Photo Gallery: Dr. J T Kent
Dr.Constantine Hering M.D
Dr.C.Hering is aptly called the Father of Homoeopathy in America. His conversion to Homoeopathy is very interesting. He was born on the midnight of January 1, 1800 in the town of Oschatz in Saxony (now in Eastern Germany). He grew up in a religious household.
At the age of 17, he became interested in medicine and joined the University of Leipzig, where he was the favorite pupil of the eminent Surgeon, Dr. Hen rich Robbi. At this time Hahnemann was an eyesore to the stalwarts of orthodox medicine, because ORGANON was a challenge to their system of medicine. Dr. Robbi was a critic of Hahnemann and like other physicians used to ridicule Homoeopathy and Hahnemann.
In 1821, when the campaign against Hahnemann was at its worst, C. Baumgartner, the founder of a publishing house in Leipzig wanted a book written against Homoeopathy, a book which would quite finish the system. Robbi was asked to write it, but he declined for want of tie and recommended his young assistant Hering. Hering was please with this mark of confidence and set about the work in right earnest and nearly finished it in the winter of 1822. But going through Hahnemann’s works for the sake of making quotations, he came across the a famous ‘notabene for my reviewers’ in the preface to the third volume of the “Materia Medica Pura”, which said among other things, “The doctrine appeals not only chiefly, but solely to the verdict of experience-’repeat the experiments’. it cries aloud, repeat them carefully and accurately and you will find the doctrine confirmed at every step’-and it does what no medical doctrine, no system of physic, no so-called therapeutics ever did or over could do, it insists upon being judged by the result.”
Hering decided to accept the challenge. The first step was to repeat the Cinchona experiment. The result was what Hahnemann had predicted. Hering began to see the truth in Homoeopathy. Further study of homoeopathic ‘Materia Medica’ and his experiments made him more convinced about Hahnemann’s conclusions. The book against Homoeopathy thus never saw the light of day.
In the winter of 1824, an incident occurred which had the effect of unshakable faith in homoeopathy on Hering. The fore-finger of his right hand was cut while making a dissection on a dead body. The wound rapidly became gangrenous. In those days such wounds were mostly fatal. The routine orthodox medicines had no effect. Luckily for Hering and for Homoeopathy, a disciple of Hahnemann, named Kummer persuaded him to take homoeopathic treatment and gave him Arsenic Alb. After a few doses he felt better and the gangrene healed completely. Hering was surprised and his interest in Homoeopathy knew no bounds. He contacted Hahnemann for further instructions and light on Homoeopathy.
In site of great difficulties put before him being a student of Hahnemannian views, Hering got the degree of M.D. from the University of Wuerzburg with highest honors. The theme of his thesis was “De Medicina Futura” (The medicine of future). Hering left Germany for West Indies and finally arrived at Philadelphia in January 1833. He established a Homoeopathic School at Allentown, Pennsylvania, commonly known as ‘Allentown Academy.’ Soon he became very popular as a physician. He became a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and presented to it, his large and valuable zoological collections including the original Lachesis trigonocephalus from South America, the snake with whose poison he had made the proving of his Lachesis.
Contributions
Hering wrote many articles, monographs and books.
- He was he Chief Edit of the north American Homoeopathic Journal, ‘The Homoeopathic News’, ‘The American journal of Homoeopathic Materia Medica,’ and the Journal of hid own college.
- He wrote the ‘Domestic Physician’ and the ‘Guilding Symptoms’. A monumental work of volumes.
- A Concise View of the Rise and Progress of Homoeopathic Medicine, 1833
- The Homoeopathist, or Domestic Physician, 2 volumes, 1835
- Hahnemann’s Three Rules Concerning the Rank of Symptoms
- Analytical Therapeutics
- The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica, 10 volumes, 1879 – 1891
It is in the sphere of drug proving, however, that Hering’s daring shows at its best. It has been remarked by Nash and others that if Hering had done nothing le for medicine but the proving of the single drug Lachesis, the world would owe him an everlasting debt of gratitude; that alone would immortalize him.
He proved 72 drugs, out of which following are the most important ones:
- Cantharis
- colchicum
- Iodom
- Mezerium
- Sabadilla
- Sabena
- Psorinum
- Nux-Moschata
- Lachesis
- Crotalus
- Apis
- Hydrophobium
- Phytolacca
- Platina
- Glonoine
- Gelsimium
- Kalmia
- Ferrum met
- Fluoric acid
- Phosphoric acid
- etc.,
He enunciated the “Law of Direction of Cure” known popularly as Hering’s Law and which points out: “the cure takes place, from centre to periphery, from head to extremities and in the reverse directions of the development symptoms”. Thus Hering took up the word left by his master, Hahnemann and held the flag of Homoeopathy till the last breath of his life.
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Dr. JAMES TYLER KENT M.D. (1849-1910)
Dr. James Tyler Kent was a medical philosopher born in Woodhul in New York in the year of 1849 on 31st March.
Education and Early Practice
He graduated from the Electic Medical Institute of Cincinnati; he underwent instructions in allopathy, Homoeopathy and other orthodox medical system like neropathy and chiropathy. Being trained thus the student developed a spirit of tolerance to all system and later chose what he liked best. A Homoeopathic teaching here was only superficial; he was not much impressed by it.
Conversion to Homoeopathy
He became interested in Homoeopathy in 1878 when his wife’s illness failed to respond either to Electic or allopathic treatment. Since her condition was becoming worse at her request he sent for Dr. Phelan, a homoeopath of repute. This method of questioning appeared to Dr. Kent to be quite nonsensical. When he gave a few sugar pills with the instruction that a few of these are to be dissolved in a cup of water and a teaspoonful to be given every two hours till she fell asleep. Dr. Kent could only smile at this absured treatment. However in deference to wife’s wishes, he gave her a teaspoon full of medicine and forgets to give the second dose. After some time when he remembered to give the second dose he was surprising to find her sleep, which was a miracle to as all the previous treatment had failed to cure her insomnia. This made a deep impression on Dr. Kent and he took up the study f Homoeopathy under Dr. Phelan.
Reading every book available in Homoeopathy he was convinced about the truth in Homoeopathy and began practice as a pure Homoeopath.
Contributions
As a Teacher
1881-1888 Dr. Kent was an expert teacher in Materia Medica at Homoeopathic Medical College, St.Louis.
1890-1899 He was a teacher of Materia Medica at School of Homoeopathy Philadelphia.
1903-1909 He worked as a senior lecturer in Materia Medica of Hahnemannian Medical College Hospital, Chicago.
As a Doctor
Ø Use of Higher potencies. He advocated the use of 200th, 1M, 50M, CM, DM, MM potencies.
Ø Dr.Kent introduced the doctrine of series in degrees in the treatment of chronic diseases. He found that one potency not sufficient t cure chronic cases.
Ø Dr. Kent discovered that just as there are octaves of musical knots, so there are octaves in simple substance. When the action of 200 exhausted patient needs 1M etc.
Dr. Kent introduced ‘Law of Vital Action and Reaction’.
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WORKS OF HAHNEMANN (PART-2)
Books Written by Hahnemann
1779 Causes and treatment of cramps
1782 Small essays Krells Medical Observation
1784 Directions for curing old sores and ulcers
1786 On poisoning by Arsenic: Its forensic detection and treatment
1787 Prejudice against heating with coal and ways of improving this fuel
1787 Relating to the difficulties in preparing Minerals and Alkaline salt by means of potash and kitchen salt
1788 The influence of certain gases in fermentation of wine
1788 On wine test for Iron and Lead
1788 Concerning Bile and Gall stones
1788 An unusually strong remedy for checking putrefaction
1789 Instruction for surgeons on venereal diseases
1789 Unsuccessful experiment with some new discoveries
1789 A letter to Crell concerning sulphate of Baryta
1789 Discovery of new constituent in Plumbago
1789 Observation on the astringent properties of plants
1790 A method to check salivation and destructive effects of memory
1790 Minor essays on various topics in Crell’s magazine
1790 Complete direction for preparing Mercuris solubilis
1791 Insolubility of some metal and their oxides in caustic Ammonia
1792 contribution to the wine test
1792 On the preparation of Glauber’s salt, according to the method of Ballen
1792 Friend of Health
1793 Apotheker lexicon
1793 Remarks on the Wurtemburg and Hahnemann’s wine test
1793 Preparation of the Cassel yellow
1794 On Hahnemann’s new wine test and new liquor probatorius fortior
1795 On crusta lacteal
1796 Description of Kloken bring during his insanity
1796 Essay on a new principle for ascertaining the curative powers of drugs, and some examination of previous principles
1797 Something about the pulvorisation of Ignatia beans
1797 A case of rapidly cured colicodynia
1797 Are the obstacle to the attainment of simplicity and certainty in practical Medicine insurmountable?
1797 Antidotes to some heroic vegetable substances
1797 Some kinds of continued and remittent fevers
1797 Some periodical and hebdomadal disease
1801 Cure and prevention of scarlet fever
1801 Fragmentary observations on brown’s elements of medicine
1801 On the power of small doses of medicine in general and belladonna in particular
1801 Observations on three current methods of treatment
1801 View of professional liberality at the commencement of the 19th centuary
1803 On the effects of Coffee
1803 On a proposed remedy for Hydrophobia
1805 Aesculapius in balance
1805 Fragmenta de viribus medicamentorum positivis sive in Sano Corpore observatis
1806 Concerning substitutes for Quinine
1806 Scarlet fever and purpura miliaris, two different diseases
1806 What are poisons? What are medicines?
1806 Objections to proposed substitutes for cinchona
1807 Indications of the Homoeopathic employment of medicines in ordinary practice
1808 On the present want of foreign drugs
1808 On the value of speculative systems of medicine
1808 Extract from a letter to physician of high standing, on the great necessity of a Regenerations in Medicine
1808 Observations on scarlet fever
1808 Reply to a question about prophylaxis of scarlet fever
1808 Correction to a question about scarlet fever
1809 To a candidate for the Degree of M.D
1809 On the prevailing fever
1809 Signs of the times in the ordinary systems of Medicine
1810 Organon of Rational healing
1811 Materia Medica pura
1812 On Helleborism of the ancients
1813 Spirit of Homoeopathic Doctrine of Medicine
1814 Treatment of Typhus fever at present prevailing
1816 Veneral disease and its improper treatment
1816 Treatment of burns
1819 On charitableness to suicides
1820 On the preparation and dispensing of medicines by Homoeopathic Physicians
1821 Treatment of purpura miliaris
1825 Information for the truth seeker
1825 How may Homoeopathy be most certainly eradicated?
1828 Chronic diseases- its nature and Homoeopathic Treatment
1831 Allopathy- A word of warning to sick person
1831 Appeal to thinking philanthropists on Asiatic cholera
1831 letter about the cure of cholera
1831 Open letter to His majesty king Friedrich Wilhelm (iii)
1832 Cure of cholera
1833 Introduction to “The repertory of Anti-psoric remedies” and to “systematic alphabetical repertory of Homoeopathic remedies” of Dr. Boenninghausen
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WORKS OF HAHNEMANN (Part-1)
Translation Done by Hahnemann
1777 Nugent: Experiment on Hydrophobia
1777 Stedman: Physiological experiments and observations with copper.
1777 Falconer: Experiments with mineral water and warm baths.
1777 Ball: Newer art of healing.
1784 Demachy: Laboratory chemist on preparation of chemicals for manufacture as for art.
1785 Demachy: Art of distilling liquor.
1787 Demachy: The art of the manufacture of vinegar.
1787 Signs of the purity and adulteration of drugs
1789 Story of Abelard and Heloise
1790 Ryan: Enquiry in to the nature and cure of phthisis.
1790 Fabrony: The art of making wine, in accordance with sensible principles.
1790 Arth. young: Annals of Agriculture.
1790 Cullen: A Treatise on Materia medica.
1791 Grigg: Precautionary measures for the female sex.
1791 Monro: Materia Medica.
1791 De la metherie: On pure air and different kinds of air.
1791 Rigby: Chemical observations on sugar.
1796 J. J. Rosseau: On the Education of infants. A hand book of mothers.
1797 Taplin: Modern Veterinary Medicine.
1797 New Edinburgh Dispensatory.
1800 Thesaurus Medicaminum.
1800 Home: Practical observations on the cure of stricture f the Urethra by caustics.
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