Fundamentals of Therapy
GA 27
Preface to the 1st Edition
[ 1 ] Rudolf Steiner, the teacher, guide and friend, is no longer among the living on the Earth. A severe illness, beginning in sheer physical exhaustion, tore him away. In the very midst of his work he had to lie down on the bed of sickness. The powers he had devoted so copiously, so unstintingly, to the work of the Anthroposophical Society no longer sufficed to overcome his own illness. With untold grief and pain, all those who loved and honoured him had to stand by and witness how he who was loved by so many, who had been able to help so many others, had to allow fate to take its appointed course when his own illness came, well-knowing that higher powers were guiding these events.
[ 2 ] In this small volume the fruits of our united work are recorded.
[ 3 ] The teaching of Anthroposophy is for medical science a veritable mine of inspiration. From my knowledge and experience as a doctor, I was able to confirm it without reserve. I found in it a fount of wisdom from which it was possible untiringly to draw, and which was able to solve and illumine many a problem as yet unsolved in Medicine. Thus there arose between Rudolf Steiner and myself a living co-operation in the field of medical discovery. Our co-operation gradually deepened, especially in the last two years, so that the united authorship of a book became a possibility and an achievement. It had always been Rudolf Steiner's endeavour—_and in this I could meet him with fullest sympathy of understanding to renew the life of the ancient Mysteries and cause it to flow once more into the sphere of Medicine. From time immemorial, the Mysteries were most intimately united with the art of healing, and the attainment of spiritual knowledge was brought into connection with the healing of the sick. We had no thought, after the style of quacks and dilettanti, of underrating the scientific Medicine of our time. We recognized it fully. Our aim was to supplement the science already in existence by the illumination that can flow from a true knowledge of the Spirit, towards a living grasp of the processes of illness and of healing. Needless to say, our purpose was to bring into new life, not the instinctive habit of the soul which still existed in the Mysteries of ancient time, but a method of research corresponding to the fully evolved consciousness of modern man, which can be lifted into spiritual regions.
[ 4] Thus the first beginnings of our work were made. In the Clinical and Therapeutic Institute founded by myself at Arlesheim. in Switzerland, a basis was given in practice for the theories set forth in this book. And we endeavoured to unfold new ways in the art of healing to those who were seeking, in the sense here indicated, for a widening of their medical knowledge.
[ 5 ] We had intended to follow up this small volume with further productions of our united work. This, alas, was no longer possible. It is, however, still my purpose, from the many notes and fruitful indications I received, to publish a second volume and possibly a third.* As to this first volume, the manuscript of which was corrected with inner joy and satisfaction by Rudolf Steiner only three days before his death, may it find its way to those for whom it is intended those who are striving to reach out from life's deep riddles to an understanding of life in its true greatness and glory.
Ita Wegman
Arlesheim-Dornach
September 1925
Vorwort zur Ersten Auflage
[ 1 ] Der Lehrer, Führer und Freund, Rudolf Steiner, ist nicht mehr unter den Lebenden. Eine schwere Erkankung, deren Anfang in einer physischen Erschöpfung lag, raffte ihn hinweg. Mitten aus der Arbeit mußte er sich auf das Ruhelager hinlegen, seine Kräfte, die er in so reichlichem Maße, so uneingeschränkt dem Wirken in der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft geschenkt hatte, reichten nicht mehr hin, seine Erkrankung zu überwinden. Und alle, die ihn liebten und verehrten, mußten es mit ungeheuerlichem Schmerz erleben, daß der von so vielen geliebte Mensch, er, der so vielen Menschen hat helfen können, bei sich selber das Schicksal hat walten lassen müssen, wohlwissend, daß höhere Gewalten hier lenkten.
[ 2 ] Die Frucht geeinter Arbeit wurde in diesem kleinen Buche niedergelegt.
[ 3 ] Die Lehre der Anthroposophie, die gerade für die medizinische Wissenschaft eine Goldgrube der Anregungen ist, konnte ich als Arzt restlos gelten lassen und fand in ihr eine Weisheitsquelle, aus der man unermüdlich schöpfen konnte, und die viele, heute noch ungelöste Probleme der Medizin beleuchten und lösen kann. So entstand zwischen Rudolf Steiner und mir eine rege Zusammenarbeit für medizinische Erkenntnisse, die besonders in den letzten zwei Jahren sich vertiefte, so daß das gemeinschaftliche Schreiben eines Buches möglich werden und zustande kommen konnte. Es war stets das Bestreben Rudolf Steiners - und ich brachte ihm hierin vollstes Verständnis entgegen - das alte Mysterien-Wesen zu erneuern und in die Medizin einfließen zu lassen. Denn von altersher ist dieses Mysterien-Wesen mit der Heilkunst in engstem Zusammenhang gewesen, und wurde das Erringen geistiger Erkenntnisse mit dem Heilen in Zusammenhang gebracht. Nicht sollte in dilettantisch laienhafter Art die wissenschaftliche Medizin unterschätzt werden; diese wurde voll anerkannt. Es kam aber darauf an, zu dem Bestehenden dasjenige hinzuzufügen, was aus einer wahren Geist-Erkenntnis für das Erfassen der Krankheits- und Heilungsvorgänge erfließen kann. Selbstverständlich sollte nicht die seelisch instinktive Art der alten Mysterien wieder aufleben, sondern eine solche, die dem vollentwickelten, zum Spirituellen gehobenen, modernen Bewußtsein entspricht.
[ 4 ] So wurden die ersten Anfänge gemacht, und hat das von mir gegründete klinisch-therapeutische Institut in Arlesheim die praktischen Unterlagen für die hier dargelegten Theorien gegeben. Und es wurde versucht, denjenigen Wege für die Heilkunst zu zeigen, die in dem hier angedeuteten Sinne nach einer Erweiterung ihrer medizinischen Erkenntnisse Verlangen tragen.
[ 5 ] Wir hatten vor, diesem kleinen Buch noch manches aus gemeinsamer Arbeit folgen zu lassen. Leider war dies nicht mehr möglich. Doch habe ich die Absicht, aus den vielen Anregungen und Notizen, die ich besitze, noch einen zweiten, vielleicht auch einen dritten Band folgen zu lassen. - Möge aber dieser erste Band, dessen Manuskript noch drei Tage vor dem Tode Rudolf Steiners von ihm mit Freude und innerer Befriedigung korrigiert wurde, seinen Weg finden bei allen, die suchen aus den Rätseln des Lebens zum Verständnis des Lebens in seiner Herrlichkeit und Größe zu kommen.
Arlesheim-Dornach, September 1925.
Ita Wegman, Dr. med.
Foreword to the first edition
[ 1 ] The teacher, leader and friend, Rudolf Steiner, is no longer among the living. A serious illness, which began with physical exhaustion, swept him away. In the middle of his work he had to lie down to rest, his strength, which he had given so abundantly and so unreservedly to his work in the Anthroposophical Society, was no longer sufficient to overcome his illness. And all those who loved and revered him had to experience it with tremendous pain that the man loved by so many, he who had been able to help so many people, had to let fate rule in his own case, knowing full well that higher powers were guiding him.
[ 2 ] The fruit of united work has been set down in this little book.
[ 3 ] As a doctor, I was able to fully accept the teachings of anthroposophy, which are a goldmine of inspiration for medical science in particular, and found in them a source of wisdom from which one could draw tirelessly and which could illuminate and solve many problems in medicine that are still unsolved today. Thus, Rudolf Steiner and I developed a lively collaboration on medical knowledge, which deepened especially in the last two years, so that the joint writing of a book was possible and could come about. It was always Rudolf Steiner's endeavor - and I fully understood him in this - to renew the old Mystery Being and to allow it to flow into medicine. For from time immemorial this mystery being has been closely connected with the art of healing, and the attainment of spiritual knowledge has been associated with healing. Scientific medicine should not be underestimated in a dilettantish, amateurish way; it was fully recognized. However, it was important to add to the existing knowledge that which can flow from a true knowledge of the spirit for the understanding of the processes of illness and healing. Of course, the soul-instinctive nature of the old mysteries was not to be revived, but one that corresponds to the fully developed modern consciousness that has been elevated to the spiritual.
[ 4 ] So the first beginnings were made, and the clinical-therapeutic institute I founded in Arlesheim provided the practical documentation for the theories presented here. And an attempt was made to show ways for the art of healing to those who desire an expansion of their medical knowledge in the sense indicated here.
[ 5 ] We had intended to follow up this little book with some more of our joint work. Unfortunately, this was no longer possible. However, I intend to use the many suggestions and notes I have to write a second, perhaps even a third volume. - But may this first volume, the manuscript of which was corrected by Rudolf Steiner with joy and inner satisfaction three days before his death, find its way to all those who seek to understand life in its glory and greatness from the riddles of life.
Arlesheim-Dornach, September 1925.
Ita Wegman, Dr. med.