The importation of household medicine chests is forbidden in Russian, Austria, and France; the only way in which they are sometimes smuggled in is as chemical preparations. What other experiences have you to relate? I want very much to gain definite knowledge on the subject.
With esteem and friendly devotion, Yours, J. FR. HENNICKE.
Gotha, Dec. 12, 33.
SUPPLEMENT 106
THE OPINIONS OF LAY PEOPLE ON HOMOEOPATHY.
In 1824, Baron von Brunnow (see Vol. I, chapter 27) translated Hahnemann’s Organon” into French, and provided it with an introduction written by himself, which contained a summary of the history, and the main principles of homoeopathy. He sent this translation to various acquaintances, and among others to the Royal Prince Friedrich August of Saxony; he received the following reply:
My dear Mr. Von Brunnow, Without presuming to pass judgment on the great fight between the allopathic and homoeopathic systems, I consider your endeavour to spread a truth of whose importance to mankind you are convinced, most praiseworthy. What would have become of humanity if everything that is new and opposed to the existing conceptions, had been immediately suppressed as fallacious and harmful? I will not declare myself an absolute admirer of Hahnemann’s teaching, for being altogether in ignorance as regards this science, I can neither speak for nor against it, but a sensible man must not despise a scientific structure (if it contains nothing absurd), even if he cannot convince himself of its truth. In that way both systems can exist side by side., until time and experience shall decide for the victory of the one or the other. Through your introductory account I have gained a general idea of the homoeopathic system which I found very interesting, and I thank you very much for it. With sincere esteem, Your devoted, FRIEDRICH AUGUST, Duke of Saxony.
Pillnitz, May 10th, 1824.
In the “Litteraturblatt” of January,1830, Dr. W. Menzel, writes the following concerning literary parties”:
There are also physicists on the extreme right. We see there old sanctified prejudices opposing useful and necessary reforms. In this respect, the truly aristocratic brutality with which the worthy Dr. Hahnemann is treated deserves particularly severe public censure. It is a disgrace to our age that homoeopathy meets with such a harsh reception. In any case it ought either to have been more thoroughly refuted and promptly overthrown, or more fully appreciated and more quickly propagated. Discoveries of such importance, should no longer in our enlightened days, be exposed to the risk of being taken from the nation by the ringleaders of the old school of medicine.
And in No.47 of the “Litteraturblatt” of the year 1830:
We lay people stand in a similar position to the physicians as the laymen at the time of the Reformation did to the priests. There were religious reformers, opposed to the common sense and the interests of the lay people, in order that they might receive their support to assist them in their victory. Now the reformers are pitted against the medical hierarchy, and they too are appealing tot he intelligence and interest of the laity for protection in the good cause. Is our intelligence perhaps less capable of analyzing the medical controversy than the theological one? We shall see.
Are we less interested? Certainly not. In the end every blow that the medical parties strike at each other falls back on us patients, and all the good that they can conceive is ultimately to our advantage, etc.
Rummel to Hahnemann: Magdeburg, 16th April, 1834 Our good Rost (not to be mistaken with the Magistrate Rhost, of Posigk, who did not die until 1844; see Supplement 104- R. H.) had died, a late to save him; he had been treating himself, and probably changed the remedy too frequently. What a terrible fate now befalls the isolated homoeopaths, as if taken seriously ill, they who have so often helped others, can get no help. I did not wish to announce this sad news at the celebration of your birthday. He was a noble man and a true homoeopath. Peace be to his ashes.
Leipsic, 17th December,1831.
Up to the present I have only been able to express my gratitude to you quietly, by openly praising, whenever an opportunity offered itself, your high spirited and philanthropic activities. In my present position I shall certainly be most eager to do all that is in my power to spread among my fellow citizens the appreciation of the system of treatment discovered by you in accordance with Nature’s laws. I shall feel all the more obliged to do so when I consider the results that homoeopathy has already secured for humanity.
DR. JUR. ECKENBERG, Adv.
Reichstrasse, No.433.
Halle, 9th January, 1832.
How sad must those feel who aspiring to something higher, are forced to see how different and infinitely better all things would be if people were willing to have it so. You for instance, very esteemed D., live in a town that does not know how to value the pearl it holds. How you would shine instead at our high school, if that pagan idol, egoism, were not reigning supreme everywhere. How much more useful; you would be here with your teaching, your advice and your activity for the welfare of humanity. Unfortunately the song of that famous poet is also fulfilled in this instance: “When the curtain falls our worth is recognized.” Yes, if you only dwelt in our midst, I would present myself to you at once as your diligent pupil..
DR. CHRIST. ADOLPH BUHLE, Inspect. of the Zoolog.Royal Cabinet of the Friedrich’s University.
Tittmann, Dresden, 17th June, 1831, thanks Hahnemann for a plaster for pains in the limbs, that he,
Immediately applied, in spite of the fact that Trinks frightened me by saying that I would not be able to stand the pain it caused, like many of his other patients. and although the little plaster caused a great deal of irritation and pain, yet I could quite well bear it, especially as it left off for hours, and did not disturb my sleep or interfere with my study of German antiquity. It was kept in position for seven weeks to do its necessary work Our revolutionary events have not made me anxious. I have joyfully watched the doings of the mob, and the purposeless measures directed against it. When I come to see you again, my wife will not let me travel alone, but will come with me so that she may have the pleasure of making your personal acquaintance.
I have read a great deal of your work to her; she too owes her health to your method of treatment, and is an eager propagandist, for she, like myself, is convinced hat I would no longer be alive if I had remained under the old method of treatment. On November 12th of this year, we shall celebrate our silver wedding, and we shall have a good cheer for Father Hahnemann!
We wonder if this celebration took place? Trinks writes to Hahnemann on the 26th March, m 1832:
The Frau Hofrath Tittmann whom you knew, died to neuroparalysis acuta at the age of 45 years. This loss is in many ways a sad one for me.
Dr. Preu, Royal Bavarian Municipal Forensic Physician (Stadtgerichtsarzt) to Hahnemann:
Nurnberg, Ist February, 1832.
I have received from my friend Professor Daumer, who lives here, and is the author of the enclosed little book, ( Communications regarding Kaspar, romantic conjectures. When about 16 years of age, he was handed over to Prof. G. Fr. Daumer, at the expense of the city of Nurnberg, for tutorship and guardianship. On the 17th October, 1829, Hauser was found in the cellar of Daumer’s house, bleeding from a slight incised wound on the forehead. After this he was sent to the house of a merchant at Biberbach, and later to the teacher Meyer in Ansbach. Here he died on December 17th, 1833, after having been mysteriously wounded in the castle grounds) the honoured commission to present to you this book in his name as a token of his veneration. He cannot have the pleasure of doing so himself because many years of physician sufferings and most cruel crippling at the hands of the allopathic physicians have rendered his sight so weak, and irritated his brain-centres so much, that he has to commit all his thoughts to paper by the hands of others.
Having now followed your teaching for ten years, after I had already become almost greyhaired in the old school, I take this opportunity to declare myself one of your most eager disciples, and to tender you, most revered man, the expressions of my unbounded veneration, sincerest affection, and deepest gratitude, with which I am imbued like all those who follow your teaching.
The first volume of the communications concerning Kaspar Hauser contains only the commencement of the homoeopathic experiments made on him. The continuation which proves irrefutably the infinite possibilities of the higher great credit to the penetration of its originator, will be contained in the second volume which is shortly to appear.The author would very much like to procure for the second volume the very honorable distinction of being allowed to dedicate it to you, and in this way pay a trifling tribute of gratitude, which the present generation already owes you, but which future generations will repay in full measure..
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