For six generations, members of the Wesselhoeft family have practiced medicine in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Canada and/or the USA. In the early decades of the 19th century, two Wesselhoeft brothers left Europe to eventually settle in New England, where they and their progeny gave rise to a regional medical dynasty. The Wesselhoeft doctors became well-known practitioners of homeopathy, hydropathy, conventional medicine and surgery, in academic and general clinical settings. An additional connection was established to the literary worlds of Germany and the USA, either through friendships or as personal physicians.
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RussellL. An Asclepiad family – The Chamberlens and DeLaunes, 1569–1792: Five generations of surgeons, physicians, accoucheurs and apothecaries. J Med Biogr2014; pii: 0967772014537150.
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MarstonRQ. To meet the nation’s health needs. New Eng J Med1968; 279: 520–524.
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Osborne B. Building a family dynasty. Lumen: The University of Adelaide Alumni Magazine 2014; Summer: 13–15, www.adelaide.edu.au/lumen (accessed 9 August 2015).
ClaridgeRT. Hydropathy, or the cold water cure, as practiced by Vincent Priessnitz, at Graefenberg, Silesia, Austria, 8th ed. London: John Madden, 1843.
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HolmesOW. Homeopathy and its kindred delusions: Two lectures delivered before the Boston Society for the diffusion of useful knowledge, Boston, MA: William D. Ticknor, 1842.
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CabotMR. The Wesselhoeft water cure. Annals of Brattleboro, 1681–1895, vol. 2, Brattleboro, VT: E L Hildreth & Co., 1922, pp. 563–586.
14.
Hoffmann WW. The Wesselhoeft Family: From Buxtehude to Boston and beyond. Unpublished paper. 1969. Personal communication to the author by Caroline Williams, 2 May 2012.
15.
Wesselhoeft C. Personal communication to the author, 5 April 2013.
16.
Arms G. A sidelight on Howells. American Literary Realism, 1870–1910. Champaign, IL: University of Illinios Press, 1986, pp.73–77.
17.
Williams C. Personal communication. 2 September 2015.
18.
DavidsonJRT. A Century of Homeopaths, New York: Springer, 2014, pp. 123–130.
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Wesselhoeft C. Personal communication to the author. 31 March 2013.
20.
Wesselhoeft C. Letter to his sister, dated July 12, 1940. Personal communication to the author from Caroline Williams, 10 April 2012.
21.
KraftM. Carrying on the family legacy. Boston Univ Med1998; 6: 13–15.
22.
WeberHWesselhoeftHEigsterG. Emergency treatment of arrhythmias in neonates and infants. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd1983; 131: 779–783.
23.
WesselhoeftHHurleyPJWagnerHNet al.Nuclear angiocardiography in the diagnosis of congenital heart dieease in infants. Circulation1972; 45: 77–91.
24.
Hadwig Wesselhoeft. Autobiographical account. Unpublished document provided by Dianne Wesselhoeft. 2 August 2015.
25.
KraftM. The Doctors Wesselhoeft. Centerscope1973; July/August: 18–19.
