James Tyler Kent was born on March 31, 1849, in Woodhull, New York. by the age of 21 he had completed two undergraduate degrees. He then completed two postgraduate courses at the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio. He set up practice as an eclectic physician in St Louis at 26 years of age, and soon after became a member of the Eclectic National Medical Association.
Kent's second wife, Lucy, became ill n 1928. Despite treatment by numerous conventional physicians, her condition continued to deteriorate. After the homœopathic physician, Dr Richard Phelan was called in to see Lucy, she made a dramatic recovery. As a result, Kent decided to study with Phelan. He soon changed his allegiance from eclecticism to homœopathy, convinced that homœopathy was the only therapy that was guided by laws and principles and the only one to address the basic cause of illness.
After a detailed study of Hahnemann's Organon and other works of the new school, Kent completed his conversion to homeopathy. He resigned from the Eclectic Medical Association in 1879 and was appointed to the chair of Anatomy in the Homoeopathic Medical College of Missouri, which he held from 1881 until 1883. He was appointed professor of Materia Medica at the Homœopathic Medical College of St Louis, Missouri in 1883 and held this position until 1888, when he became professor of Materia Medica and Dean of the Post-Graduates' School of Homœopathy at the Hahnemann Medical College (Philadelphia). He also held the chair of professor of Materia Medica at the Hering Medical College and Hospital, Chicago. At this time, Kent's second wife died.
Dr. Kent is regarded as one of the ablest teachers and exponents of the homoeopathic school in America. His contributions to the literature of the profession are widely respected, and include, more prominently, his "Repertory", "Homoeopathic Philosophy" and "Lectures on Materia Medica". He was a member of many American professional associations, including the Illinois State Homoeopathic Medical Society, the American Institute of Homoeopathy and the International Hahnemannian Association. He was also a member of the the British Homoeopathic Medical Society.
The two publications which most reveal Dr. Kent's approach to practice: Lectures on Homœopathic Philosophy and Lectures on Homœopathic Materia Medica, were compiled by Kent's students from notes taken during class lectures.
While on vacation in 1916, Kent's catarrhal bronchitis developed into Brights disease (glomerulonephritis). He died 2 weeks later, on June 6, 1916 at Stevensville, Montana.
Kent was a keen follower of Swedenborg, and a proponent of high potencies (200C and higher). He often prescribed CM and MM potencies. It was his firm belief that the homeopath must treat not only the patient's mental/emotional and spiritual elements but also thephysical body. Hence the emphasis on using the higher potencies.
Kent's well-known Repertory was more systematic and readable than those that preceded it. It is still the popular choice today. Kent introduced "pictures" of constitutional types of patients, i.e.: Sulphur as "the ragged philosopher" etc. His student, Margaret Tyler, developed this idea further in her book, Homeopathic Drug Pictures. The influence and popularity of Kent's interpretation of homeopathic philosophy has steadily increased around the world since his death.
Features of Kent's teaching and practise include:
Kents writings include:
•Repertory of the Homœopathic Materia Medica (first edition 1877).
•What the Doctor Needs to Know in Order to Make a Successful Prescription (1900).
•Lectures on Homœopathic Philosophy (1900).
•Lectures on Homœopathic Materia Medica (1904).
•New Remedies, Clinical Cases, Lesser Writings, Aphorisms and Precepts (1926).