Abtsract
The article proposes the concept of the origin of conglomerates of mental symptoms of drugs of the luetic miasma using the data of some areas of modern psychology.
The essence of the assumption is that the destructive psyche of drugs of the luetic group may be based on specific psychological trauma of a destructive nature. The suggested injuries for a number of drugs of the luetic group are given.
Keywords
Homoeopathy, miasmatic concept, miasm luetic (syphilitic)
Since the inception of homeopathy, there has never been unanimity among homeopaths about Hahnemann’s miasmatic concept of chronic diseases. A number of schools and authors have denied the significance of the concept, considering it a “quirk of an elderly master.” Others have expanded and developed it in every way, introducing new elements and understandings, of varying degrees of value and reliability. The consequence of this is the lack of uniform teaching models for this complex topic in homeopathic education. As an example, consider the topic of the luetic miasm.
First, a few words about the views in homeopathy on the luetic miasm. From the point of view of Hahnemann’s “Chronic Diseases”, the luetic miasma has a contagious beginning, in fact the causative agent of syphilis, discovered later. The next series of researchers of this topic discussed various conglomerates of symptoms that can be said to be “similar” to the symptoms of syphilis in all three stages.
In the works of the French school of Dr. Leon Vannier, the concept of the Fluoric type was introduced, which has a deep analogy with the concept of luetic burden that exists in venereology, and is a consequence of syphilis transferred by parents, and corresponds to the manifestations of the drug Calcarea fluoricum. This constitution describes quite specific bodily and bone manifestations, as well as the characteristic features of the plastic movement and behavioral features. These descriptions have close similarities with the description of some forms of congenital syphilis.
When studying the literature on the manifestations of the luetic miasma, one can see that the picture comes from two sources. The first is the symptomatology of syphilis and the second is the pathogenesis of drugs that were called “luetic”, that is, they cure the various manifestations of the luetic miasma.
Today, one can see three series of manifestations, united under the concept of luetic miasm. Firstly, syphilis in vivo, with its three stages; secondly, the so-called luetism, a number of psycho-physiological symptoms very similar to the manifestations of syphilis, however, without identifying syphilis markers, and not associated with the spirochete; and thirdly, congenital syphilis and (or) the fluoric constitution. The deepest meaning of the work “Chronic Diseases” is that all these conditions (with the exception of congenital manifestations that have already taken place) cannot be effectively treated by anything other than specific homeopathic preparations of the luetic group. These are relatively clear points.
Things are more complicated with the interpretation of the psychic symptoms of this “miasm”. Usually, the mental picture is described as specific destructive symptoms of drugs of the luetic group. And although there is a certain correspondence of this symptomatology to the psychic manifestations described for congenital syphilis, there is somewhat less clarity in this topic. A number of authors offer their own provisions for covering this topic, partly empirical, psychologized, partly moral and didactic in nature.
The goal of this article is to propose a concept never met before on the origin of the psychic symptoms of the luetic miasma, based on data from modern psychology. The psyche functions according to laws different from the laws of the physical organism and needs its own approach and consideration.
In homeopathy, the idea of the development of certain psychological types after specific injuries, that are resolved by appropriate drugs, such as Staphysagria, Natrum muriaticum, Ignatia etc., is well known and has been empirically confirmed many times. The essence of the assumption is that the destructive psyche of drugs of the luetic group can also be based on a specific psychological trauma. Just as the development of syphilis and luetism may be based on treponema or something similar, the basis of “mental syphilis” may be a specific destructive psycho-trauma imprinted in the deep structures of the psyche, and reflected in the form of destructive symptoms aspects of a destructive psycho-type.
It can be assumed that the specificity of the injury gives a certain specificity of mental manifestations and a psychological type. According to the data of modern psychology working with mental trauma, the most traumatic events occur at the beginning of a person’s life and can often be forced out of the sphere of consciousness. Apparently, during a homeopathic interview you can try to identify appropriate traumatic situations that affected the formation of a psychotype in the prenatal period of development or early childhood. Some of the psychic symptoms described for luetic drugs in MM books may indicate the nature of psychological trauma leading to the formation of psychotypes of these drugs.
The syphilitic miasm is described as the most destructive miasm, and mercury is the central drug of this miasm. It can be assumed that the destructive mental manifestations of mercury are produced by the most destructive trauma that a person can deal with. From the point of view of a developing child, this can be perceived as aggression and attempts to “kill” emanating from the mother. According to psychologists, such situations form a person’s lack of basic trust in the world. This has an analogy with the symptoms of the mental picture of mercury (“all enemies”, the theme of murder). It is likely that the longer and more intense the rejection of the pregnancy by the mother, the more severe the trauma in the child will be and the more pronounced the manifestations of the mercury psychotype. If a pregnant woman experiences the most dramatic circumstances, but does not give up pregnancy, she protects her child from such an injury.
Obviously, people with very high viability survive in this situation, which gives the impression of high viability of luetic patients, similar to the example of people who survived in concentration camps during World War II. It is clear that such information is difficult to obtain during the survey, however, some clinical observations confirm this assumption. Also, the situations producing a mental picture of Mercury with well-known themes of enemies, murders, etc., could include situations of prolonged traumatic stay in places of deprivation of liberty or in areas of military operations.
The suicidal depression of Aurum can be considered a manifestations of a hereditary psycho-type formed in a child whose parents had the mental type of mercury. Just like a child whose parent is sick with syphilis, a physiological type of fluoride is formed. A few words about fluoride. Calcium fluoride is known to treat certain manifestations of the fluoride constitution, which are similar to manifestations of congenital syphilis. Homeopathic Materia Medica describes a vivid picture of the psyche of fluoride for hydrofluoric acid. One of the main manifestations of the drug is a number of symptoms of a destructive attitude to the topic of the family. Some clinical observations from my own practice confirm the assumption that the formation of such a psycho-type can be based on situations of traumatic divorce in the family, “abduction of the child” by one of the parents and a ban on communication with one of the parents, and possibly the complete disappearance of one of the parents from the child’s life. So, a 40-year-old man, who was taken away from his father at the age of 3 as a result of fraud, was extremely negative about the family theme, which corresponded to the symptoms of the acidum fluoricum psychotype. He also had serious problems with his teeth, which were mainly cured by fluoride.
In the description of the iodine psycho-type, there are certain aspects of impulsive destructiveness, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the symptoms of fecal contamination draw attention to themselves. This can be correlated with one of the so-called perinatal matrices of Stanislav Grof, which is associated with the process of the passage of the child through the birth canal. This indicates the probable role of prolonged childbirth and being “stuck” in the birth canal in the formation of some aspects of the iodine psycho-type. The proposed concepts allows you to pay attention to the appropriate drugs in the presence of relevant facts in the patient’s biography. Such destructive situations as described above, cannot be completely erased by either homeopathic remedies or any kind of psychotherapy. Like the stigmata of congenital syphilis, they remain with the person throughout life. Only some of their consequences can be partially offset by drugs.
Thus, we can conclude that syphilis as a physical pathology, and “mental lues”, as a mental phenomenon, have a deep analogy between themselves, which is reflected in the properties of drugs of the lyuetics group, in the pathogenesis of each of which there are both physical and mental symptoms on both sides. It is these two similar, but heterogeneous phenomena that form the picture of what homeopaths call the “luetic miasm”. The above hypothesis allows us to formulate a number of provisions that cannot be proved, but need attention and further research.
1. The action of homeopathic preparations in the mental sphere is subject to other laws than their effect in the field of physical and general symptoms; in a sense, this is another kind of homeopathy. The traditional differing views on miasms, are due to the mixing of these rather heterogeneous phenomena.
2 . The mental manifestations of both mercury and other drugs in a particular clinical situation can either be combined with physical or general symptoms, or be completely isolated, not requiring confirmation by general and physical symptoms.
3. In the case of an isolated mental symptom and high sensitivity of the patient, a special clinical situation may arise. Namely, on the one hand, a homeopathic medicine favorably affects the patient’s mental manifestations, however, this medicine also imposes its own uncomfortable physical symptoms, as is the case with drug provings. A proper analysis of such situations can be difficult.
4. In a similar way to the above, we can try to consider the formation of a number of other homeopathic psycho-types.
5. These ideas allow us to build certain bridges between the experience of homeopaths and the experience of modern depth psychology and psychotherapy, to the mutual enrichment of the possibilities of both methods in the interests of patients.
The beauty and power of homeopathy lies in the fact that, regardless of the fidelity or infidelity of any of the proposed concepts, a homeopath is empirically able to assist in a wide range of clinical situatio
