The Kirtsos Historical Library of Homoeopathic Medicine (by William and Florence Kirtsos)

2023; ISBN 978-0-930405-92-2 hardback, 323 pages. Published by Norman Publishing, Novato; Language: English; https://www.jnorman.com xxiii; Book dimension: 8.5” x 11”; Price: $375 USD

The Kirtsos Library of Homoeopathic Medicine is an annotated bibliography of one of the world's finest private historical libraries concerning the history of homoeopathy. It contains detailed descriptions of over 4,000 rare books, periodicals, letters, manuscripts, ephemera and artifacts dating from the eighteenth to the late twentieth century. William Kirtsos and wife, Florence, spent some 45 dedicated years of collecting. Their efforts produced many items relating to Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), the founder of our beloved art. It includes 166 Hahnemann listings, encompassing his first publications and all his classic homoeopathic works and their translations. Numerous autographed letters, portraits, artifacts and other ephemera are included. In addition, this reference contains a wide range of materials on the history and development of homoeopathy, including noted, classic works on homoeopathic principles, philosophy, therapeutics, materia medica, surgery and veterinary medicine. Early works critical of Hahnemann and homoeopathy are also included.

Here is an example of an entry:

“1028. Hering. De jamatis psychicis. Wurzburg: Becker, 1826. 5pp. De jamatis psychicis is Constantine Hering's preamble to, and 16 subjects of his thesis, ‘De medicina futura.’ signed on title page by Dr Guernsey, including his handwritten note stating, ‘This is the graduation thesis of Constantine Hering, presented and argued by him for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, March 22, 1826.’ Copies of Hering's preamble are rare. The Bosch Institute of Medicine and Science in Stuttgart, Germany, is the only institution where it could be located”. – p. 140.

This beautifully printed catalogue is extensively illustrated in colour and contains 2,200 annotated bibliographical listings interspersed with biographical sketches of nearly 50 notable nineteenth- and twentieth-century homoeopathic physicians. There is a subject index; an index to periodicals, transactions and proceedings; a provenance index; and an index of inscribed copies. A provenance index refers to the names of persons who signed their own copies of items, i.e. Guernsey, from the example above, would be included in the provenance index.

Homoeopathic book collector extraordinaire, William Kirtsos of upstate New York, published along with Jeremy Norman, an annotated bibliography of his massive collection:

“This bibliographic catalogue comprises 2,200 listings, including 175 homoeopathic periodicals, transactions and society proceedings. Within these 175 listings are 155 different homoeopathic periodicals, fifty-two of which contain complete runs. Of the 155 periodicals, fifteen countries are represented, including eighty-three journals from the United States, twenty-three from France and fourteen from Germany. The periodical section begins with a complete run of twenty-three volumes of the first homoeopathic journal published from 1822 to 1848. The 155 periodicals contain 1,080 complete volumes and 1,812 additional individual journal issues. The library has transactions and proceedings published from 1846 to 1948, with fourteen society transactions -five with complete runs- totaling 153 volumes and six association proceedings -three with complete runs- representing 121 proceedings”. – xi

In his lengthy, 20-page introductory comments, ‘Bill’ describes his entry into homoeopathy and his collecting voyage; very briefly, I relate his story.

In 1973, while working as a mental health counsellor, he was assigned a patient who wanted to continue seeing her homoeopathic psychiatrist. In order to accommodate his new patient and to find out more about homoeopathy, Mr Kirtsos contacted Jack Cooper, MD, her physician. And thus, one could say, the homoeopathic education of William Kirtsos began.

The first book he read was Harris Coulter's, Divided Legacy: A History of the Schism in Medical Thought, Vol. III: Science and Ethics in American Medicine, 1800-1914 (1973). The second, which really hooked him, was Thomas Lindsley Bradford's Homoeopathic Bibliography of the United States, from the Year 1825 to the Year 1891 (1892), which was presented to him as a gift by Premananda Childs.

“After repeated unsuccessful attempts to access homoeopathic books and periodicals at several institutions, it became evident that a vast amount of homoeopathic literature and history was becoming extinct. The idea occurred that someone needed to collect, preserve and archive homoeopathic literature for future generations -and that it might be incumbent upon me to do so...” – xiii

In 1978, he began collecting antiquarian homoeopathic literature and after about 5 years he began to attend book shows and visit booksellers in New England, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He met many noted antiquarian book sellers, e.g., Emil Offenbacher [1909-1990], and developed many contacts. With Emil, Kirtsos attended an auction sponsored by the Swann Auction Gallery of New York and acquired an original three-page letter by Hahnemann for about $3,000.

“I’m quite sure Emil would be very pleased to know this library now includes fifteen of Hahnemann's letters and a unique inscribed personal visiting card of Hahnemann's. Thanks to my friend, Emil Offenbacher's directive, this library now appears to retain more Hahnemann letters than any private or institutional library in North America”. – xv

Not long after this period, in 1986, he established ‘Homoeopathic Resources and Services’ in order to sell duplicate items from his collecting activities – he began to publish an annual catalogue until 1995. The interest in homoeopathic books and subsequent sales allowed him to purchase whole libraries, increasing his collection substantially.

With the assistance of Dr Maesimund Panos, who introduced him to Dr William Gutman, he made a second major purchase -Gutman's library. Gutman's collection consisted of books from the libraries of Drs Timothy Field Allen and Guy Beckley Stearns. Gutman's collection contained an amazing 2,500 books, many considered scarce.

Kirtsos began to collect ephemera, e.g. Dr Charles Neidhard‘s diploma from the North American Academy of Homeopathia (Allentown Academy):

“[I] ...immediately acquired it. The first homoeopathic medical college in the world, the Allentown Academy graduated only eleven students between 1836 and 1841. While some honorary diplomas were given, Charles Neidhard was one of the eleven graduates. This diploma was signed by Dr Constantine Hering, the school's president, and several other founders of the Allentown Academy. Neidhard was a founding member of the American Institute of Homoeopathy in 1844, and apart from being a respected author, he was a founder in 1848 of the Homoeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, which was the second American homoeopathic medical college. This signed Allentown Academy diploma is one of the rarest artifacts in the history of homoeopathic medicine. To my knowledge, of the eleven actual graduates, Neidhard's diploma is the only remaining one”. – xviii.

Kirtsos' reputation as an historian and collector caused him to be invited to conferences where he presented lectures on the history of homoeopathy as well as to sell books at international meetings.

Kirtsos continued to collect materials, especially medals, diplomas, certificates, college class admission cards, sculptures etc.

“It would be fitting to acknowledge the following dedicated homoeopaths of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries whose remarkable collections I'm grateful to have in this library: Drs Timothy Field Allen, Bernhard Fincke, Edward Rushmore, Elizabeth Wright-Hubbard, Guy Beckley Stearns, Jack Cooper, William Gutman, Jose A. Fontela, Erastus E. Case, Martin Deschere, James Stephenson, Milton Powel and the American Foundation for Homoeopathy”. – xxii

“Considering myself fortunate to have been befriended by many manuscript, ephemera and antiquarian booksellers during this forty-five year quest, I trust this library will serve as a tribute to all my homoeopathic friends, bibliophile colleagues and family, who have inspired me throughout this journey. Many thanks to everyone who helped me in accomplishing my goal to preserve the history of homoeopathy”. – xxiii.

This example of love which poured out of a couple who saw it their ‘duty’ to preserve homoeopathic history can only be called inspiring. If you are unable to afford it, encourage your local library or medical college alma mater to acquire this important reference.

We owe a large debt of gratitude to Florence and William Kirtsos for their devoted service to the homoeopathic community.

Let this review (and tribute) end by selecting another entry for your edification: the noteworthy classical journal, The Homoeopathic Physician:

“2112. The Homoeopathic Physician, 1881”

“New York and Philadelphia: Bedell and Brother. Monthly. Years issued: 1881-1899; vols. issued: 1-19. Only 10 issues of vol. 9 (1889) were published: no. 1-9 (Jan.-Sept.), no. 12 (Dec.). Collection has complete run. Edited by E. J. Lee (vols. 1-9), Walter James (vols. 5-19) and George H. (Henry) Clark (vols. 10-11). Illustrated. Library stamps of Drs E. E. Case, Milton Powel and William Griggs in some issues.”

“The editor announced in vol. 1 that the publication of The Homoeopathic Physician was organized after the death of Constantine Hering, the goal being to preserve the ‘strict inductive method of Hahnemann’. Contributors were some of the most notable pure-homoeopathic practitioners. Articles on clinical provings, materia medica and therapeutics.”

“Several supplements and appendixes are included: in vol. 2, no. 6, ‘Index of Symptoms of the Respiratory Organs’ by Geo. H. Clark and E. J. Lee (continued in vols. 3 and 4); in vol. 3, ‘Dysentery, Diarrhoea, Typhoid Fever and Rheumatism’ by P. P. Wells; in vol. 4. ‘Desires and Aversions,’ by Wm. Jefferson Guernsey; in vol. 9, ‘Repertory of the Characteristic Symptoms of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica,’ by E. J. Lee (continued in vol. 14); in vol. 11, ‘Intermittent Fever’ by P. P. Wells (continued in vol. 13); together with ‘Repertory of Symptoms of Medicines by Which They are Related to Treatment of Fevers’ by C. von Boenninghausen and translated by P. P. Wells (beginning in vol. 13, continued in vol. 14); in vol. 16, ‘The Treatment of Typhoid Fevers with a Few Additions’ by Constantine Hering; and in vols. 17-19, ‘Repertory of the Back’ by E. H. Wilsey, q.v.” “The Homoeopathic Physician is an important and useful homoeopathic resource, and few collections or institutions have a complete run of all 19 volumes, including numerous supplements and appendixes. See also Yasgur, Jay, Cumulative Index to The Homoeopathic Physician. – pp. 282,3.”

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
30. August 2024