Cruel hand of death has snapped the last link between the pioneer band of homoeopathists and the present generation of homoeopathic physicians. The news of Dr. Kneers death has just reached us though the event happened on September 30, 1940. Even the Journal of the American Institute of Homoeopathy published this obituary notice as late as in its issue of January, 1941.
Calvin Brobst Knerr, one of the brightest luminaries of the Homoeopathic firmament, was born on December 27, 1847, and died at the good old age of 93 years. He was graduated from The Hahnemann Medical College in February 1869. He was assistant to Dr. Constantine Hering for twelve years, went to Berlin and Vienna to study, and stayed in London in 1873-74.
He married Miss Melitta Hering, the daughter of Dr. Constantine Hering in the year 1873. One daughter and two sons survive Dr. Kent. His contributions to the Homoeopathic literature were numerous and of outstanding merit, but his most laborious, momentous, colossal and perennially valuable work in his REPERTORY TO THE GUIDING SYMPTOMS; this work alone would immortalize Calvin Brobst Knerr.
For a considerable length of time his repertory remained out of print and now its first Indian Edition has been published by Messrs. M. Bhattacharyya & Co., of 84, Clive Street, Calcutta. It was after a prolonged correspondence Dr. Knerr agreed to grant Messrs. M. Bhattacharyya & Co. the exclusive right of publication and to revise the whole work, portions of which he wrote anew for this new edition. His last work is the biography of Constantine Hering, recently published by Messrs. Boericke and Tafel, a most valuable and authentic chronicle of Herings contemporary persons and events.
Dr. W. A. Pearson writes, “His home on Camac Street was filled with books, pictures and momentoes pertaining to homoeopathy. The original letters written to Constantine Hering by Samuel Hahnemann were probably the most prized possession. Several of these letters have been published in Hospital Tidings during the past year and afford much reliable information concerning Homoeopathy. Most of these historic treasures have been presented to The Hahnemann Medical College”.
To quote Pearson again, “Dr. Knerr lived a long and useful life and we should rejoice that he fulfilled a very important mission so ably”.
Indian Homoeopathists have one great reason to be perpetually grateful to Dr. Knerr in giving this country the proud privilege of publishing his renowned Repertory.
His was a life of unceasing work, and even when confined to bed he actually prescribed for his patients. And now.
“Gods finger touched him, and he slept”.
Calcutta
Chief Editor, Homeopathic Herald