Sue Young Histories

David Griffiths Jones 1820 - 1895

March 24, 2010

David Griffiths Jones ?1820 - ?1895 MDP 1847, MRCS England 1847, MA Paris, MD Aberdeen Marischall College 1853, was a British orthodox physician, Assistant Physician University College London, Assistant Surgeon Hotel Dieu during the Revolution of Feby, Physician to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Red Lion Square, Fellow of the Society of  de Guillaume Dupuytren, Member of the Societe Medical de Paris, President of the English Medical Society in Paris, who converted to homeopathy, Physician at the London Homeopathic Hospital, Physician at the Soho Homeopathic Dispensary,

Griffiths Jones was a vegetarian who practiced at 14 Harrington Square, London, where he ran a hydrohomeopathic establishment,

In 1857, Griffiths Jones had a patent on a product called Axtramankaz (a farinaceous substitute for cod liver oil), and a business partner (Mr. George) who was engaged to lecture on the Chemistry of Food at Griffiths Jones establishment. After a year this arrangement broke down over a money transaction, and it was alleged that Griffiths Jones  hired a gang of over 20 men to ‘visit’ the home of Mr. George who soundly assaulted him. Griffiths Jones was convicted of this assault.

In 1861, Griffiths Jones was charged with forging the will of a Mrs. Bellis (Mrs. Capel), a lodger at a boarding house. Mrs. Capel apparently asked Griffiths Jones to take her to his home in Woburn Place as she knew she was dying, and he finally consented. Witnesses including Mr. Fitch the solicitor, agreed that she had consented to Griffiths Jones drawing up a list of her belongings and that he had insisted on sending for a solicitor to make her will.

Several witnesses, including Mr. Fitch the solicitor, were in the room at the time and noted that she had asked Griffiths Jones to help her make her signature. She died in the early hours the next morning, and it was attested that she received no medications from Griffiths Jones as ’she did not believe in homeopathy‘.

Griffiths Jones explained at his trial that he ran an establishment at 449 New Oxford Street, where he sold Axtramankaz (a farinaceous substitute for cod liver oil), and that he had taken out a patent on this product. This business was sold in 1857 after the action brought by his ex partner Mr. George, and that Axtramankaz is sold in many wholesale chemists.Griffiths Jones explained that he had lectured widely on homeopathy and hydrotherapy,

The Court refused to believe Griffiths Jones’s testimony that he attended for examinations at Marischal College in Aberdeen for his examinations and he was convicted (this is despite the fact that the Royal College of Surgeons had him registered on its list of members), and no other evidence was taken into account.

In 1866, Griffiths Jones was stuck off the membership register of the MRCS,

In 1874, Griffiths Jones was imprisoned due to a death alleged to be caused by homeopathy, and on his release he moved to Kensington where he continued to practice homeopathy,

Early homeopaths paid a terrible price for their convictions!

| Griffiths Jones wrote Alleged death from homeopathy. Persecution and imprisonment of Dr. Griffiths Jones, Why the clergy advocate homeopathy, Cholera chemically considered, Thesis on Diseases of the Heart, Difficult Labour with Craniotomy, On the Impropriety of Craniotomy, Diseases of the bladder and prostate, cured by a new discovery, [Diseases of the Bladder and Prostate and Obscure Affections of the Urinary Organs](http://www.holisticpage.com.au/DiseasesOfTheBladderAndProstateAndObscureAffectionsOfTheUrinaryOrgans\_DavidGriffithsJones | 9781150549557), |

Of interest:

David Jones (?-?) MD was also a client of Elizabeth (Eliza) Hetty Hall Wagstaff (David Jones, The autobiography of David Jones, with an exposition of medical politics and sidelights on the medical profession: Some facts about homœopathy, mesmerism, local treatment, and the author’s notable discovery of the spray remedy, curing bladder and prostate diseases in cases regarded as incurable, (Mitchell, 1907). Page 37). [NB: David Jones was an orthodox physician who converted to homeopathy and paid the usual price of censure in The Lancet!! ‘… The complaint has relation to the medical practice carried on by an unregistered person named David Jones at 15, Welbeck-street, and 10, Dean-street. Soho, and by the complaint it is alleged” 1. That (i. G. Jones, being a duly qualified… Gordon Griffiths Jones of 15 Welbeck Street, London, registered in England June 18th 1883, as Lic. Fac. Phys. Surg. Glasgow 1883 and Lic. R Coll. Phys. Edinburg 1883… ’ (Thomas Wakley, The Lancet, Volume 1, (J. Onwhyn, 1896). Page 1683)…’]


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