A Latin translation under the title “Materia Medical Pura,” was made by Dr. Stapf, Dr. Wilh. Gross, and Ernst Georg von Brunnow (but only the first two volumes appeared, Leipsic, 1826- 1828, by Arnold).
The Materia Medica Pura was translated into Italian by Dr. Romani (Naples) and published 1825-1828. A second Italian translation by Dr. Dadea, appeared in 1873 at Turin. Dr. Bigel of Warschau made a French translation in 1828. A second French translation was published by Dr. Jourdan in Paris, 1834, and in the year 1877, followed a third translation by Dr. Leon Simon. Dr. Hempel made (1846) an English translation which was published by Radde, in New York. In the year 1880. Dr. Dudgeon published, in London, by the Homoeopathic Publishing Co., an English translation in two volumes.
A REMONSTRANCE
Hahnemann wrote, preceding the second amplified edition of “Materia Medica Pura” (Vol. 4, 1825), “A Remonstrance.” In it he attacks strongly the “existing humdrum routine of treatment,” the “pathology,” the artificially built up, invented phantom diseases, the generally manufactured disease forms, for which, specialised methods of treatment, even with pocket-books of prescriptions, were devised by therapeutics. If the physician found that the illness of a patient did not correspond sufficiently with one of the pathological forms of disease, so that he was unable to give it a name, he was then free according to his books, to attribute the evil to a much deeper and hidden origin, and then (on this fabrication) arrange a treatment (of which Hahnemann gives several instances-R.H.). “Is perhaps,” asks Hahnemann, “after 2,300 years duration, of this criminal mode of proceeding, not even yet to dawn the day of release for suffering humanity? Are the requests of patients to listen to their tale of sufferings, to vanish into empty air, unheeded by their brethren, without attracting the attention of any human heart, in a practical way?”
Thus Hahnemann demands here that the strikingly different accounts which every patient has to give of his complaints, shall be listened to, because they signify his specific disease. “It would be, therefore, the duty of the physician to distinguish the subtle differentiations of every individual case”-that is to specialise and individualise in each case, instead of treating groups of diseases.
Then he attacks large doses of medicine:
These harmful, often very harmful substances (which are only useful in the appropriate case) the specific effects of which are unknown, are blindly seized upon, or else in accordance with the orders of that book of lies, called-that is misnamed-Materia Medica, are mixed together (unless the prescription is copied as it stands, from the prescription-book) although their own specific action is unknown, as if they were taken from the wheel of fortune, or rather misfortune, and then the already suffering patient is tortured still more with this barbaric hotch-potch of a vile smell and taste.
The honest physician will proceed differently. He “will watch the patient carefully with all his faculties, will have made the patient tell him directly all his pains and attacks, and have them completed by the relatives, and note them down in writing, without adding or subtracting anything.” Then he has a true knowledge of the disease, of what has to be removed and cured. But before a physician begins to practise, he must have acquainted himself well “with the changes in health which are brought about in man by individual medicines, so that he may choose that medicine which would bring about such changes in the particular case of illness.” This leads us to the proving of medicines on healthy subjects, and the rejection of mixed remedies.
In a second foreword with the title “The Medical Observer,” which has explicitly been called only a “fragment,” Hahnemann demands from the scientific healer the capacity and practice, “to perceive accurately and clearly the disease conditions, either of natural diseases, or those brought about artificially by the proving of medicines, and to note them down in suitable terms.” This requires of the physician that he, so to speak, holds on to the object with all his intellectual grasp, so that nothing may remain unnoticed which is actually there and belongs to the case. The inventive imagination, the deceiving wit, every kind of supposition, all subtle reasoning, strained interpretations, and desire to explain, must all retreat. Then Hahnemann continues:
The capacity for accurate observation, is perhaps never quite hereditary; it must be acquired for the greater part by practice, by refining and correcting sense-impressions, that means, perfecting by strict criticism our quickly formed opinions of external objects, and the cool and tranquil firmness of our judgment must remain under the constant supervision of mistrust in our power of comprehension. The great importance of this, our object, must be to direct body and soul on these observations, and a much exercised patience, upheld by strong will-power, must fortify us in this respect until the completion of our observations.
Familiarity with the best writings of the Ancients, the Greeks and the Romans, the art of drawing, and also mathematics assists the medical observer. Then it continues:
The best opportunity for exercising our sense of observation and to perfect it, is by proving medicines ourselves. After avoiding all extraneous medicinal influences, and all disturbing mind impressions, the prover must remain at attention for this important business from the time he takes the medicine, alert to all changes of sensation, so that with increasing feeling and open mind he may record them and note down truthfully.
Through the continued tracing of the changes which are occurring in himself, the observer acquires the power to perceive all, even the most complex sensations which he experiences when proving the medicine, and also the most minute changes in his condition, and to write down in an adequate and exhaustive way the conception which has become clear to him.
Only here it is possible for the beginner to observe undisturbed, clearly and correctly, as he knows that he will not deceive himself, that no one is telling him an untruth, and that he feels, sees, and notices for himself what is happening to him and in him. Thus he forms a practice of observing accurately where others are concerned.
The existing symptomatology of the common medical science will strike the man, who makes such requests as of a superficial nature. A single word, or a general expression for the designation of the frequently so very complicated disease sensations and symptoms (such as perspiration, heat, fever, headache, sore-throat, cough, stomach-ache, want of appetite, etc.) is altogether insufficient, considering the innumerable and varied sufferings of patients. The conscientious physician would have to be infinitely more conscientious in distinguishing that which has to be perceived, the language is hardly sufficient to express is suitable words the many divergences of the symptoms in patients. “This is so true,” concludes Hahnemann, “that only the most careful observer can become a true scientific healer.”
TABULAR SUMMARY OF
The remedies, and number of symptoms in the provings recorded in the Materia Medica Pura.
Ist edition. 2nd edition.
Remedy. Hahnemann. Others. Hahnemann. Others.
Acidum muriaticum 57 217 61 218 Acidum phosphoricum 160 411 268 411 Aconitum 206 108 246 183 Ambra – – 141 349 Angustura 93 209 96 203 Argentum 48 152 64 175 Arnica 175 55 278 314 Arsenicum 294 368 431 517 Asarum 14 254 16 254 Aurum 110 203 173 205 Belladonna 176 474 380 1042 Bismuth 4 97 11 97 Bryonia 408 102 537 244 Calcarea acetica 0 255 34 236 Camphora 104 240 105 240 Cannabis 15 54 42 266 Capsicum 277 69 275 69 Carbo animalis – – 159 32 Carbo vegetabilis – – 276 447 Causticum 99 176 106 201 Chamomilla 448 33 461 33 Chelidonium 23 128 28 128 Cicuta 36 205 36 205 Cina 33 15 40 247 Cinchona 391 691 427 716 Cocculus 224 6 330 224 Colocynthis 17 210 26 224 Conium 87 286 89 286 Cyclamen 3 197 5 197 Digitalis 63 355 73 355 Drosera 124 155 132 155 Dulcamara 31 92 52 297 Euphrasia 25 90 37 90 Ferrum 228 36 249 41 Guaiacum 26 116 29 116 Helleborus 90 108 92 196 Hepar sulphuris 182 24 282 24 Hyoscyamus 103 436 104 478 Ignatia 570 54 620 54 Ipecacuanha 144 87 146 87 Ledum 182 130 186 152 Magnet-South and North 716 113 861 372 Manganum 89 242 89 242 Menyanthes 28 269 28 267 Mercurius 232 110 663 761 Moschus 0 39 2 150 Nux vomica 908 53 1198 69 Oleander 10 18 16 336 Opium 114 464 119 519 Pulsatilla 971 102 1046 117 Rheum 79 115 94 115 Rhus 409 334 575 361 Ruta 23 201 26 262 Sambucus 19 97 20 99 Sarsaparilla 34 111 34 111 Scilla 85 201 86 202 Spigelia 95 543 130 542 Spongia 89 227 156 235 Stannum 95 457 204 456 Staphisagria 210 398 283 438 Stramonium 83 463 96 473 Sulphur 112 49 755 62 Taraxacum 0 209 0 264 Thuja 222 287 334 300 Veratrum 307 404 315 401 Verbascum 32 143 32 141
INDEX OF THE NAMES OF HAHNEMANN’S CO-PROVERS.
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