It is an art of its own, this proving of medicines, and it is not as easy as it appears, because it requires a particular kind of attention to grasp properly the symptoms which could only be felt faintly, and these are often just the most important, the really characteristic ones, and of much greater significance than those which set in more violently. The former set in as a rule only after small, delicate doses, while the latter owe their onset to the stronger doses. Another thing which I experienced myself, was that, I rarely could count upon the symptoms after a second, or third, stronger dose, if the first had passed without any traces to symptoms; but if after the first dose only faint symptoms made themselves felt, I could rely with certainty that with every hour they would become more prominently developed and more characteristic. More than once I thought of accentuating their clearness by a second more powerful dose, but I deceived myself almost every time and had frequently to experience, to my sorrow, that no more symptoms showed themselves.
Many of Hahnemann’s pupils continued later with their proving when in general practice, by which means they remained in touch with the Master.
TWO OF HAHNEMANN’S LETTERS TO DR. STAPF ON THE PROVING OF MEDICINES.
Stapf, physician of Naumberg, was one of the first disciples of Hahnemann.
Leipsic, 3rd September, 1813. (Stapf’s Archiv, Vol. 21, Part I, p.156.)
You are right, that the aggravation caused by a medicine most probably indicates, that the prescribed medicine has the power of exciting these symptoms of itself. We must not, however, incorporate such symptoms in the list of the purely positive effect of medicine, at least not in writing. We can only bear them in mind in order to give them due attention, should they occur pure (that is, not having been there previously) on using the same medicine.
When I propose anything for proving, I will take care that it is nothing which will ruin health, and so prepared that it will not affect you too violently; for we are not entitled to do injury to ourselves. I send you along with this some tincture of pure Helleborus niger, which I gathered myself. Each drop contains only one twentieth grain of the root. Any day when you are well, and have no very urgent business, and are not eating any medicinal substances (such as parsley or horse-radish, etc.) with your mid-day meal, take one drop of this to eight ounces of water, and a scruple of alcohol (to prevent its decomposition during the time of using it), shake it briskly, and take one ounce before breakfast; and so every hour and a half, or two hours another ounce, as long as you are not too severely affected by what you take. But should severe symptoms set in, which I am not afraid of, you may take some drops of tincture of Camphor in one ounce of water, or more if necessary, and this will allay the symptoms.
After all the effects of the Hellebore have subsided, I wish you to try the effects of Camphor alone (it is a divine remedy). About two grains dissolved in a scruple of alcohol, and shaken with eight ounces of water, are to be taken four or six times a day, with similar precautions as the other.
In another letter to Dr. Stapf we read: Leipsic, 17th December, 1816. Stapf’s Archiv, Vol. 21, Part I, p.160.
I thank you for the symptoms you sent me, some of them are of importance. Strive more and more to discover the exact expression for the sensations which have arisen, and the changes in your well-being, as well as the conditions under which they appear. My pupils here have an easier task in this respect. Whenever they present me with such a list, I go through the symptoms along with them, and question them right and left, so as to complete from their recollection whatever requires to be more explicit, such as time, conditions under which the changes took place, etc. But you must do all this yourself, go through the already written observations by yourself, in order to discover where there is still a gap to be found, where there is still something to correct. In that respect yours is a more difficult task.
This strictness of mine for the promotion of truth, will show you that your plan, (Stapf had proposed to Hahnemann to issue an appeal to all physicians, and invite them to join in the proving of medicines.) although very well meant, is quite impracticable; they would smile at us and even scoff. Which of our everyday colleagues would undertake such laborious experiments, when he can tap upon his well-filled receipt-book and say:
“Thou art my comfort! never can I be in doubt what to prescribe when I have thee at hand. It may go with my patients as it likes; I am quite safe. These receipts of the learned masters, as long as I prescribe them, no person can find fault with me.” It would be in vain to attempt to elevate the views of such people, even in an eternity they could not be elevated to this purer idea. They will never resolve to carry out these careful observations, seeing that the ordinary physician feels quite comfortable with-out observing, but just leisurely imitating others in leaving everything to the old ways, to assumptions and despotism! No, let all such hopes vanish. Such resolutions are not to be thought of such people. And what would the execution be like, if they made an attempt (perhaps out of curiosity)? Deceptions, imaginative stuff, or positive falsehoods, with their irregular mode of life, their volatility and their deficiency in the spirit of observation and integrity; may God keep the pure doctrine from such dross.
No, it is only the young whose heads are not deluged to over-flowing with a flood of everyday dogmas, and in whose arteries there runs not yet the stream of medical prejudices; it is only such young and unconstrained natures, who consider truth and philanthropy of some value, that are open to our simple doctrines of medicine; only these will of their own free-will endeavour, as I notice with joy in my pupils, to bring to the light, by their own sacrifice, those endless treasures of medicinal powers, which have been left hidden, or unexplored from the beginning of time by a crazy and self-complacent ignorance; I think some of them have made considerable progress in the practice of observation-so will the good be sown-but only where it finds suitable soil. One word more; no encomiums of me; I dislike them; for I feel myself to be nothing more than an upright man who merely does his duty. Let us express our regard for one another only in simple words and conduct indicating mutual respect.
HOW HAHNEMANN CARRIED OUT HIS PROVINGS OF MEDICINES.
To this enquiry from an unknown D.G., in the “Allgem. Anzeiger der Deutschen,” No. 24, of January 25th, 1839, Hahnemann gives the following reply which affords a deeper insight into the manner in which these provings were undertaken, as well as all the details under consideration, together with a description of all his pupils and friends who took part in the provings.
This enquiry in the “Allgem. Anzeiger d. Deutschen” (No. 24, January 25th, 1839) by a to me unknown D.G. would not have come forth if he had appreciated what I have taught (“Organon,” fifth edition, 121 to 142) and if he had presupposed (as would be presupposed in my case) that I would not have taught anything of which I had not previously convinced myself through personal experiments. Therefore he cannot possibly have read it.
I gave the medicines prepared by myself for this purpose in higher or lower dynamisations, in larger or smaller doses, as everyone could take without being too exhausted by it. Most of the symptoms as one will see, where the name of the prover is not mentioned, have been observed by me, or by members of my family, to whom I gave the remedy myself. The medicines were usually taken dissolved in a larger or smaller quantity of water, once or twice daily, or less frequently, in order to become acquainted with the effects of the medicines in every respect. The chief thing was, always to see that the provers should be free from erroneous diet and mode of living, as healthy as possible, and keen to explore the high truths which we are expecting to find, with a strong sense of conscientious honestly, without expecting the slightest worldly advantage, not even to hope for the honour of being publicly mentioned as a prover. They were mostly well- known friends and hearers of my lectures. Each one of them was interrogated daily, or every two or three days, on the symptoms experienced by them, partly in order to enquire if any one of them had previously experienced by them, partly in order to enquire if anyone of them had previously experienced similar sensations (that this might be put in brackets when printing as not altogether due to the medicine), partly that the exact character of his sensations and observations might be compared with the words written down, and perhaps afterwards be able to choose with his consent more definite expressions. All the important secondary considerations of any value were mentioned at the same time together with the symptoms under which they occurred; I drew the attention of each of them, beforehand, to such conditions.
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