[H] The Four Cardinal Principles - Amedeo Avogadro

[David Little]

Dear students and colleagues,

We have all heard of Avagadro's number but there seems to be some
confusion about when he lived and when his work was published. It has been
said that Hahnemann could not have realized that no molecules were left in
his higher potencies because he lived before the time of Avagadro. First of
all, this is not necessarily so as Hahnemann could have hypothesized as
much on his own. Second of all, this idea is historically incorrect!

Count Lerenzo Romano Amedeio Carlo Avagadro di Quaregna e Cerreto was
born in Turin, Italy on August 9, 1776 and passed away on July 9th, 1856.
Avagadro published his first \work 1811 and his last work was in 1841 all
within the working life of Samuel Hahnemann. Avogadro was a *contemporary
of Samuel Hahnemann* and one can suggest that an well educated chemist like
the Founder of Homeopathy was aware of his works. First of all, Hahnemann
did not believe the power of potentized remedies depended on molecules or
atoms. He wrote:

"The specific medicinal energy of these highly dynamized medicines does
not depend on their corporeal atoms nor on their physical or mathematical
surfaces (idea that are the product of futile and still materialistic
theorizing about dynamized medicines, whose energy is higher)." (footnote
to aphorism 11)

Avagadro's number corresponds to the number of atoms or molecules
needed to make up a mass equal to the substance's atomic number or
molecular weight in grams.. After a certain amount of dilution no molecules
of the substance is found in a mole. When a remedy no longer has any
molecules can be work out most easily with the elements of the periodic
table because the molecules of organic compounds vary in size. Hahnemann
was well aware of the fact they his remedies no longer contained any
molecules in the higher potencies. In the footnote to 270 Hahnemann wrote:

"For example, the simple dilution of a grain of salt in a large
amount of water results in just plain water; the grain of salt disappears
and never becomes the medicinal salt [natrum muriaticum] that our
well-prepared dynamizations have heightened to such admirable strength."

If salt is simply diluted in a large amount of water it become
"nothing" but when triturated, diluted and succussed in a small medium the
solution becomes a homeopathic dynamization. Hahnemann knew that the higher
potencies of Natrum Muriaticum have no molecules of the original medicinal
substance. The basic idea that potencies around the 12c no longer have any
molecules is basically correct. The same level is reached by the LM 0/3
when the 1 pill is used to make a medicinal solution. In footnote aphorism
270 Hahnemann correctly gave the cyphers for the LM 0/3 as 125, 000, 000,.
000,. 000, 000, 000. This may not be a coincidence because below Hahnemann
wrote:

"It becomes exceeding probable that the matter, by means of such
dynamizations (developments of its true, inner medicinal wesen) finally
dissolves entirely into it individual spirit-like wesen" (fn 270)

When Hahnemann speaks about giving a small doses of a potency he is not
speaking about physical amounts of material substance in a remedy solution.
He is speaking about the quantums (energy packets) of medicinal power
present in each pill, drop or teaspoon given to the patient. Hahnemann
considered the size of the dose given to the patient (e.,g. 1 pill) to be
different than the potency factor (e,g, 30c).

These statements make it very obvious that Hahnemann knew that there
were no material substances in his higher potencies like 12c to 30c and LM
0/3 to 0/30. As a advanced chemist and well read scientist who worked with
the early period table it is very unlikely that Hahnemann was not aware of
the works of Avogadro. Hahnemann read both Italian and Latin perfectly and
reviewed scientific literature in many languages. Amedo Avodrago and Samuel
Hahnemann were contemporary scientists and chemist of the same generation.

Sincerely, David Little
---------------
"It is the life-force which cures diseases because a dead man needs no more
medicines."

Samuel Hahnemann

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David Little © 2000