Homeopathy in India

Homoeopathy did not take much time to be introduced in India. AS early as 1310, some German physicians and missionaries landed in Bengal and started distributing homoeopathic remedies among the populace. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there -,'ere many amateur Homoeopaths among Indian Civil and Military services personnel in Bengal. A book entitled Thirty-five Years in the East. Adventures, Discoveries etc, published in London in 1852, by John Martin Hoenigberger, gives a glimpse of the beginning of homoeopathic practice in Lahore at Ins Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Hoenigbergsr had learnt Homoeopathy from Hahnemann in Paris in 1835.i In 1839, he came to India for the second time and took up the treatment of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. About tills event, he writes in his book as follows: "Arriving at Lahore, I found my former patron, the Maharaja Ranjit Sinoh, seated on a chair, with swollen feet, and1 making himself understood by gestures and signs with his hands, his organs of speech being paralysed to such a degree that he was not able to utter a single articulate sound, and other means of imparting his thoughts were not in his posse- possession, as he never had learned to write," "From time to time I had occasion to relate many of the cures effected by the new method of Homoeopathy, by the new method of Homoeopathy, by the aid of which I had cured myself in Vienna of the cholera, and lately in Hindustan of the plague. Although they did not doubt the truth of my assertions, it was not without difficulty that they could prevail on themselves to trust me with the treatment of the Maharaja, because the season - it being spring - allowed the native physicians to rely on other trials which they had to make." "Meanwhile, the excessive heat had come on. At this time, faquir Azeazud-din came unexpectedly and called on me, as the native physicians ware unable to improve the health of the Maharaja. This man had formerly been physician-in-ordinary to the Maharaja, He told me that the Maharaja was ready to try my medicines provided they were prepared in his presence. It was then midday, the time when the durbar (assembly) leaves the palace, I had found with him only his minister, Dhyan Singh. I had brought with me Tincture Dulcamara, and three empty corked little phials. First of all, I asked for a water-carrier (gudwai) and ordered him to bring the spirit that the Maharaja was in the habit of drinking, this had been distilled, in my presence from Kabul grapes and it was rectified because Ranjit Singh preferred strong spirits. I put the three empty phials in the hands of .gudwai and ordered them to be rinsed with the same spirit and. afterwards each of them to be half filled with spirit, about one drachm in each phial. Then this was done, I put just one drop of the essence of Dulcamara into on these phials which the water-carrier held in his hand, and I ordered him to cork it and shake it. Then I desired the faquir to make it number one and put a drop out of it into the second phial causing it to be corked and shaken like the first and marked number two. In the same manner, the . .third dilution was made, and the number was marked on it. From this last, I ordered one single drop to be let fall on a lump of sugar, which at my request, the Maharaja put into his mouth, where it was retained until dissolved. I ordered the same dose to be administered to the patient every morning and evening. "During the preparation of the medicine, some persons who were standing by could not forbear smiling, and the faquir himself was of the opinion that such a minute dose could not be hurtful, should it even be supposed to be poison. But what was the result? On the first day, there was no visible amelioration in the health of the Maharaja, on the second day he felt somewhat better, and on the third day, he was in such a merry humour that at five O'clock in the afternoon, he ordered the minister Dhyan Singh, to put a pair of gold bracelets on my ''arms, valued at five hundred rupees, in his own presence and in that of the durbar. "It was, of course, quite natural that this event should fill my heart with joy, as it inspired me with the hope that the Maharaja would soon recover, and thus lay the first stone of my reputation, and future fortune. The scene took place in the royal garden, Shahbelore, two miles from the city,where I had resided for three days. On the fourth day, early in the morning, the minister allowed me to visit my patient in the city. But while there, I heard that several mounted messengers had been dispatched from Shahbelore to recnaest me to that place. I galloped back, and on the road I overtook some hakims and astrologers traveling the same way, on elephants, on horse-back or carried in palanquins, from w/hich I presumed that the Maharaja had met with an accident / which made me very anxious. Arriving at -Shahbelore I as told that the Maharaja has an attack of fever. On examining him, however, I could not find the least symptoms of fever,it being, in fact, only excitement. The gudwai, who was in charge of the m.-.-die in--,-. was of the opinion that the fever proceeded from too great a dose, which the Maharaja had asked for on the previous evening, namely two drops at once,but I thought that could riot be the cause of the alteration, one drop more or less not being able to produce such effect. "The physicians of the city were invited to a consultation, That was all they desired; for they had been touched to the quick on hearing that the Maharaja was recovering, and that he had made me presents of gold and robes of honour. They would have preferred seeing the Maharaja die rather than acknowledge me, a European, as his saviour. That was the reason why all my endeavours and all my demonstrations turned out fruitless. The prudent minister v/as of opinion, that it did .not lie in his power to decide; the faquir Azeez-ud-din, exercising such magic influence on the Maharaja, that only by addressing myself to him could I obtain any decision according to my desire.I reminded the faquir of his own words, that such minute doses could not be hurtful, even if it should be poison, Besides, I observed that it was not every fever, especially when appearing in so mild a form that could be of bad consequence as nature sometimes cures diseases by reaching in the frame, and that under such circumstances, it was desirable to lay aside all medicine, and await the result. But he objected to that, saying that the Maharaja was too feeble to endure such a fever. 'But,' continued he 'let us hear what opinion the other physicians have.' All my arguments availed nothing. "The consultation at which the faquir presided, was composed of a dozen hakims from Peshawar and Lahore, Hindu physicians etc,, each of whom imagined that he possessed knowledge of medical art. Most of them carried large books, to cover their want of real learning* In fine, they agreed unanimously to administer to the patient a majoon (electuary) of which precious stones constituted the principal ingredient. The faquir himself prepared and administered it-to the patient, but in less than a fortnight the Maharaja gave up his temporal life."Homoeopathy has met with similar controversy from its beginning up to the modern times. ' In the second half of the nineteenth century, some Homoeopathic dispensaries and hospitals were opened-In Bengal and in the South. During this period, a remarkable personality appeared in Calcutta, who had much to do with the•establishment and spread of Homoeopathy in India. This was Babu Rajen,Datta (1818-1889), He belonged to a scholarly and affluent family of Bengal and for sometime had studied-in Calcutta Medical College. He was once treated for a chronic disease by an amateur Homoeopath and thereafter developed Interest in Homoeopathy. He brought Dr. Tonnere. a French doctor by education, later converted to Homoeopathy and had him placed in charge of the Homoeopathic Hospital and Dispensary at Calcutta in 1851. This venture somehow failed.( Rajen Babu learnt Homoeopathy himself and treated successfully many patients. Some of whom were distinguished men of the time such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Radha Kanta Deb Bahadur. Rajen Sabu was fully convinced of the efficacy and usefulness of homoeopathic remedies and as such he was always on the lookout for a suitable person to take up its cause. In these efforts he succeeded when foe converted Dr.Mahendra Lal Sircar to Homoeopathy Dr, Sircar helped in providing a place of -honour to Homeopathy in India. Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar had done M.D. of Calcutta University in 1863, and had later become member of the Faculty of Medicine of the same University.To begin with,he had only contempt for Homoeopathy but after reading some books on the subject, his interest in it was aroused, in order to scientifically. investigate this healing art he started working with Rajen Babu. Of this he wrote as follows."Before taking this step I made a stipulation with Rajen Babu. I told him that as I believe his cures were effected by the strict regimen that he enjoined and not by his infinitesimal nothing - globules or drops - I would agree to observe cases with him, provided he would agree to keep the patients for a time at least under strict regimen alone and give them no medicine till it should appear that further expectancy would be injurious. He readily agreed. Strange to say/ and to his dismay, a few cases did recover under regimen alone and with out any medicines. But my triumph was not to continue long,for others proved refractory, \and I had to give. my consent to administer his medicines to them. A great many recovered and the incurables were benefited This fact staggered me,-the efficacy was too evident to be gain said; and X was compelled,much against my will of course, to make trials of the medicines myself in the cases which resisted my own treatment.\ The result of my mortification, was something bordering on the marvelous if not miraculous "These trials were begun in 1865, .and on the course of a year, the conviction became strong that Homeopathy was not the humbug and the quackery .I had thought it was. In order to' be sure of the degree of' their actual attenuation, I prepared with my own hands some of the medicines, and I was surprised, as I have said, at their efficacy, when administered according to the principles of the system. There was truth in the system and to further resist and oppose it would be, it appeared to me, to resist and oppose the truth, And as the truth was concerned .with my professional life and as I was a member of a profession whose sacred duty it was to avail of every means for the cure of the disease, the amelioration of suffering and the prolongation of life, I thought it my duty to lay my experiences before the profession," This he did in Feb, 1867, much against the wishes of his senior colleagues and professors. He read a paper entitled the supposed uncertainty in medical science and in the relationship between disease and their 'remedial agents. This was on the occasion of the Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Bengal Branch of the British Medical Association, of which he was one of the Vice-presidents. His paper raised a storm around.him in which he got engulfed His professional colleagues had nothing but contempt for him after the event. () This is how he wrote of it: "An outcast, l actually became from the next day after the meeting.The rumour spread like wild fire that I had lost my reason, that had yielded to the seductions of Babu Rajen Datta and given adhesion to one of the worst and- the most absurd of quackeries that had ever come into existence, and I had forgotten my mathematics and now believed that the part was greater than the whole. My patients, and their number was not inconsiderable, who had perfect faith in me, regretted that ,I should have given up my old convictions and one by one, forsook me. The loss of my practice was sudden and complete. For six months I had scarcely a case to treat. Even those who used to administer his medicines to them. 7 A great.many;; recovered and the incurables were benefited^ This fact, staggers of me, the efficacy was too evident to be gain said?, and I was compelled, much against my will of course, to make trials of the medicines my self in the cases which resisted my own treatment. Because Dr. Sircar had now become a confirmed Homoeopath,f his name was removed from the Faculty of Medicine of the Calcutta University in the yea'r 1878. He wrote a letter of .protest to the Registrar of the University as a consequence of. which the Senate of the University asked the Faculty of Medicine to reconsider their last resolution. After due deliberation, the Faculty of Medicine replied in these words. "The members of the 'Faculty of Medicine, have in accordance with the request of the Senate, carefully considered the letter addressed to the Registrar of the University by Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar. They are exceedingly sorry that q perusal of this document does not 'enable them to modify the resolution they recorded at the meeting of the Faculty held on the May 15 and they feel themselves compelled still to affirm that they are unable to associate themselves as a Faculty of Medicine with a member who professes and practices Homoeopathy. "From the whole tenor of Dr. Mahendra Lal sircar's letter, however, it manifests-that he entirely -misapprehends the motives which have influenced the members of the Faculty in their decision, and this misapprehension the members of the Faculty are anxious to correct. The Faculty do not in the faintest degree, desire to impose restrictions upon the most perfect freedom or opinion and practice in medical science, nor do they pretend to 'condemn a professional brother for entertaining views divergent from their own, they simply maintain that Homoeopathy is based upon principles and methods of inquiry which are diametrically opposed to what they believe to be the true principles and methods of sound, logical inductive reasoning and carefully thorough-going research, and entertaining such a belief, they necessarily felt that there can be no common meeting ground of thought or opinion between themselves and individuals who profess and practice Homoeopathy? All practical discussion and consultation in concert, with reference to medical questions, would therefore manifestly be impossible and to pretend to deliberate together as professional adviser of the Syndicate and Senate in matters medical, would be to invite endless discussion of an unprofitable nature and to render the deliberation of the Faculty abortive, A certain degree of consensus of opinion as to first principles is essential in the body of men who are placed in the position of advisers of the University on special questions/and without it their discussion would be unprofitable, their advice worthless, such consensus of opinion would not exist between the present members of the Faculty and Dr. Mahendra Lal Sircar...' Thus was broken the association of Dr, Sircar with Western medicine -- to the advantage of Homoeopathy whose prestige and fame he spread far and wide in India.The controversy between Dr. Sircar and the Faculty of Medicine of the Calcutta University, is one of the typical examples of the dominating group trying to create barriers even in the field of healing art. Gradually, Homoeopathic dispensaries opened in other cities such as Benaras and Allahabad, and by the beginning of the twentieth century, all cities and even towns had homoeopathic dispensaries. When more and more people started going to homoeopathic .doctors, and there being dearth of qualified homoeopaths, untrained quacks steered the profession by acquiring certificates from bogus institutions. Seeing this deplorable state of affairs, a group of institutionally trained homoeopaths made efforts for the Government recognition of homoeopathic training and practice on the right lines. Their efforts finally succeeded in inducing the Bengal Government to establish the General Council and state Faculty of Homoeopathic Medicine in June 1941