Sugar Pills? Investigating Humphreys’ Homeopathic Specifics: Utilizing Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for an In-Depth Look at Nineteenth-Century American Homeopathy

Abstract

Frederick K. Humphreys founded the Humphreys’ Homeopathic Medicine Company in the mid-19th century during the rise of greater acceptance and popularity of homeopathy in the United States, rivaling that of orthodox medicine. The relatively high cost and low success rate of traditional practices furthered the popularity of homeopathic medicine, despite claims of false advertising and criticisms found scattered within many patient success stories. In an effort to better understand the ingredients used in these popular homeopathic remedies, while determining the validity of Humphreys’ treatments marketed by specific illness, the components of each were identified using mass spectrometry (MS) techniques.