Book Reviews.
Gunavante S M.
Book Reviews.
Title : IS DOCTRINE OF MIASM A MYTH ?
Author : Dr Kasim Chimthanawala,MBBS, LTMG, DMS (Hon) & c.
President, The National Academy of Homoeopathy. India.
Pages : 94.
Price : Rs. 40/.
Publishers : Fell Adil Chimthanawala, Shaad Publications, Ahmedabad,Near Itwari Rly stn,
Nagpur - 440002
Tel No. 46286.
First Edition : 1994.
The "Chronic Miasms" is still a very much misunderstood, or not sufficiently understood subject although Hahnemann elaborately described the Miasms in his book Chronic Diseases,followed by an incisive discussion of this subject in his book "Chronic Miasms" by J H Allen. All noted authors on Homoeopathic art have commented on this important subject which is considered of primary important in analysing a case for finding the simillimum - right down from Stuart Close, HA Roberts, J T Kent, B K Sarkar, M L Dhawale, Harimohan Choudhury, etc.
Dr Chimthanawalas effort, in the book under review, to bring clarity to this vexed question is commendable, and one must say that he has made it very easy for the students of this subject to understand the meaning and implications of the Miasms in the treatment of chronic disease. The symptoms of PSORA, SYCOTIC, SYPHILIS and TUBERCULAR Miasms have been classified under various heads, such as Primary stage, Latent stage, Exciting factors,Manifestive stage (secondary and tertiary). Expressions are further sub-divided into.
- Sensations and Complaints in general.
- Target organs;.
- Physiognomonic features;.
- Ailments from; 5. Desires and Aversions; .
- Mentals Emotional, intellectual, behaviour, sensations as if ; and physical characteristics head, eyes and vision, ears and hearing, face, throat, endocrines, GI tract, chest and respiratory system, heart and cardio vascular system, urinary tract, sexual system, musculoskeletal system, skin, modalities, pathological changes, and eliminations. Similar details have been given under Mixed Miasms.
Finally, the learned author says that " each of the miasms has its specific impressions upon the functioning of different faculties of mind, their mutations which I have termed as Miasmatic Modulations. Knowledge of these variations is very essential for every physician to enable him to perceive the drug portraits and practice real Hahnemannian Homoeopathy." A brief example: " Company, desires, is a Psora. In sycosis it is expressed as Presumptiousness; whereas in Syphilis there is aversion to company. Similar descriptive comparisons have been given for Ire,Anxiety, Impatience, Unhappiness, shame, Pride, Jealously, Stupefaction, Abusiveness, Thinking,Ideas deficiency of, etc.
The cover is attractive, the printing is excellent, but there are numerous errors of grammar and syntax, but for which this book will rank as a high class publication of valuable guidance to homoeopathic physicians. A few cases illustrating the actual identification and applications of the different miasms would have materially enhanced the usefulness of this book.
