Do not let them know your displeasure, so that the enemies cannot make a schism of it, as this would harm our cause. Realise your own worth, and smile over it in the firmly rooted assumption that the alliance of these two gentleman will not be lasting.
Cothen, Aug. 5th, 1830.
Dear friend and Colleague,
Enclosed is the communication which I should like to make to the Society on August 10th; have this sheet read slowly, and give an account of this Congress in the Archiv, and if you wish to have this sheet printed as having been read to the Society, it is at your disposal.
If you wish you might do well to communicate, to the Society, the enclosed anonymous leaflet after other discussions have taken place; think it over after perusing it. There are probably a few among them who understand the meaning, and will act in accordance with it — for joking apart — the homoeopathic physician must come to it, that in the end he never gives medicines for the sake of appearance, but only the helpful remedy, where and whenever required — and then all the so-called prohibitions of private dispensing will be overcome, in such a way that no criminal investigations can move in the matter.
Your devoted, SAM. HAHNEMANN.
The first gathering of the Homoeopathic Society was held at Leipsic in 1830, in accordance with a resolution passed at the Doctor’s Jubilee of the preceding year. Hahnemann’s letter was read at this meeting as the “Archiv” reports. It deals with the difficulty of curing long-standing local affections in smaller parts of the body having a large nerve distribution (chronic inflammation of the eyes; old deafness; corroding herpes or otherwise cancer of the face) which have originated from an affliction of psora. Hahnemann demands, in such cases, that the treatment of the inner psora should first be undertaken by suitable diet and appropriate remedies. In addition to that, in very difficult cases the attempt should be made to deviate the eruption of psora from the diseased and delicate organ by procuring for it a larger but less important surface of skin (for instance, the skin of the back). This could be accomplished by applying a thin lead-free plaster, which would act by obstructing the action of the skin, and simultaneously serve as a slight irritant; it should consist of six parts of Burgundy pitch, and one part of starch turpentine, “mixed over burning charcoal, spread on soft wash-leather, and applied warm with uniform pressure.” For the other area Hahnemann advises a locally applied mesmerism, that is, a healthy person applies the thumb or the fingertips tightly pressed together very close to the diseased part for a minute or two, each day, by which means new vitality would be awakened and support in this part.
A second communication dealt with tubercular abscesses of the lungs which apart from diet could be treated with similar plaster applied to the back, and by smelling a globule of the size of a mustard seed, moistened with a suitable antipsoric potentised a decillion times:
The Hahnemann concludes:
Ultimately I desire that every homoeopath who wants to show himself worthy of this high calling, and be a gladdened by the blessings which spring from the true art of healing, should never dishonour himself by using allopathic mixtures, but should carry out his divine profession in a pure and unadulterated way — in all varieties of disease he is to use only genuine decillion times potentised dilutions in the smallest dose of one, two, or at the most three globules moistened with the medicine, and must never arrogate to himself that by larger doses or by more frequent changes of medicines he could bring about a cure in a shorter period of time, by so doing he would harm the patient and his reputation, without being able to remedy the mischief done by his latter repentance. He, who follows most faithfully my true teaching, will be dearest to my heart, will honour himself, and will have a happy conscience.
SAMUEL HAHNEMANN.
Cothen, August 5th, 1830.
According to the “archiv” a discussion on this address did not take place. Also it seems that the second communication of Hahnemann’s mentioned, the “anonymous leaflet” was not read, as the report says nothing about it.
Dr. Trinks to Hahnemann:
Very esteemed Hofrath,
I cannot express in words my feelings when I received and read your kind letter. My very warm thanks for your very great kindness and benevolence with which you make a great repenting sinner happy. I repeat once more that no offence has ever caused me such great grief or such deep remorse as this.
I am very happy that you judge my preface so well; perhaps it will open the eyes of some.
The cholera is coming ever nearer. I almost fear that the cholera will not be very useful to us, because it seems to assume a very mild character. Out of five, at least one ought to die, if the allopathic physicians are to lose all their credit; otherwise the public will not give up its prejudice. It is quite incredible what remedies these people use to make the laity suspicious of homoeopathy.
Accept once more my heartfelt gratitude for your kindness and forbearance on my going astray.
With greatest esteem, Your most grateful, TRINKS.
Dresden, Dec. 10th, ’31.
Very esteemed Hofrath,
The undeserved kindness with which you criticise my last literary work, makes me even more painfully conscious of my former offence, and it makes me feel that I shall have to exert all my strength to rectify — if it can be rectified — the injury I have done you. My thoughtlessness towards you must have grieved you, and such grief disturbs the clearness and peace of mind very much — and this disturbed hour means a loss to your life; and yet you are as kind to me as a father can be towards a grateful son. I shall be happy if you will consider my future achievements as a proof that I am striving with all my might to regain your good will.
My life belongs to science; I consider it my sacred duty to further it as much as I can. You also have sacrificed the whole of yours to it, unconcerned about gratitude or ingratitude, and have trodden the way which you recognised as the right one.
Accept my heartfelt thanks for sending me your portrait; it is a very good likeness, one of the best I have seen, and very neatly and carefully finished. I accept it as a fresh proof of your great kindness.
May the All-Bountiful give to you and also to yours, in this year, unimpaired health and happiness of mind – may He yet preserve you for a long time to science and humanity.
With great veneration and esteem, Your grateful, TRINKS.
Dresden, January 15th, 1832.
Very esteemed Hofrath,
Please excuse my obtrusiveness once more — but your indulgence, though undeserved, of which I have already had proof, gives me courage to ask your advice in a difficulty which has caused me much anxious thought, but for which I have found no solution, however much I have thought and cogitated about it. My inquiry concerns two kinds of disease for which I have not yet been able to find a curative agent. (It is a question of a fundamental form which Trinks calls Neuro-paralysis, or sudden dissolution of the brain energy and nerve life — R.H) Dr. Attomyr told me that you were well and still very active.
May God preserve you to us all, to science and art for many years.
With great esteem, most gratefully, TRINKS.
Dresden, March 26th, ’32.
The last short note, from Trinks, of November 8th, 1832, reads:
Highly esteemed Hofrath,
As I believe that you are at present engaged with the publication of the second volume of the Materia Medica, I would humbly request to insert the enclosed additional note on Rhus tox, as it certainly is important, and I only found during the last few days, that it was mentioned by Wichmann.
At the same time I take this opportunity, to express to you my deepest thanks for the friendly reception accorded to my colleague Wolf, and myself on August 9th.
In the hope that I may still remain in your good will,
I remain with deepest esteem, Gratefully yours, TRINKS.
Dresden, Nov. 8th, ’32.
Ernst von Brunnow wrote to Hahnemann concerning Trinks:
Dresden, December 10th, 1831.
I am glad that Dr. Trinks has repented. He does not belong to the bad people, but only to those who go astray.
14th December, 1831.
Your letter was dispatched immediately: you have made him very happy with it.
Hahnemann again received confidential information directed against those who were disloyal, for instance, in addition to Dr. Lovy’s letter which has already been given, there was the following communication:
Prague April 13th, 1831.
I should have already completed the elaboration ( This dissertation on the conception or polarity in Natural Science –R.H.) if I did not devote so many hours to the study of homoeopathic books, being driven to it by an irresistible inclination, which is all the more inevitable, as I cannot always resist the entreaties of my friends and acquaintances to treat them homoeopathically. I have firmly established for myself the principle, and have not deviated a hair’s breadth from the teachings of the Master, and consider it criminal egotism to pretend to be a homoeopathist, and them to deviate in an arbitrary manner from the teachings it imparts. To those who have warned me against jurare in verba magistri ( swearing by the words of the Master –R.H) I have replied that homoeopathy does not consist of words, but of cleverly discovered laws of nature, and undoubtedly genuine and accurate observations and experiments, and that it simply puts aside words with which whole libraries are filled.
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