SAMUEL HAHNEMANN
It was evident that he did not immediately recognise Dr. Hirschfeldt’s name, and he was too much accustomed to receive letters of introduction to pay any attention to the contents.
Madame Hahnemann placed herself at the desk, with the doctor on her right hand and myself on her left. I stated the principal object of my visit, attempting to direct my conversation to Hahnemann rather than to him wife But I soon found that this was not selon la regale. Madame Hahnemann invariably replied, asking a multiplicity of questions, and noting the minutes symptoms of h case as fast as my angers were given. Several times she referred to her husband, who merely replied, with his pipe between his teeth, ‘Yes, my child,” or ‘Good, my child, good!” And these we the only words that I as yet had heard him utter. After some time spent in this manner, r Madame Hahnemann accidentally asked.” Where was your friend first attacked? : “In Germany, ” I replied. Hahnemann had been listening attentively although he had not spoken. the instant I uttered these work his whole countenance brightened, as though a sunbeam had suddenly fallen across it, and he exclaimed in an animated tone, “Have you been in Germany? You speak German, don’t you?” The conversation had hitherto been carried on in French; hut the ready “Certainly.” with which I answered his question apparently gave him unfeigned pleasure. He immediately commenced a conversation in his native tongue, inquiring how I was pleased with Germany-what I thought of the inhabitants and their customs -whether I found the language difficult-how I was impressed with the scenery, and continuing an enthusiastic strain of eulogium upon his beloved country for some time. Then he asked from whom was my letter. When I pronounced the name of Dr. Hirschfeldt, to which he had listened so coldly before, he expressed the deepest interest in his welfare, and spoke of him with mingled affection and esteem. I was too much delighted with he doctor animated and feeling remarks to change t topic. Yet I felt that he had lost sight, and was fast inducing me to do the same, of the primary object of my visit. Madame Hahnemann, however, though she smiled and joined in the conversation, had not forgotten the host of good people who were taking lessons of patience in the antechambers.
She finally put an end to the discourse by a gentle admonition to her husband, warning him that he must not fatigue himself before the hours devoted to business were half spent. turning to me, she apologised for the interruption, saying hey received their friends in the evening, and would be happy to see me; then immediately returned to the subject of the friend;s indisposition. After a few more inquiries I received some medicine from her hands, with special directions paper containing dietetic instructions. After cordially shaking hands with the paper containing dietetic instructions. After cordially shaking hands with the kind old man and his talented and exemplary wife, I bade them good morning. One of the domestics in attendance conducted me downstairs and hands with the kind old man and his talented and exemplary wife, I bade them good morning. One of the domestics in attendance conducted me downstairs and handed me into the carriage and I drove home, passing along a file of coaches stretching from Hahnemann;’s door rather further than I could venture to mention and expect to be believed.
THE STRIKING CURE OF THE MARQUIS OF ANGLESEA BY HAHNEMANN
Dr. Giuseppe Mauro, of Naples, who represented himself as a pupil and followed of Hahnemann, requested advice and help, in a long and detailed letter, written in French, dated May 24h, for the treatment of Lord Angles. While saving as a cavalry general at the battle of Waterloo, he had been wounded by a bullet in the right thigh, which had to be amputated at the hip joint. Three years after this operation, he was suddenly seized by excruciating pains in the face, which would suddenly come and as quickly disappear. they extended over the r right half of the face, from the angle of he mouth and chin to the orbit of the, and extending behind the eye. During the attacks the patient found it difficult to speak or swallow. Any portion of this half of the face, was extremely painful to the slightest touch, including he teeth. the Marquis suffered for thirteen years with these pains, which occurred more and more frequently, although they became less severs. In the beginning he patient was treated by allopathic physicians of great repute, until in the end he sought homoeopathic help from Dr. Quinn in London, and other homoeopaths. Whilst travelling through Italy he came to Naples and to Dr. Mauro, who then sent a detailed account the corresponding remedy accompanied by a letter written in French, to Dr. Mauro. In this letter Hahnemann prescribed several short walks every day, because without muscular exertion it was impossible to cure the tic douloureux, or even ameliorate the condition by any kind of remedy. In the patient;s diet he forbade vinegar, lemon-juice, spices, too much salt and undiluted wine. Wine was to be taken in the proportion of one part of wine to five parts of water. The patient took the first medicine sent by Hahnemann on September 11th, which had taken all this time to arrive. The pain continued on and off, and the physician-in ordinary to the Marquis of Anglesea, Dr. Dunsford, asked for more medicine and instructions. Hahnemann’s answer is extremely significant; he writes:
It is never necessary or useful to diminish the amount of blood, which only means lowering the vitality and the strength, the reactions of which are all the more beneficial if they are left intact.
The cure of the Marquis of Anglesea did not progress and the physician in-ordinary inquired on January 13th, 1835, whether the patient could come Cothen, with his whole family and put himself under Hahnemann’s personal treatment. The Marquis of Anglesea came for the first time to Hahnemann on April 21st. He arrived there worse than he had been a few months previously. He apparently was again under Hahnemann treatment during January and February of 1836 up to March, 1837. Hahnemann employed many different remedies which are accurately recorded. The pain became less and less, and finally Hahnemann records:
Occasional slight pain when eating. With the exception of occasional warnings and isolated stitching pains, no more attacks.
The case caused great sensation on account of the prominence of the patient, and also because the old school of medicine and remained helpless in the face of this disease. The homoeopathic literature of the period called it a ‘wonder cure.” However, this case was remarkably instructive and characteristic for Hahnemann. It shows the extraordinary tenacious diligence and the astounding care with which Hahnemann. It shows the extraordinary tenacious diligence and the astounding care with which Hahnemann carried the cure through untiringly and unswervingly, in spite of vacillations and relapses; it also shows that even Hahnemann was not in a position to relieve quickly by means of a few remedies, but had to seek again and again for a a new remedy, and try it. but we must not omit a word of recognition for the patient, who followed the master in good faith through all the changes, until he was recompensed by a final cure.
(The above representation is a brig extract of a voluminous correspondence between the Marquis of Anglesea and Hahnemann. All the letter are in. he possession of Dr. Richard Haehl. A detailed account, based on these documents, by Dr. K. E. Weiss, is to be found in the “Allg. hom. Zeitung,” 1921, Vol. 139.)
SAMUEL HAHNEMANN ANOTHER STORY OF A CURE
Narrated by the “:Leipzig. Pop. Zeitschr. fur Homoopathie, ” 1895, in Vo.76, page 49, and taken from ‘A Reminiscence of Hahnemann of Hahnemann” in the “medical Advance” of 1898:
In the year 1837, a young boy named John B Young, aged 12 years, came from Scotland to Hahnemann, in Paris, for treatment. He had been ill for two years and the physicians in attendance had given him up. A rich Scotch lady took pity on him, and taking him to Paris with her, put him under the care of Hahnemann. After nine months treatment he was able to leave France as cured. Mr. Young was introduced to the students of he Homoeopathic Medical College in Chicago in. the year 1893. In the following we give his own account of his illness and treatment.
“On the second day after my arrival in Paris, Hahnemann visited me in my apartment and his examination lasted roughly an hour and a half. I had to remain in bed and Hahnemann examined me so minutely, as no other doctor had hitherto done. He made me count from one to a hundred, put an instrument on my chest, and afterwards on my back and percussed me in a manner that had never been done before. then be declared that he now knew that I had cone to him in time. and that he would be able to cure me.
I did not receive much medicine, i had to take, perhaps, four doses in the twenty -four hours. As regards the impression that Hahnemann made upon me, I remember that his face had a luminous expression. He gave me the impression, his appearance. Without a doubt he was also a good man because I was told that he frequently said to his patients, that he was doing his best, but he was only an Instruments: “God would have to give his blessing.’
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