This presentation, basically is my humble attempt in making a critical study of one of the great works of Dr. Hahnemann -"The Chronic Diseases Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure"  

This paper is intended as a concise book review and a critical study of the work. One may wonder about the need and relevant to review and make critical study of a literary work published around two hundred years back. I myself started this work tentatively, but to my amazement I found most of what Dr. Hahnemann said in his work is very relevant even today and goes hand in hand with the development the world of science has made till this day. This proves that Dr. Hahneman was far ahead of his time. The work is an absolute proof to Dr. Hahneman's genius.    

Unfortunately I found that I disagree with some of his views, which I have given at the end of the critical study. He has made some hasty conclusion, inaccurate and self-contradicting statement in some of the places.  If my work helps in better understanding of the fundamental work of Dr. Hahnemann, I will consider that my work has served its purpose.  
 
Name of book: The chronic diseases their peculiar nature and their Homoeopathic cure.  
Number of volumes: Two volumes.  
Author: Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Translated from             
2nd enlarged German edition of 1835 by    Prof. Louis H. Tafel with annotation by            
Richard Hughes M.D. Edited by
Pemberton Dudley.M.D.  
Publisher: B.Jain publishers PVT Ltd. New Delhi ( India )  
Price: Rs- 250 (2 volumes set)  
Current edition: Reprint edition 1990    
Total number of pages: 1600 pages. First volume 855 pages
 Second volume 745 pages (856-1600)  
Total number of medicines: 48. First volume contain 25medicines and second volume contains 23 medicines.

History of this work  
“The chronic diseases” is Hahnemann’s last medical work of fundamental importance. Earlier this work was published in five parts (volumes) and every part except the second had its own preface, discussing some questions of general interest to homoeopathy. In the beginning of the year 1826 Hahnemann wrote the first two parts of this work and although they together contain only 36 sheets his former publisher Mr. Arnold in Dresden took two years to publish these 36 sheets. The volume 3 of the “Chronic disease” published in the year 1837 with a preface, which deals with the technical part of the Homoeopathy.  

Mode of construction          
At present this work has two volumes.  
Volume –1
It has two parts. i.e. part one and part two.
           
Part 1 (Theoretical part) consists of:  
1. Translator’s preface
2. Annotator’s preface
3. Editor’s preface
4. Author’s preface
5. Nature of chronic diseases
6. Cure of the chronic diseases
Cure
Sycosis
Syphilis
Psora
7. The medicines
 
Part 2 (Antipsoric medicines) consists of:  
1. Preface (concerning the technical part of Homoeopathy)
2. Materia medica --begins with Agaricus and ends with Hepar sulph.
3. Index – to the first or theoretical part.  

Volume 2.  
   Second volume has only one section.  

1. Materia medica (23 medicines) -- begins with Lycopodium and ends with Zincum.
Translators preface of first volume       
(This is the second translation of this work to English. The first translation is done by Dr. Charles J. Hempel and published by Wm. Radde in the year 1845—6.)
Translators preface written by L.H. Tafel. Here, he describe about the mode of translation made from the original work. He has tried to translate the same German word by the same English word, except where words have several meanings.  
There are few a words, which require a varied translation according to the context. For e.g: - “ Brust ” is used both for ‘chest’ and for ‘female breast’  
He mentioned that the symptoms taken from the old school authorities (poisoning or over dose) are cited with small capitals and that of other provers (intentional proving or clinical experience) are given in italics as in the case of Materia Medica Pura.
E.g.: - Ars alb
Great anguish, trembling and quivering with severe tearing in the abdomen [ALLBERTI, I.C] 
Anxiety with inexpressible anguish, he seemed on account of his increasing pains to lie at the point of death. [MORGAGNI, I.C.]  
Violent vertigo with nausea, when lying down, he has to sit up to diminish it [Stf]  
Pressive, drawing pain in the right side of the forehead [ Lgh ]
Stf –Stapf
Lgh –Langhammer.  
There is no separate index for antipsoric medicines because this is furnished in various repertories, especially in that of Boenninghausen. There is a separate index for theoretical part of this work.
 
Annotator’s preface  
In annotator’s preface to the Materia Medica section, Richard Hughes says that as Hahnemann became famous in the treatment of various illnesses, he had to pay more attention to the cases of chronic diseases; thereby he stopped to attend acute cases.  
Among the three volumes of the 1st edition of the present work, two latter volumes contain the pathogenesis of 15 medicines, which are not present in Materia Medica Pura.

These medicines are  
Ammonium carbonicum,  Baryta carbonica,Calcarea carbonica
Graphitis, Iodum, Lycopodium
Magnesia carbonica, Magnesia muriatica, Natrum carbonica
Nitric acidum Petroleum, Phosphorous   
Sepia, Silicea, Zincum.

The pathogenesis of above medicines appear without a word of explanation as to how the symptoms were obtained and with out acknowledgement of fellow observers. At this time Hahnemann was 70 or 80 years old and he was not in a position to conduct proving up on him. So we are compelled to reach in a conclusion that these symptoms are mainly from his experience from treatment of cases.  

Hahnemann recommended the medicines to be given in the dilution from 18 – 30th. When the lower triturations (up to 12th) were used, it produced violent symptoms in sufferers of chronic diseases, which make up the bulk of symptoms of the 1st issue of the chronic disease.    

In the third volume which was published in 1837, two more medicines were added (Kali carb and Natrum mur) and additional symptoms are given for five other medicines (Carbo animalis, Carbo vegitabilis, Causticum, Conium and sulphur) which already given in Materia Medica Pura.  

The second edition of the “ Chronic diseases” published in 1835 – 9 is translated here. It contains 48 medicines. (Besides 23 medicines of first edition it contains 25 others, of which 13 are new and 12 had already appeared in the Materia Medica Pura.)
          
The new ones are:  
Agaricus   Alumina   Ammonium muriaticum
Anacardium  Antimonium crudum  Borax
Clematis   Cuprum   Euphorbium
Mezereum   Nitrum   Platinum
Sulphuris acidum  
 
The old ones are:  
Arsenicum  ,Aurum Colocynth
Digitalis  Dulcamara   Guaicum
Hepar sulphuris   Manganum   Muriatic acidum
Phosphoric acidum   Sarasaparilla    Stanum              

  Hahnemann strongly recommended the use of 30th potency in all drug proving in order to yield good results.

The editorial task of Richard Hughes falls into 3 categories  
Richard Hughes appended a note to the list of “fellow observers” which were given by Hahnemann in the preface of each medicine. (This note gives an idea about the time of provers i.e. whether they were provers of the later or earlier times, manner of their experimentation, whether their observations already existed in print and what information we have about them).

In pathogenesis of drugs, the symptoms cited by other authors were thoroughly verified by Richard Hughes and made necessary correction and explanation to set it forth in its full meaning and value.
Additional information to the pathogenesis of symptoms is given at the bottom of the page; represented by small figures 1,2,3 etc and Hahnemann’s own annotations are designated by *, etc.
   
Editor’s preface  
In editors preface Pemberton Dudley mainly deals with the peculiarities of style in writing s of Hahnemann, some of which are not at all common to our English polemical literature. He mentioned some peculiarities of style in writings of Hahnemann as follows  
His long and involved sentences
His exceedingly frequent employment of parenthetical clauses and sentences and his not infrequent use of the parenthesis within parenthesis.
His multiplicity of iterations and reiterations occurring twice or thrice in a single paragraph. Sometimes twice in the same sentence.
His frequent interjection of words and phrases expressing a new some minor feature of the subject under discussion but forming no part of the discussion itself.
His introduction of qualifying words and phrases in certain peculiar and unusual connection likely to escape the notice of the casual or careless reader, but evidently indented by the author to be taken at their full significance and importance and to constitute an essential element of the discussion.
At the end of editor’s preface Plemberton Dudley says that no attempt has been made to render this work or any portion of it, a model of concise perspicuity. On the contrary the aim has been to retain, rather than to eliminate the characteristic style of the original text.
  
Author’s preface    
To the first edition – 1828  
Here he expressed his doubt about the acceptance of his great discovery by the contemporaries in other school of medicines.  
He criticizes the use of larger dozes which may tends to endanger the patients life. 

Preface to the fourth volume  
 [Inquiry into the process of Homoeopathic healing] 
In this preface Hahnemann explain the mode of action of Homoeopathic medicines and how the cure take place. He also mentioned that the vital force alone couldn’t overcome the miasmatic chronic disease. It required the aid of remedies of true healing art.  

Preface to the fifth volume
[Dilution and potencies (Dynamization)]  
Here he describe about the dynamization. Dynamization are process by which the medicinal properties which are latent in natural substances while in their crude state become aroused, and then become enabled to act in an almost spiritual manner on our life.  
Dynamization usually done in two ways
1. In case of dry substance trituration is employed and
2. In case of liquid substance by means of shaking or succussion  

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