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TheAmericanSchoolofHomeopathyandtheInternationalHahnemannianAssociation:
TheHighPointofHomeopathy
PARTILigaNews2015No.15(Aug.):1417.
byAndrSaine,N.D.,F.C.A.H.

The greatest successes ever recorded in the history of medicine were almost certainly those achieved by the Hahnemannians of the American
schoolofhomeopathy.

WecantracethebeginningofthisschooltothearrivalintheUnitedStatesofConstantineHeringin1833andAdolphLippein1838.

With Henry Newell Guernsey, Hering and Lippe formed in Philadelphia a formidable triumvirate that led the way to the development of the
Americanschoolofhomeopathy,whichwasmostnotableforitsintegrationofclinicalsymptomsintothemateriamedicaandforitssystematicuse
ofthehigherpotencies.

Fromthisschoolemergedanincrediblenumberofremarkablysuccessfulpractitioners,includingJoslinSr.,P.P.andL.B.Wells,Bayard,Dunham,
Fincke,WilliamandFrederickPayne,WilliamP.Wesselhoeft,ConstantineLippe,Berridge,ErnestandHarveyFarrington,Skinner,H.C.Allen,Bell,
Nash,Rushmore,EdmundCarleton,McNeil,Kent,Yingling,Lutze,Boger,Taylor,Close,Rabe,Roberts,AlfredPulford,PierreSchmidtandWright
Hubbard.

To practice homeopathy successfully requires assiduous study and diligent application of its principles. Today, however, with all the new and
differentapproachestopracticinghomeopathy,agreatnumberofpractitionersareconfusedandsimplygiveuppracticingbecauseoftheirlackof
success.

Rarearethosewithinthehomeopathiccommunity,unfortunately,whoknowoftheenormousandconsistentsuccessthatwasobtainedbythose
Hahnemannians,andevenmorerarearetheoneswhohavelearnedtoapplytheteachingsofthosemasterstotheirownpractice.

ButhowcanwegaugethesuccessesobtainedbythosegreatHahnemannians?Thatcanbestbedonebyexaminingtheirrecordinepidemics.

The first epidemic I will refer to was one of malignant diphtheria that occurred in Philadelphia in the winter of 18591860. In a meeting of the
AmericanInstituteofHomeopathyheldinPhiladelphiaonJune7,1860,ConstantineHeringreportedtheresultshehadobtainedwithDrs.Lippe
andReichhelmbyusingthehigherpotenciesinthisepidemic:TheepidemicdiphtheriacommencedinPhiladelphia,Decemberlast,andincreased
slowlyinnumberandviolenceduringthefollowingthreemonths,andIhavenotseenanymoreduringthelastsixweeks.

Allmypatients,exceptcaseswhereIwastheconsultingphysician,belongedtofamiliesIhadbeenattendingforyears,nearlyallveryintelligent
familieswhichIconsideragreatadvantageintreatment.Ihavehadduringthistimeabout50to60caseswithmarkedsymptomsofdiphtheria,
in one case I succeeded in obtaining the membrane for microscopic examination, which I add herewith. I had about the same number of light
cases.Allrecoveredwithinsevendays,exceptaveryfewofsocalledscrofulousdiathesis,whichrequiredmoretime.Thetimeittooktoeffecta
cure,Iconsideroneofthemostimportantitemsinstatisticstables,asIrememberthatsinceIhavelearnedtogivethedoseshigherandhigher,
thedurationofacutecaseshasbeenshortened.

Every single dose of any of the medicines, even in the worst cases, I allowed about 24 hours to act before I decided to make a change. The
lowestpotencygivenwasthe200ofJenichen,generallyIusedthemhigher,givingalwaysineveryrepetitionahigherdegree.

Dr.Lippehashadaboutalikenumberofcases,andasfarasIrecollect,hasgivennearlythesamemedicinesinthesamepotencieswithlike
success.Dr.Reichhelmhadhad6or8weeksago,about80cases,hasgiventhe30thpotencyandlostnone.1

Six years later, in 1866, Lippe wrote that that report by Hering about that epidemic will be handed down to posterity as an evidence that true
homeopathywasalivein1860,andthatsince1860,manyatimeandofthavethetwosurvivingphysicians[LippeandHering]prescribedfor
thedreadeddiseasewiththesamehappyresultsundertheguidanceoftheHahnemannianlight.Thesamewellknowncharacteristicsymptomsof
the proved medicines have again and again determined the choice of the curative remedy and in most cases one single dose has cured the
patient. In the name of common humanity, the sneering critic should try to find in his materia medica the homeopathic remedy for each
individualcase.2

ThisstatementofLippeisverysignificant,becausediphtheriacontinuedtorageinPhiladelphiauntil1864andclaimedmorelivesannuallythanit
didin1860.3

In reference to the record of these three physicians in the deadly epidemic of 1860, Dr. P. P. Wells, the great Hahnemannian of Brooklyn, New
York,added,Thisisprovedinthehistoryofanepidemicofuncommonseveritywhichprevailedinaneighboringcityafewyearsago.Thefatal
casesunderallopathictreatmentweremorethanfiftypercent,ofallsotreatedwhileundertheaverageofhomeopathictreatment,socalled,
thelosswasbutsixteenpercentandinthesameepidemicthreephysicianstreatedovertwohundredandfortycases[closerto300accordingto
Hering'sreport]withoutasingledeath.Whentoldofthissuccessfulpractice,theresultseemedsoextraordinaryastobeincredible.

Two of these physicians [Hering and Lippe] were personal friends of the writer, and the first time he saw one of them, after hearing the
remarkable fact, he asked his friend (Hering) if this were true. It was a surprise to hear him say it was. He confirmed the statement fully, and
added, These were genuine cases of fully developed diphtheria, treated by us, and does not include the multitude of sore throats which we
treated,andwhichlackedthecharacteristicsofdiphtheria.'

Weasked,Howwasthis?Whatdidyoudo?'Hereplied:Weanalyzedeverycase,andgavetherequiredsimilarremedy,whenwehadfoundit,
andleftittodoitswork.'Andherewasthewholesecretofit.

Thisepidemicprevailedsoonafteritwasproclaimedthattheprotoiodideofmercuryhadbeenfoundtobethespecificforthisdisease:aclaim
forthisdrugwhichmanyhavenotyetlearnedisfarbeyonditsmerits.Itishardlyunreasonabletosupposethatastheclaimwasthennew,and
generallyhopefullybelievedin,thatthesesixteenpercentlossesallhadthedrugandthendiedandhomeopathyfailedineachcase.Notso,as

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appears from this statement of Hering, when asked what remedies they found most frequently called for, he replied, Mercurius almost never in
anyform,andleastofalltheprotoiodide.

Herewashowthesuccesscame.Thesewerenotthementoabandonlawandrunafteranewthingbecausesomebodyhadsaiditwouldcure.
Theykepttothelaw,andtheresultjustifiedthemandthelaw.Theyranafternowillo'thewispofahypothesis,becauseithappenedtobean
ingenious one in this, as well as in their loyalty to law, giving an example worthy of the following of all who love truth more than fiction or
noveltyandapromiseofsuccesstoallwhowillgoanddolikewisewhich,itissubmitted,noothercourseofproceedingcanexcelorequal.4

Thefactthatunderothermodesofmedicalpracticeand/orthenaturalcourseofthediseasethemortalityratewasmorethanfiftypercentand
therewerenodeathsincloseto300patientsunderhomeopathictreatmentisapowerfulillustrationofaremarkmadebySirErnestRutherford:
Ifyourexperimentneedsstatistics,yououghttohavedoneabetterexperiment.

Dr.D.R.BeckwithofCleveland,Ohio,describedingreaterdetailtheseverityofthisepidemicofmalignantdiphtheriathatravagedotherpartsof
the United States as well in 1860: In every place in which it made its appearance, it was attended with great mortality among children [in
Philadelphia93%ofthemortalityfromdiphtheriawasinchildrenyoungerthan10yearsold].Inthecountry,wheretheinhabitantsdidnotuse
sufficientcarewiththeirchildrenandneglectedtocallinmedicalaid,itwasveryfatal.Wholefamiliesofchildrenwereattackedanddiedinoneor
two weeks. The ravager slew his hundreds, and caused terror and dismay amongst the hardy yeomanry [homesteaders]. In one small
cemeteryinthecountry,eightychildreninafewweeksfoundtheirfinalrestingplace,fromtheeffectsofdiphtheria.Sorapidwasthedisease,
thatchildrenretiredintheeveningcomparativelywell,andinthemorningdeathwassureofitsvictim.

Dr.BeckwithendedhisreviewofdiphtheriabycommentingontheextraordinaryresultsobtainedbyHering,LippeandReichhelminPhiladelphia
during that deadly epidemic: To the physicians who believe in high potencies it must be gratifying to know that there has been no recorded
treatmentofanydiseaseassuccessfulasthisbytheadministrationofremediesrangingfromthethirtiethtothetwothousandthpotency.5

ItisevenmoreextraordinarytonotethattheresultsobtainedbytheseHahnemannianswerenotsporadicbutconsistentfromoneepidemicto
another. For instance, in another severe epidemic of diphtheria that occurred in 1883, Lippe reported the same outcome of no mortality, even
though he had had three cases with complete loss of voice, meaning that the diphtheritic membranes had invaded the larynx, which made
suffocation imminent and survival rare. He wrote, Two more cases of a similar character as the one above related have since been cured in a
similarmanner.Inallformerepidemicsofdiphtheriaitwasclaimedthatthecharacteristicsymptomsofthatformofdiseaseweregreatdebility,
formation of bacteria, offensive breath, and if loss of voice came it indicated the spreading of the diphtheritic deposits into the larynx, and that
hardlythreepercentofthepatientssoattackedrecovered.Inthislateepidemicwefoundfirstplaintonsillitis,followedbyquinsyandthenrapidly
developeddiphtheriamortality,sofar,none.6

SuchextraordinaryresultsduringdevastatingepidemicswerenotisolatedincidentsinLippe'slongandsuccessfulcareer,forallevidenceshows
thathemetwiththesamesuccessinotherepidemics,ascanbeseeninthefollowingreport:Itwasmydutytoattend,somefiveyearsago[in
the fall of 1871], a very large number of cases of malignant smallpox, then raging as an epidemic in this city [Philadelphia]. Many prominent
persons came under our care we never made any external application came out of the epidemic with flying colors, not a case pitted. Our
reliancewereHahnemann'steachings,andhavingfollowedthemconsistentlyforfortyyears,andhavingnohesitationinconfessingthatwhatever
mistakeswehavemade,werecausedbyaneglecttoapplycarefullyallofourfundamentalprinciplesandthemaster'sinjunctionstothecureof
thesick.7

Thoseresultsarequiteremarkable,asthatparticularepidemicofsmallpoxcarriedamortalityrateof25%inPhiladelphia,where3,899persons
diedoutof15,629whohadfallensickwithsmallpox.8

Dr. T. P. Wilson wrote in the editorial in the January 1879 number of the Cincinnati Medical Advance entitled Comparative Mortality: In
investigatingthedifferentmodesofmedicalpractice,weareoftenaskedtosettlethequestionastotheirrelativevalue,bycomparisonoftheir
respectivemortalities.Eachpartypresentsacertainnumberofcasestreatedinitsownpeculiarmanner,andtheratioofthedeadtothewhole
number treated, shows of course in their estimation which mode is best. Prima facie [at first sight], the test seems to be one quite reasonable.
Theobjectofmedicalpracticeistosavelife.Thereforethatsystemwhichsavesthelargestnumber,or,ifyouplease,showstheleastlost,isthe
oneweshouldadopt.Theoreticallytheideaisagoodone.Butthefactis,practicallyitwillnotwork.Heasked,Thefollowersofwhatmedical
schoolormodeofpracticewouldwillinglyseethemselvesdiscountedinmannerofstatistics?Itfollowsthereforethatanelementofuncertainty
entersverylargelyintoreportswhicharepresentedascrucialtestsofrelativevalue.9

Lippe was prompted by this editorial to publish his mortality record and, at the same time, challenge the eclectic majority who were
misrepresenting homeopathy both in America and England, and who presented themselves as the authorities on homeopathy, using the
argument that the majority knew better. He defended unequivocally the consistent success of the Hahnemannians' practices: The fact is that
homeopathy properly, understandingly, and scientifically applied is a success,' 10 and at the same time, he repeatedly asked the eclectic
representativesoftheprofessiontoprovidestubborndocumentaryevidencetosupporttheirarguments:Theonlypossiblemannerofsettling
thegreatquestionbeforeus,whetherthehomeopathichealingart,whenpracticallyappliedaccordingtothemethodofHahnemann,showssuch
successesashasneverbeenshownbyanyothermethodofcure,orwhethersuchprofessinghomeopaths,likethosewhofableaboutauxiliary
andsupplementallaws,discoveredordiscoverable,orofthegreatstridemadebypathology,orofHahnemann'ssenility,oroftheabsurdityof
eventhe30thpotency,orofthenecessityofpalpabledoses,etcetera,iswhetherthisprogressingbackwardsmajoritycanshowbetterresults.
Theproofofthepuddingiseatingit,theeatingistheactualexperiment:providedwehavethepuddingwecaneatit,andjudgeofitsqualities.
Woulditbetoomuchtoaskthesementocomeoutwithalistofstatisticalstatements?Whatresultscanyoushow?Letus,butforonce,have
yourfiguresshowuswhatyoucando,whatyouhavedoneletusknowhowmutilated,pervertedhomeopathyproducesbetterresults,andwe
shalllearnthedifferentialmeritsofHOMEOPATHYandECLECTICISM.11

And so, he responded to the editorial mentioned above: By comparison of the respective mortality under specified treatments, consistent with
establishedlawsofcure,therelativevalueofthedifferentmodesofmedicalpracticemaybesettled.FollowingHahnemann'steachingsandtrying
todeveloptheapplicationsofthehomeopathiclawofcure,Itakethelibertytolaybeforemyprofessionalbrethrenacopyoftheofficialreportto
the Board of Health in 1878. 12 Later that year (1879), he published in the journal the Organon his official reports for both 1877 and 1878,
highlightingthefactthathehadnotlostasinglecasefromacutediseasesduringtheprevioustwoandhalfyears.Hewrote,

Afterdiligentlyapplyingthelawofthesimilarstothecureofthesick,andfollowingdiligentlytheteachingsoftheMastersomefortyyears,and
foroverthirtyyearshavingonlyusedthehigherandhighestpotencies,andbylaw,whichisstrictlyenforced,beingcompelledtoreportevery
deathoccurringinourpracticetoaBoardofHealth,andattendingtoaslargeageneralpracticeasanyothermedicalmaninthiscity,andhaving
hadsomeofthegravestcaseswhichhaveoccurredinthiscommunitytotreat,wemaynowreport,thatsincethe12thofJanuary,1877,wehave
notlostasinglesolitarycaseofanacutediseasenotoneofthemanycasestreatedoftyphus,orpneumonia,ordiphtheria,orscarletfever,or
cholerainfantum,[ortyphoidfever,orerysipelas], 13etc.andwenow,evenattheriskofbeingchargedwithboasting,givefromourreports
totheBoardofHealth,inthecityofPhiladelphia,acorrectcopy:1January18th,1877AngusCameron,52yearsold:Bright'sdiseaseofthe
kidney.
2June5th,1877EdwinH.Trego,35yearsold:tuberculosispulmonalis.

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3March18th,1878SamuelPennEnglish,84yearsold:cancerofthetongue.
4March31st,1878EmiliaHopkins,80yearsold(colored):cancero
ftheleftbreast.
5 August 11th, 1878William Dix, 71 years old: consumption. 6 October 2nd, 1878Ellen Walborn, 71 years old: cancer of the stomach. 7
December9th,1878DorothyWehn,66yearsold:paralysis.

Fiveofthesesevencasescameunderourcareataveryadvancedstageofthedisease,andhadneverbeentreatedbeforehomeopathically
didnotexpecttorecover,butaskedforrelief,whichwasgivenineverycasewithouttheaidofpalliatives,'outsideofthestrictestapplicationof
themostsimilarremedyintheinfinitesimaldose.14

Lippethenadded,Canthesestatementsfromprivatepractice,astomortality,bereliedon?Soaskstheeditor.Herespondedthatasmuchsoas
medical practitioners in this city are obliged, under our State and Municipal Laws, which are strictly enforced, to report every case of death.
ThestatementscanbereliedonwhenmadefromtheobligatoryandstrictlyenforcedreportstotheBoardofHealth.15

That is an extraordinary statement, especially when you consider, first, that Lippe was known, not only to have one of the busiest medical
practicesinPhiladelphia,butalsotobetirelessinvisitingpatientsduringepidemicsandtotreatthemostseverecasesastheywerereferredto
himbyhishomeopathicandallopathiccolleaguesandsecond,thattheusualdeathrateforsomeoftheacuteconditionsmentionedabovewas
very high for instance for typhus, typhoid fever, pneumonia and diphtheria it averaged about 30% and for scarlet fever and erysipelas about
10%.Nomortalityratecouldbefoundforchildrenwithcholerainfantum,butitwasknownasthegreatestsinglecauseofdeathamongchildren
underfiveyearsinsomepartsoftheUnitedStatesinthe1870s.16

Such almost unbelievable statements by Lippe prompted colleagues like H. C. Allen and Boger to investigate Lippe's practice and verify for
themselvesthesesupposedlyincredibleresults.BeforevisitingLippe,Allenwasprescribingnumerousremediesinlowpotenciesandhadsaidthat
whenhebeganpracticinghehadneverheardoftheOrganondespitehavinggraduatedfromaprofessedhomeopathicmedicalschool.17

By following the master prescriber, Allen and Boger finally witnessed the promised results of genuine homeopathy. Allen eventually became a
staunchproponentanddefenderofpurehomeopathy.HefoundedtheHeringMedicalCollegeinChicago,wasitsPresidentformanyyears,and
becametheeditoroftheMedicalAdvancein1886andremainedatthehelmofthatHahnemannianjournaluntilhisdeathin1909.In1908during
a discussion in a medical society, Allen said, Adolph Lippe made on the floor of the American Institute of Homeopathy the most remarkable
statementIhadeverheard.Hesaid:IfIcanseeacaseofdiphtheriabeforeithasbeenbungled,washed,gargled,etc.,Icancurenearlyevery
casewithoneremedy,andoftenwithonedose!'ItookmygripandwenttoPhiladelphia,andstayedwithLippeforonemonth.Irodewithhimto
visithispatients,sawhimgiveonedoseandgoaway.Askedifhewasgoingtogiveaplacebo.No.Theyhavehadlargesingledosesalltheir
lives.Theynowwantsomethingdifferent.Thisisthewaytheyhavebeenconvertedtohomeopathy.'Inthemorningthepatientwouldbebetter,
andsoon.18

Fromsuchreports,itisnoweasiertounderstandhowLippecouldspeakwithsuchauthorityabouttheincredibleassetthatgenuinehomeopathy
represents for humanity, and how he not only had the right but the responsibility of preventing the silencing and disappearance of genuine
homeopathydesiredbythatmajorityofprofessedhomeopaths.Hehadnooptionbuttofightforthepreservationofgenuinehomeopathy,justas
Hahnemannhadnooptionbuttosharetheresultsofhislifelongresearchandexperimentationwiththerestoftheworld.Lippecouldnotletthis
Godgivengiftsimplydisappear.

FOOTNOTES

1. Constantine Hering. Reports on cases of diphtheria. Transactions of the American Institute of Homoeopathy 1860: 159160. (Also
AmericanHomoeopathicReview18602:515516.)[+]
2. Adolph Lippe. Review: A Treatise on Diphtheria, its Nature, Pathology and Homoeopathic Treatment, by Wm. Todd Helmuth, M.D.
Secondeditionrevisedandcorrected,1864.HahnemannianMonthly1866671:137.[+]
3. Appendix.JournaloftheSelectCounciloftheCityofPhiladelphia,fromJuly1,1876,toJanuary1,1877.Philadelphia:E.C.Markley&
Son.1877:643.[+]
4. P.P.Wells.Diphtheriaandbacteria.HomoeopathicPhysician18811:249250.[+]
5. D.R.Beckwith.Diphtheria.TransactionsoftheAmericanInstituteofHomoeopathy18672333ofsectionIII.[+]
6. AdolphLippe.Clinicalreflections.HomoeopathicPhysician18833:98.[+]
7. AdolphLippe.LettertotheEditors.HomoeopathicTimes18775:187.[+]
8. CarlSpinzig.Failureofvaccination.St.LouisClinicalRecord18817:353358.[+]
9. P.P.Wilson.Comparativemortality.CincinnatiMedicalAdvance18796:429431.[+]
10. AdolphLippe.FatalErrors.Organon19792:32127.[+]
11. Ibid.[+]
12. AdolphLippe.ComparativeMortality.CincinnatiMedicalAdvance18796:556557.[+]
13. In the first of two papers on this subject (Cincinnati Medical Advance 1879 6: 556557), Lippe had also mentioned typhoid fever and
erysipelas.[+]
14. AdolphLippe.FatalErrors.Organon18792:321327.[+]
15. AdolphLippe.Comparativemortality.CincinnatiMedicalAdvance18796:556557.[+]
16. J.O.Webster.Children'sdiseasesinMassachusetts.BostonMedicalandSurgicalJournal187389:173181.[+]
17. H.C.Allen.TransactionsoftheCentralNewYorkHomoeopathicMedicalSociety.MedicalAdvance190947:1213.[+]
18. Ibid.[+]

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