Dr. Samuel Hahnemann

The system of homeopathic medicine was introduced to the world by a 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 birth anniversary of Dr.Hahnemann celebrated as World Homeopathy Day. 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 to 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 by 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 on 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 the medical history: "Organon of Medicine", in which he came up with 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 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 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.

(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 for disease development. Jenner (1749-1823) was the first to use 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 in used by homeopaths long before Pasteur introduced vaccine prepared from rabid dog's saliva. Homeopathic medicine called as `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 the 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 mind for the development of the 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 greatest caliber who dared to think beyond his time.

QUOTING DR. HAHNEMANN:

"The Physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to health."

"The highest ideal of cure is the rapid and gentle restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles. (Ref.:`Organon of Medicine' by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, 1810)

"AudeSapere" Meaning: "Dare to be wise". This phrase was printed on the top of the first page of `Organon of Medicine'. As per Dr.Hahnemann's wish, the following words were engraved on his tombstone: `Non inutilisvixi' which means " I have not lived in vain."

WHAT IS HOMOEOPATHY?

Homoeopathy is a natural form of medical science which is based on nature’s law, “LIKE CURES LIKE”. Homoeopathic medicines are used by more than 200 million people across the world to treat acute and chronic ailments. As per the homoeopathic law, solutions are chosen based on the symptoms of the patient (exact similimum) and the emphasis is laid on treating the root cause of the disease and annihilating it permanently in its whole extent. Since Homoeopathic medicines are diluted and dynamic, there are usually no side effects and can be safely consumed by people of all age groups.

HISTORY OF DISCOVERY:

Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician, discovered the alternative system of medicine called homoeopathy. In the year 1790, while translating Cullen’s Materia Medica, he read about the therapeutic properties of the Peruvian bark (Cinchona Officinalis). According to that research, its medicinal properties could cure intermittent fever. Hahnemann was dissatisfied with this explanation and the way the experiment was conducted. To gain clarity, he started taking the same medicine twice a day himself and eventually noticed that the symptoms were quite similar to ague of Malaria fever. This unexpected result brought varied thoughts to his mind and he started conducting similar experiments with different medicines on himself as well as other individuals. Based on many such successful experiments, Hahnemann concluded that medicines could cure diseases because they can also produce similar diseases in healthy individuals.

CONCEPTS & PRINCIPLES OF HOMOEOPATHY

The homoeopathic system is based on easily comprehensible principles. They are as follows –

Law of Similia: – Medicines which are capable of producing similar symptoms during medication.

Law of Simplex: – Only one medicine is to be applied in a given case at a given time

Law of Minimum: – Using the minimal amount or the smallest quantity of medicine which is sufficient to produce an artificial disease on the vital force as similar to the natural disease.

The Doctrine of Drug Proving: – A systematic process of investigating the pathogenic power (disease curing power) of the medicine by administering it to different healthy human beings of both sexes,different ages and various constitutions. Noting down of those symptoms become the symptoms of the drug.

The Doctrine of Drug Dynamisation: – It is a process, which liberates the inherent power of curative properties of a drug which remain in a latent state through the process of succussion or trituration.

ADVANTAGES OF HOMOEOPATHIC SYSTEM OF TREATMENT

Homoeopathy was discovered more than 200 years ago by a German allopathy physician, Dr Samuel Hahnemann who was looking for ways of curing diseases that could not be treated with conventional medicines. He observed that the prevalent system of medicine was suppressing the disease rather than treating it. His various observations revealed that diseases not just affect the body, but also the mind and emotions. Therefore, to heal, the medicine should also be able to affect the mind, emotions and body. Homoeopathy is a scientific system of medicine based on the principle, "Similia Similibus Curentur” which means“Let likes be treated by likes”. In homoeopathy, the drugs are majorly sourced from herbs and animal minerals. These are given to healthy human subjects in diluted and non-toxic doses to produce symptoms. The symptoms produced on healthy humans are the curative action of that particular drug. When a patient comes to a Homoeopath, the symptoms are noted and then matched with the symptoms of the drug (a vast number of medicines are available in homoeopathic literature) and a similar drug is given for effective treatment.

GENERAL DISEASES WHERE HOMOEOPATHY OFFERS A BETTER SOLUTION

Though homoeopathy can treat most of the diseases related to the human body, given below are some ailments patients may opt for better results-

• Allergic disorders: Bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, urticaria

• Skin problems: Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis, Warts

• Viral fevers

• Sinusitis

• Tonsillitis

• Hair fall, Alopecia

• Liver complaints

• Renal calculi

• Piles and Fissures

• Chilblains & cracked and bleeding soles due to exposure to high altitude temperatures

• Sea Sickness

The above mentioned are all chronic problems where only temporary relief or palliation can be achieved by conventional medicines. With homoeopathy, these problems can be effectively treated.