eclectic medicine

noun

A branch of American medicine that made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Meanings

nouneclectic medicine (uncountable)
  1. historicaluncountableA branch of American medicine that made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Origin

Coined by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1784–1841), a physician who lived among the Native Americans and observed their use of medicinal plants.

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Cite this entry
APA

eclectic medicine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclectic%20medicine

MLA

“eclectic medicine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclectic%20medicine. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eclectic medicine,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eclectic%20medicine.

Source: eclectic medicine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.