{"id":881,"date":"2017-06-18T16:15:24","date_gmt":"2017-06-18T15:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/?p=881"},"modified":"2018-08-01T20:41:38","modified_gmt":"2018-08-01T19:41:38","slug":"charitable-attitude-suicides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/charitable-attitude-suicides\/","title":{"rendered":"Hahnemann’s charitableness towards suicides"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"gold

Golden Gate Bridge<\/p><\/div>\n

Hahnemann’s Sensitivity to Suicides<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

At a talk on suicide sponsored by a charity, the speaker, a consultant psychiatrist, stated that suicide is bigger than medicine and psychiatry, so\u00a0medicine does not have answers to suicides.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Samuel Hahnemann had one answer. He also advocated a kinder attitude to those who took their own lives – as well as the mentally ill – than was prevalent at the time. His short article explaining the need for a charitable attitude and understanding along with a proposed remedy for the suicidal disposition was published in his Lesser Writings<\/em> (p. 695). The article, published in 1819 and reprinted below,\u00a0is available at Archive.org<\/span><\/a>. After reading this you may find other articles on homeopathy and psychiatry or suicide of use: psychiatry<\/span><\/a> and suicide<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Different Remedies\u00a0for Different\u00a0Suicides<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Gold, known in homeopathy as\u00a0Aurum metallicum<\/em>, isn’t the only remedy for a suicidal disposition. Homeopathy provides many remedies and each remedy can show a disposition to suicide by different methods. Examples of such remedies\u00a0are listed in Kent’s repertory from 1910\u00a0under the rubric<\/span> “Suicide, disposition to commit”<\/span><\/a> (more remedies have been added since then). People needing Aurum<\/em> will show a tendency to jump from a height. Those in need of\u00a0Silica<\/em>, a commonly used remedy, can desire death by drowning and\u00a0Natrum sulph<\/em> by shooting himself in the head, particularly following a head injury (Kent recounts such a cured case in his New remedies, clinical cases, lesser writings, aphorisms and precepts<\/em>, pp. 609ff<\/span><\/a>\u00b9). <\/span><\/p>\n

Homeopathy has elicited remedies for various\u00a0would-be suicides and under different conditions as can be seen by browsing through the rubric. Other remedies have a simple desire for death as shown under the rubric<\/span> “Death, desires”<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Uncharitableness Towards Suicides\u00b2<\/span><\/h5>\n

The propensity to self-destruction always depends upon a disease which is to a certain extent endemic in England, but in many other countries it prevailed epidemically, so to speak, more some time since than now, but it by no means affected the very worst characters, but often otherwise honest, well-conducted individuals. It is generally the friends of the individual – who do not pay attention to his corporeal disease, that often passes rapidly into this mental disease – and his medical attendants, who know not how to cure the suicidal-malady, that are to blame for the catastrophe.<\/span><\/p>\n

By their unsteady, shy, anxious look, by the despondency they display in their words and deeds, by their restlessness, that increases at certain times of the day, by their avoidance of things that were formerly most agreeable to them, and sometimes by their inconsolable lamentations over some slight corporeal ailments, the patients betray their internal malady. This most unnatural of all human purposes, this disorder of the mind that renders them weary of life, might always be with certainty cured if the medicinal powers of pure gold\u00b3 for the cure of this sad condition were known. The smallest dose of pulverized gold attenuated to the billionth degree, or the smallest part of a drop of an equally diluted solution of pure gold, which may be mixed in his drink without his knowledge, immediately and permanently removes this fearful state of the (body and) mind, and the unfortunate being is saved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes
\n<\/strong>1. Kent’s case, entitled “Natrum sulph in Symptoms Arising After\u00a0an Injury\u00a0to\u00a0the Head”\u00a0is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

This case, involving the most intense suffering, was the result of a violent accident, that of being trampled upon by a spirited horse. While visiting the farm of Chancellor Nicholson of Dover, Del., he invited my attention to his farmer who was suffering at that time from the following symptoms:<\/span><\/p>\n

Rheumatism in left side, no pain elsewhere, worse in hands to wrists and knees to hips. Pain like a knife sticking in him, had not had such an attack for a long time. Aggravated in bed, can’t sleep for the pain. Does not feel sleepy, gets mad because he cannot sleep. Gets stiff all over when sits or lies down. Ameliorated from pressure or moving about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having learned that Mrs. Nicholson had given Rhus about the 30th potency after the accident, and that it had worked well, and the symptoms seeming to agree, I gave him one dose of Rhus. mm on Oct. 27, 1897. This had only a temporary effect, as will be seen by the following letter from the Chancellor:<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOMS OF R. R. E. Dec. 1, 1897<\/span>
\n ‘Since the days of his apprenticeship in a Vienna Brewery he has been a very poor sleeper.<\/span>
\n Immediately after taking your last powder he slept for four or five nights, “better than in all his life,” say four or five hours of good sleep each night. Since then has not slept at all. Says positively that in the whole time, day and night put together, he has not been asleep two hours. His eyes wide open all night long except when he holds his hands over them. Has waking dreams all day. Sees and talks with his father, and with me. Sees what he reads all over the world, particularly military scenes, such as battles in Cuba, etc. (He served through Franco-Prussian War in the Bavarian cavalry.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Is very nervous and startles at any sound during the night,\u2014”not scared exactly, but nervous all over down to the tips of his fingers.” This is something very novel to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Has nearly the whole time what he calls a “zumming in his ears,” usually not very loud, “like a bumble-bee in a hollow board.” If he gets up very slowly and carefully he escapes this. With the loud “zumming” a pain comes across the top of his head from ear to ear running back to the point where the hair centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pain in his head comes when he lies down, on the side he is lying on. On account of this he always lies on his back with his head propped high. This pain goes away when he sits up or stands. His forehead always feels very heavy, and frequently at the top of it, on the left hand side, he has sharp throbbing pain for a little while. About eighteen months ago my big colt trampled on his head about this place. His memory has been bad ever since then and he has had great suffering with his head at the injured point especially.<\/span><\/p>\n

He sweats very easily and profusely, which makes him feel cold and take cold very frequently in his ordinary outdoor work.<\/span><\/p>\n

His breast is now very sore to the touch in the region of the ribs and breast bones, the muscles apparently.<\/span><\/p>\n

He seems tireless in his work, says he feels no fatigue when he works all day long and is full of restless energy. Have noticed frequently of late a wild look in his eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The terrible sleeplessness in the one symptom upon which he himself dwells, and which he tells me “his wife says is driving him crazy.”<\/span><\/p>\n

He drinks coffee three times a day, but says that if you direct him to stop it he will not miss it. Has very little appetite. Is habitually a small eater and the sight of any large quantities of food on the table is so repulsive to him that it makes it impossible for him to eat anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

If these symptoms do not clearly indicate a remedy, please let me know and I will send him up to you, provided you think his condition serious.’<\/span><\/p>\n

On these symptoms I sent, to be taken once, one powder of Natrum-sulph. 20m.<\/span>
\n On December 28th the following report was received: “Effect of last powder is amazing; patient sleeps well and looks like another man. The wrinkles are smoothed out and his eyes are mild and youthful. Two days after the powder he was worse, but he later became sleepy and then sleep came normally.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. From the Allgem. Anzeig der Deutschen, No. 144. 1819.
\n3. The reasons pure gold – the remedy made from gold is Aurum metallicum<\/em> –\u00a0was found by Hahnemann in his experimenting with\u00a0it (known as\u00a0a “proving”)\u00a0to be beneficial for\u00a0suicides is because it causes\u00a0a suicidal\u00a0disposition. The proving\u00a0 details, with Hahnemann’s comments, are worth reading and are\u00a0available in his Chronic Diseases<\/em> (available to view here<\/span><\/a> and here<\/span><\/a>) and his Materia Medica Pura (here<\/span><\/a>). A more prose-like version based on much experience by Dr Kent presented in Kent’s Lectures\u00a0on Homeopathic Materia Medica\u00a0<\/em>is available here<\/span><\/a> and here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further reading<\/span><\/strong>
\nDr David Lester is regarded as an\u00a0expert on suicide. He might have something useful to offer at: http:\/\/www.drdavidlester.net\/<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

One in 10,000 Irish 15 –\u00a019 year-olds will die by suicide, Unicef’s Building the Future report says, as reported in The\u00a0Irish Times<\/span><\/a>, June 2017<\/span><\/p>\n

Credits: Photo by D Ramey Logan:<\/span> Wikipedia<\/span><\/a>. The Golden Gate Bridge (here with a golden sunset)\u00a0is a well-known location for suicides, so much so that Wikipedia has its own entry on it: Suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hahnemann’s Sensitivity to Suicides At a talk on suicide sponsored by a charity, the speaker, a consultant psychiatrist, stated that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12],"tags":[926,1064,1065,13,363,347,238],"class_list":["post-881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homeopathy","tag-aurum-met","tag-gold","tag-natrum-sulph","tag-psychiatry","tag-samuel-hahnemann","tag-suicidality","tag-suicide"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4mh1I-ed","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":140,"url":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/suicidality-abortion-child-psychiatry\/","url_meta":{"origin":881,"position":0},"title":"Suicidality and a child psychiatrist’s own pathology","author":"Stephen Blendell","date":"18\/05\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Suicidality and Homeopathy During the discussions and debates on Ireland's Heads of Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, 2013,\u00a0campaigners wished to introduce abortion to treat a\u00a0woman suffering\u00a0from \"suicidality\". This\u00a0would be\u00a0a vicarious treatment, far removed from Dr Hahnemann's ideal of cure; quick, gentle and permanent. Hahnemann should be regarded as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ethics"","block_context":{"text":"Ethics","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/category\/ethics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Suicidality abortion antibiotics","src":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/cc\/SweeneyTodd.jpg\/170px-SweeneyTodd.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":741,"url":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/mind-brain-split-psychiatry\/","url_meta":{"origin":881,"position":1},"title":"Mind-brain split splits psychiatry","author":"Stephen Blendell","date":"24\/11\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-bYAQ-ZZtEU \u00a0 During a frontal lobotomy operation, the surgeon asked the patient, \"Do you know where I am now?\" to which the patient replied,\"You're in my mind.\"! (As quoted in Psychiatry and Philosophy of Science, by Rachel Cooper) Mind-Brain Split The mind-brain problem had to raise its head sometime in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ethics"","block_context":{"text":"Ethics","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/category\/ethics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"mind-brain split","src":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/cf\/The_gyri_of_the_thinker%27s_brain_as_a_maze_of_choices_in_biom_Wellcome_L0027293.jpg\/174px-The_gyri_of_the_thinker%27s_brain_as_a_maze_of_choices_in_biom_Wellcome_L0027293.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1264,"url":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/homeopathy-pandemics-new-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":881,"position":2},"title":"homeopathy and pandemics","author":"Stephen Blendell","date":"24\/08\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Pandemics: What Dr Hahnemann Knew (pp. 131. \u20ac15) Contents Preface 1 Enlightening the Homeopathy Witch Hunters 5 Science Fraud and Misconduct 15 Samuel Hahnemann and his Influence on Medical Thought 20 Churches Oppose Mandatory Vaccination 34 The Madness of Yellow Fever Vaccine 45 Shingles Jab Proves Homeopathy 57 Genetics, Autism\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apologetics"","block_context":{"text":"Apologetics","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/category\/apologetics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pandemics: What Dr Hahnemann Knew","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/Book-2-3D-web-1-166x300.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":349,"url":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/hahnemanns-son-dublin\/","url_meta":{"origin":881,"position":3},"title":"Hahnemann’s son in Dublin","author":"Stephen Blendell","date":"21\/03\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In April 2004 the late great historian of homeopathy, Julian Winston, sent me the following for our journal Homeopathic Times. Homeopathy and Dublin: Some Intersections by Julian Winston The city of Dublin is entwined with the early history of homeopathy in several ways, two of them relating directly to Samuel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homeopathy"","block_context":{"text":"Homeopathy","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/category\/homeopathy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Friedrich Hahnemann Dublin Ireland New York","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholehealthnow.com\/bios\/photos\/julian-winston.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":858,"url":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/revisionist-bias-history-medicine\/","url_meta":{"origin":881,"position":4},"title":"Revising the revisionist histories of medicine","author":"Stephen Blendell","date":"29\/12\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Revisionist and Biased\u00a0Medical Histories There are histories and there are histories. Some give a fuller and truer picture than others. It's like the joke about the retired English army officer who was holidaying in Cork. He took a guided tour bus to explore the city. Every 20 minutes the tour\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apologetics"","block_context":{"text":"Apologetics","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/category\/apologetics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"revisionist history medicine first humane psychiatrist pinel","src":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/2\/25\/Samuel_Hahnemann_1841.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":787,"url":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/chronic-diseases\/","url_meta":{"origin":881,"position":5},"title":"Chronic Diseases – Hering’s overview","author":"Stephen Blendell","date":"11\/02\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Chronic Diseases: Their Specific Nature and Homeopathic Treatment, by Samuel Hahnemann Medicine cannot explain why some symptoms resolve quickly of their own accord (i.e. acute illnesses) and why others don't resolve, therefore\u00a0known as chronic diseases. Only Dr Samuel Hahnemann has postulated a theory and a practical solution to chronic diseases\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homeopathy"","block_context":{"text":"Homeopathy","link":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/category\/homeopathy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"chronic diseases","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51D17yunhmL._SX331_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mayohomeopathy.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}