Hahnemann’s Removal to Kothen



Hahnemann’s favourite retreat was the little garden behind the yard paved with flagstones, and closed by a gate overgrown with a bower of foliage (?-R.H.).It was well kept; gravel paths divided the small beds edged in with box-tree; at the far end was the low bower, which in summer time was hung with heavy draperies and overgrown with ivy, where the above mentioned bust by steinh user was moulded and where the musing Master liked to work during the fair time of the year, as where he spent many hours in the morning, saw patients, or took his breakfast, etc.

Dr. Arthur Lutze describes in his “Fliegende Bltter” (No. 7 of April 10th, 1859)

Hahnemann’s house after having seen it himself.

The room on the left next to the entrance was used as a study and consulting room, while the room on the right, together with a back room, were used as waiting-room for patients. In the first are still to be found this furniture and remembrances, which he had received from friends and pupils. In the room on the right hangs the beautiful oil painting of Hahnemann by Schoppe, which he had received from friends and pupils. In the room on the right hangs the beautiful oil painting of Hahnemann by Schoppe, which his pupils gave him for his Doctor’s Jubilee on August 10th, 1829. There is also the bust by Steinh user of Rome, which, too, was modelled at that time.

The first floor of the house was occupied, in Hahnemann’s time, by the family.

Passing through a very clean yard paved with flagstones we reach the small but dainty garden, thirty steps long and twelve steps wide, at the back of which is a bower overgrown with ivy.

In this garden he (the Master) used to walk, leaning on the arm of one of his daughters, sometimes even as late as midnight on beautiful summer nights, in order to recuperate after the work and trouble of the day.

Dr. Rapou went to visit Hahnemann at then in 1832; the following extract is taken from his description. (Histoire de la doctrine Homoeopathique. Paris, 1847. Vol. 2, p. 287. 🙂

It is four years (1832) since my father and I journeyed thither in one of those basket-work carriages of the Prussian post, over a miserable road, broken and muddy, to the modest home of Hahnemann. In this peaceful little country town, the reformer had found the ardently desired rest, which had been taken from him after his great discovery. There he lived entirely devoted to his art. He carried on a very extended correspondence with his partisans, answered their objections, aroused those among them who were indifferent, admonished his pupils, and punished with reprobation those who transgressed his precepts.

SUPPLEMENT 80

HAHNEMANN IN THE FAMILY CIRCLE.

Seminardirector Albrecht of then, writes in his book, “Dr. Samuel Hahnemann’s Life and Work” :

Hahnemann felt happiest among his family, and showed here better than anywhere else his amiable, happy and cheerful disposition. He jested with his children during the time that he could give to them, sang short lullabys for them, wrote little poems in the most affable and fatherly way, after first taking care to instruct them about the most varied things and to explain what was of importance, and encouraged them by examples to do their duty, to be virtuous an steadfast. For these examples he referred them mostly to their mother-to her whose active life was entirely dedicated to her wifely and motherly duties. Frequently he read to his family exceptional passages from the works that he himself was reading, and drew their attention to the works of his well-stocked library, which dealt exceptionally well with the same or similar subjects. He and his wife were sworn enemies of novels, and would only occupy themselves with reality.

SUPPLEMENT 81

HAHNEMANN’S WORKING DAY.

Dr. Franz Hartmann wrote (“Allg. hom. Ztg.,” 1844, Vol. 26, Page 184):

His consulting hours were from 9 to 12 in the morning, and from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. The admission into his house was unusual. During the time in which I was in touch with him, he lived in two houses consecutively, where near the hall- door was to be found a small trap-window, in which appeared, every time the bell rang, a girl’s head, which looked to like the guardian of a watch-tower, in order to inspect the new arrival; this office was performed by one of his two daughters, who took it on alternate weeks. On entering his room one usually found already a large number of patients, to whom in turn he gave an equal amount of attention. A square table of medium size, near the window, was provided with writing material. It was at this table that he dealt with his patients; he examined them carefully and wrote down even small and apparently insignificant details of his patient in an oblong quarto-size book, which he closed each time when he went into another room to fetch some necessary medicine. If is memory wan not quite accurate or if he had some slight doubt concerning the choice of medicine, before preparing it he went to a large square table which stood in the middle of the room on which were placed two large thick folio-volumes which he consulted; in these had been arranged in alphabetical order, all the symptoms proved by himself and his pupils.

(A) brilliant piece of work-the arranging of symptoms in alphabetical order, carried out as a rule by one of his daughters, and his assistant.) When he handed over the medicine to the patient, he did not withdraw the hand, which was quite as read to give as to receive, until the previously stipulated fee was placed in it, he then cautiously withdrew the same and dropped the mammon into his right trouser pocket to join the amount already present. When the clock struck twelve and four, no more patients were admitted, because punctually to the minute he was summoned to his meal, and nothing could easily keep him back; but if in the eagerness of conversation, as I once or twice witnessed myself, he had disregarded the first or even the second call, a third one would follow only the more quickly, and then he would smilingly remark: “This time I shall get a gloomy look!”

Albrecht gives the following accurate order of the day:

Hahnemann’s day was strictly regulated. The great scholar rose in the summer at 6, and in the winter 7 in the morning, drank a few cups of cow’s milk (warm) lit a pipe, and went for a walk in his little garden. After this he either interviewed his patients, or wrote letters to his distant friends. According to the time of the year he ate a little fruit at 10 o’clock. At 12 o’clock he had his dinner, and generally partook of some strong beef or mutton both, some very tender roast beef, mutton or game of any kind, roasts of larks, pigeons, and others. He liked veal and pork least; stewed fruit had to be very sweet to please him. With the exception of green beans, cauliflower, and spinach, he would take no vegetables; he preferred cake to bread. At meals he would drink a little good wine if he had guests; has daily drink was sweetened pale ale. After dinner he slept for on hour on the couch, then attended again to his patients until 7 o’clock, which was his hour for supper; in the winter he had warm milk; in the summer pale ale Kalteshale. After supper he went, winter and summer, for a walk in the garden. His companion in hi walks was, for a time, a small pet dog, who also remained close to him at meals. After spending an hour in the sitting room with his family, he went into his study, where he wrote at his book or did other work until 11, 12, or 1 o’clock.

SUPPLEMENT 82

THE QUESTION OF FEES.

Dr. Franz Hartmann wrote (“Allg. hom. Ztg.,” 1844, Vol. 26, p. 185):-

The fee for six numbered powders, only one of which contained medicine, and which were ordered to be taken three or two a day, and was charged at the lowest 16 gute Gr. (Is. 6d.), to wealthier patients I Thlr. and 8 g.Gr. (3s.), up to 2 Thlr. (5s.), otherwise he asked for a payment in advance of a certain sum of 10-12 Loud d’or, which he demanded again ad libitum, after a certain length of time. It was this latter mode of proceeding which brought him the bad reputation of being insatiable and avaricious, etc., and not without reason. Once I was forced, as I was his assistant for a time, to witness a scene of that kind in his own room, when a patient from outside the town, who was suffering from Lues secundaria cum hydrargyrosi litt. had asked for his help, and of whom he demanded 10-12 Louis d’or at his second visit. The patient would not pay but promised to pay 20 Louis d’or at the completion of the cure. Hahnemann closed his journal a little excitedly, and now asked definitely for 12 Louis d’or, before he moved his hand again, for-he meant- “with such a patient, one has to be keen about one’s money.” This behaviour provoked me very much at the time, but I could readily forgive him, when he afterwards quietly assured me that the people had forced him to adopt this seemingly hardhearted method, by their ingratitude and deceit, seeing that it was impossible for him to run after patients who lived far away.

Richard Haehl
Richard M Haehl 1873 - 1932 MD, a German orthodox physician from Stuttgart and Kirchheim who converted to homeopathy, travelled to America to study homeopathy at the Hahnemann College of Philadelphia, to become the biographer of Samuel Hahnemann, and the Secretary of the German Homeopathic Society, the Hahnemannia.

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