Synonyms in a broader sense
- Naturopathy
- Cockman
Introduction
Homeopathy is one of the most astonishing, enduring teachings that survive all crises of orthodox medicine. It is an empirical science and the following treatise is intended to give a first insight and the impetus to learn important details about this science without prejudice. The founder of homeopathy is Samuel Hahnemann, born in Meissen in 1755.
The motto of the Enlightenment “Dare to be wise” was also Hahnemann’s life motto. Emanuel Kant interpreted it as follows: “Have the courage to use your own intellect”. In the sense of the Enlightenment, this means daring to subject everything that has become historical to the critical examination of reason.
In this way Hahnemann created a new medical world view, founded homeopathy and thus triggered a revolution that has not yet ended today. Its fascination continues. Only a few presumptuous people dared to shake the teaching building of traditional medicine.
At that time, the four cardinal juices: blood, mucus, yellow and black bile were known for thousands of years, and they were held responsible for everything that makes people sick or keeps them healthy. The therapy options were primarily limited to the so-called “unholy triad” – bloodletting, emetics and laxatives. Historians report about bled out, mercury poisoned patients of this confused time.
Medicine remained in this medieval position, the education of young doctors was unprecedentedly meager and based primarily on dry book knowledge. Hahnemann began his medical studies in Leipzig in 1775 and completed them in Erlangen in 1779. His first, only short, settlement as a doctor was in 1780 in Hettstedt in the Mansfeld region.
Afterwards, he wandered through Germany for some time, unsatisfied by the inadequate possibilities of medical practice. He earned his living mainly through translations of medical literature. Hahnemann spoke fluent English, French and Italian, became a member of the “Mainzer kurfürstliche Akademie” and translated about 12000 pages of foreign literature into German in 30 years.
