Great Master:

The histories of many men who have risen to eminence in some particular branch of science teach us that they have done so under the most unfavourable circumstances and in spite of the greatest obstacles thrown in their way by fortune and by their own natural

Guardians. Hahnemann is one of them which belonged to this class of great men.

Family Back ground and father’s wisdom:

Christopher Hahnemann, a painter in Launchstedt in Germany, had 4 daughters and 3 sons. His second son was Christian Gottfreid Hahnemann, who was born on 24 th July, 1720. He took the profession of working in porcelain factory as his father was working there in porcelain factory.

Gottfried was married in 1748 but within 1 year of his married life, his wife expired. Then he again married with Johanna chritiana. Gottfreid left for Meissen, a small beautiful town located on the river Meissei, in Saxony state of Germany. He had 4 children and the 3 rd was Samuel Hahnemann. Hahnemann was born in the early hours of 11 th April. But in his autobiography, he had written that he was born on 10 th April. That’s why 10 th April,1755 is considered as his birthdate.

It was very difficult for his father to meet the educational expense of Hahnemann due to their poor condition. But he had a great influence on the Character of his son. He used to give Advice “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.”

Hahnemann’s father, before going to factory he frequently used to lock his son in a room, close the shutters and gave him a difficult sentence to ponder over of which he had to give an account on his father’s return. This contributed to making the son into an original thinker.

Hahnemann had a strong inclination to study in spite of all opposition and on many occasions when it was thought he was sound asleep. He was consuming the midnight all over his books in a lamp which he had himself constructed out of clay, as he was apprehensive being discovered that he used one of the household candlesticks. This little incident exhibits his perseverance and indomitable steedfastness of purpose even at that early age.

Finally he was admitted in the town school on 20 th July, 1767. When he was of 12 years of age, he was authourised to teach the other students, the rudimentary of Greek language. By his attitude for study, he attracted the attention of school master and other teachers. He became favourite to his teachers and undertook to direct his studies, encouraged him to a higher order of study. But this did not please his father, who several times removed him from the school and set him to some less intellectual work. His father sent him as an apprentice to a grocery store in Leipsic, so that the young boy was able to get capacity to earn as soon as possible. When Magister Muller, the head of the town school, and some other teachers heard this episode, they requested his father to return to the school for tuition without usual fees. When Hahnemann was about 16 years of age, he was passed into prince’s school. The school registered records 21 st November, 1770 as the date of admission. During school leaving ceremony, a speech was given by Hahnemann, as it was the rule of school and the subject of speech was “the wonderful construction of human hand.’

In 1775, he left for Leipsic with 20 thallers in his pocket for his support and this was the last money that he received from his father. In Leipsic, he earned money by teaching German and French to wealthy Greek persons and by translating books from other languages. At the age of 22 years, he was master of the Greek, Latin, English, Italian, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, Spanish and German.

At that time there was no hospital at Leipsic. So he left for Vienna in 1777. Here, he joined the hospital of the brother’s of Mercy and was blessed with the affection of Dr. Von Quorian. Hahnemann had written that he was only one at that time to whom he allowed to accompany him to his private practice and took great pain to teach him the art of Medicine.

In mean time, Hahnemann’s savings were stolen away by one of his assistant and that is why he was in acute financial crisis. Then he was invited by governor of Transylvania, Mr. B.V.Bruckenthal at Hermannstudt as a family physician and librarian and there he had the opportunity of acquiring knowledge of some collateral science in which he was still lacking.

After one year and 5 month, he went to Erlangen to complete his study. In 1779, on 10 th April, at the age of 24 years after much hard work and struggle, he took his M.D. Degree from Erlangen University. The subject of thesis was “A consideration of the etiology and therapeutics of spasmodic affections” .

Hahnemann started his medical practice in Hettstedt. This city is in the country of Mansfeld and famous for copper milling. He was here up to 9 months only and in spring of 1781, he shifted to Dessau city nearly 50 kilometers away from Hettstedt. Hahnemann was having very much interest in chemistry. In Dessau, he came in contact with Mr. Haessler. Mr. Haessler was a famous pharmacist and chemist. He had one step daughter Johana leipoldine Henrietta Kuchler with whom Hahnemann got married on 17 th November 1782. His wife was 9 year younger to him. Newly married couple went to Gommern and in 1784, the eldest child Henrietta was born and Hahnemann was appointed as a medical officer.

While Hahnemann was living in Gommern, he translated Demachy’s “art of manufacturing chemistry products.” In 1789, Hahnemann left for Leipsic and here his “Friends of health” was published. An original book on treatment of scrofulous source” was published. This was his 1 st original medical work.

In this period, allopathic treatment was in progress and Hahnemann was also practicing. Sometime he was observing that patients get adverse effect of treatment or some new symptoms are appeared. Then he thought this system of treatment is not perfect. Hahnemann was dissatisfied with the unsatisfactory medical knowledge of the drug so he left medical practice and devoted himself to literary work for the support of his family.

Hahnemann found him busy in translating the books. In 1790, when he was translating the William Cullen’s “A treatise on Materia medica” 2 nd volume from English to German, he came to know that cinchona bark has its tonic effect on stomach and bitter in taste and that’s why it is useful in the treatment of Malaria. Hahnemann was not satisfied by this statement. He thought to prove this cinchona bark on himself, he started taking 4 Drachms daily and as a result of it, symptoms of intermittent fever was developed in him. Hahnemann recognized that in the effect that substance has on a healthy organism is to be found its curative power for similar disease symptoms. To prove this truth, Hahnemann also started to prove other drug substances on other human being and this way a new system of treatment was coming in definite shape.

In 1796, he published his essay on the new principle for ascertaining the curative power of drug substance. This essay was published in Huefland’s Journal. He put forward his new principle ‘similia similibus curantur’ is the contrast to the old age principle ‘contraria contratis curentur’ that means ‘opposite cures opposite’. So 1796 is considered as the birth year of Homoeopathy.

In this period, between 1796 to 1805, Hahnemann translated many books. In 1805, he published his ‘Medicine of experience’. This book was containing information about medicines proved by him and some principles of new method of treatment.

When Hahnemann published his ‘Organon der rationallen heilkunde’, there was a great storm of criticism in Germany against this new system of treatment. Hahnemann was attacked by allopathic physicians and pharmacist. Some people started publishing Journal, pamphlets and articles against Dr. Hahnemann. Dr. Simon started an anti-homoeopathic archive. Dr. Heckler started an anti-organon Journal. 3 monthly. Journal was started just to oppose the Homoeopathy. Hahnemann was stopped to practice and dispensing his medicine. His followers were send to prisons. Hornburg was jailed and his chest box was buried in burial ground. After much fight and struggle, Hahnemann was allowed to give a lecture on homoeopathic system in LeipsicUniversity. Hahnemann was very busy in proving of new drug substance when such war was going on against him. In mean time he published 8 volumes of his Materia medica pura. This book was containing records of symptoms of drug substance appeared during proving. A big turn came in Hahnemann’s life when he got permission by Mr. Duke Ferdinand to practice Homoeopathy in Kothen. Hahnemann went there and he started his Homoeopathic practice.

In 1830, on 31 st March, his wife was expired after 48 years of married life. She was the mother of 11 children. Hahnemann passed through very bad phase of his life due to death of his wife because she was always with him. When his life was in the struggles and he was wandering from one place to another and when the period of glory was near, she left him.

After sometime Hahnemann started to write his book ‘chronic disease’ and it was completed in 1828 and this theory of chronic diseases was included in 4 th edition of organon of medicine in 1829.

In 1834, A French lady madam Melanie d’ harvily came to Hahnemann for treatment but fall in love with him. She was about 35 years only and Hahnemann was 80 years old. Hahnemann got married 2 nd time on 18 th January, 1835 with her. Then Hahnemann left for Paris in June 1835 and here he started practicing well. Here he got everything that is name, money, recognition, peace, etc.

Life of this great man finally came to an end after much struggle in whole life and Hahnemann expired on 2nd July, 1843.

Post script:

For 9 days, Madam Melanie kept her husband’s body in the house and on the rainy morning of July 11 th, 1843. He was buried without any ceremony in the cemetery of Montmartre. The grave remained unmarked and unattended for 55 years. In 1896, in October volume of the Hahnemannian monthly Bradford published a detailed report on the bases of professor plats about the neglected Hahnemann’s grave in Montmartre.

On 24 th May, 1898, Hahnemann’s Grave was exhumed and transferred to Paris. Grave of Hahnemann’s wife was also sited in the cemetery, who was expired on 27 th May, 1878.

The strong family of Hahnemann passed away with little Happiness, little sunshine where so much attention was paid to discipline, order, and good behaviour. The only remaining son was missing in later life and a victim of insanity, 2 daughters were murdered and 3 divorced. One died in road accident and one found dead in pond near Kothen. A tragic fact dominated almost all the members of the Hahnemann’s family.

CONTRIBUTION OF HAHNEMANN IN THE FIELD OF HOMOEOPATHY

Hahnemann has given many contributions, not only in field of Homoeopathy but in other fields also. Some main contributions in the field of Homoeopathy are as follow:

1) Discovery of Homoeopathy itself is the greatest gift of Hahnemann to the mankind by which a large number of people are getting a good health now a day.

2) A new principle for the treatment was invented by Hahnemann that is ‘similia similibus curantur’. Hahnemann proved many drugs depending on this principle and he also published 8 volumes of ‘MATERIA MEDICA PURA’. This book contains group of symptoms which are appeared during proving the drug substance on healthy human being.

3) Hahnemann also published 5 editions of ‘Organon of Medicine’ during his life time and 6 th edition was published after his death. This book is also known as ‘Bible of Homoeopathy’. This book contains information about all principles and methods which are essential for Homoeopathic practice.

4) For the treatment of chronic disease Hahnemann worked hard up to 12 years. Then he published his ‘Chronic disease’ in 1828 and this theory was included in 4 th edition of ‘Organon of medicine’ in 1829. He described about the obstacles due to which the chronic diseases was not getting cured. And that is nothing but the Miasms.

5) ‘Medicine of experience’, ‘Fragmanta de viribus’ and some small essays and books are also written by Hahnemann which are useful to the Homoeopathic physicians.

6) Hahnemann has also given the holistic, dynamic and individualistic concept for life, health, disease and cure which is different to other mode of treatment.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF HAHNEMANN IN FIELDS OTHER THAN HOMOEOPATHY

1) IN LITERATURE:-

During his life time, Hahnemann has translated many books which are not related to Homoeopathy. He was the master of Homoeopathy. He was the master of 14 languages also and that is why he was able to translate one language to another.

2) IN PHARMCY:-

Apothecaries Lexicon is a fundamental work on the art of pharmaceuticals. This is also a book which is used as pharmacist’s guide. Hahnemann has introduced new methods of drug dynamisation. He has also discussed about the pathogenic power of

Many drug substances which were unknown to other till the time of Hahnemann.

3) IN PATHOLOGY:-

Cholera bacteria was discovered by Robert Koch in 1831 and he described about its transmission by drinking water and unhygienic food but Hahnemann described about all these things 52 years before in his essay “ Appeal to the thinking philanthropists respecting the mode of propagation of Asiatic cholera.”

4) IN CHEMISTRY:-

Hahnemann also established the process of purification of various drugs. He also discovered soluble mercury.

5) IN PSYCHIATRY:-

During his practice, Hahnemann was not satisfied by the treatment of insane person of that time. So he gave totally new method of treatment of mental diseases and he also gave some important guideline about the cure of mental diseases.

6) IN DIET AND HYGEINE:-

‘Friends of health’ is a great publication of Hahnemann in field of Hygiene both public and individual.