February 16

Originally trained as a clockmaker, Quimby studied mesmerism and developed theories on the mind’s role in health and disease. He observed that patient beliefs and suggestions could produce rapid cures of physical symptoms, founding a practice he called mental healing. At his clinic in Portland, Maine, he treated numerous patients and documented his methods in case studies. Quimby published Healing by Mind, laying out his philosophical framework that the mind influences bodily processes. His ideas influenced later figures such as Mary Baker Eddy and the founders of Christian Science. Despite controversy from medical circles, his work laid the groundwork for holistic and mind-body approaches in healing practices.