Classification of Chronic Disease in Homeopathy

Chronic diseases are diseases that have a gradual and imperceptible beginning, unlimited lifelong suffering, no tendency to recovery, and have a tendency to continue to the next generation unless treated with dynamized homeopathic remedies. The difference between acute and chronic diseases is more than just the duration of illness.

Dr. Clarke also remarks that Hahnemann did not use the word ‘chronic’ just to denote the long-standing illness, but he meant a poison (miasm) which had a chronic evolution, right from its beginning.

Kent also says, “Chronic disease is chronic right from the beginning itself”.

 

Chronic diseases can be of 3 types:

1.  Artificial/iatrogenic chronic diseases (§ 74-76)
2. False chronic disease (§ 77)
3. True/miasmatic chronic diseases (§78-81)

1. Artificial/Iatrogenic chronic diseases

(§ 74-76)

These are the most incurable chronic diseases. These are the diseases that are produced as a result of prolonged allopathic heroic medicines in large and ever-increasing doses. These are artificially produced because of their violent and abusive actions. Because of violent actions of large doses of the mercurial, silver preparations, purgatives, leeches applications, issues, setons, etc, the vital energy of the organism deranges too much.

To protect itself from such destructive primary action, our vital force develops a reaction in the body. In this process of self-protection, even looses or sacrifices some part of our vitality. This further cripples the body internally and externally. This happens as a result of the secondary curative reaction in order to preserve the entire organism.

In the footnote to § 74, Hahnemann points out the Brousseau treatment (also refer footnote to § 60), as the most irrational, inappropriate allopathic method. He criticizes bloodletting and venesections as a practice of irreplaceable blood loss treatment, cruel methods, and murderous malpractice.

Among the chronic disease, the artificial chronic disease produced by the allopathic mal-practice is the most incurable one (§ 75), especially if the treatment was continued to the patient for a long period. These artificial diseases have to be remedied by the vital force itself. This is possible only in cases where the vitality of vital force is not deranged totally. Some vitality is still remaining in the body in spite of the destructive therapy.

2. False chronic disease

(§ 77, also refer § 7)

These are also called as pseudo chronic or inappropriately named chronic diseases. These are diseases that patients bring upon themselves because of prolonged and continual exposure to the avoidable maintaining causes. False chronic diseases are not true chronic diseases because there is no chronic miasm in the background. When the maintaining cause is removed the illness disappears spontaneously.

Example:

1. Habit of taking liquors or any kind of dissipations.

2. Prolonged abstinence or not taking things properly is necessary for the maintenance of life.

3. Residing in unhealthy or marshy localities.

4. Deprivation of exercise and open air.

5. Over-excretion of the body and living in constant mental and physical strain etc.

c. True chronic disease

(§ 78-81):

These are also called natural chronic diseases or miasmatic chronic diseases. The true miasmatic chronic diseases are those that arise from chronic miasms like psora, sycosis, and syphilis.

These diseases are due to the disturbance of vital force by the miasmatic forces. They continue to progress unless controlled by homeopathic employment of remedies that are specific to them by their symptomatology. The best mental and corporeal changes, the most robust constitutions, the best-regulated mode of living, and even the vigorous energy of the vital force cannot control or cure them.

The vital force possesses the power to fight against certain acute diseases, but not against chronic ones (§ 78). These chronic miasms have a tendency to remain dormant inside the organism. During the youthful years, the patient may look healthy, in spite of having a miasm inside.

The miasm remains in the latent form in such cases. But in later years, when the patient comes under the influence of social or familial worries, any disturbing affections, and inappropriate medicinal treatments, the chronic disease reappears and assumes a serious character.

Chronic diseases are of 2 types, the simple miasmatic and complex miasmatic.

Simple or single miasmatic diseases are because of a single miasm. They are either caused by psora or syphilis or sycosis; that means only one miasm is exhibiting its symptoms at a given time in the patient. Sycosis or syphilis cannot affect the person unless the psora is in the background i.e. psora remains in the dormant or latent form when the sycosis or syphilis is exhibiting its symptoms.

When two or more miasms produce the sickness in one person we term it as the complex miasmatic disease (the third possibility of the “what happens when two dissimilar diseases meet” condition).

So we are ending it up here but don’t worry we will be back with all miasms complete explanation posts. till then read our post on Acute Disease to understand the disease better. Follow us on Instagram