In this pursuit after truth, he was greatly helped by the action of cinchona. Once he was translating a book where he read that cinchona – bark was used for eradicating malarial fever. He also read that if cinchona is given to a healthy person in large quantities, then he gets cold, fever and sweat etc. which are the symptoms of Malaria as well. Thus he got a clue to the principles that if a drug produces certain symptoms on a healthy human being, the same drug cures all those symptoms found in a patient.
He carried on his experiments on this principle for a number of years. He had to give up his practice and had to undergo many hardships and oppositions from all over the country. Yet he carried on his experiments against all odds, and ultimately declared the principle of Similia Similibus curantur to the world. He called this new system of therapy as Homoeopathy. This principle of Similia was not a new principle to the world. Ayurveda had already referred to this principle in the maxim poison kills poison.
The declaration of this new principle of cure raised a lot of hue and cry amongst the physicians of the world. They unanimously voiced and protested against Hahnemann and his new therapy. Yet they could no silence that Hahnemann, who had sacrificed his medical practice and all his earthly possession for the propagation of those principles. He had to pass through the greatest privations and visscitudes of life and had to migrate from one city to the other and had ultimately to settle in Paris. Here he got the sympathy of the Government and the elite of the town. He continued to practice Homoeopathy here and propagated it with all his vigour.
He wrote numerous articles and delivered numberless speeches in support of Homoeopathy. These writings and speeches had a great impression on the learned doctors of the day and many of them became votaries of his new doctrine. They also experimented on these new principles and when convinced of the truth they vouchsafed them to the world. After great deal of trails and tribulations this therapy got a foot – hold in the hearts of people of Europe and America.
Homoeopathy propounded many other new principles in the therapeutic world. Poly – pharmacy was in vogue in those days, but Hahnemann discarded this and announced the use of single remedy at a time. The second important principle is that the minimum quantity of the medicine gives the maximum benefit. The third principle which this new system propagated was that the power of medicine could be raised by potentisation.
The apothecaries also opposed the new therapy of Hahnemann. According to the law in force in those days, every doctor had to purchase medicines from registered apothecaries only. Dr. Hahnemann and his associates protested against his law. Many suits were filled against him but he carried on his march towards his goal and after many years of continuous fight achieved his mission.
Dr. Hahnemanns First book Organon helped greatly in propagating his principles of new therapy. After that he published his Materia Medica which contains the symptoms of a number of medicines, particularly those which he had experimented on himself and on his disciples. Last of all he published “The chronic Diseases” which created a great effect on his opponents also and they had to submit to the greatness of Homoeopathy.
By this therapy, not only ordinary cases of illness were undertaken but cases of chronic, infectious and epidemic diseases were also treated and cured. The miraculous cures in cholera epidemic created a furor in Europe and America. Homoeopathy has been highly successful in mental and nervous ailments. Homoeopathy also propounded a new principle that Vital Force keeps the human system in healthy equilibrium.
The slackness or failure of the vital force causes all mental and physical ailments and therefore mental symptoms play a vital role in keeping the health of the man. Thus Homoeopathy is the first system which considered the mental side of man first than the physical one. It has been proved that minute homoeopathic medicines play a wonderful part in the treatment of mental ailments e.g., Insanity, Hysteria etc.
Dr. Hahnemann continued to strive for the advancement of Homoeopathy throughout his life. Although he breathed his last on 2nd July 1843 at the ripe age of 88, yet he has become immortal because of his legacy of Homoeopathy to the needy world. He was a saint. We are all reaping the fruits of his Tapassya. Millions of people are getting enamoured of Homoeopathy whose future is extremely bright. Let us pay our grateful homage to this greatest benefactor of mankind and let us pledge ourselves today that we shall keep his candle burning for ever.
HAHNEMANN BI CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
By the Homoeopathic Practitioners Association, Bombay.
Hahnemann Bicentennial Birthday celebrations took place at Blavatsky Lodge, Bombay, on Sunday the 10th instant and it was largely attended by members of all the Homoeopathic Association, sympathisers, as also high dignitaries and officers of the Bombay Government.
The function was presided over by H.E. Dr. Hare Krishna Mehtab Governor of Bombay, after a devotional song sung by a group of young children.
Dr. A.C. Das, the President of the Homoeopathic Practitioners Association, welcomed the guests and requested His Excellency to garland the photograph of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.
This being done, Dr. U.M. Menon, read out the messages received from Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the Vice – President of India, Shri Bala Saheb Kher, Ex – Chief Minister of Bombay, Dr. M.D.D. Gilder, Ex – Health Minister of Bombay, Dr. W.S. Barlingay, M.P. Shri A.K. Gopalan, M.P., Col. K.V. Ramanna Rao, Dr. V.V. Athalye and others.
Shri M.M. Pakwasa, the Ex – Governor of Bombay, then spoke on the life and Mission of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. He suggested that all the Homoeopaths should join together, collect funds and establish a model college and hospital, for this he suggested the constitution of two Committees, one to look after the collections and the other to plan the Institution.
Dr. N.C. Vakil, Shri H.S. Shanker Rao, Dr. F.N. Surveyor and DR. Rai Baxi spoke on the life of Hahnemann.
In his presidential address, H.E. Dr. Hare Krishna Mehtab appealed to the Homoeopaths to take up the suggestions made by Shri Mangaldas Pakwasa and act up to them, so that the establishment of a college and Hospital could be effected in the near future. He said that Bombay Government was taking a good deal of interest in the propagation of Homoeopathy and are sparing no efforts in improving and encouraging this System of Medicine.
Referring to Hahnemann, the Great Founder of Homoeopathy, the Governor said that he was a great benefactor of mankind and advised the homoeopaths to emulate his example and serve the ailing patients. He asked the homoeopaths to shed their inferiority complex and go in for a systematic training in homoeopathy and create the necessary feith in the minds of the public, He averred that this system of medicine has a great future in India provided the right type of people took to it and practised it for the benefit of our masses.
After garlanding the President and singing of Jana Gana Mana, the function terminated.
Calcutta