Cleave’s
Biographical Cyclopædia of
Homœopathic Physicians and Surgeons
By Egbert Cleave
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
UNHAM,
RUFUS COGWELL, M. D., of Sat Falls, N. Y. was born at little Utica,
Onondaga county, N. Y., October 18th, 1819. His father was a volunteer
in the war of 1812, and did much good service in the cause of his
country. His mother, Lucy Cogwell, was a native of Pittsfield, Mass.His education was
received partly in the district schools, and partly in select or private
academies. Till the age of seventeen, he worked on a farm, except when
at school, and afterwards commenced teaching in the common school, which
occupation he followed at Ionia, N. Y., till the spring of 1839, when,
desiring to study medicine, he entered the office of Dr. Wareham Root, a
noted allopath in the village of Canton, N. Y., remaining with him till
he graduated at the Geneva Medical College, in 1843. He now commenced
practice in the place of his birth, where he continued till he became a
convert to homœopathy, in the spring of 1848. At this time he moved to
Canton, in which place he found three allopathic practitioners. He,
however, introduced the practice of the new system, upholding its
doctrines against the followers of the old.Although his business
soon became very extensive, it was not at first very remunerative, as he
declined to receive any pay until his patients became thoroughly
convinced of the truth of the new doctrine. Whilst in Canton, many
instances of remarkable cures effected by him, when the other school had
failed, are on record. Being something of a politician, he was elected
to fill various offices of trust, such as Superintendent of Schools,
Town Clerk, and Coroner, etc : He was twice married, first, in
1843, to Caroline Conant, and again, in 1859, to Susan Laidlaw, by which
unions he had three children. His practice in Canton being mostly a
country one, he found his health suffering from his arduous duties, and
removed in 1860 to Seneca Falls, where his practice would be more in the
city. In 1862 he was appointed Examining Surgeon to the Pension
Department, which office he still holds, though at one time he thought
he would have to abandon it, on account of questions being asked by H.
Van Aernam, the Commissioner of Pensions, which he deemed impertinent.His practice in his
present abode is thriving, and is all any reasonable practitioner could
desire, and at times much more than he can attend to.Source
: Cleave’s Biographical Cyclopædia of Homœopathic Physicians and
Surgeons By Egbert Cleave