Dr. Elizabeth Wright Hubbard is a much-revered name in Homoeopathy. She dedicated all her life practising pure Homoeopathy and sustaining Homoeopathy in America when strong angst and politics were going on against eradicating it and changing it from Homoeopathy to Homoeo-therapy. She was amongst the last few Homoeopaths in the USA who practised Hahnemannian homoeopathy till her last breath and strongly protested against inclusion of layman homoeopaths in 1950s. She was a strong opinionated woman as well as physically large built. It is said that she never hesitated in shutting up the narrow-minded people with her open-minded ideas in her loud and almost masculine voice. According to the description given by Catherin Coulter she was physically large like her spirit. She stood very erect which seemed even larger than she was. She had the ability to read through people. It is interesting to learn about such larger-than-life homoeopaths in more detail.
Education
Dr. Elizabeth was born on 18th February 1896 in New York City. She was educated at Barnard College with Summa cum Laude, which was the title given at that time to graduates passing with highest distinction in their subject of interest. She travelled a lot while studying. It was during these trips that Homoeopathy took her interest in Europe. She joined Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1917. She was one of the first three women to complete graduation in 1921. She did Internship at New York’s Bellevue Hospital and she was the first woman there too, to join as an intern. Going by her flamboyant personality, she additionally volunteered to ride a night emergency ambulance which was another first woman feather on her hat.
She further studied Homoeopathy in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Pierre Schmidt had high praise for her, “she was one of the most intelligent and gifted of my pupils”. She also studied in Stuttgart, Vienna under Dr. Adolf Stiegele and in Tubingen under Dr. Emil Schlegel.
Homoeopathic Practice
After completing her studies, she returned to the United States and started her homoeopathic practice in Boston. She was staying in Boston with her aunt, Mrs. Theodore Chickering Williams who was also a respectable matron in Boston. Once again displaying her ostentatious nature, she made herself noticeable in 1913 by making house calls in her Rolls Royce which she had named ‘Rosalie’. She married Mr. Benjamin Alldritt Hubbard in 1930 and shifted to New York and practised Homoeopathy there till her death. During her long hours of consultations, she uses to keep baloney sandwiches on her desk to avoid missing her lunch.
Dr. Elizabeth offered her patients a ‘home kit’ full of homoeopathic medicines known as “Dr. Hubbard’s Kit” to be used only after doctor’s consultation. Bottles in the kits were numbered without names on it so that patients were unaware of the name of the medicines they were prescribed in emergency conditions. Dr. Hubbard’s kit contained 46 remedies in 200 potencies with placebo at serial number 15, 25 and 35. Number 15 was named as Cubana (from where sugar is produced), number 25 was Essel (stands for S.L. meaning sac lac) and number 35 as Placebo.
She also cured Dr. J. H. Stephenson from his persistent pain which he suffered after staying as Prisoner of War for several years in Germany. She became his mentor following his cure.
A Diehard Homoeopath
Her practice flourished and she started teaching in various seminars and writing in various journals. Many of her writings are compiled in A Brief Study Course in Homoeopathy by Alain Naude. She became a prominent name in Homoeopathy. She started getting known for her writings and leadership qualities. She served as President of the International Hahnemann Association in 1945. She was the first elected female president of American Institute of Homoeopathy (AIH) and held that post for two years from 1959-1961. She also worked as Editors of ‘Homoeopathic Recorder’ and ‘Journal of American Institute of Homoeopathy’. She taught at AFH Postgraduate Homoeopathic School.
During her tenure as President in 1960, disagreement between American Medical Association (AMA) and AIH resolved after Dr. Elizabeth Wright Hubbard made an announcement in its journal about legal incorporation of American Board of Homeotherapeutics into New York State and availability of application for new speciality in Homoeopathy i.e., Diplomate of Homeotherapeutics (DHt). Instead of helping, the idea backfired and laymen filled the seats who were least interested in Hahnemannian Homoeopathy and just learned Homoeopathy from tips from old doctors. Despite all efforts, Homoeopathy did not got acceptance from AMA and it further degraded the relation between AMA and AIH.
Death
On 22 May, 1969 Dr. Elizabeth followed her daily routine by visiting her clinic and during her consultation with the mother of Dr. Alexander Klein, a New York based homoeopath she suffered from stroke and left for heavenly abode.
About the Authors
Dr. Subhas Singh1, Dr. Niharika Shaw2, Dr. Vignesh K.2, Dr. Dinesh Sura2
- Director, National Institute of Homoeopathy
- PGT, National Institute of Homoeopathy
