- Email: [email protected]
20 years ago: British Homoeopathic Journal, April 1983
Homeopathy (2003) 92, 115–117 r 2003 The Faculty of Homeopathy doi:10.1016/S1475-4916(03)00018-3, available online at www.sciencedirect.com
SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL
20 years ago: British Homoeopathic Journal, April 1983 ST Land* 8 High Bungay Road, Loddon, Norwich NR14 6JT, UK
The Jenichen controversy In this article, Dr Bernard Leary described a strange, larger-than-life character; wilful, driven, and of enormous physical strength. His name was Casper Julius Jenichen. Little is known about his life, except that he was born in 1787 of obscure origin, and that he was appointed as Master of the Horse by the Duke of Gotha after the Napoleonic War; but he has a place in homeopathic history as the person who had the temerity to question Hahnemann’s method of potentization. He learnt about homeopathy, and practised it on his horses, then later on humans. Unsatisfied with the 30 potency, he began to dilute higher and higher, but without success. He then devised a method of preparing higher potencies, which he kept secret, but which was later found to involve far less dilution and far greater succussion than in the standard method (his strength made him the equal of any machine!). Probably little attention would have been paid to such an outlandish idea, had it not been for the interest and encouragement of three men: Gros, Stapf, and Hering. Gros is believed to have started Jenichen on the road to higher potencies and claimed to have invented the method. Hering wrote regularly from America, urging him to go higher and higher. He received samples from Jenichen in 1844, and maintained that he knew the method of production, but implied that he had promised to keep the secret until their efficacy was proved. Dr Leary commented that perhaps the potencies had more merit than seems obvious; or perhaps these men were just struggling with new methods, and were as capable as any of being deceived by what seemed an attractive idea. Jenichen failed to convince his contemporaries, and suffered as a result of the strongly adverse reactions; scorn from the
*Correspondence: ST Land, 8 High Bungay Road, Loddon, Norwich, NR14 6JT, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Hughes camp, and ire from the traditionalists, who branded him a heretic. He shot himself in 1849. Whether or not his medicines were effective is of academic interest only; but Dr Leary considered that the idea behind them might be worth investigating. After the 12c potency, he thought it at least a possibility that succussion is the sole determining factor in potentization. He suggested that it might be worth experimenting on the effect of potencies above 12c on plant growth, using succussion only. Removal of the idea of dilution might go a long way towards making homeopathy acceptable; while the idea that shaking in the homeopathic way could have a physical effect on a medicine might carry more conviction.
Tree of Heavena specific for glandular fever? Dr CK Munro stumbled almost by chance upon Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) as a remedy for this condition; what he described as ‘A case of ‘‘unbridled’’ specific prescribing. One could even say it was ‘‘biochemical’’ prescribing, as the only final criterion for treatment was a positive Paul Bunnell test’. There were only six cases; but because of the dramatic 100% response, the author was keen to record them and requested further cases under the same conditions (all with a positive Paul Bunnell test). If he could find 50 cases, he would write a paper for the medical journals. The average age of the cases was 16.5 years. Three main symptoms were present in all cases: extreme lassitude; grossly enlarged tonsils; and glands in the neck. Each was given only one tablet of a 10 M potency. Some noted significant improvement within hours. Almost all symptoms were gone by 10–14 days. Only one required a further single tablet. The author commented: ‘Most homoeopaths, including myself, would most likely have used 6 potency, or even 30th, but might not have considered a higher one in such a case. It was fortuitous that I used the 10 M.
20 years ago ST Land
116
It does confirm the usefulness of very high potencies. I suspect that the lower potency would have worked, I hazard a guess probably not as well and not so permanently’.
WilliamThomas Walkerobituary Dr W Thomas Walker, aged 74, had suffered for many years from polycythaemia, the implications of which were well known to him. (Dr Twentyman commented: ‘He had been able to celebrate many anniversaries beyond the statistical expectation, a source of, I am sure, considerable mischievous delight to him as well as of a deeper gratitude’). He was reared and educated in Glasgow; graduating MB ChB aged 21, and entered general practice in Cambridge. In his spare time he studied for and gained a BA degree in Theology, then an MA in 1938. He gained the Glasgow MD in 1947. In 1936 he moved to Tunbridge Wells where he joined Dr Barlee in practice and from whom he gained his initial interest in and teaching of homeopathy. He learnt the immense importance of low potency organ remedies, as Dr Barlee was schooled in French homeopathy. This was invaluable in his later specialized interest in cardiovascular disease. During the war he served in the RAMC. He was awarded the MBE and twice mentioned in dispatches. In due course he was appointed Consultant Physician at both the London and Tunbridge Wells hospitals, where he remained until his retirement, and after it when needed. The continued existence of the Tunbridge Wells Homoeopathic Hospital was almost certainly the result of his single-handed efforts and his abilities. In 1959 he was elected President of the Faculty. In his presidential address, ‘Imponderables in Medicine’, he gave a comprehensive review of the many intangible factors in medical practice and expressed a lot of his own deeper philosophy of medicine and its spiritual sources. From 1962–1964 he was Dean; served on the Council of the Faculty; and on the Medical Advisory Committee of the RLHH. He will above all be remembered for his personal qualities. He was first and foremost a devout Christian throughout his life, playing the organ regularly in his Church. His faith permeated his whole character and life with an integrity and honesty of a quite unusual strength. Although shy, he could be a determined warrior on a point of principle. But all was tempered and lightened by a lively sense of humour, with a merry, even mischievous, twinkle in the eye not far distant. He was not only guided by strong moral principle, but also seemed to actually like and enjoy our strange human nature with all its quirks, warts and all. That may indeed be even more a healing factor. Homeopathy
Self-awareness and homoeopathy Dr GS Hehr’s article is a plea for recognition of Hahnemann’s insistence on the importance of selfknowledge in the healing process. He stated that Hahnemann had recommended the relevant esoteric practices ‘for promotion of positive mental health and for enhancement of ‘‘wisdom’’—a fact that has been generally overlooked by his students’. Although the quest for self-knowledge is a feature of every culture, it is likely that Hahnemann realized its significance from his study of Confucius, and subsequent practice of the technique. In 1826 he wrote to Stapf: ‘It (Confucius’ works) conveys to the reader Divine Wisdom y Confucius showed us the straight path to wisdom’. The ancients used various terms interchangeably for this process: meditation, mindfulness, self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-observation, self-consciousness, etc, etc. Dr Hehr made the interesting point that, if a patient starts meditating, the indications for the homeopathic remedy become clearer. He also observed that there was relief from observing uncomfortable somatic sensations, and disturbing thoughts and emotions; while attention directed to the pain of injury produced speedy relief and prompt healing (curiously, after an initial transient aggravation)! Hahnemann’s philosophy is outlined in the following passage from Chronic Diseases: ‘Uninterrupted grief and vexation increase the severity of the symptoms (of chronic disease); in order to advance a cure, a physician should enliven and keep from ennui the mind of a patient; to relieve the patient of grief and vexation must be the chief end of physician’s care; the physician should inculcate the patient to bear patiently and with equanimity all the sufferings and afflictions for which he is not to blame and which it is not in his power to change. He should not let grief and vexation continually beat on the patient’. He further asserts that therapy is not feasible unless the physician can fulfil these conditions, and that he would do better to relinquish the treatment if he cannot. Hahnemann adopted the quotation from Horace ‘Sapere Aude’ (dare to be wise) as a motto in the second and subsequent editions of his Organon. His thinking is even more explicit in the last edition, where he is discussing experimentation on volunteers, and suggesting that the physician should himself partake. In a footnote to the paragraph (141), he refers to ‘other and inestimable advantagesy by such noteworthy observations on himself he—the physician—will be brought to understand his own sensations, his mode of thinking and his disposition (the foundation of all true wisdom: know thyself)’. The phrase appears in Greek in the original text. Dr Hehr pointed out that this phrase has been generally overlooked or ignored by his followers. He suggested possible reasons for this, but feared that another reason was that ‘We have forgotten the esoteric practices y we overlook the phrase
20 years ago ST Land
117
because we do not know the practice; and finally because the practice does not appear related to therapy’. The author then listed all the publications where this was the case, and concluded: ‘I think this act of omission is a great injustice to Hahnemann and
limits our appreciation of the great man. It also restricts the scope of utilizing his teachings on the subject of mental health and leaves an imperceptible but significant lacuna in the treatment of chronic diseases’.
Homeopathy
SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL
20 years ago: British Homoeopathic Journal, April 1983 ST Land* 8 High Bungay Road, Loddon, Norwich NR14 6JT, UK
The Jenichen controversy In this article, Dr Bernard Leary described a strange, larger-than-life character; wilful, driven, and of enormous physical strength. His name was Casper Julius Jenichen. Little is known about his life, except that he was born in 1787 of obscure origin, and that he was appointed as Master of the Horse by the Duke of Gotha after the Napoleonic War; but he has a place in homeopathic history as the person who had the temerity to question Hahnemann’s method of potentization. He learnt about homeopathy, and practised it on his horses, then later on humans. Unsatisfied with the 30 potency, he began to dilute higher and higher, but without success. He then devised a method of preparing higher potencies, which he kept secret, but which was later found to involve far less dilution and far greater succussion than in the standard method (his strength made him the equal of any machine!). Probably little attention would have been paid to such an outlandish idea, had it not been for the interest and encouragement of three men: Gros, Stapf, and Hering. Gros is believed to have started Jenichen on the road to higher potencies and claimed to have invented the method. Hering wrote regularly from America, urging him to go higher and higher. He received samples from Jenichen in 1844, and maintained that he knew the method of production, but implied that he had promised to keep the secret until their efficacy was proved. Dr Leary commented that perhaps the potencies had more merit than seems obvious; or perhaps these men were just struggling with new methods, and were as capable as any of being deceived by what seemed an attractive idea. Jenichen failed to convince his contemporaries, and suffered as a result of the strongly adverse reactions; scorn from the
*Correspondence: ST Land, 8 High Bungay Road, Loddon, Norwich, NR14 6JT, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Hughes camp, and ire from the traditionalists, who branded him a heretic. He shot himself in 1849. Whether or not his medicines were effective is of academic interest only; but Dr Leary considered that the idea behind them might be worth investigating. After the 12c potency, he thought it at least a possibility that succussion is the sole determining factor in potentization. He suggested that it might be worth experimenting on the effect of potencies above 12c on plant growth, using succussion only. Removal of the idea of dilution might go a long way towards making homeopathy acceptable; while the idea that shaking in the homeopathic way could have a physical effect on a medicine might carry more conviction.
Tree of Heavena specific for glandular fever? Dr CK Munro stumbled almost by chance upon Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) as a remedy for this condition; what he described as ‘A case of ‘‘unbridled’’ specific prescribing. One could even say it was ‘‘biochemical’’ prescribing, as the only final criterion for treatment was a positive Paul Bunnell test’. There were only six cases; but because of the dramatic 100% response, the author was keen to record them and requested further cases under the same conditions (all with a positive Paul Bunnell test). If he could find 50 cases, he would write a paper for the medical journals. The average age of the cases was 16.5 years. Three main symptoms were present in all cases: extreme lassitude; grossly enlarged tonsils; and glands in the neck. Each was given only one tablet of a 10 M potency. Some noted significant improvement within hours. Almost all symptoms were gone by 10–14 days. Only one required a further single tablet. The author commented: ‘Most homoeopaths, including myself, would most likely have used 6 potency, or even 30th, but might not have considered a higher one in such a case. It was fortuitous that I used the 10 M.
20 years ago ST Land
116
It does confirm the usefulness of very high potencies. I suspect that the lower potency would have worked, I hazard a guess probably not as well and not so permanently’.
WilliamThomas Walkerobituary Dr W Thomas Walker, aged 74, had suffered for many years from polycythaemia, the implications of which were well known to him. (Dr Twentyman commented: ‘He had been able to celebrate many anniversaries beyond the statistical expectation, a source of, I am sure, considerable mischievous delight to him as well as of a deeper gratitude’). He was reared and educated in Glasgow; graduating MB ChB aged 21, and entered general practice in Cambridge. In his spare time he studied for and gained a BA degree in Theology, then an MA in 1938. He gained the Glasgow MD in 1947. In 1936 he moved to Tunbridge Wells where he joined Dr Barlee in practice and from whom he gained his initial interest in and teaching of homeopathy. He learnt the immense importance of low potency organ remedies, as Dr Barlee was schooled in French homeopathy. This was invaluable in his later specialized interest in cardiovascular disease. During the war he served in the RAMC. He was awarded the MBE and twice mentioned in dispatches. In due course he was appointed Consultant Physician at both the London and Tunbridge Wells hospitals, where he remained until his retirement, and after it when needed. The continued existence of the Tunbridge Wells Homoeopathic Hospital was almost certainly the result of his single-handed efforts and his abilities. In 1959 he was elected President of the Faculty. In his presidential address, ‘Imponderables in Medicine’, he gave a comprehensive review of the many intangible factors in medical practice and expressed a lot of his own deeper philosophy of medicine and its spiritual sources. From 1962–1964 he was Dean; served on the Council of the Faculty; and on the Medical Advisory Committee of the RLHH. He will above all be remembered for his personal qualities. He was first and foremost a devout Christian throughout his life, playing the organ regularly in his Church. His faith permeated his whole character and life with an integrity and honesty of a quite unusual strength. Although shy, he could be a determined warrior on a point of principle. But all was tempered and lightened by a lively sense of humour, with a merry, even mischievous, twinkle in the eye not far distant. He was not only guided by strong moral principle, but also seemed to actually like and enjoy our strange human nature with all its quirks, warts and all. That may indeed be even more a healing factor. Homeopathy
Self-awareness and homoeopathy Dr GS Hehr’s article is a plea for recognition of Hahnemann’s insistence on the importance of selfknowledge in the healing process. He stated that Hahnemann had recommended the relevant esoteric practices ‘for promotion of positive mental health and for enhancement of ‘‘wisdom’’—a fact that has been generally overlooked by his students’. Although the quest for self-knowledge is a feature of every culture, it is likely that Hahnemann realized its significance from his study of Confucius, and subsequent practice of the technique. In 1826 he wrote to Stapf: ‘It (Confucius’ works) conveys to the reader Divine Wisdom y Confucius showed us the straight path to wisdom’. The ancients used various terms interchangeably for this process: meditation, mindfulness, self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-observation, self-consciousness, etc, etc. Dr Hehr made the interesting point that, if a patient starts meditating, the indications for the homeopathic remedy become clearer. He also observed that there was relief from observing uncomfortable somatic sensations, and disturbing thoughts and emotions; while attention directed to the pain of injury produced speedy relief and prompt healing (curiously, after an initial transient aggravation)! Hahnemann’s philosophy is outlined in the following passage from Chronic Diseases: ‘Uninterrupted grief and vexation increase the severity of the symptoms (of chronic disease); in order to advance a cure, a physician should enliven and keep from ennui the mind of a patient; to relieve the patient of grief and vexation must be the chief end of physician’s care; the physician should inculcate the patient to bear patiently and with equanimity all the sufferings and afflictions for which he is not to blame and which it is not in his power to change. He should not let grief and vexation continually beat on the patient’. He further asserts that therapy is not feasible unless the physician can fulfil these conditions, and that he would do better to relinquish the treatment if he cannot. Hahnemann adopted the quotation from Horace ‘Sapere Aude’ (dare to be wise) as a motto in the second and subsequent editions of his Organon. His thinking is even more explicit in the last edition, where he is discussing experimentation on volunteers, and suggesting that the physician should himself partake. In a footnote to the paragraph (141), he refers to ‘other and inestimable advantagesy by such noteworthy observations on himself he—the physician—will be brought to understand his own sensations, his mode of thinking and his disposition (the foundation of all true wisdom: know thyself)’. The phrase appears in Greek in the original text. Dr Hehr pointed out that this phrase has been generally overlooked or ignored by his followers. He suggested possible reasons for this, but feared that another reason was that ‘We have forgotten the esoteric practices y we overlook the phrase
20 years ago ST Land
117
because we do not know the practice; and finally because the practice does not appear related to therapy’. The author then listed all the publications where this was the case, and concluded: ‘I think this act of omission is a great injustice to Hahnemann and
limits our appreciation of the great man. It also restricts the scope of utilizing his teachings on the subject of mental health and leaves an imperceptible but significant lacuna in the treatment of chronic diseases’.
Homeopathy