The gifted Frenchman

to such results as we have seen. who suggested the idea, was the Protestant minister of Montpelier; the English physician a certain Dr. Pew, who was sojourning in the neighbourhood. The difficulties in the way of receiving this as the true genesis of vaccination, are numerous. The first is, that a year before the spark had been emitted, at which, on this hypothesis, Jenner kindled his torch, he (Jenner) had expressed his hopes to Gardner, in the memorable conversation referred to as having taken place on their ride along the Gloucester Road.

The second is, that there is no evidence of any communication whatever having taken place between Dr. Pew and Jenner, and very strong probability that none ever did. And if it were freely spoken of in France in the year 1781, is it not the reverse of a compliment M. Husson pays to his clever countrymen, to let us infer that they had so little zeal for knowledge, so little interest in the mitigation of a plague, that not one of them took the trouble to act on this revelation, and to institute experiments to ascertain its truth, as was done in England? We believe M. Husson, in this article, is no less unjust to France than he is to Jenner.

Jenner died in 1823; he died, like Nelson, in battle with his country's foe, and in the arms of victory. It is meet that his statue should now for ever stand in the centre of the metropolis of the British Empire, and his name be associated with Trafalgar: it is well that England has learned to honour her heroes of peace as well as her heroes of war. "Pronounce meditatively the name of Jenner, and ask, What might we not hope, what need we deem unattainable, if all the time, the effort, the skill, which we waste in making ourselves miserable through vice or error, and vicious through misery, were embodied and marshalled to a systematic war against the existing evils of nature?"1

1 Coleridge.

Hahnemann-His Birth-Early Education--Life at Leipzig-His Wanderings— Chemical Discoveries-Experiments with Cinchona-Medicines cure Diseases like those they produce-Arsenic-Ipecacuan Sulphur-Tartar Emetic-Tea -First Trial of Homœopathy-Belladonna in Scarletina Fever-Compared with Vaccination-Action of Small Doses-Döppler's Theory-Jörg's TheoryHahnemann's Tripod-Proving of Aconite-Testimony in favour of AconiteThe Organon-The word Homœopathic first used-Homœopathy defined-Opposed by the Druggists-Brunnow's Sketch of Hahnemann-His Domestic Life-Richter's Description of Hahnemann-His Materia Medica-Aconite proved by Dr. Gerstel-Camphor in Cholera-Dr. Quin at Tischnowitz-Dr. Fleischmann at Vienna-Hahnemann's Life at Coethen-Letter to StapfInsists on Purity of Doctrine-Death of his first Wife-Second MarriageLife in Paris-Death-Diffusion of Homœopathy-In Germany-Discussed in Baden Parliament-In Austria—In Naples-Brought to England by Dr. Quin -Correspondence between College of Physicians and Dr. Quin-Opposition it encountered - Sir W. Hamilton's Opinion Epilogue Rasori Broussais -Expectant Medicine-Baptism of Apollo-Water-Cure-Mesmerism—Clairvoyance Movement-Cure-Alison on Specifics-Medical Education-Abercrombie's Opinion-A Liberal Education defined.

SAMUEL HAHNEMANN seems to have anticipated the interest which would be felt in the events of his life, before he had achieved such a reputation as to warrant his expecting his

'From a Medallion by David.

name to be placed on the roll of history; for among the papers he left behind him, was one, dated August, 1791, to the following effect :

"I was born on the 10th of April, 1755, in one of the fairest regions of Germany, at Meissen, in Cur-Saxony. This may have contributed much to my admiration of nature during my growth to manhood. My father, Christian Gottfried Hahnemann, and my mother, Johanna Christina, née Spiess, taught me to read and write while at play. My father, who died four years ago, was a painter in the porcelain manufacture, and had written a little work on the art. He had the soundest ideas on what was to be reckoned good and worthy in man, and had arrived at them by his own independent thought. He sought to plant them in me, and impressed on me, more by actions than by words, the great lesson of life, to act and to be, not merely to seem.' When a good work was going forward, there, often unobserved, he was sure to be helping, hand and heart.

Shall I not do likewise ? In the finest distinctions between the noble and the base, he decided, by his actions, with a justness that did honour to the nicety of his sense of right and wrong. In this, too, he was my monitor. There was never the smallest contradiction between his conduct and the lofty sentiments he entertained of the origin, destiny, and dignity of man. From this I derived an internal guide.

"To speak of external circumstances, I passed several years in the stadt schule, and when I was about sixteen years old, began to attend the Fürstenschule of Meissen.' There was nothing unusual about my progress, unless it was that my much-respected rector, Magister Müller, who is still alive, loved me as if I had been his own

1 In Saxony there are common schools (stadt schule) in all the parishes of the kingdom: in addition to these there are two Princely schools (Fürsten

schule); one of these is that of Meissen, here spoken of. It was founded at the Reformation on what was the Afra Monastery.

son, and accorded me an amount of liberty in my studies, for which I am thankful; and that in acquiring German and the dead languages, I was always among the most diligent and conscientious. In my twelfth year, he selected me to instruct other pupils in the rudiments of Greek; and at his own house, among his private boarders, he used to make me translate passages out of old authors, and frequently took my translation in preference to his own.

He permitted me-and I was the only one so favoured, on account of the delicacy of my health, which had suffered from over-study-to omit some of the regular tasks of the school, and to pass the hours they would have occupied in general reading. He permitted me to have access to him at all hours of the day; and, strange to say, notwithstanding the manifest preference my master showed me, yet I was a favourite with my fellow pupils."

"My father was altogether opposed to my studies; he wished me to pursue some calling more in accordance with his income, and frequently withdrew me from school. I was permitted, however, to remain for eight years at the request of my teachers, who permitted me to attend without requiring from me the usual fees paid by the scholars."

Hahnemann omits an anecdote of this period of his life that has been elsewhere preserved. His parents were very poor, and his father, objecting to the extravagant consumption of oil he burned when preparing his lessons, deprived him of the family lamp, except at stated hours. This set the boy's ingenuity to work, and he contrived to make a lamp of his own out of clay, and persuaded his mother to supply him with oil out of her stores; and so, with "stolen flames," he pursued his course.

"At the period of Easter, in the year 1775, my father allowed me to set out for Leipzig, and gave me twenty crowns the last money I ever received from him.

сс

He

had, out of a hardly-earned pittance, other children to rear and educate excuse enough for the best of fathers." In Leipzig he obtained his livelihood by translating books and giving lessons in French and German. During the two years he passed in Leipzig, besides diligently attending classes during the greater part of the day, and giving instructions to his pupils in the evening, he translated from English into German the following works:"Steadman's Physiological Essays," "Nugent's Essay on Hydrophobia," "Falconer on the Waters of Bath," in two volumes, and "Ball's Modern Practice of Physic," in two volumes. The only time left him for this very considerable amount of work, was in the night; and he used to set up altogether every alternate night. Not only was he able to support himself in independence by his own exertions, but he actually contrived to lay by a sum of money sufficient to pay his journey to Vienna, and to have maintained him. there, had he not been robbed of some of it. As it was, he studied with Dr. Quarin, of whom he speaks in the most enthusiastic terms. "To him," he says, "I owe my claims to be reckoned a physician. I had his love and his friendship; he singled me out to take with him to see his private patients. He loved and instructed me as if I had been his only pupil." Notwithstanding Dr. Quarin's kindness, having lost all that remained of his hard-earned capital, he was glad to accept an offer made to him by a Baron Bruckenthal to accompany him to Hermanstadt in the capacity of his medical attendant and librarian. Here he spent nearly two years, and seems to have been gratified with the way he passed his time, "acquiring some additional languages and collateral information, and arranging an unique collection of antique coins." From Hermanstadt he went to Erlangen, and took the degree of Doctor of Medicine on the 10th of August, 1779.