Managing ‘Constitutional’ Aspects of ‘Acute’ Diseases and ‘Acute’ Phases of Chronic Diseases Through ‘Total Cure’ Prescriptions

Let us now consider the theoretical and practical issues related to the homeopathic management of so-called ‘acute diseases’ and ‘chronic diseases’ in the light of our scientific understanding of ‘miasms’, ‘constitution’ and ‘susceptibility’.

Actually these areas are fertile breeding grounds for all sorts of non-productive speculations, theorizations, analyses and futile intellectual exercises, making everything complex and leading young homeopaths into a state of unending confusion and disorientation. Same time, these confusions help the commercially branded ‘teachers and gurus’ to attract people into their seminar halls, generating un-exhausting flow of revenue for them.

Any discussions regarding the differences in the management of ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ diseases inevitably lead to the study of concepts such as ‘constitutions, miasms’ and susceptibility’.

In most chronic diseases coming to a physician, there will be always an ‘acute’ aspect consisting of most ‘troublesome’ complaints experienced for the time being, for which the patient needs immediate relief.

Same way, even in so-called pure ‘acute diseases’ such as epidemic fevers, digestive problems, headaches and a host of clinical conditions belonging to that category, a homeopathic physician will have to consider an underlying  ‘constitutional’ aspect, which consist of genetic , constitutional and miasmatic susceptibilities of the individual, that modulates the molecular level pathology and symptomatic expressions of acute disease .

Homeopathic management of ‘acute diseases’ obviously includes management of their underlying ‘constitutional’ aspects and susceptibilities also.

Similarly, a homeopathic physician will have to address the ‘acute phases’ consisting of most immediate, troublesome part of complaints of his patient, while treating a ‘chronic’ or ‘constitutional’ disease.

‘Managing acutes’ actually involves both these categories of complaints.

Homeopathy, based on the therapeutic principle of ‘similia similibus curentur’ is intended to be a simple method of therapeutics. Collecting all the subjective and objective symptoms  expressed by the ‘patient’, selecting ‘similimum’ by comparing ‘totality’ of these symptoms with symptomatology of drug pathogenesis available in our material medica, and applying the similimum in ‘potentized’ forms in ‘appropriate’ doses and intervals. Simply put, that is the simple art of homeopathy.

‘Susceptibility’ plays a great role in pathology and therapeutics of acute as well as chronic diseases. Managing ‘susceptibility’ of individual patient is important not only in chronic diseases, but acute diseases also.

But the ‘susceptibility’ I am talking about is a concept fundamentally different from the theory of ‘susceptibility ‘classical homeopaths’ propagate.

Classical homeopaths consider ‘susceptibility’ of the individual as the fundamental ‘cause’ of disease.  According to them, ‘susceptibility’ is a property of ‘vital force’, which is a ‘dynamic’, ‘non-material’, ‘non-corporeal’, ‘conceptual’ and spiritual entity that enlivens and governs the organism from the ‘interior’. As such, ‘susceptibility’ to diseases is also ‘dynamic’. As per this concept, ‘classical’ homeopaths would persistently argue that even so-called ‘infectious diseases’ are not caused by bacteria or viruses, but the ‘internal susceptibility’, dynamic in nature. They say: “Small pox virus is not the cause of smallpox, vibrio cholerae is not the cause of cholera”. According to this theory, homeopathy is not involved with ‘treating infections’, but ‘correcting’ the susceptibility.

‘Susceptibility’ in scientific medical terms means the ‘biochemical state or character of being susceptible to disease’.  Internal biochemical environment of the organism, which is also more or less influenced by external environment, plays a role in deciding the ‘susceptibility’ of the individual to diseases including infections. ‘Causative’ agents of diseases are expressed in a biochemical background of ‘susceptibility’.

In order to promote a scientific perspective in homeopathy, we should understand and explain ‘susceptibility’ as the ‘state of internal biochemical environment of the organism that facilitates diseases’. Internal biochemical environment that decide ‘susceptibility’ consist of diverse factors belonging to following categories: Genetic factors, Nutritional factors, Miasmatic factor, Immunological factors, metabolic factors, emotional factors, Drug-induced factors and Environmental factors.

‘Susceptibility’ can be managed for the better using potentized homeopathic drugs selected as similimum considering the totality of physical generals, mentals and miasmatic molecular errors of the individual. This indicates the importance of ‘constitutional prescriptions’ even in so-called acute diseases.

Miasms is an important factor in determining the susceptibility of an individual. It is part of ‘biochemical environment’.  I am using the word miasms in the meaning of ‘chronic disease dispositions arising from ‘off-target’ molecular inhibitions caused by ‘antibodies’ generated against ‘infectious agents and other exogenous proteins.  Possibility of presence of one or more types of miasms existing an individual has to be taken into consideration while considering the ‘susceptibility’ aspect of acute as well as chronic diseases.

Obviously, identifying and removal of these ‘off-target’ molecular blocks or ‘miasms’ caused by antibodies or ‘molecular imprinted proteins’ is an important part in the treatment of chronic diseases and management of constitutional aspects of acute diseases . Observing and collecting the whole history of infections and intoxications that might have generated antibodies are important in the management of chronic diseases. History of skin infections, venereal infections, stings of poisonous creatures, vaccinations, serum/antibiotic treatments, sensitization with protein foods  etc. has to be collected in detail and appropriate ‘anti-miasmatics’ included in the homeopathic treatment protocols.

This is an era of vaccinations. Every human being is subjected to a series of vaccination protocols from the moment of birth, to protect from various diseases. We have to worry about the unknown long term after effects of these vaccinations. Live or attenuated viruses are introduced into the organism to produce antibodies against pathological infections. Actually, this process induces ‘molecular imprinting’ of native proteins, with the foreign proteins contained in the vaccines. Obviously, the molecular imprints or antibodies thus formed, shall act as ‘miasms’ in the organism. That means, we have to study the history of vaccinations in an individual while considering miasms.

I think it would be more logical and scientific if we understand ‘constitution’ in terms of ‘phenotypes’ of individuals. To understand and explain ‘constitutions’ in scientific terms, we have to understand the concepts of ‘genotypes’ and ‘phenotypes’ in modern genetics.

According to modern genetics, the ‘genotype’ is the ‘genetic substance or ‘DNA’ inherited by the organism from its previous generation. It is called the ‘genetic blue print’.

The ‘genotype’ contained the organism gives rise to individual ‘phenotypes through ‘gene expressions’. The ‘genetic code’ stored in DNA is interpreted by ‘gene expression’, and the properties of these expressions five rise to the ‘phenotype’ of the organism.

A ‘phenotype’ is the observable characteristics or traits of an organism, such as morphology, development, biological and physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior.  ‘Phenotype’ is the result of ‘gene expressions’, which is decided by the interaction between genetic blue print and environmental factors.

Factors, such as such as miasmatic, environmental, nutritional, occupational, infectious, emotional, ontogenic, metabolic and xenobiotic influence the process of ‘gene regulation’ at various stages of ‘gene expression’, through which the particular ‘phenotype’ or ‘constitution’ of the individual organism is determined. As such, ‘constitution’ of an individual is the ‘phenotype’ determined by the ‘protein constitution’ developing through ‘genetic expression’. ’Constitution’ is expressed in the form of totality of general physical symptoms, morphology, mental symptoms and behavioral peculiarities.

It is obvious from above analysis that management of ‘acutes’, whether it be ‘acute phases’ of chronic diseases or purely ‘acute’ diseases themselves, we cannot ignore the over all internal biochemical environment or ‘susceptibility’ of the individual, which consist of ‘constitution’ determined by ‘genotype-phenotype’ interactions and miasms determined by history of infections and vaccinations.

Constitutions, and overall internal biochemical environment of an individual is expressed through ‘symptoms’ belonging to subjective and objective physical generals and mental generals. As such, similimum selected on the basis of those categories of symptoms should be an integral part of homeopathic management of chronic as well as acute diseases. Anti-miasmatic drugs such as nosodes and sarcodes also should be incorporated.

Same time, a conscientious and responsible physician cannot and and should not ignore the management of ‘acute complaints’, which are most distressing problems for the patient demanding immediate relief. Such ‘acute’ problems can be effectively relieved by drugs selected on the basis of ‘locations-sensations-modalities- concomitants’ of those acute complaints. Such a similimum is called ‘pathological similimum’

Judiciously combining ‘constitutional similimum’, ‘pathological similimum’ and ‘anti-miasmatic drugs’ a homeopathic physician can effectively manage chronic as well as acute diseases. This is called a ‘total cure prescription’.

A homeopath should know how to manage ‘constitutional’ aspects while treating an ‘acute disease’, and manage  ‘acute complaints’ while treating a ‘chronic’ disease. Do not ignore ‘acutes’ of ‘chronics’, and ‘chronics’ of ‘acutes’.

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