
DIFFERENT EDITIONS OF THE ORGANON OF MEDICINE
There have been six editions of Organon of Medicine
FIRST EDITION
Name:
In German: ORGANON DER RATIONELLEN HEILKUNDE
In English: Organon of the Rational Healing Science
Word Meanings:
Rational- (Latin- ‘ratio’– reason)
Based on a reason (logic)
Which has to be proved
Heal- (Old English from Gremanic, related to ‘whole’)
- To become sound or healthy again
- To cause to heal or to be cured or be made sound again
- To alleviate
Health- Based on an anglo- Saxon word ‘Hale’ meaning ‘whole’
- The state of being well in body and mind
- A person’s mental or physical condition
- Health is to be ‘whole’
- Wholeness or integrity is an absolute necessity, to make life worth living
Science: Knowledge
As a whole or of any branch or department of knowledge
Year of publication: 1810
Place of publication: Torgau
Publisher:Arnold of Dresdan
Language: It was written in German.
On title page: This edition has GELLERT’S POEM on the title page.
Gellert’s Poem
Gellert’s poem is a motto from the poet Gellert, which has been rendered into English thus:
“The truth we mortals need
Us blest to make and keep
The All-wise slightly covered o’er
But did not bury deep.”
This poem was replaced by the words “Aude Sapere” from the second edition onwards.
Dr Richard Hughes writes in his book, ‘The Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy’, that:
“This was replaced in subsequent Editions by the words “Aude sapere” ; but it continued to denote the profound conviction and motive inspiration of Hahnemann’s mind . It was the same thought as that which he expressed in the “Medicine of Experience”: — “As the wise and beneficent Creator has permitted those innumerable states of the human body differing from health, which we term diseases. He must at the same time have revealed to us a distinct mode whereby we may obtain a knowledge of diseases that shall suffice to enable us to employ the remedies capable of subduing them; He must have shewn to us an equally distinct mode whereby we may discover in medicines those properties that render them suitable for the cure of diseases – if He did not mean to leave his children helpless, or to require of them what was beyond their power. This art, so indispensable to suffering humanity, cannot therefore remain concealed in the unfathomable depths of obscure speculation, or be diffused through the boundless void of conjecture; it must be accessible, READILY ACCESSIBLE to us within the sphere of our external and internal perceptive faculties.” Hahnemann believed in the illimitable possibilities of medicine, because he believed in God.”
CONTENTSIN THIS EDITION:
- Foreword- 48 lines- 6 paragraphs- 4 pages
- Introduction- 64 paragraphs- 44 pages
- Aphorisms- 271 aphorisms and 76 footnotes- 222 pages
- Number of pages- 222
- Errata- of 5 lines on 223 page
- Contents table absent
Most topics are found in first edition. Mentioned about Organism or body or state of health.
Translations:C.E. Wheeler published the English translation in 1927 (i.e., after the death of Dr. Hahnemann)
SECOND EDITION
Name:
In German:ORGANON DER HEILKUNST
In English: Organon of the Healing Art
Word meaning:
Art – (Latin- ‘Artis’ – ‘Ars’)
A human creative skill or its association
Hahnemann maintained the same title of the book till the last, i.e., sixth edition.
Hahnemann removed the word “rational” from the title from the second edition onwards because during that time all those practicing allopathic medicine claimed themselves to be rational physicians. He also removed the word “science” because every possessor of science failed to show the art of cure. He wanted every physician to be rather artists than to be such scientists who failed to cure.
Hahnemann believed that homoeopathic system is a medicine of experience. It is not a system of medicine depending upon any authority. Homoeopathy is based on pure experimentation and experience.
Dr Richard Hughes writes in his book, ‘The Principles and Practice of Homoeopathy’:
“Hahnemann first called his work “Organon of the Rational Medical Science!” * (HEILKUNDE); but from the Second Edition onwards the title was changed to “Organon of the Healing Art” (HEILKUNST)–the “rational” being here, and in all other places of its occurrence, either dropped or replaced by “true” or “genuine” (WAHRE). Why this alteration? The elimination of the term “rational ” has been supposed to “imply that his followers were required to accept his doctrines as though they were the revelations of a new Gospel, to be received as such, and not to be subjected to rational criticism.” †
Year of publication: 1819
Place of publication:Leipsic
Publisher: Arnold of Dresden published after 23 years of the foundation of homoeopathy (1796 and after 9 years of first edition)
Language: German
On title page:Gellert’s poem replaced by Aude Sapere
Aude Sapere
Aude Sapere is a Latin phrase which means:
- Dare to know (Pierre Schmidt)
- Dare to think for yourself
- Have the courage of your own convictions; Dare to be wise (Richard Haehl)
- Be bold and be sensible or Have the courage to think for yourself (Handbook of Homoeopathy by Koehler)
- Dare to taste and understand
‘Sapere’ means both ‘taste’ and ‘understand’ (Edward Whitmont in ‘Psyche and Substance’)
Hahnemann was acquainted with it from his school days. On the wall of his school ground was written ‘Aude Sapere’.
“Aude Sapere”- Hahnemann used this Quotation of Horacefor the first time as the concluding words of his ‘Medicine of Experience’ published in 1805. It pleased him so well that he later adopted it as motto in his Organon of Medicine in 2nd edition till the 6th edition.
CONTENTS IN THIS EDITION:
- Continuous page number
- Introduction- Paragraphs- 70 (64)- earlier
Footnote 268- (1)- earlier
- Aphorisms- 318 but actually 315. After 215, we find 219. 216, 217 218 are not found
- Footnotes- 130
- Number of pages- 371
New additions
- Contents table appeared for the first time in this edition (and remained till the sixth edition)
- Discussed more important factor than organism, i.e., life preserving power.
This edition was vastly improved and enlarged. So, it is described as the “augmented” edition.
Translations:First translation of Organon in French: E.G. Brunnow in 1824
THIRD EDITION
Name:
In German:Organon der Heilkunst
In English: ORGANON OF THE HEALING ART
Year of publication: 1824
Place of publication: Koethen
Publisher: Arnold of Dresden. Published after 28 years of the foundation of homoeopathy (1796) and after 14 years of publication of first edition (1810) and after 5 years of publication of 2nd edition (1819)
Language: German
CONTENTS IN THIS EDITION:
- AUDE SAPERE remained on the title page
- Pages: The book had XXIV plus 218 pages, i.e., a total of 305 pages
- Introduction: Pages 52, Paragraphs 69, Footnotes 266
- Aphorisms: Pages 288
Numbers 320 (318 plus 2 extra aphorisms on Mesmerism. But wrong numbering still persists. Actually 317 aphorisms.)Footnotes 147
- Contents table present
This edition was a reprint of the 2nd edition. There was No change except introduction about mesmerism.
It was published and described as “improved” edition. It was the only edition out of all the editions of Organon that do not show any considerable changes as compared with its predecessors.
Translations:
French translations: E.G. Brunnow in 1832 and A.J.L Jourdon
FOURTH EDITION
Name:
In German:Organon der Heilkunst
In English: ORGANON OF THE HEALING ART
Year of publication: 1829, January
Place of publication:Koethen
Language: German
Publisher: Arnold of Dresden.
CONTENTSIN THIS EDIITON:
- Has a book list of 2 pages, titled books for homoeopaths containing a price list of 9 books.
- AUDE SAPERE remained on the title page
- Aphorisms:292
Pages- between 106-307
- Footnotes: 132
- Contents table present
COMPARISON WITH 1st, 2nd AND 3rd EDITION: This edition retained 127 aphorisms of the first edition and 250 aphorisms of the 2nd and 3rd edition, with slight changes here and there.
New additions:
- Introduction- It had a unique introduction– 104 pages. INTRODUCTION APPEARED FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM THIS EDITION
- Theory of Chronic Diseases
- Two new paragraphs on animal magnetism (mesmerism) were added
(Introduced Vital Power and Animal Vital Force)
This edition is described as the “augmented and improved” edition
Translation- First ever translationinto English by Dr. Charles H.Devrient in 1833
Dr Mahendra Singh gave an English translation in 2003
FIFTH EDITION
Name:
In German:Organon der Heilkunst
In English:ORGANON OF THE HEALING ART
Year of publication: 1833, 28th March
Place of publication:Koethen
Published after 38 years after discovery of Homoeopathy, 4 years after 4th edition of Organon
Language: German
Publisher: Arnold of Dresden.
CONTENTS IN THIS EDITION:
- Introduction: pages: 76; paragraphs- 99; footnotes- 47
- Aphorisms:from page 77 to 304; number- 294; footnotes- 159
- AUDE SAPERE remained on the title page
- Contents table present
New additions-
- The theory or doctrine of “vital force”, as the source of all the phenomena of life, as the sphere in which disease begins and medicines act.
[The earliest mention of this conception occurs in the Fourth edition; and the full statement of it with which we are familiar in the Fifth (§9-16) appears there for the first time.]
- Theory of drug dynamization or potentisation, i.e., of the actual increase of power obtained by attenuation, when accompanied by trituration or succussion.
This edition is described as the “augmented and improved” edition.
This was the last edition during the life time of Hahnemann
English translations:
- Dr.Robert Ellias Dudgeonof England translated it in 1849. He changed the title of this, fifth edition of Organon, from ‘Organon of the Healing Art’ to ‘Organon of Medicine’ while translation. He gave an appendix in the end of this book. He also included Dr.Richard Hughes’ chart containing the comparison of different aphorisms in this fifth edition of Organon.
- Dr. Conard Wesselhoeft translated it in 1876.
- B. Fincke translated it in 1889
- North American Academy of Healing Art of Hering in 1836
Comments: This edition remained as the last book for 88 years till the 6th edition. This book has been claimed to be the most perfect edition.
SIXTH EDITION[published posthumous to Hahnemann]
Name:
In German:Organon der Heilkunst
In English: ORGANON OF HEALING ART
OR
ORGANON OF MEDICINE
Year: Was completed on 20th Feb 1842
Language: German
Place:This edition was completed by Hahnemann in 1842 while he was in Paris
Remained unpublished for 79 years [i.e., came 78 years after the death of Hahnemann]
In April 1920, Richard Haehl purchased the original manuscripts of Sixth edition from Boenninghausen’s family.
He sent the 6th edition to New York, to William Boericke.
Richard Haehl published a German edition in 1921 at Leipzig (PUBLISHER: Richard Haehl)[published posthumous to Hahnemann]
Dr. William Boericke edited and translated it into English in 1922.
At present, Hahnemann’s original manuscript is kept at the University of California, San Francisco as a part of special collection.
CONTENTS IN THIS EDITION:
- Number of pages:347
- AUDE SAPERE remains on the title page
- Number of aphorisms:291
- Introduction: present
- Table of contents: present
New additions:
- Admitted positive role of Vital Principle instead of vital force [Vital force was replaced by Vital Principle]
- Introduced 50 millesimal potency
Those aphorisms which have been totally rewritten are- numbers-
29, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 148, 149, 238, 246, 247, 248, 270, 271, 272, 273, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290 and 291.
Translations: Pierre Schimdt translated it into French
English Translations:
- Dr. William Boericke edited and translated it into English in 1922.
- Kunzli, Naude and Pendleton gave English translation in 1982
- Steven Decker gave English translation in 1996
TRANSLATIONS OF ORGANON
Edition | Language | Translator | Year |
1stedition | English | C.E. Wheeler | 1913 |
2nd edition | French | Ernst von Brunnow | 1824- 1st ever translation of Organon |
4thedition | English | Charles H. Devrient | 1833- 1st ever English translation of Organon |
5th edition | English | R. E. Dudgeon | 1849 (again in 1893, with an appendix containing a full exhibition of the changes the work has undergone between 1810 to 1833; so that we have its growth before us at a glance) |
5th edition | English | C. Wesselhoeft | 1880 (?1876) |
6th edition | English | William Boericke Jost Kunzil Wenda Brewster O’Reilly | 1921 1982 |