Materia Medica Pura
by Samuel Hahnemann • 1755–1843
Hahnemann's foundational proving record — medicines presented through observed effects on the healthy.
About Samuel Hahnemann
Samuel Hahnemann, MD (1755–1843) developed the principles and method of homeopathy. A physician, chemist, and translator, he made systematic experiments on himself and colleagues central to the study of medicines.
His materia medica records were intended as primary observations for prescribing, not as later clinical portraits or condensed keynote lists.
About Materia Medica Pura
Materia Medica Pura first appeared in six German volumes between 1811 and 1821. The English text used here follows R. E. Dudgeon's translation from the later German editions, published in two volumes in 1880 and 1881 with annotations by Richard Hughes.
Each medicine brings together introductory observations, cited toxicological reports, and numbered proving symptoms. The result is deliberately granular: it preserves what was observed before later authors reorganized the material into anatomical summaries and clinical keynotes.
This is a source book for close study. It is most useful when a prescriber wants to trace a symptom back toward Hahnemann's own record and distinguish proving evidence from later clinical interpretation.
Best for
- Studying Hahnemann's original proving symptoms
- Tracing the early source of a characteristic symptom
- Separating primary observations from later clinical interpretation
- Detailed comparison with later materia medicas
Frequently asked questions
What is Materia Medica Pura?
It is Hahnemann's foundational collection of medicine provings and toxicological observations, first published in six German volumes from 1811 to 1821.
Which English edition is available here?
The corpus follows R. E. Dudgeon's two-volume English translation of 1880–1881, prepared from the later German editions and annotated by Richard Hughes.
How does this differ from a clinical materia medica?
Materia Medica Pura preserves detailed proving observations. Clinical works such as Farrington, Nash, and Boericke select and interpret symptoms through practice.
All remedies in this book
76 remedies — jump to a letter or scroll the list.