This collection primarily houses the papers of Dr. Constantine Hering and his son-in-law, Dr. Calvin B. Knerr, both homeopathic physicians in Philadelphia, from 1820 to 1940. To a significantly lesser extent, it documents the North American Academy of the Homoeopathic Healing Arts, also known as the Allentown Academy, from 1835 to 1918, 1985 and 2003, as well as the Hering, Knerr and Husmann families from 1826 to 1970. The collection is comprised of correspondence, printed materials and publications, manuscripts, notes, diaries, medical school notebooks, family photographs, meeting minutes and other records, which evidence the life and work of Hering, Knerr and their families, as well as the practice and education of homeopathic medicine in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The collection is divided into seven series: “Constantine Hering,” “Calvin B. Knerr,” “Herring-Knerr Family Papers,” “Portraits and snapshots,” “Publications and printed materials,” “North American Academy of Homoeopathic Healing Arts,” and “Reference Materials.”

The “Constantine Hering” series dates from 1823 to 1880 and is divided into four subseries: “Hering Papers,” “Hering Personal effects – Collection #96,” “Hering correspondence and personal effects – Collection #97” and “Hering personal effects – Collection #98.” The first subseries is by far the largest and is primarily comprised of correspondence to and/or from Hering’s colleagues and family from 1823 to 1875. There are also autobiographical sketches, both in Hering’s hand and typescript translations by Calvin Knerr; a manuscript copy of his last will and testament; meeting minutes of the High Hahnemannians from 1870 to 1874; assorted manuscript notes; and other records. Much of Hering’s correspondence is written in German. Of note, is a telegram sent to Hering by another physician requesting consultation on a patient, and William Wheeler Hubbel's (a patient of Hering’s) claim of exemption from military duty in 1857 based on his contraction of "National Hotel Disease." The remaining three subseries house a wide assortment of items, including printed materials, ephemera and a book of autographs collected by Hering. The third subseries, “Hering correspondence and personal effects – Collection #97,” is particularly rich. In it is a manuscript version of an address given by Hering at the Allentown Academy in 1835, incoming and outgoing correspondence, a diary, notes and other writings by Hering, as well as multiple versions of his obituary. Among the notes and other writings are a few about patients and “A History of Hahnemann and His School.” Though this series contains Hering’s own papers, there are a couple of additions to the records, especially in the first subseries, which were created and/or compiled after his death by Calvin Knerr and/or his children. Please refer to the box and folder lists for more details.

The “Calvin B. Knerr” series, dating from 1864 to 1940, houses correspondence, diaries, and multiple notebooks from his time at Hahnemann Medical College. In addition, there is a file on Knerr’s publication, The Life of Hering, which includes a partial typescript and ephemera related to its publication; printers blocks used in the production of The Life of Hering; and multiple scrapbooks that he compiled on homeopathy and on the life and work of Constantine Hering.

The “Family Papers” series houses a small number of files created by and/or about Hering’s ancestors, his wife Therese, as well as a few of his children. In particular, there is a family tree, dated 1885; some correspondence; obituaries; and ephemera. The materials are arranged alphabetically by the name of the appropriate family member. Some files are subject files about the family member while others house correspondence or other records of which the family member is the author and/or recipient.

Following are “Portraits and Snapshots” of the Hering and Knerr families, and the Hering residence on north 12th Street in Philadelphia, among a few other images. A majority of images are photographs, though there are a small number of engravings.

The “Publications and Printed Materials” series is divided into two subseries: “Articles” and “Biographical Sketches, Memorials and Remembrances.” Under “Articles,” researchers will find examples and reprints of published articles by Constantine Hering and a few other authors on homeopathy. Numerous articles written by Hering are in German. The second subseries maintains biographical sketches and memorials about Hering or his wife Therese.

The “North American Academy of Homeopathic Healing Arts” series houses a small sampling of faculty meeting minutes, correspondence and other records related to the founding and history of the school. The subseries blends original institutional records with later additions by Hering’s son Carl, who devoted some time to researching the history of the school and Hering’s role in its founding. There are also newspaper clippings from 1935 and 1985 discussing the school’s history.

The final series, “Reference Materials,” houses photocopies of letters written by Hering to the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1830, 1831, 1869 and 1874; a printed copy of a letter to Frederick Rapp regarding medical treatment in 1834; translations and transcriptions of some family correspondence (Husmann, Wesselhoeft and Marianne Hering), which is found in the “Family Papers” series of the collection; snapshots taken of Hering's birthplace in Oschatz, Germany; snapshots of artifacts and other Hering related objects in DUCOM's collections; a newspaper clipping about a bank failure and the Allentown Academy from 1986; correspondence about this collection; information about an exhibit created in 1983/1984 about Constantine Hering; a [family biography] written by a Constantine Hering descendent, Martha Hering; and other miscellaneous information about the Hering family and their descendants.