The history of homeopathy begins with the discoveries of its founder Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician. Hahnemann's first remarks on the general applicability of the law of similarity were made in 1789.
Perhaps the most common reason allopaths didn’t like homeopaths and homeopathy was at a meeting of a professor of orthodontic physician in 1903 (American Medical Association). “We have to,” he said, “confess that we never fought a homeopath on principle, we bought him because he came into the community and got a business.” Most doctors, even now, do not recognize that economic factors play a major role in what is practiced and what makes it possible to practice. It makes sense then that the principles of Hahnemann constituted a philosophical, clinical and economic threat to orthodox medicine.
The growing popularity of homeopathy in the United States began shortly after Hans Gram, the Danish homeopath, emigrated to the United States in 1825.
The first homeopathic school in the United States, the North American Academy of Homeopathic Healing Art, was founded in Allentown, Pennsylvania, 1836, by Dr. W. Wesselhoeft (1794-1858).
Dr. von Lippe emigrated to the United States in 1839. He presented himself as the only school of homeopathic practice in this country — the old Allentown Academy of Homeopathic Healing Art. After diligent application he received a diploma from
Dr. Konstantin Goring (1800-1880), as president of the institution, July 27, 1841. Dr. von Lippe completed the materia medica department at the Homeopath College of Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1868.
In 1844, they organized the American Institute of Homeopathy, which became America’s first national medical society. In response to the growth of homeopaths in 1846, the opposite medical group was formed, which was then obliged to slow down the development of homeopathy. This organization called itself the AMA or the American Medical Association.
Soon after the formation of the AMA, it was decided to eliminate all local medical societies of doctors who were homeopathic.
In 1848, the Homeopathic College of Pennsylvania was created by Constantine Goring, Jacob Jeans and Walter Williamson to provide education on what was then a new system of medicine called homeopathy. In 1869, the Homeopathic College was renamed in honor of Samuel Hahnemann, one of the pioneers of homeopathic medicine, as the Hahnemann Medical College. In 1982, the Medical College of Hahnemann received university status at the University of Hahnemann. In 2002, the Board of Trustees of Drexel University unanimously voted to merge Hahnemann University into Drexel.
In 1849, the AMA established a council to analyze frozen smears and nasal loads and educate the public about the nature and dangers of such remedies.
In 1855, the AMA launched a “consultation case” in its code of ethics, which stated that orthodontists would lose their membership in the AMA if they even consult a homeopath or any other “unorthodox” practitioner. This, of course, means that if the doctor lost membership in the AMA, then in some states he no longer had a license for medicine. AMA has done everything possible to eradicate homeopaths from the practice of medicine, and the consequences of these actions are still being felt today.
The year 1875 was marked by the legislature of the state of Michigan voted to give money to a new hospital, since two homeopathic teachers were allowed to teach at the University of Michigan.
In an article in Harpers Magazine of 1890, Mark Twain mentioned the great value of homeopathy: “The introduction of homeopathy forced the old school doctor to move and learn something rational in his business. Thank you for having the homeopath survived allopathic attempts to destroy it. "
By the early 1900s, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools in the United States, more than 100 homeopathic hospitals, more than 60 orphans and orphanages and more than 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies.
In 1910, the Carnegie Foundation published the infamous Flexner report, an evaluation of American medical schools led by Mr. Abraham Flexner and, of course, in collaboration with leading members of the AMA. Pretending at least objectivity, Flexner in his report established guidelines for supporting orthopedic medical schools and condemning homeopathic ones. The report provided the majority of loans to medical schools with a full academic faculty and institutions that taught the pathological and physico-chemical analysis of the human body. Homeopathic colleges did not receive such high credits, because preference was given to professors who were not only teachers or researchers, but also clinical practice. Despite the fact that homeopathic schools included many basic scientific courses, they offered courses in pharmacology, which the Flexner report showed that this is the waist of the time.
By 1906, the AMA Medical Education Council created a list of unacceptable schools, which in 1910 closed hundreds of private medical and homeopathic schools and named John Hopkins a model school. As you may have guessed, homeopathic colleges have generally received lower ratings from Mr. Flexner’s report. One of the consequences of this report was that only high-graded school graduates were allowed to take medical licensing exams. In 1900 there were 22 homeopathic colleges, by 1923 only two were left.
From 1930 to 1975, it turned out that the suppression of AMA homeopathy was complete. By 1950, all homeopathic colleges in the United States were either closed or stopped teaching homeopathy. There were only 50-150 practicing homeopaths in the country, and most of them were over 50 years old.
Chiropractor, Dr. John Bartholomew Bastir, North Carolina, DC (1912-1995), was a third generation homeopath from Dr. Adolph von Lippe. His teacher was Dr. C. B. Bryant (who was president of the International Association of Ganemans in 1939). CP Bryant was taught by Walter Bushrod James, who was one of Lippe's closest students. He received his PhD in naturopathy and chiropractors from the Northwestern Institute of Drugs and the Seattle Chiropractic College, respectively. He received a license to practice naturopathic medicine in 1936. He is also credited with being the Father of modern naturopathic medicine. Because of Bastir's influence, naturopaths were at the forefront of the revival of homeopathy in this country. He was convinced that homeopathy shares equal emphasis with nutrition, hydrotherapy and botanical medicine in naturopathy. Dr. Bastir considered manipulation the most important therapy in his practice.
"The transformation of Bastier into homeopathy was an important step for the modern naturopathic profession." For decades, homeopathy has been part of naturopathic medicine, but its role has been much more peripheral. In 1950, when Bastir participated in the creation and training of the naturopathic curriculum at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, his balanced emphasis on homeopathy as a therapeutic method equal to nutrition, hydrotherapy and botanical medicine, consolidated its place in the continuing development of naturopathic science. "
-Kirschfeld and Boyle, Natural Physicians, Naturopathic Press, Bucky, 1994
Naturopathy, which combined natural treatment with homeopathy, massage, spinal manipulation and therapeutic electricity, was developed in America through the work of Benedict Lusti (pronounced, 1872-1945). From 1900 to 1938, naturopathic medicine flourished in America. Interest then declined due to the emergence of “miraculous medicine”, surgical advances during World War II, and the growing political complexity of the American Medical Association (AMA). Chiropractic and naturopathy were taught together until 1955, when the National Chiropractic Association stopped providing accreditation to schools that also taught naturopathy. In 1956, doctors founded the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in an attempt to keep the profession alive.
Dr. John Bastir served as Executive Director. Chiropractor, naturopath and obstetrician, he began his practice in Seattle in the depths of the Great Depression; Bastir was so honored as a doctor and teacher that the Seattle Naturopathic College was named after him. The key to the legendary clinical successes of Bastir lay in his basic philosophy. In an interview in 1985, he asked for a distinction between naturopathy and traditional medicine, he said: “The main difference is that in naturopathy it is not the doctor who does the treatment, but the patient.”
In 1978, twenty years later, only in one legal college that graduated from naturopathic doctors (National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon), in Seattle, Wash., Opened the first new naturopathic medical school, the University of Bastir. In 1987, the University of Bastir became the first naturopathy team to receive accreditation from the Council on Naturopathic Medical Pedagogy, which is a federally recognized accrediting agency for naturopathic medical colleges.
In the United States today there are four recognized naturopathic medical colleges: Bastir University, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Southwestern College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, and University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. There is also one in Canada, the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Naturopathic medical training begins with the usual premedical education. The student is moving towards a four-year, scientifically based medical school program. The first two years concentrate on standard medical school sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, etc. The second two years are focused on clinical sciences, diagnosis and treatment. Standard medical methods are taught along with the main methods of naturopathic therapy. The end product of the naturopathic medical school program is a well-organized family care doctor specializing in therapies such as: nutrition, botanical medicines, and homeopathy.
The Council on Homeopathic Education is the only organization that accredits curricula in classical homeopathy. To date, he has accredited five institutions: the Bastira University of Life Sciences in Seattle; Image of Naturopathic Medicine in Canada, Hahnemann Medical Clinic in Albany, California; The National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland and the International Foundation for Homeopathy, also in Seattle. Note that three of these are actually naturopathic schools used by chiropractors.
Brian Inglis (1916-1993), an eminent British historian, commentator and author of the two-volume work The History of Medicine, said: "The growth of chiropractic ... was one of the most remarkable social phenomena in American history ... yet it went unlawfully investigated" (Inglis, THE CASE FOR UNTHODODOX MEDICINE, 1965). At that time, he did not know about the widespread influence of chiropractic on modern alternative medicine (CAM), as we know today.
Not only has chiropractic rescued both the naturopathic and homeopathic professions from extinction in the United States, but also the solid scientific basis for their development in relation to the well-known health sciences.
