The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-07
DOCTORS OF OLDNEwY YORK
MEN VINO WE'RE FAMOUS IN sooIETF
y As WE'LL AZ IN MEDICINE.

As WE'LL AZ IN MEDLCINE'
a Less Roll or Hlnn Eminent In Their Frsres-
ston, RsginntnG with Dr. samuel Macsuiay
-ChnuEes In the Practice OF Medicine
Noted surseons-Ths FIRST l1omUopath Here.
This city was tho first Of any in tho thirteen
original colonies to have n medical college.
That came about in 1870, as the act OF Kings
College continued after tho Revolution as
Columbia), which established n medical depart
ment OF education for physicians and surgeons.
6ince thon the city has always numbered emil
'nent physicians among Its inhabitants.
The earliest notable among the physicians OF
colonial New York was DR.. Samuel Mncaulay,
whose daaoandnnts are yet to be found In this
city. His portrait shows a serious and dignt-
fed disciple OF Galen, with eyes sharp as a
lancet, full ~nostrils, an expansive forehead, OF
tall and imposing stature. clad in n snuir' colored
suit OF tho Louis XIV. style, with a white bag
wig. Altogether in tho painting the doctor re-
uembles tho well. known print OF Voltairc. 1t
used to be said that DIR. Mdcnulay p%racticed
medicine with q lancet in one waistcoat pocket
and grains of calomcl In tho othor. From tho
latter no would take minute pinches and drop
them on tho tongue that he was examining.
In popular Importance DR.. Samuel Bard sue
oeoded Macaulsy, mainly because he attended
George Washington during his Presidency In
this city. Like many other eminent physicians
Of the period. he studied medicine in Edinburgh
and began practice In this city among the poor.
from whom he received no fees. A favorite
saying Of his in his later days was: II crept
over tho backs Of tho poor into the pockets of
tho rich" He was a very religious man, and one
Of his favorite opinions was that 1t was i'm.
possible for q surgeon to DO an infdel. because
the physical mysteries Of human bodies dem
Z onstrated that an almighty power alone could
have originated man and woman and tho subtle
machinery OF their mortal frames. Born in
1741, he lived until 1921. In the carly days Of
Ftz Greene Hallcck, DR.. Samuel Bard was his
physician, and he used to say, why shouldn't
] DO a poet when a Bard watched my infancyf'
At the beginning Of this century David Hosack
was Now York's most famous physician. In his
time he filled hvo different professorships in
tho medical college. He was q writer and a
society man. and for many years he main
tanned . salon after the French ideals, at
which both Hamilton and Burr might be found
and the many clever bellies and matrons of the
period would assemble. Hosack, as Hamilton's
family physician, attended him after the fatal
duel at weehawken. There ought to be a
statue erected In the proposed botanical gar
den to DR.. Hosack, because he founded in upper
Broadway the Elgin Botanical Garden, which
nourished for several years. but was finally
abandoned because the Common Council with
drow pecunisry aid Hosaok also predated
Henry Bergh and Elbridge 7. Gerry in founding
Contemporaries of Hosack were Drs. Wright
Post John W.: Francis, Samuel Latham Mitch
81, David l. Rodgers, John B. Beck, and VIII
exile. has a monument in Ct. PauI's Churchyard.
on the vesey street side. DR.. MacNeyin and Or.
E Mnsrs they Saf fcand p saas 8 T fPsS we're "l rs%iI11s
s &c ths,r wf ps,.s aes 'hMSfs & TiH0% maSs UnS s s4sR
exception, for he was credited with originating
this maxim, generally misauoted: If you
fever to- starve."
Another noted physician who came into
city until his death in 1877. He was q most pro.
IN the library Of tho Mott. Memorial building.
than .Mitchill. had an %austero manner. Dr..
Mitchin possessed wide learning, and after his
1qnsrf lad ih9 5u ss1tbS been of SRsie ssf sass ss 6 't55 sis' a
Earth a. sf Sr under Il, or n the depth. lbs Of the ocean"
Mitchill served as Q Federal Senator, being one
Of tho four whom. this city has contributed to
physician in this city, during tho thirties, was a
Sam BarIoiw T'sI Name IT,. out Of which Wiliarh lH +.
name ISLAM" Barlow.
DR.. John W: Francis, like his contemporary.
Which, as Il was said, he generally monopoiized
the whole conversation. He was a most bril-
t ssss II 'e Mss o sna 50 f fsssiIp1 shas DE- E ra Spansis
soothes pain In e patient by the magnetio in
ions in Bond i street-then S as much ~ h, an ~e abode S Of
second street is n9wLwouldb be seen Irving, Hal
Henry the reviewer, Robert 6. sands the poet,
Tuckerman the critic. and celebrities Of press,
contributor to general as well as medical liter.
allure, and on occasion. was an attractive ora
tor. Wright Post and Rodgers were family
John B. Beck, who lived until 1851, was not
r. G Rams2n bn IN s s pr rpescrib1ns as n h,s SISthe hc
held q high place. In bis dying moments he
sSs s sboS,d 5n sjIexis asoRR}E s Da Il was ~itb sg oSIS@' Sn th at
answered, II do not wish to enter the presence
Of my God while stupehcd"
During the forties DR.. Edward Delafeld was
foremost as a home physician among fashion:
abla families, but he was more than a social
ability in diagnosis. His readiness and accu-
ra9y n that respect were akin to inspiration.
%sia ia a 1se f tss'e wd nsr! m Sa s9s ,a't not sSni BY, le sns Rn Sf
attendance or by the skill displayed. but by the
t ts!@ Ss 81 in inc a m !%essaTo s an apot tSe s%sn and and proc pPo.
yided his own drugs. DR.. came
from Dublin where surgeons ranked first; Ply,
brought about a reform in the matter of charges
by which physicians were paid according to
During the forties, DIR. Alonzo Clark came
rapidly TO the fore, and about the same time
attention to specialties in medical treatment
came into vogue. DR.. Clark selected as his
specially diseases of the abdomen. He used to
tell a story OF an old farmer who had brought
his family and his new wealth to New Y ork to
enjoy its pleasures and who summoned DIR.
Clark to treat him for a severe attack of. in
digestion. DIR. Clark prescribed among. other
things the frequent drinking. of an herb tea, -,
he said. =
viii only that save my lifer'
Semi-jocularly DIR. Clark replied: "A quart Of
this tea win soothe your inside and surely
keep you from dying"
my will before | die"
Nonsense; don't / tell you only a quart will
cure your
THAT'S just it, DOCTOR responded the ex-
farmer patient with fresh agony impressed on
Wife, .Y porothy. there Knows oSls my q q stomach sRa ca mf
hold more than a pint. We've measured 1t
Dr. Clark's little son came home from school
Que day and said he had been scolded for wilful
mispronunGiation. He had been reciting tho
famous ballad of "AlonZn thu hra We and the fair