The other two rooms on the first, respectively a dining room and a reception room for visitors and in which to see his women patients. This room was about twenty by thirty feet on one side the south were shelves full of clinical notes behind a red curtain; on the north side closets for microscopes and books on the west end giving into the garden were two large window. In front of one stood a good-sized aquarium; at the east end were folding doors of solids mahogany separating it from the ladies reception room in which were oil paintings, a marble statuette of Hahnemann on the mantel, and a marble bust of his friend, Karl, Formes famous opera basso, on a pedestal. Over the folding doors was portrait of the original serpent, the Lachesis trigonocephalus from which was taken the poison for his provings.
As I remember it half erect, with the rest of its body coiled and the mouth open it seemed a formidable reptile. I have wished that I had a photograph of it. In my office there is a representation of the south American lance-headed viper which a water-color artist made for me from a description in Jahr’s Pharmacopoeia, but it does not resemble the portrait Dr. Hering had made for him, of the genuine Surukuku snake, the Lachesis trigonocephalus from Surinam. People often come into my office, and after looking at my picture with a shudder exclaim; How can you bear to have the ugly thing here? Ah that to them ugly thing, to me is a thing of beauty I never tire of looking at it. As I look at it I am reminded of the remedy Lachesis and I seem to see one of my children, if not two, who were saved by it, and as I continue to look I see here one, and there another, who only for this beneficent virus in potentized form would have passed over to the majority. I rejoice that Dr. Hering lived to introduce this remedy into practice.
Once when I visited Dr. Hering there was a stranger who answered the bell when I called, who ushered me into the reception room. There were several patients there when entered. Dr. Hering took no notice of me whatever, but went on with his examinations and prescriptions until he got through. During all this time I sat there watching him but he did not show that he had ever known me. When the last patient had passed out and my turn came he said: Come into our room; I can’t see you here. He wanted to hear something more about Lachesis. During the time I sat in his reception room he would not allow himself to be diverted from his purpose, even so far as to recognize me, but kept steadily on until he had made his prescription for the last one, when he immediately dismissed all from his mind, and gave himself up to friendship. I really thought that he had forgotten me, and said so. No. he said, I never let one thing interfere with another.
At one time, when I had called early in the morning. I found him in his study, on the second floor where his manuscripts are kept. This room on the second floor, was over his business room. It was here that he shut himself up and generally admitted no visitors excepting intimate ones on rare occasions. Here Raue his intimate friend, came unfailingly for a short talk every morning. This room was lined with shelves, filled with books and manuscripts, which he needed in his work of book making principally material for his Materia Medica. At one end of the room the north side, there was a large iron safe for special manuscripts, and this was full. Dr. Carroll Dunham, prized friend and frequent visitor if he could but edit Dr. Hering’s manuscripts. I am not sure if I heard Dunham say this, but, if not it came direct from him through his next friend. Dr. Henry M. Smith. It was in this room that on a couch placed beside his writing desk, he slept and where he began work long before others in the house were awake. Here he would sit, half dressed, and wait until Mrs. Hering came to help him into his clothes to come down stairs to meet his patients, which was about ten o’clock. For his breakfast he had much earlier, a couple pieces of zwieback, with a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate prepared by himself over an alcohol lamp. He never seemed to know when it was time to get ready for the day’s business.
On the particular morning when I was in this room Mrs. Hering came with a bowl of water and some towels for the doctor’s toilet when he came to change his night dress for his day-shirt I thought it time for me to retire, and was about to pass out of the room. Oh, don’t go. he said, I am not a woman I remained until his toilet was completed and then he went down to his office.
Dr.Hering’s mind was constantly occupied and he was either talking, writing or listening. He was a good listener if one had anything to say of value. I well remember the time when first I saw him to have any conversation with him. I happened to speak of an effect produced by Euphrasia on the nasal mucous membrane, and some use of this remedy in measles. At once out came his pencil and paper and down it went subsequently if approved to appear in his portfolio. He always carried with him tables of paper about three by four inches in size, on which he wrote all he observed or heard. On these he also noted his cases. I don’t think I ever saw him too weary to tell something which would help others in homoeopathy. I don’t remember a time that he was the first to say good night.
The great desire in Hering’s heart, through all the time I knew him was to publish a complete Materia Medica. During the winter I spent with him he tried to consumate this wish and issued a prospectus for publishing the work both in German and English in the same book. He offered it at the exact cost of printing and paper for thousand copies. Some money was raised for this purpose how much I do not know. Although this project fell to the ground, I know that he was happy in making the effort. Those who sent the first instalment of five dollars had their choice, either to take the money back or receiving a copy of Gross’ Comparative Materia Medica, a work which he had translated; I presume they all took the book. Later he made another attempt to get out his Materia Medica in a periodical., and through this he issued several pathogeneses in the American Journal of Homoeopathic Materia Medica. This came to an end all too soon.
At last the desire of his heart was to be gratified, and his Guiding Symptoms began to make its appearance under such auspices that a certainty had been reached. And now instead of the enterprise falling through, and thus disappointing him, he passed away. Like Moses on the Mount viewing the promised land which he was not to enter, Dr. Hering at last had a view of the consummation of that which he had been looking for so many years. This work is in loving hands, and it will be completed before long, I hope. His expression to me about this work, full of enthusiasm was: When this comes out, what a grand thing it will be Nothing ever published can compare with it.
What a life his was A life of desire to benefit others. Laboring on even to the last hour of his life. If I were to be asked what was the chief trait in his character, I should say that it was a desire to aid his fellows, with perfect confidence in those whom he trusted.
It will be presumptuous in me to attempt to give an estimate of how much Dr. Hering knew, since this will be told so much better than I can do by his many associated. I only knew, that there seemed to be no subject which he did not appear to understand and frequently when with him, he would start out to talk upon his favorite theme, homoeopathy and from this pass on to some other perhaps music, where he seemed to be equally at home. Once I met at his home a favorite opera-singer, Karl Formes, I think, and as I listened to their conversation, I could see that Dr. Hering was as conversant with operas and opera music as was this professional singer. I well remember this meeting, for I was surprised to hear Dr. Hering talk and to have formes listen to him. Afterwards, when listening to the singing in opera of this artist, I found myself wondering whether Dr. Hering, too, might not have been successful as an opera singer, if his pathway had led him to it. That same evening, when we were alone together he gave me as I now see it about all the information I possess in regard to opera. He knew the history of all the artists who were successes in their line.
At times he would talk of the future life and what he expected in it. It was to him only another step in progress. We are to take up our lives and go on in the future just where we lay it down here. Our pursuits are to be the same only the incumberances are to be removed. I don’t think I ever heard him hesitate in this regard.
He seemed to have reflected upon this subject and to have settled it in his mind just as definitely as any other subject he undertook to study. He believed that we carry with us out preference and our distastes and that we will exercise them there as here. I have no doubt he expected to gather students about him in the other world and go on increasing in knowledge forever.
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,