H.
GRIESSELICH WITH HAHNEMANN AT KOTHEN.
In his “Sketches from the diary of a travelling Homoeopath,” Dr. Griesselich, of Karlsruhe, describes his impressions of Hahnemann, in the following clear way:
Hahnemann, now at the age of 77 years, showed in every action all the vigour of a young man. No trace of old age could be detected in his physical appearance except the white locks surrounding his temples, and the bald crown covered by a velvet cap. Small and sturdy of form, Hahnemann is lively and brisk; every movement is full of life. His eyes reveal his inquiring spirit; they flash with fire of youth. His features are sharp and animated. Old age seems foreign to body and mind. His language is fiery and fluent; often it becomes vehement as a stream of lava against the enemies and persecutors not of himself personally (that he never mentioned) but of the truths which he challenged his adversaries to test, for humanity’s sake, for so many decades. His memory seems excellent; after long interludes he contains where he left off. When he becomes very heated in conversations, either about friend or foe, or on scientific subjects, and this happens frequently, his words flow forth uninterruptedly, his manner becomes extremely animated, and an expression appears on his countenance, which the visitor admires in silence. Perspiration covers his lofty brow; his cap has to come off and his head cooled with a handkerchief; the long pipe, his trusty companion, has gone out in the meanwhile and must be relighted by the taper that is at hand and kept burning all day. The white beer must not be forgotten! The versatile old man has grown so accustomed to this sweetish beverage that a large covered glass of it is constantly in readiness on his table. He also drinks this sweetish beer at meals, with which we from South Germany are not familiar. He does not drink wine, and his mode of life is generally very simple, abstemious and patriarchal.
If the traveller mentions here these seemingly insignificant details, which may provide material for the satirist to sharpen his wits on, it is because he had in view the many personal friends of the great man, and also he thought of those who are devoted to him although they have never met him face to face. the intellectual rapport likes some physical points of contact. Hahnemann is very communicative in his conversation; the traveller experienced this in full measure, and will never forgot it. As years ago he foolishly ridiculed the illusion of small doses, so now he asked, in his heart, the old man, whom he would then have hurt, to forgive him. This inward humiliation was all the more deserved, as now having been convinced by visible proof, he embraced the teachings of the man whom he treated with the help of ridicule instead of paying attention to his words. The traveller experienced the same humiliation with Marenzeller of Vienna. When a man has to blush before his own conscience it is often worse than before strange witnesses, but it brings better results.
In earlier days Hahnemann had not been so communicative as he is now. He was much misjudged on that account. If we consider that this man had been exposed to unending persecutions, and was at times deceived by persons who were closely attached to him, and if we further consider that many other serious misfortunes gathered round him, we should not be surprised at his reticence.
Hahnemann’s conversation largely partakes of the nature of polemics. The traveller has heard various criticisms regarding these discussions, but forbears to pass any judgment himself, as he is of opinion that Hahnemann well knows if his polemics are of some use or not.
The traveller has heard much about the deficiencies of homoeopathy from Hahnemann, which he is not quite able to reproduce here; he has also heard confessions about cases where it failed to cure.
The traveller had an opportunity to admire Hahnemann’s accurate examination of patients; he inquired into every detail, and entered it at once in a book which formed a continuous record.
The noblest work after the Materia Medica Pura, which could only have been completed by indefatigable diligence, and through the deepest conviction of the utter futility of our rational, materia medica, is without doubt the “Chronic Diseases.” He who does not become convinced of the truth in homoeopathy through these books will never be convinced by anything else.
Hahnemann continues to work, and we can be certain that he will not yet close, for a considerable time, the circle of his observations and investigations; he would not rest even if he were the most celebrated physician of the nineteenth century, so full of celebrities, or if he were overburdened with all the cups from all the Universities, with the joyous acknowledgments of all the medical colleges, or if he were blessed with all the wine of all the toasts drank to his health by doctors without titles. Work has become a necessity to him; to rest on acquired fame he leaves to those Coryphoei who sit on their self-erected thrones and look down despisingly with proud countenance upon the doings of the miserable worms below them. Looks which become especially violent when the worms put their masticatory implements in motion. The traveller thinks that he may further assume that Hahnemann has yet many results in store which he keeps back for further evidence. The history of his discovery shows that he asserts nothing which he cannot prove from experience, and that he is very careful in publishing results. ( See “Chronic Diseases” Vol.I, page.7, Annotation: “I never let anything of this be known, because it is not seemly, yes even prejudicial, to speak or write on immature subjects.) He has no other reasons for this than those he acknowledges himself, ” that this path of life is not devoid of joys on account of his high aspirations.
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