The Organon of the Healing Art

The Organon of the Healing Art (Organon der rationellen Heilkunde) by Samuel Hahnemann, 1810, laid the foundations of all theory and method of classical homeopathy [ [http://www.hompath.net/homeopathy/organon-of-the-healing-art.php Organon of the Healing Art] ] . The work was repeatedly revised by Hahnemann and published in six editions, with the name changed from the second onwards to "Organon der Heilkunst".

The Book

Hahnemann wrote this book in order to document his new theory of medicine, homeopathy. When Hahnemann first experienced the effect of Peruvian Bark Cinchona [ [http://www.hompath.net/homeopathy/samuel_hahnemann.php Hahnemann] ] he wrote an article which was published under the title 'Medicine of Experience'.

After conducting personal observation and experiment, Hahnemann collected his new theory of homeopathy into book form in 1810. The original title of the book was "Organon of Rational Art of Healing." In 1819, the second edition was published, with the revised title 'Organon of Healing Art.' The third edition (1824) and fourth edition (1829) kept this new title, while the latter introduced Hahnemann's "Theory of Chronic Disease" [ [http://www.hompath.net/homeopathy-info/chronic-disease.php Chronic disease] ] .

The fifth edition was published in 1833, and included the doctrine of vital force and drug-dynamization [ [http://www.hompath.net/homeopathy/homeopathic-dynamization.php Dynamization] ] The sixth edition, written in 1842, a year before his death, was retitled "Organon of Medicine" and not published until 1921.

Outline of the Organon

The fifth edition of the Organon of Medicine is split into Aphorisms, numbered 1 to 294. The doctrine of Homoeopathy is discussed in the first seventy aphorisms, often referred to as the theoretical part.

The sub-division of the philosophy of Homoeopathy is below:
# The mission of Physician and Highest Ideal of cure aphorism 1 & 2
# Requisite knowledge of a physician aphorism 3 & 4 [ [http://www.hompath.net/homeopathy-info/homeopathic-practitioner.php Homeopathic physician] ]
#Knowledge of disease apho. 5-18
# Knowledge of drugs apho. 19-21
# application of drug knowledge to disease apho. 22-27
# knowledge of choice of remedy, different modes of treatment, superiority of homoeopathic therapeutics apho. 28 to 70

Aphorisms 71 to 294 are known as the practical part:
# Three points, which are necessary for curing apho. 71
# Classification of disease apho. 72-80
# Case Taking: recording of patient data apho. 83-104
# Knowledge of medicinal power, curative power and drug proving apho. 105-145
# Most suitable method of employing medicine to a patient apho. 146-261
# allied support during treatment, diet in acute diseases apho. 262-263
# Preparation of medicines apho. 264-271
# administration of medicines apho. 271-292
# Mesmerism 293-294

References

External links

* [http://www.hpathy.com/philosophy/ Organon of Medicine Online] - Full text of 5th and 6th edition available online.