Hahnemann: The Father of Homeopathy - Part 3

We now come to the part of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann's story that everyone who has ever studied or researched homeopathy knows about - how he "discovered" homeopathy. We established in part 2 of the series that Hahnemann became thoroughly disillusioned with his chosen profession, stopped practicing medicine, and supported his growing family by doing translations and original works related to medical science and chemistry. Imagine the strength of mind it took for him to abandon the path that could have made his family financially comfortable! But instead of continuing with medical practices that were ill-conceived and dangerous, thereby compromising his high standard of truth, he accepted poverty as a temporary step in his quest towards finding a better means of healing.

As I mentioned in Part 2, Hahnemann never wavered in his belief that God had created a perfect method of healing, and its discovery was his ultimate goal. I must also point out that Hahnemann was a steadfast skeptic. In his autobiography, Hahnemann credits his father for giving him the assurance to examine supposed facts (which included those taught in medical school). As a physician, he used the various  protocols he had learned, and invariably exposed everything that was wrong with them. He therefore could not, in good conscience, continue to practice medicine.

At this point, Hahnemann's abhorrence of accepted medical treatments was not widely known by his scientific peers, so they remained willing to acknowledge and honor him. In 1791, now in his mid-thirties, Hahnemann was elected into the Oekonomische Gesellschaft (Economic Society) of Leipzig and the Academy of Sciences of Mayence. He continued to write original articles which were widely read, including "The Insolubility of Metals," "Best Means of Preventing Salivation, and the Destructive Effects of Mercury," and "Freunde der Gesundheit" (Friends of Health) — advice that remains applicable to this day. For instance, he was one of the first to recommend washing hands to prevent the spread of infection; he also recommended a good night's sleep and a wholesome diet. And he continued his translations, to great acclaim. Lorenz von Crell, founder of the first periodical devoted to chemistry, says of one translation, "Hahnemann has added precious notes which expand and elucidate Fabbroni's principles; he has thus enhanced the value of the work."

Regardless of the accolades, Hahnemann was so financially strapped that he was forced to move his family away from the large city of Leipzig to the little village of Stotteritz (in 1792). He wore "the garb of the very poor" including wooden clogs, and helped his wife by doing all the heavy housework and kneading the family's bread.  In his autobiography, Hahnemann wrote that they washed their clothes with potatoes since soap wasn't in the budget.

And now we come to Hahnemann's translation of Dr. William Cullen's "Materia Medica." As Hahnemann was "the most accomplished translator of medical works of the time," the project was offered to him. Cullen was a famous and talented chemist, and a very popular teacher and lecturer in Edinburgh. The German publishers knew that a well-translated version of his book would bring in good money, because Germans in the field of medicine were excited to learn Cullen's new theories regarding disease.

Cullen wrote that Peruvian bark cures intermittent fever (malaria) because of its bitter/astringent quality, yet Hahnemann knew that other substances, just as astringent or bitter as the bark, had no effect whatsoever on intermittent fever. Cullen's argument was therefore faulty, which caused Hahnemann's scientific and skeptical mind to whirl. He decided to try Peruvian bark for himself in order to judge its effects. He took, twice daily, "four drachms" (0.5 ounce) of a solution made from the bark and developed symptoms characteristic of malaria, along with several other symptoms. His symptoms lasted 2 - 3 hours each time, recurring only if he repeated the dose, and when he stopped taking the solution his symptoms disappeared. Hahnemann discovered that the bark created the same symptoms of the disease for which it was a known cure. It produced symptoms and cured them in a similar way. [Note: Quinine, which is used to treat malaria, comes from Peruvian bark.]

The bark's additional (non-malarial) symptoms were also interesting to Hahnemann. They made him hopeful that each drug could cure far more than the one disease for which it was specified. For instance, the bark had caused him to have heart palpitations and numbness in his fingers, so perhaps it could also treat circulation problems.

[An aside: Peruvian bark does indeed cure circulation problems, but certain characteristics of it were also discovered that complete "the picture" of the remedy. E.B. Nash, one of my favorite "pioneer" homeopaths, describes some important characteristics of Cinchona officinalis (Peruvian Bark) in his book, Leaders in Homeopathic Therapeutics. He says it's a good remedy to consider in any complaint where there has been an excessive loss of bodily fluids - hemorrhage of blood from any outlet, diarrhea, vomiting, or even too much perspiration. With the loss of fluid there is the expected debility, but there is also an intolerance to light touch, including something as light as a draft of air. E.B. Nash was born too late to know Hahnemann but he, and all the homeopaths who have come after him, have benefited from the tests - "provings" - that all homeopaths do to understand remedy pictures. Such tests continue to this day.]

Hahnemann spent the next six years testing medicines on himself and his family and friends. He also examined the many Materia medica books with which he was familiar, carefully noting records related to accidental poisonings. He quickly realized that the action of a drug varied according to age, sex, and the general constitution of a person, so he made sure to test substances on a variety of people.

But when did he have time to do these experiments since, as it was, he was struggling to support his family? He sat up "the whole of every other night," and in the process picked up the habit of smoking a pipe to help him through the long nights. He disregarded his own advice for good sleep because pursuing his investigations was too important; it was divinely inspired work, so his comfort was secondary.

It's interesting to note that his habit of smoking a pipe remained with him for the rest of his long life. Hahnemann wrote about tobacco use in Chronic Diseases (published many years later, in 1828). He says "smoking in some cases of chronic disease may be permitted, when the patient has been accustomed to an uninterrupted use of it, and if he does not expectorate; but smoking should always be limited, and more so if the mental activity, sleep, digestion or the evacuation are defective." We must remember that Hahnemann did not have a chronic disease, and tobacco in his day was not polluted with additives and chemicals.

Next time: Hahnemann shares his new theories with the medical community but does not get the reception that he hoped for. The stage is set for the years of discord that followed.