Dr. William Tod Helmuth Sr., M.D., LL.D., portrait currently on display
Dr. William Tod Helmuth, M.D. (1833-1902), was a prominent faculty member and a respected physician at the New York Homeopathic Medical College who wrote extensively and participated in the functioning of multiple facilities and organizations.
A portrait of Dr. William Tod Helmuth, M.D. is on display in the Wilner Family Atrium of the Medical Education Center.
Birth: October 30, 1833, Philadelphia, PA
Death: May 15, 1902, New York, New York
Education:
At New York Medical College:
Dr. William Tod Helmuth, M.D. (1833-1902), was a surgeon and physician who spent most of his career working for and with the New York Homeopathic Medical College. Born in Philadelphia in 1833, Dr. Helmuth’s education and career took him many places. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Timothy’s College in Baltimore, MD. Later, he received his M.D. from the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1853. He sought further education at the Hahnemann College in San Francisco in 1866. He was also awarded an LL.D. from Yale University in 1888.
After graduating with his M.D. from the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania, he worked there as a professor of anatomy. Later, he helped to found the Homeopathic Medical College in Missouri. He was such a well-respected doctor and educator that his farewell party, held shortly before he moved to New York, was noted as being extravagant to an unusual extent.
When Dr. Helmuth joined the faculty of the Hew York Homeopathic Medical College in 1870, he was a Professor of Operative Surgery as well as the Head Surgeon of Flower Hospital, one of the primary affiliates of the college. In 1893, he also took on the role of Dean of Faculty. His expertise further showed in his writing. He was a prolific writer of medical science and was also considered an expert and authority on the topic of diphtheria. His writings also included some poetry. Many of Dr. Helmuth’s prominent pieces were written during his time as a professor at the New York Homeopathic Medical College.
In 1867, Dr. Helmuth also became the president of the American Institute of Homeopathy of New York. He was also president of the Homeopathic Medical Society. Dr. Helmuth eventually opened a private hospital in New York City, on Lexington Avenue, that was called Helmuth House. He continued in his faculty roles for the New York Homeopathic Medical College until his death in 1902. Many students and faculty attended his funeral, including the then president of the college, Timothy Field Allen. Additionally, Anson Flower, one of the founders of Flower Hospital, was an honorary pallbearer.
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