William Boericke

William G. Boericke (25 October 1849 in Asch, Bohemia Austrian Empire – 1 April 1929 in San Francisco) was an Austrian-born American physician and ardent, influential exponent of homeopathy. He is known in the field today as the compiler and editor of the Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica. The ninth edition has endured as his most re-published version partly because of its then final inclusion of a mini-repertory a homeopathic pharmacist who had been their manager. In 1886, Brueck sold it to Boericke and Schreck. Boericke and Runyon Company was eventually, sometime after 1950, acquired by Boericke & Tafel.

Boericke, who was known internationally in the field of homeopathy, flourished in several dimensions of homeopathy during its rise in the United States. He was a popular clinical physician, prolific academic writer, publisher, medical journal editor, owner of several pharmacies, medicine manufacturer, medical school professor, and published researcher.

To the extent that homeopathy had been, and still is, criticized by the mainstream medical community in North America, Boericke's era of homeopathy, and Boericke in particular, was highly transparent and well-published. Boericke was also well-known and influential in Europe, particularly Germany – the birthplace of homeopathy, whose people spoke the language of Boericke's childhood.

At the end of the 19th century, there was hardly a U.S. city with over 50,000 people that didn't have a homeopathic hospital. In 1890, there were 93 regular medical schools, of which 14 were exclusively homeopathic and 8 were eclectic. In 1900, there were 121 regular medical schools, of which 22 were exclusively homeopathic, and 10 were eclectic. Also in 1900, there were more than 100 homeopathic hospitals, over 60 homeopathic orphan asylums and old people's homes, and over 1,000 homeopathic pharmacies.

Selected publications Books

The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Dr. Schüssler, arranged and compiled by William Boericke, MD, and Willis Alonzo Dewey, MD (1858–1938) 1st ed., Philadelphia: Boericke & Hahnemann (1888); ; 2nd ed., Philadelphia: Hahnemann (1890); ; 3rd ed., Philadelphia: Boericke & Tafel (1893); ; 4th ed., Philadelphia: Boericke & Tafel (1899); ; 5th ed., Philadelphia: Boericke & Tafel (1914); (four editions with Spanish translation) A Compend of the Principles of Homeopathy as Taught by Hahnemann, San Francisco: Boericke & Runyon (1896); ; The Treatment of Disease with the Twelve Tissue Remedies, San Francisco: Boericke & Runyon (1897); ; Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica 1st ed., San Francisco: Boericke & Runyon (1901); 2nd ed., San Francisco: Homoeopathic Publishing Co. (1903); ; Editions 3 through 9 include a repertory Boericke & Tafel (1922); A year before dying in 1843, Samuel Hahnemann completed the manuscript for the 6th edition of Organon of Medicine. But it remained unpublished for 79 years – until Richard M. Haehl (1873–1932) in 1921 and William Boericke in 1922 produced German and English versions, respectively. Hahnemann's manuscript is held at the University of California, San Francisco library.