Vitalism and vital normativeness: Hahnemann and Canguilhem

The present paper reviews Vitalism as the basis for S. Hahnemann’s initial formulation of Homeopathy through the lens of the notions of Vitalism and vital normativeness formulated in the 20th century by French physician and historian of science Georges Canguilhem. Hahnemann described disease as a disarrangement of the organism as a whole, carrying the mark of the individual affected. Similarly, Canguilhem stated that symptoms only have meaning within their specific context and express a global disturb. Hahnemann gave health a positive definition as the state of equilibrium of the vital force – the latter understood as an essential quality of matter composing living beings and corresponding to a conception of Vitalism that holds totality as self-organized. Canguilhem would define Vitalism as the simple acknowledgement of the originality of life regarding lifeless matter, and described life as a dynamic polarity. In this context, illness is seen as a way to compel the organism to seek a new equilibrium to maintain homeostasis, health and healing are both integral parts of the self-organization of living beings and dichotomy of the process health/disease is a mere linguistic artifact. Keywords: Vitalism; Medical rationalities; Homeopathy; Vital normativeness; Georges Canguilhem.  Vitalismo e normatividade vital: Hahnemann and Canguilhem Resumo Este trabalho revé o Vitalismo como base da inicial formulação da Homeopatia por Hahnemann através das noções de Vitalismo e normatividade vital formulada no século XX pelo médico e historiador da ciéncia francés George Canquilhem. Hahneman descreve a doença como um desequilíbrio no organismo como um todo, carregando a marca da afecção individual. Similarmente, Canguilhem afirma que os sintomas somente tém siginificado dentro de seu específico contexto e expressa um distúrbio global. Hahnemann dá àsaúde uma definição positiva como o estado de equilíbrio da força vital - mais tarde compreendida como uma qualidade essencial da matéria que compõe os seres vivos e que corresponde a uma concepção de Vitalismo que entende a totalidade como auto-organização. Canguilhem definiu o Vitalismo como o simples reconhecimento da originalidade da vida e a descreve como uma polaridade dinâmica. Neste contexto, doença é vista como um modo de compelir o organismo a conquistar um novo equilíbrio para sustentar a sua homeostase; saúde e cura são ambos parte integrante da auto-organização dos seres vivos e a dicotomia do processo saúde/doença é mero artefato de linguagem. Palavras-chave: Vitalismo; racionalidades médicas; Homeopatia; Vital normativeness; Georges Canguilhem.  Vitalismo y normatividad vital: Hahnemann and Canguilhem Resumen Este trabajo aborda el Vitalismo como la base para la formulación inicial de la Homeopatía por Hahnemann a través de las nociones de Vitalismo y normatividad vital formuladas en el siglo XX por el mpedico e historiador de la ciencia francés Georges Canguilhem. Hahnemann describió la enfermedad como una alteración del organismo como un todo, conllevando la marca del individuo afectado. De modo semejante, Canguilhem afirmó que los síntomas sólo tienen sentido dentro de su contexto específico y expresan un transtorno global. Hahnemann formuló una definición positiva de salud como el estado de equilibrio de la fuerza viral - ésta entendida como una cualidad esencial de la materia que compone los seres vivos, correspondiente com una concepción del Vitalismo que concibe la totalidad como suto-organizada. Canguilhem definiría el Vitalismo como el mero reconocimiento de la originalidad de la vida respecto de la materia inanimada, y describió la vida como una polaridad dinámica. En este contexto, la enfermedad es considerada una manera de forzar el organismo en la búsqueda de un nuevo equilibrio para mantener la homeostasis, así, salud y curación son partes integrales de la auto-organización de los deres vivos, mientras que la dicotomía del proceso salud/enfermedad es un mero artificio lingüístico. Palabras-clave: Vitalismo; racionalidades médicas; Homeopatía; Vital normativeness; Georges Canguilhem.  Correspondence author: Denise Scofano, [email protected] How to cite this article: Scofano D, Luz MT. Vitalism and vital normativeness: Hahnemann and Canguilhem. Int J High Dilution Res [online]. 2008 [cited YYYY Mmm DD]; 7(24): 140-146. Available from: http://journal.giri-society.org/index.php/ijhdr/article/view/296/363. ÂÂÂ

A letter about Jean Fernel by Charles Sherrington and the mind–brain connection

In 1940 during the early phase of the Nazi aerial assault on Britain, the English neurophysiologist, C.S. Sherrington, age 83 years, had just published a philosophical work, Man on His Nature, and was researching the writings of Jean Fernel, a 16th century French physician . Sherrington’s study of Fernel stemmed from a common interest they shared in the association between the mind and the brain. This essay was prompted by a short letter penned by Sherrington in December 1940 and bound years later in his biography, The Endeavour of Jean Fernel, published in 1946. The letter requested information about a particular medical work by Fernel but also mentioned in passing Sherrington’s recent forced evacuation from his home in Ipswich, threatened by German bombing and invasion. The letter in the book invited a reprise of his remarkable career and a study of his last neurological concern – the mind–brain mystery.

Apert Syndrome

Apert syndrome is another genetically inherited syndrome characterized by craniosynostosis (premature fusion of coronal sutures) resulting skull and facial deformities and syndactyly. The syndrome was first described in 1906 by French physician Eugene Apert when he described nine people with similar facial and extremity characteristics. In 1906, Eugène Apert, a French physician, described nine people sharing similar attributes and characteristics.

To the question of a possible connection between stomach ulcers and nephrolithiasis

More than a hundred years have passed since he was a French physician and anatomist. Cruvelier gave the first description of a stomach ulcer. The centuries-old path traversed is interesting and diverse.

History Page: Leaders in MSK Radiology

This history page in the series “Leaders in MSK Radiology” is dedicated to the memory and achievements of the French physician Jacques Forestier, whose name is connected with the medical eponym Forestier's disease, later referred to as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

George Phillip Cammann (1804–1863): A physician's contribution to the modern stethoscope and auscultatory percussion

In the middle third of the 19th century, George Phillip Cammann became known for the stethoscope improvement that came to bear his name and for the development of the then-popular diagnostic technique of auscultatory percussion. During his postgraduate training at the Paris hospitals in 1828–1830, he acquired a special interest in auscultation while attending lectures given by a friend and colleague of Laennec's, French physician Pierre-Charles-Alexandre Louis (1787–1872). In his New York City practice, caring primarily for the working poor, he recognized the need for a better stethoscope and developed a modification that came to bear his name. He conducted research aimed at increasing the accuracy of physical diagnosis by improving and reporting on the technique of auscultatory percussion. An examination of the medical literature, both textbooks and journals, reveals the extent of influence that Cammann had on clinical practice resulting from his contributions to the improvement of the stethoscope and auscultatory percussion.

Nikola Tesla’s Theory of Frequency Ratios (369) that Produce Resonances Can Explain How Self Hypnosis can strengthen and Direct the Placebo Effect

Pfizer used 20,000 subjects in the placebo group for Covid vaccinations. When injected with the virus, only 95 of the 20,000 test subjects got sick. A French physician in the 1920’s used self hypnosis to treat his patients and had a 98% cure rate. I believe he found a way to strengthen the placebo (the ability of the mind to heal the body) so that medicine was obsolete.

Enhancing and Directing the Placebo Effect

Phase 3 0f Pfizer’s covid vaccine contained 40,000 test subjects. 20,000 were given the real vaccine and 20,000 had their placebo (the ability of the body to heal itself) tricked into thinking that they got the real vaccine. After a while, they all were injected with the covid-19 virus. Only 95 out of 20,000 in the placebo group got ill. A French physician in the 1920’s treated his patients with self-hypnosis and had 98% cure rate. I believe that his method found a way to enhance and direct people’s placebo so that no medicine was needed.

Rassenwahn

German science in early twentieth century was sophisticated, and Nazi theorists had to pay it lip service as they constructed their racial empire. Definitions of key terms like blood or race were never arrived at. Who or what was a Jew? Hans F. K. Günther and other Nazi race theorists were poorly trained and vague. The same was true of Alfred Rosenberg, one of the most influential race ideologues of the Nazi Party. Their works were taken seriously by Nazi bureaucracy. Throughout the Reich, race theorists helped the bureaucracy. George-Alexis Montandon, the Swiss-born, naturalized French physician and polygenist anthropologist, selected Jews in France for deportation using utterly dubious criteria. Exhibitions on race and centers of study were set up to promote Nazi race policies. Relatively little new physical anthropological research was conducted on Jews because it would have undermined the basis of racial laws. Attempts were made to see if Jewish blood was different. Non-somatic research into Jewish difference was carried out by Ludwig Ferdinand Clauss. Nazi Jewish studies had to engage with the black Jews who had troubled polygenists.

From the Ancient Myth of the Caesars to the Medieval and Renaissance Tradition: The Practice of Caesarean Section in De universa mulierum medicina by Rodrigo de Castro

The caesarean section performed on a living woman to save both mother and baby is first considered in gynaecological texts in the late sixteenth century after the treatise by the French physician François Rousset. It is included alongside descriptions of the post-mortem caesarean section, already practised in the Middle Ages in order to save the baby. The early seventeenth-century work by the Lusitanian physician Rodrigo de Castro is often referenced on this subject, seen as critical of Rousset's theory. Castro is cited above all for formulating a new suggestion – operating on a woman in the throes of death – because he was convinced that the post-mortem caesarean section was pointless. This article provides thorough analysis of Castro's work, comparing it to Rousset’s treatise and medical texts by other authors to reveal its originality and its real contribution to the interpretation of the two different caesarean sections.