Ohio History Journal

THE SECRET SIX

AN INQUIRY INTO THE BASIC MATERIA MEDICA OF

THE THOMSONIAN SYSTEM OF BOTANIC

MEDICINE*

By PHILIP D. JORDAN, PH.D.

Perhaps no single man of medicine exerted a greater popular

influence during the hectic days of scientific thought in the nine-

teenth century than did Dr. Samuel Thomson. Although the in-

timate details of his professional career did not always coincide

with the stories which Thomson himself told,¹ the general bio-

graphical facts are rather well established.

"The Father of Botanic Medicine," was born at Alstead, New

Hampshire, on February 9, 1769, received his early education at

home, and began the serious practice of medicine in Boston about

1818.2 He died in Boston on October 4, 1843. Thomson's lack of

education frequently was commented upon by contemporaries and

associates. Dr. Morris Mattson, of Philadelphia, calling upon

Thomson in March, 1838, found him "illiterate, coarse in his man-

ners, and extremely selfish."³Even such a friendly individual as

Dr. John Kost felt obliged to comment upon Thomson's lack of

the "advantages of literary or scientific training."⁴Despite both

academic and personality defects, Thomson was to make his in-

fluence felt from the Atlantic Coast through the Ohio country and

the Old Northwest. Hundreds of eager men and women--pio-

neers, farmers, merchants and professional men--came to look

upon the secret six of his botanic system of medicine and his steam

baths as positive boons to healthful living. Even the luke-warm

* The research for this paper was made possible, in part, by a grant from the

Alumni Loyalty Fund of Miami University.

1 Samuel Thomson, Narrative of Life and Medical Discoveries (Columbus, 1827).

There were many editions of this work, one (the tenth) appearing in 1835.

2 National Cyclopaedia of American Biography (New York), VI (1929), 70.

3 Morris Mattson, The American Vegetable Practice, or a New and Improved

Guide to Health Designed for the Use of Families (Boston, 1841). In two volumes.

I, [iii].

4 John Kost, The Practice of Medicine According to the Plan Most Approved by

the Reformed or Botanic Colleges of the U. S. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 1847), [iii].

348 OHIO ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

Meeker Day was forced to admit Thomson's claims as the founder

of the botanic system and felt called upon to say that "discoveries

so important to the life, happiness, and health of every living being

have been made, it matters not by whom, that they should be made

known, and the means [should be provided] of disseminating their

utility in the relief of our fellow-beings."⁵

For one who was to enjoy such distinguished, not to say

notorious, comment, Thomson's career certainly had its inception

in a most ordinary environment. Born on a struggling pioneer

farm and lame from birth, the lad detested the labors attendant

upon tilling the soil. He much preferred to roam limpingly through

the woods, stopping now and again to snatch an unfamiliar weed

and pop it into an inquiring mouth. Thus he came to know herbs

and their medical use. He was particularly impressed with the

Lobelia inflata which produced violent perspiration and vomiting.

He was not to be permitted, however, to wander for long in search

of herbs, for at the age of twenty-one he was forced to carry the

burden of his father's farm. On July 7, 1790, he was married to

Susan Allen and of this union were born eight children.

When his wife fell ill and a regular physician failed to effect

a cure, Thomson enlisted the services of two root doctors who

seemed to succeed where the medical man had failed. Thomson's

interest in herbal medicine revived, and he began to practice

among members of his immediate family. So successful did he

become that he soon was being called by friends and neighbors.

Before long he was devoting his time and talents exclusively to

practice. He attributed his successes to a theory of medicine

which held that all diseases were produced by cold and hence that

any treatment which would increase inward bodily heat would

effect a recovery. To this end he used a variety of vegetable

remedies, but he placed his greatest trust in lobelia which he fol-

lowed with doses of Cayenne pepper and with vapor baths. In

1809, he was indicted and tried at Salem, Massachusetts, on the

charge of murdering a patient, but was acquitted. On March 3,

1813, he received from the Patent Office of the United States

5 Meeker Day, The Improved American Family Physician, or, Sick Man's Guide

to Health (New York, 1833), [iii].

OHIO MEDICAL HISTORY, 1835-58 349

the first protection of his botanic system and on January 28,

1823, was given a revised patent.⁶ It was Thomson's plan to per-

mit groups to organize throughout the country and to practice

accordingly.⁷His movement spread rapidly and became exceed-

ingly popular in the South and West where thousands endorsed

the use of lobelia, capsicum and steam baths. Each of these groups

was furnished with a small booklet containing complete instruc-

tions.

Frequently, Thomson himself toured the country to sponsor

his botanic system and to defend it against criticism. In 1826,

for example, Thomson was challenged to a public debate in Cin-

cinnati by Daniel Drake.⁸ During the forties, the State of Ala-

bama legalized Thomsonian practice.⁹In 1835, the governor of

Mississippi had stated "publicly that one-half the people of that

state relied upon Thomsonianism."10 Four years later Thomson

claimed three million adherents in the United States.11 Ohio, situ-

ated advantageously between the settled East and the frontier

West, embraced the botanic system with enthusiasm. Such indi-

viduals as Horton Howard (who sold four thousand rights in

Ohio and neighboring states in less than four years), Alva Curtis

(who secured a charter for the Literary and Botanico-Medical

Institute of Ohio), and Samuel Robinson (who wrote one of the

most passionate defenses of Thomsonianism)12 kept public interest

aroused. As a matter of fact, the Buckeye State became one of

the publishing centers of the movement. Not only were several

editions of Thomson's botanic medicine printed in the State, but

also two journals, the Thomsonian Recorder and the Botanico-

Medical Recorder. Both were edited by Curtis.13

6 Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone, eds., Dictionary of American Biography (New

York), XVIII (1936), 488-9.

7 Francis R. Packard, History of Medicine in the United States (New York,

1932), II, 1233-4.

8 Otto Juettner, Daniel Drake and His Followers (Cincinnati, 1909), 64.

9 Richard H. Shryock, The Development of Modern Medicine (Philadelphia, 1936).

254.

10 Frederick C. Waite, "Thomsonianism in Ohio," Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Quarterly (Columbus), XLIX (1940), 327.

11 Ibid.

12 Philip D. Jordan, "Samuel Robinson: Champion of the Thomsonian System."

Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly (Columbus), LI (1942), 263-70.

13 Juettner, Daniel Drake and His Followers, 110-11; Jonathan Forman, "Dr.

Alva Curtis in Columbus, The Thomsonian Recorder and Columbus' First Medical

School," Ohio State Archeological and Historical Quarterly (Columbus), LI (1942),

332-40.

350 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

The astonishing success of the Thomsonian movement rested,

of course, upon the publicity which it received as well as upon its

method of treatment. In general, this type of botanic medicine

was opposed to prevailing techniques such as the use of mercury,

polypharmacy, and phlebotomy. Thomson, of course, as has been

indicated, relied primarily upon emesis, enemas, and steam baths.

Such a course of treatment could be as debilitating as that pre-

scribed by regular physicians. At first Thomson was content to

practice medicine with lobelia and capsicum as the first two secret

essentials of his pharmacopoeia. Later he was to enlarge his material

medica until it contained six "secret" ingredients. Eventually

these were made public, but even now it is somewhat difficult to

find quickly an adequate description of them. Yet they were

printed with full directions and instructions in some of the botanic

volumes of the nineteenth century.

Thomson set forth six desirable aims in his system:

1. To cleanse the stomach, overpower the cold, and promote a free

perspiration.

2. To retain the internal vital heat of the system and cause a free

perspiration.

3. To scour the stomach and bowels, and remove the canker.

4. To correct the bile and restore digestion.

5. To strengthen the stomach and bowels and restore weak patients.

6. To remove pain, prevent mortification, and promote a natural heat.

Each of these results was dependent upon the proper use of a

number of botanic remedies in the form of powders, tinctures,

bitters, syrups, drops, salves, salts, ointments, and infusions and

decoctions.

One of the best emetics, according to Thomson, was, of

course, the Lobelia inflata of Linnaeus which was found in a great

variety of soils throughout the United States and which commonly

was called "Indian tobacco" by pioneers and settlers who, when

chewing it, noticed a burning, pungent sensation followed by

giddiness, headache, perhaps a trembling of the body, sickness,

and finally vomiting.14There is evidence that the Penobscot In-

14 Jacob Bigelow, A Treatise on the Materia Medica, Intended as A Sequel to the

Pharmacopocia of the United States (Boston, 1822), 248-9.

OHIO MEDICAL HISTORY, 1835-58 351

dians used the plant and that New England colonials used it with

impunity in gastritis with infants and termed it "colic weed." For

years lobelia was used in cases of asthma. As lobelia yielded its

properties readily to water, wine, vinegar, and alcohol, it could be

readily administered. Mattson testified that he found it "par-

ticularly useful" in "cough, difficulty of breathing, fever, strangury,

pains, strictures, palpitation of the heart, and nervous affections."15

In 1847, Kost said that lobelia was "decidedly the most efficient,

safe, and prompt emetic known, and unlike almost every other

article, does not inflame, corrode, or in any other way injure the

stomach in bringing about its specific effect."16Infusions of to-

bacco (perhaps Narcotina tabacum rather than "Indian tobacco")

were used with but little effect in the great cholera in New York

City during the thirties.1⁷In 1848, however, Paine said bluntly

that although the dose of lobelia was from ten to twenty grains, it

was "a hazardous remedy, and only adapted, as an emetic, to

spasmodic asthma, and to facilitate the reduction of strangulated

hernia, for which last purpose it is as useful as tobacco, and

safer."18 Beasley listed several ways lobelia might be used.¹⁹In

one of the standard texts of the eighteen-seventies, lobelia was

listed, not among the emetics, but among the sedatives.²⁰

Thomson himself prepared the lobelia in three ways. He

powdered leaves and pods; he manufactured a tincture from the

green herbs and spirits; and he reduced the seeds to a fine powder

and compounded this with nos. 2 and 6 of his secret six. His

standard dosage was hit-and-miss.For a young child, he advo-

cated administering as much of the powdered leaves and pods

"as circumstances shall require." A dose of the tincture was

"from half to a teaspoonful," and there seemed no set dosage

when administering the powdered seeds. "In regard to the quantity

15 Mattson, American Vegetable Practice, 171.

16 Kost, The Practice of Medicine, 256.

17 Martyn Paine, Letters on the Cholera Asphyxia (New York, 1832), 49.

18 Id., Materia Medica and Therapeutics (New York, 1818), 84-5.

19 Henry Beasley, The Medical Formulary: Comprising Standard and Approved

Formulae for the Preparations and Compounds Employed in Medical Practice

(Philadelphia, 1856), 523.

20 Alfred Stille, Therapeutics and Materia Medica (Philadelphia, 1874), 354-9.

For earlier uses of Lobelia inflata. see: Nicholas Culpepper, The Complete Herbal

(London, 1835), 177-8, on English tobacco; and C. F. Leyel, The Magic Book of

Herbs (London, 1926), 246.

352 OHIO ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

to be given as a dose," wrote the nonchalant Thomson, "it is a

matter of less consequence than is generally imagined. . . . The

most safe way will be to give the smallest prescribed dose first,

then repeat it till it produce the wished for operation."²1

It will be remembered that Thomson's second cardinal prin-

ciple was to "retain the internal vital heat of the system and cause

a free perspiration." To accomplish these ends, he utilized cap-

sicum which he himself said he first discovered and used near

Walpole, New Hampshire, in 1805.22 When capsicum was not

available, Thomson turned to both the red and the black peppers

and to ginger. Capsicum (Capsicum baccatum) was considered by

Kost "the purest, most prompt, powerful, and permanent stim-

ulant known" and he used it as an "internal and general" remedy

in inflammations and congestions in fevers; as a gargle in the

putrid sore throat of scarlet fever; and, mixed with pitch, as a

plaster in affections of the spine, hip, liver, lungs and spleen.²3

Both Thomson and Mattson advocated from a half to a teaspoon-

ful as a standard dose,²⁴and Kost recommended a dosage that

ranged from five to twenty grains of either in powder or tincture.25

There was little difficulty, of course, in preparing capsicum or

peppers. Thomson reduced them to a fine powder, infused in

hot water, or in a tea of no. 3 of his secret six.

The third step in the Thomsonian system was to "scour the

stomach and bowels." For this the botanic physician had a choice

from the following: the bark of the roots of the barberry (Berberis

vulgaris); the root of the white pond lily (Nymphea odorata);

the inner bark of the hemlock (Pinus canadensis); the root of the

marsh rosemary (Statice limonium); the bark, leaves, and berries

of three species of sumac (Rhus glabrum, Rhus typhinum, Rhus

copallinum); the leaves of the witch hazel (Hamamelis vir-

giniana); the leaves of the wild red raspberry (Rubus strigosos);

and the root and top of the squaw weed or cocash (Aster

puniceus).

21 Day, The Improved American Family Physician, 47.

22 Ibid., 49.

23 Kost, The Practice of Medicine, 352.

24 Day, The Improved American Family Physician, 51; Mattson, American Vege-

table Practice, 191.

25 Kost, The Practice of Medicine, 353.

OHIO MEDICAL HISTORY, 1835-58 353

This vegetable materia medica acted upon the bowels and

thus accomplished the third objective. Thomson recommended

the following prescription: "Take Bayberry root bark, white

pond Lily root, and the inner bark of Hemlock, equal parts of each

pounded and well mixed together; steep one ounce of the powder

in a pint of boiling water, and give for a common dose a common

wine glass full, sweetened."²⁶

The fourth step in the Thomsonian system was to "correct

the bile and restore digestion." Here again there was a choice

from among five vegetables: Balomy (Chelone glabra); poplar

bark (Populus tremuloides or Populus grandidentata); barberry

bark (Berberis vulgaris); bitter root bark (Apocynum androsoemi-

folium); and golden seal (Hydrastis canadensis) which also was

called Ohio Kercuma, orange root, tumeric root, yellow puccoon,

eye balm and Indian paint Thomson himself was not sufficiently

acquainted with the golden seal to give a description of it, but he

said that he had had enough experience with it to recommend it

as a very pleasant bitter. He used bitters as follows: "Take the

Bitter Herb, or Balomy, Barberry and Poplar bark, equal parts,

pulverised, one ounce of the powder to a pint of hot water and

half a pint of spirit. For a dose take half a wine glass. full.^"27

For hot bitters he advocated adding of a teaspoonful of his no. 2

(Capsicum). Such a preparation was said to "correct the bile

and create an appetite by restoring the digestive powers; and may

be freely used both as a restorative and to prevent disease."

The fifth objective, "to strengthen the stomach and bowels

and restore weak patients," called for the use of the fifth of the

secret six. This was nothing more than a simple sugar syrup

made from either peach meats (Amygdalus persica) or from wild

cherry stones (Prunus virginiana) both of which were used by

the botanic physician as an "agreeable" tonic, in dyspepsia, fever

and ague, diarrhoea, worms, jaundice, and female obstructions

"when more efficient remedies are not at hand."²⁸Thomson ad-

vocated the following: "Take poplar bark and bark of the root

26 Day, The Improved American Family Physician, 67.

27 Ibid., 69.

28 Mattson, American Vegetable Practice, 295.

354 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

of Bayberry, one pound each, and boil them in two gallons of

water, strain off, and add seven pounds of good sugar; then scald

and skim it, and add half a pound of peachmeats; or the same

quantity of cherry stone meats, pounded fine. When cool add a

gallon of brandy; and keep it in bottles for use. Take half a

wine glass full two or three times a day."²⁹

Last in the series of six in the Thomsonian program was the

desire to "remove pain, prevent mortification, and promote a

natural heat." This meant the use of rheumatic drops prepared

with high wines, 4th proof brandy, gum myrrh (Myrrha), and

capsicum. For external application spirits of turpentine was

added and sometimes gum camphor. The sixth of the secret six

was prepared as follows: "Take one gallon of good fourth

proof brandy, or any kind of high wines, one pound of gum

myrrh pounded fine, one ounce of capsicum, and put them into a

stone jug and boil it a few minutes in a kettle of water, leaving

the jug unstopped. When settled, bottle it up for use.^"30 The

dose was from one to two teaspoonfuls. Thomson recommended

his no. 6 for rheumatism, headache, bruises, sprains, swelled

joints and old sores and maintained that it would allay inflamma-

tion, bring down swelling and produce a tendency to heal.

This, then, was the vegetable materia medica upon which the

orthodox Thomsonian physician depended and which composed the

secret six that Thomson kept confidential during the formative

years of his botanic system. After his basic six had become public,

the "Father of Botanic Medicine" urged that families keep the fol-

lowing stock of medicine on hand:

1 oz. of the Emetic Herb

2 ozs. of Cayenne

1/2 lb. Bayberry root hark in powder

1 lb. of Poplar lark

1 lb. of Ginger

1 pint of the Rheumatic Drops

"This stock," he wrote, "will be sufficient for a family for

one year, and with such articles as they can easily procure them-

29 Day. The Improved American Family Physician, 69.

30 Ibid., 70.