The History of Homeopathy in America

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https://www.homeopathyworks.com/dr-samets-insights/the-history-of-homeopathy-in-america/

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https://www.tiktok.com/@cottontailforest/video/7232373601562004782?_r=1&_t=8cPTrUPa1qY

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Posted by Dr. Lisa Samet N.D. on Mar 27th 2019

Homeopathy got its start in the U.S. following the emigration in 1825 of Dutch homeopathic physician Hans Gram. Upon arriving in New York City, Hans began to practice and write about homeopathy. Interest rapidly spread.

Why did U.S. interest in homeopathy explode so rapidly in the 1800s? Its popularity grew for two primary reasons: (1) it saved tens of thousands of lives (far surpassing the results of ordinary physicians of the time period) during the many deadly epidemics of that era (cholera, small pox, yellow fever, diphtheria, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, etc.) and (2) it offered the first truly integrated and systematic basis for therapeutic treatment.

Physician followers of Hahnemann soon founded America’s first homeopathic medical school in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1835, called the North American Academy of the Homeopathic Healing Arts. This landmark moment was followed soon thereafter by the formation of the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1843 – America’s oldest medical society (four years before the American Medical Association – an association formed in large part as an attempt to thwart the rising popularity of homeopathy). Some of the true giants in the field of homeopathy lived and practiced during this time period such as Adolph Lippe, Constantine Hering, P.P. Wells, E.B. Nash, Henry Guernsey and others (for those seeking to learn more about how to practice homeopathy well, the writings left by these great homeopaths are a truly invaluable resource).

Among many using homeopathy during this era were Lincoln’s Secretary of State - William Seward, Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Susan B. Anthony, Florence Nightingale, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Claude Monet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Darwin, William James and many more. Mark Twain even wrote; “The introduction of homeopathy forced the old school doctor to stir around and learn something of a rational nature about his business.”

Washington Homeopathic Products opened for business in 1873 – which makes them the oldest full-line manufacturer of homeopathic products in the U.S.

The golden era for homeopathy was followed by a period of decline from 1920 to 1980. There are a multitude of reasons for that period of decline – perhaps first among them was the growing popularity of allopathic medicine followed by the introduction of penicillin. For a time, Americans were captivated by the promise that new scientific discoveries held the answer for all of humankind’s ills.

Happily, in the late 1970s and early 1980s interest in homeopathy began to rise again as Americans became increasingly disillusioned with their conventional treatment options. That trend continues. A 2016 study published by Harvard researchers shows a jump in U.S. household use of homeopathy of 15% since 2007! What’s more, researchers found that among U.S. households using complementary and integrative medicine for their healthcare, most put homeopathy among the top 3 complementary and integrative strategies they use.