Gregor Capdebo von Baraczhàz (1777-1839)
Dr. BARACZHAZ, GREGOR CAPDEBO VON. (1777-1839)
Baraczhàz was born in Elizabethstadt, in Transylvania, in the year 1777. He studied medicine in the University of Vienna, receiving his diploma in 1801. Having returned to Hungary he became district physician in the district (comitat) of Tenses.
He introduced important improvements in the sanitary administration there, which were afterwards systematized by decrees of the district and which are still in force.
After practicing Allopathy for twenty-nine years, Capdebo went over to Homoeopathy in the 53d year of his age. His wife, in consequence of apoplexy, had suffered for a long time from hemiplegia.
Capdebo and the best physicians of his neighborhood had tried all remedies in vain.
He poured out his complaints to his old friend, our now deceased colleague, Dr. Forgo. He advised him to try Homoeopathy. Capdebo laughed, but Forgo offered to treat his wife homoeopathically.
After a prolonged struggle Capdebo agreed, and Forgo in a short time cured the wife of Capdebo.
The latter was astonished, but not yet convinced ; but he himself requested Forgo to make a trial of Homoeopathy on his son, who had been deaf for years, and remained such despite of all allopathic remedies.
Forgo accepted the proposal, and cured the son with one single remedy in a very short time. Now Capdebo thought it worth while to investigate Homoeopathy.
He sent for books and medicines, and his trial of the new method proved a success.
Capdebo entirely relinquished Allopathy and devoted himself with his whole soul to the new theory.
How successful he proved is shown by the fact that as his journal shows, he treated 14000 patients in ten years ; this included a number of foreigners who had come from a great distance.
The practice of Homoeopathy had so far occupied all the time and vigor of Capdebo, that he and neglected the administration of his landed property, causing considerable loss to his family.
His health also had suffered from his excessive medical practice, so that at the advice of his relatives, he gave up his practice.
But scarcely had he recuperated somewhat, when he renewed his activity, which only based with his death, which ensued in Pesth in the sixty-second year of his life, on December 29th, 1839.
The poor in the neighborhood lost in Capdebo not only a kind physician in their diseases, but also a generous helper in their stress. Capdebo was universally esteemed, and owing to his captivating geniality he was beloved by all who knew him.
The ladies never spoke of him but with tears when they mention his goodness of heart ; especially when they speak of his marriage which was universally acknowledged to be an ideal one.
The opponents of Homoeopathy have often said that only young, enthusiastic, inexperienced, poor physicians without practice turn to it.
This reproach, altogether false as it is, has gain in the case of Capdebo been altogether refuted ; for he was an experienced physician of twenty-nine years practice and already 53 years of age, when he took up line study of Homoeopathy.
Besides this, Capdebo was a wealthy landed proprietor, so that it could not be supposed that he took up this practice for he sake of making a living.
During the last year Capdebo was engaged on a large practical work, the completion of' which was prevented by his death.
The undersigned hopes to come into the possession of this manuscript, but for the present he only wishes to rescue from oblivion no worthy a disciple of Hahnemann ; for there are few who deserve as well as Capdebo to have his memory preserved in the heart of all true friends of homoeopathy, but of those now living old of those who will arise in the future. Peace be to his ashes!
- Attomyr. (Archiv. 22 - 2, p. 181)