Miasmen und
Einordnung der Mitteln
[Roger Morrison, MD]
Presented
here is a working hypothesis and a set of aphorisms
concerning the use of miasm (as described by Sankaran) in the mineral kingdom. It is by no means a
finished piece of work,
but I
hope it might offer some pointers in some difficult cases and serve as a basis
for further exploration of this topic. It is indeed with great caution that one
must present such a hypothesis
for many
reasons. Implicit in this hypothesis is the validity of the modern trend of
categorizing remedies into various groups. This categorization is done to study
the properties of these groups
to aid in
case analysis. This trend appears to go against the dictates of H. and many
living authorities as well. H. specified that the knowledge of a mineral
remedy’s chemistry could
not be
used in determining its medicinal properties.
However, in
H.’s time, the knowledge of chemistry was severely
limited. There was no periodic table and even the identification of well-known
chemicals was difficult, as H. himself discovered
to his
chagrin. We are much further along now and the experience of chemists with the
use of the periodic table has shown its great predictive value in chemistry for
well over a century.
Every
mature science begins as merely a collection of observations - like our provings. Later these points of observation become “dense”
enough that patterns become obvious
and
finally hypotheses are formed that are predictive of phenomena. This is the
path of all developing sciences. Many current homeopaths (myself
included) believe that such a transition has
taken
place in homeopathy. The second reason this material is presented cautiously is
that it builds upon the work of truly ingenious thinkers in homeopathy (Jan Scholten/Rajan Sankaran).
Yet the
material presented below has not been approved by either author. Therefore it
is with great deference to these authorities that these aphorisms are
presented. Dr. Sankaran completed his
Work „Insight
into Plants“, which shows the use of miasm in
patients requiring plant remedies. One may reasonably ask if we need further
assistance in the analysis of mineral cases since we
have the
conceptual framework provided by Dr. Scholten. This
hypothesis is useful only to those fully familiar with the miasms
as described by Sankaran and the use of the periodic
table.
As we all know,
the full understanding of the use of these power conceptual tools is not yet
finalized. Mixing two not-fully-developed concepts is problematic. The
discussion of these 2 landmark hypotheses is outside the scope of this article
and the reader is directed to the original works of Sankaran
(System of Homeopathy) and Scholten (Homeopathy and
the Elements).
In this
article, the miasms begin with the acute miasm which is then followed by typhoid, malaria, ringworm,
sycosis, cancer, tuberculosis, leprosy and, finally,
syphilis.
Many will
be repelled by the absence of psora from this list
(note that Dr. Sankaran has not made this elimination).
It must be
understood that psora has simply been sub-categorized
into cancer, tubercular, and leprosy miasms.
The acute
and “subacute” miasms of H.
are roughly equivalent to acute, typhoid and malarial miasms.
The justification for these miasms is found mainly in
their clinical usefulness. By attempting to amplify the use of miasm in mineral remedies, only clinical successes will
justify this material. The order of these miasms is
from “lightest” to “deepest” and the order is important.
Roger Morrison, MD
Abstract:
The author proposes miasmatic relationships (based up
the miasmatic concepts of Sankaran)
of the mineral remedies and organic compounds, synthesizing the work of Jan Scholten
and Rajan Sankaran. Keywords: miasm and the mineral kingdom, miasm
and organic compounds
From above downwards (sounds like Hering’s
law). Hauptgruppen Perioden
Furthermore,
in each progressively heavier row, the deeper miasms
are reached more quickly in this l. to r. progression. For example in the 6th
row, the syphilitic miasm is reached by
column 9
(Iridium) whereas in the first 3 rows, syphilis is not reached at all except in
various salts.
In any
ionic salt, the miasm is almost completely determined
by the anion (= the negatively charged ion). In homeopathy, the anion is always
the 2nd name of a salt remedy [Nat-m. the chloride (= muriaticum)
is the anion].
In covalent
minerals (mainly carbon compounds) the miasm is determined
by structure of the elements - not their constituents [all of the pure alcohol
remedies (Alcoholus/Carb-ac./Kreos.)
are seen
to belong to the sycotic miasm.
Yet all the carboxylic acids (Acet-ac./Ox-ac./Benz-ac./Form-ac./But-ac.) are found to belong to
the typhoid miasm.
The
elements are the same: C, O, H, yet the miasm is completely different. Thus in covalent minerals, the
configuration of the elements is equally or more important than which elements
are present.
Now I would
like to explore these aphorisms in more detail. Please note that if the miasm is stated definitively it generally comes from Sankaran, when the term “proposed miasm”
is used,
it is
based upon my own clinical observations; less definite language implies some
degree of guesswork. Obviously it is important to state that miasm may not be at all distinctive in all cases requiring
a mineral remedy.
In each
case we use the information that is most strong and reliable. It is often
futile or even confusing to spend energy trying to define the miasm of a patient when the miasm
is not obvious or to try to force the information in a case to fit the “right” miasm in order to justify a remedy chosen upon another
clear basis.
I. Miasm deepens from left to right and from above downward
(in Periodensystem).
The first
two main groups (and often more) columns are only found as salts, never in
their pure elemental form in nature. Thus to specify the miasm
of pure elements in these columns would be spurious.
These
remedies will be discussed mainly in the context of the second aphorism below.
In the
first row of the periodic table there are of course only two elements (H and
He) and they are both seen to belong to the acute miasm.
In the
second row, Be and B remain in the acute miasm. C is a special case and is discussed later under the
4th aphorism. The miasm of the remedies N thru Ne is not known with clarity (not by me).
Thus the
first row in which we have clearly understood remedies is the 3rd row.
Beginning with the third column, we do not have much data about pure aluminum - only its salts, of which our famous remedy
Alum. is in the syphilitic miasm. I
conjecture that this is due to its complex salt nature, not from the Al itself.
Next we have Silica, one our best-known sycotic
remedies.
There is no
cancer miasm remedy in this row (excepting salts).
Next is P, one of our best-known tubercular remedies. H. and all other
authorities have specified the next remedy,
Sulphur as psoric.
The miasm of Cl and Ne is not known.
To
summarize, we see a hint of movement from left to right going to deeper miasms in the third row.
Turning to
the fourth now, we begin with Sc through to Zn, all of which remedies I propose
as belonging to the ringworm miasm. Ga is proposed to be sycotic. Ge and As are seen to correspond
to the cancer miasm. Se is proposed as tubercular.
The miasm of Br is proposed to correspond be leprosy
and Krypton is syphilitic.
In the 4th
row we find very clearly the movement toward progressively deeper miasms as we move from the 3rd column to the 18th.
In the 5th
row begins with Y in the ringworm miasm. Zr through Ag belong to the sycotic miasm. Cd, the well-known cancer remedy, is followed by Indium
(unknown) and Sn, which I propose to
be in the
tubercular miasm.
Pure
Antimony is relatively unknown except its salts; consequently the miasm is undetermined. Te may also be a tubercular remedy.
I is clearly in the leprosy miasm
and Xenon is unknown but likely to be syphilitic.
In the 6th
row Lanthanum appears to correspond to the ringworm miasm.
I propose that Hf and Ta are possibly of the sycotic miasm. Tungsten is W (= Wolframium) proposed as cancerinic
and
Rh tubercular. Os appears to be in the leprosy miasm. Ir and the following
remedies belong to the syphilitic miasm.
7th row and
its radioactive elements are all proposed as syphilitic.
II. In
Salts, the Miasm is entirely determined by the Anion
The vast
majority of mineral remedies are found as salts. Many homeopathic authorities
from Farrington onward have discussed the essential similarities of the various
salts of a particular
element (Kaliium salts and Calcium salts). The cation
or positively charged ion is the first element named in our homeopathic
remedies (Kali-?/Nat-?/Ferr-?).
The cation appears to set the
theme of
or the challenge, the anion sets the way the challenge or theme is faced.
Perhaps this is the reason the anion determines the miasm.
Our salts
are comprised mainly of the arsenicums [arsenites and arsenates (nearly all of the arsenates fall
in the cancer miasm], the bromatums
[bromides (nearly all of the bromatums fall in the sycotic miasm)], the carbonicums (carbonates), the cyanicums
[cyanides (nearly all cyanatums fall in the
syphilitic miasm)], the fluoricums
(fluorides), the iodums [iodates
(nearly all of the iodatums fall in the leprosy miasm)], the muriaticums [chlorides
(muriaticums fall into malarial and ringworm miasms)], the nitricums [nitrates
and nitrites (nearly all of the nitricums fall in the
cancer miasm)], the oxydatums
(oxides), the phosphoricums [phosphates (nearly all
of the phosphoricums fall in the tubercular miasm)], the silicatums or silicicums [silicates (silicatums
or silicicums - divalents
fall into the ringworm miasm and univalents
the sycotic miasm)], the sulphuricums [sulfates (sulphuricums fall in univalent salts, the miasm is nearly always sycotic
(Nat-s.); in divalent salts it is ringworm (Calc-s.)] and [sulphiden
nearly all of the sulphuratums fall in the syphilitic
miasm] and various organic salts (acetates, oxalates,
tartrates, etc.).
In salts
with positive one charge (esp. with elements in the 1st column such as Na or K)
the remedy is in the malarial miasm.
In salts
with a plus 2 charge (column 2 elements like Calcarea)
the miasm becomes ringworm. A similar shift occurs in
sulphuricums and silicicums.
The salts of
the various organic anions (acetates, etc.) are discussed below.
One last
observation: In alkaloid chemicals (= complex plant-derived chemicals), these
rules do not apply. The anion balancing the alkaloid plays little part in the symptomatology of the remedy.
For example, the miasm of Morph-s. or Morph-m. cannot
be deduced from the anion. Apparently the structure of the alkaloid far
outweighs the particular salt in significance.
III. The
Carbon Based Minerals and Organic Anions
The complex
structures of organic chemicals are discussed in more detail in my book,
Carbon: Organic and Hydrocarbon Remedies in Homeopathy.
I present
here an abbreviated index that I neglected to include in the book. One striking
characteristic of the organic remedies is their flexibility: all miasms are represented within the organic group.
Organic compounds that are composed only of C and H known as
hydrocarbons.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons = paraffins fall into the
ringworm miasm.
However,
the majority of organic compounds are not pure hydrocarbons. As mentioned
above, the miasm of these organic compounds does not
depend upon the number or arrangement
of carbon
atoms. Rather the distinguishing characteristics are provided by the
attachments or moieties. These attachments are of several varieties containing C
and H and other elements.
The most
common of these moieties are alcohols, amines, carbonyls, carboxylic acids,
nitrates, nitriles, sugars, terpenes.
The miasms of single moiety (= Element) compounds appear quite
direct. Here’s an overview of miasmatic
relationships:
Most alcohols fall in the sycotic
miasm.
Most amines fall in the leprosy miasm.
Most carboxylic acids and their salts fall in
the typhoid miasm.
Most nitrates fall in the cancer miasm.
Most nitriles fall in
the syphilitic miasm. Die funktionelle Gruppe
aus C und dreifach gebundenem N wird als Nitril- o. Cyanogruppe bezeichnet.
Most sugars fall in the malarial or typhoid miasm.
Most terpenes fall in
the tubercular miasm.
However many of the organic
(carbon-based) remedies are quite complex. Many have two or more moieties and thus the miasm cannot be deduced but only observed at this time.
[Pic-ac. contains
both an alcohol moiety (sycotic miasm)
and 3 nitrate moieties (cancer miasm), and thus we
cannot be certain of the miasm until examining provings and cured cases. Knowing the remedy fairly well,
we can understand that its miasm is cancer]. Is this
because there are 3 nitrates versus a single alcohol?
A list of miasms for most of the organic compounds and salts is
provided below. Miasmen
In
conclusion, Sankaran’s miasms
have yielded a marked improvement in my own clinical results, and Dr. Sankaran has earned my deepest gratitude for his contribution.
Dr. Scholten’s pioneering work on mapping the use of the
elements has opened many cases and has proven invaluable. Combining these two
powerful methodologies, I believe can facilitate
remedy
choice in many cases.
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum