Gemuethszustand in § 210, § 211

[Cl.Mennel]

Dear Peter,

what you write in your email

Message: 18

is unfortunately far away from concise linguistics as well as precise
understanding of what Hahnemann has considered in the quoted aphorisms.

I had a discussion on that subject with Andrew a couple of weeks ago:
Subject: Re: State of disposition, Digest Number 311
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 17:13:49 +0100
From: Claudia 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

To continue: The words "Gemuethsverfassung" and "Gemüthszustand" don't
differ in German more than the English terms condition and state differ
in this context. Boericke was very wise and precise in translation.

As one can see in § 210

"...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."

In most points I fully agree with what David wrote.

All the best
Claudia

Here the quotes from Hahnemann's Organon:
Here Boericke to compare.
§ 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.

Here the German original in original orthography:

§ 211

Dieß geht so weit, daß bei homöopathischer Wahl eines Heilmittels der
Gemüthszustand des Kranken oft am meisten den Ausschlag giebt, als
Zeichen von bestimmter Eigenheit, welches dem genau beobachtenden Arzte
unter allen am wenigsten verborgen bleiben kann.