A harmful emanation is called miasma.
The first thing we have to establish before knowing the meaning of the term miasma is to know that it is a term that has its etymological origin in Greek. Specifically, it emanates from misa , which can be translated as “impurity” or “taint.”
This is the name given to the harmful emanation that, according to ancient beliefs, emerged from stagnant water, corrupted substances or the body of people suffering from an illness. Sometimes, in addition, the notion of miasma is used symbolically to refer to something that corrupts or damages : “The miasma of corruption affects the entire political class of this country,” “The team continues to be affected by the miasma of “muscle injuries.”
Historical evolution of the term miasm
The miasmatic theory emerged in the 17th century. Attributed to Giovanni María Lancisi and Thomas Sydenham , it maintained the existence of fetid effluvia that made individuals sick. Previously, in Greek mythology there was a reference to a vapor diffused by the gods that caused harm.
As time went by, the miasmatic theory was refuted, although Justus von Liebig revived it in the 19th century. According to this chemist, the blood fermented, generating miasmas that caused various kinds of diseases, from syphilis to cholera , since they combined in the air with the gases arising from the decomposition of organic materials found on the planet.
Precisely the theory of miasma was used to try to explain what were the epidemics that occurred in the dirtiest, poorest and smelliest neighborhoods of the cities. And it, in addition to the figures already mentioned, was defended by the Italian nurse and writer Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910). This woman is considered the initiator of modern professional nursing and has the honor of being the first woman to join the Royal Statistical Society.
In ancient times it was believed that miasma was a harmful vapor spread by the gods.
The concept today
Currently, the miasma theory is no longer considered by the scientific community. Today it is known that many diseases are caused by microorganisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye, although they can be detected with microscopes.
Bacteria and viruses , for example, enter the body, affecting it in multiple ways. These microbes, therefore, are responsible for diseases, and not the supposed miasmas.
Types of miasms
In addition to what is indicated, it must be emphasized that in the field of homeopathy it is considered that there are three different types of miasms:
-Sycotic miasms , which are those experienced by people who suffer from abnormal skin growth, inflammation, or even an exaggerated reaction.
-Psoric miasms , which are those that occur when a weakening of the body occurs because the body does not react to a specific environment.
-The luetic miasms , which are those generated when syphilis appears, which results in a notable degeneration of the organism as well as its destruction.
Likewise, within the aforementioned homeopathy we also talk about two other miasms: the cancerous miasm and the tuberculin miasm .