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One who knew him intimately during the latter part of his life, writes thus:

"Dr. Bowers' mind was of such a cast as brought him into sympathy with the most progressive and liberal form of religious thought. He was an influential member of the Unitarian society; ever ready to serve and promote its interests. Religion was to him, in a marked degree, not a creed, a ceremony or a profession, but a life. All matters of philanthropy, reform and education, found in him an earnest friend. Every true interest of the community, and of humanity at large, was an object of his thoughtful regard, and was aided by his counsel and efforts. He was among the earliest advocates of the cause of temperance in New York, and continued his zeal in that and all kindred subjects as long as his strength allowed. And it was a striking and beautiful characteristic of his latter years, that he retained, undiminished, his interest in all that concerned the society with which he was connected, the community or the nation;

"His spirit ne'er grew old."

His last sickness was one of much suffering, but was borne with a patience and composure of spirit and clearness of intellect rarely equalled. His life-long faith in the doctrine of God's love, and in death as the birth of the soul to a more perfect state, sustained him to the end; and the recollection of his closing hours will long be to his friends as an inspiration to hope, and a testimony to the principles and views to which he gave his support in health, and from which he found comfort in sickness and death.

In the community in which he lived, and where his memory will be cherished with much respect, may others be led to gird themselves to do the work he has been called from; and may his bereaved widow and large and widely scattered circle of relatives and friends find consolation in the thought of a life so true, a sickness borne with such Christian resignation, and a death so full of trust and immortal hope.

"Life's duty done, as sinks the day,

Light from its load the spirit flies,
While heaven and earth combine to say,
How blest the righteous when he dies."

He sleeps with his fathers, and the spot where he lies is marked by a stone, bearing this inscription :

JOSIAH BOWERS, M. D.,

Born September 1st, 1791; died November 7th, 1868.

The true physician, skillful and prompt to relieve the suffering; the firm upholder of the right; the bold defender of the oppressed; the advocate of reform; the philanthropist, patriot and Christian; he lives in our hearts.

CX.

Eulogy on J. L. Stoddard M. D.*

By B. F. CORNELL, M. D.

MR. PRESIDENT.-Since the formation of our society till the last year, we have not been called to mourn the loss of any of our number by death. This last half year has been to us peculiarly solemn and afflicting; not only has the father of homoeopathy in this district, but one of the younger brothers (Dr. Bryan) has been summoned to attend him on his journey. From my intimate acquaintance with the latter, Dr. Joseph L. Stoddard, it seems proper that I should pay this last tribute of respect to his memory, and briefly rehearse some of the struggles and triumphs that make up the history of his life.

The subject of these remarks, was born in the town of Moreau, Saratoga county, in the year 1817, of respectable parentage, but in humble circumstances. My acquaintance with him dates back thirtyfour years, when, for a few months, we sustained toward each other. the relation of teacher and pupil. I commence back at this early period of his history, not because there were any striking evidences of precocity to distinguish him from others of his age; yet there were some peculiarities which all who have known him in mature manhood will recognize there developed.

I remember him a diffident, retiring, sedate, candid, truthful and reliable boy, but little given to the mirthfulness and hilarity of his fellows, and seldom mingling with them in their sports and pastimes. From this time till 1840, I knew but little of him, but since that period his history has been familiar to me. The gap in our acquaintance has been filled up mostly, by communication from himself. He informed me, that at a suitable age he was apprenticed to learn the trade of a cabinet-maker, in the village of Palmyra, Wayne county, in this State. He continued in this occupation until about eighteen years of age, when sickness compelled him to suspend its further prosecution. His disease was called by his physician dyspepsia, but which I recognize as a link in the chain which bound him to the car of death.

During the two years that he was unable to follow his usual ocenpation, he spent much time with his physician, rendering such services as were required to pay his expenses. All spare time was devoted to investigating the science and mysteries of the healing art.

His health becoming partially restored, and not having the means of prosecuting further his scientific investigations, he returned to his former occupation, and in 1838 removed to, and established himself in business as a cabinet-maker, in Glen's Falls, Warren county, N. Y.

*Delivered before the Homeopathic Medical Society of Northern New York, at its semi-annual session, at Saratoga Springs, July 25, 1860.

Renewal of labor brought on renewal of disease (whose seeds were planted in his system before his birth), and being no longer capable of prosecuting his business successfully, his pecuniary circumstances became straightened and embarrassed.

This was the darkest hour of his life. With a family dependent on him for support, and without the physical ability to endure close confinement at labor; and to add to his trials, his neighbors were divided in opinion as to his case, the more charitable giving him full credit for intellectual ability; while much the larger number claimed that his ambitious prentensions to mental improvement, and efforts to elevate himself in the social scale, were only a screen for indolence, which but served to arouse the envy and jealousy of his opponents and calumniators. Let the sequel show which were cor

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Although the body was weak and feeble, the mind was active; he read and wrote much; he investigated all the new sciences of the day, but his favorite studies were metaphysics and theology, and but few could be found in this rural district, who gained many laurels, by coming in contest with his well disciplined mind. While his elose study and investigation continued, disease relaxed not its grasp; its boundaries were extended, and severity increased. The spine became involved in the general wreck, severe, continued and distressing pain in his head was the result, from which he could find no relief, and which continued until a spasmodic fit of an epileptic character alarmed himself and family. At this time, 1847, he came under my more immediate observation. Having been some three years testing the truth of homoeopathy, then beginning to be the common receptacle of the hopeless and abandoned cases of allopathic school, his case, among others, was brought to my mill to be manufactured over. It has ever been the cause of much gratification and satisfaction, that with my short acquaintance with him, and imperfect knowledge of our science, he was restored to his health under my

treatment.

There seemed to be something providential in this. It opened to his mind a new field in science to be explored; and his unsatisfied and restless intellect seized hold of it with his usual avidity, and he besought me to furnish him books and direct him in his studies. I acceded to his request, and also furnished him with a few of the remedies in most common use as a nucleus for a homœopathic pharmacy, from which he hoped to derive something toward the support of his family while he prosecuted his studies. From this small beginning he enlarged and extended til, at the time of his death, he had perhaps the most extended assortment of remedies of any physician in our society.

He commenced a regular course of study, in which he found his former reading of much benefit; and although he examined carefully all the branches of the profession, his mind found in the science of homoeopathy a peculiar charm. Hahnemann was his medical standard of perfection, and he lived and died firmly his disciple. Not having the means to pursue a regular academic course,

he was never a graduate or licentiate. His education was purely practical and experimental, yet his knowledge of the sciente would compare favorably with many who had all the advantages he was denied. Although against the established rules of our society to admit any but graduates or licentiates. I procured a relaxation in this case, and succeeded, while the society was in its infancy, in getting him admitted to membership. I appeal to these brothers present to indorse the assertion that he has never disgraced our society. His mind was constantly grasping after something new; and I unhesitatingly assert that no physician of my acquaintance kept up so fully with the homoeopathic literature of the day, or in whose possession could be found so many of the newly tested remedies. He could not rest till he had in his possession every new publication and periodical, even if he had to sacrifice domestic comfort to obtain it. I have frequently reproved him for trusting to remedies of unestablished reputation, while he had a score of others on which he could rely with certainty. Yet it is to this class of minds that we as a profession are under the greatest obligation.

It was by this process of investigation, that our system was discovered and established by the iinmortal Hahnemann, and by it our materia medica is filling up with the most important remedies.

Thus for twelve years he continued to read, and practice, till he rose, by his unaided energy, from the obscure occupation of a cabinet-maker's apprentice, in the face of the most violent and malevolent opposition, to the confidence and patronage of a large portion of the most respectable inhabitants of Glen's Falls and vicinity, and when stricken down was engaged in a highly respectable and remunerative practice.

He was a faithful, kind, indulgent son, husband and father; a temperate and truthful citizen, and a humble and fervent Christian. As such, his loss is deeply deplored in the region of his usefulness.

CXI.

Biographical Sketch of Durffee Chase, M. D.*

By A. P. THROOP, M. D.

Dr. Durffee Chase was born in the town of Swansea, Massachusetts, January 24th, 1793. He was the eldest of ten children. While yet a child the family moved to Oneida county, New York, where they remained until 1801, when they removed to Rutland, Jefferson county, where they resided until 1812, in which year they came to Palmyra and settled.

The patriotic instincts of young Chase led him to take up arms against Great Britain, in the war then pending. At its close he laid aside the sword for the student's gown, and entered the office of Dr.

*Died January 10, 1872.

Gaine Robinson, an eminent practitioner of the old school, and at that time president of the Ontario County Medical Society.

At the expiration of four years he graduated in 1818, and entered at once upon the practice of his chosen profession, remaining in the ranks of the "old school" for twenty-three years.

As he was one of the pioneers of homoeopathy in central New York, and his conversion forms a part of its early history in that section, an extract from his own narration of that conversion, given by request to the Wayne County Homeopathic Medical Society in 1864, at which time he was president of that society, will not be out of place here:

"In the year 1840, a relative of mine who had been visiting in the city of Hudson, New York, for several years, and who was familiar with the conversion of Dr. George W. Cooke, of that place, from allopathy to homœopathy, visited me and tried to induce me to look into the new system of Hahnemann. I had at that time seen no true theory of this new practice, and no allusion to it in the medical literature of the day, except slurs upon it, and the oft-repeated declaration that it was a stupendous piece of quackery.' I ridiculed it as much as anybody, but my friend was persistent, and during a whole year he did not fail to improve every opportunity to induce me to try the new system. Weary of his importunities, and somewhat exhausted in my stock of ridicule, I finally yielded so far as to promise him if he would bring me a copy of the Homœopathic Materia Medica I would examine it.

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"He brought me a copy of the first volume of Hull's Jahr, the second volume having not yet been published.

"At first, I could not understand it, but after I did begin to see into it, somewhat, I became very much interested in it.

"I studied this volume faithfully, but secretly, consuming the midnight oil over it, for more than three months. During the latter part of these three months, I studied it very hard. I had it in my hands at every leisure moment.

"I then told my friend if he would procure a few, I believe I specified six, of the principal remedies, I would try them.

"He, in turn, called on the kind hearted Dr. Cook, who sent me a case of about seventy remedies, and a small domestic book.

"At the time I received the remedies, I was suffering from an attack of pleurisy, to which I was very subject. I began immediately to take the remedies, according to the book, as I understood it, and, to my great astonishment, I experienced almost immediate relief."

Having first, with what seems to have been the intuition of a natural-born homeopathist, experimented, not upon his weakened patient, but upon himself, and with such splendid results; he tells next, how, with the true spirit of a homoeopathic apostle, he carried the medical gospel of Hahnemann to a relapsed case of typhoid fever, that had been jointly attended by himself and an eminent colleague in the old school, who, for strictness, was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. The colleague had attended the typhoid case alone, during Dr. Chase's attack of pleurisy, and had given up the case to die.

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