William Henderson (physician and homeopath)
Encyclopedia
Dr. William Henderson was a conventionally trained Scottish
physician
who became an influential advocate for homeopathy
in Great Britain
.
William Henderson was appointed professor of general pathology
at the University of Edinburgh
and physician-in-ordinary to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He authored important articles on the clinical and pathological aspects of aortic and heart disease
. He also contributed to the recognition as separate diseases of typhus
and typhoid fever
.
Henderson was early advocate for homeopathy in Scotland
and was at the centre of the controversy surrounding the introduction of homeopathy to Edinburgh in the early 1840s. This involved the Faculty of Medicine, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
(RCPE) and medical societies as well as prominent medical figures of the period including Sir John Forbes
, Professor Sir James Simpson
, Professor Sir Robert Christison
and Professor James Syme
. Many Scottish physicians were influenced by Henderson's teachings and they in turn were involved in the wider introduction of homeopathy in Britain.
In his retirement Dr. Henderson authored a reference work on the Bible
that gave ample evidence of his extensive religious knowledge and deeply held convictions.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who became an influential advocate for homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
William Henderson was appointed professor of general pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and physician-in-ordinary to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He authored important articles on the clinical and pathological aspects of aortic and heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
. He also contributed to the recognition as separate diseases of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
and typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
.
Henderson was early advocate for homeopathy in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and was at the centre of the controversy surrounding the introduction of homeopathy to Edinburgh in the early 1840s. This involved the Faculty of Medicine, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh was established in the 17th century. While the RCPE is based in Edinburgh, it is by no means just a Scottish professional body - more than half of its 7,700 Fellows, Members, Associates and Affiliates live and practice medicine outside Scotland, in 86...
(RCPE) and medical societies as well as prominent medical figures of the period including Sir John Forbes
John Forbes (physician)
Sir John Forbes FRCP FRS was a distinguished Scottish physician, famous for his translation of the classic French medical text, De L'Auscultation Mediate by René Laennec, the inventor of the stethoscope...
, Professor Sir James Simpson
James Young Simpson
Sir James Young Simpson was a Scottish doctor and an important figure in the history of medicine. Simpson discovered the anaesthetic properties of chloroform and successfully introduced it for general medical use....
, Professor Sir Robert Christison
Robert Christison
Sir Robert Christison, 1st Baronet FRSE FRCSE FRCPE was a Scottish toxicologist and physician who served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh , as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh , and as president of the British Medical Association .Christison was...
and Professor James Syme
James Syme
James Syme was a pioneering Scottish surgeon.-Early life:He was born on 7 November in Edinburgh. His father was a writer to the signet and a landowner in Fife and Kinross, who lost most of his fortune in attempting to develop the mineral resources of his property...
. Many Scottish physicians were influenced by Henderson's teachings and they in turn were involved in the wider introduction of homeopathy in Britain.
In his retirement Dr. Henderson authored a reference work on the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
that gave ample evidence of his extensive religious knowledge and deeply held convictions.
Publications
- William Henderson and John Reid, "A Report on the Epidemic Fever of Edinburgh", Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, vol. 52, 1839, pp. 429-462.
- William Henderson, An Inquiry into the Homeopathic Practice of Medicine, published simultaneously by J. Leath (London), Smyth (Liverpool), MacLachlan and Stewart (Edinburgh), 1845.
- William Henderson, Homeopathy Fairly Represented: A Reply to Professor Simpson's "Homeopathy Misrepresented", Lindsay & Blakiston (Philadelphia) 1854. Available in reprint from Kessinger Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1436961262.
- William Henderson, "A Letter to John Forbes", British Journal of Homeopathy, April 1846.
- William Henderson, Dictionary and Concordance of the Names of Persons and Places of the Old and New Testaments, T. & T. Clark (Edinburgh), 1869, 680 pp.