Abstract
At the turn to the 19th century, medicine in Germany became strongly influenced by the teachings of John
Brown, who was a scottish physician. He had advocated a theory which regards and treats
disorders as caused by defective or excessive excitation. His teachings were welcomed
by natural philosophers like Schelling or Hegel. They modified it and integrated it
into their systems of thinking. On the other hand Hufeland, who was one of the foremost
physicians at that time, heavily opposed Brunonian System. This becomes evident in
a fragmentary text that had been found only recently. In it he criticizes that these
teachings were based on pure speculation and not on sound science as executed by Albrecht
von Haller. It was meant ironically when he concluded that it thus resembled natural
poetry. As viewed from today, evidence based medicine eventually established our modern
ways for successfully diagnosing and treating disease. However, Hufelands disapproval
appears to be still relevant. There are many people that even now advocate alternative
ways and who consult quacks, healers etc.
Unser heutiges Verständnis von Krankheiten, ihre Erkennung und Behandlung basiert
u. a. auf Forschungen von Hufeland und von Haller. Die moderne „Schulmedizin“ bringt
ungeahnte Erfolge und ist gleichwohl auch heute noch nicht allgemein akzeptiert. Im
folgenden Beitrag wird die Ablehnung Hufelands, gegenüber dem auf Spekulationen basierenden
Brownianismus, dargestellt.
Schlüsselwörter
Brownianismus - Naturphilosophie - alternative Medizin - Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland
- Albrecht von Haller
Key words
brunianism - natural philosophy - alternative medicine - Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland
- Albrecht von Haller
