In Memoriam, Martin Deschere, July 21, 1902 [cover title of a manuscript memorial album for a New York Homeopathic Physician].

Tributes and letters from New York City medical organizations and letters of condolence for a medical editor & staff physician at New York’s Flower Hospital

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A useful and packed album providing fine insight into the life of the German-American homeopathic physician Martin Deschere (1848–1902) of New York City.

Deschere’s widow, Olga Deschere, assembled this archive after Martin Deschere’s passing. It reveals a constellation of physicians and medical institutions who were in his orbit. The bulk of the matter comprises: 200 pages of handwritten letters of condolences and tributes —from New York City medical organizations, leading homeopaths, and other physicians; 70 obituaries from newspapers and medical journals; and over 150 mourning calling cards, almost all with a brief autograph sentiment. Some letters refer to Deschere’s homeopathic practice, to Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), the founder of homeopathy, and even to the “peculiar system” of homeopathy.

Martin Deschere was a native of Hamburg, Germany. Homeopath Dr. Samuel Lilienthal (1815–1891), also a German-American, guided his early career. In 1875, he graduated from the New York Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital. In 1881, Deschere was appointed Professor of Pediatrics at his alma mater, holding this position for many years. Deschere served as a staff physician at New York’s Flower Hospital and the Laura Franklin Free Hospital for Children. He was an editor of the North American Journal of Homoeopathy, a member and president of the Homoeopathic Medical Society of the State of New York, the founder of the Materia Medica Society, and a founder of a pediatric medical society.

Colleagues offering tribute to Dr. Deschere were Willard Ide Pierce of the New York Medical Club and author of Plain Talks on Materia Medica with Comparisons (Philadelphia, 1911); Henry M. Dearborn (1846–1904), professor at the New York College and Hospital for Women and New York Homœopathic Medical College and Hospital; Frederick M. Dearborn (b.1876), lecturer at the New York Homœopathic Medical College and Hospital and the New York College and Hospital for Women; Willis A. Dewey (b.1858), an anatomy professor at Hahnemann Medical College of the Pacific and editor of the California Homoeopath and The Medical Century; and Loomis L. Danforth (b.1849), professor of obstetrics, New York Homœopathic Medical College and Hospital and chief of maternity staff at Hahnemann Hospital.

Other memorialists included George W. Roberts (b.1866), professor of surgery at the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women; John W. Dowling (b.1837), Registrar of the New York Homœopathic Medical College and a founder of its surgical hospital; H. Everett Russell (b.1863), graduate of the New York Homœopathic Medical College and Hospital and member of American Institute of Homœopathy and the National Society of Electro-Therapeutists; Walter Sands Mills (b.1865), physician to the department of the heart and lungs, New York Homœopathic Medical College Dispensary; and C.A. Weirick of Chicago, co-editor of the Journal of Orificial Surgery and official of the the American Institute of Homœopathy.

Dr. William Francis Honan recalled Deschere as a professor:

It was my good fortune to come under his personal instruction in 1889 & subsequently to enjoy a continued acquaintanceship with him. I’ve soon learned to admire the steadfast character of the man and appreciate his very unusual scientific attainments. Your loss will be that of the entire medical profession and suffering humanity, an earnest self sacrificing worker. (f[59], July 23, 1902)

Byron George Clark (b.1847), a member of the American Institute of Homœopathy wrote:

I have not called upon the Doctor for some time, chiefly because he always wanted I should go carefully over his case and seemed disappointed at my not offering suggestions when I felt he was under better care than I could give him. … I feel I have lost a friend that will be hard to replace. We were in close sympathy in our ideas of homeopathy and our faith in its work that we felt an honesty that was healthful in each others work, and as I have been expecting to move downtown further for some time…I have anticipated quite some pleasure in being near him that we could work together more; but a greater power has decided otherwise and we must bow to his will, however hard. (f[60], July 24, 1902)

Two manuscript resolutions within honored Dr. Deschere. For example:

At the regular Annual Meeting of the Staff of the Laura Franklin Free Hospital for Children, held October 29th, 1902, the following resolution was read and unanimously adopted — Whereas: — From the time of its foundation and until his ill-health and death prevented, this Hospital has enjoyed the devoted labors of Dr. Martin Deschere, and Whereas: — The bountiful store of his professional learning, keen observation and innate genius, has been freely imparted to the ailing young in this Hospital and elsewhere… be it Resolved: — That the Medical Staff of the Laura Franklin Free Hospital for Children feels deeply the loss of an associate whom we loved; a consultant whose advice we valued; and a consistent and steadfast Homoeopath whose example we would emulate.

A retained copy of Dr. Deschere’s letter —to the Alumni Association of the New York Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital— written on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his graduation remarks

It is a sore disappointment to me that I am prevented by illness from appearing before you to-night and addressing you as my pleasant duty demands. … Although unable to address you personally, I am with you heart and soul and in this spirit of congeniality I desire to express to you my ideas of how our Association may work to the best interests of our College. …Let us always remember that as graduates of the N. Y. Hom. Med. Coll. & Hosp. we remain thoroughly homoeopathic in our professional work no matter what special field this may cover. The more thoroughly we understand the philosophy of the Law of Similars, the closer we adhere to it in our professional duties, the more logically we practice according to it at the bedside, the more satisfactory will be our results and consequently the higher will be our standard is homoeopathic physicians and the higher will that school be valued that has educated such men. … All our pioneers from [Samuel] Hahnemann down had added a knowledge of homoeopathic therapeutics to their general knowledge of medicine, but only the utilization over this knowledge in their practice stamped them homoeopathic physicians. … Again I know of physicians who have made special studies of homoeopathic therapeutics partly out of curiosity and partly for their own instruction to a degree that they become well versed in that field of science, but they never thought of becoming or being considered homoeopathic physicians even though they utilized some of this acquired knowledge in their practice. Therefore, I herewith openly protest again the definition of a homoeopathic physician as accepted by the American Institute for if we shall be judged by our works we can only by [be] judged as homoeopathic physicians by working as such. (May 1900)

A useful archive. A dense concentration of biographical information reveals the life of a little-known nineteenth-century American homeopathist while contextualizing the relationships and connections he shared with like-minded colleagues.

Price: $750.00