I spent Tuesday, April 10, 2007, celebrating the inauguration of La Asociacion de Profesionales Homeopatas at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Guatemala City. This new association was created by a group of my fourth year students there and provides a legal platform for homeopathy in Guatemala. The legal document was read aloud by the lawyer who drew it up and then all the officers duly signed their names. I was mentioned as an honorary member for life with full voting privileges. Though I head The Homeopathic School of the Americas which has additional groups in El Salvador and Honduras (all in the fourth year of instruction) Guatemala is the first to form a legal association.

After the document was signed I spoke of my thirty year desire to spread Hahnemannian homeopathy and how it had been slowly unfolding in Central America. I then went on to recall aspects of Hahnemann’s birthday 255 years ago -- this genius of a man who knew ten languages (fluent in seven), a sterling chemist, pioneer in the treatment of the insane, his contributions to a healthy lifestyle (the importance of diet, clean air, good living habits) so popular now in the US. and Europe, as well as developing an entire system of medicine. Hahnemann proved about one hundred medicines; he wrote seventy original works on chemistry and medicine and translated about twenty-four works form English, French, Latin and Italian authors. All the while he was forced to defend himself and homeopathy from the persistently vicious attacks of the allopaths.

It perhaps is not so well known that Hahnemann did not seek praise. In a letter to his friend Dr. Stapf he wrote, “Be as sparing as possible with your praises. I do not like them. I feel that I am only an honest straightforward man who does not more than his duty.”

In another letter, this one to Constantine Hering before he received his medical degree:
“Dear Mr. Hering:
“ I would like to become better acquainted with you, and I pray you to continue to be a right, genuine good man, as it is impossible without virtue to be a true physician, a godlike helper of his fellow creatures in their distress.
“Yours very truly,
“Samuel Hahnemann
“Coethen July 9k 1824.”

A high standard, in my opinion, for us all to strive for. But, back to our elegant evening. After the signings and speechmaking, we proceeded to whisky and wine and hors d’oeuvres and dancing to a marimba band. The next day, April 11th, I flew back in Houston and saw patients all afternoon, a full two days.

Incidentally, the Homeopathic School of the Americas will be having its third annual ‘Congreso’ this year in Antigua, Guatemala, an charming Spanish colonial town. Dates are November 14 to 18, 2007. We will have homeopaths from other countries and as well as presentations from Honduras, El Salvador and of course Guatemala. Please come, My students, in addition to being pretty fair homepaths, love to sing and dance and party.

Karl Robinson

April 2007