Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, MD, founder of homeopathy
The system of homeopathic medicine was introduced to the world by German scientist Dr. Samuel F. Hahnemann during the years 1793-96. The bicentenary of homeopathy is being celebrated this year. On the 10th of April, it is the 239th birth anniversary of Dr. Hahnemann. One of the most leading contemporary homeopaths George Vithoulkas says about Dr. Hahnemann: With time, I am certain that this man will rank as one of the greatest in history, alongside such giants of discovery as Einstein, Newton, and Hippocrates. In this article, Dr. Rajesh Shah gives a bird's eye view of Dr. Hahnemann's exceptionally remarkable contribution to the medical world.
Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, father of homeopathy, lesser-known and under-appreciated medical scientist of sovereign caliber, his 239th birth anniversary falls on 10th April 1993. He was a great experimenter, original thinker, thorough scientist, a genius who dared to live ahead of his time.
He was born when it was dark: Those were the days when patients were treated with inhumane and cruel methods of bloodletting (cutting the veins to remove impure blood), application of Leeches on the skin to suck impure blood, purgatives, etc. The medical system had no direction, no scientific principles, no light.
His Childhood:
Hahnemann was born as a son of a porcelain painter in Meissen, a town in West Germany. His father used to provide him `thinking exercise' by locking him up in a room for hours. Hahnemann cultivated the habit of original thinking since childhood.
His Youth:
Hahnemann was a linguist, he knew German, Latin, Greek, French, English, Italian, etc. He had a deep interest in Chemistry, Botany, Literature, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, etc. He had written several articles on these diverse subjects. He received his M.D. degree from the most famous medical school in Leipzig, Germany, in the year 1779. After a short time, he gave up his practice since he felt that the system of medicine then practiced was cruel, inhuman, unscientific, and without any logic. He maintained his family chiefly through literary work, translations, and research work. For forty years it was Hahnemann's custom to sit up the whole of one night out of every four; working, translating, studying, and writing.
Translating Coolin's Book:
While translating Coolin's materia medica, he was amazed by a statement: "Cinchona Bark (Quinine) cures Malaria because it is bitter in taste." Hahnemann found this very illogical and he started experimenting with himself, by taking two spoonfuls of Quinine three times daily. To his surprise, he started developing some effects of quinine, viz. fever, chill, exhaustion, etc. The fever was of periodic type (intermittent fever). These symptoms which he developed after quinine intake, were very similar to the symptoms of Malaria! His genius mind interpreted that Quinine cures Malaria because it produces symptoms like Malaria. He experimented with various vegetables, chemicals, and toxins to prove that: The substance which has the capacity to produce certain symptoms also has the capacity to remove/cure similar symptoms. And thus the first fundamental principle called "THE LAW OF SIMILARS" was propounded and Homeopathy was born.
Drug Proving on Human Beings:
Hahnemann was occupied in the work of investigating the effects of various medicinal substances on human beings. He was testing such drugs on himself and his students to note different effects very minutely. Such work was never done in history prior to Hahnemann. He tested and proved carefully the action of over 90 drugs, to be used according to his new system of medicine. The entire procedure of drug proving was done on healthy humans and not on animals. LIKE ANY OTHER GENIUS: He was treating hundreds of patients and producing amazing results. The physicians practicing orthodox medicine were annoyed and could not tolerate his novel scientific method and his success. With political pressure, he was given the choice of stopping the homeopathic practice or leaving the country. While he received a rejection from various places to settle down, thousands of patients from all over Europe kept coming to him for treatment, wherever he was! A domineering medical group appointed one Dr. Hering to prove that Hahnemann and Homeopathy were baseless. Dr. Hering, while doing so, was so much impressed that he became Hahnemann's pupil and later on wrote 10 volumes of "Encyclopedia of Materia Medica"! Of course, Hahnemann's struggle ultimately bore fruit and was appreciated all over Europe in his days. Hundreds of doctors started learning and practicing homeopathy
In the year 1810, he published one of the most revolutionary books of medical history: "Organon of Medicine", in which he came up with the most scientific, novel, and time-tested concepts about health, disease, life, treatment, cure, etc. Let us have a look at some of them.
(a) Vital Force:
Hahnemann said that the human body is not mere material but consists of dynamic, spirit-like power, which he termed as `Vital Force'. This vital force is responsible for the animation of life, for the maintenance of health, for the development of the disease, and also for the recovery from the disease.
(b) Health and Disease:
Health is a state of balanced vital force. Any disturbance in the vital state results in diseases. The disease is nothing but a dis-eased vital force. The disease is not material but dynamic in nature. The disease is a dynamic disturbance of the vital force, which expresses itself by physical symptoms.
(c) Cure:
The cure is nothing but the restoration of diseased vital force. Restoration of vital force has to be brought about with the medicine, which has to be of similar dynamic nature.
(d) Similar and Dynamic Remedy:
The medicine, which has the capacity to produce disease-like symptoms in a healthy human being, should be administered to cure similar symptoms in a patient. This medicine or remedy has to have `dynamic power' and should not be `crude'. There should be no `material', no `crude' substance in the remedy, but only dynamic curative power.
(e) Potentisation:
Hahnemann gave the most revolutionary concept and method of drug-power and preparation. Even current nuclear science is not able to understand and explain the nature and form of homeopathic medicines. He invented a method of drug preparation, in which the end result will contain only the "dynamic power" of the drug substance, without even a single atom of the drug! The homeopathic medicines are in `potentized' (attenuated) form and possess only dynamic-spirit-like energy, whose efficacy can be tested over and again. Recent research has identified nanoparticles in potentized homeopathic medicines.
(f) Minimum doses and single remedy:
Hahnemann's intelligence gave another basic principle; that of minimum dose. He said, to bring about the desired change in human vitality, the amount of quantity (dose) of medicine required is the least possible. Single medicine has to be administered to any patient, at a time. Homeopathy never approves any combination of medicines.
(g) Inherited diseases and Genetics:
Hahnemann was the first person in history who highlighted the inherited disease tendency (from parents and forefathers) and introduced the terminology of `Miasms'. Not only was he able to recognize the role of genetic influence on health but he was also able to discover the remedial measures to neutralize or blunt the tendencies of hereditary diseases by finding out anti-miasmatic remedies. In this regard, homeopathy is much ahead of time!
(h) Bacteria and Vaccination and Immunity:
Hahnemann (1755-1843) was among the first to recognize the role of Bacteria in disease development. Jenner (1749-1823) was the first to use the vaccine (based on Hahnemann's 'Law of similars') in the year 1796. Father of Bacteriology, Louis Pasteur (1822-95), first used inoculation long after the birth of homeopathy Homeopathic medicine called `Hydrophobinum' prepared from rabid dog's saliva, was used by homeopaths long before Pasteur introduced vaccine prepared from rabid dog's saliva. The homeopathic medicine called `Tuberculinum' was in use before Robert Koch (1843-1910) discovered TB organisms. Of course, Tuberculinum was prepared from TB. germs. Von Behring (1854-1917), who was called the father of Vaccine therapy, was born 12 years after Hahnemann's death. In fact, Von Behring had acknowledged his debts to Homeopathy
Before the concept of bacteria as a cause of the disease was brought forth, bacteria were recognized and also used as medicinal agents by Dr. Hahnemann and his followers. The concept of vaccination has its roots in the principles of Homeopathy Dr. Hahnemann must be recognized as one of the foremost Bacteriologists and it would be without any exaggeration to call him the real father of vaccination.
(i) Not Bacteria but host factors:
In those days scientists were busy discovering various bacteria and microbes, emphasizing their 0prime role, in disease development. Hahnemann was a very advanced thinker. He realized that bacteria can do nothing without the susceptibility (vulnerability) of the host patient. Modern immunologist has realized this fact only for a few decades.
(j) Psychosomatics:
Mind and Body: Hahnemann was most modern in his views on the role of the mind in the development of physical disease. He associated the mind and body relation with health disease and cure. Not only that but he also could present to the world very definite therapeutics based on such Psychosomatic correlation.
(k) Individualization:
Hahnemann said there are no diseases but diseased individuals. A human being is a wholesome entity where no organ of the body is affected in isolation. You have to treat the patient as a whole and the disease will be spontaneously cured. He said, treat the patient and not the disease.
Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, whose contribution to the suffering of humanity has been unique. We have yet to fully comprehend some of his concepts, especially regarding drug dynamization. Let us salute this man of the greatest caliber who dared to think beyond his time.
QUOTING DR. HAHNEMANN:
