History of Homœopathy
Biographies
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
USTIN, A. EUGENE, New York city, was born there June 1, 1868, son of Rev. Alonzo Eugene Austin and
Isabelle J. Camp, his wife. He is a grandson of the late Augustus Austin, who was son of Ralph Austin, who was son of Joshua Austin, who was son of Lord
Austin of England. Joshua Austin was sent to America under royal commission, hence remained loyal to the crown during the revolution ; and when his
lands and property were confiscated he became master of an academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later on removed to New Milford in the same state.
Moses Austin and his son Stephen, who were largely instrumental in founding Texas, and for whom Austin and Austinville (the latter in Virginia) were
named, are of the same family. Augustus Austin bought large tracts of timberland, in Sullivan county. He was a giant in strength and prowess, full of
humor and music and never-failing courtesy, beloved by his woodsmen, “an ideal man” to his little grandson, whose young life he greatly
influenced ; the city boy’s vacation days at Eldred were filled with delight and his early ambition to some day own the place on the hill where his
father was born and where his grandparents spent a part of their time in summer, has been happily realized. Rev. Alonzo Eugene Austin, the doctor’s
father, is a man universally beloved and admired. A man of high principle, clear judgment, keen intellect, ready wit, daring courage, sincere,
sympathetic, gracious, a successful teacher and preacher. Once he was very sick and was given up by his physicians of the old school ; but he was
cured through the ministrations of Dr. Lewis Hallock, an early homœopath, and he himself was thereby converted to that medical faith. Later on he
became the pioneer missionary of the Presbyterian board to the Alaska Indians, among whom he built up the great industrial training school at Sitka,
where with his wife he lived nearly twenty years, and among whom they both preached and taught and practiced medicine ; and this was the
introduction of homœopathy in that great far-off northwestern region of America. Augustus Austin married Phoebe Maria, daughter of Hon. James Eldred,
who was a son of Elisha Eldred of London, England. James Eldred was a careful Bible student. He taught its precepts to his children and to the white
settlers, who came every Sunday to his house and worshipped there until the church edifice crowned the near-by hill. He was a man of influence and
substance, a justice of the peace, and a leader among the people ; and for nearly thirty-eight years was deacon in the church at Half-way Brook,
Highland, since called Eldred in his honor. Eldred in Pennsylvania was so named in allusion to his brother Richard, a lawyer of note. On the maternal
side Dr. Austin is a descendant of the ninth generation of Nicholas Camp of Camp’s farms, Essex county, England, who settled in Milford, Connecticut,
1639. Rev. Amzi Camp, the doctor’s grandfather, devoted his life to missionary labors among the worst types of New York city civilization, in the
“bloody sixth ward,” which included “Five Points” and the “Tombs,” and the “Camp memorial,” a still flourishing
old mission in Chrystie street, is one of the results of his ministry. Dr. Austin’s mother’s life is filled with good works, given to hospitality,
charity, faith, prayers, brave, strong and happy ; her consecration and motherliness won the poor of her father’s mission in the slums of the great
city, the hearts of the Indians in Alaskan fields, and the admiration of the officers of the navy and other distinguished guests they entertained.
Through her Dr. Austin is connected with several noted New England families -the Porters, Hickocks, Bunnells, Beechers, and is a descendant of Deacon
Daniel Hovey, who came to New Ipswich, Massachusetts, 1620 ; ancestors who were founders and patriots in colonial and revolutionary times. Dr.
Austin was educated in private schools in New York city and fitted for college under the instruction of Professor C. Dunning of South Norwalk,
Connecticut. He graduated from Tilton Seminary, Tilton, New Hampshire, in 1892, and the Columbia College of Oratory and School of Expression, Chicago,
in 1905. He was educated in medicine in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York city, 1896 ; for three years was a private student with
William H. Porter, M. D. He also attended hospital clinics and courses with specialists, and in 1897 was awarded the diploma in medicine of the New York
Homœopathic College and Hospital. He holds, too, the degree of master of homœopathics, conferred by Hering Medical College, Chicago, April 11, 1905.
He practiced four years in New York city, maintaining a summer office in Eldred, and in 1904-05 was in Chicago for still further study under the special
instruction of Dr. James Tyler Kent. He also studied materia medica in Hahnemann Medical College, and with Dr. H. C. Allen in Hering Medical College,
both in Chicago. Since he came to the degree Dr. Austin has filled hospital, clinical and college appointments as follows : at the Sloan Maternity
Hospital with Dr. Tucker ; Roosevelt Hospital, out-door department, assistant to Drs. Brockway and Hartley ; on the staff of Flower
Hospital ; one year in the Ophthalmic Hospital ; professor of materia medica, New York Homœopathic Medical College and Hospital, 1902-04 ;
associate professor with the dean and professor in the department of homœopathics, Hering Medical College, Chicago, 1904-05. He also served as 1st
lieutenant of a military company in Tilton, New Hampshire, in 1890, and in Sitka, Alaska, was one of the organizers of the fire company, with which he
served several years. He is a member of the New York County Homœopathic Medical Society, the New York State Homœopathic Medical Society, the American
Institute of Homœopathy, the International Hahnemannian Association, the Academy of Pathological Science, the New York Materia Medica Society, the New
York Pædological Society, the American Ophthalmological, Otological and Laryngological Society, the Bayard Club (charter member), the Alpha Sigma
fraternity, the United Parma Plin fraternity of Tilton, New Hampshire, Kane lodge, 454, F. & A. M., Jerusalem chapter. Cœur de Leon commandery,
Adelphi council and Mecca shrine, all of New York city. Dr. Austin’s early life was full of adventure in the wilds of Alaska ; the fair-haired son
of the missionary heroes and pioneers became the favorite of the tribes. He was brave, naturally quick, with steady hand, and a good shot ; he
would be away with the chiefs, sealing, fishing, hunting, for weeks at a time ; scaling the mountains and glaciers, shooting the rapids ; many
the storm he weathered with them in canoes on the Pacific, when the fierce gales would blow them far off the shore. The Indians taught him their
language, hieroglyphics, signs in the woods and their weird folklore ; he could dance their war dances and share in their festivals, for they had
adopted and made him one of their braves ; and knowing their language and customs, he assisted in securing some valuable collections for our
museums. After his father and mother had saved their tribes with medical treatment through the ravages of a dreadful scourge, they both were made
tribesmen, “Father” Austin being given the name Cat-lay-you, and was made chief of the Crow tribe ; the mother’s Indian name was
She-he-he, with the rank of chief’s wife in the powerful Bear tribe ; and as the son always belongs to his mother’s tribe, Dr. Austin was named
Taa-ki-ish-father of nations ; and he was invited to become a chief. Five years after his return east an old chief of the Bear tribe sent him a
silver shield of the coat of arms of the tribe, with the message that the Alaskan Indians had not forgotten him-Taa-ki-ish. Dr. Austin married, April
26, 1898, Sarah Frances Hall, A. M. ; of New York city, daughter of Dr. Edwards Hall and Margaret M. Chambers, the latter a daughter of judge
Robert Chambers of Trenton, N. J.Source : History of Homœopathy by William Harvey King