Homeopathic Medicine was widely practiced in North America during the 19th century. Many doctors practiced homeopathy as well as conventional medicine. At the turn of the century there were 20 homeopathic medical colleges and more than 100 homeopathic hospitals in the United States. Canada's first female doctor, Emily Stowe, who founded Women's College Hospital, was trained as a homeopath at the New York Medical College for Women, Homeopathic from which she graduated in 1867. Homeopathic hospitals opened in Toronto and Montreal in the late 19th century.
Conflict with the American Medical Association ( which is a private corporation) and the Canadian Medical Association - this led to the systematic & deliberate decline in the practise of homeopathic medicine and the rise of Pharmaceuticals and Allopathic Medicine in North America early in the 20th century.
However, the dramatic resurgence of Homeopathic Doctors & the practise of Homeopathic Medicine continues today throughout the world. In 2007, the Ontario Homeopathic Association with support of the public and the Ontario government recognized the practise of Homeopathic Medicine and passed the Homeopathy act 2007 to re-established Homeopathic Medicine as a recognize health care profession and model.
The History of Homeopathic Medicine in Canada
In 1796 after six years of experimentation, Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, published his findings in a German medical journal. Since then, homeopathy has expanded throughout the entire world, having had its splendor at the beginning of the 20th century in Philadelphia and the East coast of the United States.
By 1892, the USA had over four hundred state and county associations (Bradford, 1892), and by 1912, there were one hundred and ninety-five homeopathic hospitals, nine of which had over one thousand beds (Cleave, 1912). With immigrants coming into Canada and Canadians traveling to the USA, the enormous homeopathic influence in the USA soon reached Canada. An immigrant most likely from the Netherlands, Dr. J. 0. Rosenstein, is recorded as practicing homeopathy in 1845, in Montreal, Quebec (Epps,1845).
In 1846, Rosenstein published what may be the first Canadian book on homeopathy (Rosenstein, 1846). Before Rosenstein, Arthur Fisher, M.D. was practicing homeopathy in Montreal. Dr. Fisher and Dr. Rosenstein may have been the first homeopathic doctors practicing in Canada. Joseph J. Lancaster (1813-1884) was practicing homeopathy in Norwich, Ontario in 1846 (Campbell, 1892), and then in London, Ontario in 1848. He went to the U.S.A. to further his studies in homeopathy and graduated from the Philadelphia Homeopathic College in 1857 (Cleave, 1873). Dr. Lancaster was one of the first doctors to use disinfectants and when the cholera epidemic reached London, Ontario, he suggested using disinfectants to control it. Despite the opposition of orthodox physicians, the Board of Health acted on his advice and the epidemic was contained.
Dr. Lancaster was the first practicing homeopath in Ontario and in 1850, he committed himself to having Homeopathy regulated. In 1859, supported by 1,812 signatures, Mr. Asa Howard petitioned the legislative Assembly of Upper Canada to recognize Homeopathy (SUC, 1859). On May 4, 1859, the bill known as "An Act Respecting Homeopathy" was enacted and the Homeopathic Medical Board of Upper Canada was established (CSUC, 1859). A three year full time programme was required to practice as a homeopathic doctor. Dr. Lancaster served as secretary-treasurer of the Homeopathic Board from 1859 to 1868. The position was shared with J. Adams of Toronto who served on the Board from 1859 to 1869. Its president was Dr. D. Campbell (1859-69). Other members were: A.T. Bull, London (1859-65), A. Greenleat Hamilton (1859-61), J. Hall, Toronto (1859-63), Thos. Nichol, Belleville (1861-65), 0. C. Field, Woodstock (1863-69), W. Springer, Ingersoll (1865-69), and J. W. Fergusson, Hamilton (1865-69).
Prior to "An Act Respecting Homeopathy", the Homeopathic Medical Society of Canada was formed on February 6, 1854 in Hamilton and the following executives were elected (Lillie,1855): A. Fisher, M.D., Montreal, C. E., President; A. Wolverton, M.D., Hamilton, C.W., 1st Vice-President; J. Lancaster, Eden Vale, 2nd Vice-President; W. Greenleat, M.D., St. Catharines, Secretary and Treasurer; A.T. Bull, M.D., London, J. C. Peterson, M.D., Hamilton, and G.W. Campbell, M.D., Siddlesville, (Censors); Wm. Springer, M.D., Hamilton, Corresponding Secretary.
In 1865, "An Act to Regulate the Qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery in Upper Canada" was proclaimed (CSUC,1865). A clause in this act prohibited any repeal or action that would in anyway affect the Homeopathic Act of 1859 and the Eclectic Act of 1861. In 1866, "An Act Respecting The Medical Board and Medical Practitioners" authorized the formation of a licensing Board for conventional doctors, exempting homeopaths and midwives. As a consequence of these two acts, the Council of Education and Registration of Upper Canada was established in 1866, with the authority to grant licenses to practice medicine in Upper Canada. Dr. Campbell appeared at the first meeting of the Council, as the representative of the Homeopathic Board, but was not received.
Confrontations between conventional and homeopathic schools of thought had always existed and so it took three years of consultations among the interested groups to reach an agreement. Finally, in 1869, the Ontario Medical Act was passed (SUP 1869), which integrated allopaths, homeopaths and eclectics in a provincial body, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). The integration of three different systems of medicine within the same regulatory body was quite unique, unlike the situations in other countries, such as the United States and England, where confrontations were routine. In the States, an allopathic doctor could lose his or her license just by consulting with a homeopath regarding a patient (Coulter, 1982).
When the Queen of England requested that one of the court physicians attend Sir William Jenner, the physician alleged that it was unethical for him to treat a patient who was under the care of a homeopath and the Queen was denied her request.
In the first election of the CPSO in June 1869, its governing body, the Medical Council, was formed. One physician was elected from each of the twelve territorial divisions of the province: one physician represented each of the five universities and medical schools, five were chosen from the eclectics and five from the homeopaths. In 1869, the elected homeopaths for the Council were: D. Campbell, G. C. Field, H. C. Allen, J. Adams, and Wm. Springer. Other homeopathic doctors elected president of the council in the last century were: O. Logan (1883-84) and C. Henderson (1887).
The eminent Dr. Duncan Campbell served the Council from its inception in 1869 to 1878. He was born in Argyllshire, Scotland in 1811, studied in Caan, France and later at the University of Edinburgh, from which he graduated in 1833. He immigrated to Canada in 1834 and served as surgeon in one of the battalions in 1837. At the close of the rebellions, he settled in Hamilton, then moved to Niagara and in 1858, settled in Toronto. Dr. Campbell is recorded as the first doctor using anesthesia in Upper Canada (Ontario today) on May 31, 1848 (Colbeck).
Dr. Duncan Campbell was elected vice-president of the Council in 1872 and again in 1877; however, it was not until 1878, that Campbell was elected president of the CPSO Council. Grievances between allopaths and homeopaths were notorious in Canada between 1870 and 1873, and there was a particular uproar when, in 1873, Campbell failed to become the president of the Council as was customary after having served as the vice-president.
In 1873, Campbell and other homeopaths attempted to create their own Homeopathic Council and College (similar to the one in Montreal), with the aim of reenacting the Homeopathic Act of 1859. Confrontations diminished with the amendments to the Ontario Medical Act in 1874 which permitted homeopathic students to enroll in full-time studies at colleges outside of the Dominion. since there was no homeopathic school in existence here at the time. Upon their consent, this act merged the eclectics with the allopaths. This Act was approved at the 1874 meeting of the Canadian Institute of Homeopathy.
Homeopaths were always represented in the Council of the CPSO by five homeopathic physicians until 1934 when there was a re-organization of Council, against the will of the homeopathic members of the Council. The homeopathic representation was reduced from five to one. Dr. R. W. Schnarr, a homeopathic physician, who served on the Council from June 25, 1925 to 1956, was elected its president for the 1935-36 term. The following is part of his presidential address:
“The election of a Homeopath, a representative of a small group of Physicians, as President of the Council is an indication that the principle of freedom in thought, speech and act is still respected to a remarkable degree by this body. Evidence of this attitude is particularly gratifying at this time, when the tendency to dogmatize and act arbitrarily is everywhere the ruling motive. Freedom in matters pertaining to the treatment of sick-ness in human beings is especially necessary, if progress is to be maintained. Medicine is not an exact science and to my mind never will be, as it has to deal with that mysterious force called 'life' activating the material particles of the human frame” (Schnarr, 1937).
The Medical Act (1950) states:
“...There shall continue to be a council of the College, hereinafter called the Council, to be composed as follows: c) One member resident in Ontario to be duly elected by the licensed practitioners in homeopathy."
The last homeopathic representative on the Council of the College was Dr. Charles Ernest Bond, who served from 1956 until his death on April 1, 1960 (CPSO). After his death, the Medical Act was amended and the Council discontinued homeopathic representation "... in keeping with the changed population patterns of today and other factors" ( Day, 1960). The Medical Act (1970) states:
"...Until a homeopathic medical college for teaching purposes is established in Ontario, candidates wishing to be registered as homeopathists shall possess the supervision of a duly registered homeopathic practitioner."
The Medical Act was replaced by the Health Disciplines Act, 1974, which was superseded by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RRPA). Presently there are twenty-three self-regulating health professions in the province of Ontario. The Ontario Homoepathic Association is active in promoting homeopathic medicine and in a landmark decision -Homeoapthic Medicine was re-regulated as a health care profession in 2007.
Despite opposition from lay homeopaths , many qualified Homeopathic Doctors continue their efforts for the regulation of homeopathy in other Provinces and territories throughout Canada.
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