*** SPAM *** was nux vomica pic

[Theresa Partington]

Andy,
Whatever else, Hahnemann was certainly up to speed with developments and at
the front of the game.
The only work of his that I have read dating from 1779 is his inaugural
dissertation on spasms, cramps and epilepsy.(HIP Winter 2005) His triggers
include lists under the headings of Irritation eg metallic poisons, other
poisons, polyps in the brain, suppression of discharges etc.;Acts of God,
including epidemics, endemics, febrile disorders, hysteria. Another group
includes terror, hysteria, teething, pain, another includes 'plethora' and
lack of tone and then he goes on to look at medicines and their uses for the
different types. He includes ,magnetism and electricity, also rubbing
mercury into wounds (!!), purgatives ,trepanning etc. He says at the end
that there is nothing much original in it, but there is the odd flash of the
Hahnemann we love as when he criticises the 'quacks' for using crystal
preparations which will only accumulate in the gut.
Colin Lessell who translated it from the Latin says he spotted 'intriguing
seeds of homeopathic pharmacy and doctrine to come', but without my knowing
more about what was the norm at the time it is hard to pick them out! I
presume you have read this and been able to pick them out more effectively
or maybe were referring to other writings.
The Organon won't have come out of the blue in 1810, either, of course.
'Challenging' and 'detracting' were not really on my agenda, but if
hahnemann 'presaged' developments in the 20th century, so did other people
and I was just drawing attention to a way others might find out more about
this in an enjoyable way. I should have made it clearer that Sebastian
Faulks is a novelist -after all there are many non-native- English speakers
in this group and no reason on earth why everyone should have heard of him!

Theresa