The Biographical Dictionary of America/Allen, Timothy Field

ALLEN, Timothy Field, physician, was born at Westminster, Vt., April 24, 1837. He graduated from Amherst college in 1858, and from the medical school of the University of the city of New York in 1861, when he commenced the practice of medicine in Brooklyn, N. Y., and during 1862 was acting assistant surgeon in the United States army. In 1864 he established himself in New York city. As physician and scientist Dr. Allen has a national reputation, and as an author his published works have been favorably received in both America and Europe. His "Encyclopædia of Materia Medica," published in New York 1874-'79, and the index to the same issued in 1881, is a work covering the whole field of homœopathic therapeutics to the date of its issue. In 1878 he published a work on ophthalmic therapeutics, and his practice and writings have contributed in a large degree to the establishment of homœopathy. In 1867 he became professor of materia medica in the New York homœopathic medical college, and from 1882 to 1893 was the dean of that institution. He was also professor of materia medica in the New York medical college and hospital for women. He was president of and consulting surgeon to the New York ophthalmic hospital for many years; also an active member of the American institute of homœopathy, and of the state and county homœopathic medical societies, in all of which he held the office of president. As a botanist, Dr. Allen made a specialty of the characeæ; his works thereon being authoritative. He was chosen a fellow of the New York academy of sciences and of the national association for the advancement of science; honorary member of the homœopathic medical society of France; corresponding member of the British homœopathic medical society; honorary member of the Albany county medical society; the Rhode Island state homœopathic medical society, and consulting physician to the Laura Franklin hospital of New York city. He twice received the honorary degree of M.D., and that of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Amherst college in 1885.