Constantine Hering (1800-1880) was born in Germany and studied medicine at the University of Leipzig, the same university where Samuel Hahnemann had lectured earlier. Hering was given the task of disproving Hahnemann’s teachings, but instead, Hering became convinced of homeopathy’s efficacy. After his graduation, having been commissioned by the King of Saxony, Hering embarked on a voyage of botanical exploration to South America where he spent seven years. During that time, he introduced the homeopathic remedy Lachesis mutus which was made from the bushmaster snake’s poisonous venom. You can read about that remedy here.
Constantine Hering is known as the Father of American Homeopathy. After his years in South America, he immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833. Later he founded the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, which became the center of homeopathic education in the United States. Annually, over 50,00 patients were treated there and 3500 homeopathic physicians were trained at this medical college, until the 1920s when homeopathy in the United States declined due to political and financial pressures. Today, this institution is Drexel University College of Medicine. In 1844, Hering became the founding president of the American Institute of Homeopathy, the oldest national physician’s organization in the United States. (Three years later, a rival organization, the American Medical Association was founded. But that’s another story.)
As a successful homeopathic physician and college professor, Constantine Hering formulated the Laws of Cure based on his many observations of the process of healing. He noticed that as health is restored, symptoms of sickness usually move from within to without, from top to bottom, and in reverse order of appearance. In other words:
- Dis-ease is externalized. Symptoms move from vital internal organs to more superficial external organs. For example, during the process of cure, someone with asthma may develop a skin rash, a discharge, or joint pains.
- Healing often progresses from the upper part of the body to the lower extremities. For example, during the process of cure, someone with arthritis may notice that relief begins in the upper joints, progresses down the body, and exits through the feet and toes, leaving formerly painful joints pain free.
- Healing proceeds in the reverse order of the initial appearance of symptoms. Generally, the most recent symptoms are ameliorated first, and in the process of cure, old symptoms may return in reverse chronological order as the body revisits dis-ease that had previously been suppressed.
After taking a homeopathic remedy for a chronic problem, Hering’s Laws of Cure are an important guide in determining whether the remedy has stimulated the body toward cure, or not. Therefore, it is important to not interfere with the body’s progress as it begins to restore order. The temporary return of an old symptom is a good sign, because the body has brought it out in order to remove it. A homeopathic remedy acts as a stimulus to the body, prompting it to get busy. Like spring cleaning, the curative process is hard work. It can sometimes be messy as things are sorted out and put in their proper place or thrown away, but the end result is well worth the effort.
Information contained on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be used to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Any information provided is not intended to replace medical advice offered by a physician. If you desire or need such advice, you should consult a professional healthcare provider.