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Usually, when one spells ‘Homeopathy’, everyone thinks it is a German native
medicine. Actually, it is not i.e., even though a German gave birth to
Homeopathy, it is not traditionally practised over there (i.e., not like
Ayurveda in India or Siddha in Tamil Nadu or acupuncture in China). It had
evolved with scientific principles as a medical advancement in the hands of
an allopath who abandoned medical practice because of his inability to heal
his patients wholly or permanently by the methods of his era.
‘Homeopathy’ as a medical science was discovered by Dr Christian Friedrich
Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, in 1790. Homeopathy, because of its
safe, effective, permanent cure and non-violent approach in treatment, has
spread all over the world. Even though many things played a role in the
evolution and progress of Homeopathy, mainly two diseases helped Homeopathy
to become popular in a big way:
Malaria - which helped for its birth and to postulate law of
cures
Cholera – which showed the world the effectiveness of Homeopathy
and thus helped its growth and spread.
(I hope this is not out of place to inform everyone that recently chikungunya
had created a lot of awareness about Homeopathy for its effective and safe
treatment. Many patients, who came to Homeopathy suffering from chikungunya
complaints, now love to avail of homeopathic treatment for their other
ailments too. Further, after their experience with smooth homeopathic
approach and its nil side-effects, they recommend Homeopathy to their family
also.)
Discovery
of Homeopathy
The
first inspiration for Homeopathy came to Dr Hahnemann in 1790, while he
indulged in the translation of ‘A Treatise on the Materia Medica’, written by
Scottish physician William Cullen. Here Cullen commented about the action of
cinchona bark (quinine) in curing malaria/intermittent fevers as a remedy for
agues and fevers because of its astringency. As a falling apple ignited
Newton’s mind, Cullen’s comment on cinchona bark for malaria ignited Dr
Hahnemann’s to discover Homeopathy.
Dr Hahnemann presumed that cinchona bark would have special characteristics
against malaria since other astringent substances, which even have more
astringency than cinchona bark, are in no way effective against malaria. He
came up with the idea of ascertaining the action of the drugs which were
claimed to be specific for that. He began to research on cinchona bark by
self-administration.
He consumed 4 drahms of cinchona bark extract and analysed the development of
toxic symptoms in his own body. He developed drowsiness, palpitations, fever,
headache, skin rashes, extreme prostration, thirst with cold extremities and
tremors.
He suspects
he developed symptoms similar to that of malaria. He finally concluded that
cinchona bark is effective against malaria because of its capability of
producing the same set of symptoms. Then, he slowly diluted the substances to
reduce the toxicity, adjust the dose and combat the side-effects. He tried
and confirmed the same with other medicinal substances and diseases.
With this fundamental, he postulates the law of cure, i.e., Similia Similibus
Curentur – which means that ‘Let likes be treated by likes’. As a sufferer
happened to have ‘similar sufferings’ during treatment, he coined the name
‘Homeopathy’ to describe the approach to healing. In Greek - homos means
similar + pathos means suffering.
In 1831, during the outbreak of cholera epidemic, Hahnemann experienced one
great triumph as a homeopathic practitioner. His way of approach and
treatment helped in countless number of cases with simple medications.
Effectiveness of Homeopathy in treating and controlling cholera created a lot
of awareness about Homeopathy all over the world. By then, Dr Hahnemann had
published several papers on the ‘Cure of the Asian Cholera’.
Further, one can recognise well the development of Homeopathy when they study
the life history of Dr Hahnemann.
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Life history of Dr Hahnemann
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Christian
Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homeopathy, was born in Meissen,
Saxony, in Germany, on April 10, 1755. He was born in a poor family and his
father was a painter and designer of porcelain.
Hahnemann had done his schooling in the public school at Meissen.
Then he got admitted to the University of Leipsic for higher studies.
Financial hardship forced him to stop his studies thrice, but it could not
stop him from coming out with flying colours as he was learning languages
all the time. His unquenchable interest to learn languages and science led
him to become popular. He became proficient in many languages like English,
French, Italian, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic, Hebrew, etc. He
came to Vienna for his medical graduation. Finally, he got his M.D in
Erlanger in 1779 by submitting a thesis on ‘A consideration of the etiology
and therapeutics of spasmodic affections’. Then he started his first
medical practice at Hettstadt.
In 1781, Hahnemann started medical practice in the copper mining area of
Mansfeld, Saxony. From there he moved to Dessau where he married Johanna
Henriette Kuchler and eventually had 11 children. In spite of practising
the world’s noblest profession, he was felt dejected because of his
inability to heal his patients wholly or permanently. Medical treatment
during his time also remained as torments with everlasting laxatives,
leeches, cupping and strange treatments which continuously varied like
fashion. Every imagination had been used and applied in the case of the
deceased. Further, he claimed that the medicine of his time did as much
harm as good. So, he abandoned his practice by 1784 and took the position
of writer and translator of scientific and medical textbooks. Now, he was
able to learn a wide variety of subjects from different authors. While
translating books, he used to interpret the idea of the author with his
thoughts and thus became a bigger genius and then a great revolution
happened in the world of medicine.
In
ancient days, Hippocrates’ (460 BC) contributions revolutionised the
practice of medicine. Even though Hippocrates was born in a family of
priest-physicians that inherits all traditions and prejudices, he was the
first to dissociate medicine from priest craft, and to set the base for
practise of medicine on the principles of inductive philosophy. Hence, he
is called the ‘Father of Medicine’. Hippocratic medicine was humble and
passive.
Even now
his oath (Hippocratic Oath) serves as the foundation for good medical
practice and morals. His therapeutic approach was based on “the healing
power of nature” (vis medicatrix naturae in Latin). According
to his doctrine, the body contains within itself the power to re-balance
the four humours and heal itself. The four humours he mentioned are blood,
black bile, yellow bile and phlegm. His treatise ‘Air, Water and Place’ are
the first enunciation of the principles of public health. He also placed
great dependence on diet and regimen. He made people realise that diseases
are not a punishment inflicted by the gods but rather the product of
environmental factors, diet and living habits. Finally, after observing
Nature, Hippocrates concluded that there are two possible ways of curing,
i.e., by the contraries and similars. After his death, the advancement
stalled.
Hahnemann
acknowledged his debt to Hippocrates for his principles and made another
great revolution in medicine to lead it on the right path with principles
to advance further.
Homeopathy – a healing art - came as a great gift of god from the hands of
Dr Hahnemann. Being smart with this art, Dr Hahnemann resumed his medical
practice with great healing touch to obtain cure in most cases. He not only
discovered Homeopathy, but also regularised all the systems of medicines
with basic principles (by way of their actions). Further, he is not only
remembered as the founder of Homeopathy but also remembered by all
modern/Western physicians, too, since he was the one named their system as
‘Allopathy’ which means ‘other sufferings’ (in Greek, ‘allos’ means for
‘other’ and ‘pathy’ means ‘sufferings’).
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Histories of many men who have risen to eminence in
science teach us that they had experienced most unfavourable
circumstances in life and in spite of the obstacles thrown in their way
by fortune and by their own natural guardians, they emerged with flying
colours because of their hard work. Dr Hahnemann belonged to this class
of great men.
As he abandoned his medical practice in 1784, he devoted himself to
chemistry, literature and translation. In 1790, he happened to translate
Cullen’s Materia Medica ‘A Treatise on the Materia Medica’.
Here author William Cullen commented about the action of cinchona bark
(quinine) in curing malaria/intermittent fevers as a remedy for agues and
fevers because of its astringency. Dr Hahnemann presumed that cinchona
bark should have special characteristics against malaria since other
astringent substances which even have more astringency are in no way
effective against malaria. He began to research on cinchona bark by self
administration and discovered the fever producing property of the
cinchona bark. As falling apple ignited Newton, Cullen’s comment on
cinchona bark for malaria ignited Dr Hahnemann’s to discover Homeopathy.
With his research, he found that medicinal substances have more peculiar
and striking effects with their symptom presentations. He then contented
himself for years with making a collection of morbid effects of various
poisonous and medicinal substances. He recorded everything carefully and
published everything in Hufeland’s journal as ‘Essay on a new principle
for ascertaining the remedial powers of medicinal substances’, in 1796.
In that, he modestly explained that at the least for curing chronic
complaints, medicines should have the power of producing similar
affections in a healthy body. Further, he attempted to explore dilutions
of the compounds by succussion (systematic mixing through vigorous
shaking) and potentisation and proved that they still have the
effectiveness in alleviating the same symptoms in the sick even after
being highly diluted.
In 1806, he layed foundation for his system of medicine, i.e., he
published the first sketch of a Pure Materia Medica in Latin. Following
Lord Bacon’s (1571-1626 AD) ‘Novum Organum’ inductive methods and
philosophy for reconstructing and advancement of science, he recognised
“science persists in the method and not in the thing”. Further, he learnt
more about science and philosophy as follows: “Every science begins as
philosophy and ends as art, i.e., it arises in hypothesis and flows into
achievements. Science describes and philosophy interprets. Science in the
widest sense includes science proper and philosophy. Science proper
includes exact knowledge of facts, laws and proximate causes whereas
philosophy provides rational explanation and interpretation with facts.
Science aims at precision and exactitude of knowledge and philosophy aims
at comprehensiveness and wholeness”.
Understanding all the facts, Dr Hahnemann constructed Homeopathy as a
rational science with rational philosophy as foundation and published the
first edition of his immortal ‘Organon’ in aphoristic style as an
amplification and extension of his medicine of experience in 1810. In
later years, he published further editions, each with great additions and
careful revisions. He then wrote a number of books and essays on the
homeopathic method, chemistry and general medicine.
All the time, he faced a lot of criticism but as he was very clear with
his philosophy and science with experiments. He resumed his practice
confidently with his new art of healing - Homeopathy. Even after that, he
had only little opportunity to test his ideas by practice in Leipzic
because of his poverty and necessity to provide for daily wants of his
children. Every time he leaned upon translation work for winning his
bread.
Then he moved to Konigslutter. By that time, there was an epidemic of
scarlet fever. As he had already tested belladonna and knew its power to
produce a state similar to the first stage of scarlet fever, he believed
that it would not only be a curative but should also be a preventive.
On that occasion, accidently, he found in a family of four children,
three was sickened with disease whereas the fourth escaped because of
taking belladonna for finger joint affections. To confirm this
prophylactic power, he made a test in a family of eight children, three
were affected with the epidemic and he immediately gave belladonna in
small doses to the remaining five children and as they escaped the
disease in spite of their constant exposure to the disease. On proving
the prophylactic power of belladonna, he announced it as ‘Genus
Epidemicus’. This discovery of the genius saved many lives and he
received a lot of blessings. Soon, Homeopathy started attracted many
followers among physicians of his day and it started to spread throughout
Europe and abroad.
Further, in 1831, during the outbreak of a cholera epidemic, Hahnemann
experienced one great triumph as a homeopathic practitioner. His approach
and treatment helped in countless cases with simple medications. The
effectiveness of Homeopathy in treating and controlling cholera created a
lot of awareness about the system of medicine all over the world. By that
time, Dr Hahnemann had published several papers on the ‘Cure of the Asian
cholera’.
Dr Hahnemann then travelled around Saxony for many years, settling in
Dresden, Torgau, Leipzig and Coethen at different times. While he
was in Coethen, in 1830, he lost his wife. His habits of study,
contemplation and observation of nature halted there which was again
motivated by Mille Melanie in 1835. Her influence ended in the second
marriage of Dr Hahnemann in his 80th year. He finally
moved to Paris in 1835 with his new, elegant wife. He survived there for
eight years with lot of honours.
After having a long career as a true medical practitioner, Dr Hahnemann,
at the age of 88, fell ill with bronchitis and died on July 2, 1843 in
Paris. His embalmed body was buried in the cemetery of Montmartre. In
1898, his body was moved to the “Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise” among
‘The immortals of France’, where a monument was raised on his grave in
1900.
for new hope
Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD
(Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo Clinic
24 E. New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN 625 001
India
Tel:
+91-984-319-1011 (Mob / Whatsapp)
Clinic : +91-452-233-8833 |
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer - The contents of this column are for
informational purpose only. The content is not intended to be a
substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health problem
or medical condition.)
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