John Milton Scudder (September 8, 1829 – February 17, 1894) was an American physician and practitioner of

eclectic medicine Eclectic medicine was a branch of American medicine that made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. The term was coined by ...

. He was a Swedenborgian by faith.

Career

Scudder came to medicine late in life after losing three children to medical care he deemed improper. He enrolled in the Eclectic Medical Institute at

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, and in 1856 graduated with honor as

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...

, and was hired as a professor. He soon rose to prominence as an author, a professor and a medical innovator.

Biography

Scudder's life and work was examined in a 1912 biography by eclectic physician

Harvey Wickes Felter Harvey Wickes Felter (1865–1927) was an eclectic medicine doctor and author of ''Eclectic Materia Medica''. He was co-author, with John Uri Lloyd, of '' King's American Dispensatory''. Works * ''Biographies of John King, Andrew Jackson Howe, ...

, who wrote:

"...whatever else r. Scudderaccomplished — his work in putting the college on a firm and progressive basis, the preparation of text-books and the rehabilitation of the Journal — it must stand forever that his great work in life was the formulation and introduction of the principles and practice of Specific Medication... now universally adopted and practiced by all progressive Eclectics."

Publications

*''Centre de la Maternite Porteuse de Georgie'' (2005) *''A Practical Treatise on Diseases of Women.'' (1851) *''American Eclectic Materia Medica and Therapeutics.'' with Eli Jones (1860, with numerous revisions) *''Eclectic Practice of Medicine.'' (1864 with many revisions until 1906.) *''Principles of Medicine'' (1866) *''Diseases of Children'' (1867, 1881) ''The eclectic practice in diseases of children''
1881. *''Specific Medication and Specific Medicines'' (1870) *''The Reproductive Organs and Venereal Diseases'' (1874) *''Specific Diagnosis'' (1874)

Career

Biography

Publications

References

Further reading