Homeopathy & Ernest A. Farrington, M.D.

01 Jan 1847 – 17 Dec 1885

Ernest A. Farrington matriculated at the Homoeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia¹ in 1866 and practiced immediately at 1616 Mount Vernon Street, PA.

Dr. Farrington was appointed as lecturer of Forensic Medicine at the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia in 1869, chair of Pathology and Diagnosis in 1870, and then as Professor of Materia Medica in 1874.²

Professor Ernest A. Farrington, M.D. 1847 - 1885. Image TAKEN FROM http://www.homeoint.org/biograph/farringen.htm

It is said that Professor Farrington was possessed of superior analytical powers and was never satisfied to accept a view or theory save if it were demonstrably true.³

Farrington deeply and thoroughly researched and studied the subjects of homeopathy; the law, the dosage and potency but above all, his delight lay within the study of the Materia Medica.

In fact Constantine Hering M.D.⁴ is quoted as saying, "When I am gone, Farrington must finish my Materia Medica."⁵

Farrington became a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH)*⁶ in 1872 and served on both its ‘Committee on Drug Provings,’ and ‘Bureau of Materia Medica.’

In 1874 the AIH voted to reprove old remedies, including Sepia succus.

Twenty five provings were reported at the 1875 meeting, where the symptoms of Sepia first observed by Samuel Hahnemann were confirmed ‘testifying that the provings left to us by Hahnemann cannot be improved upon.’⁷

Sepia⁸⁹¹⁰ is a remedy of inestimable value.

It acts especially on the female organism, although it also has an action on the male…¹¹

The original pathogenesis of Sepia in its first edition contained 1242 symptoms, obtained by Hahnemann in the usual way.¹²

Ernest A. Farrington, M.D. was born at Williamsburg, Long Island, New York in1847, and died 1885 in Philadelphia.

The Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, founded in 1848 as the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, was located on North 15th Street in Philadelphia until 1928. SOUCE Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hahnemann_University_Hospital

A Memoriam to Professor E. A. Farrington, M.D.

by August Korndoerfer, M.D. in 1886 concluded,

’’Conscientious, zealous and learned, he seemed destined to be a leader among men. He was early called to his work on earth-that work he faithfully performed. Early the call came to his work on high-confidently he entered thereon. Seeking higher planes of usefulness here, he looked forward to his higher field of labor there in pleasurable anticipation. A good man has been called away. May his living example inspire many to emulation.’’¹³

Harvey W. Farrington M.D - Ernest’s son - was Professor of Materia Medica at the Hahnemann Medical College and hospital of Chicago.¹⁴¹⁵

In tenet 8 of Lesson One within the Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing lectures¹⁶ H.W Farrington M.D. states;

‘‘Hahnemann was a thinker.

He perceived that the practice of medicine to be successful must be guided by law.

Up to his day no definite law of prescribing for the sick had been announced or followed.

The practice of medicine was chaotic.

Each physician prescribed according to his own ideas or those of some "shining light" of the profession.’’

The Dr. Samuel Hahnemann Statue and Memorial occupies a prominent location at Scott Circle designed by Charles Henry Niehaus (1855-1935) and erected in 1900 as a gift from the American Institute of Homeopathy.

Hahnemann’s monument

On 21 June 1900, the American Institute of Homeopathy presented the celebrated and artistically stunning bronze and granite Hahnemann Monument to the people of the United States at Scott Circle, NW, Washington, DC.

The public dedication of the Hahnemann Monument was attended by many government dignitaries, including then President William McKinley, with his ‘President’s Own Band.’¹⁷¹⁸

‘‘ If I did not know for what purpose I was put here on earth – to become better myself as far as possible and to make better everything around me, that is within my power to improve – I should have to consider myself as lacking very much in worldly prudence to make known for the common good, even before my death, an art which I alone possess, and which it is within my power to make as profitable as possible by simply keeping it secret.

But in communicating to the world this great discovery, I am sorry that I must doubt whether my contemporaries will comprehend the logical sequence of these teachings of mine, and will follow them carefully and gain thereby the infinite benefits for suffering humanity which must inevitably spring from a faithful and accurate observance of the same; or whether, frightened away by the unheard nature of many of these disclosures, they will not rather leave them untried and uninitiated and, therefore useless.’’

Samuel Hahnemann, 1828.¹⁹

In 2025, homeopathy still takes courage to practice in the way outlined by Hahnemann…

‘‘ Standardized practice is the only way forward for homeopathy if it is to stand the test of scientific rigor and survive for the future amidst fantasies, and self-promotions, and compromised, vested-interest-driven practice and teaching out there… ‘’

Dr. Seema Mahesh²⁰²¹ Research Director, The International Academy of Classical Homeopathy²²

---

*The American Institute of Homeopathy, established in 1844, voted to admit women physicians as members in 1869 – far in advance of the allopaths for example, the Washington, D.C. Medical Society did not accept its first woman member until 1888.²³

---

‘In contrast to frequent claims, the available Meta Analyses of homoeopathy in placebo-controlled randomised trials for any indication show significant positive effects beyond placebo. Compared to other medical interventions, the quality of evidence for efficacy of homoeopathy was similar or higher than for 90% of interventions across medicine. Accordingly, the efficacy evidence from placebo-controlled randomised trials provides no justification for regulatory or political actions against homoeopathy in health-care systems.’²⁴

1. https://drexel.edu/medicine/about/history/

2. Farrington, E. A. Clinical Materia Medica (fourth ed.) 1995. B. Jain Publishers. (First published in 1887.)

3. Korndoerfer, A, M.D. In Memoriam Professor E. A. Farrington, M.D. 1886. The Hahnemannian Monthly, January.

4.

5. Farrington, E. A. Clinical Materia Medica (fourth ed.) 1995. B. Jain Publishers. (First published in 1887.)

6. https://homeopathyusa.org/

7. Farrington, E. A. Clinical Materia Medica (fourth ed.) 1995. B. Jain Publishers. (First published in 1887.)

8.

9.

10.

11. Farrington, E. A. Clinical Materia Medica (fourth ed.) 1995. B. Jain Publishers. (First published in 1887.)

12. Hahnemann, S. The Chronic Diseases – their peculiar nature and their homeopathic cure Vol. II; Sepia. 1997. B. Jain Publishers. (Originally published 1828).

13. Korndoerfer, A, M.D. In Memoriam Professor E. A. Farrington, M.D. 1886. The Hahnemannian Monthly, January.

14. https://www.sueyounghistories.com/2009-09-20-ernest-albert-farrington-1847-1885/

15. https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-101435433-img

16. Farrington H, 1995 Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing. B. Jain Publishers. (First published 1908) https://www.scribd.com/document/755248895/Homoeopathy-Hom-Prescribing-H-Farrington

17. https://homeopathyusa.org/hahnemann-monument/

18.

19. Hahnemann, S. The Chronic Diseases – their peculiar nature and their homeopathic cure Vol. I; Authors Preface. 1997. B. Jain Publishers. (Originally published 1828).

20. Mahesh, Seema. 2023. IACH Presentation – Introduction. Hpathy. https://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/iach-presentation-introduction/?expand_article=1

21.

22. https://www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/pages/seema-mahesh

23. https://homeopathyusa.org/history-of-aih-our-heritage-our-future/

24. Hamre HJ, Glockmann A, von Ammon K, Riley DS, Kiene H. Efficacy of homoeopathic treatment: Systematic review of meta-analyses of randomised placebo-controlled homoeopathy trials for any indication. Systematic Rev. 2023 Oct 7;12(1):191. https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-023-02313-2#Abs1