By Dana Ullman MPH

 

For this and more amazing historical facts and quotes about homeopathy, consider purchasing Dana Ullman’s Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy

 

Philadelphia : Homeopathy’s American Birthplace

Because so many German emigrants landed in Philadelphia and much of Pennsylva­nia , it was predictable that this city and state would become one of the hubs of homeopa­thy. Germany was the homeland of homeopathy’s founder, Samuel Hahnemann. Phila­dephia is the homeland of Hahnemann Medical College , founded in 1867. Although it was a major source of homeopathic education for many decades, it stopped teaching homeopathy in the late 1940s.

The First Homeopathic Medical School

The first homeopathic medical college in the world was founded in 1836 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, entitled The North American Academy of the Homeopathic Healing Art. Its President was Constantine Hering, a man who is today considered the Father of American Homeopathy.

Constantine Hering: The Father of Nitroglycerine

Constantine Hering was not only the Father of American homeopathy, he was also the first physician to make use of nitroglycerine as a medicine. Because homeopathy’s premise is that a medicine is curative in small doses based on what it causes in toxic doses, Hering observed that nitroglycerine caused chest pains, throbbing headaches, and a forceful heartbeat, and thus, it was a good medicine for this condition. Because angina pecto­ris was a rare disease in the 19th century, Hering mostly used nitroglycerine for people with throbbing headaches. (For more information, see Circulation–a respected cardiology journal–January, 1986.)