In the footnote to §7, Hahnemann emphasizes that a truly intelligent physician must first seek to remove any obvious exciting or maintaining causes (causa occasionalis) of an ailment. Often, when such external causes are eliminated, the patient recovers spontaneously without needing further treatment. These states of disturbance are called indispositions, not true diseases. For instance, a psoric individual might temporarily suffer due to diet errors or emotional distress, but these triggers do not instill psora—they merely awaken an already-present internal disposition. Such external causes can mimic the symptoms of chronic miasms but are not the root disease themselves. If the external disturbance is removed—be it emotional trauma, such as unrequited love, or business stress—the patient often returns to health, provided the deeper miasmatic layer isn’t fully activated.
Hahnemann urges physicians to carefully differentiate between superficial external causes and true internal disease, which always stems from a deeper miasmatic disturbance. For example, a girl who faints from strong-smelling flowers or someone who must relocate to a different climate for relief is merely experiencing effects from external sensitivities, not a cure. Physicians may alter such environments for temporary comfort, like removing odors or relocating patients, but this is only palliative. True disease lies deeper within and requires internal correction.
To illustrate, if a man abuses his stomach and becomes unwell, ceasing the abuse often suffices. If not, a gentle homoeopathic remedy like Nux vomica may help. But if the internal psoric condition is disturbed, continued disorder may persist. The physician may also intervene directly in acute mechanical disturbances—for example, extracting a foreign body from the eye or releasing a tight bandage—actions which remove the exciting cause and permit recovery. Hahnemann’s critics often misinterpret such notes as support for emetics or mechanical treatments, but he clearly distinguishes these emergency measures from proper Homoeopathic practice.
Lastly, Hahnemann condemns the allopathic tendency to treat isolated symptoms—such as focusing solely on heart, liver, or uterine issues—without considering the unity of the entire person. Such specialization fragments understanding and results in the patient being passed from one expert to another, with none addressing the root cause. True cure lies not in chasing symptoms but in understanding the totality and internal essence of disease.