HOMEOPATHIC RESEARCH

- Kent - a modern biography of james tyler kent (J. Winston) James Tyler Kent may have equaled or even surpassed the genius of Hahnemann by delivering a highly accessible form of homeopathy to the 20th century. Kent inspired the "Kentians" with his belief that the symptoms of supreme importance to the case, that expressed the very deepest level of the patients disturbance, were often the mental symptoms, which required the higher attenuations. Kent's legendary repertory is more systematic and readable than all its precursors and is still the popular choice today, being the standard text for all schools of homeopathy from strict Hahnemannianism, down. It is also the foundation for all "new-and-more-complete repertory's" and is currently the basis for all computerized repertorial programs. Kent's Repertory is structured after Swedenborgs scheme of "from above downward," which simplified repertorizing by categorizing all symptoms as either Men...

- J. Winston My first meeting with Dr. Kent was in early September, 1902. I had journeyed from California with the sole purpose of availing myself of the great master's teachings and concept of Homoeopatic philosophy and materia medica. Through the acquaintance and friendship of Dr. J. E. Hoffman of Healdsburg and later of Santa Rosa,California, an admirer and post-graduate student of Kent's, I was familiar with his outstanding achievements and splendid teaching ability.  That I might be privileged to receive instruction from such a fountain of inspired knowledge I made great sacrifices to obtain it, a common occurrence in those days, for many others went through similar experiences for the purpose of better preparations for their chosen life work. If one decided to be a comforter and healer of the sick, the best preparation regardless of cost was not too much.  I was received formally but kindly by the good doctor and given instructions regarding the location of th...

- The house Kent built (G. Bedayn) Background It all began with apples. In the 1880's, after much encouragement by local apple growers, a railroad line was brought into Montana's Bitterroot Valley which is on the state's western border with Idaho. Suddenly the previously remote valley was filled with orchardists and entrepreneurs trying to improve the distribution of water and to promote apple growing and the development of settlements. The promoters wanted to compete for the national and international apple markets. By 1900 the entire valley had been claimed and 25% had been subdivided. Apples had become the states largest crop. The biggest problem facing ongoing orchard expansion was the lack of water in the surprisingly dry region, so local entrepreneurs brought in "The Big Ditch," an irrigation canal project which ran south to north up the valley for ninety miles. A Chicago financier agreed to bankroll the project and the Bitterroot Valley Irrigation Comp...

- G. Bedayn Stevensville, June 6 -Dr. James Tyler Kent, aged 67, one of the most distinguished physicians in the United States and until a month ago a resident of New York, died at his home here last night. His death was due to Bright's disease, complicated with bronchitis. Dr. Kent had been confined to his bed ever since his arrival to Stevensville. Six years ago he purchased a 40 acre orchard tract here and built a home on the tract. He intended to come sooner than he did, but was delayed by the preparation of his final contribution to medical literature, a book that is now in the process of being published. Dr. Kent was dean of a post-graduate medical school at Philadelphia for nine years and was noted as a lecturer. He was a homeopath and was known internationally for his writings on medical subjects. The funeral was held last Tuesday with internment in the Sunnyside cemetery at Three Mile. (Western News, June 9, 1916)

- Kent's conversion to homeopathy (P. Schmidt) It is possible that the late Pierre Schmidt heard this story from his teacher, Frederica E. Gladwin -who was a favorite pupil of Kent *. This is an excerpt.  Although he wasn't very demonstrative, Kent adored his wife. He was very much affected when she became ill in 1878. Neither he nor any of his most competent allopathic or eclectic colleagues had the slightest success with the asthenia, weakness, persistent insomnia, and anemia which obliged her to keep to her bed for months on end. As time went by her condition deteriorated. His wife then asked him to consult a homoeopathic doctor who was already quite old and who had been recommended to her as being very knowledgeable. Kent didn't like this idea, because he had already consulted everybody who had any kind of reputation in Saint Louis, and for a condition which seemed to him more and more serious he thought it would really be grotesque to consider something like Homoe...

- Kent's conversion to homeopathy (P. Schmidt) Dr. Richard Phelan is the man who brought Kent * to homeopathy by first curing his wife and consequently radically altering Kent's views on the "absurdity of homeopathy," then becoming his first tutor in its art and science. Phelan was born in Ireland in 1836. He emigrated to the US and practiced law in Minnesota and then Missouri. He fought in the Civil War, with the Missouri Regiment. He attended the Homeopathic College of Philadelphia, and returned to Missouri to practice. He died in 1902. His hand-written, 7,702 word, senior thesis was found in the archives of Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. Transcribed by Julian Winston, excerpted by Greg Bedayn.  ...Homoeopathy is that Science which has as its object the curing of disease by the administration of therapeutic agents of a dynamico-catalytic nature, which induces in the organism symptoms or conditions of a nature similar to those of the disease it is intende...

- The post graduate school of homeopathics (J. Winston)  Philadelphia, PA  October 28, 1890 -April 25, 1900 While looking through some boxes of old papers in the Archives of Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, I came across a large ledger book, which I found, upon inspection, contained all the minutes of the Post Graduate School of Homeopathics in Philadelphia.  Little has been known about the Post Graduate School of Homeopathics. How the book arrived in the Archives is not known. The Post Graduate School of Homeopathics was in no way affiliated with the Hahnemann Medical College.  We know that Kent had come to Philadelphia from St. Louis in 1888 to do a series of lectures at the Women's Homeopathic Hospital where he was invited to be a consulting physician. How he started to organize the Post Graduate School is unknown.  This document provides many insights into the workings of the school. Since the "office of the corporation" was Kent's residence, t...