DUFF, PETER SIMON – Biographies – History of Homeopathy

UFF, PETER SIMON, M. D., D. D. S., of Coyleville, Penna., was born at Rough Run, Windfield Furnace,
Butler county, Penna., June 10th, 1835. His parents were American ; his father was a respectable merchant and farmer, noted for his integrity and
worth, who fell a victim in 1859 to allopathic treatment, having died from excessive salivation for rheumatism.

     His early education was received at the public schools, and at the Academy (now College) of St.
Francis, in Cambria county, Ills., after which he taught school at Blooming and Galena for six years. In the spring of 1857 he formed the resolution of
studying medicine and surgery, and commenced his preparation with the purchase of a work on anatomy. Visiting several towns in the West for the purpose
of acquiring information, he consulted many physicians, without, however, obtaining much satisfaction, as he found but one homœopathist, who resided at
Galena, and from whom he received his first instruction. Returning home in 1859, he placed himself under the direction of Dr. Simkin, a recent convert
to homœopathy, who sacrificed his life at the post of duty. In 1863, he went to the Western Homœopathic College, passed his examination with unusual
credit, and received his diploma from Dr. S. R. Beckwith.

     Thrown now upon his own resources, he traveled through the counties of Armstrong, Butler and Allegheny,
acting as pioneer and propagandist of the new system, making numerous converts, and securing a large practice. In 1869, he attended another full course
of lectures at the Homœopathic College at Cleveland, where he graduated in 1870, and received the first prize, publicly awarded and presented by
Professor T. P. Wilson, for keeping the clinical record of the college hospital. He attended full lectures on dental surgery, receiving the degree of D.
D. S., and has since paid great attention to diseases of the teeth, following no other profession, though tenacious of his homœopathic sentiments.

     Dr. Duff is remarkable for the energy and determination with which he has pursued a difficult and
thorny path. It may he stated in regard to this, that when he commenced practice, he invested his whole stock of money -seventy-five cents-in medicine.
His generosity is equal to his enterprise, never refusing medicine and service to those who are unable to pay for them. Endowed with the keenest
sensitiveness, he is easily affected and pained by the ills and sufferings of others. Dr. Duff is an occasional contributor to the medical journals and
to the secular press.

Source : Cleave’s Biographical Cyclopædia of Homœopathic Physicians and Surgeons By
Egbert Cleave