Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-09-15

article, was well known in this plscc, having
been several years resident here-and was
: much esteemed fot his 0mablo and intellect.
! ual character and his professional acquire.
ments.
NEUROLOGICAL NOTICE OF
DIR. RALPH GOWDEY.
prepared for the Boston Med. and Sur. Jour. }
Society is seldom called 10 mourn
the death of an individual whose loss
will be more felt than that of him who
is the subject of this memoir. As n
man, physician, and friend, DR..
Gowdey was most esteemed by those
by whom he was best known.
At an early age he received the LIT,
crary bonors of Middlebury College.
Soon after the completion of his Cole
giate course, he repaired 10 the State
of Georgia where he was engaged for
several years as an instructor. The
climate, however, having ultimately an
uniavorable effect upon his health, he
returned TO Vermont, and shortly after
commenced The study ofmed cine. In
Z
of Doctor of Medicine. Soon after
4 this he commenced the practice of
! Physic in Rutland. Vermont, where
4 he continued till the close of the year
/ 1928, when he removed TO Mddlebury,
\ his native place. From this time till
his death he steadily gained the conf
dence of the community as an honest
man and good physician.
As a scholar DIR. Cooley ranked
high. His mind was well Gu ltivated
and properly balanced. In his de-
pertinent he was gentlcmahly, unassu-
ming and unoflicious. He read much.
4 he reflected much, and remembered
| what he read. In ordinary conyersa-
4 tioD he was affabic, Intelligent and in
tcrestiisg, SO That a person could rarely
bein his society for any considerable
asiis OUT bseemlag gisrss!sd It'd snsl
debate lie had no relish.
Al an early period Of his professions
al course he may have been influenced
to considerable degree by certain
specious and promising theories, ar
IDENTITY advoc ated at some of our medi-
cal schools, but his natural and discrIm-
mating mind aided by experience and
observation enabled him TO discern their
falacies. This circumstance, in lieu
Of giving him disgust and a disrelish
for medical literature, as it has often
done others, served TO give an augment
ed impulse to his energies He was
led the more carefully TO examine au-
thorities and ponder them in his own
mind more thoroughly. And hence,
his professional opinions were based
on sound pathological principles. Being
thus formed they were entitled TO re-
spect and attention. He was strictly
a pathological mol a routine Practitioner
He was well acquainted with mod
ern pathology and with the general
circle of medical sciences. And ifthe
inscrutable hand of Providence had
not prevented, he would unquestiona-
bly, have given full assurance that his
recent appointment to an important
professorship in the Vermont Academy
of Medicine had been judiciousl y made.
He professed more than an ordinary
taste for the study Of intellectual PHI
( losophy. To this science he devoted
considerable attention and upon this
subject he has left several essays I'M
4 published. The direct tendency which
phrenology has to explain the history
Of the mind led him to cultivate this
science also with much interest. Upon
this subiecta considerable number OF
papers have been published generally
known 10 have been bis productions.
IA his intercourse with his medical
brethren, he was frank and honorable.
This secured for him the universal re
spect of the profession. The estima-
tion in which he was.holden by the
public was eyinced by his being twice
elected member Of the general Assem-
bly Of the State without any solcita-
ton or management Of his own. On
this occasion he was selected because
he was the least Objectionable aud
most popular. Office he sought not
but Office sought him. As a iegisia-
tor he more than cqualled the e1pcc-
tations of his constituents. Ills quail
fcaiions for a Statesman are clearly
shown by 'tbc journals Of the sessions
Of the general Assembly Of Vermont
for the years 1888 and 1880. No ex-
captions ought 10 be taken and il IS
certainly no disparagemeni 70 any one
10 say that some 81 the most important