In this lecture, Kent explains Dr. Hahnemann’s views on Psora, which he believed to be the oldest, most destructive, and fundamental chronic disease known to humanity. Hahnemann stated that psora is older than both syphilis and sycosis, and it has existed since the earliest days of human life. It is not just a skin condition but a deep, internal disorder of the whole person—affecting the body, mind, and spirit. Psora represents a kind of chronic miasm (disease tendency) that can lie dormant or manifest in different forms depending on the person’s susceptibility.
Psora has been inherited through generations, passed on from parents to children, and is now present in almost every human being. Over time, as it moved from one generation to the next, it became more subtle, more difficult to recognize, and more complex. Hahnemann observed that psora could not be healed by the body alone—it needed specific treatment with the correct homeopathic remedy. If left untreated or wrongly treated (especially if suppressed with drugs or ointments), psora would deepen, leading to more serious chronic conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, tuberculosis, and mental illness.
Kent emphasizes that psora is rooted in the mind and spirit. Hahnemann believed it originated when humanity began to think, will, and desire wrongly—moving away from truth, love, and divine order. This inner moral and spiritual decay led to disorder in the body. Psora is therefore not caused by poor hygiene or external factors but is rather a reflection of man’s internal disorder, both morally and spiritually. It’s a disease of the will, of thinking wrongly, of losing connection with higher purpose and natural law.
To explain psora better, Kent uses the example of leprosy, which he calls a more severe form of psora seen in ancient times. He says that the diseases we see today—itching skin eruptions, asthma, ulcers, etc.—are milder modern versions of that same psoric disorder. Even though the visible symptoms might be different, the inner disease is the same. Skin eruptions, for instance, are just outward signs of this inner condition. Suppressing them doesn’t cure psora—it just drives it deeper, where it causes more serious harm.
Another key idea Kent stresses is that psora weakens the entire constitution of a person. It doesn’t just cause one disease, but rather makes the whole body and mind more susceptible to many other illnesses. For example, unless psora is present, syphilis and sycosis (other chronic miasms) often cannot take hold. That’s why psora is called the foundation of all chronic diseases.
Kent also talks about how modern medicine (allopathy) has contributed to worsening psora. When skin eruptions (like scabies or eczema) are treated with local applications or ointments, the disease appears to go away—but this is only temporary. In reality, the eruption has been suppressed, and the deeper disease process continues silently inside the body. This suppression is what leads to the development of deeper and more dangerous diseases. So, rather than helping the patient, modern treatment methods often make them worse.
He gives an example of a child with ringworm. If the skin eruption is removed by ointments, the child may later develop asthma or other serious illnesses. But if the eruption comes back after homeopathic treatment, that’s a sign of healing, not a failure. The return of an old eruption or discharge often shows that the body is throwing out the disease, which is a good sign in homeopathy.
Kent also highlights that mental symptoms of psora—like anxiety, depression, irritability, jealousy, and moral weakness—are often the first signs of the disease, even before any physical symptom appears. Psora is seen in the tendency to sin, in perversion of thought and will, and in selfish or evil desires. In this way, psora is not just a disease of the skin or body—it is a disturbance of the whole being.
He describes how almost everyone today is born psoric because of centuries of inherited disease and suppression. As a result, even small exposures to disease-producing influences can now cause illness. Children are born sensitive and sickly, not because of bad germs or diet, but because of inherited psora.
To treat such a deep-rooted disease, Kent says that homeopathic medicines must be chosen carefully—not based on the name of the disease but based on the totality of the symptoms, especially the mental and emotional state of the patient. Deep-acting remedies like Sulphur, Lycopodium, Psorinum, and others are used because they match the deep patterns of psora.
Lastly, Kent explains how the law of similars (like cures like) works in treating psora. He gives an example of a mind cure, where a grieving girl can be helped only by someone who has experienced a similar grief. That bond of similarity creates healing. The same principle is used in homeopathy: we cure a disease by giving a medicine that produces similar symptoms in a healthy person. This similarity creates a healing reaction and helps the body restore balance.