THE TUBERCULAR MIASM

1. THE TUBERCULAR MIASM George Loukas

2. What characterizes tubercular miasm is a constant tendency to change, a tendency to move, to move towards a target which is idealized in the person’s sphere of fantasies, which is far off from the reality in which the person lives. But in case this target is fulfilled, it loses its value, the person loses interest in the thing that used to fascinate him. Another target dominates his fantasy now and it dominates just until it is fulfilled as well, and then it will lose its value.

3. Let’s presume that a person in whom tubercular miasm is prevalent lives in Athens. His life makes him feel listless and bored. He often goes down to Piraeus and watches the boats sail. He watches them and visualizes the cities far on the horizon. In his mind’s eye, he makes plans for long journeys and beautiful cities. He will try to travel if he is given the opportunity to. Need for travel is a major feature of tubercular miasm.

4. Let us presume that it is feasible for him to leave his city and go to Corfu, for instance. He will be full of enthusiasm for a short while, but soon afterwards he will feel bored and listless again. Over and over again he will be going to the harbor and wander what is hidden far on the horizon, over and over again he will be making plans for new travels, over and over again he will be contemplating heavenly faraway places.

5. This need for more characterizes his love life too. The tuberculous is an amorous person. He falls in love passionately but often falls in love with inaccessible or forbidden cases. When he finally achieves what he so much desires, then he realizes that in a short while passion is gone, boredom and listlessness have taken its place. Remarkable is also the intensity of the emotions that a tubercular person experiences in a love affair. In case these feelings are frustrated, the person sinks in sadness. The phrase about that is known: “I’ll become tuberculous for your love”.

6. Concerning the tuberculous person’s love life we should mention that he often falls in love with cases to which there is an obstacle. Thus he often desires someone else’s wife or falls in love with a person with whom a love affair is not feasible on account of the given circumstances.

7. The same thing goes for his interests too. He likes to keep himself busy with constantly new things. Daily routine and ordinary life are not for him. He easily gets bored. That is why he constantly wants to take up new activities, new ideas. His spirit is always on the move. Thus he can be witty or have artistic aptitudes especially for music and literature. The tubercular person has constantly new inspirations but he finds it hard to systematize all these new ideas.

8. He has difficulty in finishing what he has started to do. This is the reason why he always starts something else and then something else again e.t.c It is very important to keep that in mind regarding education of tubercular children. A strict educational system and strict parents will only aggravate the state of healthof such children and there is serious danger of one of the diseases that belong to the sphere of tubercular miasm manifesting itself.

9. In tubercular miasm the rejection of daily routine in fantasy and the pursuit of the elusive ideal result in conflict with the law. Inside the tubercular person there is fear of punishment. Many times it is subconscious and expresses his fantasy of being punished because he dared to desire something different, something new. As a result of that the tubercular person avoids open conflict with the law, he gets away.

10. Therefore he avoids direct conflict, he prefers to escape. This is an intense feature of his. When he is subjected to a stress producing stimulation, he does not respond directly in the same direction but he reacts intensely in the reverse direction. Thus, in order to get over the sadness due to a loss he may show working over activity or he may go to a nightclubto blow off steam and get over the sorrow of the incident. Zebekiko (popular Greek dance in 7/8) dance is a typical tubercular symbol.

11. In tubercular miasm we often notice alternations in the mental sphere. Thus we sometimes see the tubercular person seek protection and sometimes independence. Sometimes he is inactive, sometimes restless. Sometimes he is depressed, sometimes he is overly cheerful. Sometimes he is violent, sometimes he is extremely sensitive.

12. There is a tendency to suppuration. There is also a tendency to fistulas, diverticulums, and scars. Tendency to emaciation and feebleness. Tendency to perspiration. Sensitivity to cold and to weather changes.