Thomas Moore 1827 – 1882

Thomas Moore 1827 – 1882 MD, was an American orthodox physician, Professor of Midwifery and the Diseases of Children at the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, who converted to homeopathy, and who also had an interest in homeopathic veterinary therapeutics,

Thomas Moore converted to homeopathy when Constantine Hering treated his wife for a dangerous illness just prior to his marriage.

Thomas Moore of Germantown, Pa., was born in the city of Philadelphia, July 2d, 1827. His father, Robert Moulder Moore, a merchant of that city, married Mary Harding, the daughter of George Harding.

His great grandfather, Thomas Moore, was an officer of the United States Navy, commanding one of the thirteen galleys in the revolutionary war. His grandfather, Thomas Moore, who married Mary Lawrence, a descendant of Richard Lawrence, of London, England, was a commander of one of the revenue cutters under the United States Government.

He received his early education at the academical department of the University of Pennsylvania, and at the Philadelphia High School. At the age of sixteen years, leaving the latter institution with the determination to study medicine, he entered the extensive drug and chemical warehouse of Alexander Fullerton, on Market street, Philadelphia, where he acquired a practical knowledge of Materia Medica, and a thorough acquaintance with the sensible properties of drugs.

Afterwards, for the purpose of obtaining a more thorough knowledge of practical pharmacy, he became a student of the late Professor Edward Parrish, at the corner of Ninth and Chestnut streets. While under his direction, he compounded the prescriptions at the clinic of the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, attending, at the same time, a full course of lectures at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

In 1845, be matriculated in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, and was graduated therefrom on April 8th, 1848. While attending this course of lectures, he was also a regular attendant of the medical and surgical clinics at the Pennsylvania Hospital, and, walking the various wards, received practical instruction almost daily at the bedsides of the patients from the distinguished professors of the institution.

In addition to the regular course of lectures on anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, by the late Professor William E. Horner, he received private instruction in practical anatomy at the Philadelphia School of Anatomy. Here he profited by the opportunity afforded him of daily dissection under the demonstrations of Dr. James McClintock, who was considered at that time the best teacher of practical anatomy in the United States.

After taking his degree of M. D., he was, for several years, a visiting physician of the Northern Dispensary of Philadelphia, and one of the out door physicians of the Guardians of the Poor of the city.

He practiced the allopathic system of medicine for several years. In 1852, he married Miss Madeline V., daughter of Lewis Taws, Esq., who was the leading mechanical engineer, and a member of the firm of I. P. Morris & Co., of Philadelphia.

Through the influence of Constantine Hering, who successfully treated his wife in a dangerous illness before her marriage, he was led to investigate the claims of homœopathy, and after some length of time, by experiment and careful observation, he became convinced of the truth of the doctrines of Samuel Hahnemann.

Soon after his conversion homœopathy was introduced into the Northern Home for Friendless Children, and he was appointed surgeon to that institution, having constantly under his care from 150 to 200 children.

In 1857, he was elected professor of anatomy in the Homœopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, which chair he filled for two years, to the entire satisfaction of the profession and the students of that college.

In 1859, he resigned this chair, and was immediately appointed Professor of Obstetrics, and Diseases of Women and Children in the same institution.

He became a member of the American Institute of Homœopathy in 1860. In that year, he removed to Germantown, and was consequently obliged to sever his connection with the college.

In 1868, he received an honorary diploma from the trustees and faculty of the Homœopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania. He has an extensive practice in and around Germantown, among the most intelligent and influential families.

Thomas Moore’s Obituary is in The Homeopathic Physician in 1882,