Hahnemann associated me with his work; I served as interpreter and secretary when patients came to consult him, because he wrote everything; as his doctrine rests entirely upon the expression of symptom it cannot be practised without written notes. He made me learn his “Materia Medica pura,” a dry and difficult study; but as I possess an extraordinarily good memory it remained so well and so completely impressed upon my mind that whilst the patient told his symptoms I pointed out, in German to the doctor, the remedies in which this symptom was to be found. In this way I considerably shortened for him the search that every homoeopathy however capable is obliged to make if he wishes to cure. Hahnemann had created the “Materia Medica” but he did not remember all the single details so well as I did. When he once had the few remedies which I indicated to him and from which he always made his selection, his work became so easy that he could see a larger number of patients without becoming tired out each time. It gave him inexpressible joy to disclose to me all the mysteries of his science of healing. I must have been very stupid if I had not made rapid progress with such a teacher. He entrusted me entirely with the treatment of the poor who came at four o’clock and frequently numbered more than a hundred. Hahnemann sometimes looked in at this consultation hour more for the sake of enjoying the benedictions which were showered upon me, and for the sake of seeing me distribute the alms which I gave to the working people, who in their illness lacked necessaries, than in order to solve medical difficulties which might impede my work; for the good results were constant. The large afflux of patients proved it. All that I did in those days passed for his work, and I was quite satisfied that it should be so, and when he said to me: “Really I could not do better myself, I wish the world could know what a good homoeopath you are” (this was written by him own hand) I used to reply:
My life to yours is closely bound, To your happiness devoted, My place in your noble heart I found, No other in this world do I desire.
(The above words are engraved on Hahnemann’s watch chain-R.H.)
Hahnemann’s results overshadowed very much the other homoeopathic of Paris, and they, like those of Germany, gave away to petty jealousies; in order to depreciate him they said: “Hahnemann is only an old ruin, a shadow of his former self; what good can he do at his age? It is his wife who does everything.” The public replied: “They cure a lot in that house; the marvellous cures which issue from there re-echo throughout the world, and if they are not accomplished by the Doctor, Madame Hahnemann must be a very good homoeopath.” As regards fees Hahnemann only demanded payments from rich people. He said to them: “I am the servant of the poor, but not yours; if you spend considerable sums on useless trifles you can well afford to pay the physician who saves your life and give him what he demands.” But then his claims were very modest, usually 100 francs, and they never exceeded 400 francs a month even when the illness required constant attention, and frequently nightwork, so that it often happened that the fees requested by the second physician who was asked by the family to announce a bulletin about the patient several times a day, were considerably higher than those which Hahnemann demanded. For instance, for the serious illness of the Marquise of L., daughter of the millionaire Colot, Dr. Hahnemann received, 1,600 francs, and his useless adjunct physician drew 2,500 francs.
When the rich patients were cured they raised strong objections to the fees and frequently refused to pay the doctor what they promised when they had implored with hands raise in supplication whilst their life was threatened. These ungrateful patients made much ado about the costly fees that Dr. Hahnemann demanded, but who forced them to demand his advice? His enemies, the doctors without practices and their friends, repeated these unjust accusations which they imbued with their own venom, and with the most absurd fables. I will quote two examples which will prove, in one case injustice and in the other the absurdity of patients.
A very rich man in a desperate plight asked Hahnemann to visit him a few days before the amputation of a leg. The surgeon had been appointed, the fee was agreed upon, and the sum was considerable. Hahnemann said to the patient: “Before amputating your leg we ought to try and cure it.,” “If you cure my leg,” was the reply,” I will give you half of my fortune.” Fifteen months later the leg was cured; the patient’s gratitude cooled with the progress of the cure, so much so that once cured, Hahnemann not seeing his patient again and healing that he was going to start on a journey sent him a message to call first and settle his accounts. “You promised me a great deal.” said Hahnemann to him,” but I am easy to manage. I only demand, for saving your leg, the sum which you promised to the surgeon for the amputation,” At these words the man jumped up in fury, and looking at Hahnemann angrily said: “For that fee I could have had an operation.” The former replied with his usual angelic tranquillity: “You would have had an operation and one leg missing. You well deserve the contempt that you inspire me with ” He gave Hahnemann 1,600 francs for fifteen months constant treatment, and he was multi- millionaire! I was indignant and wished to return this sum, but Hahnemann said : ” No, no, he would only be too pleased.”
An English peer came to consult Hahnemann and to be treated by him; he was very intemperate and drank four or more bottles of wine daily. Hahnemann wished to reduce this quantity but the Englishman would not be rationed; they were arguing to and fro when the physician becoming impatient said to him: “Well, Milord, if you do not wish to obey me, I do not wish to treat you, because I shall not cure you.” Then the Englishman became more and more angry, and after doubling redoubling the amount of the fees agreed upon, said: “And what does it matter to you if you do not cure me, if only I pay you.”
The first story proves the general ingratitude of patients after they have been cured; the other the general delicacy and nobility of Hahnemann’s conscience.
In addition to making me work as hard as I have just said, and sometimes I was dead tried, Hahnemann gave me medicines in order to experiment upon me as he had done upon himself: I resigned myself to these painful experiences, partly in order to work at the Materia Medica and partly in order to prevent Hahnemann having to experience himself the torments of the experiments; for his great age and his health required medicines which he had not taken hitherto. I now suffered as he had once suffered and an important work which is not yet finished will be the result of it. It will be of great use to homoeopathic science by filling in the empty spaces in the provings which were already known, and my making known many new remedies to be experimented with; that is why I am still obliged to see patients and the reason which makes me desire to keep in touch with them.
At the end of his life Hahnemann realised the seriousness of his condition and gave me some instructions. The terrible sorrow caused by the prospect of having to lose him soon, instead of weighing my soul down, illumined it and made it soar to a higher level where it became equal to these terrible circumstances. Two days before leaving me he said to me: “I have chosen you among all my disciples and I leave you my scientific heritage which is of such importance to humanity. Continue to work as we have done for such a long time, carry on my mission; you know Homoeopathy and you know how to cure as well as I do.” I replied: “But I am a woman, my body has grown tired, my hair has become white under the strain of this difficult work, I have well earned a little rest.” “Rest!” said Hahnemann, and raised himself up in his bed, “Have I ever rested? forward against the wind, struggle against the strain, always cue and everywhere, and by constantly curing you will compel justice to be done to you; current opinion will support you respectfully after having opposed you on your path. Call faithful disciples to your side, teach them all that I could not tell them, what you alone now know; hand on my tradition, and when your hour to leave this earth has arrived, come and join me where I shall await you. Your body will be put in the same coffin as mine, not beside mine, but inside and they will write on our tomb:
Heic nostro cineri cinis, ossibus ossa sepulcro.
Miscentur vivos ut sociavit amor.
(As love united us in life, so does the tomb. Ashes to ashes and bones to bones.)
I promised all he wanted; then he added: “God will recompense you,” and five minutes before he departed he said to me full of tenderness: “You will be mine in eternity.” These were his last words.
My despair can only be measured by the immensity of my devotion. I suffered the most terrible affliction, my sorrow was so intense that there can be nothing like it in store for me again on earth. Nevertheless my courage was as great as my despair. I had Hahnemann’s body embalmed in my own presence and I laid down on his bed for eleven days at the side of his inanimate body with which I should have liked to be laid out in the tomb.
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