History of the Tissue Remedies

SAMUEL HAHNEMANN, whose genius divined the great importance of the inorganic cell salts as remedial agents of a high order, was the first who began thorough investigation into their pathogenetic effects and therapeutic uses. It was his provings of Lime and Salt and Potash and Silica that prepared the way for the rest of the Tissue Remedies, that showed what vast store-houses of medicinal force these inorganic substances are, although apparently inert in their crude state. It was he, who first pointed out how these forces could be unlocked and directed for therapeutic purposes. Later, in 1832, attention was called in a paper published in Stapf's Archiv to the great importance as remedies of all the "essential component parts of the human body", and again, in the same journal, in 1846: "All constituents of the human body principally act on those organs wherein they have a function. All fulfill their functions when they are the cause of symptoms." This from the pen of that remarkable genius in the field of Materia Medica - Constantine Hering.

Later still, we find Grauvogl, in his Text-Book, taking some notice of these remarks and amplifying them; but it remained for Dr. Schussler, of Oldenburg, Germany, to develop these suggestions and make the idea foreshadowed in them the basis of, a "new system". In March, 1873, an article, entitled "An Abridged Homeopathic Therapeutics", from his pen, was published in a German Homeopathic journal, in which he says: "About a year ago I endeavored to discover by experiments on the sick if it were not possible to heal them, provided their diseases were curable at all, with those substances that are the natural, i. e., the physiological function-remedies.". Of this no special notice seems to have been taken, until, five months subsequently, Dr. Lorbacher, of Leipzig, came out in the same journal with some critical considerations of it. This was followed by a reply from Schussler, which ran through seven numbers, giving a more detailed account of this "Abridged System of Homeopathic Therapeutics," the important features of which are incorporated in this work.

The original communication from Schussler to the German medical journal was translated into English, and published first in the Medical Investigator, May, 1873, and soon afterwards in a small work, by Dr. C. Hering, entitled the "Twelve Tissue Remedies," "recommended for investigation" by this great teacher of our school. Several editions were published in rapid succession, from which this historical sketch is mainly derived, and following these appeared the translation of the twelfth German edition, by J. T. O'Connor, M. D., and one by M. Docetti Walker, considerably enlarged by the addition of an appendix popularizing the Biochemic Method. Dr. Schussler, previous to his death, which occurred early in 1898, published the 25th German edition, in which the application of several of the remedies has been greatly enlarged and considerable new matter added, all of which is incorporated in this work. This edition has been translated into English.

Notwithstanding that Dr. Schussler denies in the later editions of his work all connection with Homeopathy, and insists that his method is not based upon the homeopathic law of cure, but upon physiologico-chemical processes that take place within the organism, it is nevertheless true that the present wide adoption of the Tissue Remedies in the treatment of disease is the fruit of the seed sown on homeopathic ground as early as 1832, although its development was slow until Schussler gave it a wonderful impetus by bringing physiologilcal chemistry and physiological and pathological facts to bear on his therapeutic procedure.