Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-12-29
FIRST EDITION.
The early Physicians OF Dsla,yar.


sKEroHEs OF SOME OF THEIR LIVES, WITH THEIR
LocArIoNs FOR PRAoTIcE-A VALUABLE PAGE
FROM EARLY HfsToRY
Joseph NJ. Toner NJ. D., OF Washington, ID. O.,
has contributed to the ''Annals of Medical Pro-
gress and Medical Education in the United
states," valuable paper which gives a brief
sketch of many of the prominent physcians who
lived in the several States prior to and during
the War Of Independence. The following is his
reference to the early practitioners in Delaware :
Henry Flake, native of Ireland, immgrated
to America and settled to practise medicine at
Lewes, Del, where he died 17i8. His practice
was extensive and lucrative, he often being
sent for in Maryland and Pennsylvania. He
had a taste for agriculture and horticulture and
exercised good iuhuence over his section by
giving practical examples OF improvements. go
that hl5 place was called by his neighbors Z" Par
uiise"
Charles Rdgely, native Of Dover, Del, who,
after acquiring proficiency in medicine settled
to practice in 1853, died November rs, 1885,
aged IL. lie was not only good physician. but
waa possessed of a vast fund of knowledge in al
most everything that related to the well being OF
man. He was frequently sent to the legislature
Some years before the Revolution ho was judge
Of Kent County was a member of tho commit
toe that framed the new constitution, in 1776
| for the State of Delaware.
Matthew Wilson, native Of Chester County,
Pa, was practitioner of medicine III Lewes,
/ Del, for many years. He studied both medicine
and theology, and died 1890 aged Gl He WAS
man of active brain, a thorough scholar, and an
iniated by benevolent impulses through life
was an ardent patriot, and spoke with effect
| against the stamp-aet. He contributed many
alphabet which was never published " The
| history of malignant fever which prevailed in
Sussex County, Del, in 177i, &c.
John Mchlnly, native of Ireland was we'll
! educated physician who settled and practced his
| profession with SUCCESS at Wilmington, Del. He
was held in great esteem by the community
was the first governor of the State under the
new constitution. He died August 81, 1896
aged ".
Edward Miller was native of Delaware but
in 1895 removed 10 the city OF New York. lie
studied medicine with DIR. Charles Rdgely and
attend ed lectures at the University of Pennsyl
vania was a surgeons nate in tile Revolution
nearly a year, in the large hospital at Baskin
ridge, N. D., and was surgeon for some time oil
vessel employed as cruiser aud bringing dis
patches to France. In 1913, when yellow fevel
was epidemic in Philadelphia, he wrote to DIR
Rush, presenting tn theory of the domestic ori
gin. In 1886 with DR.. Elihu IL. Smith ant
DR. Mitchell, he projected the publication o.
the Medical Repository, the first medical journa
| in America, He was a member Of nearly all thi
learned societies of the day and was one Of th
ableat medical men in the country. He died o
typhus pneumonia March II, 1872, aged ~.
George Monro, . native OF New Castle, Del.
was Il physician OF note in Wilmington durini
the close OF the last century He died Octobe
IL, 1919, aged 50. Towards the termination o
the war he was surgeon IN one of the Yneini
regiments.
James Sykes, native Of Dover, Kent County
Del. practlsed medicine iii the same place wit
SUCCESS during life, dying October Is, 1922
aged 81. He studied medicine with DR. Clayton
OF Bohemia Manor. He was very popular sur
geou aud certainly q successfn llthOtomist. j
1911 Ao renayel TO Now York, but in a fe'
years returned his native town. He was pres
ident OF tho State Medical Society and for nea'
ly fifteen years Was State SENATOR
George Stevenson, surgeon of tho ReNolu
ton, practised with great reputc. He was
member OF the Society OF Glncinnati. He do'
in Wilmington, Del, May l5, 1929 aged CD.
james Jones was a surgeon in the Revolution
airy war. He studied and practIsed his profef
sion in Duck Creek Hundred, where he die
April 30, 1880, aged "a.
John Miller, a native of Dover, Del, SUI
geon in the Revolutionary war; died February
, 2S l777, aged % years
The early medical history of Delaware is muc
merged into that of Maryland aud Pennsylyanis
as the visits Of the physleians of the lat
ter States often extended into the former
, Doubtless one Of tho most prominent medlca
, men of the State was James lllton. VINO wa
born in Kent County, June |. 174j. Having re
, ceived preliminary classical education, lie ell
tered the medical school at Philadelphia. and !
, It'll obtained the degree of Nj. d., being mem
! ber OF the first graduating class of that Insult
tion and having received the bachelors degre
in l7GS.
In l776 he entered the army as a surgeon bu
was soon promoted to the hospital department
. in which lie served till the close of the war. l
1885 lie was made commissioner of loans, and a
the breaking-out of the war of 1872 was appoin
c ed physician and Surgeon General of the Arml
, He was also member of the Congress sitting t
4 Philadelphia. lie died near Wilmington, Ma
IA, 1922. Seven years previous (whe
o ut the age of 7O) he had his leg amputated o
= account OF disease Of the knee JOINT.
u Roubon Glider and Henry Latimer, of th
3 State, served as surgeons in the Continent
: Army, and John b. Cutting az apothecary Ih
I last named died February g. 1881, IN the Distri'
II of Columbia.
o Joshua Clayton, a native of Delaware, died {
IA yellow fever in 1893 at an advanced age.
3 was an Intelligent physician and most exen
9 plary citizen. During the revolutionary wa
J. when Peruvian bark was scarce, he wa
Q led to use combination of the bark {
d the poplar (Lirod.ndrOn) and the do
Is wood (Cor1tas .tJrtdd) as a substitute, aud W.
good results he thought. He was president OF u
o State for many years. and afrer tho war and u
IL adoption of the Constitution, was chosen COVE
l. nor lie was also United States Senator
r -------------------------