Samuel Hahnemann

See also: Homeopathy and Classical homeopathy

Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (10th April 1755 - 2nd July 1843) was a physician who founded homoeopathic medicine. Hahnemann is also credited with introducing the practice of quarantine while employed by the Duke of Anhalt-Köthen. A monument in Washington D.C. commemorates his life and works. Hahnemann's notable works include:

• The Organon of the Healing Art (1810) explains the theory of homeopathic medicine. Hahnemann published the 5th edition in 1833; an unfinished 6th edition was discovered after Hahnemann's death but not published until 1921.
• Materia Medica Pura is a compilation of homoeopathic proving reports, published in six volumes during the 1820s (vol. VI in 1827). Revised editions of volumes I and II were published in 1830 and 1833, respectively.
• Chronic Diseases (1828) is an elucidation of the root and cure of chronic disease together with a compilation of homoeopathic proving reports, published in five volumes during the 1830s.

Life

Born Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann in Meissen, Saxony on April 10, 1755, Hahnemann showed early proficiency at languages, and by the age of twenty had mastered English, French, Italian, Greek and Latin, and was making a living as a translator and teacher of languages. He later became proficient in Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic and Hebrew. Hahnemann studied medicine at Leipzig and Vienna, and received his doctor of medicine degree at the University of Erlangen on 10 August 1779, qualifying with honors with a thesis on the treatment of cramps. He began practicing as a doctor in 1781, and shortly after, married Johanna Henriette Kuchler; they had eleven children.

Through his practice, Hahnemann concluded that the medicine of his day did as much harm as good:

"My sense of duty would not easily allow me to treat the unknown pathological state of my suffering brethren with these unknown medicines. The thought of becoming in this way a murderer or malefactor towards the life of my fellow human beings was most terrible to me, so terrible and disturbing that I wholly gave up my practice in the first years of my married life and occupied myself solely with chemistry and writing."

After giving up his practice, he earned his living mainly as a writer and translator. While translating William Cullen's A Treatise on the Materia Medica, Hahnemann encountered the claim that Cinchona, the bark of a Peruvian tree, was effective in treating malaria because of its astringency. Hahnemann realised that other astringent substances are not effective against malaria and began to research cinchona's effect on the human organism very directly: by self-application. He discovered that the drug evoked malaria-like symptoms in himself, and concluded that it would do so in any healthy individual. This led him to postulate a healing principle: "that which can produce a set of symptoms in a healthy individual, can treat a sick individual who is manifesting a similar set of symptoms." This principle, like cures like, became the first of a new medicinal approach that he called homeopathy.

Hahnemann began testing substances for their effects on healthy individuals, and tried to deduce from this the ills they would heal. He found that ingesting substances to produce noticeable changes in the organism resulted in toxic effects., so he began exploring dilutions of the compounds he was testing. He found that these dilutions, when done according to his technique of succussion (systematic mixing through vigorous shaking) and potentization, were still effective in producing symptoms.

Hahnemann began practicing medicine again using his new technique, which soon attracted other doctors. He first published an article about the homeopathic approach to medicine in a German medical journal in 1796; in 1810, he wrote his Organon of the Medical Art, the first systematic treatise on the subject. Hahnemann continued practicing medicine, researching new medicines, writing and lecturing to the end of his life. He died in Paris in 1843, aged 88 years, and is entombed in a mausoleum at Paris's Père Lachaise cemetery.

Hahnemann's Reputation as a Scientist

Hahnemann acquired a considerable reputation as a practitioner of medicine, as a scientist in pharmacology, and for promoting the importance of good hygiene. Hufeland, for example, "never lost respect for Hahnemann's genius and services to medicine." As a translator Hahnemann was widely regarded as a writer who "improved and perfected," any text translation he undertook. Many honours and accomplishments in chemistry and pharmacy preceded his discovery of homeopathy, what Ameke calls "his pre-homeopathic labours." For example, "in 1788, Hahnemann discovered the solubility of metallic sulphates in boiling nitric acid." He was described as "one of the most distinguished physicians of Germany…of matured experience and reflection…a man rendered famous by his writings."

The Organon

• 1810. Organon of Rational Healing. Dresden. Arnold. 2d edition, 1819 ; 3d edition, 1824; 4th edition, 1829 ; 5th edition, 1833.
• Trans. into French by Brunnow, and published in Dresden by Arnold in 1824 ; 2d edition of same, 1832.
• Into Hungarian in 1830, Pesth, Ottonal.
• French translation by Dr. Jourdan, Paris, Baillière, 1832 ; also in 1834 ; 3d edition of same, 1845 ; 4th, 1873.
• In 1833 translated from the 4th German edition by Chas. H. Devriant, with notes by Sam'l Stratton. Dublin, London, Edinburgh.
• Trans. by Dr. Liedbeck into Swedish, Stockholm, 1836.
• In 1840, into Russian by Wratzky ; into Russian by Sarokin in 1887-90.
• Into, Spanish by Sanlieby, Madrid ; into Spanish in 1853 by Valero.
• Into Italian by Guranta, and also by Fransesco Romano.
• A 6th German edition was edited by Lutze, Coethen, 1865.
• In 1849 by Dudgeon into English from the 5th edition. London, Headland.
• In 1836 the 1st American from the British translation of 1833 was published by the Allentown Academy.
• 1843, 2d American edition, New York, Radde.
• 1849, 3d American edition, New York, Radde.
• 1869, 4th American edition, New York, Radde.
• In 1876 it was re-translated by Conrad Wesselhoeft, of Boston, and published by Boericke &- Tafel. This is the 5th American from the 5th German edition.
• 1893 New edition by Dudgeon, with an Appendix. London
• Trans. by Fincke, Jour. of Homoeopathics, New York, 1889. See, also Cal. Horn'th, vol. 9, p. 3,37.

Materia Medica Pura

• 1811. Materia Medica Pura. Dresden. Arnold. 6 vols. Vol. 1 1811; vol. 2, 1816; vol. 3, 1817; vol. 4, 1818 ; vol. 5, 1819 ; vol. 6, 1821.
• 2d edition. Vol. 1, 1822 ; vol. 2, 1824 ; vol. 3, 1825 ; vol. 4, 1825 ; vol. 5, 1826 ; vol. 6, 1827.
• 3d edition, 1830. Vol. 2, 1833. Only two vols. were published of this edition.
• In 1825 translated into Italian by Romani. Naples. Nobile.
• In 1826 an edition in Latin was published in Leipsic by Brunnow, Stapf and Gross, containing also the Viribus.
• Trans. in 1828 into French by Bigel. Varsovie.
• Into French by Jourdan in 1834, Paris, Baillière. * In 1877 by the Drs. Simon into French
• In 1840 Dr. Quin commenced a translation into English in London, but when vol. 1 was published it was destroyed by fire. No others were published.
• 1846 Trans. by Hempel, New York. Radde.
• A Hahnemann Materia Medica by Drysdale, Black, Dudgeon and Hughes, published in London in 1852 ; but 3 parts published.
• Into Italian by Dadea in 1873. Turin. 2 vols.
• 1880. Trans. by Dudgeon, London. 2 vols. with additions by Hughes.
• 1880. Trans. by Arndt. Med. Counselor, vols. 3, 4, 5.

Other Works cont'd

• 1812. Dissertation on the Helleborism of the ancients. Leipsic. Tauchnitz. Thesis to the Faculty at Leipsic. Also in Lesser Writings.
• 1813. Spirit of the homoeopathic doctrine of medicine. In Allgemeine Anzeiger, March, 1813. Vol. 2 of Materia Medica Pura. Lesser Writings. As a pamphlet in New York by Hans Birch Gram in 1825. Trans. by Ad. Lippe in 1878, and published in The Organon, a journal. Hom. Exam., Oct., 1840. Also trans. by G. M. Scott, London, Glasgow. 1838. Trans. by Lund into Danish.
• 1814. Treatment of typhus& fever at present prevailing. Allgemeine Anzeiger, No. 6. Lesser Writings.
• 1816. Venereal disease and its improper treatment. Allgemeine Anzeiger, No. 211. Lesser Writings.
• 1816. Treatment of burns. Answer to Dr. Dzondi. In Allgemeine Anzeiger, Nos..-156, 204. Lesser Writings.
• 1819. On uncharitableness to suicides. Allgemeine Anzeiger, No. 144. Lesser Writings.
• 1820. On the preparation and dispensing of medicines by homoeopathic physicians. First published in Stapf's Lesser Writings of Hahnemann. Also Dudgeon's Lesser Writings.
• 1821. Treatment of purpura miliaris. Allgemeine Anzeiger, No. 26. Lesser Writings.
• 1825. How may homoeopathy be most certainly readicated ? Allgemeine Anzeiger, No. 227. Lesser Writings.
• 1825. Information for the truth seeker. Published in the Materia Medica Pura under the title: How Can Small Doses of Such Very Attenuated Medicines as Homoeopathy Employs Still Possess Great Power? Allgemeine Anzeiger, No. 194. Lesser Writings. Hom. Pioneer. Brit. Jour. of Hom., vol. 2.

Chronic Diseases

• 1828. Chronic diseases, their nature and homoeopathic treatment. Dresden and Leipsic. Arnold. Vols. 1, 2, 3, 1828 ; vol. 4, 1830.
• 2d edition. Dusseldorf. Schaub. Vols. 1, 2, 1835 ; vol. 3, 1837 ; vol. 4, 1838 ; vol. 5, 1839.
• Trans. into French by Jourdan. Paris, 1832. 2d edition of same 1846.
• Into French by Bigel. Edited by Des Guidi in 1832.
• Into English from French edition by G. M. Scott. Glasgow, 1842.
• Into Italian by Belluornini. Teramo. 1832-7. 4 vols.
• In 1849 into Italian by Villannera. Madrid.
• In 1845 by Hempel into English. New York. Raddle 5 vols.Reprint of vol. 1 in Med. Advance, vol. 22. 1889.
• In 1894 from 5th German edition into English by L. H. Tafel. Boericke ac Tafel. Philadelphia.

Other works cont'd

• 1829. Letters by Hahnemann to dr. Schreier. New Archives of Stapf. Vol. 23.
• 1829. Letter to Korsakoff about impregnation of globules with medicine. Stapf's Archivs. Vol. 8, pt. 2. Lesser Writings.
• 1829. Lesser medical writings of Hahnemann. Collected by Stapf. Dresden : Arnold. But for this book we should know but little of the essays of Hahnemann. These are for the most part translated and published in Dudgeon's edition of Lesser Writings, of which there is an English and an American edition.
• 1831. Allopathy, a word of warning to sick persons. Leipsic. Baumgartner. Lesser Writings. Trans. into Danish by Lund.
• 1831. Appeal to thanking philanthropists respecting the mode of propagation of Asiatic cholera. Leipsic. Berger. Lesser Writings. Brit. Jour. of Hom., Oct., 1849. S. W. Hom. Jour. and Rev., vol. 3.-
• 1831. Cure of Asiatic cholera. Coethen. Aug. 1831 Same. 2d edition. Leipsic. Gluck.
• 1831. Letter about the cure of cholera. Berlin. Hirschwald. Trans. into Danish by Lund.
• 1831. Circular on the cholera, Schweikert's Zeitung d. Natur. Heilkunst. Vol. 2.
• 1831. Cure and prevention of Asiatic cholera. Stapf's Archivs. Vol. 11, pt. 1. Schweickert's Zeitung, Vol. 2.
• 1831. Notes by Hahnemann on Korsakoff's letter on attenuation of homoeopathic remedies. Stapf's Archivs, vol. 11, pt. 2. Lesser Writings.
• 1832. Summons to the half-homoeopathists of Leipsic. N. W. Jour. Hom., vol. 4.
• 1832. Cure of cholera. Nurnburg. Stein.
• 1832. Preface to Boenninghausen's Repertory.
• 1843. Introduction to the proving of Arsenic. Brit. Jour. Hom., vol. 1.
• 1845. Examination of the sources of the materia medica. Brit. Jour. of Hom., vol. 3.
• 1849. On the contagiousness of cholera. Brit. Jour. of Hom., Vol. 7.
• 1850. Studies of homoeopathic medicine. Hartung. Paris. 2 vols. Contains 12 essays and 14 letters by Hahnemann.
• 1853. Treatment of chronic local disease and of phthisis. Brit. Jour. of Hom., Vol. 11.
• 1863. Itch insect. Brit. Jour. of Hom., Vol. 21.

Source

Thomas Lindsley Bradford, Life and Letters of Dr Samuel Hahnemann, Philadelphia: Boericke & Tafel, 1895 [2]