In December, 1863 another claim came to me in my immediate family. To give a correct account of this case I must copy it as reported at the time. A child of twenty-one months, with light hair, blue eyes and light complexion, took cold on Christmas day During the night of the 26th there was fever and rapid respiration. At 11 a.m., on the 27th, the child had a spasm lasting fifteen minutes. From this time, until January 8th there was continued fever, greatly increased at night, with a pulse of 150. The respirations per minute were seventy on actual count and at no time less. Generally there was red spot on one cheek, which frequently changed sides. When one cheek was red the other generally was pale. All of this time the left lung was impervious to air. Auscultation revealed slight bronchial respiration but no vesicular murmur. The right lung was not implicated, there was constant cough, yet much increased at night. The case had gradually, but surely, become worse, up to the 8th of January, when the right lung began to be affected. On this day the child became uneasy and restless, throwing itself about in all directions and positions in its efforts to get breath. The face grew dark, there was constant spasmodic cough with labored breathing; the little thing in its agony striking at the mother for control. When it fell asleep for a few seconds at a time the throat because so dry that a condition resembling croup came on, and all the sufferings were increased.
This fearful condition was rapidly hurrying the little sufferer to its grave. All of the remedies prominent in similar conditions had been given; including Lachesis 200th, without result. At this juncture Lachesis 12th, (three pellets) was given, dry, on the tongue; immediately (the pellets had not entirely dissolved on the tongue) the cough stopped and the breathing was relieved, for four hours. At the end of this time the cough gradually returned with all of the sufferings (in a diminished degree) when another dose of Lachesis 12th produced the same decided relief, this time, lasting for sixteen hours. Four doses in twelve hours so changed the condition that the child slept nearly all of the night, and air passed freely again to all parts of the previously obstructed lung. During the autumn of 1863 and up to January 1864, there seemed to be severe sickness nearly all of the time, in my family, and twice during that time, Lachesis had helped me out.
In the summer of 1864 I again visited Dr. Hering. I was received with the same cordiality, and made at home in his house. At this time the old faculty of Homoeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania had become tired of bearing its burden. The trustees of the college offered this charge to Dr. Hering or at least so that he associated with his friends might have control and direction of it. They accepted the offer and associated themselves together and formed a new faculty, which gave its first course of lectures during the winter of 1864-65. Doctors Hering, Lippe, Guernsey and Raue were Professors in the College and Dr. Hering invited me to attend its course of lectures in that winter. This I accepted. When in October, I presented myself at his door, ready to follow his instructions, he said to me: Now here you are at home: come every day at three o’clock in the afternoon and take coffee with me; at this hour I have my noon day rest and I allow no one to disturb me.
Every day at three o’clock found me at his house where I spent this hour with him. All this time he did the talking, spoke of homoeopathy and almost everything else. It finally came about that almost every evening, found me at Dr. Hering’s house where I met some one or more of the above named professor, and often all of them. There I spent the winter, virtually in association with Doctors Hering, Lippe, Raue and Guernsey. These four were like schoolboys learning their lessons. Every night they met at Dr.Hering’s house and related the experiences of the day, and when any new result was reached they all noted it, and Dr. Hearing recorded it in his manuscripts.
A close friendship with these men was begun in consequence of the publication, in May and June, in the American Homoeopathic Review, a Periodical which all of these were interested in maintaining, by giving a minute account of all the results I had obtained by the administration of Lachesis as a curative agent. Those of you remember the controversy, at that time going on as to whether there was any remedial virtue in Lachesis, can appreciate the pleasure with which this publication was received by these men all of whom were positive both from helping to prove it and of making use of it in practice that it was great curative agent. Hempel had fulminated his anathemas against it declaring it inert. Others had condemned it.
This report detailed cases in actual experience, where such wonderful results, were obtained that no one could make answer to them excepting that he said, I don’t believe him, I stood ready to prove every case and bring witness before any court, and take their sworn statements to the truth of what I had written. Dr.Hering felt, and always said that this was the turning point with Lachesis, and at once called me the man who had saved it.
Often as I came into his house. he would cry out, Here comes the man who saved Lachesis, He loved to tell me about the capture of the snake, and how he took the poison, and how he had proved it. We were to go to the Academy of Natural Sciences and see the original snake, preserved in alcohol.
What great result often follow small affairs. In this case the publication, of what seemed to me, only an ordinary report of cases cured, was followed by the lifelong friendship, and even gratitude, of one of the greatest benefactors of the human race; for so I consider the discoverer of a remedy which will produce such wonderful curative results as does Lachesis.
During the winter which I spent in Philadelphia, and so much of the time at Dr.Hering’s house, just at Christmas, I received a message from home, that Mrs. Boyce was severely ill, and that I must go home at once. On my arrival, I found a case of typhoid- pneumonia of a serious nature. After studying the case carefully I gave Phosphorus, but, feeling anxious, I telegraphed to Dr.Hering the condition, and again received help from him. He was ever ready to do anything in his power for anyone who suffered. In about ten days I was able to return and finish the winter course.
Another circumstance shows the constancy of Dr. Hering’s friendship. Some time before the College Commencement I wished to go home, but this was against the wishes of Dr.Hering. He said: You have been here thus far, now stay for the Commencement. On the important day Dr.Hering invited me to accompany the Faculty and take a seat with them on the platform. When the ceremony of conferring degrees was concluded by the president of the college, and each recipient of a diploma had been given a bouquet of flowers, I noticed that Mrs. Hering had another which made me wonder why it had not been given to some one. I also noticed that the Dean of the faculty held another sheepskin, but I had no idea that this had any significance for me. But soon the Dean stepped out upon the platform and began to speak. I heard my name called, and in the confusion which followed, I managed to stand up and hear whatever of his speech I could. The purport of it was that the Faculty of the Homoeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania had unanimously voted me the special degree of the college, and that the association with me through the winter had been such as to give them great pleasure, at this time, in conferring the degree upon me. Then Mrs.Hering gave me the bouquet which I had noticed in her hand, and then came the congratulations from different members of the faculty, and I was glad to get out of the Hall.
Altogether this was the happiest, as well as the most instructive winter I ever passed. So many memories cluster about these men, and those whom I had met at Dr.Hering’s that I must stop and think of them. There was our noble Dunham, our Damascene P.P. Wells, our loving Jeanes, our lion-hearted Lippe, our beloved Raue, and our accurate Guernsey. Doctors Dunham, Gardner, Jeanes, and now Father Hering are gone. Those who are left of the Old Guard are well worthy of our love and respect, and as we drop a tear upon the graves of those who are gone, let us not fail to cherish a warm love for those who are left to bear aloft the standard of pure homoeopathy.
Many times since 1865 I have visited Dr.Hering, and was always received with the same warm welcome. These interviews were full of instruction and friendship, I wish I could describe all of the many reminiscences I retain of him, but this I cannot do. With your patience and indulgence I will give you a few of the incidents as they occurred during these visits subsequent to 1865.
For several years, after 1865, I visited Dr. Hering every summer and was always welcomed as warmly as before. In his home (a double house, Nos. 112 and 114 North Twelfth St.), on the first floor, were four rooms, besides kitchen and laundry, and one small room off the dining room. The two front rooms were his reception rooms. The north room was the ladies room and the south, his ordinary business room. This last was evenly divided across between the two windows by a couple of desks behind one of which the doctor stood, with pen in hand, ready to write down symptoms, or, when seated, to look up the remedy from his books; at the other desk sat his assistant. Many a time I have seen the space in front of these desks full of patients, even extending our into the hall in fact all over the lower part of the house awaiting their turn for an audience. Behind his desk Dr. Hering stood passing upon one, then upon another until all were served, after which he would go out in his carriage to visit patients.
In 1878 and 1879 he published 2 editions of his book, Sunstroke and Its Homeopathic Treatment.
Upon Hering's death in 1880 Knerr became responsible for the completion of the 10-volume Guiding Symptoms.
Dr. Knerr wrote 2-volume Repertory to the Guiding Symptoms,