What is Miasm ?

The word miasm* derived from Greek means 'taint' or 'contamination'. Hahnemann used it for the manifestations in chronic diseased conditions. Fester defines a miasm as a morbific emanation which affects individuals directly and not through the medium of another individual. Stedman's medical dictionary defines miasm s noxious effluvia or emanations, formerly regarded äs the cause of malaria and of various epidemic diseases.

According to Hahnemann the disease is a state of disturbance of the vital force which maintains harmony and health. The disturbance is caused by something called miasms which are also harmful inherent dynamic forces on the same ethereal plane äs the life force itself. Hahnemann thought of his theory of chronic disease in the years 1816-17, fhough he did not make it public for a further decade. In 1827 he summoned two of his most faithful disciples, Gross and Stapf, to Kothen to receive the new doctrine, and in the following years he began to publish his last major work, the 'Chronic Diseases', in which miasm** theory was set forth. Hahnemann was led to formulate his theory when he found during 12 years of experiments and critical observations that certain diseases were easily cured with simple remedies or had a natural and spontaneous cure, but he was disappointed to see that many other patients returned with old complaints and or with new Symptoms. He studied all such cases carefully and deeply and the latent