Am doing a project for college and am looking for resources (books or internet) that may have information on why eczema and asthma are more prevalent today (or appear to be) than in the last 200 years.

Every other child seems to have either eczema or asthma these days and we are being asked to explain possible reasons for this.

So, other than Robin Logan's book and Martin Mile's Homeopathy & Human Evolution, where should I be looking?

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Regards,<br /><b>Simone H</b><br /><br /><i>Aude Sapere</i><br /><br />"Never be a passive listener or learner" ~ Christian Gottfried Hahnemann

dear simone,
for homoeopathic books ,you can try diseases of skin by dearborne and with the same name by farook master.you will get minute details by dermatology books(allopathic).

the eczemas are those with external cause or without.the first type is incresing with modernisation due to various allergic factors.the second type is without external factors and is constituitinal and it includes atopic eczema,nummular eczema,pompholyx,seborrhic eczema,varicose eczema etc

jayakumar pannakkal

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<a href="http://www.pannakkal.com" target="_blank">www.pannakkal.com</a>

Simone,
You may also want to look at some works on the side effects of vaccination. Some authors make a link between vaccination and asthma (as well as all kinds of autoimmune diseases, brain damage, etc.).
E.g. VACCINATION - 100 Years of Orthodox Research, by Viera Scheibner, Australia.

Good luck with your research,
Karin

Thank you Pannakkal and Karen Copper.

I will check the resources you have listed.

There are so many factors to look at. I had considered 2nd generation vaccination, increase in pollutants/chemicals in everyday life; decrease in good nutrition; lack of breastfeeding, decrease in nuclear familial support, miasmatic build-up; etc.

I have Vera's book, I will have to look for Farook Master, et al. to make the links.

Thanks again!

[ 10 October 2001: Message edited by: Simone ]

__________________
Regards,<br /><b>Simone H</b><br /><br /><i>Aude Sapere</i><br /><br />"Never be a passive listener or learner" ~ Christian Gottfried Hahnemann

Hi Simone,

Interesting that Eczema is also the topic for major assignment in the homeopathy course, but I'm focussing more on medical science and the issues in its homeopathic management. So far, the orthodox etiologies I have identified are pretty much similar things that you have mentioned:
vaccination
allopathic drugs
atopic constitution
food / environmental allergy and food intolerances

From a more holistic perspective, I think that anything can trigger it, and it's really hard to attribute to single factor - this is just not holistic thinking. There is no linear relationship of a single cause and then a certain specific symptomatology.

So far, among lots of others, the material I'm using and I find helpful specific for eczema / skin diseases are:

- Robin Murphy's seminar on Skin Diseases (transcript available from Caspersons)

- Ian Watson's seminar on skin Diseases (tape available from Minimum) - You can read the review at www.minimum.com If you're interested, perhaps you can buy a second hand copy from me -I've only listened to it twice.

- Robin Logan's Eczema book

Of course, these books do not specifically answer your question, but they all offer a variety of homeopathic, naturopathic and folk approaches to the treatment / management of eczema.

What's your findings so far? Can we share that?

Best regards,

Arden.

[ 10 October 2001: Message edited by: Arden Wong ]

Hi Simone,

There is a triad with the pituitary, the thyroid and the adrenals. Often alergies run hand in hand with low or borderline low thyroid.

It is very hard to treat the thyroid directly but if the pituitary is supplemented it will generally balance. This can often be done with Boron & Manganese.

Then the adrenal glands balance and allergies are often alleviated totally-as you generally heal from the head down.

As for skin disorders, on the physical plane they are generally a result of toxins. If one is always cold check out the kidneys. Are they over loaded? If always hot go for liver cleanses. This is a really good indicator in animals with skin problems. At least you can tell which direction to go with treatment by whether the animal is seeking warmth or coolness. Liver=hot kidneys=chilly seeking warmth.

I suppose alot has to do with more pollution.

On subtle levels, unexplained and unresponsive skin disorders can oft times be very strong karmic repercussions. More than one case has been eliminated just thru karma yoga.

Snowlion,

Would you explain what you mean by Karma Yoga? I have a very rare genetic connective tissue disorder, with skin changes, that I've considered might be karmic.

Thanks,
Contenta

Hi.
I am sorry that you have been suffering. It may not be appropriate for this board, however many consider homeopathy a vibrational therapy dealing with subtle energy bodies as well as physical and the karmamaya kosha or karmic body is a subtle energy body so I guess can proceed.

Karma very very simply put on one level is a universal law of cause and effect-basically reaping what you sow. Like gravity, fire, water etc it is neutral in attitude (not really having attitude) therefore its principles can be used.

I will give an example of a karma yoga "cure" in my friend:

She had bladder cancer and did the Chemo route and was so very very ill. She is a very clean person, keeps an immaculate house and she suffered as she was so sick she could not keep up with her house or shop for fresh foods that would help her. She is a widow.

When she was well enough she began to donate her time to others in the throws of chemo therapy-shopping, cleaning, picking up their kids at daycare-whatever was necessary. She knew how terrible it was to try and cope with it by yourself and lent a helping hand whenever necessary. Compassion had been born from her suffering. She was able to focus on others rather than her self.

While not given a good prognosis at the beginning and following the chemo, she lived in fear of the return of it. Ever upcoming checkup was a red letter day for her.

Still she continued to help those sicker than she was. At each checkup she was deemed to be in remission. A couple of months ago she called telling that she wanted prayers because she wanted to go to Bosnia and help the poor build housing. Her checkup was the next day and it would be the deciding factor of wheteher or not she would go. She was deemed cancer free. Off she went.

This is just one out of many examples. A woman on her death bed began to realize that her family was suffering so much. She began to pray for them and she used all her strength to get up for a few moments and write a love letter to her husband and do what she could to ease his pain. She would literally crawl to the kitchen and put snacks out and make koolaid for her kids so it would be waiting when they came home from school. Each day she became stronger as she focused on allieviating the suffering of others. She is now cancer free and has a new child.

A Hindu man came to a great Indian sage once weeping because during a Hindu/ Moslem dispute he ahd taken a Moslem toddler by the ankles and smashed his head against a wall and killed him. He was suffering so much from guilt and was certain he would go to hell. The great sage told him to find a Moslem child who had been orphaned in the skirmish and to raise him as his own, but as a Moslem. That would be an example of a karma yoga prescription.

If suffering financially sometimes just simple prayers for others in the same boat works like magic.

I use to attract very ill animals-bizarre cases from the time I was a child. I learned so much about alternative therapies, homeopathy, radionics, other vibrational modalities. I began to donate time at vet clinics doing free (often behind the scene) homeopathic consultations, reiki, and radionic training. It was a passion for me as so many pets that were discarded or labeled as hopeless could be helped and suddenly new doors opened to the owners.

As if by magic all but one of my own beloved animals healed within the year.

If you want to explore karma yoga with your own skin condition you do not have to do anything real dramatic or make karma yoga an all encompassing endenvour. It can be something as simple as praying for another (and individual rather than a collective is better)with a similar condition. Sharing with others who have just been diagnosed what you have experienced and helping them with some fear and uncertainty. Sharing what has helped you-what you have learned. Write an article or maybe collect some donations for research. There are many things you can do to help lighten the load of another. Even if there is intent to help yourself with it it does not matter. When you get on an airplane the intent is to make use of natural forces-manipulate gravity to get somewhere. Gravity doesn't mind.

I would not say it is a substitute for treatment however it can very much enhance it.

[ 20 October 2001: Message edited by: Snow Lion ]

hi Simone, An intense assignment question! I thought this might be of use. I have 3 children, 20, 18, 12. Two have had severe asthma, the other has had chronic and at times severe eczema. Two became affected after a perceived 'shock' or trigger, the other seemed to be born with it. Their paternal great grandmother and her whole family all died from TB. On the maternal heritage there was a lot of asthma and stories of relatives having TB. I believe a lot of the asthma and eczema stems for miasmatic inheritance that often remains latent until some 'shock' or trigger' activates symptoms. Interestingly enough, one child would aggravate terribly from Tub. but was OK with Bacc. the eczema never responded to Psor. but amel. with Phos. and more lately, Thuja.
maybe if you could get some research about miasmatic family history it could be helpful.
good luck, please let me know your findings,
maryanne.

Arden

The What Doctors Don't Tell You Guide to Asthma and Eczema was invaluable. They print some findings of possible causes. Unfortunately, they do not give their reference material, so I am going to contact them for reference to the studies.

Of help to me was Hahnemann and Burnett on issues of suppression and its consequences (only a few of which were asthma/lung problems and arthritis).

My assignment was only a small one to be finished within a month. Thus, I have finished my work on it! However, I am still going to chase up WDDTY.

Marianne

Thanks for your assistance. I had already considered the miasmatic influence. Hahnemann's writingsd on this were invaluable. I can see where it could be latent miasms are triggered by a "shock".

Thanks again.

__________________
Regards,<br /><b>Simone H</b><br /><br /><i>Aude Sapere</i><br /><br />"Never be a passive listener or learner" ~ Christian Gottfried Hahnemann