Ernst Kummer 1802 - 1870

Ernst Kummer 1802 - 1870? was a German orthodox physician who converted to homeopathy, to cure Constantine Hering’s infected and gangrenous finger, causing one of our greatest homeopaths to spring into being.

Kummer was a student of Samuel Hahnemann, and a member of Samuel Hahnemann’s Provers Union which consisted of Carl Gottlob Caspari, Carl Franz, Gustav Wilhelm Gross, Frantz Hartmann,  Carl Gottlob Helbig, Christian Theodore Herrmann, Christian Gottlob Hornburg, Christian Freidrich Langhammer, Ernst Ferdinand Rueckert, Friedrich Jakob Rummel, John Ernst Stapf, Teuthorn,

In 1821, campaign against Samuel Hahnemann was at its peak, C Baumgartner, the founder of a publishing house in Leipzig, wanted to publish a book against Homeopathy to finish the system.

Dr. Robbi was asked to write it, but he declined for want of time and recommended Constantine Hering, his young assistant. Constantine Hering was very pleased with this mark of confidence and started work on the project.

But while going through the writings of Samuel Hahnemann he came across the famous “Not a bene for my reviewers” in the preface of the third volume of the Materia Medica Pura which said among other things, “The doctrine appeals not only chiefly, but solely to the verdict of experience” - “repeat the experiments” it cries aloud, “repeat them carefully and accurately and you will find the doctrine confirmed at every step” - “and it does what no medical doctrine, no system of physics, no so called therapeutics did or could do, it insists upon being judged by the result.”

Constantine Hering decided to confirm the truth of the above remarks. He repeated the experiments with Cinchona and the results of Samuel Hahnemann were confirmed. Further study of homeopathic Materia Medica Pura and his experiments made him more convinced about Samuel Hahnemann’s ideas. The book against Homeopathy thus never saw the light of the day.

In 1824, an incident occurred which developed in him unshakable faith for Homeopathy. The fore finger of his right hand was cut while making a dissection on a dead body. The wound rapidly became gangrenous. The routine orthodox medical treatment had no effect. Kummer, a diciple of Samuel Hahnemann persuaded him to take homeopathic treatment and gave him Arsenic album. After a few doses he felt better and the gangrene was soon cured completely. Constantine Hering was surprised and became greatly interested in Homeopathy,

Constantine Hering says that he was the youngest of the class, and that he died as a practicing physician in Saxony. He was one of the first who prescribed according to characteristic physiognomies. (Hahn. Monthly, Vol. VII., p. 176.) WRITINGS. Diss. Obstetricia Brevem Partus Humani Normam Omnino Servantis Historiam Sistens. Jenae. Schreiberi. 1822

Kummer submitted cases and articles to various homeopathic publications, and he wrote Wirkungen des Schlagengiftes Allentown und Leipzig, bei C. Kummer, 1837 British Journal Of Homeopathy vol. II 1844 no. 7, Diss. Obstetricia Brevem Partus Humani Normam Omnino Servantis Historiam Sistens. Jenae. Schreiberi. 1822,

Of interest:

Ernst Kummer 1810 - 1893 was a famous mathemetician in Berlin.