History of Homopathy
INSTER, FREDERICK, M. D., of Port Huron, Mich., was born in Bavaria, Germany, on April 3rd, 1831. His parents, when he was six years old, emigrated to the United States, and have lived most of the time in Detroit. He received a sound English education in the common schools of the city, and having manifested a taste for the study of medicine, was, in 1850, placed for the purpose under the supervision of John Ellis, M. D., author of "Unavoidable Causes of Disease," and "Family Homopathy," now residing in New York city, and of S. B. Thayer, M. D. After remaining in those physicians' offices for some while and making considerable progress in his studies, he entered the College of Medicine and Surgery in the University of Michigan, in the autumn of 1853. The following winter he attended a full course of lectures in the Homopathic College of Cleveland, and graduated from that institution, in the spring of 1855.
Soon after graduating, Dr. Finster formed a co-partnership with Dr. E. H. Drake, of Detroit, Mich., for the term of two years, at the expiration of which he removed to Port Huron, his present place of abode. He was the first homopathic physician in the place, and he had to struggle very hard for a number of years against the life time prejudices of the residents in introducing the new system. He persevered courageously, however, giving his opponents no excuse for fault finding by ever so slight a remissness in his duty, and finally through his success in treatment overcame all opposition, and has built up a practice second to that of no other physician in the city.
His skill is now questioned by none, not even by his rivals of the old school, while he possesses in large measure those other qualities of patience, gentleness, genial manners, and cheerfulness that go so far to make the true family physician.
Dr. Finster has taken some part in public affairs, but only in the line of his profession. Thus, for instance, he has held the office of City Physician, and during his occupation of that position was chosen president of the Board of Health. The duties of these offices he discharged in a singularly able and satisfactory manner.
Dr. Finster was married, in 1858, to Lydia A. Kimball.
Source : Cleave's Biographical Cyclopędia of Homopathic Physicians and Surgeons By Egbert Cleave
Copyright © Sylvain Cazalet 2002