Dr Jaimin R. Chotaliya
ABSTRACT:
“Organopathy” as name suggests it deals with the organ specific remedies and their role in treating the diseased persons. Like Homoeopathy, organopathy had also proved itself successful in occupying its own unique role in medical field. Paracelsus, Rademacher and Burnett were three geniuses in their respective eras gave huge contributions to establish Organopathy in Medical Science. Nowadays, in era of degenerative diseases and complex pathological phenomena, many physicians are trying to get some knowledge about Organopathy for successful case management. Organopathy is very nearer to Homoeopathy. Just a small thin line is there between them that separates Homoeopathy from organopathy. So, let’s take some glimpses on very nearer sibling of Homoeopathy i.e. Organopathy; its development and relation with Homoeopathy is still a controversial matter among medical men.
KEY WORDS: Organopathy, Homeopathy, Paracelsus, Rademacher, Burnett
CONTENTS:
- 3 Genius – Paracelsus, Rademacher, Burnett
- Comparative study of Homeopathy and Organopathy by Burnett
INTRODUCTION:
Change is constant & this rule is also constant in the world. This rule is very well applied to medical science. Medical field is vast one and continuous advancement makes it more updated and glorious. Successful establishment of any system is only possible through the dedication of its members. As we all have knowledge about Homoeopathic healing system and great efforts of our pioneers for development Homoeopathy as emerging healing field. Homoeopathy is considered as huge outcome of keen observations and dedication by Dr. Hahnemann and on other hand, Organopathy is a fruit of analytical mind of Paracelsus. After that, Rademacher and Burnett were all set with their hard-works and honest efforts to keep this method alive in medical field.
Paracelsus: (November 11, 1493 – September 24, 1541) [2,3]
Paracelsus, born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombasts von Hohenheim, was a Swiss German Physician, Chemist, botanist, alchemist, astrologer and general occultist who is famous for his iconoclastic rebellion against the conservative medical orthodoxy of his day, as well as for his bold, new ideas in medicine, psychology and the healing arts. His findings in medical and psychology field were a remarkable one in pages of history. His ideas were also important to the discovery of Homoeopathy as Dr. Hahnemann was voracious reader of an old Authentic Literatures. He is also widely held to be the father of chemical medicine, or chemotherapy, in Europe, as well as the science of toxicology.
His experiences with mining operations gave him insight into metallurgy and chemistry, which likely laid foundation of his later remarkable discoveries in the field of chemotherapy.
He is also credited with naming and discovery of Zinc, calling it “Zinke”. He is also said to have developed the medicine Laudanum, an alcoholic tincture of Opium, which was common use until the nineteenth century. He largely rejected the scholasticism of Aristotle and Galen, as well as their theories of elements and humors but still utilized the four Elements for Various other subtle qualities, Properties and Attributes.
His “Tri Prisma” theory related to Sulphur, Mercury and Salt to his writing like “on the miner’s sickness and other diseases of mines”, he had created a wonderful history in that era. Paracelsus was first to connect goiter with minerals, specially lead & other minerals. He prepared and used many new chemical remedies with amazing results.
His clinical description of syphilis and its treatment of mercury was astonishing discovery during that era. He was the first to declare that, if given in small doses, “what makes ill also cures him” and became an honorable figure in Homeopathic field.
Let’s give tribute to him with his own marvelous quote, “The universities do not teach all things, so a doctor must seek out old wives, gypsies, sorcerers, wandering tribes, old robbers, and such outlaws and take lessons from them. A Doctor must be a traveler…..knowledge is experience.”
Rademacher: (1772-1850) [1,4]
John Gottfried Rademacher MD was born in Goch, a town in Germany. He was a keen observer, follower and admirer of Paracelsus. His work “The Universal and Organ remedies” was published in Berlin, two volumes, 800 pages of each (1841). This work was based on Paracelsus’s medicinal concept and restates the idea of correspondences and signatures between organs and the disease states of the body. Its German title is rather lengthy, but it is generally quoted in short as Rademacher’s Erfahrungsheillehre.
Rademacher started practicing medicine in 1795; he left college rather skeptical as to medical theories. Twenty years later, in 1815, when he had an opportunity of gaining a mature judgment in practice, he accidentally came across a remedy which at the time was not found in any pharmacopoeia. The remarkable curative properties of this drug (Natrum nitricum) raised the suspicion that it was perhaps one of the famous remedies of the iatrochemists. His curiosity led him to rummage the writings of Theophrast von Hohenheim (Paracelsus) and he soon found his supposition confirmed. He decided to thoroughly study Hohenheim; he had not read his works long before he came to this passage, that “the practice must not proceed from the theory, but, on the contrary, the theory must proceed from the practice.” This is precisely the standpoint from which we must view all sciences.
Rademacher’s object was to make known the excellent virtues of some remedies which he had tried, among them some which the regular school had declared worthless, but which, in his rich experience, he not only found efficacious, but which he declares to be really indispensable. He wrote his book in familiar style, when he was nearly 60 years old.
He was not born Homoeopath, but in many respects his ideas inspired Dr. Burnett.
Burnett: (1840-1901) [5]
James Compton Burnett, an Organopathic healer and great Homoeopath was born in July 10, 1840 and died April 2, 1901. Dr. Burnett attended medical school Vienna, Austria in 1865. Alfred Hawkes converted him to Homoeopathy in 1872. In 1876 he took his MD Degree.
Burnett was the first to speak about Vaccination triggering illness. Along with other Nosodes, he introduced the remedy Baccillinum. J. H. Clarke, Robert T. Cooper, and J. C. Burnett together formed the ‘Cooper Club’. Many symptoms from Clarke’s Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica were originated from this Cooper Club.
His idea of Rademacher’s Remedies was the revolutionary step in Advancement of Homoeopathy. “Totality of symptoms by just matching on symptomatic level is not enough for a successful Prescription.” Importance of similarity between disease and drug pathogenesis was one of the significant teaching by Dr. Burnett. His pathological perspective in Homoeopathic prescription along with Homoeopathic principles was a significant idea in this Gentle Healing Art.
Vaccinosis and its Cure by Thuja, Gout and its cure, Curability of tumours, Disease of liver and many more of his writings are authentic one in Homoeopathic Science.
Homoeopathy and Organopathy:
This curious matter was better described by Dr. Burnett, through his remarks on the therapeutic methods. Where he describes this beautiful relation with following words,
“Hahnemann founded his Homoeopathy, Rademacher founded his Organopathy (the re-discovered Medicina Paracelsica really) practically contemporaneously with one another, and both may be said to have been in full development in the forties of the nineteenth century. The specificity of seat of the Medicina Hahnemannzca (i. e., Homoeopathy) and the principle of the remedia appropriata of the Medicina Paracelsica (sometimes termed Rademacherianism) practically coincide. Hahnemannic medicine in its pristine purity is based on pure pharmacodynamics; it is in fact Therapeutically applied pharmacodynamics; its first and deepest ground-work being the principle that given drugs affect given organs (parts) by self-elective preference. Therefore, up to this point Paracelsic medicine and Hahnemannic medicine coincides.”
Later on, he added about “DRUG PROVING”, which was a one of the main pillars of Homoeopathic science that helps to differentiate both healing methods. Drug proving is nothing but a technical process by which actions of drugs were noted then and then only they were used as a medicine in Homeopathic science. While in this organopathy, doctrine of signature is the key factor in understanding the drug action.
Dr. Burnett mentioned about the adoption of this drug proving process was helping Rademacherian organopath to established themselves as a Homoeopathescents. This adoption was the main reason for slow but significant effort in eradication of the line between Homoeopathy and organopathy,
Organopaths and large dose-specificity -of- seat homeopath were united in one principle for using material doses and prescription of the specificity of seat of drugs. (curability of tumor valibook no ref.)
In order to become a good medical observer, Dr. Hahnemann was accurate to give advised in following words,
“To educate us for the acquirement of this faculty, an acquaintance with the best writings of the Greeks and Romans is useful, in order to enable us to attain directness in thinking and in feeling, as also appropriateness and simplicity in expressing our sensations;”
So, with this practical advice of Dr. Hahnemann, all Homoeopaths should refer Greek and Roman writing once in order to understand the thought processes of Dr. Hahnemann. His exhaustive study on these ancient literatures was one of the reasons for discovery of homeopathic science. As we all know that, doctrine of signature is consider as a one the way to get knowledge about action of drugs. [1]
CONCLUSION:
Organopathy is not a new venture of Homoeopathy but it is nicely blend with the Homoeopathy. It’s origin and methods are interesting one to study. Organopathy has its own glorious history and developmental milestones along with Homoeopathy. Organopathy and Other complimentary systems like this are helpful for homeopathy to expanding it in a gigantic way. So, this article is intended to explore this lesser known treasure at some extent (Basic idea about organopathy and their founders) or good friend of Homoeopathy.
REFERENCES:
- Hahnemann Samuel, Materia Medica Pura (Translated by R. E. Dudgeon with annotation by Richard Hughes) Vol-I, B. Jain publishers, New Delhi.
- Ramseyer A.A., Rademacher’s Universal and Organ Remedies (Erfahrungsheillehre), chapter -I Philadelphia, Boericke and Tafel, 1909., page.no. 1-2.
- http://www.greekmedicine.net/who’s who/Paracelsus.html
- http://www.britannica.com/biography/ Paracelsus
- http://www.homeoint.org/morell /British/ramacher.htm
- http://www.wholehealthnow.com/bios/james-compton-burnett.html
Dr Jaimin R. Chotaliya (M.D. Part – II)
Department of Repertory
Dr. V. H. Dave Homoeopathic medical college and research center, Hahnemann House, Amul dairy road, Anand, Gujarat. 388001
jaiminchotaliya@gmail.com
new concept..good stuff