VITALISM
Hahnemann may well have been inspired by all of the principal tenets we know of homeopathy that were previously advanced by Paracelsus , such as : conducting systematic provings of medicines to develop drug profiles ; the “ similar ” relationship of the drug to the disease ; the totality of symptoms ; the individuation of the patient ; and the use of potentised doses of simplexes . 11 , 12 , 13 In contrast , I believe Paracelsus exceeded Hahnemann with his pharmacopoeia , especially his development and use of spagyric preparations 14 of plant medicines . Strangely , Hahnemann never cites Paracelsus in any of his writings as an influential source of ideas , though there are some very striking resemblances in the “ Organon ” and “ Lesser Writings ” to some parts of Paracelsus ’ works . 15 While Paracelsus loved alchemy , astrology and mysticism , Hahnemann appears to have loathed all three , and especially the doctrine of signatures – for example , where the kernels of walnuts are alleged to help
16 , 17 the brain .
Interestingly , Karl Friedrich Trinks ( 1800-1868 ), personally challenged Hahnemann when visiting him in Köthen in 1825 , pointing out that the main features of homeopathy were to be found in the writings of Paracelsus , to which Hahnemann replied , that until that moment he had known nothing of it [ he denied knowing the writings of Paracelsus ]. 18 , 19 This argument presented by Trinks is further supported by the thesis of Karl Heinrich Schultz- Schultzenstein ( 1798-1871 ). 20 Just in case this response from Hahnemann was personally motivated by his problematic
21 , 22 professional relationship with Trinks , Hahnemann also wrote a letter to one of his few dear colleagues , Johann Ernst Stapf ( 1788-1860 ), where he refused very definitely , and with some indignation , to be associated with Paracelsus . 23
The current Brukenthal Museum Library in Sibiu ( formerly known as Hermannstadt ), Romania , still has the preserved catalogue that was revised in the period when the young Hahnemann was employed there as the librarian in 1777-1779 . This catalogue does indeed mention the works of authors related to ancient hermetics and alchemists . 24 This Library contains one of the largest European collections of original works by mediaeval ( 5th to late 15th centuries ) alchemists and physicians , including a large collection of works by Paracelsus ( 1493-1541 ). 25 For example , this Library contains such works as “ Médecine Spagyrique ”, 26 by Jean Pharamond Rhumelius ( 1597-1661 ), which both Michael Neagu 27 and Martin Dinges 28 describe as a fundamental esoteric work that relies on the principle of similia similibus curantur ( similars are cured by similars ). Works from renowned alchemists , such as Isaac Newton ( 1642- 1727 ) and Robert Boyle ( 1627 – 1691 ), were also held in this Library . Thomas Lindsley Bradford 29 ( 1847-1918 ) also notes that during Hahnemann ’ s time in “ Baron Brukenthal ’ s immense library of books and rare manuscripts ... he acquired that extensive and diverse knowledge of ancient literature , and of occult sciences , of which he afterwards proved himself to be a master , and with which he astonished the scientific world ” ( p . 28 ).
Hahnemann had such an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of medicine and its many systems , yet only fleetingly did he credit by name any of the great medical figures who were the creators of the vitalist medical paradigm he subscribed to , for the foundation of homeopathy . These included Georg Ernst Stahl ( 1659-1734 ) and his vital principle called the Anima ; Jan Baptist van Helmont ( 1580-1644 ) and his vital principle called the Archeus ; and Paracelsus ( 1493-1541 ) and his vital principle , also called the Archeus , or Inner Alchemist . These historical founders then become conspicuous by their virtual absence of citation in Hahnemann ’ s writings , yet how nearly identical are all these vitalist principles to Hahnemann ’ s concept of the vital force .
Interestingly , Tischner 30 found a letter written by the young Hahnemann to an unnamed editor , dated 12 April 1779 , when Hahnemann was still working as Brukenthal ’ s librarian , asking that his German translation of Jean-Baptiste de Mirabaub ’ s “ Système de la Nature ” 31 be published . The original French work was a large two volume manuscript , with each volume approximately four hundred pages . This suggests what else Hahnemann was doing in Brukenthal ’ s Library and is possibly the reason why he and his patron , fellow Lutheran , Baron Samuel von Brukenthal ( 1721-1803 ), eventually parted . For Hahnemann to transcribe a hand-written translation from French into German , using a feather quill pen by candlelight must have taken him a significant amount of time . The alleged author , Mirabaud ( 1675-1760 ), was a pseudonym used by Paul-Henri Thiry , Baron d ’ Holbach ( 1723-1789 ), also known as Paul Heinrich Dietrich , a German who became a naturalized Frenchman . d ’ Holbach was the most radical materialist and atheist of the eighteenth century , famous for his voluminous writings against the institutions of Christianity and any invocation of supernatural powers to account for the formation of nature . These two
190 | vol27 | no4 | JATMS