CURANTUR VS CURENTUR


Such shining lights as Hughes, Dudgeon and most of the translators of Hahnemanns works consistently employed curentur. Only Stratten, who translated the fourth edition of the Organon, took, the liberty of changing the curentur of the original to curantur, as it was also written by Hering in his introductory remarks to the same volume.


From time immemorial, men have argued and even fought to the death over matters insignificant or actually trivial. In Greece, many centuries ago, two factions in a religious controversy fought a bloody battle over the mere spelling of a slogan, one side contending vehemently that is should be homoion, (literally similar), the other that homoiousion (of similar essence), was the only acceptable form.

For more than a century the homoeopathic fraternity has waged internecine warfare, bloodless to be sure but none the less persistent, over the two very small letters a and e. On the one hand stand those who contend that the Latin phrase or maxim expressing the method for finding the homoeopathic remedy should be written similia similibus curantur, on the other are those who are equally firm in the contention that the only correct reading is similia similibus curentur. Perhaps the matter is no more vital to the welfare of the homoeopathic school than were homoion and homoiousion to the Hellenic enthusiasts of old.

Even if the entire profession should vote unanimously for one or the other version, the law of similars would still continue to the basic law of cure. It is interesting to note that the advocates of curantur are, for the most part, those who adhere strictly to the teachings of the Organon; while the champions of curentur are to be found chiefly among the more liberal element of the homoeopathic ranks. Boenninghausen, Hering, Lippe, Wesselhoeft and other staunch disciples of the Master, invariably wrote curantur,.

Such shining lights as Hughes, Dudgeon and most of the translators of Hahnemanns works consistently employed curentur. Only Stratten, who translated the fourth edition of the Organon, took, the liberty of changing the curentur of the original to curantur, as it was also written by Hering in his introductory remarks to the same volume.

There are two considerations involved in the controversy: the exact meaning of the word itself and the form which Samuel Hahnemann deemed most appropriate.

Similia similibus curantur is usually translated likes cure likes; similia similibus curentur, or the subjective of the verb, let likes be cured by likes. I have a notion that the loyal followers of Hahnemann adopted curantur mainly because they felt that its meaning was more positive and that it proclaimed the law of similars as the only law of cure; the liberals, curentur as suggesting that the indicated remedy might sometimes fail. Yet the phrase similia similibus curantur is shown to be even more positive than its alternative, for, correctly translated, it reads let likes be cured by likes, which is in the nature of a command. This was perceived by Rau when he wrote in his Organon, similia similibus curanter, likes are to be cured be likes.

Haehl, in his Life and Letters of Samuel Hahnemann, refers to the fact that Hahnemann never wrote curantur, and mentions Dudgeons remarks on the subject.

Dudgeon, in a footnote to the appendix of his translation of the fifth edition of the Organon (London, 1893) wrote as follows:.

“The Latin formula employed by Hahnemann is frequently written erroneously similia similibus curantur and, as erroneously translated likes cure likes, Hahnemann was to good a Latin scholar to use the verb curare in the sense of to cure; besides he always wrote the formula similia similibus curentur, thereby giving an imperative or mandatory turn to the phrase. the translation must evidently he let likes he treated by likes. This is evident be a therapeutic maxim or rule. In the first edition of the Organon he calls the phrase guide to the true way of healing, (Anleitung zum “achten Heilweg) In the second, third and fourth editions it is the maxim (Satz). In the three first editions the Latin formula comes in after the German paraphrase.

In the fourth edition the Latin precedes its vernacular paraphrases. In the fourth edition the Latin precedes its vernacular paraphrase. In the fifth edition a different arrangement is adopted. The Latin formula is no longer in conjunction with its paraphrase, but occurs in the preceding paragraph and is there termed the only therapeutic law comfortable to nature (das ainzig naturgemasse Heilgesetz).

The German phrase is still, however, maxim (Satz) By the dislocation of the at in formula from its German equivalent and by its being no longer termed Satz., i.e. maxim, but Heilgesetz,liberally,law of healing, it would seem as though Hahnemann was in incorrect rendering by the phrase likes cure likes. In the aphroristic portion is extinguished by a stronger similar one. (Par.24-26.) From this the therapeutic rule, treat likes by likes,is a obvious logical deduction.

It would appear that the learned translator,after putting to shame those who presumed to employ the word curantur and what he terms its erroneous translation, relents and finishes his paragraph with evidence plainly justifying their use of the positive form of the verb.

The fact is that Dudgeon himself errs as to the translation of the word curare. It primary meanings to be sure, are to care for, to be solicitous for, or, to treat. But there are several derivative meanings, , all of them legitimate. Any of the larger Latin dictionaries will reveal the fact that curare, when used in connection with medicines, means to cure or to heal.

It would seem therefore that the use of curantur or curentur is a matter of individual opinion or choice, but that, in deference to Hahnemann and his very evident desire, the slogan of homoeopathy should always be similia similibus curentur.

DISCUSSION.

DR.C.F.O.MEISSLER: I am not a member: I just happen to be a Latin scholar and want to speak about curantur.

Curantur means to cure. Curentur has a different meaning entirely. That means get away, run away, afraid of the objects.

You have a given case sifted down. You are sure the medicine is going to cure the case. You say curare. If you are uncertain, it might be Bryonia or something else, then express it curentur.

I am quite positive Hahnemann never said curentur. when the Hahnemann monument was built (the original model is now in the Patent Office) the inscriptions bore the word curantur. When it was put in place, they changed it to curentur.

My father, E.G.H.Meissler, wrote to Dr.S.Hahnemann, grandson of Samuel, in London at that time. He expressed himself as very much surprised that they should change that model. I think we are l in the wrong when we say curentur.

DR.ALFRED PULFORD: If you have a case, curable, that comes, and is properly taken, and the remedy properly applied, you will get curantur always, without fail. If you have a case in which there is any doubt and your remedy is not indicated in the case, then you can come back to your term curentur.

I think the distinction is that in Hahnemanns time they didnt have the experience back of them that has been brought about since, and, consequently, we have been able to confirm in all the curable cases that the word curantur is predominant.

DR.FARRINGTON:It looks as though all my efforts were entirely frustrated, knocked out. Dr.Meissler says Hahnemann never used curantur. Was it changed in the German edition as Dr.Meissler, who probably knows German, has read? I have access to only one, which I own, and it is there, and in other parts of Hahnemanns works. did all the translators change it?.

As I said in the paper, it probably does not make a great deal of difference, and I want to thank Dr.Pulford for his kindly words, in a measure compromising on the subject and helping me out, because we do have use for both; that is a fact; so when we see curantur, we know that it is so. We cannot agree with Dudgeon that it is wrongly translated. When we say Curentur we may be talking to our students and prospective converts to homoeopathy: Let likes be cured by likes.

Dr.MEISSLER: In that same connection, let us spell our name right and add that one 0 to the homoeopathy.

DR.FARRINGTON: I am inclined to think that Dr.Meissler is misinformed. Richard Haehl of Stuttgart was a classmate of mine and I knew him well. For years after returning to Germany he collected personal letters, records and information regarding the life and work of Hahnemann, and finally wrote the book referred to in my paper. It is scarcely possible that the episode related by Dr.Meissler could have escaped his attention. It is not to be found in Haehls exhaustive work, which in fact is authority for the assertion that Hahnemann never wrote curantur.

Harvey Farrington
FARRINGTON, HARVEY, Chicago, Illinois, was born June 12, 1872, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, son of Ernest Albert and Elizabeth Aitken Farrington. In 1881 he entered the Academy of the New Church, Philadelphia, and continued there until 1893, when he graduated with the degree of B. A. He then took up the study of medicine at the Hahnemann College of Philadelphia and graduated in 1896 with the M. D. degree. He took post-graduate studies at the Post-Graduate School of Homœopathics, Philadelphia, Pa., and received the degree of H. M. After one year of dispensary work he began practice in Philadelphia, but in 1900 removed to Chicago and has continued there since. He was professor of materia medica in the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, and was formerly the same at Dunham Medical College of Chicago. He was a member of the Illinois Homœopathic Association and of the alumni association of Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia.