Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1140

SAMUEL HAHNEMANN (1755-1843) Organon der rationellen Heilkunde. In der Arnoldischen Buchhandlung 1810 xlviii, 222 pp. 20.8 cm.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, a number of curative systems held the attention of the medical world. One of the more unusual of these was homeopathy, developed by Hahnemann, a German physician. Based on limited experimental evidence, he advanced the theory that many diseases could be cured by the administration of minute quantities of drugs which produced symptoms similar to the disease itself. Moreover, the smaller the quantity, the more potent its effect. At a time when drugs were normally used in large doses and sometimes indiscriminately, the infinitesimal doses of the homeopath did less harm than many conventional prescriptions. The system became quite popular, particularly in America where homeopathic practitioners may still be found. Organon der rationellen Heilkunde was Hahnemann's first and most important work on the subject.

Cited references: Garrison-Morton 1966; Osler 2874 (1924 ed.); Waller 3960; Wellcome III, p. 191

Gift of John Martin, M.D.