New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-19
GENERAL GRANTS DOCTOR
HIS HEROIC AND SELF-SACRIFTCN0
CAREER.
THE GREAT WARRIORS TESTIMONY REeAzo.
ING HIS PHYSICIAN.

you greatly pleased the friends Of Dr. j. H. Douglas
by your very prompt insertion in next mornings
issue Of The Tribune Of my letter Of the 7th inst.
II is to be regretted that portion Of the press
should apparently prefer to provoke antagonist
rather than to invoke aid where 1t is needed for .
most worthy object. would II not be better 70
turn to the current published record Of the DOCTORS
attendance on General Grant. during the memorable
months at Mount McGregor. and that which has been
placed in more permanent shape since. instead Oh
reporting and perhaps cxaggerating the remarks OF
his distinguished patients widow-whose opinions.
by the way, medical points more valuable
than any other laywoman's or than mine or any
other layman'sl For instance. why should any one
raise the question Was DR.. Douglass attendance.
long continued, constant and devoted IL was
Rally Of benefit TO the GenerslGS when the following
testimony from the patient himself may be In
fac-simile In The Century" magazine under date,
l am told, OF November. 1850, to wit:
Il think the chances very decidedly In favor
Of your being able keep alive until tho change
OF weather toward winter. OF course there con-
ungencics that might arise at any time. that would
carry me off very suddenly. The most probable
of these Is choking Under the circumstances, life
is not worth the living 1 very thankful tc hayo
been spared this long, because 1t has enabled me
practically to complete the work in which take
much interest" Further he says: "As
have stated an. thenlNul for the Providentia ex-
tension Of my time to enable me to continue my
work. am further thankful and In a much greater
degree thankful because 1t has enabled me to see
for myself the happy harmony which so suddenly
sprung up between those engaged but few short
years ago in deadly conflict SO TO you and your
colleagues acknowledge my Indebtedness for having
brought me through the Valley Of the Shadow Of
Death to enable me TO witness these things" In
another note the General says TO Dr. Douglas: "T
do not want any physician but yourself but tell
You so that, If you are unwilling to have me go
without consultation with other professional men.
you send for them.s
These letters express, do Others General Grants
confidence In, esteem for and gratitude toward DR..
Douglas.
To the question, Did Dr. Douglas suffer in health
and practice from his long attendance on General
Grant - answer by quoting as follows from The
Boston Post" Of August 10, 1885:
al have seen,' says a correspondent, a great de0
of DR.. Douglas in the last fortnight both here New.
York; and at Mt. McGregor He has aged since NEE
him last beforean interval Of less than ten months
lie is with long watching and little lonely ana
distracted with the loss Of the he had grown To
love with the tenderness SURPRISING the love Of women
He is but sixty0ne years Of age and in the full prime
of fes mdafternoon. but he has walked through the
valley of the shadow of death with dear General.
and he shows it,
ANY one who has had long and close relations with
Dr. Douglas land mine have lasted for very nearly
thirty years. must be struck with hs-to me unknown
perception of the truth that Though
the Doctors intellect is OF the fullest and most msscu
line type his heart that OF And IL he had
not been so endowed he could not have organized ana
manipulated at the front and in the hospital the de-
voted service rendered to the sick and wounded by tho
medical staff and the nurses of the Sanitary Commits
sion within his successfully assigned fields OF its omni-
present mlnstration 1t doubtless General GRANTS
perception of this trait in the Doctor when they first
met in the early part Of the Civil War; during one OF
tba WoctH dn not
and my Sanitary Commission library is not at hand at
this momentl which led to their appreciation OF each
others qualities and whicas the Doctors intimates
find no difficulty in belieying-led to Douglass nhai
conservation OF health strength and prac
tce TO the distinguished historical parsonage VINO ias
cinated both his intellect and his aecuon, ano 70 svs
TO whom even brief extension of life and consequent
opportunity to finish his biography ne considefeo
duty paramount to any personal one
And a complete sefconsecraton IL was for the faco
romans that he has never then been physically
able to resume his practice lie made ehorts 10 no "
for his family's sake, but was utterly unable. was
myself when he left for Mount McGregor, patient OF
he and on his retnrn DOCKING as / told him. twenty
vears older or shortly after he told me he could mob
conscentiously continue his medical relations Win
me and handed me over TO another physician.
Ia snent the legacy Of General Grant (S5,OOo-the
General hoping that his literary work might produce
40 600 for his family in the frutless endeavor 10
regain health and strength. At last the DOCTOR haH
70 give lid that battle, and his wife and children
dondort on the effort TO keep a students boarding
house That has now failed and with II all power
IA helm themselves. DR.. Douglas once had an mac
pendent fortune, his patrimony, and lost IL hot "
any fault of his own He once had q lucrative P'So
tice and lost ii through i'll health, resulting as eVon
layman VINO knew him before he went 10 nouns
Mcl;regor and saw him on his return rom IL may
he permitted to say and to repeat from the fearful
hic stem of
me say, in passing, that the sole foundation Tor uis
statement that the Doctor received any fee whatever'
large or small, for consultation IN the case vi 'ns
late King of Spain is the fact that the portuguese
not the spanish-Consu at this port asked ior some
information from him with reference TO some ad-
yertIsed medicine Il think the Doctor told mel MOI
one cent accrued therefrom to the Doctor.
.Why was Mount McGregor chosen" IL mas been
rcported that the Doctor had extensive practice In
Saratoga and that that was his real reason for taxing
the General to its vicinity. lie went to saratoga Ike
others for his yearly vacations, not TO work but to
get away from work. and he never had single patens
in saratoga or its vicinity except General Grant.
In The Albany Journal Of June 49, 1850, nno
the following article:
WHY MOUNT WGREGOR WAS SELECTED.
speaking of General Grants visit TO Mount NC, NC
C;reeor fne question asked (of DR.. Dougasl now
happened that ha, Sasr Phase He ssd
- had intended TO have General Grant taken 10 =
Mace where the air was clear ana pure ana ury.
TThe family spoke of moving him TO his cottage AZ
Long Branch, but / said that did not mink thas
fhe humid atmosphere about the sea-coast would DO
we'll for him. one day | made the remark that
could find place somewhere around Saratoga where
he could be comfortable that above all Others would
be my choice for a summer home for General Grant.
20 10 Saratoga every season. drink It's waters, ana
enjoy the pure, dry air. They say that saratoga Is
a hot place. but IL Is not OF course, when We
have very warm spell il may be warm In Saratoga,
but the air there is always dry and il is cooled by the
basamic breezes from the Adirondacks.
One day, when called on the General, Colonel
Grant said that he had an invitation TO place near
saratoga, on some railroad could not Imagine
where the place was thought II must be either on
the Rensselaer, and Saratoga road, on the Adiron
dack road and | said l didn't believe that that was
the place for him. On the same evening, when l
called at the house, they told me that it was Mt
McGregor. and described II TO me-. OF course, knew
where Mt Mc,iregor WAS and said at once That Is
lust the place have been looking for. There Is little
heat tere IL is the heights IL is free from vapors,
and above all IL is among the pines and the pure air
Is especially grateful TO patients suffering as General
a. So han ed mi Inst