Women Who Have Made Great Contributions to Homeopathy
Anyone who has studied the history of homeopathy has heard the names of Samuel Hahnemann (homeopathy's founder), Constantine Hering, Adolph Lippe, Tyler Kent and others. What doesn't get nearly enough attention is the great work many women have done in the field. Here are the stories of just three of them.
Elizabeth Wright-Hubbard MD (1896-1967)
Born in New York City, Dr. Hubbard was introduced to homeopathy while traveling in Europe after her graduation from Barnard College.
In 1917 Dr. Hubbard began her studies at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. This class was the first to admit women, and she was one of the first three women to graduate in 1921. Wright-Hubbard was also the first female intern at Bellevue Hospital in New York, where she rode the night emergency ambulance.
She learned her homeopathy from Pierre Schmidt of Geneva (and Emil Schlegel of Tubingen), Switzerland. They had been taught by Eugene Alonso Austin and Frederica E. Gladwin, two of James Tyler Kent's most illustrious pupils.
Her writings, lectures, and seminars made her reputation on the international level. In 1945 she served as president of the prestigious International Hahnemannian Association.
From 1959-1961 she served as president of the American Institute of Homeopathy, the first woman to hold that post. For many years she was Editor of the 'Homoeopathic Recorder' and subsequently Editor of the 'Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy.' Dr. Hubbard also taught at the AFH postgraduate homeopathic school.1
Dr. Margaret Tyler, MD (1859-1943).
When her father, the late Henry Whatley Tyler, created the Tyler Wing to the London Homeopathic Hospital through his donations, he told Margaret, "I have done my part: now you must do yours."
She qualified in medicine in 1903 at the age of 44 and served on the staff of the London Homeopathic Hospital until her death forty years later. She was an excellent homeopath, specializing in developmentally challenged children. She also was in active medical service during the Battle of Britain in WWII, treating many casualties of the war.
Margaret Tyler wrote a number of excellent books on homeopathy, including How Not to Practice Homeopathy, Homeopathic Drug Pictures, Repertorising with Sir John Weir, Pointers to some Hayfever Remedies, and Pointers to Common Remedies.2
Dorothy Shepherd (1885 - 1952) MD, ChB Edinburgh3
Dorothy Sheppard MD was an outstanding homeopathic physician.
Interestingly, although she grew up in a family that relied on homeopathy, her medical education took place at Edinburgh University and Heidelberg where she trained in ordinary medicine (much to the dismay of her family), with a focus on women’s diseases. Homeopathy was completely absent from her instruction.
In 1906, a painful sinus infection that developed during a trip to Hering College in Chicago led her back to homeopathic practice. On her arrival at the College, she met with a physician there who prescribed a remedy for the infected sinus. The result was astonishingly quick relief and a new passion for learning about a system she remembered only vaguely from her childhood. She went on to train with physicians who had themselves been taught by the legendary James Tyler Kent MD. She practiced homeopathy exclusively for the rest of her long and storied medical career.
One of the interesting moments of her career came during the Battle of Britain during WWII. She had an active practice in London during the Nazi Blitz and was called upon to treat many civilians wounded in the daily bombings. Despite the very difficult conditions, she relied entirely on homeopathy to successfully treat the many hundreds of patients in her care. She also left us a gift! Throughout her life, Dr. Shepherd wrote a number of extraordinarily good books on homeopathy, including Homeopathy in Epidemic Diseases, The Magic of the Minimum Dose, More Magic of the Minimum Dose, Homeopathy for the First Aider, A Physician's Posy, and A Dictionary of Domestic Medicine.4
Sources:
- Whole Health Now, http://www.wholehealthnow.com/bios/elizabeth-wright-hubbard.html, May 2020
- Sue Young Histories, https://www.sueyounghistories.com/2008-06-27-margaret-lucy-tyler-and-homeopathy, May 2020
- (Photo of Dr. Shepherd) Whole Health Now, http://www.wholehealthnow.com/bios/dorothy-shepherd.html
- Sue Young Histories, https://www.sueyounghistories.com/2009-04-06-dorothy-shepherd-1871-1952/, May 2020
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