Eclectic, Physiomedical and Thomsonian Medicine in North America

Thomsonian medicine

Samuel Thomson (1769-1843) was a self-taught New Hampshire herbalist. [1] A historical article describes the movement he started as a popular, grassroots health crusade in the early decades of the nineteenth century. [2] It appealed to the frontier mood of the Jackson era, which valued common sense over formal schooling. [2] Even so, Thomsonians depended on a literate public and a large body of printed material to spread their system. [2]

Thomson believed that exposure to cold was an important cause of illness and that disease should be treated by restoring natural heat, using steam baths, cayenne pepper, laxatives and the emetic plant lobelia. [1] This is a historical framework, not biology, and we do not describe how it was carried out.

The movement was also political. Thomsonians fought medical licensing laws, and one legal-history article calls their campaign one of the most striking examples of a successful popular constitutional movement. [3] This was a fight over who could practice, not a test of whether the treatments worked.

Eclectic medicine

Eclectic medicine came after Thomson. The word "eclectic" was coined by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, a botanist who had studied Native American use of medicinal plants. [4] The tradition drew on Native American plant knowledge. If you are interested in who holds such knowledge and who benefits, see traditional knowledge protection and benefit sharing.

Eclectic physicians reacted against mainstream practice of the time, which made extensive use of calomel (a mercury-based purge) and bloodletting. [4] They chose to train doctors in physiology and more conventional principles alongside botanical medicine. [4] Their main school, the Eclectic Medical Institute, ended with a last class in 1939, and the movement peaked in the 1880s and 1890s. [4] The Lloyd Library and Museum in Cincinnati holds a large collection of Eclectic publications. [4]

Physiomedicalism

Physiomedicalism grew out of Thomsonianism. Some people trained by Thomson broke with him, pursued more advanced medical education, and founded physiomedicalism. [1] Eclectic medicine is said to resemble physiomedicalism, which was practiced in the United Kingdom. [4] Beyond this, we did not find enough readable scholarly material to describe its teachings responsibly. Proper evidence not found for its methods in clinical research. Our searches covered PubMed and general web sources.

What happened to them

By the mid-twentieth century, homeopathic and Eclectic medical schools had become nearly nonexistent. [5] Many historians point to the 1910 Flexner Report on medical education as a cause. [5] One article cautions against overstating this, because many of these schools were already struggling financially. [5]

What research shows

Today

We did not find a current regulator or professional body for Thomsonian or Eclectic practice. Modern herbalists may be influenced by the Eclectic literature, but training and regulation of herbalists vary by country and state. For how to check any practitioner, see traditional medicine safety and clinical care.