I'm interested in learning more about the practice of homeopathy in the U.S. during the
Civil War. Does anyone know of definitive works on the subject, living experts or internet resources?

[This message has been edited by jfw (edited 24 October 1999).]

Read "Divided legacy" by Harris Coulter. Relates the whole history of American homoeopathy, till at least the beginning of WW 1.

I've seen the table of contents for that work and couldn't decide whether it was history or polemic. I'm glad to know that it's worth
a closer look because there doesn't seem to be much else out there on the subject. Thanks.

JFW
Coulter has a reputation as being very polemical. He is the homeopaths answer to Kaufman and Rothstein, two historians of medicine that are polemical in there support of allopathy. Historiogaphicaly speaking these writers are quoted then dismissed by current historians. Harris Coulter's books "Divided Legacy" in four volumes is one of the richest, most document work in the history of medicine, There lies its tru value.

On source you may want to check out is "An Alternative Path" by Naomi Rogers. It is a history of Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia.

Homeopathic Physicians were not commisioned by the US armed forces in the Civil War. Many Homeopaths served as regular surgeons. This is a book that needs to be written as there are many dairy accounts of the war by these Doctors.

It was in 1898 that Pres McKinley allowed homeopaths to serve in the Spanish American war. As you may recall This Pres. was present at the dedication ceremony to the Hahnemann Monument in Scott Circle in Washington DC in 1900.

There is also a book by Dr. Dearborn on the homepathic medical corps in WWI. Interesting note they were giving Gesemium as a prophilactic against influenza with much success.

Dorothy Shepherd worked during WWII in London RHH. She has also had some very intersting experiences, scattered in her works.

It is also interesting to note that many homeopaths were considered abolitionists. By taking liberal social views they were able to stand apart from conservative orthodox (allopathic) physicians. After the war in 1869 during the AIH annual meeting Julia Ward Howe compossed a poem for the occassion.
A year later the AMA refused to consider an anti racist resolution.

The war convinced many homeopaths of an importance of surgery. If homeopaths didn't cut open thier patients, they will go to an allopath who would. The homeopaths would lose patients. After the war the homeopathic medical schools increased thier courses in surgery. Although many homeopaths were against the measure as surgery was in conflict with Hahnemannian philospophy, no one wanted to lose patients.

Also in 1862 women who were associated with Hahnemann Medical college raised money for the "Hoemopathic Hospital of Philidelphia for the Sick and Wounded Soldier"

* Please See Rogers' book I mentioned earlier and the book Jutte, Risse and Woodward ed "Culture,Knowledge and Healing, Historical perspectives of Homeopathic Medicine in Europe and North America"

PS
Artz,
So that's were Robin Murphy found gunpowder for his reperatory. Could it be used as a constitutional for Charelton Heston?

Dear Friends

I think that in US Civil War some people start to use GUN POWER as a remedie,

Allen recalls this fact

My thanks for all the information. I've been reading Rogers' book and it's startling for me as a "well-educated" American to discover this dramatic medical philosophy conflict occurred on U.S. soil during the 19th century yet was never mentioned in any history or literature course I've ever taken.

JFW

I am a History of Medicine major. With such a focus the role of Homeopathy in Europe and North America as a shaping force cannot be overlooked. The AMA was founded for the sole reason of fighting the homeopaths and the Thompsonians. These medical groups pushed allopathy to the brink of oblivian.

An interesting note. I was doing research in the Hahnemann archives in Philli. In thier holdings is a pocket homeopathic kit that was given to C. Herring as a gift. The signiture is illegible. In this kit is an eight page pamphlet 3/4 inch by 1 inch called "the camp advisor". It was published by Francis Boericke in the years 1861-1864. It includes medical advise for soldiers in the field. ie grow a beard to protect your throat from the elements, rub yourself down with a towel every day, eat well, and keep your feet dry, most importantly it included keynote symptoms for eight remedies;ars,acon,byr,arn,glen,ver,nux v, rhus t. Knowing the inflictions in the army ie coughs, influenza, cholera, dysentary, rashes, itch, hang overs, etc. this would be helpful. I have not determined if this pamphlet was part of a kit Boericke sold. It did not belong to Herring's kit as this had 28 vials that were numbered to corespond to someother pamphlet.

The end sheet of the Camp Advisor had the stars and stripes