount of suppressive techniques that are commonly the triggers for more severe illness later in life. Keep up what you are doing and you will help your children immensely, as you probably have already realized. Thanks again for the comment.

  7. This is the most helpful essay I have ever read about a health subject! I was once writing a health book, so I read thousands of pages in health related subjects.

    In addition to other symptoms, there is a very particular flavor of anger in those afflicted by the syphilitic miasm. When my naturopath treated me with the appropriate homeopathic, relief was dramatic. I can only imagine the inmates in prisons, mental asylums, and addicts who could live normal lives with knowledge of and access to these remedies. Thanks for the informative and lively blog.