When someone says homeopathy, we are instantly reminded of those tiny white pills that are sweet to taste. Homeopathy, as a discipline, works on the principle of ‘like cures like,’ which states substances that create symptoms similar to those of the ailment can stimulate the body to fight that very disease in smaller doses. Although fraught with criticism and panned by modern medical science, homeopathy enjoys the support of scores of believers around the world who can testify for its curative powers. And the person who gifted the world this unique system of medicine 200 years ago is Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. Every year, on April 10th, we observe World Homeopathy Day to remember Dr Hahnemann’s contribution to the world of alternative medicine. Here are some unbelievable facts about the founder of homeopathy.

He Had Humble Beginnings

Hahnemann wasn’t born to medicos or scholars; His origins were rather humble. Despite his vocation for science, his own father was an artist – a simple pottery painter who also designed porcelain.

He Himself Was a Doctor Who Studied Western Medicine

Homeopathic doctors are often derided by their allopathic counterparts as quacks or charlatans. But they’d be shocked to know that one of their own founded homeopathy; Hahnemann was a physician who had studied western medicine and had extensive knowledge about diseases and treatments.

He Knew Seven Languages

He was not just a physician; Hahnemann was a polyglot who was well-versed in many languages. He was proficient in English, French, Italian, Greek and Latin. He also worked as a translator and expanded repertoire by gaining proficiency in Arabic, Syriac, Hebrew and Chaldiac. At the age of 24, Hahnemann could read and write in seven different languages.

He was Disillusioned by the Medical Practices of His Times

Although he was a doctor, some medical practices during his times made him hate western medicine. He was particularly appalled by bloodletting, a technique which involves bleeding the patient to cure illnesses. This encouraged him to find a safer and a more effective method to treat diseases, which led him to homeopathy.  Hahnemann was worried about the health of his own children and mistrusted the medical techniques of his times.

He Tested Most of His Remedies on His Family

Hahnemann experimented with his medical remedies, while he was testing out a variety of substances like herbs and snake venom. During the trial-and-error stages, Hahnemann tested most of the drugs on his own family members and meticulously recorded the findings.

He Was Arrested for His Honesty

Unlike the other money-minded doctors who plied patients with medicines to overcharge them, Hahnemann was a single-remedy doctor, prescribing only small doses of a medicine at a time. The apothecaries who prepared and sold medicines hated him since they couldn’t charge much for the limited quantities he prescribed. His grew to mistrust the greedy apothecaries and started making medicines of his own, which landed him trouble. He found guilty of encroaching into the apothecaries’ business and was arrested in 1820.

Some Believe Hahnemann Was a Muslim

Although there’s no way to conclude this, some believed that Hahnemann was deeply influenced by the doctrines of Islam and made it a point to read Kalema from the Holy Quran. Some even think that he converted to Islam and was eventually shunned by his own extended family and friends.

He died of Bronchitis

Samuel Hahnemann died of bronchitis in Paris in the year 1853. But not many knew about his passing. His funeral was therefore very lightly attended. Upon his coffin were the words ‘Non inutilis vixi’ which means I have not lived in vain.

Although modern medical science scoffs at it for being unscientific, homeopathy was developed by Hahnemann to oppose some of the most unscientific practices. Today, millions of people across the globe repose their trust in this holistic system of healing, which refuses to die down despite being targeted and criticised by western medicine. Irrespective of where you stand on the issue, it’s hard to ignore Dr. Hahnemann’s single-handed efforts to reform medicine that gave the world the gift of homeopathy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 10, 2018 06:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).