HOME HYGIENE LIBRARY CATALOG TABLE OF CONTENTS GO TO NEXT CHAPTER
In civilized countries, especially in those bordering on the Mediterranean Sea, where suppression of itch and other skin eruptions is commonly practiced, about ten per cent of all eyes show in the iris sharply defined dark brown spots ranging in size from that of a pinhead to that of a buckshot. (Fig. 8, also Fig. 9, and Color plate, a) These spots Iridology designates as itch or psora spots, because they appear after the suppression of itchy eruptions or eczemata and of psoric parasites (pediculi capitis and pubis).
I have observed in many instances that suppression of psoric eruptions resulted in formation or enlargement of the scurf rim instead of in the appearance of itch spots. This is probably due to the weakening of the skin by suppressive agents, such as mercurial or other poisonous salves, etc.
The word "psora" was adopted by Hahnemann, the father of Homeopathy, from a Greek word signifying "itching", and he applied the name to certain skin diseases which are characterized by intolerable itching.
Probably no other question in medical science has given rise to so much controversy as Hahnemann's much disputed theory of psora. It is therefore very interesting to observe in how far the eye confirms this theory of hereditary and chronic disease and in how far it contradicts the same.
For one hundred years "Similia similibus curautur", the fundamental law of homeopathy, has been the only fixed point in the chaos of constantly changing medical theories, and in a perverted form under the guise of vaccination, antitoxin, serum and organ therapy, this great law of cure has been adopted even by the allopathic school of medicine.
Comparatively few of his closest friends and followers accepted Hahnemann's theory of psora. This part of his teachings was unmercifully ridiculed by his opponents and silently ignored even by those who were believers in and exponents of the law of "Similia".
Briefly stated, the psoric theory claims that age long persistent suppression of itchy, parasitic skin eruptions and of gonorrheal and syphilitic diseases has encumbered "civilized" humanity with three well defined hereditary taints or miasms. These were named by Hahnemann psora or itch, sycosis or gonorrhea, and syphilis. He further claimed that the greater part of chronic diseases had their origin in these hereditary miasms and that many acute diseases are merely external palliative manifestations of these internal latent, chronic taints.
Darkening of the iris color and the scurf rim stand for those conditions which Hahnemann called "hereditary psora" and which are usually spoken of as hereditary scrofula. The name psora covers also those disease conditions which result later in life from the suppression of itchy eczema, hives, shingles, scabies (itch) and of other psoric parasites. The itch or psora spots are never seen in the eyes of the new born, but only later in life when psoric eruptions and parasites have been suppressed by means of sulphur, zinc or mercurial ointments, by hot water, steam or hot air bathing, or by any other agent or combination of methods.
To recapitulate: Darkening of the iris color and scurf rim stand for the long list of hereditary ailments which Hahnemann calls hereditary psora, commonly known as "scrofulous diathesis". The dark brown itch or psora spots and the scurf rim stand for the effects of suppressed itch and psoric parasites. I have observed that blue eyed parents suffering from suppressed itch, as shown by the itch spots in their eyes, usually have brown eyed or "scurf rimmed" children. These revelations of the iris confirm Hahnemann's statement that suppression of acute itch or scabies creates hereditary psora and chronic constitutional psora in the offspring.
Before we proceed in our study of the itch spots in the eye it will be instructive and interesting to quote a few passages from Hahnemann's "Chronic Diseases" and to learn just what he means by psora and suppression of psora. Our esteem and admiration for this wonderful man will be greatly increased when we reflect that he discovered, by keenness of intuition and by marvelous powers of concentration and observation, what we today see so easily and plainly revealed by iridiagnosis.
"Thus this eruption, externally reduced in cultivated countries to a common itch, could be much more easily removed from the skin through various means, so that with the medical external treatment since introduced, especially in the middle and higher classes, through baths, washes and ointments of sulphur and lead, and by preparations of copper, zinc and mercury, the external manifestations of Psora on the skin were often so quickly suppressed, and are so now, that in most eases, either of children or of grown persons, the history of itch infection may remain undiscovered.
"But the state of mankind was not improved thereby; in many respects it grew far worse. For, although in ancient times the eruption of Psora appearing as leprosy was very troublesome to those suffering from it, owing to the lancinating pains in and the violent itching all around the tumors and scabs, the rest of the body enjoyed a fair share of general health. This was owing to the obstinately persistent eruption on the skin, which served as a substitute for the internal Psora.
PSORA has thus become the most infectious and most general of all the chronic miasmas. For the miasm has usually been communicated to others before the one from whom it emanates has asked for or received any external repressive remedy against his itching eruption (lead-water, ointment of the white precipitate of mercury), and without confessing that he had an eruption of itch, often even without knowing it himself; yea, without even the physician's or surgeon's knowing the exact nature of the eruption, which has been repressed by the lotion of lead, etc. . . .
"Mankind, therefore, is worse off from the change in the external form of the Psora--from leprosy down to the eruption of itch--not only because this is less visible and more secret and therefore more frequently infectious, but also especially because the Psora, now mitigated externally into a mere itch and on that account more generally spread, nevertheless still retains unchanged its original dreadful nature. Now, after being more easily repressed, the disease grows all the more unperceived within, and so, in the last three centuries, after the destruction of its chief symptom (the external skin eruption) it plays the sad rôle of causing innumerable secondary symptoms, i. e., it originates a legion of chronic diseases, the source of which physicians neither surmise nor unravel.
"So great a flood of numberless nervous troubles, painful ailments, spasms, ulcers (cancers), adventitious formations, dyscrasias, paralyses, consumptions and cripplings of soul, mind and body were never seen in ancient times when the Psora mostly confined itself to its dreadful cutaneous symptom, leprosy. Only during the last few centuries has mankind been flooded with these infirmities, owing to the causes just mentioned.
"It was thus that PSORA became the most universal mother of chronic diseases.
"It is incredible to what an extent modern physicians of the common school have sinned against the welfare of humanity, since, with scarcely an exception, teachers of medicine and the more prominent modern physicians and medical writers have laid down the rule and taught it as an infallible theorem that: 'Every eruption of itch is merely a local ailment of the skin, in which ailment the remaining organism takes no part at all, so that it may and must be driven away from the skin at any time and without any scruple, through local applications of sulphur ointment or of the yet more active ointment of Jasser, through sulphur fumigations, by solutions of lead and zinc, but most quickly by the precipitates of mercury. If the eruption is once removed from the skin everything is well and the person is restored and the whole disease removed. Of course, if the eruption is neglected and allowed to spread upon the skin, then it may eventually turn out that the malignant matter may find opportunity to insinuate itself through the absorbent vessels into the mass of humors and thus corrupt the blood, the humors and the health. Then, indeed, man may finally be afflicted with ailments from these maglignant humors, though these might soon again be removed from the body by purgatives and abluents; but through prompt removal of the eruption from the skin all sequelæ are prevented and the internal body remains entirely healthy.'"
"These horrible untruths have not only been, and are still being taught, but they are also being carried out in practice. The consequence is that at the present day the patients in all the most celebrated hospitals, even in those countries and cities that seem most enlightened, as well as the private itch patients of the lower and higher classes, the patients in all the penitentiaries and orphan asylums, in other civil and military hospitals, wherever such eruptions are found--in short, the innumerable multitude of patients, without exception, are treated, not only by physicians unknown to fame, but by all, even those most celebrated, with the above mentioned external remedies, using perhaps at the same time large doses of flowers of sulphur, and strong purgatives (to cleanse the body, as they say). These physicians think that the more quickly these eruptions are driven from the skin the better. Then they dismiss the patients from their treatment as cured, with brazen assurance and the declaration that everything is now all right, without regarding or being willing to notice the ailments which sooner or later are sure to follow; i. e., the Psora which shows itself from within in a thousand different diseases. If the deceived wretches then sooner or later return with the malady following unavoidably on such a treatment; e.g., with swellings, obstinate pains in one part or another, with hypochondriac or hysterical troubles, gout, consumption, tubercular phthisis, continual or spasmodic asthma, blindness, deafness, paralysis, caries of the bones, ulcers (cancer), spasms, hemorrhages, diseases of the mind and soul, etc., the physicians imagine that they have before them something entirely new and treat it again and again according to the old routine of their therapeutics in a useless and hurtful manner, directing their medicines against phantom diseases; i. e., against causes invented by them for the ailments as they appear, until the patient, after many years' suffering continually aggravated, is at last freed from their hands by death, the end of all earthly maladies."
When the microscope revealed a minute, ugly looking parasite as the apparent cause of itch eruptions, allopathy jubilantly declared that Hahnemann's theory of psora was thereby finally disposed of. The little mite which is blamed for this disagreeable disease has been named by science, the acarus scabies, or sarkoptes hominis.
Under the microscope the parasite presents a ferocious appearance, having a body somewhat resembling that of a tortoise with the legs of a spider. His body is studded with strong bristles by means of which he braces and supports himself in the flesh of his victim when burrowing his tunnels into the lower layers of the skin. It is the prick of these bristles in the flesh and the work of his voracious maw which causes the intolerable irritation peculiar to the disease. The insect is devoid of eyes and nervous system; it is all mouth, teeth and stomach. The male is the smaller and burrows in the surface layers of the skin, while the female is larger and digs its shafts deep down into the cutis vera, or true skin, where it taps and sucks the minute blood vessels.
Orthodox science says: '' Itch is never found without the acarus scabies, therefore the latter must be the cause of the disease." Since the discovery of bacteria allopathy has extended this local and parasitic conception of disease so as to embrace almost every known pathological condition. As a natural corollary of this theory, germ killing has become the basis of modern medical science.
Iridology, however, conclusively proves that Hahnemann after all was right and that allopathy is in error when it claims that the killing of the itch microbe and of the vermin which infest head and pubis, effectually terminates these diseases.
For, after the killing of these parasites by means of sulphurous and mercurial ointments and other agents, sharply defined brown spots appear in certain parts of the iris and it has been conclusively proved that the areas in the iris displaying these psora spots correspond to the parts and organs of the body in which, after external suppression, the psoric poisons have concentrated.
We are often asked, "How can you prove that the scurf rim or brown spots in the iris have any relation to suppression of skin eruptions, itch parasites and vermin?"
Our answer to this is: "The diagnosis from the iris of the eye and the progress of chronic cases under natural methods of living and treatment conclusively prove these facts." Instances like the following come under our observation almost daily.
A case of itch has been promptly cured with sulphur ointment and within a year there appears in the iris of this person, close to the pupil (area of the stomach), a sharply defined dark brown spot, and from that time on, the person is greatly troubled with chronic gastritis and later on with ulcers of the stomach.
A mother is horrified to find on the head of her little girl some lice. Within a few days the hair is full of nits and the vermin have increased to an alarming extent. The mother applies coal oil, or mercurial ointments, and the "nasty things" disappear from the surface--but not from the body. The psoric taints which Nature was trying to eliminate, now reinforced by drug poisons and by the deadly miasms contained in the bodies of the parasites themselves, recede into the interior and in place of being distributed throughout the entire body they now concentrate in some vital part or organ, and chronic headaches, epilepsy, chorea, asthma, nervousness, sexual perversion, etc., are often the result.
Several years ago a lady belonging to a wealthy and refined family came to us for a diagnosis of her case. The left iris displayed in the region of the cerebellum a light brown spot, and I remarked, "You have suffered for many years with chronic headaches, nervousness, twitchings in the limbs and the muscles, and with dizziness." All of this she confirmed and wanted to know the cause of her lifelong suffering.
"As a school girl," I continued, "you were troubled with head vermin and your mother treated them in the usual way."
"Yes," she answered, "I remember distinctly, I was affected that way several times, but what has that to do with my ailments?"
I explained to her that not external filth alone but internal uncleanliness as well, favors the development of these parasites; that like bacteria they subsist on constitutional poisons and act as Nature's scavengers which purify the system of scrofulous and psoric miasms. I also informed her that in many instances natural treatment had reproduced the old suppressions and warned her to avoid suppressive treatment, if such a healing crisis should develop in her case.
One day, after three months of Natural Therapeutic treatment, she complained about intolerable itching of the scalp. A look into her eyes revealed that the brown psora spot was surrounded and interlaced by fine white lines, the signs of an approaching acute reaction. "You will have visitors very soon," I remarked.
"What visitors do you mean, doctor?"
"The same kind that your mother killed some 25 years ago."
Within a week after this conversation she entered my office and laughingly exclaimed, "Oh Doctor, not one visitor, but a million! I am just alive with them." "All right," I answered. "Be thankful they have come. This means the cure of your chronic ailments. Do not use anything now but a comb and cold water."
"How lucky, Doctor, that you told me about this in advance. Without your warning I would surely have rushed to a drug store and have done the same thing over again."
Her old friends remained with her about two weeks and then disappeared as they had come. From that time on she was free from the "terrible periodical headaches" and other nervous ailments which had troubled her since childhood. Possibly this psoric crisis prevented the development of insanity in later years.
"Catching" in this case was absolutely out of the question, for she lived in the most refined surroundings and for three months cold water sprays and douches had been applied almost daily to head and body.
We are often asked the question: "Where do they come from--you do not believe that they come from the body itself?" We do not know, hut we do know by frequent experience that when the body begins to eliminate scrofulous poisons we need not worry whence germs and microbes are to come. As carrion attracts vultures so the chronic miasms attract bacteria and parasites.
This was written ten years ago for the "Nature Cure Magazine," but I allow it to stand in order to show how I anticipated the solution of the problem furnished by the microzyma, as outlined in Volume I.
Occurrences like the one related answer the oft repeated question, "Why stir up these disease miasms--why not leave them where they are, if their elimination causes so much trouble?''
If allowed to remain their presence means much greater trouble in the future. Better a brief healing crisis than paresis, cancer or tuberculosis.
The psora spots in the eye solve to a large extent the mystery surrounding the nature and origin of malignant tumors and of tuberculosis. If we find a vital part or organ affected by suppressed itch we know that such a person is in great danger of developing cancer, sarcoma, tuberculosis or other malignant chronic diseases in the encumbered parts.
With two exceptions so far in our practice, all cases of cancer which we have cured have developed itchy, burning eruptions as healing crises. The two exceptions to the rule eliminated the psoric taints by means of furunculosis.
The almost certain appearance of itch eruptions as healing crises during the cure of cancer is of great significance. It throws new light upon the true causes of this dreaded disease and positively confirms Hahnemann's theory of psora. Knowing these facts, is it wise to avoid an insignificant healing crisis and to run chances of developing cancer in later life, or is it better to give the organism a thorough house cleaning in order to eliminate the morbid miasms and thus to preclude the possibility of malignant tumors and of other chronic destructive diseases?
Medical statistics prove that during the last fifty years, among the common causes of death, cancer shows an increase of over 400 percent. This confirms our opinion that the more refined the old school of medicine becomes in the suppression of acute diseases and the more it contaminates the blood of our people; with smallpox, serums, antitoxin and other disease products, the greater will be the increase in chronic destructive diseases.
Following is the history of another typical psora case and of its development under natural treatment:
Mr. B., of Chicago, had been a chronic invalid ever since childhood, "doctoring continually for all sorts of ailments and growing worse instead of better. Four years ago he had become so weak that he was obliged to give up his profession and the doctors declared his to be a hopeless case.
An examination of his eyes by a practitioner of Natural Therapeutics showed a large itch spot in the region of the small intestine. The doctor, after a superficial glance into his eyes, surprised him with the remark: "Early in life you had the itch and it was suppressed. The poison then concentrated in the small intestine, causing chronic intestinal indigestion, irritation and occasional diarrheas. You are now in great danger of developing cancer in the affected parts."
Mr. B. at once admitted the correctness of the diagnosis. He stated that while the doctors had treated him for "stomach troubles", he had always felt and insisted that most of the difficulty was in the bowels. On closer inspection it was found that there were two separate and distinct itch spots, one overlying the other, indicating that the itch must have been suppressed twice. Mr. B. corroborated this also, saying he remembered distinctly having been twice "cured" of itch eruption with sulphur and mercurial ointments.
He was then informed that he could be cured easily and thoroughly by strict adherence to pure food diet and by systematic natural treatment, and that if the diagnosis was correct, itch eruptions would again manifest on the surface as healing crises. This, however, would not occur until his system had been sufficiently purified and strengthened by the natural regimen.
Mr. B., much impressed by this accurate diagnosis and prognosis of his case, entered with enthusiasm on the new plan of living and of treatment. His improvement from the beginning was remarkable. After the lapse of two months, having passed through the first healing crises he returned to work and for many years has not missed a day's labor.
A year afterward Mr. B. reported remarkable improvement in every respect. Both patient and doctor, however, were somewhat puzzled because so far there had been no manifestation of itchy skin eruptions and because the psora spots in the iris had not changed or diminished to any considerable extent.
So far no homeopathic remedies had been administered and I prescribed psorinum, Hahnemann's great anti-psoric remedy. The patient received one dose of psorinum C. M. Nine days after this he broke out on arms and body with typical itch eruptions. At the same time he developed a violent intestinal crisis manifesting as severe colic and diarrhea. One day he reported in alarm that his bowels were "passing away" from him. On inspection it was found that these "bowels" were the decayed casings of his diseased intestines.
This simultaneous external and internal crisis conclusively proved the relationship between suppressed itch, itch spot in the, iris, chronic enteritis, itch eruption and internal crisis. The acute reactions lasted about fourteen days. The itchy eruptions then disappeared and the bowels resumed their normal activity. The treatment during this crisis consisted of fasting and the usual cold water applications, no medicines of any kind being given. After this thorough housecleaning the patient felt greatly improved in body and mind, and an examination of the iris revealed the fact that the uppermost layer of the itch spot had disappeared, but the lower and darker layer was still in evidence.
Six months afterward the patient, who had in the meantime continued in the right way of living and of treatment, received another dose of psorinum, partly in order to stir up the remaining psora and partly to prove whether or not the first results had been merely accidental. Six days after he received the remedy an acne-form eruption appeared on his body. This lasted about three weeks and was accompanied by a severe catarrhal condition of the nasal and respiratory passages. This crisis also left him much improved in general health.
At the present date the remnant of the itch spot in the iris is very small and has paled into a yellowish color.
This remarkable case is instructive in many respects. It proves the correctness of the diagnosis from the iris of the eye, the efficacy of natural diet and treatment, the truths of Hahnemann's theory of psora and of his law of "similia similibus curantur".
This is only one of many cases which might be cited as positive proof of the laws and principles laid down and demonstrated in these pages.
After reading this history of a psoric case our friend Homeopath may be tempted to object--"Why bother with other forms of natural treatment? After all, the homeopathic remedy had to do the work."
No, brother Homeopath, psorinum alone did not do the work. It merely gave the final push and pull to the psora encumbered cells, which aroused them into acute activity. Natural treatment first had to purify and sensitize the organism before the homeopathic potency could act. We use the "similia" together with our other natural methods when indicated, but we find that in many cases where the vitality is low and the organism heavily encumbered with disease and drug poisons, the remedy alone is too weak to produce a reaction. When, however, the system has been sufficiently purified of its grosser encumbrances and when the entire body has been stimulated into vigorous activity, then a high potency of the similar remedy often accomplishes wonders.
Natural Therapeutics means a harmonious combination of all natural healing factors in accordance with the fundamental laws of cure and with the individual characteristics of the case. To treat serious chronic ailments with one "pathy" or one method when many others are at our service is too much like pulling a heavy load with one horse when others are idle in the stable.
The following narrative is another remarkable verification of Hahnemann's theory of psora and of the signs of psora in the iris. About seven years ago four of our students, three men and one woman, left our institution to assume positions as nurses in a physical culture sanitarium. Each of them was there infected by a patient suffering with itchy eruptions (scabies). In spite of all natural treatment which that institution afforded, the eruptions persisted for several months. Miss M., one of the nurses, wrote me that she was suffering terribly from the eruptions with no sign of healing and that the others and herself had been given the alternative of submitting to mercurial treatment or leaving the institution.
Two of the men submitted to the mercurial treatment and suppression. The third. Mr. C., went into the country and allowed the infection to run its course, aided by natural living, nude air baths and cold water treatment. When Miss M. came back to us her appearance was such that she was obliged to seclude herself from public view. Inside of two months she had fully recovered and again took up her work as a nurse in our institution.
The significant results of this remarkable crisis were as follows: When she first came to us, three years before this occurrence, she was suffering from tuberculosis and in addition she had almost lost her eyesight. The iris showed a very heavy scurf rim, revealing a psoric or scrofulous constitution. Under natural living and treatment she recovered sufficiently to take up our institutional training, but when she left us the scurf rim was still visible and quite heavy. After the itch crisis had run its course the scurf rim entirely disappeared and since that time she has enjoyed better health than ever before. When Mr. C. first came to us he had several itch spots in each eye. He suffered from many defects of a scrofulous constitution. This fact induced him to take up the study of Natural Therapeutics. He also had improved greatly before he left our institution but the itch spots were still visible in his eyes.
When I saw him soon after his return to Chicago from life on the farm, the itch spots had entirely disappeared from his iris. He has enjoyed perfect health ever since this remarkable healing crisis.
Mr. K., who had subjected himself to mercurial treatment, came to me about six months after this drug suppression of the scabies. An earlier examination of the iris had shown good density, a light scurf rim and no itch spots. On the occasion of his last visit almost one-half of the iris was covered by a heavy black scurf rim. I do not know what has become of him since, but I am very certain that his condition was not improved by the suppressive mercurial treatment.
I could relate hundreds of similar equally interesting cases of psoric encumbrance and elimination, but space does not permit.
Isopathy, the forerunner of homeopathy by a few hundred years, was taught and practiced by Paracelsus, the mystic philosopher and physician, and his disciples. Isopathy administers the products, that is, the morbid excretions, of a disease in order to cure the same disease. Instead of the "similar" it is the "same" as the disease, which is the meaning of isopathy. During an epidemic of cholera in the sixteenth century particles of feces of the victims of the plague were given as medical remedies to cholera patients.
Homeopathy uses the isopathic remedies, such as psorinum, tuberculinum, siphilinum in highly triturated and potentized preparations. Allopathy (like the medieval quacks) administers the products of disease in the forms of serums, vaccines and antitoxins in crude, poisonous doses.
HOME HYGIENE LIBRARY CATALOG TABLE OF CONTENTS GO TO NEXT CHAPTER