New-York tribune., 1911-03-04
A LONG LIFE
"reminiscences of New York
Physician.
INCIDENTS OF MY LIFE. PROBES
SIONAL. LITERARY, SOCIAL, WITH
SERVICES IN THE CAUSE OF IRE
LAND. BY Thomas Adds Emmet, NJ
D, IL. y. With q illustrations. Svo,
nn. XXNii $50. O. L. Putnam's Sons.


There is so much of varied interest in
DR.. Emmet's leisurely "reminiscences Of
a long and active career that brief re-
view of them must of necessity be de-
voted to only one of it's phases. One can
follow in these pages the services to hu-
manity Of the gynecologist who can
boast of having treated over one hundred
thousand cases in the course Of his prac-
tice, and of having been the first TO pre-
scribe fresh air. sunlight and exercise as
the cure for the an8mia and hysteria
once so prevalent among American
women. One can trace his activity in this
country for the Irish cause. and remem-
ber his ireland Under English Rule"
together with the principles and Prac-
tice of Gynecology," and his constant
contributions to the discussion Of both
subjects as a publicist. Or one can con-
fine ones self to his memories Of the
social conditions and daily life Of the
first half of the last century in the
South. and, above all else in New York.
1t is this last aspect of the book that is
in a way Of most immediate interest to
us. alert as we have been since the pub
lication of the diary of Philip Hone to
the value Of all information that can be
gathered concerning the New York that
is past.
Dr. Thomas Adds Emmett was born on
May % 1S2S, at the University Of Vir-
einia, where his father, DR.. John Patten
Emmett. was professor of natural history.
and later OF chemistry and materia
medica, an appointee Of Joseph Jefferson.
DR.. Emmets grandfather was Thomas
Adds Emmett, a brother Of the famous
Robert Emmett. He came to this country
about the beginning Of the nineteenth
century. physician and barrister both:
was admitted TO the bar of this city, and
elected Attorney General Of the state in
1872. The Emmets. the autObiographer
informs us, were originally of Saxon
blood. His mother was a Miss Tucker.
OF Bermuda. DR. Emmet studied at the
University of Virginia, and received his
NJ. d. from jefferson Medical College, in
Philadelphia. where DR.. S. Weir Mitchell
Most remarkable it is that we are now
about the last living OF our class and
though both well past eighty~years of age
/ being the doctors senior by a year or two
should still fully maintain our mental ac-
tivity and literary work.
DR.. Emmets professional career has
Leen spent entirely in this city. first as
physician in the Emigrant Hospital on
Wards Island in 1SJ0-'J2 and there
after in private practice, but with a con-
slant connection with state, city and
private hospitals.
His recollections OF New York begin
as early as the late 3Os, when he was
brought here on visit 10 relatives. lie
does not recollect If Broadway was paved
at that time, but remembers that II was
like a country road down 10 Canal street.
with the dust ankle deep. In this neigh
borhood the street was lined on both
sides with poplar trees. As late as 1872
when the old reservoir at 42d street was
finished, Or. Emmett tells us, the city
was still an overgroWn village" There
were no sewers, many OF the streets
were unpavcd, and drinking water was
obtained from public pumps. whose drip
furnished wallowing holes for pigs. Slops
and garbage were freely thrown into
the streets, where COWS and horses
roamod. Street cleaning was unknown.
Furthermore he says:
In comparison with the present, New
York was then "A bcdlam from street cries
Mix and often water were sold from cans
suspended at each end of a yoke across
the shoulders of the vendor as Is yet seen
in Holland. The chimney sweep WAS loud
mouthed. the seller oi charcoal of vece-
tables fresh fish, corded and split wood
-four. sand pedlers fruit pedlers. the tinker.
scissors grinder the old hat collector. the
old clothes man with his cart COW bells
and often a horn. the pcdler of sewing ma
terials, the glass PVT IN" man. the uic
man. the huCkster of Job lots, often the
itinerant butcher an baker. and many 9th
ers seeking 20 earn an honest living Al.
and each With a separate and more discord-
ant cry. view with each other I'm A strent-
Gus effort 20 be heard. Thus the greater
part Of the city traffic was carried on in
the street and London in its hest davs
never had so many different clies as could