Cleave’s
Biographical Cyclopædia of
Homœopathic Physicians and Surgeons
By Egbert Cleave
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
OOPER,
JOSEPH, M. D., of Bay City, Mich., was born in London, England,
April 24th, 1825. His father, Joseph Hooper, was for many years
principal of the check department of the Bank of England, and one of the
very first members of the Homœopathic Institute of London. His mother
was the daughter of a surgeon and accoucheur in Stepney, a London
suburb. Dr. Hooper received his early instruction in a private school in
Dalston, where he became an usher, or under teacher, at the age of
fourteen. He studied the usual English branches, and acquired the
rudiments of Latin and Greek at this establishment. He early joined the
Congregational Church, and was led to contemplate engaging in
ministerial work. With that view he gained admission into Howard College
at sixteen, and graduated after a full term of five years, during four
of which he attended daily the classical, mathemathical, and scientific
lectures delivered in University College, Gower street. After leaving
college, he served the Irish Evangelical Society for a year or two,
being stationed at Tralee. He was then called to the pastorate of a
church in Frome, Somersetshire, where he was ordained. Shortly after, he
married Mary, daughter of John Runk, of Kingsland, London. After the
death of his father, he emigrated, in May, 1858, to Canada, and for
nearly seven years endured the hardships of a Congregational
missionary’s life. During much of this time, impelled by the necessities
of some of his parishioners, and convinced that some of the sick given
up to die by the old school practitioners, might be saved by the
exhibition of very simple homœopathic remedies, he became a private
adviser. As a result of one case successfully treated, he found himself
with quite a considerable but wholly unremunerative practice. This
circumstance, and an always strong interest in medical science induced
him to contemplate entering the profession. Just at this time Professor
Allen, then living in Brantford, C. W., met him and induced him to visit
Professor T. P. Wilson, of Cleveland. From these two gentlemen he
received great assistance in preparing for and passing through the
curriculum required at the Cleveland Homœopathic College, from which he
graduated with credit, on March 1st, 1865.In the same year as his
graduation, Dr. Hooper published three tractates, entitled, “Homœopathy :
What are its Claims on Public Confidence ;” “Popular
Fallacies Concerning Homœopathy Refuted,” and “A Short Sketch
of the Life of Hahnemann.” All had extensive circulation, and
secured him the chair of Medical Jurisprudence in the Cleveland
Homœopathic College. Some time after he removed to Bay City, and
through the growth of his practice he was compelled to resign his
professorship. For two or three years he has devoted much attention to
plans for securing a thorough medical education in Michigan for
homœopathic students. He has given, to the neglect of his own
interests, two full courses of able lectures on Human Physiology at the
Michigan Homœopathic College, Lansing.While Dr. Hooper is
widely esteemed as a skilful, conscientious and careful practitioner, he
is considered also to excel as a public speaker, a writer, and most
especially as a teacher.Source
: Cleave’s Biographical Cyclopædia of Homœopathic Physicians and
Surgeons By Egbert Cleave