The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-02-25
The Late Francis Asbury Bean, M. ID.

Bean, M. D., who died in Camden. New
Jersey on the 9TH instant, will doubtless be
of interest to your readers, as he was widely
known throughout the eastern portion of
your State. DR.. Bean was born in Belfast.
Maine, February 9th, 1920. He was the son of
Josiah and Eunice Beam and a brother of
EX-postmaster Captain Andrew d. Bean of
Belfast. His parents We're devout Metho-
dists of the old-fashioned type and in early
life he became a communicate in the same
church, studied for the ministry and was Or
dained a minister of the gospel by the East
Maine Methodist Episcopal Conference
Soon after this he married Miss Abbie Ire
vett of Frankfort Maine, "a woman of great
piety and unusual intellectual abilities, by
whom he had five children three of whom
survive him He continued his clerical work
till the year 1919 when he took the great step
that changed the whole tenor of his life As
a preacher he was fervid, eloquent and emo
tional, and in his evangelizing labors out
side of the pulpit he was Jealous and untir-
ing and his work told severely on his health.
He became morbidly sensitive to the fraitv
of his own humanity, and feeling that he was
preacher of the gospel, and finding that he
had a decided aptitude for the healing of the
sick, he decided to study for the medical
profession. During his ministry he had de
voted some attention to medicine and sur
| gerry i'll an amateur way and when sent into
the rural districts to preach had often acted
| as physician as we'll as clergyman. His
tastes and talents both leading him the same
way, without any change of religious views
or any loss of interest in the work of dssem-
mating the truths of the Bible, he began the
study ofmedicine, receiving the degree of NJ.
d. from the Metropolitan Medical College
of New York City, in 1852. He began the
practice of his new profession in his native
| State, residing first in the town of Dixmont,
and afterwards, for some two or three years,
in Bangor. During all of this time he re-
| tanned his connection with his church and
frequently filled the pulpit in the absence of
it's regular incumbent.
In 1860 he removed to Philadelphia, where
he resided continuously for nearly thirty
years actively engaged in the practice Of
medicine. He was widely known to the
medical profession of this city and Cam
den and was particularly noted for his I'M
erring judgment in the diagnosis of disease;
but the same ditfdence and self-lepreciation
that charac terized his estimate of his quaiti-
cations a clergyman marked his opinion
of his abilities physician Some of his
| operations i'll surgery and some of his tri
umpls over the fell Destroyer, Death. were
| remarkable enough to have made his name
known throughout the land; hut during the
whole long course of his career he never
made report of his achievements to the
medical journals or iii any Way sought oeN-
tend his fame farther than it went through
private channels, but unambitious of glory
as indifferent to pecuniarv gain. he Went his
way quietly, faithfully doing his work. The
eloquent gentleman the Rev. Mr.. Richard
son of Camden, who preached his funeral
sermon, alluding to his change in profession,
asked, ''Shall We call it a descent?' As or
dnarily pursued It might have been; but
| certainly no one could have been more I'M
worldly or more Indifferent to worldly inter
est. Money lie never thought of when a
case of sickness came into his hands. For
years his office was almost dispensary
thronged by poor people who received medi-
cine as we'll as advice gratis. Nor did he
contne his benefactions to office work. Night
as we'll as day he answered calls i'll cases
where he knew there no other reward
than the satisfaction he felt in doing good
and that. too. when his own health was such
that ordinary prudence would have dictated
that he should have taken some thought of
l,.,
nothing but of the suffering he was called
upon to relieve Whatever his hand found
to do, that he did with all his might. Often
he was called out three times i'll one night to
visit the ahodes of poverty where he not
only sent no hill but refused compensation
when offered Yet he was far from being
able physically to bear the strain of such ii
life For thirty years he did more than
twenty thousand dollars worth of work
annually, and received less than five, vet he
was content So long as he made his daily
bread. Money he was unable to keep while
there was Il case of want and suffering I'M
der his eye. If he had more in his pocket
than he could see amy immediate use of for
his own wants, he would send it to some one
| WHO luiSHl Dt certain 10 neeu H. HdJ MS
generosity was abused goes without saying :;
and many who were able to remunerate him
for his services had only to bring him a tale
of woe and he would quietly receipt their
bills without any pecuniary consideration
whatever. In fact, he seldom presented
bill unless it was called for. He had great
big heart, and was incapable of listening to a
story of misfortune and trouble and say to
himself that charity begins at home. He
had all the New England instincts of economy
where his own expenditures We're concern
ed, but he knew no &c onomy in relieving the
distress of others. His extravagant liberal
ity 10 all about him left him without the
means to retire when the intirmities of age
overlook him, and he literally died in har-
ness, being out of his office but ten days be-
fore his death.
About three years ago he was stricken
with rheumatic paralysis on the right side
and, no longer able to attend to his outdoor
practice, he removed access the river to Cam
den, and from that time till he breathed his
last, he was a martyr to his hereditary enc
my, rheumatism. And even vet his future
here below never troubled him Thouoh