Deciphering important terminology in the organon of medicine

Deciphering important terminology in the organon of medicine

Dr Eyingthung Odyuo

Abstract:
It is a truism to say that Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine is the bible for homoeopathician. It is not a mere script nor a sacred book to be worshipped. It is the code of principles which conduct cure according to the law of similar, a book intended to be of practical use to the physician. We come across several non-English terms, phrases or sentences even today in Latin, Greek, German, French and Hebrew in the textbook of Organon of Medicine, lesser writtings and chronic diseases. Therefore, It is essential to understand those non-English terminologies with meaning in order to comprehend fully.

Objectives:
To understand the meaning of several non English terminologies used in the Organon of Medicine. To understand the various editon of  main English translations by different authors in the Organon of Medicine.

Keywords: Different editions and main English translations of Organon, Non-English words, Organon of Medicine.

Introduction:
The word ‘Organon’ is derived from the Greek word and ‘Organum’ from Latin which means  ‘An instrument of thought system of logic’ or  ‘A method of scientific investigation’ or ‘An instrument for effecting in the best manner a certain end’- R. Hughes. Hahnemann got inspiration from the book ‘Novum organum’, second part of insaturatio magna by Lord Bacon and Organon by Aristotle¹.

An English first translation of the Organon of Medicine appeared in the year 1833 by Charles H. Devrient, with notes by Samuel Stratten from the original 4^th German edition. In 1849, the second English translation was made by R.E Dudgeon from the original German 5^th edition of the book². The third English translation was made by C. Wesselhoeft in 1876 and the last one sixth edition appeared in 1921 translated by W. Boericke thought it was completed in the year 1842 by Hahemann. In 1954, Pierre Schmidt of Geneva translated the 6^th edition into French. In 1970, Kurt Hochsetter published the Organon in German and titled it as 6-B edition of Hahnemann’s Organon. He could not title it as 6^th revised edition because Richard Haehl already edited and published it in German for the German readers³.

Different editions and main English translations⁴:

Edition	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Title	Organon of the rational healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of Medicine
Publication year and place	1810, Torgau	1819, Leipzig	1824, Kothen	1829, Koethen	1833, Koethen	1921, Paris (manuscript completed in 1842)
English translation	C.E Wheeler 1917; Mahendra Singh 2003	No English translation; French translation by E.G Bunnow 1824	No English translation; French translation by E.G Bunnow 1832 and A.J.L Jourdan 1832	Charles H. Devrient 1833; Dr. Mahendra Singh 2003	R.E Dudgeon 1849; Wesselhoeft 1876; B. Fincke 1889	William Boericke 1922; Kunzli, Naude and Pendleton 1982; Steven Decker 1996

Edition	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Title	Organon of the rational healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of Medicine
Publication year and place	1810, Torgau	1819, Leipzig	1824, Kothen	1829, Koethen	1833, Koethen	1921, Paris (manuscript completed in 1842)
English translation	C.E Wheeler 1917; Mahendra Singh 2003	No English translation; French translation by E.G Bunnow 1824	No English translation; French translation by E.G Bunnow 1832 and A.J.L Jourdan 1832	Charles H. Devrient 1833; Dr. Mahendra Singh 2003	R.E Dudgeon 1849; Wesselhoeft 1876; B. Fincke 1889	William Boericke 1922; Kunzli, Naude and Pendleton 1982; Steven Decker 1996

Edition	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Title	Organon of the rational healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of the healing art	Organon of Medicine
Publication year and place	1810, Torgau	1819, Leipzig	1824, Kothen	1829, Koethen	1833, Koethen	1921, Paris (manuscript completed in 1842)
English translation	C.E Wheeler 1917; Mahendra Singh 2003	No English translation; French translation by E.G Bunnow 1824	No English translation; French translation by E.G Bunnow 1832 and A.J.L Jourdan 1832	Charles H. Devrient 1833; Dr. Mahendra Singh 2003	R.E Dudgeon 1849; Wesselhoeft 1876; B. Fincke 1889	William Boericke 1922; Kunzli, Naude and Pendleton 1982; Steven Decker 1996

Non-English terms with meaning:

Some of the important translation of non-English terms are as follows:

Latin words:

1. Ab usu in morbis – knowledge obtained from the use of medicines in diseases⁵
2. Adjuvantia – Assiting medicine to principle medicine⁵
3. Aequalia aequalibus curantur – Treat equals by equals; Identicals by identicals²; Same by same⁶
4. Aude Sapere – ‘Dare to know’- P. Schmidt²
5. ‘Have courage of your own convictions; dare to be wise’- R. Haehl^1,2
6. Basis – The principle (main) medicine effective⁵
7. Beruf- It means ‘vocation’ or ‘profession’ used by Hahnemann^3,6
8. Berufung- Historically, Beruf is derived from Berufung which means a ‘calling’ or ‘mission’³
9. Causa chronicorum morborum  – Causes of chronic diseases^2,6
10. Causa effectus chronicorum non venorium – Cause of non-venereal chronic diseases⁵
11. Causa occassionalis – Manifest exciting and maintaining cause⁵
12. Cessat effectus cessat causa – If the effects (diseases) cease then cause ceases too^2,5
13. Cito, toto et jucunde – Quickly, safely and pleasantly^5,7
14. Confortantia- Stimulating or Strengthening medicine^2,6
15. Contraria contrariis curentur- Let opposites be cured by opposites⁶
16. Corrigens – Corrective remedy⁵
17. Darup treasure- Sixth edition of Organon of Medicine was termed as Darup treasure⁵
18. De morborum epidemicorum – On the epidemic diseases²
19. Disease perse- Morbid process of functioning of the life principle⁵
20. Diseases sui generic- Different kind of diseases²
21. Duce natura – ‘Follow the nature’ or ‘guided by nature’^5,6
22. Echte helbig – Real path of healing¹
23. Excitantia and Roborantia- Exciting and stimulating medicine^2,6
24. Fragmenta deviribus medica mentorum positivis sivi insano corpora humano observatis – ‘Fragmentary observation relative to positive power of medicine on human body’. It is the first book published by Hahnemann in 1805. It has two parts; pars prima- first material medica and pars secunda- first repertory or index^1,2.
25. Genus epidemicus – Specific medicine which becomes indicated in a particular epidemic at least for most of the cases.²
26. Lege artis – According to the rule of art^2,5,6
27. Materia pecans – Material cause of disease⁵
28. Minister naturae- ‘Helpers of nature’ or ‘Servant of crude power of nature^1,2,6
29. Nervina- ‘Stimulating medicines’ or ‘tonica’²
30. Non inutilis vixi – Not lived in vain
31. Non plus ultra – There is nothing more beyond, than to imitate nature^1,5
32. Nota bena- Note well
33. O tempora! O mores! – O the time! O the way^2,8
34. Placer – To please¹
35. Prima causa morbi- Primary cause of disease^5,6
36. Psora agria – Psora
37. Secundum artem – According to rule^2,5
38. Similia similibus curantur – Treat similar by similar²
39. Similia similibus curentur – let similar be treated by similar²
40. Si modo essent – If only they were or if existed^1,2,6
41. Status morbi – The diseases state²
42. Supporters- Supporting medicine⁵
43. Surrogatus or surrogate- ‘One medicine in place of other’ or Substitute. In footnote of aphorism 119 Hahnemann says that medicine cannot be used as substitute in curing diseases (i.e., no surrogates)^2,9
44. Tolle causam – Remove the cause^5,6
45. Ungueta nervina – Strengthening medicine⁵
46. Vis medicatrix – Instead of medicine¹
47. Vis medicatrix naturae – Depend on nature instead of medicine⁵

Greek words:

1. Anamnesis (Gk)- ‘Cause of diseases’- Hippocrates²
2. ‘Past history of a disease’- Gould’s medical dictionary²
3. Dynamis – Vital principle²
4. Epidemion- Epidemic²
5. Gnothi seauton- know thyself²
6. Homoeo pathos – Homoeo meaning ‘similar’ or like’ and pathos means ‘sufferings’^1,2,5,9
7. Idiosyncrasy- An individual’s constitutional peculiarity^2,9
8. Miasm- Rut or furrow, the implication being that the person becomes stuck to a rut grooved into present time by past action. Literally means many things like polluting exhalations, malarial poison, etc upto Hahnemann’s time^8,10
9. Psora- Groove or stigma⁹
10. Sycosis- Fig^9,10

German words:

1. Die Chronische Krankheiten – The chronic diseases¹
2. Die wirkuugen des kaffee’s- The effects of coffee⁷
3. Medicaments a la goutte – centesimal scale¹
4. Medicaments au globule – 50 millesimal scale¹
5. Mongrel sects – Cross breed dogs⁹
6. Organon der heilkunst- Organon of healing art⁴
7. Organon der rationellen heilkunde- Organon of the rational of healing art, first edition of Hahnemann’s Organon published by Arnoldischen Buchhandlung⁴
8. Reine arzneimittellehra – Materia medica pura¹

French words:

1. Drogue – A dry herb¹
2. Ague- Fever, usually malarial⁸
3. Medicine electrisitat- Electricity as medicine²

Hebrew word:

• Tsorat- Psora⁵

References:

1. kumar T.Y, kumar D.D. Focus on destination. First edition. Kolkata: Medical book suppliers; 2015.
2. Joardar R. R. Translation of all the non-English texts in the Organon of Medicine. Howrah: 2012 october 06; ]. Available from: http://www.scribd.com/document/109182076/
3. Krishnamurthy P.S. Homoeopathy at its best. Hyderabad: Salimashraf publishers; 2002
4. Whitney J. The evolution of the Organon. Homoeopathy in practice spring. 2010: 18-23.
5. Mishra A, kesarwani P.K. Turning point: Homoeopathy MCQ’s. First reprint edition. New Delhi: Indian books and periodicals publishers; 2016.
6. Arya M.P. A study of Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine. 2^nd edition. New Delhi: B. Jain publishers (P) Ltd; 2010.
7. Hahnemann S. The chronic diseases their peculiar nature and their homoeopathic cure. 39^th impression. Noida: B Jain publishers (P) Ltd; 2018.
8. Hahnemann S. The lesser writtings. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers; 1984.
9. Das A.K. A treatise on Organon of Medicine. Reprint(with additions). Kolkata: Souvik homoeo publication;2015.
10. Norland M. Signatures miasms aids: Spiritual aspects of homeopathy. 1^st Impression. New Delhi: B.Jain Publishers (P) Ltd; 2011.
11. Olivetti E. Dictionary Latin-English. Philippines: Olivetti media communication; 2013 [cited 2018 Nov 05]. Available from: https://www.online-latin-dictionary.com

Dr. Eyingthung Odyuo
PG Scholar
Govt HMC&H,Bangalore