James Richard Cocke (1863 – April 12, 1900), who had been blind since infancy, was an American physician, homeopath, and a pioneer hypnotherapist. [edit] Early life He was born in the South of the United States, and had been totally blind since he was an infant.[1] His sight had been completely destroyed when acid was accidentally applied to his eyes when he was just three weeks old.[2] He moved to Boston around 1885.[3] He was considered to be "highly educated"; and, despite his total blindness, "was able to go around the city at will", and "could play a piano with much skill":[4] - "Dr. James P.[sic] Cocke of Boston, though blind, is one of the most enthusiastic bicycle riders. He rides a duplicate with Mrs. Cocke."[5]
[edit] Marriages Once he had moved to Boston, he married a Mrs. Green of Springfield, Massachusetts: - "They did not live long together, and at a subsequent court trial it was proved that before getting a divorce Cocke married a Miss Townsend of Hartford, Conn. His second wife left him, and in the resulting litigation Cocke lost all his money, his standing as a physician, and came so near losing his mind that he was confined for a time in a city institution in Boston Harbor. Four months ago [viz., December 1899] he returned to the city [of Boston] and married a Miss Carlotta Harrington of Ohio…"[6]
Miss Harrington, aged 23, was a medical student, and had been acting as Cocke’s amanuensis. They had only been married for about seven weeks at the time of Cocke’s suicide in April 1900.[7] [edit] Medical career Having moved to Boston around 1885, he graduated M.D. from Boston University in June 1892, "having completed the full course of study [including performing dissections], with an average percentage of 96 for the three years".[8] He was the first blind person to do so.[9] He was a member of the Medico-Legal Society of New York. Although he studied homeopathy for a time, he made his mark as a student of hypnotism, and as a successful hypnotherapist. He wrote an important text-book on hypnotism in 1894. He was found dead by his wife on 12 April 1900, with a pistol placed in his mouth and a bullet in the back of his head.[10] The coroner’s verdict was suicide.[11] - Cocke, J.R., Blind Leaders of the Blind: The Romance of a Blind Lawyer, Lee and Shepard, (Boston), 1896.
- Cocke, J.R., Hypnotism: How it is Done; Its Uses and Dangers, Arena Publishing Co., (Boston), 1894.
- Cocke, J.R., "Methods of Inducing Hypnotism", Current Literature, Vol.17, No.5, (May 1895), pp.443-444.
- Cocke, J.R., "The Power of the Mind as a Remedial Agent in the Cure of Disease", The Arena, Vol.9, No.6, (May 1894), pp.746-757.
- Cocke, J.R., "The Practical Application of Hypnotism in Modern Medicine", The Arena, Vol.9, No.1, (December 1893), pp.73-80.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 30 November 1896.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 2 January 1897.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 13 April 1900.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 13 April 1900.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 6 August 1896.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 13 April 1900.
- ^ The New York Times, 13 April 1900.
- ^ The Washington Post, 12 June 1892.
- ^ The Washington Post, 12 June 1892.
- ^ The Chicago Tribune, 13 April 1900.
- ^ The New York Times, 14 April 1900.
[edit] References - Anon, "A Blind Graduate in Medicine; Wonderful Record of Dr. Cocke, of Boston University School", The Washington Post, No.5164, (12 June 1892), p.16, col.B.
- Anon, "Blind Doctor Makes an X Ray Test", The Chicago Tribune, Vol.55, No.335, (30 November 1896), p.7, col.F.
- Anon, "Blind Doctor’s Death ", The New York Times, Vol.49, No.15682, (13 April 1900), p.3, col.D.
- Anon, "Dr. Cocke Unknown at Russian Embassy", The New York Times, Vol.49, No.15684, (15 April 1900), p.5, col.B.
- Anon, "Dr. Cocke’s Case Probably Suicidal", The New York Times, Vol.49, No.15683, (14 April 1900), p.5, col.E.
- Anon, "Hypnotism Put on Trial: Dr. James Cocke of Boston was the Operator", The New York Times, Vol.48, No.14210, (5 March 1897), p.4, col.G.
- Anon, "Personal", The Chicago Tribune, Vol.55, No.223, (6 August 1896), p.6, col.F.
- Anon, "Personal", The Chicago Tribune, Vol.51, No.160, (8 June 1892), p.12, col.F.
- Anon, "Remarkable Blind Man Dead", The Chicago Tribune, Vol.59, No.103, (13 April 1900), p.1.
- Anon, "Wonderful X Ray Tests", The Chicago Tribune, Vol.56, No.2, (2 January 1897), p.14, col.C.
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