GEORGE HENRY MARTIN

He was educated in the Middlebury schools and began his medical studies with his uncle before entering Boston University School of Medicine in 1877. Early in 1878, after taking one course of lectures, he received an appointment as druggist (one source states he was acting-assistant surgeon) at the National Soldiers' Home at Hampton, Virginia. Whatever his title, there is no doubt he was practicing medicine, and, during the absence of the surgeon, he was in full charge of the medical department of the Home, which at times had as many as 1,000 men. At the end of the year, he went to a similar position at the National Soldiers' Home at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which he held until September, 1879, when he returned to medical school. Boston University School Medicine granted him his M.D. in June, 1881.

In the meantime, Dr. Currier had moved to San Francisco, and in the fall of 1881 his nephew joined him. After a year Dr. Martin came to Honolulu to take over the practice of Dr. O. S. Cummings, who was leaving due to ill health. During his five years in the Islands, he had a large practice and was personal physician to King Kalakaua and his family. In 1887 he was the only medical man on a three-man committee appointed to investigate reports of scandalous behavior on the part of attendants at the Insane Asylum. The committee found no scandalous actions but did recommend that a Medical Superintendent be appointed to live at the asylum and assume full control of the institution. The need for new buildings and other improvements was also pointed out.

On October 25, 1887, Dr. Martin sailed for San Francisco aboard the "Australia" and from there went on to New York where he took a six months' course in the Postgraduate Medical School and Hospital of that city with special emphasis on nervous and mental diseases. Returning to San Francisco and private practice in the Spring of 1888, the doctor accepted the chair of clinical medicine at Hahnemann Hospital College. Two years later on the retirement of Dr. Samuel Lilenthal, he occupied the chair of mental and nervous diseases. During his years at Hahnemann, Dr. Martin conducted large clinics in mental and nervous diseases, lectured in the nurses' training school, and for several years was neurologist at Fabiola Hospital in Oakland. In 1889 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Hahnemann Hospital and served as its secretary from 1890 to 1896.

The doctor was very active in the California State Homeopathic Medical Society of which he was a member from 1881. In 1889 he was appointed to its board of medical examiners, from 1890 to 1893 he served as secretary to the Society, was a member and chairman of its legislative committee and in the 1893 session of the State Legislature led the fight against the Board of Examiners bill introduced by the Allopaths, which would practically have eliminated homeopathy from the state, and in 1896 he was the first vice-president of the Society. Dr. Martin also organized the San Francisco County Homeopathic Medical Society in 1893 with a membership of 60, serving in 1895 as vice-president.

Dr. Martin married Miss Eleanor Frances Bowers in 1891. Mrs. Martin, a lady of wide culture, won her medical degree in 1892 and assisted her husband with his literary work.

The doctor was the author of a "Manual of Nervous Diseases and Their Homeopathic Treatment", published in 1896, and contributed numerous articles to the homeopathic journals. He was associate editor of the "Pacific Coast Journal of Homeopathy".

Dr. Martin died December 16, 1944, in Pasadena, California, at the age of 85.

In addition to the organizations already mentioned, he was a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy and of the Organon and Materia Club of the Bay Cities.

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