State of disposition, Digest Number 311

[Cl.Mennel]

Dear Andrew,

for easier reading and because of the difficulties this subject causes I
write the German original in capital letters after the English term
putting both - English and the German equivalent - in brackets, so you
can see what is tranlated.(I used ae, ue, oe, aeu, instead of the
Umlaute, the letters with the two dots on top.)

The modern German word GEMUET (modern spelling) means "mind, nature,
disposition, soul, feeling, warm-heartedness" in English.
Quite a lot isn't it - but at Hahnemann's time the meaning differed
slightly.

The word GEMUETH basically means in Latin 'mens' and 'animus' that's to
say in English 'mind' and 'soul'.

In the "Deutsches Wörterbuch" by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, there are 35
pages (vol. 5, p. 3293-3327) on this very word "GEMUET".

To cut a long story short, Gemueth stands in opposition to body, Gemuet
is the whole inward in contrast to the body. Gemuet can mean "Seele"
'soul'. Until Hahnemann's time "Verstand" 'mind, intellect' and
"Vernunft" 'reason' could be part of Gemuet.
Hahnemann however differenciates, he often uses both terms, "Gemueth"
and "Geist", they often form a unit in Hahnemann's terminology (and not
only there), they are often translated with 'mental' (see § 214) or in
two terms 'disposition and mind' (but on the other hand "Geist" is more
than 'mind', the German word "Geist" has got a spiritual quality the
English term 'mind' lacks.).

Gemuet thus means the wholeness, unity of our inwardness of which mind
is a part; on the other hand Gemuet can mean in specific contexts:
'mood, temper, spirits, sense, will, intention, inclination,
disposition, wish, aspiration, character'
I think Hahnemann uses the term Gemueth, in the sense of mood, temper,
sense, inclination, disposition, and character. Gemueth in his writing
is the innerpart of a human being, which on the level of mood and temper
constitutes the character and disposition.

All the best
Claudia
Here the quotes from Organon:

§ 210

Of psoric origin are almost all those diseases that I have above termed
one-sided, which appear to be more
difficult to cure in consequence of this one-sidedness, all their other
morbid symptoms disappearing, as it were, before the single, great,
prominent symptom. Of this character are what are termed mental
diseases. They do not, however, constitute a class of disease, the
(condition of the disposition and mind = GEMUETHS- UND
GEISTES-VERFASSUNG) is always altered;(1) and in all cases of disease we
are called on to cure the (state of the patient’s disposition =
GEMUETHSZUSTAND DES KRANKEN) is to be particularly noted, along with the
totality of the symptoms, if we would trace an accurate picture of the
disease, in order to be able therefrom to treat it homœopathically with
success.

1) How often, for instance, do we not meet with a mild, soft
(disposition = GEMUETH) in patients who have for years been afflicted
with the most painful diseases, so that the physician feels constrained
to esteem and compassionate the sufferer! But if he subdue the disease
and restore the patient to health - as is frequently done in homœopathic
practice - he is often astonished and horrified at the frightful
alteration in his (disposition = GEMUETH). He often witnesses the
occurrence of ingratitude, cruelty, refined malice and propensities most
disgraceful and degrading to humanity, which were precisely the
qualities possessed by the patient before he grew ill.

Those who were patient when well often become obstinate, violent, hasty,
or even intolerant and capricious, or impatient or disponding when ill;
those formerly chaste and modest often frequently become lascivious and
shameless. A clear-headed person not infrequently becomes obtuse of
intellect, while one ordinarily weak-minded becomes more prudent and
thoughtful; and a man slow to make up his mind sometimes acquires great
presence of mind and quickness of resolve, etc.
§ 211

This holds good to such an extent, that the (state of the disposition =
GEMUETHSZUSTAND) of the patient often chiefly determines the selection
of the homœopathic remedy, as being a decidedly characteristic symptom
which can least of all remain concealed from the accurately observing
physician.

§ 212

The Creator of therapeutic agents has also had particular regard to this
main feature of all diseases, the altered (state of the disposition and
mind = GEMUETHS- UND GEISTESZUSTAND), for there is no powerful medicinal
substance in the world which does not very notably alter the (state of
the disposition and mind = GEMUETHS- UND GEISTESZUSTAND) in the healthy
individual who tests it, and every medicine does so in a different
manner.

§ 213

We shall, therefore, never be able to cure conformably to nature - that
is to say, homœopathically - if we do not,in every case of disease, even
in such as are acute, observe, along with the other symptoms, those
relating to the (changes in the state of the mind and disposition =
GEISTES- UND GEMUETHSVERÄNDERUNGEN), and if we do not select, for the
patient’s relief, from among the medicines a disease-force which, in
addition to the similarity of its other symptoms to those of the
disease, is also capable of producing (a similar state of the
disposition and mind = EINEN AEHNLICHEN GEMUETHS- ODER GEISTESZUSTAND
FUER SICH).(1)

1) Thus aconite will seldom or never effect a rapid or permanent cure in
a patient of a quiet, calm, equable (disposition = GEMUETHE); and just
as little will nux vomica be serviceable where the (disposition =
GEMÜTHSZUSTANDE) is mild and phlegmatic, pulsatilla where it is happy,
gay and obstinate, or ignatia where it is imperturbable and disposed
neither to be frightened nor vexed.

§ 214

The instructions I have to give relative to the cure of (mental diseases
= GEISTES- UND GEMUETHSKRANKHEITEN) may be confined to a very few
remarks, as they are to be cured in the same way as all other diseases,
namely, by a remedy which shows, by the symptoms it causes in the body
and mind of a healthy individual, a power of producing a morbid state as
similar as possible to the case of disease before us, and in no other
way can they be cured.
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