Organon of Medicine with Word Meanings Mahendra Singh Subhas Sing

Book review by Dr Sunila  & Dr Mansoor Ali 

Based on 6^th  & 5^th  Editions by Samuel Hahnemann

English Translation OF 6^th German Edition 5th German Edition & Appendix
By DR. William BoerickE DR. R. E. Dudgeon

Corrected, Re- Translated & Redacted by Dr. Mahendra Singh & Dr. Subhas Singh. 

Dr. Mahendra Singh worked from 1962- 2004 in the Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College in the Department of Organon of Medicine as Lecturer, then as Professor & HOD & as Superintendent.

Dr. Subhas Singh is a teacher at National Institute of Homoeopathy, Govt. of India, in the Dept. of Organon of Medicine. He is doing his Ph. D on the History of Homoeopathy & Similia.

Foreword by: DR. S. P. S. Bakshi & Dr. Ramjee Singh

Review by: DR. S. M. Singh & Dr. L. M. Khan

Published by: Dr. Indu Manish
Homoeopathic publications- 1
Raja Raj Narayan Street
Kolkata- 700009

First edition was published at 2004.

There is a quoting of August Bier; a noble worthy scientist on the cover page.  “It is possible to find in the Organon the highest wisdom & greatest foolishness according to the natural tendency of the reader.”

Price: RS. 300/-

The errors of Dr. Hahnemann in facts & editing have been corrected. Errors of Dudgeon in translation, information & editing, Boerick’s errors of translation, editing, commission & omission & anomalies of the American, German, & Indian publishers have been corrected.

Contents

• Aphorisms
• Appendix
• Introduction
• Organon of medicine
• Chronology of Translations, Editions and Prints
• Contents
• Ground plan of the Organon
• Frame of Organon of medicine
• Sketch of Organon of medicine
• Inter relationship of the Aphorisms
• Prefaces
• Review of this book
• S. Hahnemann :
• Biography
• Chronology
• Creations in travels

No translator can ever substitute Dr. R. E. Dudgeon’s work. Dudgeon’s translation is unique in respect to its being in the Standard English language of his time and in most of the places, it has maintained the frame of Hahnemann’s German sentences.

It is equally true that Dr. Dudgeon committed some gross errors in translation, editing and in the subject matters.

The title of the book is First corrected, retranslated and redacted English edition because for the first time correction of the errors of Hahnemann since 1805 and his errors in different editions of Organon, the errors of R.E.Dudgeon since 1849, of Wesselhoeft since 1876 and of William Boericke since 1922, of the English publishers since 1833 (Devrient’s translation of 4th edition), the Indian publishers since 1955, which were not corrected for such a long period have been corrected in this book. The corrections may be seen in relevant places.

1. There were errors and anomalies in the:
a. Subject matters and statements
b. Translations
c. Editing
d. References
e. Comparisons and errors of
f. Omissions and
g. Commissions

2. The errors were in
a. The Prefaces of the Organon of medicine
b. The Introduction to the Organon of Medicine
c. The Aphorisms of Organon
d. Hahnemann’s Medicine of Experience and
e. R.E. Dudgeon’s Appendix to the Organon

A) Errors of Dr. S. Hahnemann
a. In the content of 5th edition he wrongly put footnote to § 12 which should be under §11.
§ 12

It is the morbidly affected vital force that alone produces diseases, so that the morbid phenomena perceptible to our senses reveal the whole disease.

Footnote: How the vital force produces disease, it would be of no practical utility to the physician to know; only what is necessary for him to know the disease)

§ 11
Dynamic influence of a morbific agent to spiritual, automatic vital force causes a disease.

b. In the foot note to § 117 (idiosyncrasy) of the 5th and 6th editions

§ 117
Idiosyncrasy means peculiar corporeal constitutions which, although otherwise healthy, posses a disposition to be brought into more or less morbid state by certain things which seem to produce no impression & no change in many other individuals. This derangement of health in idiosyncrasies can also be ascribed to those things that produce them. That these agents do actually make this impression on every healthy body is shown by this, that when employed as remedies they render effectual homoeopathic service to all sick persons for morbid symptoms similar to those they seem to be only capable of producing in so- called idiosyncratic individuals.

Footnote: Thus the Princess Maria Porphyrogeneta restored her brother, the Emperor Alexius who suffered from fainting, by sprinkling him with rose water; saw great benefit from rose vinegar in cases of syncope.

Dr. Hahnemann wrongly mentioned Alexius as the brother of Princes Maria. Alexius was her father. Dudgeon wrongly wrote her name as Porphyghnita which Boericke copied. It was Porphyrogeneta.

c. In the footnote no.2 of § 110 of the 4th edition
§ 110

None of the observers before Dr. Hahnemann ever dreamed that the symptoms they recorded merely as proofs of the noxious & poisonous character of these substances were sure revelations of the power of these drugs to extinguish curatively similar symptoms occurring in natural diseases, that these their pathogenetic phenomena were intimations of their homoeopathic curative action, & that the only possible way to ascertain their medicinal powers is to observe those changes of health medicines are capable of producing in the healthy organism.

d. Incomplete and abbreviated names in his footnotes.

e. Erroneous numbering of §§ 216, 217 and 218 in the II and III editions (there were no aphorisms numbering §§ 216, 217 and 218 & after 215 the next number given by him was § 219)

f. Wrong reference in paragraph 15 of Medicine of experience

B) Errors of Dr. R.E. Dudgeon
a) His mistakes in facts
i) In his translator’s Preface

a. Dudgeon wrote 1805 as the year of publication of Medicine of Experience but in his other writings, he wrote 1806 as its year.
b. He called only two of Dr. Hahnemann’s writings as the precursor of Organon of Medicine (“Medicine of experience” & “An essay on new principle for ascertaining the curative powers of drugs”).

ii) In the Introduction
a. He gave wrong reference in the footnote no. 37, (4th paragraph) of paragraph 89.

Paragraph 89: The manufacturers of lacquered ware apply to a part scalded with hot varnish a substance that causes a similar burning sensation such as strong heated spirits or oil of turpentine.

Footnote: No.2, 4th paragraph: – Thus John Bell in the case of a lady, who had scalded both arms, caused one to be covered with oil of turpentine and made her plunge the other into cold water. In half an hour the first arm was well, but the other continued to be painful for 6 hours longer.
Hahnemann in all of his German editions has written John Bell, but R.E. Dudgeon in his translation has written it wrongly as Benjamin Bell.

b. Dudgeon did not correct Hahnemann’s mistake in paragraph 15 of Medicine of Experience although R. Hughes had pointed it out.

iii) In the Aphorisms
a. Dudgeon did not correct Hahnemann’s error in footnote to § 11.
b. In the footnote to § 117 of the Organon

iv) In the Appendix
a. In the footnote to §8

Footnote to §8: Hufeland, chief of the old school said that ‘Homoeopathy can remove the symptoms, but the disease remains’ (Vide Homöopathie, P. 27, 1,19). This he maintained partly from mortification at the progress made by Homoeopathy to the benefit of mankind, partly because he still was holding thoroughly material notions respecting disease. He viewed the disease as something material.

Appendix to §8 footnote: A translation of Hufeland’s Homöopathie will be found in the British Journal of Homoeopathy. XVI p.179

b. In the comparative chart in Appendix, he compared the contents of the Organon with that of the Medicine of Experience by mentioning the page numbers of Medicine of Experience. The publishers changed the page numbers of Medicine of Experience and so his comparison with Medicine of Experience became unusable.

b) Lack of uniformity in translations:

Dr. R. E. Dudgeon did not maintain uniformity of words in his translation & so any indexing of the Organon is difficult, e. g. aphorism 1 in the Organon (5e) & in the Appendix (1e), translation of the German word Beruf as mission in §1 & aim in §17.
§1
THE physician’s high & only mission is to restore sick to health, to cure as it is termed.
§17
When the disease is annihilated he health is restored, & this is the highest, the sole aim of the physician who knows he true object of his mission.

He translated German word Schnell as quickly in Medicine of Experience Paragraph 108 & as rapid in § 2 of the Organon, 5th edition.
§2
The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle & permanent restoration of the health.

He translated German word Sanft as mild in Introduction paragraph 78 & as gentle in 2.
§2
The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle & permanent restoration of the health.

German word Heilkunst is translated as Medicine in title of the 5th edition & as Healing Art in practice to 3rd & 4th editions.

c) Wrong translation by Dudgeon:
Dudgeon made gross mistakes in English translations; e. g. In the contents or text and in aphorisms 1, 52, 55 etc.

§52
There are but two principle methods of cure: the one based only on accurate observation of nature, on careful experimentation and pure experience, the homoeopathic and a second which does not do this, the heteropathic or allopathic.

§55
The palliative relief obtained at times from empirically discovered remedies whose almost instantaneous action is apparent to the patient, still serves to keep up the credibility and existence of the allopathic physicians.
(Ve- allopathic medicines which without any pathical relation to what is actually diseased in the body, attacks the parts most exempt from the disease. In §55 Dudgeon wrongly translated the word; “pathische” as pathological)

d) Dudgeon’s fault of commissions
In Preface to the 4th edition, Dudgeon, with out authority added the word ‘vis medicatrix’ (incomparable operations of nature’s self help in diseases), which Hahnemann had not.

e) Dudgeon’s fault of omissions

a) Dudgeon omitted foot note number 32 to paragraph 82 in the Introduction to the Organon.
Paragraph 82

Physicians sometimes observed a rapid cure with one simple medicinal substance, contrary to the usual custom, that admitted of none but mixtures of medicine in the form of a prescription.

Footnote: Examples of this kind can be found in the preceding editions of the Organon of Medicine [Dudgeon had omitted this footnote].
b) He omitted the closing sign (-) at the end of the chapters in whole of the Introduction to the Organon.

c) He removed Hahnemann’s words ‘ars conjecturalis’ (art of conjecture- art of guess) in the Preface to the 1st edition.
C) Errors of Dr. William Boericke, the English translator of the 6th edition.
a) Dr. William Boericke copied Dudgeon’s mistake in the text and translations of aphorisms 1, 52, 55 etc.
b) He changed many of Hahnemann’s words and put his own words, eg. § 204 of the 6th German edition, he changed Hahnemann’s word ‘miasms’ to ‘infection’.

§ 204
If we deduct all chronic infections that depend on a persistent unhealthy mode of living (§77) as also those medicinal maladies caused by irrational treatment by physicians of old school, most of the remainder of chronic diseases result from three chronic miasms, internal syphilis, internal Sycosis and internal Psora. Each of these infections was already in possession of the whole organism and had penetrated it in all directions before the appearance of primary local symptom of each of them.

c) Wm. Boericke made a serious mistake in the footnote to §11 and 13. He put the footnote to §13 on ‘Materia Peccans’ under §11 and since then ‘Materia Peccans’ has remained under §11.

§13
Allopaths considered disease as a thing separate from the living whole, from the organism and its animating vital force, be it of ever so subtle a character, (an absurdity-Materia Peccans!) that could only be imagined by the minds of a materialistic stamp.

d) Dr. Boericke did not mention R.E..Dudgeon’s name as the co-translator of the 6th edition, although 85% of the contents of the 6th edition are the same as that of the 5th edition.

e) Dr.Boericke included whatever Richard Haehl had published in the 6th German edition and did not examine whether the portions were in Hahnemann’s hand writing or not. Eg.
1. Boericke omitted Haehl’s footnote of §265.

§265
It should be thoroughly convinced in every case that the patient always takes the right medicine.

2. He included a portion and sub footnote to footnote of §270 though it was not in Hahnemann’s hand writing.

§270 -Drug dynamization

f) Dr. Boericke copied Dudgeon’s translation including his mistake of omitting Hahnemann’s footnote no.32 to paragraph 82 of the Introduction.

g) Dr. Boericke copied Dudgeon’s translation including his mistake of omitting Hahnemann’s dividing marks of chapters in Introduction. He even did not maintain Dudgeon’s greater space between the paragraphs at change of the chapters. Its effect was that no author of Organon could form a clear conception of Hahnemann’s Introduction.

h) He did not translate many of the changes made by Hahnemann in the 6th edition. Eg. In §13 Hahnemann replaced the word ‘vital force’ (5 e) by ‘dynamic’ (6 e) and the word ‘material’ by ‘wesen’ (essence, entity). But Boericke did not make the changes.
§13
Allopaths considered disease as a thing separate from the living whole, from the organism and its animating vital force, be it of ever so subtle a character, (an absurdity-Materia Peccans!) that could only be imagined by the minds of a ‘material’istic stamp.

i) In the content of Organon he did not include many additions by Hahnemann. Eg. Footnote to §78 and §245-251.

§78
The true natural chronic diseases are those that arise from a chronic miasm which when left to themselves always go on increasing and growing worse, not withstanding the best mental and corporeal regimen. The most robust constitution, the best regulated mode of living and the most vigorous energy of the vital force are insufficient for their eradication.
Footnote: During the flourishing years of youth, they remain unrecognized for years. Those affected appear in perfect health to their relatives, but in later years, after adverse conditions of life, they are sure to appear a new and develop more rapidly and assume a more serious character, but especially when disordered by inappropriate medicinal treatment.

Aphorism 245-251: mode of using the remedies

§246
Perceptibly progressive and strikingly increasing amelioration during treatment is a condition, which completely precludes every repetition of the administration of any medicine because all the good the medicine taken continues to effect is now hastening towards its completion. This frequently occurs in the cases of acute diseases. But in more chronic diseases, a single dose of an appropriately selected homeopathic remedy will at times even complete the cure but with slowly progressive improvement. It is important to the physician as well as the patient to get a rapid cure. This may be very happily affected under the following conditions: Firstly, if the medicine selected is perfectly homoeopathic; secondly, if it is highly potentized dissolved in water and given in proper small dose indefinite intervals.

Footnote: Although a single dose is suffice to accomplish a cure, in some, particularly in those of young children and very delicate and excitable adults, chronic as well as in serious acute diseases one such smallest dose of medicine, highly potentized dynamized is insufficient to effect all the curative action that might be expected from that medicine. Here we have to administer several of them, in order that the vital force may be pathogenically altered by them to such a degree and its salutary reaction stimulated to such a height, as to enable it to completely extinguish, by its reaction the whole disease. But we do not frequently repeat the remedy again & again.

j) Boericke did not care to correct gross and palpable errors of Dudgeon, eg. In Introduction 4th paragraph footnote no. 2 (serial footnote no.37) to paragraph 89.

D) Errors of M/s Boericke & Tafel, U. S. A.
M/s Boericke & Tafel did not examine Richard Haehl’s German edition & so whatever mistakes Dudgeon had committed & Boericke had copied remained without correction in their publication.

In 1932 they published dudgeon’s translation of 5th edition as well as Boericke’s translation of the 6th edition. The two publications were published with 2 different faces settings of the same thing or matter, e.g. in the Introduction to the Organon, Dudgeon’s translation maintained a bigger space between paragraphs but the extra space was not maintained by B. T. in the print of the 6th edition.

Ricard Haehl had given serial number to the footnotes in his edition of the 6th edition but Boericke & Tafel maintained Hahnemann old style of separate serial number for footnotes on each page.

E) Errors of the Indian translators of Orgnon of Medicine 
Since Indian translators either translated from the Dudgeon’s translation or from Boericke’s translation, they committed the mistakes made by Dudgeon & Boericke.

F) Errors of the Indian publishers
The Indian publishers of Organon are M/s M. Bhattacharya & Co, Roy publishing or Economic, & Modern Homoeopaths in Calcutta, B. Jain Publishers, Indian Books & Periodical Publishers & Pratap Medical Publishers in New Delhi.

M/s M. Bhattacharya & Co. was the pioneers. They published the 1st Indian print in 1955 as a combined edition of 5th & 6th editions. It was copied from Dudgeon’s translation & Boericke’s translation; they combined the mistakes made by Dudgeon & Boericke.

In 1961 M/s Economic Homoeo Pharmacy published a combined edition. They changed the pages without considering Dudgeon’s Appendix note mark (a) & it added loss to the readers because the Appendix note marks have lost relation with the contents of the Appendix of Dudgeon.

B. Jain Publishers, Indian Books & Periodical Publishers & Pratap Medical Publishers in New Delhi made copies from Economic print the errors of Economic print remained.

G) Errors of the Indian authors & commentators 
It is apparent that the writings of all of the Indian authors & commentators on Organon of Medicine are based on Dudgeon’s & Boericke’s translation or of both. This includes writings of Drs. D. N. Roy, S. N. Sengupta, B. K. Sarkar, N. Sinha etc. Since the source book was erroneous these books were bound to be faulty.

H) Errors of the critics of Hahnemann, Organon, & Homoeopathy

The critics have criticized Dr. Hahnemann for not understanding him or not accepting him & also for erroneous understanding due to faulty translations.

These corrections have been done:

• By making a comparative study of Dr. Hahnemann’s all the 6 original German editions Organon of Medicine & his Medicine of Experience.
• By comparing all the English translations of the Organon
• With the help of German-English, German-Medical and English Medical Dictionaries of Hahnemann’s and Dudgeon’s period and
• With the help of persons proficient in German and English languages
• By studying the relevant matters in books on history of science, history of medicine and history of Homoeopathy and
• With the help of journals, souvenirs and other publications

It is called Redacted Edition because it has been improved upon Dudgeon, Wesselhoeft, Boericke, Hering’s Academy, Devrient and other English translators and publishers and it has redacted and simplified many of their sentences, translations and editing.

• The French, Latin, Greek and German words used by Hahnemann which were not translated in English by Dudgeon or others have been translated in English.
• Word meanings of non-English and difficult English words in Prefaces and Introduction have been given.
• For the first time in the history of Homoeopathic literature, the authors compiled and completed a comparative chart of the paragraphs of the Introduction to the different editions of the Organon and placed in the Appendix.
• The words like Häsler, Köthen etc. of German language have been printed according to their pronunciation as Hæsler, Koethen etc.
• Dudgeon and Boericke abbreviated the references mentioned in the footnotes their full name and meaning in English have been given.
• Separate footnotes have been used for
  Explanation or word meanings and Brief biographies of the persons mentioned by Hahnemann

g) In footnotes, have been given

• Serial number to the footnotes as a whole
• A separate footnote number for the 5th edition
• A separate number for the footnote for 6th edition
• The footnotes have been marked in such a way that at a glance

a) Its serial number in the total number of footnotes,
b) Its serial number in the particular edition of Organon
c) Its attachment to the particular paragraph or aphorism can be understood

For example:
In the Introduction: Footnote 3 3:6e:Int.8:1 3:5e:Int.8:1 means serially footnote no.3, which is serially 3rd footnote in 6th edition and serially 3rd footnote in 5th edition, is attached to paragraph 8 of Introduction and among the footnotes to paragraph 8 it is serially footnote no.1.

h) Serial numbers have been given to the paragraphs of the Prefaces
i) Serial number to the paragraphs of Hahnemann’s Introduction to Organon
j) Hahnemann in his each editions of Organon divided his Introduction into chapters by a closing line (-) at the end of the chapter. R.E. Dudgeon removed the closing line and instead indicated the end of the chapter by an increased gap between the paragraphs. The increased gap system was not followed by Dr. Boericke which was copied by all Indian publishers. In this book the chapters have been separated by a closing sign (-) at the end of the chapters.
k) Dudgeon’s omissions in the Introduction have been rectified.
l) Different kinds of letters or type settings have been used

i. for the 5th edition- ordinary letters
ii. for the 6th edition- bold letters
iii. for footnotes- smaller case
iv. Editor’s notes- Ms (Mahendra Singh) and Ss (Subhas Singh). These letters have been used

m) In the Appendix
i. The editions mentioned are printed in bold letters.
ii. The Aphorisms of each edition have been compared with the original edition and are corrected properly.
iii. For the first time a comparative chart of the paragraphs of the Introduction to the different editions of the Organon is placed in the Appendix.
iv. Dudgeon’s errors in the comparative chart have been rectified.

New Additions

• William Boericke’s Translator’s Preface.
• The translations of Hahnemann’s Prefaces by C.E.Wheeler, A.Drysdale, Mahendra Singh, C.H.Devrient, C.Wesselhoeft, Jost Kunzli, Steven Decker etc.
• Dictionary of Difficult Words in Prefaces and Introduction.
• Comparative Chart of the Paragraphs of Introduction.
• Hahnemann’s brief Biography.
• Chronology of Hahnemann’s life and works.
• Chronology of creations and Journeys.
• A chronology of Editions, Translations and Prints of the Organon.
• Inter relations of the Aphorisms of Organon.
• A sketch of Organon.
• Frame of the different editions of Organon.
• Story of delay in publication of the 6th edition.

Biography Of Dr. Samuel Christian Friedrich Hahnemann (1755-1843)
Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was born in the town of Meissen, Saxony, Germany on 11th April 1755, early morning. This was recorded in the church register in Meissen but Hahnemann, in his autobiography wrote, “I was born on April 10th 1755. His father Christian Gottfried Hahnemann was a painter. Johanna Christiana Spiess was his mother.

Education:
He was admitted to the Town School on 20th July 1767. His father sent him as an apprentice to a grocery store in Leipsic. Magister Muller, the head of the Town School urged Gottfried Hahnemann to allow his son Samuel to return to the school. In 1770 Samuel went to the Princess School. He left Princess School after submitting a dissertation in Latin, as was the custom, titled: The Wonderful Structure of the Human Hand. In 1775 he left for Leipsic University to study Medicine.

At the young age of 22 years, he was well versed in Greek, Latin, English, Italian, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, Spanish, German & a little bit of Chaldiac languages. During his 2 years stay in Leipsic he translated John Stedman’s PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS & OBSERVATIONS, Nugent’s ON HYDROPHOBIA Falkoner’s ON MINERAL WATERS & WARM BATHS.

Dr. Hahnemann then left for Vienna where he entered the Hospital of the Brother’s of Mercy. There he became favourite student of DR. Von Quarin, Physician In- Ordinary to the Empress Marie Theresa. The Governor of Transylvania Baron Von Brukenthal invited him to go to Hermannstadt with him as family physician. After 1 year& 9 months, he went to Erlangen. He made special studies in Botany under Royal Physician Dr. Schreber.

On the 10th AUGUST, 1779, at the age of 24 years, Hahnemann was awarded his master’s degree, M. D., i. e. “DOCTOR OF MEDICINE” from Erlangen University. His thesis consisted 20 printed pages on: A CONSIDERATION OF THE ETIOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS OF SPASMODIC AFFECTION (R. Haehl translated it as: a view of the causes & treatment of cramp).

Medical Practice:(1779- 1792)
He began his practice in Hettstedt Town. In 1781 he reached Dessau. & at the end of the year, he accepted the post of Medical Officer in Gommern near Magdeburg.

His writings were published in a journal named Kreb’s Medical observations. His interest in Chemistry brought him into contact with Haesler’s Pharmacy, where he became acquainted with Haesler’s step daughter Henriette Leopoldine Kuechler. Hahnemann married her on 17th November, 1782.

In 1785 Hahnemann’s translation of French chemist, J Demachy’s ‘The whole sale manufacture of chemicals, or the science of preparing chemical products in factories’ appeared in two volumes.

Dissatisfaction with the system of medicine:

His dissatisfaction with the medical practice of his time is best expressed in his own words in his essay, AESCULAPIUS IN BALANCE (1805).

In 1792 Hahnemann reached Gotha. The benevolent Prince Duke Ernst Von Sachsen- Gotha pleaced his hunting castle of Georgenthal at Hahnemann’s disposal as a nursing home for mental patients. It was here that Klockenbring was brought as a patient and when he was cured, the institution was closed in 1793

Discovery of Homoeopathy (1790-96)
In 1790 Hahnemann was translating from English to German, William Cullen’s ‘A TREATISE ON MATERIA MEDICA’. Dr. Cullen was holding the chair of Materia Medica in Edinbugh University. According to Cullen cinchona cures malarial fever due to its tonic effect on stomach. Hahnemann challenged Cullen’s contention of ‘tonic effects’ on stomach of cinchona bark and to test the truth started taking 4 drachms of cinchona bark juice twice daily and the symptoms associated with intermittent fever appeared in him in succession. He suffered from malaria like symptom. It was here that Hahnemann sensed a law of cure. He understood that the effect a substance produces on the healthy human body is the curative power by which it cures similar disease symptoms in sick persons. It was only in 1796 that the law of similar became perfectly clear to Hahnemann. The new method of treatment was pointed out to the whole world in his essay titled ‘an essay on new principle for ascertaining the curative powers of drugs and some examinations of the previous principle’, published in Heufeland’s Journal. He put his discovery in these words. “Every powerful medicinal substance produces in the human body a peculiar kind of disease. We should imitate nature which sometimes cure, a chronic disease by super adding another and employ in the disease a medicine which is able to produce another very similar artificial disease and the former will be cured; ‘similia similibus’. He put forward his new doctrine of ‘similia similibus curentur’ (let like be cured by likes). Thus 1796 is the year of birth of Homoeopathy. (Richard Haehl)

In 1805 Hahnemann published his first book on Homoeopathic Materia Medica in Latin and titled it ‘FRAGMENTA DE VIRIBUS MEDICAMENTORUM POSITIVIS SIVE IN SANO CORPORE HUMANO OBSERVATIS’. It had two parts. First part contained the symptoms of 27 medicines and second part contained its index
.
In 1810 his ‘ORGANON DER RATIONELLEN HEILKUNDE’ (Organon of the rational art of healing) was published. In 1811 the first volume of MATERIA MEDICA PURA was published. It contained the symptoms of 12 medicines.

Prince Schwarzenberg, the ex-General Officer Commanding the Allied Armies against Napoleon was paralyzed by a stroke on 1817. He came to Leipsic for Hahnemann’s treatment. He improved under homeopathic treatment but soon started his old habit of strong drinks and taking allopathic medicines and other measures. Hahnemann did not approve the life style and the habits of his celebrated patient. It was 5 weeks before prince’s death that Hahnemann stopped visiting him. The prince died after 6 months of his arrival in Liepsic from another stroke in 1820. Prince Schwarzenberg’s death brought intense agony to the Austrians and gave opportunity to allopaths for attacking homoeopathy and Hahnemann. In the same year the Saxon Government prohibited Hahnemann from dispensing his own medicines, by a royal decree of judgment on a complaint filed by the Apothecaries Gulid.

The benevolence of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand Anhalt- Koethen came to his rescue. The Duke invited Dr. Hahnemann to live & practice in Koethen. In 1821 he left to Koethen.

In 1822 Dr. Ernst Stapf started to publish the first periodical of Homoeopathy, The Archieve for the Homoeopathic Science of Healing with the help of Drs. Gross & Muller.

In 1828, Hahnemann’s famous classic, Chronic Diseases: Their Nature & Homoeopathic cure was published.

On 10th April 1829, the Jubilee of Hahnemann’s Doctorate was celebrated by his disciples & the Society of Homoeopathic Physicians of Leipsic was founded.

Hahnemann’s wife Johana Henriette died in1830, after nearly 48 years of a happily married life & the mother of his 11 children.

After 4 years, in 1834, a charming French lady, Marie Melanie De Hervilly (34 years) came to consult him for her skin complaints. In 1835 Dr. Hahnemann married her. Melanie took Hahnemann to France in 1835. By a Royal Decree of August 12th, 1835, Hahnemann was granted the right to practice homoeopathy in Paris.

In 1842, Dr. Hahnemann completed the manuscripts of the 6th Edition of the Organon of Medicine.

Demise:
He had a bilious diarrhea followed by intermittent fever; when seemingly convalescent, bronchitis senilis appeared & he died in three days. The great Master died on Sunday, 2nd July 1843 at the age of 88years. He was placed in the family tomb of his wife at Montmartre (on11th July)

Hahnemann’s statues& monuments were erected at Pere La Chaise in Paris, in Koethen, in Leipsic & in Washington of U. S. A.

Samuel C. F. Hahnemann: Life & Works – A Brief Chronology
1755: Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was born in the town of Meissen, Saxony onFriday, 11th April, early morning

1767: He was admitted to the Town School in Meissen.
1770: He was admitted to the Prince’s school.

1775: He left Princess School after submitting a dissertation in Latin, as was the custom, titled: The Wonderful Structure of the Human Hand. In 1775 he left for Leipsic University to study Medicine.

1777: Hahnemann translates John Stedman’s PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS & OBSERVATIONS; Nugent’s ON HYDROPHOBIA Falkoner’s ON MINERAL WATERS & WARM BATHS.

1778: He went to Erlangen.

1779: On 10th AUGUST at the age of 24 years, Hahnemann was awarded his master’s degree, M. D., i. e. “DOCTOR OF MEDICINE” from Erlangen University.

His thesis consisted 20 printed pages on: A CONSIDERATION OF THE ETIOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS OF SPASMODIC AFFECTION (R. Haehl translated it as: a view of the causes & treatment of cramp).

He began his practice in Hettstedt Town.

1781- 84: He reached Dessau. & at the end of the year, he accepted the post of Medical Officer in Gommern near Magdeburg.

His writings were published in a journal named Kreb’s Medical observations.

His interest in Chemistry brought him into contact with Haesler’s Pharmacy, where he became acquainted with Haesler’s step daughter Henriette Leopoldine Kuechler. Hahnemann married her on 17th November, 1782.

1783: Hahnemann’s first child, Henriette, born.

1785: Hahnemann’s translation of French chemist, J Demachy’s ‘The whole sale manufacture of chemicals, or the science of preparing chemical products in factories’ appeared in two volumes. He went Dresden.

1786: Hahnemann’s On Arsenical Poisoning, its Treatment& Judicial Detection published.

1790: His dissatisfaction with the prevalent system of medicine compels him to abandon medical practice.

Hahnemann translated from English to German, William Cullen’s ‘A TREATISE ON MATERIA MEDICA’. Hahnemann challenged Cullen’s contention of ‘tonic effects’ on stomach of cinchona bark and to test the truth started taking 4 drachms of cinchona bark juice twice daily and the symptoms associated with intermittent fever appeared in him in succession.

1792- 1793: He published the first volume of his medical writing on public health; The Friend of Health.

Hahnemann reached Gotha. The benevolent Prince Duke Ernst Von Sachsen- Gotha pleaced his hunting castle of Georgenthal at Hahnemann’s disposal as a nursing home for mental patients. It was here that Klockenbring was brought as a patient and when he was cured, the institution was closed in 1793.

1796: He reaches Koenigslutter.The new method of treatment was pointed out to the whole world in his essay titled ‘An essay on New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Powers of Drugs and some examinations of the previous principle’, published in Heufeland’s Journal. He put forward his new doctrine of ‘similia similibus curentur’ (let like be cured by likes).

1796 is the year of birth of Homoeopathy. (Richard Haehl)

1805: Hahnemann moves to Torgau.

His article Aesculapius in the Balance, published.

Hahnemann published his first book on Homoeopathic Materia Medica in Latin and titled it ‘FRAGMENTA DE VIRIBUS MEDICAMENTORUM POSITIVIS SIVE IN SANO CORPORE HUMANO OBSERVATIS’. It had two parts. First part contained the symptoms of 27 medicines and second part contained its index.

His first book on homoeopathic principles, Medicine of Experience was published.

1810: Hahnemann’s classic on Homoeopathy ‘ORGANON DER RATIONELLEN HEILKUNDE’ (Organon of the rational art of healing) was published.

HEINROTH starts publishing a monthly journal, titled Anti- Organon, against homoeopathy.

1811: The first volume of MATERIA MEDICA PURA was published. It contained the symptoms of 12 medicines.

1811-1821: Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura published in 6 parts.

Part-1 1811 12 medicines
Part-2 1816 8 medicines
Part-3 1817 8 medicines
Part-4 1818 12 medicines
Part-5 1819 11 medicines
Part-6 1821 10 medicines

1813: His Spirit of the New Medicinal Doctrine published.

1821: Duke Friedrich Ferdinand Anhalt- Koethen invited Dr. Hahnemann to live & practice in Koethen. In 1821 he left to Koethen.

1822: Dr. Ernst Stapf started to publish the first periodical of Homoeopathy, The Archieve for the Homoeopathic Science of Healing with the help of Drs. Gross & Muller.

Homoeopathic Physicians allowed by a Royal Decree to dispence their own medicines.

1823: The 2nd Edition of the First Volume of Materia Medica Pura published.

1824: The 2nd Edition of the second Volume of Materia Medica Pura published.

1825: The 2nd Edition of Volume 2& 4 of Materia Medica Pura published.

1827: The 2nd Edition of the Fifth Volume of Materia Medica Pura published

1828: Hahnemann’s famous classic, Chronic Diseases: Their Nature & Homoeopathic cure was published.

1829: On 10th April 1829, the Jubilee of Hahnemann’s Doctorate was celebrated by his disciples & the Society of Homoeopathic Physicians of Leipsic was founded.

4th Edition of Organon of Medicine published.

1830: Hahnemann’s wife Johana Henriette died, after nearly 48 years of a happily married life & the mother of his 11 children.

1834: Marie Melanie De Hervilly (34 years) came to consult him for her skin complaints.

1835: Dr. Hahnemann married her. Melanie took Hahnemann to France in 1835. By a Royal Decree of August 12th, 1835, Hahnemann was granted the right to practice homoeopathy in Paris.

1838: Hahnemann publishes the 5th & last part of Chronic diseases.

1842: Dr. Hahnemann completed the manuscripts of the 6th Edition of the Organon of Medicine.

1843: He had a bilious diarrhea followed by intermittent fever; when seemingly convalescent, bronchitis senilis appeared & he died on Sunday, 2nd July 1843 at the age of 88years.

He was placed in the family tomb of his wife at Montmartre (on11th July)

1921: 6th Edition of Organon of Medicine edited by Richard Haehl published.

Samuel Hahnemann Creations in Travels
YEAR PLACE AGE
* 1755: BORN MEISSEN
*1755-1777: SCHOOLING LEIPSIC
*1779: M. D. DEGREE ERLANGEN 24 YEARS
*1805- 1811 TORGAU 50- 56 YEARS
1805- Medicine of Experience.
1805- Fragmenta De Viribus Medicamentorum…
1810- FIRST EDITION OF ORGANON OF MEDICINE
1811- FIRST VOLUME OF MATERIA MEDICA PURA
*1811-1821 LEIPSIC 56- 66
1816- MATERIA MEDICA PURA- V-1& V-2.
1817- MATERIA MEDICA PURA- V-3
1818- MATERIA MEDICA PURA- V-4
1819- MATERIA MEDICA PURA- V-5
1819- ORGANON OF MEDICINE- 2ND EDITION.
1821- MATERIA MEDICA PURA-V-6
*1821- 1835 KOETHEN 66-80
1824- ORGANON OF MEDICINE-3RD EDITION
1828- Chronic Diseases: Part-1, 2, 3.
1829- ORGANON OF MEDICINE-4th EDITION
1830- Chronic Diseases: Part-4
1833- ORGANON OF MEDICINE- 5TH EDITION
*1835- 1843 PARIS
1842- Dr. Hahnemann completed the manuscripts of the 6th Edition of the Organon of Medicine.
1843- HAHNEMANN DIES ON 2ND JULY 88 YEARS.

Dr. Samuel Hahnemann’s  ORGANON OF MEDICINE
A Chronology Of Its EDITIONS, TRANSLATIONS, PRINTS& REPRINTS

THE PRECURSORS OF ORGANON:
1796: ‘An essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Powers of drugs and some examinations of the previous principle’, published in Hufeland’s Journal.

1805- Medicine of Experience.
Its English Translation by R. E. Dudgeon:
1843: British Journal of Homoeopathy
1851: The Lesser Writings of Samuel Hahnemann

Organon of Medicine:
FIRST EDITION: 1810, ORGANON DER RATIONELLEN HEILKUNDE
1913:1ST English Translation by Dr. C. E. Wheeler.
2003:2nd English Translation by Mahendrra Singh.
SECOND EDITION: 1819, ORGANON DER HEILKUNST
2003:1ST English Translation by Dr. Mahendra Singh.
THIRD EDITION: 1824, ORGANON DER HEILKUNST
2003:1ST English Translation by Dr. Mahendra Singh
FOURTH EDITION: 1829, ORGANON DER HEILKUNST
1833:1ST English Translation by Charles H. Devrient.
2003:2nd English Translation by Mahendra Singh.
FIFTH EDITION: 1833, ORGANON DER HEILKUNST

1839:1ST English Translation by C. Hering’s The North American Academy of The Homoeopathic Healing Art, U. S.A.

1876:3RD English Translation by DR. Conard Wesselhoeft.

1889:4th English Translation by DR. Bernad Finke.

SIXTH EDITION: 1921, ORGANON DER HEILKUNST
1922:1ST English Translation by DR. William Boericke, U. S. A.
1955:1STIndian Edition by M/s Bhattacharya & Company, Kolkatha.

The Frame of Organon Of Medicine
First Edition
Year of publication Title Preface Text Introduction Aphorisms
1810(Torgau) Organon Der Rationellen Heilkunde Had four pages It had no INHALT, ie.content or text • It had 64 paragraphs and one footnote

• The paragraphs were not numbered • There were 271 aphorisms
• Its footnotes were not numbered. They appeared at the end of the aphorisms and were denoted by ANM; Anmerkung which means footnote or remark.

Novelties in 1st edition Translations Errors
The antipathic axiom contraria contraries given in paragraph 47 of his An essay on new principles was given in complete as contraria contraries curentur in para 1 of the introduction

The homoeopathic axiom similia similibus given in paragraph 64 of his An essay on new principles was given in complete as similia similibus curentur in para 2 of the introduction • 1913:1ST English Translation by Dr. C. E. Wheeler.

• 2003:2nd English Translation by Mahendra Singh.
• Dr. C E Wheeler did not translate the introduction
• Among the footnotes of the aphorisms he translated only a few
•  He did not translate §158 and printed §159 as 158, §160 as 159 and omitted §160 completely.

Second Edition
Yr of publication Title Preface Text Introduction/ Einleitung Aphorisms
1819
Leipsic • Organon Der Heilkunst

• From the title, the word Rationallen was removed.
• Heilkunde was replaced by Heilkunst

German poet Gellert’s poem of four lines in the 1st edition was removed and instead was printed Aude Sapere Had 18 paragraphs INHALT ie.content or text was introduced in this edition • It had 70 paragraphs and 268 footnotes
It was divided into three chapters:
i) 1- 52
ii) 53- 60
iii) 61- 70

• The end of the chapter was indicated by a closing line • There were 315 aphorisms
• Its footnotes were not numbered. They appeared at the bottom of the page and were marked by asterisks ‘*’ or crosses(+)
• There were no aphorisms numbering 216, 217 and 218. So although the number given to the last aphorism was 318, there were only 315 aphorisms.
• Novelties in 2nd edition Translations Errors
• The title of the book was changed to Organon Der Heilkunst
•  From the title, the word Rationallen was removed.
• Heilkunde was replaced by Heilkunst
• German poet Gellert’s poem of four lines in the 1st edition was removed and instead was printed Aude Sapere
• INHALT ie.content or text was introduced in this edition
• Footnotes appeared at the bottom of the page and were marked by asterisks ‘*’ or crosses(+) • 1824:1st French Translation by E G Brunnow
• 2003:2nd English Translation by Mahendra Singh.
• There were no aphorisms numbering 216, 217 and 218. So although the number given to the last aphorism was 318, there were only 315 aphorisms.

Third Edition
Year of publication Title Preface Text Introduction/ Einleitung Aphorisms
1824;
Koethen. • Organon Der Heilkunst (Organon of healing art) There was preface to the 1st edition, 2nd edition& 3rd edition. INHALT or text contained 12 pages. • It had 70 paragraphs and 266 footnotes
It was divided into three chapters:
iv) 1- 53
v) 53- 61
vi) 62- 70
There were 319 aphorisms
Its footnotes were marked by numbers.
There were no aphorisms numbering 216, 217 and 218.
There were 2 new aphorisms; §319& §320, & 2 additions, §108b& §167- b.

Novelties in 3rd edition Translations Errors

• Its footnotes were marked by numbers.
• Aphorisms 319& 320 dealing with Mesmerism were added.
• There were 2 new aphorism; §108b& §167- b. • 1832: French Translation by E.G. Brunnow.
• 2003:2nd English Translation by Mahendra Singh.

There were no aphorisms numbering 216, 217 and 218. So although the number given to the last aphorism was 320, there were only 319 aphorisms even after adding 2 extra aphorisms.

Fourth Edition
Yr of publication Title Preface Text Introduction/ Einleitung Aphorisms
1829;
koethen • Organon Der Heilkunst (Organon of healing art) Had 4 paragraphs INHALT or text contained 10 pages.
After the text a catalogue of books of 2 pages printed. • It had 138 paragraphs.
It was divided into two parts:

Part-1- 66 paragraphs.

 

• Chapter1-para1-6
• Chapter2-para7-9
• Chapter3-para10-21
• Chapter4-para22-33
• Chapter5-para34-48
• Chapter6-para49-50
• Chapter7-para51-57
• Chapter8-para58-66

 

Part-2- 72 paragraphs.
It was divided into 3 chapters.
Chapter1-para1-55
Chapter2-para56- 63
Chapter3-para64-72. • There were 292 aphorisms
Its footnotes were numbered separately on each page from 1 onwards.

Fourth Edition
Novelties in 4th edition Translations Errors
The theory of Chronic Miasms was introduced.
The introduction was divided into 2 parts:
1: dealing with the fundamental defects of the allopathic system.
2: contained examples of homoeopathic cures. • 1832:1st French Translation by E G Brunnow
1833: First English translation by Charles H. Devrient.

2003:2nd English Translation by Mahendra Singh.
Hahnemann did not mention anything about the gross errors regarding § 216, 217,218 of the 2nd &3rd editions.
Although the theory of chronic disease was introduced in this edition in §70-75 but no reference to it was made his Preface.

Fifth Edition
Yr of publication Title Prefaces Text Introduction Aphorisms
1833;
koethen Organon Der Heilkunst Had 7 paragraphs. Its INHALT was followed by 2 pages of catalogue. There were 99 paragraphs.
It was divided into 12 chapters.

I. Chapter 1: Para 1-8
II. Chapter 2: Para 9-11
III. Chapter 3: Para 12-24
IV. Chapter 4: Para 25-36
V. Chapter 5: Para 37-52
VI. Chapter 6: Para 53/54
VII. Chapter 7: Para 55- 61
VIII. Chapter 8: Para 62-65
IX. Chapter 9: Para 66-77
X. Chapter 10 :Para 78-82
XI. Chapter11: Para83-90
XII. Chapter12: Para 91-99 There are 294 aphorisms.

Footnotes are numbered serially as 1, 2, and 3, etc. for each page.

Fifth Edition
Novelties in this Edition Translations Errors
Doctrine of Vital Force was introduced.
Method of Drug Dynamization was introduced. Its English translations were done by:
1839- Hering’s Academy.
1849- Dr. R. E. Dudgeon
1876- C. Wesselhoeft
1889- B. Finke. In footnote to § 117 Hahnemann mentions Emperor Alexius as the brother of Princess Maria Porphyrogeneta. It is wrong. Alexius was her father.
Sixth Edition

Year of publication Title Prefaces Text Introduction Aphorisms
1921 Organon Der Heilkunst.

The words Aude Sapere were wrongly removed from cover page & put on top of publisher’s contents. Had 4 paragraphs. INHALT was removed by the publishers. There were 99 paragraphs.
It was divided into 12 chapters.
Chapter 1: Para 1-8
Chapter 2: Para 9-11
Chapter 3: Para 12-24
Chapter 4: Para 25-36
Chapter 5: Para 37-52
Chapter 6: Para 53/54
Chapter 7: Para 55- 61
Chapter 8: Para 62-65
Chapter 9: Para 66-77
Chapter 10 :Para 78-82
Chapter11: Para83-90
Chapter12: Para 91-99
Chapters were separated from each other by a closing line. There are 291 aphorisms.

Footnotes are numbered serially as 1, 2, and 3, etc. for each page.
Novelties in this Edition Translations Errors
The word Vital Force was replaced by Vital Principle.
A new scale of preparation of drugs known as 50 Millisimal scale was introduced. Its English translations were done by:
1922- Dr. William Boericke.
1996- Steven Decker. Dr. Boericke copied Dudgeon’s every error in translation. E. g. Error in § 117

The Story of Delay in Publication of 6th Edition Of Organon – Joseph M Schmidt
In 1842, one year before his death, Hahnemann completed his manuscript of 6th edition. After Hahnemann’s death in July 1843 the manuscript first went into the possession of his widow Melanie Hahnemann d’ Hervilly, who did not accept any of the many offers on the part of homoeopaths to publish it. Mrs. Hahnemann, her adopted daughter Sophie and her husband, Carl Von Boenninghausen had to leave Paris. All posthumous works of Hahnemann were then brought there, and after the death of Mrs. Hahnemann every thing went into the possession of Von Boenningausen family.

Only in 1920 Richard Haehl with financial aid from William Boericke and James W Ward succeeded in purchasing the posthumous works of Hahnemann from the family of Von Boenninghausen. So the manuscript after several adverse circumstances remained unpublished for 79 years, until Richard Haehl in 1921 and William Boericke in 1922 edited a German and an English edition respectively.

Orgnon of Medicine
A Sketch of the Book

The 1st edition was published in 1810. There were 271 aphorisms. The 2nd edition was published in 1819. There were 315 aphorisms. The 3rd edition was published in 1824. There were 319 aphorisms. The 4th edition was published in 1829. There were 292 aphorisms. The 5th edition was published in 1833. There were 294 aphorisms. The 6th edition was published in 1922. There were 291 aphorisms.

English Translations
In 1833, the first English translation from the 4th German Edition was done by Charles. H. Devrient.

English translations of 5th edition were done by: 1839- Hering’s Academy, 1849- Dr. R. E. Dudgeon, and 1876- C. Wesselhoeft& in 1889- B. Finke.

The first edition of Organon was translated by Dr. C. E. Wheeler in 1913.

English translations of 6th edition were done by: 1922- Dr. William Boericke., 1996- Steven Decker.

Introduction to Organon
According to Hahnemann old medicine, Allopathy is a mode of treatment with mixtures of unknown medicinal substances for forms of diseases arbitrarily setup, and directed towards the material object completely at variance with the nature. They try to remove the cause of disease (Tolle causam).

The old school of medicine believed that they can cure diseases by the removal of the material cause of the disease (materia pecans). So they tried to remove this imaginary material cause of the disease (a) by using emetics in cases of stomach derangement (b) evacuation of bile by vomiting bilious fevers (c) venesections in cases of haemorrhage (d) blood lettings in inflammations etc.

They also used their repellant remedies (a) to dry up old running ulcers in the legs with applications of oxide of lead (b) drive off itch from skin with ointments of sulphur etc. this resulted in metastatic affections sooner or later which are always worse than the original malady..

They regarded the pathological changes which take place in the inward being of man in diseases as the proximate cause of disease (prima causa morbi) as well as the internal essence of the disease, the disease itself- although the cause of a thing or of an event can never be at the same time the thing or the event itself.

Some of the physicians used specific medicines, i.e. its action is homogenous to the morbid irritation but such medicines are used in large doses and were dangerous to life. They never dreamt of smaller doses.

The causes of our maladies cannot be material since the least of foreign material or substance however mild it may appear to us, if introduced into our blood vessels, is promptly ejected by the vital force, as though it were a poison or when this does not happen, death ensues. The old school physicians failed to appreciate the spiritual nature of life and the spiritual dynamic power of the exciting causes of diseases and they had degraded themselves into mere scavenger doctors.

They alleged that their multifarious evacuant processes are a mode of treatment by derivation, wherein they follow the example of nature which, in her effort to assist the diseased organism, resolves fever by perspiration and diuresis and other diseases by vomiting etc. this derivation was one of the principal modes of treatment of the old school of medicine.

To assist this derivative method they employed the allied treatment by counter- irritants; woolen garments to the bare skin, substances to cause pain etc and here also following the example of crude unassisted nature which tries to free her from the dynamic disease by exciting pain in distant parts in the body by metastasis. They believed that by using this hurtful procedure they were acting as duce nature (obey the hints of nature) & might justly claim the title of minister nature (servant of crude power of nature).

The old school has yet another method of treatment, which is termed the simulating and strengthening system (by excitantia, nervina, tonica confortantia, roborantia). It is probably speaking enantiopathic treatment.

According to Hahnemann, “to cure mildly, rapidly, certainly and permenantly, choose, in every case of disease, a medicine which itself produce an affection similar to that sought to be cured” (Similia Similibus Curentur- the therapeutic law.)

The mixture of several medicines, even if the effects of each single medicine on the human body were accurately known, the association, in one prescription of several ingredients, will never produce a curative effect.

There was another system of treatment known as isopathy (found by Mr. M Lux) which is a mode of cure by identicals and idem. Example: The manufacturers of lacquered ware apply to a part scalded with hot varnish a substance that causes a similar burning sensation such as strong heated spirits or oil of turpentine

The inter-relationship of the contents and aphorisms of the organon of medicine
§1: The high and only calling of a physician is to restore health to the sick which is called cure
§2: The highest ideal of cure
§3: What the physician should know?
§5- §22: What is curable in disease?
What is disease? §5-15
The function of the dynamic vital force: §9-10

§9: In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy), the dynamis that animates the material body, rules with unbounded sway, & retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation as regards both sensation & function…

The totality of symptoms expresses the disease: §7, 8, 11, and 12,17,18,22.
§7: totality of symptoms is the outwardly reflected picture of the internal essence of the disease, that is, of the affection of the vital force.

§19-69: What is curative in drugs?
Drugs cure by their power to change the state of health: §19- 20

§22-70: clearly defined principles for adapting drug to disease.
The homoeopathic law: §26, 27.

§26: A weaker dynamic affection is permanently extinguished by a stronger one, if the latter is very similar to the former.

Results of two dissimilar diseases meeting in the same organism: §35.
Results of two similar diseases in meeting in the same organism: §43, 44.

Allopathic method: §55
Antipathic method: §55-61
Based on Galen’s teaching contraria contraries: §56

Summary: §70

How to gain knowledge of diseases? §72-104
Acute disease: §73
Chronic disease: §72, 74-84.

Syphilis: §79
Sycosis: §79
Psora: §80

Case taking: §84-104

Drug proving: §105- 144
Primary action & Secondary action: §63-66, 112- 115
§63: every agent that acts upon the vitality deranges more or less the vital force & causes a certain alteration in the health of the individual. This is termed primary action.

To its action our vital force exerts an opposite reaction. This is the secondary action or counter action.
Idiosyncrasy: §117
How to prove drugs? §120-142
A true Material Medica: §143-145

§143: A true Materia Medica is a collection of real, pure, reliable modes of action of simple medicinal substances, a volume of book of nature, wherein is recorded a considerable array of the peculiar changes to health& symptoms ascertained to belong to each of the powerful medicines.

Partial or One sided diseases: §172-184.

Local affections: §185-203:
Chronic Diseases: § 204-209
Mental diseases: § 210-230
Intermittent Diseases: §231-244
Alternating Diseases: § 232

Drugs to diseases: §245-294
Dose and remedy: §245-294
Repetition of dose: §245-248
Care to be taken in diet, regimen: §259-263
Direction for preparing drugs: §266-271
Methods of administration: §289-292
Mesmerism: §293-294

This first corrected translation by Dr. Mahendra Singh & Dr. Subhas Singh is a wonderful book. The errors & anomalies committed by Hahnemann, wrong translations & defective editing of his English translators & their publishers have been corrected & rectified in this book. These corrections have been done by making a comparative study of Dr. Hahnemann’s all the 6 original German editions Organon of Medicine & his Medicine of Experience, by comparing all the English translations of the Organon with the help of German-English, German-Medical and English Medical Dictionaries of Hahnemann’s and Dudgeon’s period and with the help of persons proficient in German and English languages.

But none of the translators of Organon can replace Dudgeon because the English speaking world came to know Hahnemann & Homoeopathy after Dudgeon’s translation of Organon & the errors made by him were only minor when compared with his wonderful contribution. We could not forget the name of Charles H. Devrient because he made the first English translation of Organon in1833.

Even though it is corrected, this book has some errors. E.g. Year of 1st English translation of 5th edition: 1836 in one place, 1939 & 1839 in another place, Year of 1st English translation of 4th edition: 1913 in one place, 1917 in other place, year of his appointment as medical officer (1781, 1791) &duration of Hahnemann’s education etc. These mistakes will make confusion.

Some errors are not explained satisfactorily. For example, Error in the Appendix to §8 footnote (error of Dr. R. E. Dudgeon).

Footnote to §8: Hufeland, chief of the old school said that ‘Homoeopathy can remove the symptoms, but the disease remains’ (Vide Homöopathie, P. 27, 1,19).

Appendix to §8 footnote: A translation of Hufeland’s Homöopathie will be found in the British Journal of Homoeopathy. XVI. P. 179.

But this book is important because it is the first corrected edition & the second combined edition of the Organon of Medicine in the world.

Dr Sunila BHMS,MD(Hom)
Medical Officer, Department of Homoeopathy, Govt. of Kerala
Email : babuabu@gmail.com

Purchase online : https://www.bjainbooks.com/product-detail/organon-of-medicine-with-word-meanings-5th-6th-editions