The evening times., 1896-06-08
House lihrsyG Committee Aaxlous
TO Honor Or. Hahaemaan.
FOUNDER OF HOMEOPATHY
Interesting Sketch of His Career.
Forced TO Undergo Many Hardships
Ability Recognized by the Govern
ment-Praises from Physicians.


tel by Mr.. Cummings. from the House Com
mittee on Library, gives the Following inter
esting sketch Of Haiinemann, which serves
to indicate the greatness of his character,
his remarkable achievements as Il sciioi;ir
and the beneficent results that have at
tended his labors in medicine:
Samuel Hahnemann was born at Meissen,
SaXony, April 10, 1755. His elementary
studies under the guidance of his parents
were made an amusement AS his father
was strongly opposed to his receiving
university education, his later studies were
pursued under most discouraging condi-
tions, but with extraordinary success.
In his twelfth year he was appointed in
structor in the rudments of the Greek Ian
guage. AT twenty he was a thorough mas
ter of six langua ages-German, French, Eng
lish, Italian, Latin and Greek-and WAS
able to support himself at the university at
LeipSic by giving instruction in some of
them and translating therefrum into the
German. He subsequently became prof
cient in Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic and He
brew. His medical studies were pursued at
the famous centers of learning i'll Europe.
He graduated in Medicine with special
honors at Erlangen in 1873.
He was "A member OF various scientific
societies in LeipSic and other cities; ard
was highly hoGored for his researches in
chemistry. He was well versed even in
those branches of science unconnected with
medicine.
RECOGNIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT
Although undergoing many hardships
on account of his advanced views, he
did not fail OF recognition at the hands Of
the government. Willie yet young man,
he was made surgeon-in-chief of the hospital
In Dresden, and later superintendent of the
insane asylum at Georgenthal, where he
iuaugurated the mild and humane meth
otls of treating the insane which prevail
at this day. IN 1872 he was admitted to
the faculty OF medicine in the University
OF Leipsic where helecturedfor many years.
In 1922 he was created hofrath, or coun-
cilor of state.
One OF The greatest boons ever conferred
upon mankind was the discovery by Haline
mann of an underlying principle OF drug
action which adds immcasurable certainty
10 the administration of medicine in disease,
This was announced in / 796, in a paper en-
Titled "A new principle for ascertaining
the remedial powers of medicinal sub
Stances" and ushered in the great reform
in medicine that has distinguished this cen
tury.
He not only discovered n constant rela-
tionsiIip between drugs and disease, lead
ing to more scientific use OF medicine,
but also with consummate skill pointed
out the errors and dangerous practices in
medicine which prevailed. He has thus di-
ir-. ind, I,- q ng
enormous saving OF human life, emitting
him TO the gratitude of mankind, and plac-
ing him in the forefront of medical reform
ers. This distinguished place in medicine is
not only assumed by his adherents but is
frankly admitted by distinguished medical
men not of his school OF practice, as will be
observed by the following quotations:
WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN.
Sir John Forbes. physician in ordinary to
the queen, writes:
mo careful observer of his actions or
candid reader of his writings can hesitate
for a moment to admit that he was a very
extraordinary man, one whose name Will
descend 10 posterity as the exclusive ex-
coGitator and founder of an original sys-
TEN of medicine, as ingenious as many that
pltNtitu llAt'siblN '2tsliiitu " Dt Tie
remote, if not the immediate cause of more
important fundamental changes i'll the prac
tice of the healing art than have resulted
from any promulgated since the days OF
Galen himself. He was undoubtedly man
OF genius and 4 scholar; a man OF indefa-
tigable industry and of dauntiess energy
John syre Bristowe, NJ. D., in an address
on medicine before the British Medical
Association, says:
That lie had learning and ability and
| the power OF reasoning, is abundantly clear.
He saw through the prevalent therapeutic
absurdities and impostures of the day; he
| laughed to scorn the complicated and
| loathsome nostrums which even at that
time disgraced pharmacopoeias, and he ex-
posed with no little skill and success the
| emptiness and worthlessness OF most of
the therapeutical systems which then and
| heretofore prevailed"
Dissatisfied with the recorded effects
| of medicinal substances as not sufficiently
| accurate, he began TO ascertain ON his own
| person the effects OF various drugs, well
| knowing the danger to his health and life
| by doing SO. Later he gathered about him
others willing to make the sacrifice. Some
idea of the colossal task he accomplished
| can be formed when it is known that bis
| works on materia mcdica include origina
| provings of ninety different medicines
'When,' he writes, I'VE have to do with
with an art whose end is the saving oi
human life any neglect to make ourselves
thoroughly masters of it becomes Il crime
AUTHOR OF MANY WORKS.
| or his industry we may form some opinion
from the fact that lie wrote upward of
seventy original works Cd chemistry and
medicine, and traDsla ted twenty four
from the English. French, Italian and
Latin on chemistry, medicine, agriculture
and general literature, besides attending
TO large practice, of which he kept a
careful record. He was a good botanist
| acquainted with astronomy, meteorology
and geography, and withal a classical
| scholar.
Such is, in brief, the life of the man whose
work has marked an important era in the
| history OF medicine That he is deserving
of statue to his memory in the Capitol of
the United States, does not admit of ques-
| ton. Such statue the homeopathists OF
the United States propose to furnish at a
cost of about $4,000.
Your Committee think that there should
be no hesitation or delay on the part OF the
United States in accepting it.
|
Fighting in the Soudnn.
| Cairn Jupe frn,, ~,