First is to know what is the mission of a physician. Aphorism 1 starts by defining it as to restore the sick to health, to cure. Next is to understand what is meant by cure. Dr Hahnemann defines it in the following Aphorism.
He describes the qualities of the ideal cure, which should be the mission of a physician:
1. Rapid- Disease is a suffering. The sooner a person is relieved of his suffering, the better for him.
2. Gentle- The method of cure should be as painless and harmless as possible.
3. Permanent- Cure is worthy if the health is restored permanently.
4. Holistic- Removal of the state of suffering in its whole extent implies the holistic concept.
5. Harmless- Cure should be effected in most harmless way.
6. Based on scientific principles- It should be deduced from observations, generalisations and experimental verifications and the therapeutic practice must mot be based on an empirical guesswork.
These criteria for an ideal cure were first enunciated by a Greek physician named Asclepiades (124B.C.), also styled as the Hippocrates of chronic disease.
The idea of permanent restoration of health finds it parallel in the Charaka-Samhita, which is the oldest and the most authentic treatise on Ayuveda and is the ancient medical science of India.
(Ack.-Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine- Dr. BK Sarkar)
