William Percy Purdom M.B. B.S. M.R.C.S. L.R.C.P. (1882 – 13 March 1918) was a British orthodox physician, at Guy’s Hospital in 1909, who converted to homeopathy to become Physician for Diseases of Children, and Consultant Anaesthetist at the London Homeopathic Hospital.

In 1908, Percy Purdom and three other British homeopaths, Douglas Morris Borland, Sir John Weir, and Harold Fergie Woods, received a scholarship to study with James Tyler Kent in Chicago. In February of that year, Purdom was also admitted as a member of the British Homeopathic Society.

Purdom was a colleague of Clarence Granville Hey, Edwin Awdas Neatby, Dorothy Shepherd, Margaret Lucy Tyler, and many others.

William Percy Purdom practiced at Brighton Road, Sutton, London.

William Percy Purdom was born in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in April 1882, one of twelve children born to homeopath Dr. Thomas Eadie Purdom (1853 – 1942) and Mary Emma Frances Ramsden (1855 – 1931):

William Percy Purdom was born in Newcastle, in 1882, and educated at Clevedon. He entered as a medical student at Guy’s Hospital, and was there in all eight-and-a-half years, holding after qualification (London University) the posts of House Surgeon, House Physician and Obstetric Assistant. Throughout he had a brilliant record, and in especial developed the surgical skill whereof later his homoeopathic colleagues had ample evidence.

Being interested in Homoeopathy, he took the post of resident at the L.H.H., and later went (under a Tyler Scholarship grant) to Chicago and studied under Dr. Kent. In this way he gained as thorough a mastery of homoeopathic therapeutics as of his other work, and well he showed his skill as a prescriber in many difficult cases.

He entered on general practice at Sutton and from the first had the marked success to which his abilities and personality entitled him. He held at the L.H.H. the posts-first of Physician for Diseases of Children, and later of Assistant Gynæcologist, and greatly distinguished himself in both. He was well known at Society Meetings, an admirable, clear, concise speaker, and contributed to the Proceedings several excellent papers.

Two years ago the death of his wife was a terrible blow to him, and shortly afterwards an attack of influenza was followed by severe empyema. A slow recovery followed, and a return to work, but a second breakdown revealed the presence of tubercle. From that time till his death it was a gallantly fought but losing battle. As soon as the tubercle seemed beaten in one organ it attacked another, until at last meningitis brought the brilliant and beloved life to a close. As a man, as a surgeon and a physician, he won love, admiration and respect everywhere. We append a letter received from a former pupil in the L.M.S.M., which shows well what kind of appreciation Dr. Purdom could inspire. We lament a great loss but we hold a memory that shall long abide sharp and clear:

“DEAR DR. WHEELER,
“Few will mourn the early death of Dr. Purdom more keenly than those students of the Missionary School who owe so much to his kind, sympathetic, and patient tuition. His disciples are widely scattered now throughout the uncivilised and civilised world, and to many a lonely mission station the tidings of his end will come like news of the loss of a friend. There was in his work and in his teaching a resolute attempt to perfect method, and to extend knowledge, and this spirit has certainly gone to the uttermost parts of the earth, and is there helping to carry on the work he loved-the healing of the sick. Happy are the students who knew him, and carried the contagion of his spirit so far away.
“Yours sincerely,
“STANLEY FRANKLIN.”

In 1909, Purdom married Violet Elizabeth Cousins (1880 – 1914). They had three sons: Bryan Eadie Ramsden Purdom (1911 – 1990), Malcolm Neish Purdom (1912 – 1914), and Algernon Bruce Purdom (1913 – 1979).

In March 1912, Purdom was appointed Physician for Diseases of Children at the London Homeopathic Hospital. Two months later, on Friday 3 May 1912, he gave a post-graduate lecture at the hospital titled “The Wasting Diseases of Childhood.”

Percy Purdom was an active participant in professional homeopathic meetings. He presented a paper titled “Gastro-Enteritis in Children” at the 8th Quinquennial International Homeopathic Congress, held in London in July, 1911. He submitted cases and articles to various homeopathic publications.

By 1915, Purdom had been appointed Assistant Physician for the Diseases of Women at the London Homeopathic Hospital and showed promise of becoming an accomplished gynecologist.

The sudden death of his wife, Violet, in March 1914, was a hammer blow, and Purdom’s own health declined rapidly. He died on 13 March 1918, at his father’s residence, aged only 35, and was buried in Sutton Cemetery. On his death, Purdom was described by the editor of the Homeopathic World as “one of our most brilliant rising stars.”

His Obituary was published in the may 1918 edition of The Homeopathic World, and in The Guy’s Hospital Gazette.

Of interest:

Thomas Eadie Purdom M.D. (1853 – 1942), father of William Percy Purdom, was the Senior Physician at the Croydon Homeopathic Dispensary at Ellerslie, 25 Park Hill Road, and 40 George Street, Croydon, Surrey in 1925. Thomas Eadie Purdom was also a Physician at the at the London Homeopathic Hospital, and a sponsor of the Anglo French Hospital at Neuilly sur Seine.

Harold Neish Purdom L.D.S. (1888 – 1954), brother of Thomas Eadie Purdom, was a dentist who studied at at Guy’s Hospital in 1910, and was also a homeopath, who practiced in Clevedon in 1911, before relocating to Croydon. Harold Neish Purdom qualified in 1913, and was entered into the Dental Register on 7 April 1914.