History of Homeopathy

The  homeopathic  system  of  medicine  was developed    at   the  end   of  the  eighteenth century   by   a   German     medical   doctor, Samuel  Hahnemann  and it has successfully treated   countless   people  for   some    two hundred years, for both acute  (sudden)  and chronic   (long - term)   illnesses.  Yet,   even today, it is seen  as  an  ‘alternative’  system, and   sometimes    viewed    with    suspicion, despite  the  fact  that  some  of the theories involved    have   an   extremely   long    and respected history.

                         

        

       

For hundreds of years, blood-letting was regarded by the medical profession as a cure-all for many diseases.

At   the   time   of   its    introduction,    homeopathy certainly was a radical  breakaway from  the way in which  medicine  had  been  practised  in Europe for hundreds   of   years.   This  had  culminated   in  an orthodoxy  which  advocated  the  use   of   leeches, cupping   ( using   cups  to  draw  the  blood   to   the surface) and frequent blood-letting  for  almost  any disease, together with  strong  cathartics (purgative drugs),  emetics  ( drugs  to  cause  vomiting )   and other   powerful  drugs  of  vegetable   and   mineral origin, often dispensed in extremely high  doses  and complex mixtures. Treatment could kill the  patient as well as the disease.

Hahnemann  was  so  appalled by the dubious methods   used   by   his   profession  that  he abandoned  his  work  as a doctor. However, he  continued  to  be   deeply   interested   in medical  theory  and  in 1790 he hit upon the homeopathic  principle  that   like   could   be cured (and  should  be  treated)   by  like.   A brief   look   at    the    history of    western  medicine  will  show  what  Hahnemann was reacting to  and  to  what  extent his theories were  new  or  formed part of the thinking of earlier traditions.

 

                    

Samuel     C h r i s t  i a n      Friedrich  Hahnemann  was   born   in  Meissen, Saxony      in   1755,    the    son  of  a porcelain    painter.  He   was  a  very bright  child,  whose  father   used   to encourage him by giving him 'thinking exercises’ and whose teachers waived his  fees  so that he could continue his education.  By  the  age  of  12  he was already    teaching    Greek   to   other pupils,  and  at  20  he  had   mastered eight  languages,  and  began  to study medicine,  first  at  Leipzig,  and   then Vienna   and    Erlangen,   where   he qualified  in 1779. He took up practice in  Dresden,  but  he  was  to move residence many times.
Marrying young,  he  soon  became  a father, and it was partly this that made him  despair  of  medical  practice,  as  he  felt  so wretched when his children were sick, finding that he ‘could afford them no certain relief. He had quickly established a reputation as a kind and  conscientious  physician, who, despite his  own  lack  of  wealth,  often  refused  to  accept fees for his work. He had worked  as  a  translator  and  language  teacher  to  support   himself    while studying and, to augment  his  income,  he  continued  to  take  on  translation work.   Eventually,  he  ceased  to  practice  and  instead  pursued  studies  in chemistry and earned a living from his linguistic skills.

       In  1789  he  moved  to Leipzig, and was Working as a medical translator when,  in  1790,  he  discovered  the homeopathic principle that like should be treated   by  like.  He   then    devoted   himself    intensively   to  testing   out homeopathic   remedies  and,  after  six  years,  was  sufficiently convinced of their worth to publish an article alluding to the principle in a  leading  medical journal  and  to  take  up the practice of homeopathy. He went on to publish a treatise on  homeopathy entitled Organon of Rational Medicine (1810) and a Materia  Medica   (1811-21)  –  the  result  of  his  systematic  ‘provings’   of potential remedies. 

Hahnemann began to arouse the hostility of apothecaries and  physicians  –  the  former  because  they  took  exception  to a physician preparing  his  own  remedies  (and  taking  their  living away from them), the latter  because  homeopathic   theories   made  nonsense   of  their   practice. In  1820,  at  the  instigation  of the apothecaries, the government granted an injunction against Hahnemann dispensing his own remedies. But before this was put into   effect, he treated Prince Karl Schwarzenberg of Austria, getting him to come to Leipzig as homeopathy was already forbidden in  Austria. The  Prince,  much  improved,  wrote  to King Friedrich of Austria urging  him  to  have  the ban lifted. Unfortunately, the prince died in October 1820,having taken orthodox medical advice and resorted  to  bouts  of  heavy drinking.   Hahnemann  was  unfairly   blamed,  his  work  ridiculed   and   his publications publicly burnt.  

  In 1821, at the age of 65, Hahnemann took refuge in Cothen, where he acted  as  court  physician  to  the  Duke  of  Anhalt - Cothen, a former patient. From this  time  on  his many  pupils  and  followers  were  also  subjected   to persecution  as  the  medical  orthodoxy  closed ranks. During his 14 years in Cothen,  Hahnemann  began a lengthy work on the study of chronic diseases, the first volume of which was published in 1828.

        His   wife  died  in  1830  and  in  1835  he  married  a second time, to a Frenchwoman, and went to live in Paris. There he had  an  illustrious practice with rich and poor alike  receiving  treatment  daily in his rooms in the rue de Milan. He died in 1843, aged 88.