NICHOL, THOMAS – Biographies – History of Homeopathy

ICHOL, THOMAS, M. D., of Montreal, Canada, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, April 26th, 1831. His father
was the Rev. Robert Nichol, a Presbyterian minister, and his mother was Jeanie Elliot, daughter of John Elliot, of Flatt -a farm in Roxburghshire, close
to the English border, held by the Elliot family, of the Dukes of Buccleuch, for the last four hundred years. His ancestors are of mingled Norman and
Saxon blood -the name being still common in Normandy- and they were always among the most turbulent of the border “moss troopers,” so famous
in song and story. He was educated in the excellent private schools of Edinburgh. After leaving school he engaged in mercantile pursuits ; but
having a settled dislike to a commercial career, he emigrated to Canada in the spring of 1861. He settled near London, Canada West, where he taught
school.

     In the spring of 1854, he was attacked with very severe laryngitis, which eventually prostrated him. In
his extremity he called in Dr. A. T. Bull, now of Buffalo, N. Y., and in a month’s time he was fully recovered. Although by training an allopath, this
cure determined him to become a homœopathic physician. On August 10th, 1854, he entered Dr. Bull’s office. In the following October he proceeded to
Philadelphia to study in the oldest of the homœopathic schools. Here he had the benefit of the teachings, among others, of Williamson, Ward, Semple,
Small, Gardener and Beakley. The next spring he returned to his Canadian home.

     The summer of 1855 he devoted to teaching, and his leisure to his medical studies. In the fall he again
returned to Philadelphia. He now connected himself with the Hahnemannian Medical Institute, and was almost immediately elected Professor of Materia
Medica and Therapeutics, holding the position for two entire sessions.

     In March, 1854, be graduated, and by the advice of Dr. William Springer, of Ingersoll, he settled in
Simcoe, county of Norfolk, Canada West. The field was most unpromising, not more than ten people in a population of twenty-six thousand being able even
to define homœopathy ; but he remained there for eight years, and built up a large and remunerative practice, in great measure made by lecturing
on homœopathy and pathology. It now sustains three physicians of the homœopathic school.

     In 1859, he married Miss Jeanie Griere, only daughter of William Griere, Esq., of Simcoe. They have now
a daughter and three sons, all the latter being intended for the medical profession. In the same year (1859) the Legislature of Canada passed an Act
legalizing the practice of homœopathy, and in July of that year he passed the Board in company with six others. In 1860, he was appointed justice of
the Peace, and this honorable distinction he still retains. In the same year he was commissioned as Lieutenant of Artillery.

     In 1861, he was elected a member of the Homœopathic Medical Board, on which he served for four years.
In 1864, he began to feel the effects of his severe and increasing labors, and desiring a less arduous field, he, on Christmas of that year, removed to
Belleville, county of Histings, Canada West. There he remained for six years, doing a very excellent practice. In 1867, the seminary at Belleville had
university powers conferred upon it by special Act of Parliament, under the style and title of Albert University. Dr. Nichol was appointed and still
continues a member of the University Senate. At the same time he was appointed Professor of Physiology and Ethnology, and filled the chair for four
years. In November, 1870, he removed to Montreal. Since 1868, he has been connected with the

American
Observer, as editor of the department of diseases of women and children. To this journal he
has contributed a number of articles, and among the most important is a series on the respiratory affections of childhood. These articles will be
published in book form when completed. He is now engaged on the Albert University Law Course. In medicine Dr. Nichol practices strictly according to the
homœopathic law. He pays great attention to pathology, and invariably prescribes the single remedy, which he holds to be of greater importance than the
high dilution. He repudiated pellets many years ago, and now uses almost exclusively triturated tinctures and dilutions.

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