Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) und die medizinischen Konzepte seiner Zeit (Teil 2)

Journal/Book: Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung. 1992; 237/2: 62-74.

Abstract: Besides homoeopathy, hardly any other medical concept can be found, which is stronger obliged to its historical roots or to the legacy of its founder. During the last decade of the 18th century Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), with his concept of "similia similibus" designed a new art of healing, that could compete successfully with all other contemproary concepts of medicine, especially because of its considerate and individual approach, both in anamnesis and in therapy. Homoeopathy outlasted not only its founder, it is still practiced by homoeopathical physicians and accepted by an encreasing number of patients. The paper goes back into history and tries to shed light upon the landscape of medical concepts of Hahnemanns time. The so called allopathic "Schulmedizin" at the beginning of the 19th century was not made of a piece, nor was it perfect, and it was far from being successful. It contained elements of animism, vitalism, Mesmerism, Brownianism and even of the old concept of humoural pathology. Hahnemann knew them all and he sharply criticesed them, mostly because of their dangers for the patient. Nevertheless he also profited from the contemporary concept of vitalism ("Lebenskraft"), designed by Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland (1762-1836), even if his homoeopathic therapeutic was completly different from Hufeland´s vitalism. Finally the paper will outline two other medical concepts of Hahnemanns time which were also based on the critique of allopathic medicine: Joseph Dietl´s (1804-1878) "therapeutical nihilism" and the early naturopathy.

Keyword(s): Animismus, Brownianismus, Mesmerismus, Naturheilkunde, Therapeutischer Nihilismus, Vitalismus

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