Hahnemann - A Great Reformer in the Realm of Medical Thought

In the 18^th century in Europe, there was a state of confusion, chaos and disorder in the domain of medical thought. At that time blood-letting, blood cleansing, use of purgatives in order to remove impurities from the body were in vogue as method of treatment. Hahnemann fought against it. Psychiatry at the end of the 18^th century was in hopeless condition. Insane persons were locked up in cells and were punished as criminals. But Hahnemann's principles of treatment of mental patients were entirely new to the psychiatry of that time. Hahnemann forbade all action of violence or brutality on insane persons. Hahnemann was very much interested in psycho-analysis and psycho-therapy for the treatment of mental diseases. Hahnemann was the pioneer of modern concepts of hygiene and preventive medicine. During Hahnemann's time there was no public medical care program in Europe. Hahnemann's book "The Friend of Health" published in the year 1792, point out that his conception on hygiene and preventive medicine was far ahead of his contemporaries. The existence of ultra microscopic form of life was first suggested by Hahnemann in his article on cholera in 1831. His suggestions regarding preventive measures to be taken against the spread of epidemic diseases are not less important even today.