Cleave’s
Biographical Cyclopædia of
Homœopathic Physicians and Surgeons
By Egbert Cleave
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
cMURRAY,
ROBERT, M. D., of New York city, was born at Salem, N. Y., on the
17th of January, 1817. He is the son of John McMurray, and is of Scotch
descent. His elementary education was received at the Washington
Academy, in his native town. After its completion he was desirous of
following the medical profession as his future occupation. He entered
the office of Drs. Allen and Stevenson at the age of eighteen, and in
1838, when just past his majority, he obtained a license from the county
to practice medicine, and immediately engaged in practice according to
the allopathic method. He subsequently attended lectures at the Western
College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, at which institution he
tools his degree in the year 1840. He continued to practice under the
old school system in his native place and the surrounding neighborhood,
chiefly in connection with his former preceptor, Dr. Abraham Allen,
until the summer of 1844. In the latter year he received a pressing
invitation from his friend, Dr. Alfred Freeman, to settle in New York
city, which he accepted, and accordingly removed to that city.He now, for the first
time, became intimately acquainted with homœopathy, as Dr. Freeman was
practicing according to that school. Becoming interested in the new
theory, he at once commenced a thorough investigation of it by study and
experiment, and finally became so convinced of its superiority over
allopathy that he resolved to adopt it in his future practice. He became
intimately acquainted with the late Dr. Durmell, and many of the first
living homœopathic physicians ; with Dr. Cooke he was upon terms
of the closest intimacy. He was one of the first members of the New York
County Society, of which he was afterwards elected President, and to
which he still belongs. He is also a member of the Hahnemann Academy,
and, in 1867, became a member of the American Institute at Pittsburgh.
After remaining with Dr. Freeman for about six years, he went into
practice alone in 1850, and has continuously practiced to the present
time, being nearly thirty years since he went to New York and adopted
the homœopathic system, during which time he has contributed some
articles f importance to the literature of that school. He was appointed
to the chair of Clinical Medicine in the New York Medical College for
Women, and is also Hospital Superintendent to the same, and he acted as
Professor of Clinical Medicine in 1871.He was married, in
1847, to Miss Savage, of his native county. The lady is still living,
but they have no children.His long experience and
superior abilities have won for him the eminent position which he now
occupies, ranking, as he does, among the first physicians of the homœopathic
school. He is very thorough and precise in whatever he undertakes, and
people at once feel that they may rely upon him ; joined to which,
his scientific knowledge is far beyond that which usually passes as
sufficient for a medical practitioner. His social qualities are also
such as to make him loved and respected by all who know him.Source
: Cleave’s Biographical Cyclopædia of Homœopathic Physicians and
Surgeons By Egbert Cleave