Elliott F. Coues

Elliott F. Coues (September 9, 1842 – December 25, 1899) was an American army surgeon, historian, ornithologist and author.

According to Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett:

Coues, Prof. Elliot F., employed by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., for many years a loyal and active member of the TS. Later he turned hostile and, in 1880, published an article in the New York Sun in which he made an outrageous attack upon the Founders, particularly HPB. She could not let this stand and sued Prof. Coues for $50,000, but died before the suit was finally settled. However, the Sun published a retraction and, when the suit reached the Supreme Court, the attorney for that newspaper confessed complete inability to prove the charges. In 1889, Prof. Coues was expelled from the TS for "untheosophical conduct." ML, p. 475. SH index.

Theosophy

Prof. Coues felt the inadequacy of formal orthodox science in dealing with the deeper problems of human life and destiny, and became interested in Spiritualism and Theosophy.

On June 26, 1884, he met H. S. Olcott in London at Mme. Isabel de Steiger's reception. He also visited Madame Blavatsky while in Europe.

In September 1886, an article published in The World (New York) writes: "In Washington, Prof. Elliott Coues, one of the foremost scientists of the Smithsonian Institution, astonished his friends and the public by declaring his complete acceptance of the ideas and tenets of Theosophy".

He founded the Gnostic Theosophical Society of Washington. He had the ambition to take over the leadership of the American Section but Mme. Blavatsky was against this and supported W. Q. Judge who had been for a number of years the General Secretary.

In 1889 he claimed to be the "Perpetual President of the Esoteric Theosophical Society of America". On May 11, 1889, Prof. Coues published an article in the Religio-Philosophical Journal to discredit Mme. Blavatsky. There, he used as evidence an unsigned and undated note purportedly sent by Mabel Collins in 1885. Blavatsky quickly and vigorously disputed Coues in a letter to Light, written June 1.

On May 14, 1889, H. P. Blavatsky, founder of the Esoteric Section of the T.S. issued a private letter stating that he was not even a member of that Section.

On June 1, 1890, Prof. Coues publishes an article in the New York Sun repeating every slander and gossipy charge that had ever been made against Madame Blavatsky. She brought suit against the Sun for libel. The Sun's lawyers were obliged to confess in open court their inability to prove the charges.

Writings

• Blavatsky Unveiled! by Elliott Coues