Everyone of the men, if they had been drowned, would have cost me a large some of money. The fish was the Ray. A full grown one was never caught, only smaller specimens, supposedly the young of this remarkable fish.
Conversion To Homoeopathy. When a student I was writing a book against homoeopathy. My first question had been: what is the meaning of similar? A painter has painted a portrait. some one looks at it and says: How great the resemblance, another person says: It is not at all like him’ Now then, what can it mean for one thing to be similar to another? I then began to study the Materia medica. Under every remedy I found vertigo; in German Schwindel. I almost came to the conclusion that the whole business was nothing but a swindle
I explored further and it seemed to me as if the devil was at the bottom of the whole thing by the way it all came out. Everything agreeing.
I am very glad that my book was never printed. My old friend, the apothecary, who was happy when I began to write against homoeopathy, was always ready to secure for me anything I might need to carry on the work. One day I came to ask him for a good tincture of Peruvian bark, unadulterated. This was drug in common use, at the time, against malarial fevers, which were prevalent. I saw a change come over the face of the druggist, who sensed my purpose. He knew that this drug had paved the way for Hahnemann to make his discovery. That my young friend, is very dangerous,’remarked the druggist. Have no fear,’said I. I have studied mathematics and am able to tell the true from what is not true.’
In a fortnight I was forbidden his house and lost my stipend. I came near starving. No one gave me any help. My friends avoided me. One of them said: Hering is going crazy’ Another, a friend, offered to play sick so that he might have an excuse for paying me a fee for attending him.
I was mad to discover the boundaries between the true and the false in homoeopathy. I was persuaded to call upon a certain boarding-house mistress who they said wished to try homoeopathic treatment. I called. She said: I have no time at the moment. Sit down, and eat.’ I ate like a woodchopper. The woman said: Come again tomorrow, at one, then I will have time.’ One o’clock was mealtime. Again I was asked to sit down at table and satisfy my hunger.
I began to barter medical treatment for food, and once more regained my strength, which I devoted to further study of Hahnemann’s books. It was a year and a half later when my finger, and with it my life were saved. A few drops of medicine (a preparation of Arsenic) had sufficed for a cure. I had shown my ignorance by demanding that the drug should be applied outwardly. Lord How stupid one can be
My enthusiasm grew. I became a fanatic. I went about the country, visited Inns, where I got up on tables and benches to harangue whoever might be present to listen to my enthusiastic speeches on homoeopathy. I told the people that they were in the hands of cut-throats and murderers. I made cures. Success came every-where. I almost thought I could raise the dead.
I wrote an essay. I wrote in a spirit of prophecy. I thought what a tremendous influence my writing will have on medicine. I sent the essay to Stapf. I wrote about things that might come true in a hundred years. Things to benefit suffering humanity. Stapf wrote about me to his friend Gross. Stapf, Gross, Hartmann, and Moritz Mueller had already joined the ranks of homoeopaths.
One morning, a woman who served me with milk, reminded me that she had not received any pay for a long time, that she could not continue to go on in this way, because she had to buy the milk which she sold to her customers.
On the same day a messenger came to ask me to go to Dr. Hartlaub, a brother to the homoeopathic physician who had married my sister Clara.
After having suffered from starvation, for almost a year, I went to a farm nearby, where I found plenty to eat. The owner of the farm was a distant relative who had deprived a branch of my family from their property-rights, and I felt justified in squaring myself with him in this manner. Of this family but two members remain at the present time, the rest of my people being scattered.
When I came to the farm I had a lean and hungry appearance, my clothes were full of rents; but I was very proud. It would not have been well for anyone to have made remarks about my shabby condition.
I left the farm, although my cousin Reuslitz had asked me to remain, and went back to town. At one of the banks where I went to collect my monthly stipend of five dollars, which I had not drawn for three months, I was met with a notice from one of the clerks asking me to interview one of the higher officials.
I was confronted with a short, stout, husky, pompous person, who said to me: I hear that you are occupying yourself with experiments in homoeopathy. This I must beg you to discontinue. Here is the money for your last payments. I cannot permit the money placed in my charge to salvage a homoeopath.’ I replied: By what right do you address me in this insulting manner?’ and threw his silver on the counter. Not a penny will I take of it
Never at any time did I see the good doctor so excited as at this moment, when he struck the table with his fist, pushed back his chair, sawed the air, his eyes full of fire, and his blood seeming to boil. One of the daughters looked across the table at her cousin, in surprise. She afterwards said she had never seen her father so excited.
This man, who had insulted the poor student, in later life himself became a homoeopath. He offered to return my money but I would not accept it, nor would I again go near him. From the moment in which I had thrown the money at his feet I never had occasion to go hungry; nor at any time since during my long life. When I returned home from my visit to the bank, there was a call from a patient waiting for me.
I had to work hard for Hartlaub while I was his assistant; harder than my old scribe has to work for me. But two groschen a day were enough to make me happy. I was not legally entitled to practice, for as yet I had no diploma, but I was sure that I knew more than my employer. I devoted an entire year to the study of Materia medica. In the following winter came the episode of the injured hand. In the summer that followed, I travelled. It was my fanatical summer. I assisted some farmers to break into, and rob a storehouse with grain, to help keep them from starving.
Every day new and favorable things turned up for me. One of these was a brilliant offer of a position, as private tutor in a wealthy family in Russia. I went to my brother Ewald. While there, there came two letters which the carrier refused to deliver because there was an unpaid charge for postage. My brother paid this for me. One of the letters was from Hahnemann giving me information on the subject of iron; it was short. The other was from Jean Paul Richter, the poet, who asked me for some vials.
My brother said: You will not go to Luefland. A man who gets letters from two of the greatest men of the age must not go to Russia. You will remain here.’
There were things to be forgiven my brother. He had taken the books belonging to my father, taken them to Leipzig and sold them. It was a saying of Jean Paul: That all events happen in doubles.’ On the same afternoon I declared that I was not going to Luefland, where a brilliant position awaited me, not at all to my taste. I was never made to serve royalty and would have made a poor lackey. Jean Paul Richter.
Jean Paul Friederich Richter, the novelist, was a great man. He had always reverenced Rousseau until he learned that he had sent his children to an institution for foundlings.
Jean Paul was very witty. His conversation was full of humour. Once he said to me: You young folks have it easy; you can get along on two feet while I require a dozen.’ I said: Then you must have two horses, a coachman and your own two feet, which make a dozen’ He was much pleased with my ready remark.
Jean Paul was an atheist. One day when sitting by him, on a sofa, he said: I cannot understand how people can be so ignorant as to place Christ, although the most perfect human being upon earth, on an equality with God.’
I replied: If you will permit me to say so:’ The square is equal to the circle.
He sprang from his seat and rushed about the room wildly, saying:No No No That’s not it It cannot be so explained It cannot be’ He did not, however, seem to be displeased with me.
Jean Paul had two daughters; one named Emma, the other, Ottilia. Emma was the more intellectual of the two. Ottilia was of a more humble and retiring disposition. Emma was a trifle slack. But she was learned; so much so that I was afraid she might know more than I which made me stand in awe of her. Her father said: Emma, you could finish all of my writings, if this should become necessary.’ But papa,’ said she, that would not be at all to my taste; I would rather make my living at darning stockings.’ But, my dear’said her father, I did not say that you should, but that you could.’ Ottilia was the more sociable of the two (gemuethlich). It was rumoured that I was to marry Emma. I had observed, that, from visit to visit, a rent in her apron remained unrepaired, which annoyed me. Also the family was not homoeopathic, consequently I had no desire that way. Emma was married to a nobleman, Ottilia, to an officer in the army. Dr.Ameise. A Fairy Tale.
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,