Constantine J. Hering (January 1, 1800 – July 23, 1880) was a physician who was an early pioneer of
homeopathy
Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...
in the United States.
Biography
Hering was born in
Oschatz, and studied medicine at the
University of Leipzig
Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...
where his interest in homeopathy began. He had been engaged to write a book confuting homeopathy, but upon reading
Samuel Hahnemann
Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann ( , ; 10 April 1755 – 2 July 1843) was a German physician, best known for creating the pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine called homeopathy.
Early life
Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann w ...
's works and investigating homeopathy's clinical claims for himself he became convinced of its efficacy, sought out the author, and became his personal friend. They began corresponding in 1824. Later, Hering was treated for a dissecting wound with the homeopathic remedy ''Arsenicum album'' (
white arsenic or arsenic trioxide) and the finger was saved, further provoking his interest.
He was for a time instructor in
mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
and
natural science
Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...
in Blochmann's Institute,
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
. Following his graduation from the
University of Würzburg
The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. Founded in 1402, it is one of the ol ...
in 1826 he received a commission from the
King of Saxony to travel to
Surinam on a natural history expedition. He settled there for a number of years and commenced practice before emigrating to
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
in January 1833.
He was one of the pioneers of homeopathy in the United States of America and helped to disseminate homeopathy there. He founded a homeopathic school, the first of its kind in any country. From 1845 until 1869 he filled the chairs of institutes of medicine and materia medica in the
Philadelphia College of Homeopathy. He devoted much study to cures for the bites of venomous serpents and for
hydrophobia, and developed many of Hahnemann's theories.
He introduced a number of homeopathic remedies to the
materia medica, including ''Lachesis'', ''Psorinum'' and ''Glonoinum''.
Family
His father was the German composer . His nephew was the physiologist
Ewald Hering
Karl Ewald Konstantin Hering (5 August 1834 – 26 January 1918) was a German physiologist who did much research in color vision, binocular perception, eye movements, and hyperacuity. He proposed opponent color theory in 1892.
Born in Gersd ...
.
One of his sons was Walter E. Hering, the founder of Globe Ticket Company, the oldest ticket company in the United States. Another of his sons was Hermann S. Hering, who, for a time, lectured and conducted research at
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
, and later became a prominent figure in the
Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...
church. Hermann Hering was a practitioner, teacher, and lecturer of Christian Science. He served a term of president of the church and as the appointed First Reader of
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, and later of the Christian Science church in Concord, NH.
Also
Carl Hering (1860 – 1926) was one of his sons. Carl was an American
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
involved in studies on
electric batteries and electric furnaces. He also made discoveries on
electromagnetic force
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interac ...
and wrote a book about his father.
Works
He was the author of a number of important homeopathic works, including the 10-volume ''Guiding Symptoms'', which he did not live to complete. He was joint editor of the ''Medical Correspondent'' (Allentown, 1835–1836), of the ''Miscellanies of Homeopathy'' (Philadelphia, 1839), of the ''North American Homœopathic Quarterly'' (New York, 1851–1852), and of the ''Homœopathic News'' (1854), and founded and edited the ''American Journal of Homœopathic Materia Medica''. He published many books in both German and English, including:
* ''Rise and Progress of Homoeopathy'' (Philadelphia, 1834), which was translated into several languages
''The homoeopathist'' (1835-1838)Digital German editionby the
University and State Library Düsseldorf
The University and State Library Düsseldorf (, abbreviated ULB Düsseldorf) is a central service institution of Heinrich Heine University. Along with Bonn and Münster, it is also one of the three State Libraries of North Rhine-Westphalia.
...
)
* ''Condensed Materia Medica'' (1837)
* ''Effects of Snake Poison'' (1837) / ''Wirkungen des Schlangengiftes'' . Blumer, Allentaun
a.183
Digital editionby the
University and State Library Düsseldorf
The University and State Library Düsseldorf (, abbreviated ULB Düsseldorf) is a central service institution of Heinrich Heine University. Along with Bonn and Münster, it is also one of the three State Libraries of North Rhine-Westphalia.
...
* ''Guiding Symptoms and Analytical Therapeutics''
''Domestic Physician'' (1851)* ''American Drug Provings'' (vol. i., Leipsic, 1853)
Notes
References
* Winston, Julian. ''The Faces of Homeopathy''. Tawa: Great Auk Publishing, 1999.
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hering, Constantine
American homeopaths
1800 births
1880 deaths
Leipzig University alumni
University of Würzburg alumni
Emigrants from the Kingdom of Saxony
Immigrants to the United States