SUPPLEMENT 136
DIPLOMA OF HONOUR FOR HAHNEMANN FROM THE AMERICAN ALLOPATHIC PHYSICIANS.
On April 6th, 1833, Hahnemann was presented by Dr. John Gray, a prominent physician of New York, and a member of the Medical Society and County of New York ( Minutes of the Medical Society of the County of New York, from 1808-1878. Dr. Gurdy, editor, New York, 1879.), with the following diploma:
Societas Medica Civitatis Novi Eboraci Atque Comitatus Omnibus Has Literas Perlecturis Salutem.
Virum Probum et Ornatissimum Samuelem C. F. Hahnemann Auctorem Homoeopathiae, quem fama promit scientiarum medicinae et chirurgiae cultorum, liberalium honoribus artium provectum, Placuit nobis Praesidi caeterisque Sociis hujusce Comitatus Concil. Medorrhinum Facultatis, Socium constituere Honorarium, atque auctoritatem ei donare privilegia et immunitates ad nostrates Medicae Facultatis quae pertinent, ubique terrarum dextra et honore amplectendum.
In quorum fidem hae literae pro Emerito Socio Doctore Hahnemann manibus sigilloque Archiatrum munitae lubentissime mandantur. Medicis Aedibus Novi Eboraci Ao 1833.
DANIEL L. PEIXOTTE, M.D., Praeses.
FRANCIS W. WALSH, M.D., Scriba.
SAMUEL AKERLY, M.D., Facultatis Scriba.
(English translation of the Diploma):
The Medical Society of the County of New York, to all who read this letter, Greeting, We the President and Members, of this Society and County, hereby resolve,
To elect as Honorary member, Samuel C. F. Hahnemann, the highly esteemed founder of Homoeopathy, whom fame has designated to be a benefactor to Medical and Surgical Science, and who is honourably distinguished by the liberal Arts, and to grant him the authority privileges and concessions which belongs to our Faculty; to him shall be extended our right hand of Fellowship the whole world over, together with our demonstrations of esteem.
( Minutes of medical society of the Country of New York, from 1808-1878. Dr. Gurdy, editor, New York, 1879.)
For this purpose this document provided with the Signature and Seal to the President was gladly compiled for the illustrious Member, Dr. Hahnemann.
Given at the House of the New York physicians in the year 1833.
DAVID L. PEIXOTTE, M.D., President.
FRANCIS W. WALSH, M.D., Secretary.
SAMUEL AKERLY, M.D., Secretary to the Faculty (L.S.).
That the election of Hahnemann as honorary member of the New York Medical Society was not a hasty resolution can be surmised from the fact, that in the interval between the proposal by Dr. Gray, and the actual election a regular and an extraordinary meeting were held. Hahnemann remained an honorary member of the Society until the year 1843, when the Diploma of Honour was with- drawn. In the minutes of that Medical Society, taken from the report of the meeting of July 10th, 1843, it is recorded that: “On the motion of Dr. Jas. R. Manley it was then resolved: That the resolution passed on November 12th, 1832, conferring honorary membership of the Society on Samuel F. Hahnemann, of Germany, is herewith declared invalid. The motion was passed with 28 in its favour and two against.” The opponents of this motion were Drs. Joslin and Bowers.
SUPPLEMENT 137
INVITATION TO COTHEN.
Hahnemann wrote to his friend, Becker of Gotha, on May 10th, 1833:
You will understand from preceding events how necessary it has become for me to gather round me once more my faithful followers for a solemn discussion, and also in order to separate the sheep from the goats, who are trying to spoil our Art with their old allopathic routine. I should like to ask you to insert, the enclosed invitation for this purpose, in your beneficent paper.
The announcement was:
AN INVITATION
for all my genuine pupils and followers to Cothen for August 10th.
In order to celebrate with me the memory of the great Gift given to the world by the Giver of All Good, the new science of treatment, homoeopathy, which in practice brings real help to suffering humanity. I shall take that opportunity to discuss with them the final perfecting of our homoeopathy, and the necessity of preserving it unspoiled, and to encourage them by my example to continue progress towards the desired goal, and to ease my mind by speaking of many matters still very much required for its achievement.
SAMUEL HAHNEMANN.
Cothen, May 10th, 1833.
ATTEMPTS TO EFFECT A RECONCILIATION.
Justizkommissar F.F. Weichsel of Magdeburg, wrote to Hahnemann:
June 21st, 1833.
On this occasion I should like very much to contribute to a reconciliation of the misunderstandings at present prevailing among the homoeopaths of Leipsic. I have personally convinced myself that they are filled with the highest esteem and gratitude for you. Misunderstandings may have been brought about by others, that could easily be settled, if those truly most devoted adherents might hope that they would meet with a friendly reception from you. I wish you would give some slight consideration to my desire, that a division should at all costs be prevented from arising (over non-essential and probably wrongly reported matters). It would be in the highest degree harmful for your great work of reform. You alone can prevent, that, in this way weapons be given into the hands of the adversaries, who will know only too well how to use them.. Besides they are already secretly spreading the rumour that you had made deprecatory remarks about Rummel (the new homoeopathic physician for Magdeburg-R.H.). Now that cannot possibly be correct, as I can deduce with certainty from earlier statements made by you about him, and it would surely be of advantage to the good cause, if at the same time in that letter (the rebuke of the lie that Hahnemann was treated by allopathy-R.H.) you would say some words in favour of Rummel.
Dr. Griesselich to Hahnemann:
Karlsruhe, at present in Lichtenthal near Baden, July 23rd, 1833: May the 10th of August, through your mediation, become a day that will shed its blissful radiance over the whole of that work which owes its life to you. May it forge once more, if possible, the bond of trust and unity, without which the small band of your adherents will go under in the great fight for the good cause.
We have followed with great regret the enmities which you had to endure from those who owed you everything and who should give you nothing but gratitude in return. Well then, most honoured man, fulfil the last, perhaps the most difficult work-be a lenient judge of the faithless, extend your hand to them, in order to shame them more deeply, and restore peace once more in the camp. Then you will celebrate a great triumph by conquering the so-called friends of the cause whilst remaining unconcerned about its adversaries. Take these words which spring from a forgiving heart as the utterances of a faithful and true mind, and clothe Minerva in the garb of peace. Carry the olive branch, while they are preparing a crown of thorns for you.
I am almost half a century younger than you are, and yet I dare to speak to you in this manner; I dare to do it, because I would dare anything for you, even at the risk of displeasing you. I know of no other desire than your prosperity, than that you should be esteemed on all sides. For who has in his own profession brought greater sacrifices and rendered greater service for humanity than you alone? And what has been your reward?.
Dr. Stuler of Berlin, wrote to Hahnemann on July 28th, 1833:
Very esteemed Hofrath and teacher,
I cannot possibly await the arrival of the important month of August, without telling you how much we rejoice over the invitation you have sent out to all your pupils and followers, an invitation truly worthy of your great mind which all your Berlin pupils and admirers, greatly appreciate. I am having a foretaste of the enjoyment which I have again to look forward to after a long time. The communications which we wish to make to one another are probably very numerous and important.
IDEAS FOR AN ORGANISATION OF THE HOMOEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS.
On June 4th, 1833, Dr. Theodore Lutterbeck, of Munster, in Westphalia, wrote a lecture which he sent to Hahnemann for approval with the intention that later, on the 10th of August, Mr. von Boenninghausen might read it at the Homoeopathic Council in Kothen, where he would be the representative for the other two homoeopathic physicians of Munster, Paul Fursting and Th. Lutterbeck, provided Hahnemann agreed with it.
As an introduction Lutterbeck says, that he and his colleague now 60 years of age, had followed for thirty-seven years the old baseless routine treatment with growing anxiety and uncertainty, but now were proud to call Boenninghausen their teacher for the last four years. Then he proceeds:
In the great new science certain points are of course still vague and dark, and the relief it offers in certain rare cases is still insufficient, for example cancer of the breast, and especially, in which cases, however, the old school can do nothing. These points must be further elucidated by experiments on the healthy and by experience from the treatment of the sick. But conceited novices should not arrogate to themselves the right of booming any new idea that comes into their minds as an already established truth, thus belittling and unjustly accusing the new science, and also leading beginners and the public astray. Instead of this, every new discovery, which compared with the original and comprehensive great discovery can only be small, should first be modestly subjected to the discrimination of the great teacher for examination, as long as Providence will still preserve his life for us, and he will then give us the result of his investigations, as he did recently, for instance, over the repetition of doses, in such an instructive and complete manner, that we may expect him to be willing to do it again for his followers in other instances.
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