The Anomalies in B.K. Sarkar's Organon of MedicineHomeopathic Journal :: Volume: 3, Issue: 3, Jan, 2010 (General Theme) - from Homeorizon.com
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Author : Dr. Mahendra Singh, DMS, MBS, Director/Secretary,International Institute of History of Homoeopathy.Prof. & Head of Dept. Organon & History of Medicine, The Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital Article Updated: Jan 24, 2010 |
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A critical study of "Organon of Medicine with Dr. B. K. Sarkar's Commentary" In Indian Homoeo Recorder of Jan-Feb, Vol. 1, no. 1., my writintg Organon of Medicine : Printing Mistakes about the 5 th & 6 th Editions of organon published by M/s. Economic Homoeopharmacy of Calcutta was published. I have received too many letters praising the utility of the write-up but some of the teacher and students have requested to publish a correction of the Organon of Medicine with Dr. B. K. Sarkar's Commentary published by M. Bhattacharya & Co. of Calcutta . It can be unbiasedly said that the print of Organon published by M. Bhattacharya is the worst of all the publishers who have published Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine. God only knows, how the junior students and lethargic teachers have used the book for learning and education for such a long time and why the publishers did not care to rectify the errors and anomalies in their publication in last 40 years. Another unsolved mystery is the association of late Dr. B. K. Sarkar. In the above referred article. I wrote "The anomalies of other editions and prints... will be discussed in future issue..."
This is one pathetic example of the edition. Then begins Hahnemann's Introduction. It is to be noted that while Hahnemann's Introduction, and in reality Introduction by any and every author, should be before the beginning of the text, the publishers have brought it in the end of the book, Dr. B. K. Sarkar's Introduction has been given in the beginning of the book, which though a scholarly writing in itself, should not and can take the place of Introduction by Hahnemann, whose book organon is
which is again followed by commentator's Notes on : The problems of smallpox vaccinate on (p. 648 to 652), susceptibility. Metaphysical and Aetiological considerations of Diseases (p.652 to p.659). The body life mind puzzle (p. 659 to 664) and 3 pages of press and public comments on the tools by news papers Amrita Bazar Patrika & Hindusthan Standard (now defunct). The Hindusthan Times, Ananda Bazar Patrika & Dr. Dewan Jai Chand and W. S. Barlingay." The total impression about the book is that of confusion, negligence, ignorance and carelessness in the printing, setting and binding of the book. There are innumerable irregularities and printing mistakes in the book. Some of which are more important and are given below. HAHNEMANN'S INTRODUCTION (p. 473 - 513). The Introduction is a very important writing of Dr. Hahnemann. In the German edition it consisted of 43 pages in first edition, ____, pages in second, 52 pages in the third, ____ pages in the forth edition 75 pages and in the fifth & sixth editions R. E. Dutgeon translation of Organon (5 th edition, published by M/s. Boericks & Tafel contained 47 apges (from p. 1 to p. 47) and a total of 99 paragraphes. A better critical and comparative study shows that it contains a total of 99 paragraphs and 47 foot notes. In the original German the Introduction was divided into 10 chapters and the end of the chapter was indicated by a closing line ( - ).
Here we find "Thus we find some remarkable words to the said effect stated by the author of the book 3 which is among the writings atributed to Hippocrates." It should be : Thus the author of the book ............. (in Greek letters which means : of places and according to Individuals) which is among the attributed to Hippocrates, has the following remarkable words : (in Greek letters) "Dissease is due to causes of a similar nature (type) as itself and by applying remedies of similar nature the sick get cured, for example, it is by vomiting that a stop is put to vomiting". The indication note for appendix (a) after tha last word is Greek letters is missing. The most unfortunate examples of negligence, carelessness and lack of publisher's responsibility shall be found in the Appendix. The whole Appendix have been copied from the American Edition of Boericke & Tafel, in which Hahnemann's INTRODUCTION (of 99 paragraphs consisting of 10 independent chapters) begins on 0.1 and ends on p. 47, and the page numbers in Dudgeon's Appendix are given according to pages of this book. In M. Bhattacharya edition, Hahnemann's Introduction have been pushed in the end, beginning on p. 473 and ending on p. 513. The classical error is that the chapter APPENDIX in this book begins on p. 467 and the Introduction has been published in the chapter of Appendix. The whole page numbering in Appendix in relation to Appendix notes in Introduction is wrong and an ordinary reader can not make any head nor tail of it. Appendix :
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