GEE, RODMAN STODDARD – Biographies – History of Homeopathy

EE, RODMAN STODDARD, M. D., of Racine, Wis., was born in Toronto, Canada, October 2nd, 1822. His father
was English by descent, and his mother, Scotch-froth the family of the Bruces. His father, who was a mechanic actively engaged in the business of his
calling, found but little time to devote to the education of his children, who were, consequently, left very much to their own resources. Having a
passionate love for books, the subject of this sketch devoted his leisure moments to self culture. In his seventeenth year he began teaching school
during the winter, and pursuing a course of studies as best he could, preparatory to a professional course. His progress was retarded greatly by
domestic circumstances over which he had no control. In his twenty-second year, he came to the United States, and with a view to preparing himself for
the ministry, attended “Albion College,” Michigan. Abandoning his plans in reference to the ministry, he entered upon mercantile life, but
continued his studies with a view to the practice of medicine. In 1853, he located in Detroit, thoroughly allopathic in his sentiments, and bitterly
opposed to homœopathy, which he considered false in theory, and dangerous in practice. The illness of his wife, and the utter failure of allopathy to
accomplish anything for her benefit, led him to waver in his faith in the system. Five physicians were helpless to afford relief. When the last hope had
fled, she asked for homœopathic counsel, and Drs. Thayer, Drake, and Ellis were called. Their ministry was successful, and her life was saved to her
family and friends. During the two years next succeeding, he continued in mercantile pursuits, devoting his leisure time to study. Meanwhile, cholera
and dysentery had two years of fearful havoc, and death had a rich harvest among the patients of allopathy. Homœopathy, on the other hand, saved a
large percentage of those who submitted to its treatment. Unable longer to resist his convictions that a field of usefulness had opened before him in
the new system, he began the study of medicine with fresh zeal. Old theories gave place to new views, and fixed laws and principles of cure and he found
in the study a degree of satisfaction which he had hardly dared to anticipate.

     In 1857, he left Detroit to take the field for lectures upon homœopathy, aiming to teach it in all its
simple grandeur and beauty as opposed to the unsarisfactoriness and uncertainty of allopathy. He thus became involved in many debates, and in
controversy through the press. Since his public life commenced, he has delivered

twenty-five
hundred lectures upon the relative merits of the two systems ; has published thirty thousand pamphlets -in all about half a million pages- for free distribution. His zeal
in the cause has been restricted only by enfeebled health, and crippled finances. He has made converts by thousands, to homœopathy, and has been the
means of changing the practice of numerous allopathic physicians. He has made thousands of warm friends, and as many bitter enemies. He is now deeply
interested in the cure of chronic diseases, and, the better to develop his plans, has opened a homœopathic institute with all the modern improvements.
He uses Turkish baths, electro-thermal, alcoholic and sulphur, and other medical baths ; besides electrical treatment, and treatment with the
Equalizer and Life Invigorator, and his success has been proportionate with his comprehensive and beneficent plans. The honorary degree of M. D., was
conferred upon him by the Cleveland Homœopathic College.

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