Homeopathy was born in the year 1796 when
Hahnemann published his new found principle in the Hufeland’s journal under the
title “Essay on a New principle for ascertaining the Curative Power of Drugs.”
Hahnemann is to Homeopathy that Watt was to the steam engine and Arkwright to
intellectual sphere — which which Bacon was to induction by graduated
generalization. He is the author of the method: To him belongs the merit of all
it has accomplished, and with his name it must never be indissolubly connected.After the discovery of Homoeopathy in 1796, he settled in Leipzig & in 1812 obtained permission to lecture in the University of that Capital. He soon gathered around him a band of disciples who learned from his lips, assisted him in his proving and one by one went forth to carry out in their chosen fields of practice the method he had taught them. This was the beginning of Homoeopathy in Germany. In 1821 STAPF & GROSS established the first Homoeopathic Journal, well known as the ARCHIV, which continued to appear until 1843. In 1832 another Journal was founded THE ALLGEMEINE HOMOEOPATHISCHE ZEITUNG; and this under various editors, has survived to the present day. In 1830 adherent of Homoeopathy had grown so numerous that they felt the need of regular intercourse and a CENTRAL VEREIN was constituted, to meet annually in some German city. The first meeting was held in Leipzig, under the presidency of MULLER and a proposal was set on foot for establishing a hospital in this city, which took form in 1832. The Homoeopathic like other bodies has had its parties, there was a ‘Right’ to which tradition is dear, and which departs as little as possible from the established ways of medicine; there is a ‘Left’ type, which cuts itself entirely adrift from the past, and lives by its prospects for the future; and each of them has had its extreme wing and its centre. Hahnemann’s earlier disciples were of the Left type, as their master himself increasingly became: but a representative of the ‘Right’ had already appeared in Muller, and he was later reinforced by Griesselich, Rau, Schron, Trinks, Arnold and Paul Wolf. The HYGEA (1834-1848) ably expounded the views of these physicians, and was followed later by the VIERTELIAHRSCHRIFT and the INTERNATIONALE PRESSE of which Clotar Muller (son of Moritz Muller) was the inspiring soul. Under the influence of the men, the journals and the institutions, Homoeopathy continued its foothold in the land of its birth. The number of avowed Homoeopathists practicing there is given as 300 in 1876; 400 in 1896; 500 in 1900.
Beside the hospital in Leipzig, there were also in Munich, Berlin, Hoppe, Bahr, Grauvogl, Elb, Sorgo, Goullon, Villers & in Stuttgart.
“The whole of Germany is dotted over with a network” of these, wrote DR. LORBACHER in 1891.
Hahnemann’s lectureship in the University of Leipzig was continued by DR. MORITZ MULLER AND DR. BUCHNER occupied a similar position in that of Munich. Since 1898 regular courses of lectures have been delivered at the Berlin dispensary by physicians of that city.
AUSTRIA AND HUNGARY :
Austria was the first country to catch a spark from the new fire kindled in Germany. Homoeopathy had made sufficient advance there in 1819 to be forbidden by Imperial Decree, and had in spite of this so successfully asserted itself by 1837 that in that year the edict was rescinded. MARENZELLER first in Prague, then in Vienna and Fleischmann in the capital itself, were the main agents in this progress and when once the new method had own its liberty a number of able man flocked its standard. DR. ARNETH, HUBER, WACHTEL Etc founded a society, established a journal and conducted a series of proving and reproving of the most admirable character. There were one public and two private hospitals in Vienna at that time, then hospitals were established at Linz & other places, including Budapest, in which university two chair of Homoeopathic doctrine & practice were founded. But the later Homoeopaths could not maintain the stature of the earlier groups. There have not been more than 300 practitioners of our method in this country at any given time.
ITALY :
Italy in turn received its first introduction of Homoeopathy from Austria. An Austrian occupation of Naples took place in 1821; and the commander of the foreign troops, BARON FRANCIS KOLLER was a devoted disciple of Hahnemann. He invited his physician Dr. NECKER to come and settle in the Italian city. Necker had been a pupil of the master and was a practitioner of distinction. During the four years he remained in Naples he made a most favorable impression with the new practice; and when he left, three of the leading physicians of the city had become converted to it. These were ROMANI, MAURO, DE HORATIIS. They translated the “Organon” and the ‘Reine Arzneimittellehre,’ and founded a Journal (1892) “EFFEMERIDI DI MEDICINA OMIOPATICA”. But this good beginning has hardly fulfilled its promise for future, ROMANI died in 1847, DE HORATIIS in 1850 & MAURO in 1857. Homoeopathy flurished in Italy from 1820 to 1840, especially in the Kingdom of Naples where the Bourbonists promoted the new system of medicine. A major role was played by Francis I who, after ascending the throne in 1825, choose Cosmo Maria De Horatiis, an able and enthusiastic homoeopath, as his own doctor. Cosmo Maria De Horatiis carried out several clinical experiments and verified the action of homoeopathyc remedies under the control of allopaths, who openly boycotted the good results he was getting from Homoeopathy. Among their converts and successors were RUBINI, who gave us Cactus grandiflorus, and proving effect of Camphor in Cholera.
DR. POMPILI founded a small monthly Journal-”THE RIVISTA OMIOPATICA”. DR. BONINO made an organization “Instituto Omiopatico Italiano,” which met annually; and established a small hospital in TURIN & dispensaries in this and other Italian cities. The number of Homoeopathic practitioners in Italy rarely exceeded 100.
FRANCE :
It was from Italy that both France & England received Homoeopathy. Around 1828 COMTE DES GUIDI; a doctor of medicine and science and inspector of the University of Lyons, was in Naples. Unsuccessful in arresting the supposed fatal malady of his wife, he was induced to consult DR. ROMANI. Her cure by his treatment made a profound impression on DES GUIDI and induced him to study the doctrines of Hahnemann. In 1830 he returned to Lyons and devoted himself to practice & advocacy of Homoeopathy. ANTONIE PETROZ a physician of High- standing in Paris was one of his earliest converts; so that when Hahnemann, after his second marriage in 1835, migrated to Paris, he found a body of disciples there to welcome him, organized into a society (Institute Homoeopathique) and represented by two Journals (Journal and ARCHIVES DE LA MEDICINE HOMOEOPATHICQUE). When he died in 1843, he left his system firmly established in France- among its adherents being a professor in the ancient University of Montpellier.
In 1847 Tessier, one of the hospital physicians of Paris became an avowed convert, and, maintaining his appointments, took advantage of his position to show by clinical evidence the relative superiority of Homoeopathic treatment. The literary output of French homoeopathy has been phenomenal, both in quantity and quality.
Several attempts have been made to establish systematic teaching of Homoeopathy in Paris; and during 1836-1845, 1863-9, for some years after 1880, and again during 1898-9, regular courses of lectures were delivered.
ENGLAND :
DR. FREDERIC FOSTER QUIN had been graduated at Edinburgh in 1820 and was intending to practice in London, but delicate lungs induced him to first spend some years in Italy. He went as traveling physician to the Duchess of Devonshire, and subsequently settled in Naples to practice amongst the largest English colony there. . On Hanhemanns’s death Quin was appointed Honorary President of the Gallic Homeopathic Society, a post he held until his death.
In 1825 NECKER directed his attention to Homoeopathy, and he saw & read enough to make him feel that the system deserved a serious examination. He went to Leipzig for the purpose, became more and more satisfied of the value of Hahnemann’s method and after some wanderings having settled in London in 1832, determined to advocate and practice it. His good connections and high social qualities, combined with his ability, energy & knowledge, make him an apt apostle of the new practice in the English metropolis. He soon gathered colleagues around him, and in 1844 with seven others, he founded the BRITISH HOMOEOPATHIC SOCIETY, the presidency of which he enjoyed- by repeated re- elections till his death in 1878.
TESSIER and his disciples had started practice Homoeopathy in Edinburgh; DRYSDALE AND RUSSELL has devoted their early postgraduate years of a study of Homoeopathy in Germany & Austria. BLACK had gone to Paris to study & practice under Hahnemann himself. On their return, DRYSDALE settled at Liverpool, but BLACK & RUSSEL reverted to the city of their studies, and opened a Homoeopathic dispensary there. In 1844 HENDERSON, Professor of pathology in the University became an avowed convert.
In London, Edinburgh & Liverpool, British Homoeopathy now had three centers, and from these it steadily widened out over the Kingdom. Round QUIN came Cameron, Hamilton, Kidd & Yeldham. DRYSDALE CONVERTED DUDGEON, CHAPMAN & HILBERS. In 1843 THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY was founded, and continued to appear quarterly up till 1884. In 1856, it was reinforced in its advocacy of the new system by the monthly homoeopathic review. In 1850, the London Homoeopathic Hospital was founded and dispensaries sprang up wherever converts settled for practice. In 1857, it was reckoned that there were upwards of 200 practitioners in the British Islands.
The British Homoeopathic Society continued to meet monthly since its formation and since 1860 issued its transactions, under the title first of the ANNALS, then of the JOURNAL of the Society. The London Homoeopathic Hospital has continued to grow and during the nineties was rebuilt on its foundations at a cost of 45,000 pounds and re-opened with a capacity of 100 beds. It has since 1891 published an annual volume of REPORTS, embodying much of the experiences gained within its walls.
Besides sporadic courses of lectures at the hospital in London during 1852-1860 given by DRS. QUIN, LEADAM, RUSSELL and others, an attempt at systematic instruction was commenced under the auspices of the British Society in 1874, which culminated in the establishment of the London School of Homoeopathy in 1877.
CANADA :
Homoeopathy was introduced there in 1846 by DR. LANCASTER. It made fair progress, and had representatives in most town of the dominion. In 1880 the number of homoeopaths in the Dominion was about 110, and no great accessions seem to have been made since then. AUSTRALIA : – Our system was introduced into Sydney and Melbourne about 1851. In the former city it has after rising to a certain level, remained pretty stationary; but in Melbourne a hospital has been in existence since 1869, which has did good work, especially in the treatment of Typhoid. Hospitals were made in the city of Adelaide and Bathurst; while institutes for the practice of the system were made at HOBART AND LAUNCESTON in Tasmania.
NEW ZEALAND : Homeopathy introduced around 1853.
JAMAICA :
Homoeopathy was first practiced in JAMAICA by a Spanish physician DR. NAVARRO. DR. REINKE wrote many articles in American Journal 1883.
SPAIN : Homoeopathy was introduced in 1829; but real beginning of Spanish Homoeopathy was made by three physician- PINCIANO, HURTADO, QUEROL. They spread the knowledge of the new method, by translation of its publications as well as by their own successful practice.
There were already a number of Homoeopathic practitioners in Spain when NUMEZ, who had learnt the method from DES GUIDI, came to Madrid in 1844. He was appointed physician to the Queen ISABELLA. He founded the Hahnemannian Society of Madrid, and induced it to issue a periodical Boletin, which subsequently became EL CRITERIO MEDICO and continued to represent Spanish Homoeopathy for many years. Still more important was his action in promoting the establishment of a hospital and school of medicine. The hospital was opened in 1878, containing 50 beds; and the course of teaching in connection it inaugurated.
MEXICO AND URUGUAY :
In MONTEVIDEO, the capital of the latter state, there were seven Homoeopathic practitioners in 1875. In MEXICO, our system seems to have begun its career in about 1853, when practitioners from HAVANA AND SPAIN settled there. Two societies existed in the early seventies and their Journals were issued- one of which LA HOMOEOPATIA, continues to flourish. In 1880, two ward of a public hospital were made over to us, and a school was founded, the degree of which was recognized by the government as qualifying for practice.
BRAZIL : About 1837 Homoeopathy was introduced in BRAZIL, when a student from LEIPZIG made the method a subject of his graduation thesis and induced a physician named ESTRADO to study & practice it. It made rapid progress and in 1876 there were about 75 practitioners, organized in two Societies.
PORTUGAL :
As early as in 1833, A professor in the medical school of LISBON requested permission from the Government to try practically the Homoeopathic method. This was refused, but being in 1839 President of the Society for medical sciences of that city, he prevailed upon it to make Hahnemann an honorary member of its first class. In the succeeding years stragglers from BRAZIL began to practice Homoeopathy in PORTUGAL, but in the fifties it first acquired a solid footing there through the favors shown to it by the DUKE OF SALDANHA, the foremost statesman in the country.
RUSSIA : In 1823 DR. ADAM became acquainted with Hahnemann in Germany and soon began to practice homeopathy in St. Petersburg. DR. BIGEL, DR. BOJANUS, DR. BRASOL, DR. DERIKER, DR. VILLERS SEN, DR. HERMANN, DR. DAHL, AND DR. DITTAMANN may be mentioned as prominent in Russian Homoeopathy.
DENMARK :
Lund began his practice there as early as 1821. The succession of its representatives has never been broken, and in 1886 there were eight homoeopaths in Denmark.
SWITZERLAND :
In 1876, DR. BRUCKNER RECKONS & 33 practitioners of the method were reported and also there was a small hospital in Basle.
HOLLAND :
In 1896 DR. VON DEM BORNE of Amsterdam and six others physicians practiced in Holland. They formed a Society and issued a monthly Journal- THE HOM MANNBLAD.
BELGIUM :
In 1831 DR. CARLIER and in 1832 DR. VARLEZ began their practice in Brussels, and with the adherents who accrued in 1837 founded a Society and a dispensary.
Homoeopathy went on prosperously up to 1896 when two Societies and two Journals were reported by Dr. Schepens, and there was a Homoeopathic dispensary in Antwerp. But in 1900 the number of practitioners fell, one of the Journals (THE REVUE HOMOEOPATHIQUE BELGE) discontinued and the Antwerp dispensary was hardly able to carry on its medical service.
DR. MOUREMANS, BERNARD, MARTINY, GAUDY, STOCKMAN AND GAILLARD were prominent among Belgium Homoeopathists. DR. GAILLARD published the Journal L’ HOMOEOPATHIC MILITANTE.
UNITED STATES :
DR. GRAM was the only representative of homeopathy in 1825. After practicing with distinction in Copenhagen, and there becoming a convert to Hahnemann’s method, he returned to his native country to practice it. He soon obtained disciples in New York, where he settled, among these the names of GRAY, HULL, CHANNING AND CURTIS are best known. He died in 1840. In 1841 DR. CONSTANTINE HERING had settled in Philadelphia. He came from Germany, where he had become a disciple of Hahnemann; and he brought with him a vigorous and original mind, a vast stone of knowledge. Under his auspices Philadelphia became a second center of Homoeopathy in America; a college was founded to teach it and in 1844 the “American Institute of Homeopathy” was formed, becoming the first national medical organisation in the United States. However, in order to maintain high standards, this institute restricted admission to persons who had completed full allopathic medical training Around HERING gathered Jeans, Gardiner, Williamson, Kitchen, Neidhard — all honored names; REICHELM set up the banner in Pittsburgh and Detwiller at Euston. In 1848 Hering founded the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, which was to remain the centre of homeopathic education in the United States. GREGG & FLAGG led the way in Boston and were succeeded by the WESSELHOEFTS, DE GERSDORFF AND TALBOT. For his tremendous contribution to Homeopathy Dr. Hering is known as the “Father of Homeopathy in America”.
The pioneers in American Homoeopathy were- CARROL DUNHAM, J.P.DAKE, FARRINGTON, LIPPE, GUERNSEY, HEMPEL, Mc CLELLAND, T.F.ALLEN, RAUE, AND HOLCOMBE.
References :
Richard Hughes, The Principles and Practice of Homeopathy.
Tareq Mahmud
Babul Homeo Hall
Banani, Bogra, Bangladesh
