Cleave’s
Biographical Cyclopædia of
Homœopathic Physicians and Surgeons
By Egbert Cleave
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
UY,
SAMUEL S., M. D., of Brooklyn, N. Y., was born in Kingsbury,
Washington county, in that State, January 18th, 1818. His ancestry on
his father’s side were of English-Irish origin ; his
great-grandfather coming from the North of Ireland about the middle of
the last century. His grandfather served in the war of the Revolution,
first as a member of the old continental guards of Rhode Island, and
then in New York. After the war he retired to a farm in Kingsbury, where
he lived for more than sixty years, and died at the advanced age of
ninety-two years.His father was born on
this same farts, and lived in that neighborhood, until 1859, when he
died in the seventy-third year of his age. His mother’s family were
English, and settled in Connecticut at an early day.He received a fair
common school education in his native town, and in his eighteenth year,
becoming dissatisfied with farm life, yearned for a more extended
education. Without pecuniary resources of his own, but, resolved upon
the attainment of his object, he pursued his English and classical
studies for four years, chiefly under private tutors, supporting himself
meanwhile. In 1840, he removed to Buffalo, N. Y., where he pursued the
study of law and medicine, until the autumn of 1844. Deciding then upon
medicine as his profession, he attended his first course of lectures at
the Albany Medical College, during the winter of 1844-’45. The interval
between that and his second course was spent with Dr. J. W. Richards, in
Troy, N. Y., as assistant and student, and, in 1846, he graduated at the
Albany Medical College. Immediately on his graduation, he formed a
partnership with Dr. Case, of Albany, an old and experienced physician.
As nearly all the work and but little of the emoluments devolved upon
him, he separated from Dr. Case after three months of connection, and
settled in Brooklyn. During his first year’s practice, he was introduced
to Dr. P. P. Wells, who invited his attention to homœopathy. His
growing dissatisfaction with the results of allopathic treatment induced
him to lend a ready eat- to the suggestions of Dr. Wells, and to bestow
upon the claims of homœopathy a close and careful examination. In the
course of a year he became convinced of the truth of the system, and
cordially adopted it as the basis of his medical practice. It had a
severe test, in 1849, during the attack of Asiatic cholera, when, after
four months of its prevalence, he lost but one case by death out of a
large number of cases under his charge. In 1850, when the public mind
was excited on account of the discoveries of gold in California, he made
partial arrangements to dispose of his business, and embark in the
speculation.Wiser counsels
prevailed, however, and he continued his practice. In 1853, he became
identified with the native American movement, and took an active part in
it, as in the gubernatorial canvass of New York, in 1854. He served as
Treasurer of the State Committee, and raised personally much of the
funds used for carrying on the campaign. The nonsuccess of the party
hindered his appointment to a lucrative position. In 1856, he served as
a delegate to the convention which met in Philadelphia, and nominated
Mr. Filmore for the Presidency. Since then he has taken no active part
in politics.He continued in large
and lucrative practice, until 1859, when, his health becoming impaired,
he purchased the property known as the Chancellorville Plantation ;
in Spottsylvania county, Va., rendered historical by the war of the
Rebellion, and moved there with his family, on the 1st of May. The month
following, he delivered the annual address before the American Institute
of Homœopathy in Boston. He continued in Chancellorville until the
spring of 1861, when the great Rebellion was precipitated. The frank
avowal of his sentiments brought upon him the suspicions and obloquy of
his neighbors, which developed into open persecution. Determined, if
possible, to remove his family to the North, he was compelled to have
recourse to stratagem, and finally succeeded in escaping with them, and
in reaching Washington city, on May 15th. His property of all kinds,
which he was compelled of necessity to leave behind, was destroyed by
his persecutors.Returning to Brooklyn
utterly penniless, but not disheartened, he resumed his practice of
medicine. During the continuance of the great national struggle, he used
all his influence, and exerted all his powers, in favor of his
government. In June, 1865, the American Institute of Homœopathy, whose
sessions had been suspended during the war, resumed its work in the
annual session in Cincinnati, when Dr. Guy was elected to preside over
its deliberations. He had succeeded in building up a large and valuable
practice, but his health again becoming impaired, he was obliged, in
1866, to discontinue the duties of his profession. The Hahnemann Life
Insurance Company had just been organized, and he accepted its general
agency for the State of New York. He labored with all his energy to
promote this new method of insurance, until 1869, when he left this
company to assist in the organization of the Homœopathic Mutual, of New
York. He continued in this business, until in the spring of 1870,
finding his health greatly improved, he resumed his practice in
Brooklyn. In 1871, his health was entirely restored by the use of
compound oxygen. Since this time he has adopted this as a special and
important branch of office practice in the treatment and cure of chronic
diseases. This with his general practice has secured to him a large and
lucrative business.Source
: Cleave’s Biographical Cyclopædia of Homœopathic Physicians and
Surgeons By Egbert Cleave