Jabez Philander Dake M.D.
Image credit: “Dr. J. P. Dake – A Memoir,” by R. A. Halley, in The American Historical Magazine, Vol. 8 No. 4 (Oct 1903).

Jabez Philander Dake M. D. (22 April 1827 – 28 October 1894) was an American homeopathic doctor who practiced in Pittsburgh and Nashville. In 1857 he was elected President of the American Institute of Homeopathy. He was also a founding member, the first President, and later Secretary of the Tennessee State Homoeopathic Medical Society.

Jabez P. Dake, M.D., was born in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York, April 22, 1827, son of Dr. Jabez Dake (1788 – 1846), a veteran of the War of 1812 and an allopathic physician who converted to homeopathy, and his wife Sophia Bowen (1793 – 1850).

Jabez Philander Dake graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1849, and from the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1851, where he was subsequently appointed professor of materia medica and therapeutics (1855 to 1857) and of pathology and principles and practice in 1876 – 1877.

Jabez P. Dake was the pupil, the partner and the successor of Dr. Gustavus Reichhelm.

In April, 1851, he married Elizabeth “Emma” Church (1826 – 1908) in Pittsburgh. They had five sons who all became homeopathic physicians: William Irwin Church Dake M.D. (1852 – 1910), Walter Marshall Dake M.D. (1855 – 1922), Jabez Percey Dake M.D. (1857 – 1886) Charles H. Dake M.D. (1860 – 1937), and Frank Borland Dake M.D. (1864 – 1937).

Jabez P. Dake agitated for the reform and re-proving of the homeopathic materia medica. He was categorically against the practice of combining multiple remedies in one pill, but advised charitable and kindly treatment among homeopaths who  disagreed with each other on such issues.

An account of Jabez P. Dake’s 1861 treatment of diphtheria, was cited by Charles Neidhard in his 1867 book Diphtheria, as it Prevailed in the United States From 1860 to 1866. Dake’s successful curative rates were also recorded by De Forest Hunt in his 1880 Homeopathic Treatment of Diphtheria, who noted that “within the period of four months, one hundred and ninety-three cases, at Pittsburgh, Penn., losing seven of the number.”

Jabez P. Dake’s treatment of cholera was also extremely successful and he was recorded as losing only one patient out of sixty two cases in Nashville in 1878.

In 1878, Jabez P. Dake was appointed to the Homeopathic Yellow Fever Commission. He was also President of the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1857 and made frequent trips to Europe and Britain in the service of homeopathy. His colleagues included Edward Bayard, Joseph Hyppolyte Pulte, Walter Williamson, S. S. Guy and Constantine Hering.

Jabez P. Dake was a prolific author and published more than a dozen works, either alone or in conjunction with others. This included the four volume Cyclopedia of Drug Pathogenesy, co-written with leading British homeopathic physician, Richard Hughes. He contributed articles to several homeopathic journals. Jabez P. Dake’s work was greatly valued in his time and it is still referred to by modern homeopaths.

In addition to his medical practice and writing, Dake was also president of the Dover Bay Grape and Wine Company, and he regularly contributed articles to horticultural magazines about fruit bearing trees. He was also actively involved in the creation of the Cleveland, Ohio-based Hahnemann Life Insurance Company, of which he was a director.

Jabez Philander Dake suffered a stroke while attending a concert at the Tabernacle in Nashville in October, 1894, and died two days later. A memoir of his life was written by R. A. Halley in 1903.

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western homeopathy college clevelandJabez William Dake (1829 – 1886), a cousin of Jabez P. Dake, was also an homeopathic physician.

J. W. Dake was born to parents William Gould Dake Jr. and Orpha Miller on Sept. 14, 1829 at Hunts Hollow, Portage, N.Y. He became a Physician becoming the first Doctor to locate in the Nunda area. He was a doctor in the Albion, Orleans Co., N.Y., settling there in 1863. He later was a doctor in Warsaw, N.Y. and Rochester, N.Y.

Dr. Jabez W. Dake located in Albion, Orleans county, in 1863. Several homœopathic physicians had previously tried to practice there, but were compelled to abandon the field, but Dr. Dake bought a house, moved into it, sent word to his allopathic friends that he had paid for his house and had enough to keep him for a year and that he had come to stay. He remained five years and then gave up the place because of his health. At that time Medina alone in the whole county could boast of a homœopathic physician.

Jabez was born to parents William Dake Jr. and Orpha Miller on Sept. 14, 1829 at Hunts Hollow, Portage, N.Y. He became a Physician becoming the first Doctor to locate in the Nunda area. He was a doctor in the Albion, Orleans Co., N.Y., settling there in 1863. He later was a doctor in Warsaw, N.Y. and Rochester, N.Y.

He was a graduate of Western Homoeopathy College, Cleveland, Ohio. He married Mary Anna Ward on Jan. 16, 1851 in the town of Genessee, N.Y. (She was born on Feb. 2, 1831 at Groveland, N.Y. daughter of John Ward) He was a graduate of Genessee Wesleyan Seminary. He first studied medicine at Geneva Medical College where he received a certificate. He graduated in 1860 form Western Homeopathic Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio.

He first practiced in Warsaw, N.Y. for a period of years and later (1863) in Albion, N.Y. After years of practice he was forced to retire due to ill health. He returned to his old home at Nunda. After his health improved he set up an office in Powers Block in Rochester, N.Y. His sons William and Charles owned a Drug company in Rochester. After a few years he was forced once again to retire. He died on Feb. 1, 1886 at Rochester, N.Y.

Hahnemann Medical College of PhiladelphiaWalter Marshall Dake (1855 – 1922)

Walter was born Jan. 16, 1855 in Pittsburgh, Pa. as the second son to Dr. Jabez P. and Elizabeth (Church) Dake. His early education was received in the public schools, and later under Dr. Bryce Thompson of Nashville, Tenn., by whom he was prepared to enter upon a course of medical training.

In 1875 he became a student in the Palte Medical College of Cincinnati, Ohio, and in September, 1876, was matriculated in the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia, where he graduated in 1877. He began the practice of medicine at Jackson, Tenn., but was called to Nashville in 1878, to enter into partnership with his father and brother, Dr. William C. Dake, practicing physicians in that city.

As a member of this prominent firm he attained considerable distinction. he was a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, the Southern Homeopathic Medical Association, and the Homeopathic Medical Society of Tennessee.

Numerous treatises contributed by him to medical journals assisted the progress of medical science. Dr. W. M. Dake took a prominent part in public measures for the educational advancement of his adopted city; he was a Director of the Howard Library, and had himself collected a private library of several thousand valuable works.

He was married, Nov. 8, 1882 to Fanny G. daughter of Samuel M. Ward of Jefferson, Tex. They had two children, Walter M., Jr., and Woodie Elizabeth.

New York Homeopathic Medical CollegeWilliam Irvin Church Dake (1852 – 1910)

William was born Jan. 28.1852 in Pittsburgh, Pa. to parents Dr. Jabez P. and Elizabeth (Church) Dake. He was the eldest son. He was educated at Pittsburgh, Pa.; Ypsilanti, Mich., and studied medicine in his father’s office.

He was graduated at the Medical Department of the University of Nashville in 1872 and spent the winter of 1872-73 in New York City, attending lectures and clinics in the various hospitals, and was matriculated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the New York Homeopathic Medical College.

Returning to Nashville he entered into a partnership with his father. He was a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy since 1872 and was President of the Southern Homeopathic Medical Association of the Homeopathic Medical Society of Tennessee, and of the Homeopathic Medical Society of Middle Tennessee.

His literary labors were chiefly in connection with medical matters. He contributed to various medical journals and proceedings of the societies of which he was a member.

On Aug. 28, 1878 at Janesville, WI he married Miss Adelaide Myra Wiggin, she lived only three months after their marriage. On Aug. 28, 1878, Dr. Dake was married a second time to a sister of his first wife Adelaide Augusta Wiggin, daughter of Richard and Rebekah Wiggin, of Janesville, Wis., and had two children, Richard Wiggin and Elizabeth Church Dake. He died on December 9, 1910 in Pittsburg, Penn.