One of my previous articles at this website detailed the amazing story of Charles Darwin and his remarkably positive experiences with Dr. James Manby Gully, a well-known homeopathic physician. This article also referenced one of my more academically written reviews of Darwin's life and work which includes the fascinating experiments that Darwin and two of his sons conducted with what can be referred to as homeopathic doses of ammonia salts and their surprisingly powerful effects on the insect-eating plant, Drosera rotundifolia (Ullman, 2009).
Darwin was so sick that he was unable to work one in every three days, and he said that he was dying. Although Darwin himself was skeptical of homeopathy, he sought the care of a homeopathic physician, and within one month, his health was entirely rejuvenated, and he ended up living more than 30 years more. Darwin's life has verified that "belief" in treatment from a homeopathic physician is not necessary to benefit greatly.
Darwin has stood in good company with his use of homeopathic medicines. As my book, The Homeopathic Revolution, has verified, 11 U.S. Presidents and numerous other world leaders, six popes and scores of other leading spiritual leaders, literary greats, corporate leaders, sports superstars, and numerous other cultural heroes have used and/or advocated for homeopathic medicine (Ullman, 2007).
It is therefore not surprising that many of the most respected musical geniuses of the past 200 years have used and/or "sung" the praises of homeopathy. Below are but a small sampling of some of the greatest musicians who ever lived who were known to use and appreciate homeopathic medicine.
While no single personal experience "proves" homeopathy or not, the overall history and worldwide experience of hundreds of millions of patients and hundreds of thousands of physicians who have experienced the many benefits of homeopathy adds to the body of evidence for this sophisticated (and often misunderstood) system of medicine. It is therefore useful to ask what many cultural heroes do to enable them to work at the highest level of human performance, and in the life history of so many musical geniuses, homeopathic medicines played an important role.
19th Century Musical Geniuses...
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is generally considered the greatest composer in the history of music. Somewhere around 1800 he began suffering from tinnitus (noises in the ear) and hearing loss. The cause of Beethoven's deafness remains unknown, though various experts have attributed it to syphilis (Hayden, 2003), beatings from his father, lead poisoning, typhoid, or the newest theory, otosclerosis (Mai, 2007).
Historians are lucky to have a rich cache of letters to and from Beethoven as well as his Conversation Books, the writing pads that he used to communicate with others when he could no longer hear audible speech. There are references by Beethoven to homeopathy in this written documentation, and it is well known that his doctor between 1820 and 1826 was Dr. Anton Braunhofer, a professor of biology at the University of Vienna. Beethoven's nephew, Karl, described Dr. Braunhofer as using homeopathic medicine "because he too follows fashions in medicine" (Beethoven, 1981, 21; Mai, 2007, 127). Braunhofer also recommended certain dietary changes, including avoidance of wine, coffee, and spices.
In late April 1825, Beethoven was suffering from inflammation of his bowel, and in May he was spitting blood. Initially, the prescriptions given him didn't work, and Beethoven's nephew complained that he was required to make him specific meals, one rule of which was serving only steak for lunch. Several sources acknowledge that the treatment allowed him to return to work and finish a quartet in July 1825 (String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132) (Hellenbroich, 1995; Takacs, 2007). By August 1825, Beethoven wrote to his associate and early biographer, Anton Schindler: "My doctor saved me, because I could no longer write music, but now I can write notes which help to relieve me of my troubles" (Mai, 2007, 126).(1)
Ultimately, Beethoven expressed such appreciation to and for his homeopathic doctor, Dr. Braunhofer, that he composed two canons in his honor (of forty-three canons in total): the Four-Part Canon in C Major (WoO 189, "Doktor, sperrt das Tor dem Tod"--"Doctor, bar the gate to death, notes save from distress") and Canon in Two Parts in C Major (WoO 190, "Ich war hier, Doktor"--"I was here, Doctor.").
Over his life Beethoven had sought the care of various conventional physicians and was known to refer to them as "medical asses" (Hayden, 2003, 78). Composers such as Beethoven, literary greats such as Goethe, and many others in the creative arts were known to join the political leaders(2) and the wealthy classes of Germans in going to homeopathic doctors and to spas and natural medicine centers in Teplitz, Marienbad, and Driburg (Maretzki and Seidler, 1985, 395-396).
In early February 1826, Ignaz Schuppanzigh (1776-1830), a violinist, friend, and teacher of Beethoven, assured Beethoven that Braunhofer was very skillful, and further, he told him that their mutual close friend and confident Nikolaus Zmeskall, who had suffered from gout, was particularly enthusiastic about homeopathy (Albrecht, 1996, 132).
In late February 1826, Braunhofer treated Beethoven for symptoms of dysentery and gout, at which time he discouraged Beethoven from drinking coffee, because, the doctor said, it would be bad for his stomach and his nerves over the long term, even though the stimulant effect would seem to provide temporary relief (Mai, 2007, 127). Braunhofer prescribed a homeopathic dose of Cinchona officinalis (Peruvian bark, from which quinine is a primary ingredient), and Beethoven later expressed gratitude for the benefits he received from the doctor's treatment.
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was a leading German composer and conductor who is primarily known for his operas. His most famous compositions include Tristan and Isolde, Parsifal, and Der Ring des Nibelungen, commonly referred to as The Ring or The Ring Cycle, all of which are regularly performed throughout the world today.
In March 1839, at the tender age of 26 years, Wagner was struck with typhoid fever. In his autobiography, Wagner described what happened after Karl von Holtei, a theatre owner where he was working, insisted that he conduct music in an icy cold theatre at a time when he was already feeling quite ill:
Typhoid fever was the consequence, and this pulled me down to such an extent that Holtei, who heard of my condition, is said to have remarked at the theatre that I should probably never conduct again, and that, to all intents and purposes, I "was on my last legs." It was to a splendid homeopathic physician, Dr. Prutzer, that I owed my recovery and my life. (Wagner, 1911, 188)Despite the significance of this experience, it is interesting to note that my own review of a dozen biographies of Richard Wagner found that only one book made any reference to this experience (Watson, 1979). When one considers that Wagner's father died of typhoid just six months after the future composer's birth, it is no exaggeration to say that it is likely that Richard Wagner's contribution to music would not have occurred without the homeopathic treatment he received.
Even though the vast majority of people sought conventional medical care, Wagner and many of the most educated and elite members of society sought homeopathic and natural medical treatment. And despite some people chiding Wagner for his "quack cures," the natural medical treatment that he used throughout his life allowed him to live to 69 years of age, in spite of experiencing various health crises. Wagner was known to frequent water-cure spas, and one of his doctors was Dr. Ernst Schwenninger, who was the author of a book entitled The Doctor, a scathing critique of conventional medicine of the day.
It should also be noted that history shows that homeopathy gained its greatest popularity in Europe and America due to the impressive successes in treating the infectious disease epidemics of the 19th century, not just typhoid, but also cholera, scarlet fever, yellow fever, and influenza (Bradford, 1900; Ullman, 2007).
Toward the end of Wagner's life, he composed Parsifal (1882), a story in which the protagonist utilizes a central principle of homeopathy to initiate a healing. Parsifal is a story about Amfortas, the ruler of the knights who guard the Grail. These knights also protect the sword that was used to wound Jesus while he was on the cross. However, this sword is stolen, and Amfortas is then himself wounded by it. Amfortas suffers for a long time until Parsifal finally retrieves the sword and uses it to heal Amfortas. This application of using something that causes injury to heal injury is a classic metaphor for the homeopathic principle of "like treating like."
(NOTE: The purpose of the above article is not to discuss or provide details about the scientific evidence for homeopathy. For readers who want references to scientific research on homeopathy, I encourage you to visit my other blogs on clinical subjects (especially my blog on "Respiratory Allergies" and "Medical Child Abuse"). People with a serious interest in homeopathic clinical research will benefit from subscribing to my eBook, Homeopathic Family Medicine: Evidence Based Nanopharmacology, which provides reference to and description of almost 200 clinical trials. People who want references to and descriptions of several hundred basic science studies (including research on plants, animals, in vitro, and physics and chemistry studies), go to: http://avilian.co.uk/. Clearly, people who assume that there is "no research that confirms the biological activity or the clinical efficacy of homeopathic medicines" are simply showing their ignorance of the body of scientific evidence.)
References
Albrecht, T. Letters to Beethoven and Other Correspondence. Vol. 3: 1824-1828. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1996.
Beethoven, L. van. Briefwechsel Gesamtausgabe, Band 6, 1825-1827. Munchen: G. Henle, 1996.
Beethoven, L. van. Ludwig van Beethovens Konversationshefte, Band 8, Heft 91-103. Leipzig: VEB Deutscher four Musik, 1981.
Collins, S. The man who wants to make Tina Turner live until she's 120, Sunday Mirror, November 7, 1999.
Glew, J. "We couldn't cope without homeopathy," Health and Homoeopathy, Summer 1992, 6-7.
Hayden, D. Pox: Genius, Madness, and the Mysteries of Syphilis. New York: Basic Books, 2003.
Hellenbroich, A. In Celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven's 225th Birthday, Fidelio, Winter 1995.
In Style, November 2004.
Kindred Spirits, Daily Telegraph, August 12, 1989.
Mai, F. Diagnosing Genius: The Life and Death of Beethoven. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University, 2007.
Maretzki, T. W., and Seidler, E. Biomedicine and naturopathic healing in West Germany: a historical and ethnomedical view of a stormy relationship. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, December 1985, 9,4:383-421.
Naish, J. Homeopathy Saved My Son. The Times. May 1, 2008. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article3857464.ece
Orth, M. Tina, Vogue, May 1985, p. 318.
Schweisheimer, W. Beethoven's Physicians, Musical Quarter, 1945, 31:289-298.
Sloan, B. Cher's Ward Rage: Exclusive Star's Fury Over Bid to Close Scots Homeopathic Hospital, Sunday Mail, May 16, 2004.
Takacs. 2007. http://ums.org/assets/programbooks/Takacs_Programbook.pdf
Turner, T. I, Tina. New York: Avon, 1986.
Ullman, D. Homeopathic Family Medicine. Berkeley: Homeopathic Educational Services, 2009. (This is a comprehensive and regularly updated review and description of clinical research in homeopathy. Available as a one-time download or as a subscription from www.homeopathic.com.)
Ullman, D. The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy. Berkeley: North Atlantic, 2007.
Ullman, D. The Curious Case of Charles Darwin and Homeopathy.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Oct 29.
Wagner, R. My Life, Volume I. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1911.
Watson, D. Richard Wagner: A Biography. New York: McGraw Hill, 1979.
Wilkerson, M. Amazing Journey: The Life of Pete Townshend. Lulu Press, 2006. (This specific story was told to Q Magazine's David Cavanaugh in January 2000.)
Footnotes:
(1) Beethoven was showing a fine sense of humor when he made reference to "notes save from distress" because the German word for notes, like the English word, refers to both musical notes as well as money.
(2) Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), minister-president of Prussia in 1862-1890 and the first chancellor of the various states of Germany during 1871-1890, was another advocate for natural medicine.
(3) Dr. Schwenninger was also the medical adviser of Prince Otto von Bismarck, the minister-president of Prussia who engineered the unification of the numerous states of Germany and who was a longtime advocate of natural medicines.
Dana Ullman, MPH, is America's leading spokesperson for homeopathy and is the founder of www.homeopathic.com. He is the author of 10 books, including his bestseller, Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. His most recent book is, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy. Dana lives, practices, and writes from Berkeley, California.
Follow Dana Ullman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HomeopathicDana
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=3254
Decades later, we still have scandals at AMA and JAMA.
So much for comments made here to the effect that the AMA was fighting a valiant battle against "charlatans" and "purveyors of snake oil" with no other goal than doing a good deed for Americans in the quest for good health!
"There are also numerous stories about Fishbein’s efforts to purchase the rights to various healing treatments".
that "numerous stories" part, did you omit it intentionally or was it an oversight? maybe Mr ullman (who book the article was based upon) could enlighten us all what these "stories" were and what was the basis of them?
this is all in 1950. in 1956 the British doctor study was published providing statistical proof of smoking increasing lung cancer. so if you poke around before 1956 for example i am sure your bound to find all kinds of things like this as the link was never proved. maybe you could recreate the British doctor study with homeopathic pratictioners who smoke and look at the rates of lung cancer. then have a look at all of those who have "healed" themselves using just homeopathy and win the nobel.
And here's some more from the Court about the law suit brought by chiropractors against the AMA. "It also became clear to the Court that the AMA was working steadily to HARM THE REPUTATION of chiropractic as a system. AMA actively spread the message that chiropractice was unscientific and that chiropractors were quacks. It was also clearly proved that the AMA had not done this in genuine public interest but with an intention to hurt competition. On 7 February 1990 the Court found the AMA guilty of illegal propaganda and ordered the AMA to publish its order in AMA publications. The influence of the pharma industry cannot be ruled out either."
It all sounds very familiar doesn't it? How many times on these pages have posters accused homeopaths of being "quacks"? How many times have they accused homeopathy of being "unscientific" despite all the scientific evidence supporting it?
Now who is it that you said you're working for?
Give 10 rats syphilis. Treat 5 with penicillin and 5 with homeopathy.
In the end, you'll have 5 live rats and 5 dead rats.
Experiment over. Prognosis confirmed. Homeopathy does not work.
We also know that the AMA tried to drive other competition (chiropractic) out of business too by falsifying evidence against it. But the chiropractors fought back, took the AMA to court and won. The Court warned the AMA not to engage such activities again.
Skeptics: none of this proves homeopathy works. What proves homeopathy works is the scientific work, studies and clinical evidence.
Or was it to drive out the charlatans and snake oil purveyors? 19th century pharmacies
You cite chiropractic as another AMA persecution example like homeopathy. Chiropractic differs from homeopathy in that it is not reliant on substance but on physical manipulation for treatment of "subluxation" . While it has been shown in some cases to relieve some joint pains, the principles of chiropractic are bizarre at best and dangerous at worst. And the fast growing field of pediatric chiropractic is an alarming development.
Please read more here:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?cat=4
The plain facts are that homeopathy and chiropractic do work and are successful.
For descriptions of 48 cases treated by Banerji with homeopathy alone see www.drpbanerji.com/cancer.htm. Also see www.drpbanerji.com/index.htm
For a case of brain tumor cured by use of homeopathy alone see www.telegraphindia.com/1040124/asp/calcutta/story_2819848.asp
Per The Statesman, www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=225411&usrsess=1, 70 Spanish cancer patients were cured with homeopathy (read the rest of the site).
Two posters to Dana's last blog commented on the success their relatives are having with their cancer treatment through the Banerji Clinic.
The NIH has allocated funds to study the work of these "charlatans" using "snake oil" in treating and curing cancer. Amazing!
"The body systems do move & live in energy" Evidence?
The next time you go to the supermarket take a good look at the other customers. Notice their lack of vitality, the color of their skin, their bad humors and attitudes, their walkers and the way the clutch the handle of the cart for support. Americans in general have become debilitated and plagued with disease, discomfort and pain. Big pharma is one major reason.
It's good to let a little "air" into the brain through that crack. Instead of falling out, it will learn something to its benefit.
Bless!
If you look at medical history, the medical establishment has embraced all kinds of home remedies that turned out to be useful. Aspirin, opium, quinine, statins, cocaine, and MANY others originated as traditional medicine. The idea that the medical establishment is somehow thwarting useful alternative medicine is crazy when you look at the evidence.
The number one selling drug in America - lipitor - is just a variation of a natural molecule; the lipitor version just has fewer side effects than the natural version. Believe me, the researchers working for BIg Pharma have much more respect for Mother Nature than all the quacks combined.
Perhaps G.F. Handel had homeopathy in mind when he composed The Water Music.
For example, duck liver is used for the flu. Of course, not one liver molecule is in what you are taking to cure the flu. Don't worry about that.
First, how is it possible that duck liver can cure the flu? The flu is a virus. Is duck liver an anti-viral drug??? Well, of course not. So, duck liver cannot cure the flu.
If homeopathic water is powerful because it's shaken, then why isn't all the water in the world potenialized as it is all the water there ever was, and surely it's all been shaken at some point. So, can't I drink the water from my faucet and be cured of diseases? And, if the duck liver gives it power, why doesn't the intestinal flora that it has been in also potentialize it?
In other words, why isn't homeopathic water Poo Water?
http://silverbuzzcafe.com/?p=6233
Naturopaths have a long history of success in treating disease, and this includes cancer. Some cases of terminal cancer have been cured through naturopathy. In fact, there are a number of cures for cancer outside of conventional medicine (which has, by the way, a 25% rate of effectiveness).
"This was the medicine; the patients died,
And no one thought of asking who recovered.
So ‘mongst these hills and vales our hell-broths wrought
More havoc, brought more victims to the grave
By many man the pestilence had brought.
To thousands I myself the poison gave:
They pined and perished; I live on to hear
Their reckless murderer’s praises far and near"
Goethe not only espoused the virtues of homeopathy in his letters to friends and colleagues, but even in his most famous play, Faust, in which his lead character, Mephistopheles, asserts the homeopathic credo, making specific reference to the homeopathic principle of similars: “To like things like, whatever one may ail; there’s certain help.”
http://homeopathy.wildfalcon.com/archives/2008/06/02/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-and-homeopathy/
Goethe Faust
I've found that homeopathy has helped me tremendously in the expression of beauty through my work in clay and glass. Homeopathy has done this for me by maintaining my physical health and keeping me "in tune" emotionally and mentally. I'm sure it was no different for Beethoven, Wagner or the other artists who healed with homeopathy.
Homeopathy is a mind-body medicine beyond compare.
Braunhofer prescribed in February 1826. Beethoven died in March 1827. is this what you mean by healed with homeopathy?
Every single one of us (including you) is going to die of some cause or another. Nothing will prevent it. Beethoven lived to be 57 which was a good age for men of 180 years ago.
However, I have indeed checked the research and medical citations from Mr. Ullman's previous posts. I can verify that he routinely distorted the meanings of those sources. Independent experts routinely say that Mr. Ullman does not accurately represent these findings. In some cases the original researchers have objected to Mr. Ullman's misuse of their work.
In my opinion, it is a mistake to take medical advice from someone selling a product. Mr. Ullman's livelihood depends on his promotion of homeopathy. Independent experts routinely agree that there is no scientific basis for homeopathy; it is quackery.
Check it yourself. You'll see this is correct.
I, myself, am open to homeopathy in general, as almost all medical science started with home remedies and observation of whether they worked, without knowing exactly how. And clearly, vitamins are good for you, and certain herbs help with certain medical ailments. But drinking shaken water or sucking on a root rather than getting an operation or a vaccine? We just have to know when to draw the line, yes?
23 of february 1826 that should say