In Russell's day medical practice in the USA was divided into several strands: Ecclectic, Homeopathic, Allopathic [today's MDs, the term is now considered pejorative], and Herbal. Barbour was an 'electric physician.' This was seen as valid medical treatment in that era; several of Barbour's advertisements for his medical practice exist. Russell was attracted to advice from all of these.
In Russell's day, the allopathic doctors were the ones who were supported by the American Medical Association. Doctors that were osteopaths, chiropractors, herbal, eccletic, etc, were not considered legitimate medical practitioners by the AMA.
Russell was attracted to "alternative" medical practitioners. He had many followers who were chiropractors and osteopaths. At that time in history, the AMA did not recognize them as "doctors" per se, in spite of them having "dr" in front of their names. They were not licensed by the AMA. It would take many decades and lots of legal battles before chiros and osteopaths were recognized as legitimate medical practitioners - I believe it was well into the 70s before osteopaths could be licensed in California, for example.
I guess I should have said this in my earlier post: Russell was anti-AMA, along with many of his followers. They sought out alternative medical treatment. They were in opposition to the American Medical Association.
In the Russell v. Russell transcript he talks about treating members of the Bethel staff with remedies. These were derived from physician-authored books such as R. V. Pierce's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English; or Medicine Simplified. These were printed by the hundreds and advice from them appeared in almanacs. Russell did not reject medical practice.
R.V.Pierce. Quack doctor. Russell did not reject medical practice - he embraced quack medicine.
Dr Ray Vaughn Pierce (pictured, courtesy of Project Gutenberg) was an über-quack whose laboratory in Buffalo, NY, produced millions of dollars worth of patent remedies. As well as the Pleasant Pellets shown below, there were Dr Pierce’s Anuric Tablets, Dr Pierce’s Favorite Prescription, Dr Pierce’s Vaginal Tablets, Dr Pierce’s Extract of Smart-Weed and Dr Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery – a licorice-flavoured tonic that reportedly contained quinine, opium and alcohol and was advertised as giving men “an appetite like a cow-boy’s and the digestion of an ostrich.”
Pierce ran an opulent hotel for invalids, the first incarnation of which burnt down in 1881. The rebuilt hotel is said to have included among its guests the Sundance Kid and Etta Place in 1901.
His company, the World’s Dispensary Medical Association, gave away freebies such as calendars and notebooks to advertise the products, and Pierce’s own book, The People’s Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English, was a vehicle for recommending his own medicines. As well as the laboratory in Buffalo, the company had a British branch at Great Russell Street, London.
Dr Pierce was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1878 and served one term. After his death in 1914 his son, Dr Valentine Mott Pierce, continued the business and Pierce products were still available as late as the 1970s.
https://thequackdoctor.com/index.php/dr-pierces-pleasant-pellets/
and more about the so-called 'doctor' (physician??):
https://www.csicop.org/sb/show/dr._pierce_medicine_for_weak_women
The man who became one of the greatest sellers of nostrums in America was Buffalo’s Ray Vaughn Pierce (1840–1914).
Pierce parlayed an off-beat medical degree into a quackery empire that included an Invalids’ Hotel. His World’s Dispensary Medical Association endlessly dispensed Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery and a host of other elixirs, copies of his medical tome (The People’s Common Sense Medical Adviser [1888]), and a profusion of advertising giveaways. (See the Nickell Collection of Dr. R.V. Pierce Medical Artifacts, part of the New York state digital repository initiative, posted by CFI Libraries Director Tim Binga.1)