The New York herald., 1922-08-27
DR.. Stephen Smith.
Famous Physician,
Dies in Tooth Year
Former Health Commissioner
Here Expires at Mon
tour Falls.

Special Dispatch TO TIE NEW YORK HERALD
ELMrRA, N. Y, Aug. 26.-Dr. Stephen
Smith. aged 80. died this morning at the
home Of his daughter. Mrs. Walter c..
Mason, Montour Falls, Tho funeral will
be held Tuesday al skaneateles. prob
ably at 9 o'clock.
DR.. Smith was born In onondaga
county. He attended Geneva Medical
College. was an inferno at the Sisters Of
Charity Hospital. Buffalo. In 1851 he
was graduated from the College OF
Physicians and Surgeons at New York
About that time he became identified
with Bellevue Hospital. connection
which lasted until 1891.
In 1864, as a member of the Council Of
Hygiene. DR.. Smith led a health survey
of New York city. Assisted by thirty
two physicians and corps of other
workers. he conducted thorough
cleanup drive.
He became Health Commissioner and
remained In that capacity until 1875.
He drafted numerous Federal and State
health regulations.
During the civil war he compiled
work on surgery that was a great aid
to army surgeons He organized the
American Public Health Association.
For ten years he was member OF the
State Board OF Lunacy.
ParAntfv ba nororlatnd tu,ex boatc opa
Who Is Insane?". compiled from his
observations as lunacy commissioner.
the other, The City That Was" related
his long connection with hospital and
health affairs In New York. These
works constitute a biography of DR..
Smith.
Ills death was due to general debility.
Longevity Due to Diet.
DR.. Smith, who would have rounded
out century of life on February 10
was a man of remarkable physical v!gor
and was hale and hearty UP until few
weeks ago, despite his advanced age
He attributed his secret OF longevity to
proper food In sufficient quantities.
He was a member of the State
Board of Charities for thirty years. Pre-
vious TO his second appointment to mem
bcrship on the board In 1898 he had
been one OF the most active professional
men in New York. For several years
he was attending surgeon and professor
OF surgery and anatomy at Bellevue
Hospital. and In 1874 he became profes-
sor Of clinical surgery in the medical
department of the University Of New
York. He was pioneer In the organiza-
tion OF the Bellevue Medical College and
was member OF its faculty for ten
years. Two years previously he nau
assisted In the formation of the Amer
ican Health Association, OF which he
was president for foar years. He also
was active In organizing the National
Board of Health, in which he was ap-
pointed to membership in 1879. The fol-
lowing year he received his first ap-
Board OF Charities
In discussing his longevity on his last
birthday. Dr.. Smith paid tribute to the
medicinal properties of wine. He said ::
I'm my earlier days I suffered from
dyspepsia and II forced me to a meager
diet OF simple foods. AS a result /
saved my stomach and have the use OF
IL now. / took care OF my stomach
during the first fifty years of my life
and now IL Is taking care Of me. 1t
was during a visit 10 Paris as dele
Edle 10 lnc lnternallOnhi SANITARY COn-
ference that / learned TO drink wine.
with the result that / have been well
ever since. At banquet sat next to
famous French physician whom | told
about my unfortunate handicap. He ad-
vised me TO drink wine between the
courses. saying 1t would digest the food
| had eaten. followed his advice and
did not experience any further discom-
fort"
Had Foresworn Wine.
He added. though that he had stopped
drinking wine several years ago. and
that he had never smoked In his life.
Or. Smith celebrated his ninety
seventh birthday in February, 1920 by
starting on a trip to the West. accom-
panied by one of his daughters, in the
face Of one OF the worst snow storms
New York has ever experienced. In
talk with reporters just before start
ing on that trip he said II had been es-
tablished through biology and physi-
ology that the span Of human life Is
100 years.
Biology teaches u.s. he said. that
the human body Is constructed to 1--we
100 years. that It is composed of atoms
as a house Is composed of bricks, that
each atom has a certain function to
perform and then dies. is removed from
the DOuN ana ltS place ls 1tIed by n
new atom OF the same material"
By this process. he explained. the en-
tire body Is constantly being renewed,
being "a machine which Is so constructed
that by constant renewal IL will exist
100 years.
Dr. Smith was in New York during
the commencement exercises 81 Column
bia University last June. and was
awarded the honorary degree of Doctor
OF Science. In presenting the diploma.
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler. president
Of Columbia said:
stephen Smith. graduated doctor OF
medicine from the College ~ Physicians
and Surgeons with the class or 1880
foremost In planning measures for tho
protection Of the public health and for
the care OF those unfortuna.es who arc
tho States dependents: winner OF dis
tinction In a hundred fields or profess
sional cndeavor and public service
walking with steadiness, with calm
courage and with powers unimpalred
down the long highway Of a hundred
years, the most interesting figure in
American medicine and IN American
public service to-day, I gladly admit
you to the degree OF Doctor OF Science
in this university"
Or. Smith lived during the life OF
every President of the United States
except Washington. His mother lived
to be 81 and one sister was one month
over 100 years OF age when she died
MRS. Lucy A. LEFFINGwELL.
specioi Dispotch 70 THE NEW Yong HrnMp.