You wish to know something about my activities since I came here? I, personally, am feeling much better and happier under the unceasing care and unprecedented love of a dear Melanie, that I was during the last years in Cothen. She daily teats gratuitously a large number of poor patients under my supervision, which, however, she hardly needs now, because through her own study of our which can be called natural, a s these poor people are too impecunious, and have therefore escaped being wrongly treated by other pernicious methods, like the more favoured and rich, amazed everybody and at times even myself. I did not wish to write anything for France, or what is equivalent, anything for paris, in order to make our science better known in this honorable land of freedom; that is a land where much good can be accomplished without being hundred or punished. Since almost too much has already been written, which leaves unconverted the unbelievers, the ignorant and those who do not enquire.
No! I wished to convinced by continuously curing those worst kind of diseases which have remained uncured, a nd show by facts the infinite advantages of our science over all that ever was called meticulousness-a task which seemed almost impossible for s strange in a city of one million inhabitants. yet, thank God, this task has already been accomplished to a large extent. The Parisian people are beginning to respect our art but reason of the constant favorable results. I did not wish for more and yet through this persistence on may part of achieving real cures, the slackness of all those homoeopaths in Paris and the provinces has gradually kindled to an eager study of this most difficult and most beneficent of all human sciences.
Every Monday evening, from eight to half-past ten, a number of the best local homoeopaths gather here in my spacious house for a discussion on homoeopathy subjects, also homoeopathic physicians and friends of our science, who are passing through Paris, take part in this informal gathering.
Your news from, Rome, Munich, and North America, was not altogether unknown to me, and was very agreeable.
May God keep you and yours, and further your well-being, a nd keep unchanged your affection for me, which I shall always resurrect.
Yours,
SAMUEL HAHNEMANN.
Paris December 15th 1837.
Rue de Malign No.1.
Kind regards to Dr. Plaubel.
Now Dr. J. Fr. Hennicke relates further in his” Allg. Anz. der D,” No.`143, of 1838 (May 22nd):
That in Gotha a bust of Hahnemann, in bas-relief of plaster, executed by Prof. Doll, could be purchased for the sum of 6 Gr.
This is the only really true likeness, half life size, copied from a bronze by the famous sculptor, david of Paris, who has also executed a large must of Hahnemann in Carrara marble, which was presented in Paris on February 19th of this year, with suitable ceremonial festivities to the Nestor of German physicians, by physicians and friends of homoeopathy in Paris.
Hennicke then continues:
The undersigned was very pleasantly surprised when he received on May 3rd of this year that bronze base relief, accompanied by a friendly letter in Hahnemann; sown handwriting as a token of remembrance, presented to him by one of his daughters who was returning home from Paris. he also had the great pleasure of seeing two portraits in oil of Dr. H.. representing the half-figure in life size. They were truly artistic reproductions. They were executed with distinguished talent by ‘Melanie,” Hahnemann’s young wife, and represent the physiognomy of the clear thinker and deep searcher with life- like likeness and warmth.
SUPPLEMENT 171
NO RETURN TO GERMANY.
Hahnemann to Boenninghausen: Paris, September 18th, 1836.
I have spent many hours about it as is only right (concerns a ‘letter which had been lost-R. H.) although my hours of leisure are very few. Because I am in the midst of a large practice which includes local parsonages of high rank,. and I have the best results, and can therefore hardly protect myself from the onrush. Here they know how to to appreciate and how to remunerate a true physician, by which the costly living of this place is compensated. Through my activities our science has already acquired great honour here.
Even if I were fifty to sixty years younger I would never think of returning to Germany. I am in better health and happier than I ever was in my life, and I wish you the same.
I only wish you were here, but no one else; therefore do not speak of this wish of mine to any other homoeopath, because only you would be in the right place here, others would only be a burden to me and to themselves, as has already happened with some Germans here in Paris.
SUPPLEMENT 172
DR. DETWILLER’S VISIT TO HAHNEMANN ON BEHALF OF THE HOMOEOPATHIC ACADEMY OF ALLENTOWN.
Dr. Heinrich Detwiller, hen 85 years cold, related at a banquet of the Homoeopathic Medical Society of Pennsylvania, in Easton, on September 8th, 1888 :”Trans. World’s Homoeopathic Convention,” 1876.Vol. II, page 783. The above is a copy from Dr. Detwiller’s original manuscript which is in the possession of Dr. J. C. Guernsey if Philadelphia. See also Bradford, “Life and letters of Hahnemann.” p.336.
A little more than forty-four years ago I sailed to Europe. My main object was to interview Dr. S. hahnemann in paris, Professor Schoelein of Zurich and Professor Weber in Freyburg, in. the interests of the Allentown academy of the Homoeopathic Healing Art.
Dr. Hahnemann and lady received me with marked kindness, and he was very much surprised at our enterprise in establishing an Institute to teach Homoeopathy, more so when I told him th Dr. C. hering was the pivot of he enterprise. I solicited his advice of it were probably to obtain material aid amongst the friends in Europe in subscribing stock, to which he answered that he would take th matter in due consideration, and held forth the hope to do something toll my next visit.
On my next visit in october, 1836, he stated his inability to obtain, or give himself, pecuniary aid, but he would send us his life-size marble statue then just in course of sculpture by the famous sculptor David in paris. He kept his word, but by shipwreck the statue was lost. On my departure he implored God’s blessing to our enterprise, and madame, with a parting kiss, jointed with the imploration that the good work begun might prosper and spread like the Christian religion all over the world.
SUPPLEMENT 173
HAHNEMANN AND THE ALLENTOWN ACADEMY FOR HOMOEOPATHIC SCIENCE
Hahnemann to Dr. Hering of Philadelphia:
Dearest and keenest further of our Science,
Apparently through some bad stroke of luck both my letters addressed to you were lost and did not reach your hands. In the first one I thanked you for having elected me Honorary President of the Hahnemann Society of Philadelphia and for the Diploma of Honour which was sent to me, The second letter contained a detailed description of my unpleasant connection with the German Homoeopaths. the first letter was sent through the Prussian post-office of Hamburg; the second through the ‘Homoeopath” of Bremenlehe. I have come actually much closer in touch with you through the regular and sure connection via Havre.
I am now in Paris where I shall probably settle. My second incomparable wife, Marie Melanie d. Hervilly, who is a model of scientific and artistic achievements and industry, a nd who is endowed with a noble heart and clear intelligence, loves me immeasurably, and makes a heaven of earth. In her youth she was very much esteemed and valued by the intellectual society here; were we marked at Cothen on January 18th, 1835, and have been living in Paris since 25th June, 1835. She has already acquired much skill in our divine science of healing through her diligence and has already achieved many brilliant cures in chronic disease among poor patients all this has made me ten years younger and never re-marrying. My Melanie senses all my wishes and acquirements without awaiting a hint from me. She is angel in human from
I study very little at present, a s I have scant leisure for racing.
I am very glad to hear of your fine Institute, the Homoeopathic Academy of Allentown. You have already surpassed at we can produce in this respect in Europe. Your journal, the ‘Correspondence Blatter,” which you were to kind as to send me is very practical and written in excellent spirit. But you must see that your colleagues write good German. Abbreviations have their limits. it is not possible to leave out the necessary articles and prepositions. That the Academy is German and is to remain German is patriotic and certainly of advantage to the science, because it was born on German soil and we can count upon it that from these amplifications and additions will come forth as soon as the deliberate fooleries, which now distort it and which have their origin in shameless ignorance, vanity and laziness, have been put in the pillory for their shallowness and futility.
I hope that you may find a capable man for your hospital who will gather the students round him when he visits his patients, and who dictates, in their presence, his notes to the assistant, and later on also notes alternations in the condition of the patients at subsequent visits, and then will give a lecture about it which shall last from one to two hours.
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