Causes of the diseases

Requisite qualification of a physician:

Aphorism-3: 
In this aphorism Dr Hahnemann stated a perfect Homeopathic physician mast have to the 4 requisite qualifications to clearly perceives what is to be cured in diseases  . These are-

1. In every individual case of disease (knowledge of disease, indication).
2. He clearly perceives what is curative in medicines, that is to say, in each individual medicine (knowledge of medicinal powers)
3. Knowledge of application of remedy(dose, potency and repeatation)
4. He knows the obstacles to recovery in each case and is aware how to remove them.

 Then he understands how to treat judiciously and rationally, and he is a true practitioner of the healing art.

Causes of the diseases:

According to aphorism  no -5,  Causes of the diseases are two types. These are-

a)Exciting cause for the acute disease: the exciting cause being injurious influences to which they were particularly exposed. Excesses in food, or an insufficient supply of it, severe physical impressions, chills, overheatings, dissipation, strains, ..etc., or physical irritations, mental emotions,

b) fundamental cause for the chronic diseases due to a chronic miasm(psora, syphylis and sycosis).

In these investigations, the ascertainable physical constitution of the patient, physical  and intellectual character, his occupation, mode of living and habits, his social and domestic relations, his age, sexual function, ..etc., are to be taken into consideration.

Diseases are two types-
 

a) Natural diseases:  aphorism- 72  
      i) Acute    and             
      ii) Chronic
b) Artificial diseases(false chronic diseases)
    i) Medicinal   and  
    ii) Diseases due to maintaining causes

Natural Diseases:

a) Acute Diseases: The diseases to which man is liable are either rapid morbid processes of the abnormally deranged vital force, which have a tendency to finish their course more or less quickly, but always in a moderate time - these are termed acute diseases.(72).

b) Chronic diseases:  They are diseases of such a character that, with small, often imperceptible beginnings, dynamically derange the living organism, each in its own peculiar manner, and cause it gradually to deviate from the healthy condition, in such a way that the automatic life energy, called vital force, whose office is to preserve the health, only opposes to them at the commencement and during their progress imperfect, unsuitable, useless resistance, but is unable of itself to extinguish them, but must helplessly suffer (them to spread and) itself to be ever more and more abnormally deranged, until at length the organism is destroyed; these are termed chronic diseases. 

They are caused by infection with a chronic miasm.

Knowledge of Diseases:

Aphorism-6:   The unprejudiced observer  have to takes note of nothing in every individual disease, except the changes in the health of the body and of the mind (morbid phenomena, accidents, symptoms) which can be perceived externally by means of the senses; that is to say, he notices only the deviations from the former healthy state of the now diseased individual, which are felt by the patient himself, remarked by those around him and observed by the physician. All these perceptible signs represent the disease in its whole extent, that is, together they form the true and only conceivable portrait of the disease.

The Totality of the Symptoms:

Aphor-7:  The totality of these its symptoms,  of this outwardly reflected picture of the internal essence of the disease, that is, of the affection of the vital force, (a) must be the principal, or the sole means, whereby the disease can make known what remedy it requires - the only thing that can determine the choice of the most appropriate remedy - and thus, in a word, the totality (2) of the symptoms must be the principal, indeed the only thing the physician has to take note of in every case of disease and to remove by means of his art, in order that it shall be cured and transformed into health.

Removal of totality of symptoms:

Cure takes place

Aphor-8:  After removal of all the symptoms of the disease and of the entire collection of the perceptible phenomena, there should or could remain anything else besides health, or that the morbid alteration in the interior could remain uneradicated.

Symptoms:

1. Subjective symptoms: The symptoms  feels and describes by patient. Exam- pain,, thirst, appetite, sensation etc.
2. Objective symptoms: the symptoms observed by  physician/patient's attendant. Exam- fever, delirium, ulcer, etc.

Symptom: Description of the patient about the suffering is symptom. Exam- pain
Sign: Observation of the physician is sign. Exam- tenderness.

Definition of Vital Force:

Aphorism-9: It is the spiritual , autocracy, immaterial being,  the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.

Role of Vital Force:

Dr. Hahnemann described the role of vital force in his book Organon of Medicine from the aphorism 9- 16 during healthy state, during disease state and during cure.

During healthy state:

The vital force an important role  for the regulation our material body as in a harmonious way of all parts of our body.

Without the vital force, body is capable of no sensation, no function, no self-preservation.

It derives all sensation and performs all the functions of life solely by means of the immaterial being /the vital force which animates the material organism in health

In disease state:  Aphorism-11

When a person falls ill the vital force, deranged to such an abnormal state, that can furnish the organism with its disagreeable sensations, and incline it to the irregular processes which we call disease.

 

Its morbid derangement only makes itself known by the manifestation of disease in the sensations and functions of those parts of the organism exposed to the senses of the observer and physician, that is, by morbid symptoms,

During cure: Aphorism 16:

Our vital force plays a passive role  during cure

All such morbid derangements (diseases)  be removed from it  by the spirit-like (dynamic, virtual) alterative powers of the serviceable medicines acting upon our spirit-like vital force, which perceives them through the medium of the sentient faculty of the nerves everywhere present in the organism,  by their dynamic action on the vital force that remedies are able to re-establish and do actually re-establish health and vital harmony.

Law of Cure:

Aphorism-26: 

A weaker dynamic affection is permanently extinguished in the living organism by a stronger one, if the latter (whilst differing in kind) is very similar to the former in its manifestations.

Here there are three conditions:

1. Two dynamic affections- one is weaker and other is stronger.
2. Differing in kind/source.
3. Is very similar in nature