Activity upto death



We had hardly seated ourselves in the quiet little boundoir, when a valet entered and politely demanded our cards. They wee presented, and he placed them, in the order received, amongst a large number in his hand. It was obvious that we should be obliged to wait an indefinite period; and I soon commenced amusing myself by examining the fine pinging with which the walls were lavishly decorated, the pieces of sculpture, the costly vases scattered about the apartments, and the number of curious medals heaped upon he centers tables.

The sculpture, vases, medals, and even some of the paintings, had been presented to Hahnemann as memorials of the esteem and gratitude of his patients. I was standing before a most life- like portrait of the great doctor, lost in admiration of its masterly execution, when the young countess who had retained her seat while I wandered around the room, joined me and said: “Do you know who painted that picture?”

“No, “I replied,” but although I am not a judge of art, I should almost venture to say that it was the work of a master’s hand.”

“Undoubtedly it is a masterly piece of workmanship. It was executed, however, by Madame Hahnemann,”

“Madame Hahnemann! is it possible. Is Hahnemann married, then?”

‘Yes, certain, y,” answered the countess. (And now she related to the American in answer to her questions something of he life of Hahnemann, and that he had married is present wife, who was 45 years young than himself, at eighty years of age, that the marriage was a very happy one, and Madame Hahnemann takes the greatest care of her husband. The American was also told something of Madame Hahnemann;s life, that the latter came from a noble and rich family, and that as Mademoiselle d’ Hervilly she had been given up as phthisical (?)! and incurable by her physicians and that then from Italy where she had spent the winter she had travelled to Hahnemann in Cothen and had been cured by him.)

At that moment our conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a lady. she was attired in a simple demi-toilette, and wore no bonnet: I therefore concluded she was not a guest. The instant she entered, the delicate-looking child my new acquaintance had been caressing on her knee, sprang suddenly to the ground, and greeted the lady with expressions of the most affectionate copy,. She was an elegant looking women with a finely rounded form, somewhat above the medium height. Her face could not be called beautiful nor pretty, but the word handsome might be applied to it with great justice. her forehead was full and high, and her hair thrown back in a manner which perfectly displayed its expansive proportions. Those luxuriant tresses, of a bright flaxen hue, were partly gathered in a heavy knot at the back of her head, and partly falling long ringlets behind her ears. Her complexion was of that clear but tintless description which so strongly resembles alabaster. There was a thoughtful expression in her large blue eyes, which, but for the benignant smile on her lips, would have given a solemn aspect to her countenance.

She exchanged a few words with Madame de R—, kissed the child with much tenderness, and addressed several other persons present. While she was conversing the child retained her hand, following her about, and pressing close to her side with its little pale, affectionate face upturned at every pause, as though silently soliciting a caress. In a few minute she retired.

I turned to Madame de R—, and inquired, “Is that Madame Hahnemann?”

“Yes. Is she not q fine-looking woman?”

“Undoubtedly; and from her appearance along I can well imagine her endowed with many of the attribute you have described he as possessing. Your little son appears much attached to her

?”

“Poor little fellow! He has good cause to be so. He has suffered, from his birth, with a scrofulous affection, which baffled the skill of the best medical men in paris. They gave me no hope of his recovery, and he is my only child. At three years; old he was unable to walk, or even stand alone. It is then that Hahnemann arrived in paris, and I immediately called upon him. It was impossible to bring the child where without risking his life, and Hahnemann attends to patient out of his house. Madame Hahnemann, however, told me not to be uneasy, as she would herself take charge of the body. She visited him regularly, twice a day, watch’s him with the anxious tenderness of a mother, and prescribed few months the child recovered. he was never had a positive return of the and physician every few weeks, for the sake of learning her opinion of his health, and consulting her concerning his management.”

“Do you mean that Madame Hahnemann prescribed for him on her own responsibility?”

“I do she is almost as thoroughly acquainted with medicine s he husband. She became his pupil, with a view to assisting him when age might weaken his faculties. she now attends to all his patients, as you will find directly; merely consulting him in cases of great difficulty”

“That is being a helpmate indeed. But are the patients always willing to trust her?”

“Assuredly; she has too incontestably proved her skill not to be trusted. hahnemann is no longer able to undergo the fatigue of attending to the multiplicity of cases crowded upon him. Madame Hahnemann is universally confided in, respected and beloved, especially by the poor.”

“I can well believe it. Is Hahnemann assisted by any of his children in the same manner as by his wife?”

‘Not exactly in the same manner, but still he is assisted by them. One of his daughters, Daughters? This is impossible; Hahnemann’s daughters were living in Germany. Only his daughter Amalie visited he father in Paris now and them. and a fine intelligent girl she is, has the sole superintend of an enormous folio, containing he names of all his correspondents, and the dates of their letters also of several other folios containing the letters themselves, arranged in alphabetical order. His other children are of service to him in various arranged in alphabetical order. His other children are to service to him in various ways. To assist him is their chief delight. As I told you before, I never beheld a more united family.”

“Miss Hahnemann’s services along must spare the doctor a vast deal of trouble.”

‘Yes; but still every moment of his time is employed. He is the most systematic man imaginable. In his library you will find thirty-six quarto volumes, his register of consultations written entirely by himself. A propose, his hand writing is really worth seeing. What do you think of a man, eighty-four years of age, who writes a hand firm as a man’s ought to be, fine enough to be a woman’s and elegant enough to be traced on copper-plate, and thus without spectacles?”

Our conversation was interrupted by a valet who announced that monsieur le doctor was at leisure and would see madame la contesse.

She bade me good morning, saying, “It will be your turn next-I shall not keep you waiting long.”

I hope not, thought I, as a glance at the clock informed me that it was somewhat more than three house since I first entered the house.

A few moments after Madame de R-left me I was startled by hearing the same valet distinctly pronounce by mane, somewhat Frenchified, to be sure, and announce that monsieur de doctor was ready to receive me. I was too much surprised to do anything but stare until I remembered that I had placed my card in his hand some three hours before. I rose and followed him. He led the way through the same apartments I had traversed one entering. The doctor’s reception-chamber was situated at the further end of the suite. Throwing open a door, he loudly announced me and retired.

I stood in the presence of monsieur le docteur and Madame Hahnemann. The chamber I now entered was more simply decorated than any I had visited. In the centre of the room stood a long table; t its head a slightly elevated platform held a plain looking desk, covered with books. In front of he desk sat Madame Hahnemann, with a blank volume open before her, and a gold pen in her hand. Hahnemann was reclining in a comfortable arm-chair, on one side of the table. His slender and diminutive form was enveloped in a flowered dressing gown of rich materials, and too comfortable in its appearance to be of other than Parisian make. The crown of his large, beautifully proportioned head was covered by a skull-cap of lack velvet. From beneath is strayed a few thin snowy locks, which clustered about his noble forehead, and spoke of the advanced age which the lingering freshness of his florid complexion seemed to deny. His eyes were dark, deep set, glittering and full of animation. They both rose to receive me, and I presented to Madame Hahnemann a letter from Dr. Hirschfeldt, of Bremen, an eminent physician who had formerly been a pupil of Hahnemann’s.

As Hahnemann greeted me, he removed from his mouth a long painted pipe, the bowl of which nearly reached to his knees; but after the first salutation, it was instantly resumed, as i was apprised by the volumes of blue smoke which began to curl about his head, as though to veil it from my injudicious scrutiny. Madame Hahnemann gracefully expressed her gratification at the perusal of the letter, read a few lines of it to her husband in an undertone, and made several courteous remarks to me while the doctor bowed, without again removing his pipe. In sharp contrast to this description is a communication of his grandson, Leopold Suss-Hahnemann.

Richard Haehl
Richard M Haehl 1873 - 1932 MD, a German orthodox physician from Stuttgart and Kirchheim who converted to homeopathy, travelled to America to study homeopathy at the Hahnemann College of Philadelphia, to become the biographer of Samuel Hahnemann, and the Secretary of the German Homeopathic Society, the Hahnemannia.

Richard Haehl was also an editor and publisher of the homeopathic journal Allgemcine, and other homeopathic publications.

Haehl was responsible for saving many of the valuable artifacts of Samuel Hahnemann and retrieving the 6th edition of the Organon and publishing it in 1921.
Richard Haehl was the author of - Life and Work of Samuel Hahnemann