author
J. D. (Jirah Dewey) Buck
1838–1916
A 19th-century American physician and writer, this author moved easily between medicine, spirituality, and reform-minded thought. His work reflects the lively world of homeopathy, Theosophy, and esoteric writing in the United States at the turn of the century.
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About the author
Born in Fredonia, New York, in 1838, Jirah Dewey Buck trained as a homeopathic physician, studying in Chicago and Cleveland before building his medical career in the Midwest. He became known not only as a doctor, but also as a prolific writer interested in health, psychology, religion, and the inner life.
Buck was an early and active figure in the American Theosophical movement. Sources describe him as helping to establish the Cincinnati Theosophical Society and taking part in the growth of the American Section of the Theosophical Society in the 1880s. Alongside this work, he also wrote on Freemasonry and broader spiritual themes, showing how strongly he was drawn to systems that tried to connect science, ethics, and mysticism.
He published books such as A Study of Man and the Way to Health, The Nature and Aim of Theosophy, and Modern World Movements. He died in 1916, leaving behind a body of work that captures a distinctive blend of alternative medicine, metaphysical inquiry, and late-19th-century idealism.