Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 188-189. (Budapest, 2004)

KÖZLEMÉNYEK - COMMUNICATIONS - Koltay Erika: History of alternative medicine in Hungary in 19th and early 20th century. - Az alternatív orvoslás története Magyarországon a 19. és a korai 20. században

Making self-experiments with quinine, Samuel Hahnemann German physician (17551843) came to the conclusion that in a healthy organism quinine is capable to create the symptoms of the disease against which it is being applied. The fundamental principle of homeopathy was based on this observation. We can define the year 1796 as the birth of homeopathy, when Hahnemann's study "Experimenting with a new theory for exploring the healing capacity of pharmaceutical materials" was published in the periodical Journal der praktischen Arzneikunde. Among others, he writes the following in his study: 1. In order to recognise the clear effect of drugs, it is necessary to examine their effect in healthy persons, 2. There are certain drugs, particularly poisons of strong effect, which induce such diseases in the human organism that are similar to natural diseases, to such an extent that these diseases can hardly be distinguished from one another. 3. We should copy the actions of nature which cures a disease by creating another disease in addition to the existing one. (Schimert s.a.: 19) It was not the above publication which brought about the real striking success and popularity of homeopathy but the publication of the book entitled Organon der rationellen Heilkunst. Considering merely the years of the book's subsequent publications (first publication 1810, second publication 1818, third publication 1824, fourth publication 1830), it can be seen how rapidly this method of healing became widespread. This study was translated into several languages, thus, in 1830 into Hungarian as well. Obviously, as a result of being published in Hungarian, the method spread more rapidly and in wider spheres, yet certain data indicate that homeopathy had already been known among a limited scope of physicians before the book was published in Hungarian. One thing is certain, that József Bakody (1791-1845), a physician in town Győr must have known the method, because he successfully used homeopathic therapies during the cholera epidemic in 1831-1832. The petition of György Forgó and Pál Balogh (1830) also indicate the same fact: they recommended homeopathic healing methods to the council supervising public health in order to prevent the development of cholera epidemic (their petition was rejected). Despite the successes achieved during the cholera epidemic, homeopathy did not spread as rapidly in Hungary as it did in other European countries. In the 1840s only 10 homeopathic physicians worked in Budapest. (Schimert 1925:484) At the same time, concerning the year 1843, according to international statistical data, there were 450 homeopathic physicians in North America, 390 in South America, 70 in Great Britain, 30 in Italy, 50 in France. However, in 1863 there were already 555 homeopathic physicians in Germany, 1670 in North America, 283 in Great Britain, 136 in Italy, 453 in France. (Hasonszenvi Lapok 1866:29) In Hungary, 1864 is considered the starting year of the emergence of homeopathy. In that year the first homeopathic periodical written in Hungarian language was published under the title Hasonszenvi Közlöny (=Homeopathic Bulletin), edited by István Horner, manager and head physician of the Hospital in town Gyöngyös. The periodical aimed at fighting for the scientific trend of the healing method, and for winning respect for homeopathy among all kinds of readers. The bulletin was published twice a month. (Hasonszenvi Közlöny 1864) In 1865 Ádám Szontágh took over the editorial task, and the periodical was published in Budapest under the title Hasonszenvi Lapok (Homeopathic Papers), following the aims and ideas of the predecessor until 1876. Between 1877-79 it