Teaching the Organon

[Julian Winston]

I was going to put this up on my web-site, but that will come later.
Here is the discussion at the AIH meeting in 1894.
Very interesting.

JW

***

The American Institute of Homeopathy Meeting
Denver, 1894

Question 5.

When should the Organon be taught and how?

Dr DUDGEON.-The Organon being the best exposition of the homeopathic
system, should be carefully studied by every one for himself and Its
teachings accepted and endorsed by every teacher of Homeopathy when
they are not inconsistent with the ascertained facts of modern
science.

Dr. HUGHES.-The teaching of the Organon does not seem to me to belong
to the chair of Materia Medica, but rather to that of Theory and
Practice of Medicine. From this I would have it at some time in ever
student's course, read and critically commented on. I recommend Dr
Dudgeon's latest translation.

Dr. SKINNER.-The Organon, in my estimation, should be studied from
the very first. In fact, I do not believe it possible for any man to
have any sound conception of what Homeopathy is until he thoroughly
understands and can take into his comprehension the vast and
important tenets and truths of the greatest work that ever was
published in Medicine, theoretically, doctrinally or practically.

Dr. BLAKE.-The Organon should be assimilated late in life probably.

Prof. MOHR.-The Organon should be studied during the first year so
effectually that its great or fundamental principles will be
indelibly fixed on the mind of the student. In the class-room, in the
clinic and at every opportunity its practical rules should be brought
to the attention of the students, for they cannot be too often
repeated.

Prof. DEWEY.--The Organon should be taught during the second and
third years of college course. And I believe in each homeopathic
college a separate chair should be made for the Organon and
Institutes of Homeopathy. Of course much of it can be taught in
conjunction with lectures upon Materia Medica; but as it contains the
philosophy of Homeopathy it seems to me that a separate chair for it
is preferable, and it should be a chair insisted on by the American
Institute, with two lectures a week at least.

Prof. HINSDALE.--The principles of homeopathy should be taught to
freshmen, well grounding them in the philosophy of the theory of
homeopathy. The Organon can be taught by class-room readings,
preferably by seniors. Comments can be made as the reading advances
and papers prepared by the students upon topics suggested by the
author. The teaching of this valuable book should be critical and
impartial. Adoration for Hahnemann should give place to admiration
for the truth to be taught.

Prof. McELWEE.-The Organon should be taught when the student's mind
is rested and fresh; consequently the first thing in the morning, one
or two paragraphs only at a time, those paragraphs being read by the
student, who gives his idea of it, and then later, under the
supervision of the professor, discusses it before the class.

Prof. GILMAN.-The Organon should be taught early and continually
until it is mastered. It is the mother's milk to the medical student.
It should be taught as the Bible is expounded-- text by text, and
explained and illustrated.

Prof. SNOW.-The Oganon should be systematically taught during the
first year of college, as it is the foundation work of Homeopathy.
Frequent reference should be made to it, however, during the whole
three years as occasion may demand. It should be committed to memory
as nearly as possible, so that its precepts may remain always
engraved on the mind.

Prot. MACK.-I do not use the Organon as a text-book. I think that one
can better teach Homeopathy without the Organon as a text-book than
with it.

Prof. COWPERTHWAITE.-The Organon should be taught by a separate
teacher. It has not fallen to my lot to teach the Organon to any
extent and I do not consider myself a competent judge as to how it
should be taught. My method is to take my old and much loved copy
which I held in my hand when I attended the lectures by Dr. Hering,
and which is profusely filled with annotations, comments and
underlinings according to Dr. Hering's suggestions. From this book I
talk to the class, giving them Hahnemann's ideas, Hering's comments
and my own views on each particular section as we take it up.

Prof. WOODWARD.-The Organon should be taught to beginners, not
without Judicious criticism.

Prof. ROYAL.-The Organon should be studied and taught throughout the
entire student's course.

Prof. LEONARD.-For six years I have tried to teach the Organon in
connection with Materia Medica and therapeutics; but whether from my
own inability to do it well or from an incongruity of subjects, the
results have not been satisfactory. A critical analysis of the
Organon with an exposition of its essential parts before senior
students, seems to me to be part of the work of the chair of Theory
and Practice, and it is so taught in the University of Minnesota.

Prof. EDGERTON.-The Organon should be taught to first course
students. A text-book should be gotten up containing the essentials,
and the student should commit the same to memory and recite in class.

Prof. PRICE.-- In my opinion the Organon should be taught from the
chair of Institutes, first omitting the psoric theory, dynamization,
primary and secondary drug action, alternating drug effects, etc.
There is too much difference of opinion upon these subjects amongst
the best minds in our profession to make a belief in them a point of
vital necessity. Of course the chair of Materia Medica and
Therapeutics should teach the fundamental principles of Homeopathy
whether the Organon be quoted or not.

Prof. CHEESEMAN.--The Organon should be taught by at least two
lectures each week during the entire college course by a competent
lecturer .

Prof. HAWKES.-The Organon should be taught from the "cradle to the
grave" of medicine. In my judgment it should be taught as the good
preacher teaches his congregation: select a portion for a text (and
each section of the Organon is a sermon in itself) and elaborate to
the student and explain its philosophy. Then make him explain it to
me.

Prof. ALLEN, H. C.-The Organon should be taught every year of the
entire course and taught by one who practices what he preaches. It is
the foundation of our system, and no student can ever practice
Homeopathy who does not know, and know most thoroughly, its
principles.

Prof. PEMBERTON DUDLEY-I hold to the view that every student should,
first of all be made acquainted with the methods--perhaps in courtesy
I should say "principles"-on which unhomeopathic treatment is applied
to diseases and injuries by the various sects of physicians, and that
his induction into the mysteries of Homeopathy should come later. I
am quite sure that the uncompromising adhesion to the homeopathic law
manifested by the "Homeopathic Fathers" was due to the fact that they
knew from both study and experience all about allopathic methods and
what these methods could and could not do for their patients; and
holding this view it would naturally follow that the way to make
staunch as well as intelligent homeopathists is to make them quite
fully acquainted with the effects and defects of the other modes of
medical practice first of all.

Having accomplished this we proceed as follows: We endeavor to
discover how the phenomenon known as "cure" is to be investigated.
(The allopath never concerns himself on this matter save only as to
the fact of its occurrence and the nature of the agencies by which it
seems to be brought about. The phenomenon does not present itself to
his mind as at all requiring investigation). This study forces us to
the bedside as the only place where our curative studies can be
pursued-- the only "Laboratory" where principle of cure can be made
known. Then having learned the reasonableness and practicability of
this method of finding out how to find out cures for diseases, we
turn to the Organon and there discover that the author of that book
has been before us and has made the way plain for us. So we take up
point after point in the development of curative science-- first
reasoning it out as well as we can and then turning to the book to
find it all in Hahnemann's own words. One of the things that our
students discover and often mention in this course is that the author
of the Organon was anything but the dreaming visionary he has been so
often represented to be. In these studies of Homeopathy both the
student and the teacher are expected to have the open book before
them. In last winter's class of about eighty first-year men I have
counted over seventy copies of the Organon in the room at one time,
and all of them in use. We call it our "Sunday School Class in the
Organon."

Prof. MONROE.-- It is a question in my mind whether the Organon
should be taught during the student years; that is systematically. It
should be referred to by the professor frequently, and the student
should be taught that he cannot regard himself as a well-rounded
homeopathic physician until he is familiar with the Organon. To my
mind, however, the book is not of such a character as will admit of
its being properly digested during the rushing, cramming gallop that
marks the career of a student during his last year; and previous to
that time, he is not sufficiently far advanced to comprehend it.

Dr. GRAMM.-- Hahnemann's Organon should be read thoroughly by every
student before entering a homeopathic college, and there it should be
used by the regular professor of theory and practice as the
foundation and guide for his teachings during all the four years.
Every section should be properly read and carefully explained, and
its teachings as much as possible illustrated by cases from actual
practice from beginning to end.

Dr. PECK.--The Organon should be the first book placed in the hands
of a medical student. If he has not sufficient sense and knowledge to
understand and to appreciate it he never can become a trustworthy
physician. The youth should be told to read it slowly and
deliberately, stopping at any (to him) obscure point, or at any
utterance that does not commend itself to his sober judgment and
refer it at once to his instructor for their joint investigation.
Rarely will this happen a half dozen times. One or two more rapid
re-readings will do no harm.
Since many alleged homeopath physicians do not provide their pupils
this instruction it becomes necessary for the college to teach the
Institutes of Medicine. These should be taught at the very beginning
instead of at the close of a course of study, for it is as important
that a doctor should know what he believes, and why, as for the
preacher, or any other man; and the sooner he ascertains this the
better. After a little talk on Hahnemann and his times, display on
the blackboard or in other convenient manner singly and successively
the various propositions. As each is exhibited ask the class if it
accepts that assertion, then call for reasons pro and con.

Dr. NIELSEN.--The Organon should be taught especially to the advanced
student, but by a competent teacher and one able to read between the
lines.

Dr. KRAFT.-The Organon, like the bible, should be read through not
less than once a year; its reading and study should not cease with
the medical man's commencement exercises. During school-life it
should be listened to from the chair of therapeutics at least once a
week. Not read by the teacher but talked. The professor of
therapeutics should have naught to do with Materia Medica; in him
should be combined the present highly ornamental chair of Organon,
and the rare chair of Institutes of Medicine. To him should be given
the duties of explaining the homeopathic law, the therapeutical
application of Materia Medica, the Organon, and the potencies.

Dr. BOJANUS.--According to my opinion I should think that the Organon
should not be given before the end of the third year of study and
must be explained and commented in a special course of lectures, and
not before the students have visited the homeopathic and allopathic
clinics and hospitals for at least two years. In the lectures upon
the Organon, the whole homeopathic literature, with all its different
tendencies, must be passed in review and particular attention must be
paid that the youthful students should not prefer the literature
which has given itself the task of clothing homeopathic therapeutics
into a form more or less like allopathy. Such compilations are a
comfortable implement in the hands of those who wish to convert
science into a milking cow; they are useful to establish a position
and keep their disciple in the broad way of the beaten track, but
this is preparing the ruin of homeopathy.

[Simon King LCPH MARH]

Thanks Julian
SK
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[mcbarnek]

Dear JW,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I, too, find it very interesting and
plan to share it with the members of a homeopathy study group I attend. We have
set aside a portion of the meeting each month to study the Organon from cover
to cover.

Best,
MB
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Shannon Nelson]

Julian,

Thanks so much for posting this! There are a richness of points there, just
*begging* for discussion, but all my reply posts have been beaten out of me
by the coming holidays (and a week away). So if you guys haven't said all
there is to say by the time I get back, I'll hope to re-open it then--it's
wonderful!

Happy holidays to all!
Shannon
on 12/22/04 4:05 AM, Julian Winston at jwinston@actrix.gen.nz wrote:

[CKRemedy4U]

I would like to thank Mr. Winston for the very enlightening comments by the
various homeopaths regarding the when, how and whether of teaching the
Organon. It is good to know that even the most ardent and qualified homeopathic
physicians have differing views on this subject and their individual reasoning
is most helpful in allowing each of us to decide the importance for ourselves
rather than just take the answer of one other teacher.
Again, thanks for taking the time to share,
Sincerely, Carol Kautzmann
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Julian Winston]

At 10:47 PM -0500 1/1/05, CKRemedy4U@aol.com wrote:

[snip]

Indeed. It was interesting to read. But on further reading, some
interesting points come out. Most of those who spoke agreed for the
need to read it, and to do so over the entire course of study.
But the problem they had (at the time) was the platform from which it
should be taught. Most schools had a chair of Materia Medica, and a
chair of Therapeutics. Just look at The Univ. of Michigan at Ann
Arbor. W. A. Dewey put together two wonderful quiz compends when he
was there. They are still in print, and they elucidate clearly for us
exactly what was expected of the student to know.
But where was the Organon in this? Well, it wasn't. Education was
still fairly didactic and compartmentalized.
By NOW (a century later) we have had a stream of educators (not
homeopathic ones) exploring and opening up teaching methodologies. We
have, generally, embraced a more "holistic" approach to teaching.
Therefore, knowing what we know now, and NOT being tied to the
various chairs as the old system was, we should be able to better
integrate the Organon into our education.
After all, the Organon is not only the book on "philosophy" but also
the book on practice.
It tells how to do a proving. It tells how to take a case. It tells
how to select the characteristic symptoms (the totality) from the
mass. And it gives clear instructions about how to evaluate returning
cases. ALL of this is important for a practitioner to know and for a
student to learn.
The lessons in each of these, I believe, should be started by showing
how what we do is grounded in the work of Hahnemann.
If we look at case-taking as an example, we see that in Para. 82 and
following, Hahnemann gives very exacting instructions for case
taking. Yet, I have been to many seminars where the great presenters
pay NO attention to the suggestions of Hahnemann and dive in with
non-open ended questions, put words in the mouth of the patient,
decide upon a remedy too early in the process and, in general,
conduct themselves in a manner that is NOT that which is suggested in
the Organon. It is most discouraging to see done.
In all of my seminar going and sitting in with various homeopaths
over the years, I have found only ONE who actually did it the way
Hahnemann suggested.
When he showed his "paper case" someone asked: "What are the spaces?"
To which he replied, "Read the Organon. Para. 85: 'Start a new line
for every symptom.' That space is the one before the new line."
I have seen a number of submitted paper cases for examination where
there is complete confusion in the case-- and it all stems from NOT
following the simple instructions that Hahnemann left us.
If we only read the Organon and followed its method, we would have a
much better start when it comes to case analysis and remedy
selection. When your case is a mish-mash because of poor case-taking,
your chances of finding the remedy that is needed is severely
hampered.
The Organon is the backbone of homeopathy, and deserves to be
studied, read, and followed.
But to DO this, one needs teachers that know how to do THAT. Happily,
I think we have more today that are capable of doing so than we had
from the sampling of the AIH in 1894.

End of rant.

JW

[Shannon Nelson]

So essentially, homeopathy's dissolution from a system of deep healing
(including miasmatic/chronic and mental/emotional) into a jumble of
therapeutics came about along with (and we might presume "because of") loss
of connection between the practice and its basic principles (as set out in
the Organon). This alone should give pause, I think, to those who are
asking whether we "need" a "Seventh Edition of the Organon" (and who are
they proposing would write this...).

I think that further *development* of Hahnemann's ideas is inevitable, but
"development" does *mean* that the further movement is based upon the prior
position, and how can you "develop" what you don't know or understand the
starting point? But those who *do* know and understand the Organon, do not
seem to feel much need for "developing" it, but only for understanding and
applying. At least, that has been my impression so far.

Maybe someone should develop a "workbook" tutorial on the Organon, where
each specific principle and main idea is illustrated with examples from
clinical practice. That would also provide a terrific platform for
discussing situations where a varying approach has been or might be used?
One example which leaps to *my* mind is where Hahnemann instructs us to seek
the remedy on the basis of the patient's departure from "his former healthy
condition"--which does not serve if you are treating someone who has *never*
been healthy. (I guess it is CD that addresses this question, tho.)

Shannon
on 1/2/05 5:40 PM, Julian Winston at jwinston@actrix.gen.nz wrote:

[Kitsnk9s]

Shannon,
>>>

This would be a great idea/resource and I'd buy it in a heartbeat -- I'm
surprised that someone hasn't already taken the time to do it.
Darla
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Sheri Nakken]

Well, there is the online list that goes thru each aphorism slowly, in the
meantime

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hahnemaniacs
At 10:49 AM 01/02/2005 -0500, you wrote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath
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[Paul Booyse]

Hello Shannon,
Hahnemann's various editions followed mostly one train of thought, which is
outlined in aph. 2 & 3:

The change from 4 to 5 to 6 was mostly to do with refining the dose so as to
heal as quickly and as gently as possible. Each edition is refinement of
this thought.

Ed.4 is one dose, don't repeat while Rx is active.
Ed.5 is repeat dose when diluted & succussed accordingly
Ed.6 is as for 5 but using his new scale, the LM's.

If he did write a 7th edition, I think a good guess would be a refinement
further, perhaps another scale. Perhaps some clarifications of his previous
thoughts in the earlier editions, and perhaps somethng further on mesmerism,
but all this would more than likely still be in accordance with aph. 2 & 3.

Excellent posting by Julian (as always). As for Organon teaching, I do the
philosphy,principles & practice for the MFhom course here, and first year
was only Organon, second year mixed Organon and practical application and
now in their 3rd year we do practical application, but always referring back
to Organon. As Julian said, when I get questions during the course, I can
refer them back to Oraganon and show exactly where the answer is given by
Hahnemann. Whether it's case follow-up, dealing with sensitive cases,
one-sided cases etc.

Hahnemann's explanation's even explain why one can use a different potency
when a simillimum is given in excess of potency and causes aggravation.

Regards,
Paul
*********************************************************
§ 2

The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the
health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in
the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible
principles.
§ 3

If the physician clearly perceives what is to be cured in diseases, that is
to say, in every individual case of disease (knowledge of disease,
indication), if he clearly perceives what is curative in medicines, that is
to say, in each individual medicine (knowledge of medical powers), and if he
knows how to adapt, according to clearly defined principles, what is
curative in medicines to what he has discovered to be undoubtedly morbid in
the patient, so that the recovery must ensue - to adapt it, as well in
respect to the suitability of the medicine most appropriate according to its
mode of action to the case before him (choice of the remedy, the medicine
indicated), as also in respect to the exact mode of preparation and quantity
of it required (proper dose), and the proper period for repeating the
dose; - if, finally, he knows the obstacles to recovery in each case and is
aware how to remove them, so that the restoration may be permanent, then he
understands how to treat judiciously and rationally, and he is a true
practitioner of the healing art.

**********************************************************