History of American Homeopathy

JOHN S. HALLER JR. is a professor emeritus of history and medical humanities at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and the author of several books, among them The History of American Homeopathy: The Academic Years, 1820–1935.

"This is an important and outstanding work of scholarship. Neither partisan nor apologetic, it brings the strength of objectivity to homeopathy that has often been lacking in its checkered historiography. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, this book is destined to be the standard work on this colorful and historically rich group of healthcare crusaders for years to come." - Michael A. Flannery (associate director for Historical Collections, University of Alabama) "Once again, Professor Haller offers an incisive analysis of a major alternative medical system, providing an extraordinarily thorough and nuanced examination of the evolution of homeopathic medicine over the last one hundred years." - James C. Whorton (author of Nature Cures: The History of Alternative Medicine in America) "John Haller, an eminent historian of alternative medicine, has written a unique and finely woven account on homeopathy and the transformations that have characterized its long history. In this volume, he focuses on its evolving status from a medical practitioner based system of treatment to one now largely embraced by segments of the public in search of alternative therapies. Well-organized and bearing the imprint of a master historian, it is a pleasure to read." - Pascal James Imperato (founding dean, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Downstate) "Haller takes readers on a historical journey involving American homeopathy as it traversed the political, professional, scientific, and cultural landscape from the late-19th century to the beginning of the 21st century. Experts and novices to American homeopathy will find this book to be comprehensive, objective, informative, and engaging. Recommended." (Choice) "A key achievement of this intriguing book is in capturing the shifting and diverse nature of homeopathy itself, which Haller depicts as having developed from an empirical science to a religious belief system. Haller encompasses the complexity of the development of homeopathy within a cogent narrative."(Bulletin of the History of Medicine)

• IntroductionChapter 1: The Decline of Academic HomeopathyChapter 2: Esoteric HomeopathyChapter 3: The Laity Speaks OutChapter 4: Postwar TrendsChapter 5: Roads Taken and Not TakenChapter 6: Whither the Future?NotesBibliographyIndex