The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-10-06
oplfglRY or porT FOETrR.
aNut.s ronrEn. ". ~


uarnin ihs service as s1rgron ~ Toe bn'
ia ss.ng. dnaag the Uarot thc l1cvoln'mn.
r., suti..rt OF thts urfirr, then aeoni i
,u,ni,. t,rsr.. u.s. TINS aary lri without
a G,s. anng hand and manly guidamo To-
h,s iuftui yrtrs lis m3,hr sfnn rHuHN-
Oh with her two SONS io HalHaN, \. =,
vnere she again hurried and died, leaving
hin ga opnn at tour years uioge. US
sicp-fiihes Immediately placed hm unh"r
she nu3riiinsbip ui 500 81 lpialn, rom
which ums We have n1ihiuc s've ihc m
ference thst 20 he bunl 8nd II righ,-lor-
ward tninner Ga man OF ih't class h. was
indebted ior ihlt scl-relnn-r, practical
rapi ssnee aud integrity whrh have Guar
a,tcrzrd him ia the knowledge OF al OF
~ TO the clt-e Of his hte.
Foo "A period. We know not how long. hc
WIS sent to live with his matcrnli uncle at
Chirlcs,own, y. H., and thence to tins
place at the age Of ten years. Here, for q
iimo. he remained IN The family aud under
the care OF us uncle, Docl. Ezekiel Podei,
whose sturdy character. noble nature nni
pro.r ilonll skill are emincnty hnownto all
who have heard his name.
Here. while living IN quiet anu compare
lively unicsiraincd hoyhood, one OF hose
events occurred, winch Is ever looked back
unon as an eta IN youthful llc-whcn the
ebuhtion OF feeling cNinccs the growing
msn, aud ever mauiicsis itself ~ nnbhlous
independence of though, aud action. At
that early period Of OR existence as state.
few such avouatlous, rs are nj present, we're
thrown open 10 ihe youthful asp'runt to
seek his fortune and the sfA was the
common bout of the young wind. WIN
his IN les consent. with companion or
two, he went 10 sea. whrn about seventeen
years ii age, and made triil ol SAILORS
life ms steward or snpcgcmgo, 10 the
West India Islands. His experience in
this adventure, developed the usual results
of boyisl hopes and anilcipaiinns 10 disap-
poinlmcui, loss lu1 Suffering. The yes
sci in which he embarked his all was cap
tured by French puyaicer, aud IN which
the prlva,lons and lnrdships of himself and
complnloIis, added to their fears OF French
prison, whose horror some OF them had
once experienced, produced an agony
mind eQualled only by their courage, de-
termined character and endurance. They
were afterwards delivered by British YES b
sci, and the American portion OF the prison.
ers sent to Norfolk. DIR. =. soon arrived
at New York reduced to the last extremity
of want, and with but one penny IN his
pocket
Here was another turning point IN the
life of young man, when, lett destitute
iriendless and alone, he Is overcome with
encouragement, temptation ana rum or
the hope before him draws forth the STAN
ina of his mind for future usefulness ana
action. The latter effect was esinced by
these circumstances on the conduct OF Dr.
j. lie returned again TO his adopted place
aud commenced the study OF ms profession
with his uncle and continued II until he
was licensed as physician by the Board
OF Examiners of the Medical Society-
there being theD no Medical College IN
the State. In ISi3, the County Med. Soc.
was incorporated, of which, at the decrease
of Dr.. p. himself and DR.. Dana, OF Bran
don, were the only corporate members IN
pfariice.
The few first years of his professional
life he practised with and under ms uncle
and former patron, who was Tor long time
the principal surgeon in this part oil the
State. During this time when the nephew
was yet young IN his practice, and his sRll-
iu uncle was absent from home and at
that period in the profession when 1t was
rare indeed to find an operative surgeon
IN llle country lIt NbNllS pl' "'n ~"
denly called upon to perform what Is term
ed a capital opcration-iechnically " the
liraurlng of the scmoral artery,"-whlch
nj that carly age, showed n confidence IN
Lis own skill, iirmness and presence OF
mind beyond his years.
The case being one Of life or death. he
promptly answered to the call, aud during
The execution of his new and uni1nd duty,
either the ,ourniquet broke, or the wound
was 100 high on the groin for lis applica-
uon;-it was IN the night and none to call
upon for assistance, when, perhaps, three
pulsations would, by the loss Of blood, at
once have put ont the lilc--he promptly,
with one hand, compressed the artery, and
with the other tied the ligature and the
man was saved. None but a surgeon can
appreciate The boldness aud sail Of such
an operation.
1t is not seldom that incidents oi THIS
kind occur in the profession of the Physlc-
ian. the LAWYER and Statesman, which call
/ for the Highest powers Of mind, courage
and skill which, # appreciated Mt the lime,
are soon forgotten and which, If the same
| had been exhibited in the skiliull General,
| in the battle of nations, by coup Ne man
or skill of strategy, would have achieved Il
| victory aud secured u name.
Afterwards when more advanced IN ms
practice, aud when The epidemic OF lSl2
and 1913 had spread over the country, the
call Of DR.. Clnaveland, whose death is rc-
Gently noticed, 70 Plattsburgh, as surgeon
in the regiment, left Dr.. Porter alone Ia
contend with the fatal disease which was
sweeping away iis hundreds 10 a sudde
grave; he alone discharged the duties dc
volyng upon him with singular fearless
ness, endurance and ability. The extent
of the country, the scarcity of phyiieiinS-
and the amount OF labor should not be
left unconsidered ~ the estimation OF
his untlrlng efforts and unreiaitted labors-
in DAYS and nights of absence irom his
home, 10 the neglect Of his own safety and
the prccanouS health Of hi' family. It's
skill increased pqpi passU with IA. expert
ence aud practice, 50 that, as remarked ny
one Of hls professional contemp0rarles- -
"mluy regarded the young Doctor as llie
more safe aud ssiliul operator, and consid'
cred him much the more siIcnlihc Hnt
thorough in his readings"
His operations 10 the most nnporian
cases. were 50 emnently sncc'calul' ma
professors OF Medical lnsuiuiion', whicl
..-hid sftereards sprung into being, consult
ed l6m upin his method and prl'-tlre. Blu
one only OF his many operations ~ trepln
mag The skull failed Of success. Wihln
few years, an old nan from distance cal
cd on DR.. r., aud asked # he had iofgoitel
him and his case, at the same time sho"
ing HIN his had, which the DR.. had sue
,-essiuliy trepanned, but had forgotten ia
fact from the time which bad elapsed. A"
AN now going" said he, " 10 the Far w ~
to leave ihis county, these hills and thcs
valleys forever, bui could not leave all BE-
hind without seeing onne more the face O
,hs Old D. TOD who had saved my life"
Tbeoe Is no m,n perhaps IN the eounir
sr1unl Us who personally has met with b
many losses IA the destruction Of bis proc
COY BIZ Ere as d.. P.-yei from nll be ha