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SAMUEL HAHNEMANN, whose genius divined the great importance of
the inorganic cell salts as remedial agents of a high order, was
the first who began thorough investigation into their pathogenetic
effects and therapeutic uses. It was his provings of Lime and Salt
and Potash and Silica that prepared the way for the rest of the
Tissue Remedies, that showed what vast store-houses of medicinal
force these inorganic substances are, although apparently inert
in their crude state. It was he, who first pointed out how these
forces could be unlocked and directed for therapeutic purposes.
Later, in 1832, attention was called in a paper published in Stapf's
Archiv to the great importance as remedies of all the "essential
component parts of the human body", and again, in the same
journal, in 1846: "All constituents of the human body principally
act on those organs wherein they have a function. All fulfill their
functions when they are the cause of symptoms." This from the
pen of that remarkable genius in the field of Materia Medica - Constantine
Hering.
Later still, we find Grauvogl, in his Text-Book, taking some notice
of these remarks and amplifying them; but it remained for Dr. Schussler,
of Oldenburg, Germany, to develop these suggestions and make the
idea foreshadowed in them the basis of, a "new system".
In March, 1873, an article, entitled "An Abridged Homeopathic
Therapeutics", from his pen, was published in a German Homeopathic
journal, in which he says: "About a year ago I endeavored to
discover by experiments on the sick if it were not possible to heal
them, provided their diseases were curable at all, with those substances
that are the natural, i. e., the physiological function-remedies.".
Of this no special notice seems to have been taken, until, five
months subsequently, Dr. Lorbacher, of Leipzig, came out in the
same journal with some critical considerations of it. This was followed
by a reply from Schussler, which ran through seven numbers, giving
a more detailed account of this "Abridged System of Homeopathic
Therapeutics," the important features of which are incorporated
in this work.
The original communication from Schussler to the German medical
journal was translated into English, and published first in the
Medical Investigator, May, 1873, and soon afterwards in a small
work, by Dr. C. Hering, entitled the "Twelve Tissue Remedies,"
"recommended for investigation" by this great teacher
of our school. Several editions were published in rapid succession,
from which this historical sketch is mainly derived, and following
these appeared the translation of the twelfth German edition, by
J. T. O'Connor, M. D., and one by M. Docetti Walker, considerably
enlarged by the addition of an appendix popularizing the Biochemic
Method. Dr. Schussler, previous to his death, which occurred early
in 1898, published the 25th German edition, in which the application
of several of the remedies has been greatly enlarged and considerable
new matter added, all of which is incorporated in this work. This
edition has been translated into English.
Notwithstanding that Dr. Schussler denies in the later editions
of his work all connection with Homeopathy, and insists that his
method is not based upon the homeopathic law of cure, but upon physiologico-chemical
processes that take place within the organism, it is nevertheless
true that the present wide adoption of the Tissue Remedies in the
treatment of disease is the fruit of the seed sown on homeopathic
ground as early as 1832, although its development was slow until
Schussler gave it a wonderful impetus by bringing physiologilcal
chemistry and physiological and pathological facts to bear on his
therapeutic procedure.
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