James Martin Peebles

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James Martin Peebles, Jr
Born(1822-03-23)March 23, 1822
Whitingham, Vermont
DiedFebruary 15, 1922(1922-02-15) (aged 99)
Los Angeles, California
Occupation(s)Physician (fraudulent degree & 1903 fed. conviction mail fraud for psychic healing business), writer, spiritualist preacher, self-proclaimed Christ, travelogue speaker

James Martin Peebles (March 23, 1822 – February 15, 1922) was an American physician, prolific author and organizer of many professional, medical, and psychic/spiritualist religious associations.

Biography[edit]

Peebles was born in Whitingham, Vermont.[1] Peebles was a member of the Indian Peace Commission of 1868, United States Consul at Trebizond, Turkey, and representative of the American Arbitration League at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. A former Universalist minister, he became an Episcopalian after the American Civil War, and then a Spiritualist and Theosophist. Many of his books are on spiritualist subjects, although he also penned a quite popular book, titled How to Live a Century and Grow Old Gracefully.[2][3][4]

Peebles obtained a diploma in 1876 from the fraudulent Philadelphia University of Medicine and Surgery.[5][6][7] He obtained a Doctor of Philosophy from the Medical University of Chicago in 1882.[1][8] He was a professor in the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati.[3]

A few organizations Peebles took a leadership role in are the National Spiritualist Association, the California College of Sciences, the Peebles College of Science and Philosophy, the California Centenarian Club, and the California Humanitarian League. Peebles was an opponent of vaccination and vivisection.[1] He authored Vaccination a Curse and a Menace to Personal Liberty in 1900.[9] He was editor of the monthly magazine Temple of Health and Psychic Review.[1]

Peebles was influenced by Sylvester Graham and opposed the consumption of alcohol, coffee, meat, tea and tobacco.[10] He was a vegetarianism activist and contributed articles to The Vegetarian Magazine. His diet was ovo-lacto vegetarian, he ate butter, cheese, eggs, milk, fruits, nuts and vegetables.[11]

Peebles was married to Mary M. Conkey, and they had three children, none of whom lived past infancy.

Quackery[edit]

Peebles Epilepsy Remedy

He was the chairman of Peebles' Institute of Health in Battle Creek, Michigan. In reality, it was nothing more than a mail order scam business. There was no inpatient treatment center, it was a small office located above a cigar store. He advertised that if one would send in their money and symptoms, he would mail them a diagnosis and send them miracle medicine cures. His claim was that with his psychic voices and his powers equal to Christ, he did not need to see them. The institute sold a dubious "epilepsy cure", which medical experts considered quackery.[5][12][13] His epilepsy remedy was examined by the American Medical Association's chemical laboratory which revealed it was made from "mainly a hydro-alcoholic solution of extractives with flavouring."[5] The "indiscriminate use" of bromides was considered dangerous to epileptics.[12] In Feb. 16, 1903, the Detroit Free Press published his conviction in the case of United States of America vs James M. Peebles et al, for illegal use of the U.S. Mail in a psychic healing business based in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Peebles also set up psychic healing institutes in California, New Jersey and Texas.[6]

Bibliography (partial)[edit]

J. M. Peebles, from Spiritual Pilgrim 1872
  • 1898 Three Journeys around the World, or, Travels in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon, India, Egypt and Other Oriental Countries. Boston: Banner of Light Publishing Co.
  • 1899 Spiritualism in All Lands and Times: Address to the International Congress of Spiritualists, Held in London, June, 1898. Battle Creek, Mich.: Drs. Peebles & Burroughs.
  • 1900 Priest-Rejected Proofs of Immortality: Its Naturalness, Its Possibilities, and Now-a-Day Evidences Refused a Hearing by Rev. Canon Girdlestone and Other Churchmen Connected with the Victoria Institute and Philosophical Society of Great Britain. Battle Creek, Mich.: Published by the author.
  • 1902 A Series of Seven Essays Upon Spiritualism Vs. Materialism, Appearing in the Free-Thought Magazine. Battle Creek, Mich.: Dr. Peebles Institute of Health Publishing Co.
  • 1902 The Eightieth Birthday Anniversary of Dr. J.M. Peebles: Celebrated in Melbourne, Australia, and Printed in Part in W.H. Terry's Harbinger of Light (April and May 1902): With an Essay on How I Am Living to Live a Century. London: Published at the office of Light.
  • 1903 The First Epistle of Dr. Peebles to His Seventh Day Adventist Critics. Battle Creek, Mich.: Dr. Peebles Institute of Health.
  • 1904 Reincarnation, or, the Doctrine of the "Soul's" Successive Embodiments: Examined and Discussed Pro and Con. Battle Creek, Mich.: Peebles Medical Institute.
  • 1905 The Demonism of the Ages : Spirit Obsessions, So Common in Spiritism, Oriental and Occidental Occultism. 3rd ed. Battle Creek, Mich.: Peebles Medical Institute.
  • 1905 Vaccination a Curse and a Menace to Personal Liberty, with Statistics Showing Its Dangers and Criminality. Battle Creek, Michigan.
  • 1906 The Spirit's Pathway Traced; Did It Pre-Exist and Does It Reincarnate Again into Mortal Life? Battle Creek, Michigan,: Dr. Peebles Institute of Health.
  • 1909 Spirit Mates, Their Origin and Destiny, Sex-Life, Marriage, Divorce. Battle Creek, Michigan: Peebles' Publishing Company.
  • 1910 Five Journeys around the World. Battle Creek, Michigan,: Peebles Publishing Company.
  • 1910 What Is Spiritualism? Who Are These Spiritualists? And What Can Spiritualism Do for the World? 5th ed. Battle Creek, Michigan: Peebles Publishing Company.
  • 1912 Death Defeated, or, the Psychic Secret of How to Keep Young. 5th ed. Los Angeles: Peebles Publishing Company.
  • n.d. with Henry A. Hartt, The Pro and Con of Spiritualism. Boston, Mass.: Banner of Light Publishing Company.
  • 1970, Reverent William Rainen published his channeled messages from Dr. Peebles through his own publications in the 60's, 70's and later was a major contributor for a monthly magazine called, 'Spirit Speaks,' along with other famous names during that time frame. William channeled Dr. Peebles for decades, and taught many how to raise their vibration and communicate with Dr. Peebles too. Thomas Jacobson was one of his students who later became known when his journey was documented in to Dance with Angles. Others have followed since. Rev. Rainen also lectured on these same principles in the US, and abroad.
  • 1990, Don Pendleton, and Linda Pendleton, To Dance with Angels : An Amazing Journey to the Heart with the Phenomenal Thomas Jacobson and the Grand Spirit, Dr. Peebles. N.Y.: Kensington Books. 5th edition, CA: Pendleton Artists (Book is written by Don and Linda Pendleton. Includes channeled material from Dr. Peebles, channeled through mediumship of Thomas Jacobson).
  • 2012, Three Principles of Angelic Wisdom, The Spiritual Psychology of the Grand Spirit Dr. Peebles by Linda Pendleton. CA: Pendleton Artists. Biographical information on Dr. James Martin Peebles.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Guinn, James Miller. (1915). A History of California and an Extended History of Los Angeles and Environs, Volume 3. Historic Record Company. pp. 527-533
  2. ^ James Peebles (1884) How to Live a Century and Grow Old Gracefully, M. L. Holbrook & Co., New York
  3. ^ a b "Lives Only Days Short of Century" (Feb 16, 1922) Los Angeles Times
  4. ^ Joseph Osgood Barrett (1872) Spiritual Pilgrim: A Biography of James M. Peebles, Boston: William White and Company
  5. ^ a b c Cramp, Arthur J. (1921). Nostrums and Quackery: Articles on the Nostrum Evil, Quackery and Allied Matters Affecting the Public Health, Volume 2. Press of American Medical Association. pp. 148-150
  6. ^ a b Massie, Larry B; Schmitt, Peter J. (1984). Battle Creek, the Place Behind the Products: An Illustrated Business History. Windsor Publications. p. 62. ISBN 0-89781-117-8 "He paused from his travels to pick up a quick diploma from the fraudulent Philadelphia University of Medicine and Surgery in 1876. Dr. Peebles then bounced around the country, setting up psychic healing institutes at Hammonton, New Jersey, San Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, California."
  7. ^ "Ludwig Bruck's List of Unregistered Practitioners". "Philadelphia University of Medicine and Surgery (Philadelphia, Pa.) Fraudulent institution. Extinct."
  8. ^ Lowe, Berenice Bryant. (1976). Tales of Battle Creek. Albert L. and Louise B. Miller Foundation. p. 71
  9. ^ Buescher, John Benedict. (2006). The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land. University of Notre Dame Press. p. 335. ISBN 978-0268022006 "Many American spiritualists were also active anti-vaccinationists — see, for example, James Martin Peebles, Vaccination a Curse and a Menace to Personal Liberty, with Statistics Showing Its Dangers and Criminality."
  10. ^ Wilson, Brian C. (2014). Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and the Religion of Biologic Living. Indiana University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-253-01447-4
  11. ^ Anonymous. (1897). James M. Peebles, A.M., M.D. Food, Home and Garden 1 (12): 179-180.
  12. ^ a b Anonymous. (1915). Dr. Peebles Institute of Health: A Fraudulent and Dangerous "Cure" for Epilepsy. Journal of the American Medical Association 64 (5): 455-456.
  13. ^ "Ads and Labels From Early 20th-Century Health Fraud Promotions". AMA Journal of Ethics.

Further reading[edit]

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