AN APPRECIATION BY DR. EDGAR WHITAKER.
THERE are many eminent professional men in Homoeopathy, such is the vitality of the science there always will be, but in the passing of John Henry Clarke there is something of drama-of the suddenly darkened stage-a blacking out.
What can be done by friends when their friend dies? To express adequately what is felt is impossible. Here is a man by far the greatest figure in English homoeopathic circle who in his lifetime entirely refused public recognition; a kind of king who has just slipped out of our lives.
In 1925 we proposed, some friends of his, to make him a public presentation. I was deputed to explore the ground. As delicately as possible, knowing him so well, I asked him (when he refused) to think for fourteen days, quietly considering the pleasure of his friends in doing it. Here is the answer, after a few days:.
“My DEAR FRIEND, I cannot wait a fortnight before putting you out our of your misery-the answer is definitely No. U feel it too strongly.
“The affection of yourself and others and the good use you are able to put my writings to are infinitely more be. This would be very distasteful. I cannot give you my reasons in writing but they are final.
My warmest regards and sincerest thanks to you all for your affection. Believes me always most truly yours,
CLARKE J H.”.
It was no use.
The best we could do was for me to slip into the “WORLD,” unknown to him, a few lines of appreciation, in 1926. “A word of thanks,” he says, “for the most kind and moving terms of your unauthorised letter in December “WORLD. It has come from your heart and has found mine. My work has been done for the most part behind the scenes. It is best so.”.
To come to the man himself. In the first place he had exceptional brains. He took his M.B., C.M. at Edinburgh University in 1875 as gold medalist in several subjects, following it up with the M.D. and further academic successes and appointments in 1877. His work in the homoeopathic field commenced almost immediately. He became a keen follower of Dr. Compton Burnet, who was himself in the direct hierarchy of Shyldham and the great Ruddock who died in 1876. In April, 1885, Dr. Burnett edited his last number of THE HOMOEOPATHIC WORLD (which was founded by Dr. Ruddock in 1965 and published from 2 Finsbury Circus until 1885 when Joseph Whitaker at his request took over the whole of his business and removed it to the present office), and the next month, May of 1885, Dr. Clarke commenced as Editor.
We must remember that at that time Homoeopathy was fighting a very uphill battle. If it had not been for Dr. Clarke it would never won. There is no doubt whatever about that; but why do I, how can I, state it so positively. It is incontestable. Think for a moment of the situation.
Here was a science extraordinarily successful on the Continent, sweeping in fact over Germany, owing to the personality of Hahnemann. But in England, though carried on with the greatest courage, it was faced with conventional opposition of the deadliest kind. True that Ruddocks Homoeopathic Vade Mecum of Modern Medicine and Surgery put Homoeopathic Vade Mecum of Modern Medicine and Surgery put Homoeopathic soundly on its feet-no one could knock it over after that-but few men have ever been able to write like Ruddock. John Henry Clarke with his brilliant brain saw even further-that the science needed exposition which would teach the subject and bind it down to scientific principles.
It was not done hurriedly, for the told me he had been gathering notes and putting them down long after midnight for many years. In 1895 we published for him the colossal undertaking: Clarkes Dictionary of Materia Medica and his Clinical Repertory. Hitherto (as Clarke related himself in the history published in the “WORLD” in 1922) there had been something furtive, almost secret, about homoeopathic publishing. Dr. Ruddock had been compelled to keep his publishing department in his own basement. Every homoeopathic doctor had had to seek a chemist-Clarke himself had to do so for his early works-for publication, no reputable publishing house daring to touch what was “officially” anathema.
That this furtiveness seared Clarkes soul is without question. His attacks upon the authorised school were continuous and unflinching, his scorn of empirical prescribing “pouring drugs into the system” flung out like fire from the pages of the “WORLD”. Though always right, he went in Joseph Whitakers opinion too far. Smallpox was in the country. Clarke hated vaccination-and no doubt he had Kings Government must be carried on. With all its drawbacks smallpox was being stamped out by vaccination. Clarke resigned in 1908. The owners had to accept the fact that an indispensable man had gone and that the “WORLD” would decline.
It did so. But in those years the gradual building up of the fine Homoeopathic Hospital, of the Homoeopathic Association and of homoeopathic dispensaries, schools of thought and the efforts of courageous laymen had done their work nobly. America had taken up the science. Money had come into it. Clarke was in touch (in fluent German) with the centre of the science, he was instrumental in carrying it into Brazil, his works were being translated into Spanish and German_Ruddocks Vade Mecum was put into Spanish as far back as 1885-and the “official” medical mind had “discovered” the infinitesimal dose!.
In 1923 I was instrumental in bringing back Dr. Clarke to the Editorship of the “WORLD” and on January 19th, 1923, received the following from Mr. Lee Mathews, the Chairman of the British Homoeopathic Association:.
“DEAR DR. WHITAKER, I brought the matter of THE HOMOEOPATHIC WORLD before my Executive Committee today. They congratulate you in having obtained the services of so able an Editor as Dr. J.H. Clarke and wish the “WORLD” every success.”.
That interpreted the feeling of all of us. Though we knew well enough it had always been in capable hands, something was lacking, some inspirational fire had gone out of it with the recognition of all for which it had been combating. Let it be publicly known now that Dr. Clarke would accept no remuneration, beyond the barest expenses. He would carry on the fight, but not for payment. By that date over one hundred thousand Ruddocks Vade Mecum volumes had been issued.
Clarkes Dictionary of Materia volumes had been issued. Clarkes Dictionary of Materia Medica, of which 7,500 had been printed, were down to their last 2,000, his clinical Repertory had kept pace and Prescriber had been twice revised and re-issued. He started at once on another revision. Only as late as September, 1925, we made a contract for its translation into German.
To claim Dr. John Clarke as a Master is not hyperbole. Medical men make their mark almost always by their personal skill. If they are not (at call) available that mark is unmade. But in the case of a doctor who has the rare “gift” (for it is a gift) of putting down on paper readable, instructive and permanent directions for the treatment of all kinds of sickness and trouble the mark is indelible.
For the science of which it treats it is simply invaluable. Clarke many times spoke to me of the lack of homoeopathic doctors. He directed his mind towards helping layman and kept the columns of the “WORLD” always open to him. People from all parts of the universe wrote to him for help and guidance. When I handed him a bundle of letter I used to call him the Universal Provider.
I do not doubt that he antagonised some. I know we suffered from it here. Without question he had antipathies which were out of proportion, but I think these were the reactions to the struggles on his early life. He could not admire the laggards who were reaping the benefit of his bayonet work. Why should he? And yet back of this attitude there shone the light of sympathy to everyone.
In later years he was attracted by the poetry of William Blake, and wrote two small books on him. He was in fact in search of another battle ground, this time of a mystical and religious nature. He “hated” all Germans pre-war, he “loathed” all Jews post-war-they were against England. He failed in these last battles simply because he had made so many friends.
So we come to the last phase. I am not proud about it and speak of it humbly and with sorrow. I had a little lost touch with him, because as Manager of the parent firm also I am so busy all day long. I had expected him to go on for ever, for he had looked so well on the last occasion. Until the news suddenly came upon me I too, like you perhaps, could not see the wood for the trees! Homoeopathy is so generally accepted that we do not sufficiently realise how it has become so or how enormously this one man had contributed during those long years. I was not even aware of his sudden illness till, in the broken lines of his handwriting just decipherable, there came: “I can write as you see, but to read what I have written is another matter. I am sorry to close our association in this way”.
