Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 58

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 58

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Resolved, That it shall not be deemed improper by this society for " regular " and " Allopathic " Medical Colleges to educate and graduate Homoeopathic students.

Resolved, That it shall not be deemed improper by this society for any of its members to consult professionally with any physicians recognized by the laws of this State as legal practitioners.

Resolved, That it shall not be deemed improper by this society for any one of its members, or any association of two or more of them, to advertise in medical journals, or in the local or other newspapers, their names and addresses, to- gether with any specialty they may assume to practice or teach.

Whereas, The "regular Allopathic " hospitals of this city are supported by the taxpayers of this county ; and

Whereas, The "medical staffs " of these hospitals refuse to allow other physicians than themselves to send and treat pay patients in the said hospitals ; and

Whereas, Such action prevents materially the increase of the indigent fund in charitable hospitals ; therefore,

Resolved, That it shall not be deemed improper by this society for any of its members to professionally treat their pay patients in the Albany City Homoeopathic Hospital.

While these resolutions were not adopted by the County Society, they excited comment and inquiry. A few years later they were embodied in the New Code adopted by the Medical Society of the State of New York. Among those most earnest in the advocacy of the New Code were a large number who worked and voted against Dr. Boulware's

resolutions. In this case, as in others, Dr. Boul- ware's views were in advance of the times, but happily, in this instance, only a few years in ad- vance, and his medical brothers have now caught up with him.

Having acquired an abundant competence, and still being in good health, though advancing in years, Dr. Boulware has been for some time grad- ually withdrawing from practice, believing it wiser to gracefully leave the field to younger men before feebleness and old age should compel him to retire; but, honored and esteemed by his pro- fessional brethren, and looked up to with confi- dence, affection and respect by a host of families whose trusted physician he has been for many years, he is often called in consultation, and so long as he lives he will never be able to entirely abandon the functions of a medical adviser.

His genial temperament, his unselfish devotion to medical science, his benevolence to the poor, and his kindly sympathy with the suffering, have endeared him to his fellow citizens.

He has often been solicited to accept nomina- tions to office, for which his unbounded popularity makes him peculiarly eligible; but the modesty of his character makes him averse to political life. Yet while he has always declined political honors, and has held but two offices, and those of a medical character, he has always, as a good citizen, been interested in politics. He has had for many years a quiet but decided political influence, much greater than that of most men, and it has always been exerted in the interest of good government and for the substantial good of the community. He is one of those of whom the poet says: They " do good by stealth and blush to find it fame."

AMOS FOWLER, M. D.

Mark Fowler, uncle of Gen. Amos Fowler and Rev. and Hon. Orin Fowler, removed at an early day from Lebanon, Conn., to Herkimer County, N. Y. He and his numerous family of sons were pioneers in clearing away the forests and laying the foundations of some of the thriving cities of central New York. He died in Jefferson County, April 27, 1813. His wife was Miriam Sterling, widow of Reuben Warner. Of their nine children, Alvin, the father of Amos Fowler, M. D., of Albany, was the youngest son. When Alvin Fowler was about two years old he met with an adventure so singular and so perilous as to render it unique in the annals of border life. He had only recently learned to walk, and, one day, as he was enjoying the freedom of the cleared space about his father's house, he was seized by a bear, which had been caught and chained near the door, and hugged gently in her embrace all day, despite the frantic efforts of his mother to induce the bear to give up the child. No pen could do justice to the mother's agony, her awful suspense, while making her futile attempts to rescue her baby, and watch- ing it through the long day, expecting at any mo- ment to see its life crushed out before her eyes. It was not until nightfall, when the father came

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home, that the bear was compelled to relinquish the child. At that time the family lived at Frank- fort, near the present site of Utica. Bears, wolves and other wild animals were plenty, and wolves howled around the doors of the settler's cabin till driven away with firebrands. Alvin Fowler pur- sued the trades of clothier and stone mason. His wife was Miss Olive Lord, whom he married in 1819, she having emigrated from Saybrook, Conn., with her father's family, two or three years earlier. Of their four children, Dr. Amos Fowler was the eldest. He was born in the town of Cohocton, Steuben County, N. Y., July 5, 1820. His father removed to Evans' Mills, Jefferson County, while Amos was yet an infant, and thence to Fayetteville, Onondaga County, when the lad was seven years old; there he owned and operated some mills, and a factory for the manufacture of woolen cloths, till 1836, when he again removed to a farm in the town of Victory, Cayuga County. Young Fowler was educated mainly in the public schools, but was also a student at the academies in Fayetteville and Victory, working on the farm summers and attending school winters. Leaving school, he be- came a teacher, teaching two. winters in Wayne and one in Cayuga County. While thus engaged he began reading medicine in the office of Dr. Blanchard, of Victory. Later he was a student and assistant of Dr. Root's, at Memphis, Onondaga County. He entered the Geneva Medical College, and finished his prescribed course at the University of the City of New York, graduating in 1846.

Dr. Root died just before Dr. Fowler's gradua- tion. Already well established in the confidence of Dr. Root's patrons, he returned to Mem- phis and took up the Doctor's practice. In 1850 he removed to Sand Lake, Rensselaer County, and from thence, in 1854, to Albany, locating on Second street, nearly opposite his present residence and office. Since coming to Albany, as before, Dr. Fowler has enjoyed an extensive practice. His standing in his profession is high, and he has served the Medical Society of Albany County as its vice-president and its delegate to the State Medical Society. Dr. Fowler was married, August 30, 1850, to Miss Caroline M. Harris, daughter of Nicholas Brown Harris, M. D., of Sand Lake, Rensselaer County, who bore him four children, two of whom died in infancy. She died, April 3, 1880, at Savan- nah, Ga., while returning with her husband from a journey in the South. Their son, Warren Hamilton Fowler, studied medicine at the University of the City of New York, graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and is now practicing his profession in Albany.

Their daughter, Caroline I. Fowler, is a mem- ber of her father's household. July 25, 1882, Dr. Fowler married his present wife, Mrs. Mary Poole, a native, and, for most of her life, a resident of Al- bany. Though not active in politics, the Doctor has pronounced views on public questions and is an adherent of the Republican party. He was reared within the pale of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but for some years has been a member of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Albany.

JOSEPH N. NORTHROP, M. D.

Dr. JOSEPH NORMAN NORTHROP was born at Deca- tur, Otsego County, New York, in 1817, and was in the sixty-first year of hisage at the time of his death, which occurred September 17, 1878. He was a son of Abner Northrop and Jerusha Gibbs, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. He had two brothers and two sisters, only one of whom, the youngest brother, survives him. His father was a farmer, and the early part of the life of Dr. North- rop was spent at home upon the farm. The founda- tion of his education was obtained in the common school. At the age of thirteen he went to the Oneida Institute, a manual labor school, where he spent three years. Leaving school, he came to Albany, where, after passing a year as a clerk in a drug store, he entered the office and family of Dr. Samuel Shaw, and began the study of medicine. When about eighteen years of age he entered the Vermont Academy of Medicine, grad- uating in 1839. His diploma was signed by Dr. William Tully, Professor of Theory and Practice and Materia Medica; Theodore Woodward, Pro- fessor of Surgery and Obstetrics; James H. Armsby, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology; and John De Wolf, Professor of Chemistry and Natural His- tory. He had a great admiration for Dr. Tully, whose name and sayings were frequently on his lips in later years. After graduating, he attended a course of medical lectures at the Transylvania University, at Louisville, Ky., defraying his expen- ses by conducting a writing school and by a little practice among Northern people residents there.

He began his professional work as a salaried physician upon a plantation of about six hundred negroes, in Mississippi, being the only medical man within twenty miles. He staid there a year and a half, taking the yellow fever, from which he nar- rowly escaped with his life. This necessitated his removal north. After spending a year in Albany, he returned to his native place, where he practiced his profession for twenty years. In 1840 he mar- ried Miss Mary Jane Lansing, the only daughter of Col. Robert C. Lansing, of Decatur. His practice there was large, embracing long rides into the ad- joining counties of Delaware and Schoharie. He held for some time the office of division Surgeon of Militia, Gen. Burnside being division General. The only civil office that he filled outside of his profes- sion was that of supervisor, which he held for two years. He was elected delegate to the State Medi- cal Society from Otsego County, and became a permanent member of the society in 1861. In 1859 he returned to Albany and entered upon a general practice there, which became extensive and lucrative. He joined the Albany County Medical Society in 1860, and held for several terms the office of censor, and was elected president in 1876.

His death, which occurred nearly twenty years after he came to Albany to reside, was startlingly sudden in its circumstances, taking place upon the anniversary of his wedding-day. Preparations hav- ing been made for the customary celebration of this anniversary, he went early in the evening to

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make a professional call a few blocks away. In- stead of sending for his carriage, as he usually did, even when going but a short distance, he walked. He was troubled with dyspnœa on exertion, due to an affection of the heart. He saw his patient, and, while preparing medicine in an adjoining room, he suddenly gasped for breath, fell from his chair, and in a few minutes died.

This is a brief sketch of the life of Dr. Northrop, which covered forty years of professional work, and ended in the midst of his greatest usefulness, while he was fully entering into all that went to make up life for him. He passed away at the full tide; he had not started on the down-hill side of life. There are not many lives that are marked with great in- cidents ; nevertheless, this outline of his career brings out a fact which has in it much to admire, that, starting in the world with nothing, he gained, by his own unaided efforts, education, a worthy place in an honorable profession, a competence, and the high esteem of his associates and fellow citizens. In character, he was a genial, open-heart- ed man, whom many knew well and whose loss is sincerely lamented. While his life was unmarked by great events, it was always attended with de- votion to duty, to his profession and to his fellow men. His grave does not inclose the memory of these virtues, nor limit the worthiness of his ex- ample. Two years before his death he became a member of the First Reformed Church of Albany.

JOHN B. ROSSMAN, M. D.

Dr. JOHN BUSKIRK ROSSMAN was born, September 27, 1806, in Johnstown, Columbia County, N. Y. He was the seventh child of a family of sixteen children. Fourteen grew to maturity. Four of the sons were physicians. His father, John J. Rossman, was a worthy man, much respected in the community in which he lived. He was elected sheriff of Columbia County for two or three con- secutive terms. With a family so large and facilities for education so limited, Mr. Rossman was not able to give his children a liberal education, yet he gave them the best that could be obtained in the schools in his vicinity. John not only attended the district school, but was sent to a neighboring academy, where he made proficiency in the higher English branches. He is represented as having been a lad of excellent morals and of studious habits. In order to be able to continue his studies and to fix more permanently his elementary educa- tion, he taught a district school several winters. He commenced the study of medicine with Dr. T. Broadhead, of Clermont. We next hear of him in the law office of Mr. Killian Miller, of Hudson. He remained there only a short time, the law not being congenial with his tastes. He then resumed the study of medicine with Dr. McClelland. From this office he went to Hudson, in the office of Dr. Samuel White. He attended medical lectures at Fairfield, Herkimer County, N. Y., and received his degree there in 1829. After graduation he re- turned to Johnstown, his native town, and com- menced the practice of his profession. Although

young, he was earnest, and attended closely to busi- ness. His genial manner and sympathetic nature soon made him popular. His reputation increased, and the young physician was called to longer dis- tances and to families of greater intelligence. Previous to this Mr. John Richmond, an English gentleman, had purchased from Mr. Livingston, while in London, the tract of land called Living- ston Manor. Mr. Richmond had taken possession of his purchased property, and to his house Dr. Rossman was called. Here it was that the Doctor first met his future wife, Miss Elizabeth Mary Fair- bank, the granddaughter of Mr. Richmond, and the great-granddaughter of the Earl of Preston. About two years after his marriage Dr. Rossman moved to Richmondville, Schoharie County. He remained there about eight years, when he came to Albany. City life is always attractive to a country practitioner, and almost as often as the change is made there is serious disappointment. But with Dr. Rossman it was different. Practice came slowly, but patient waiting and prompt attention to every call secured business. A few years found him in the midst of a lucrative practice. In 1827 he was made a member of the Medical Society of the County of Albany, of which he was treasurer in 1849 and 1850.

He enjoyed a reunion with Dr. Thomas Hun and Dr. Charles Devol to celebrate their semi- centennial in practice, given by the County Medical Society. He was elected alderman from his ward about 1856, which office he filled with credit to himself and satisfaction to his con- stitutents. Dr. Rossman was a kind and affection- ate husband, an indulgent and attentive father, and a true and steadfast friend. His peculiarities were the eccentricities of his head, and not of his heart. His wife, Elizabeth Mary Fairbank, died July 27; 1868. She had eight children-four sons and four daughters. Three sons and two daugh- ters are still living. In 1869 he married Miss

Rebecca P. McCarthy. By this union he had one son and two daughters, all of whom are living. Soon after he located in Albany Dr. Rossman united with the Middle Dutch Church, and led the life of a consistent and devoted Christian. His last few years gave decided evidence of increasing age. He continued to grow more and more feeble until December 23, 1883, when he peace- fully and hopefully passed away to receive the re- wards of a life well spent.

HON. JOHN SWINBURNE, M. D.

JOHN SWINBURNE was born to Peter and Artemesia Swinburne, at their homestead on the Black River, Lewis County, May 30, 1820. His father, a native of Ireland, was a farmer and also largely engaged in business. He died while Dr. Swinburne was a mere child, and the latter's early years were spent under the care of his mother, a native of Connecticut, and a woman of rare mental activity and great force of character, who, after the death of her husband, took entire charge of the family; and to her careful training the doctor ascribes much of his success in

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life. His early education was gained in the com- mon schools of the neighborhood and in the academies of Lowville and Denmark, in Lewis County, and that of Fairfield, in Herkimer County. Having passed his early years at his birthplace, at times teaching school, at the age of twenty-one he determined upon the study of medicine for his pro- fession, and began reading at twenty-three, when he entered the Albany Medical College, registering as a student in the office of the late Dr. James H. Armsby, of Albany. Graduating in 1846 with the degree of Doctor in Medicine, Dr. Swinburne determined to make Albany his home, and opened an office for the practice of his profession. In 1847 he was appointed Demonstrator of Anatomy in the Albany Medical College, and continued to teach that branch of medicine for several years. In 1851 he received his first public appointment, being made an almshouse physician at a time when what was known as "ship fever" was raging as an epidemic, treating during his term of office over eight hundred cases, and finally falling a victim to the disease himself.

From this time up to the breaking out of the Re- bellion the Doctor devoted his time to his private practice, which was constantly enlarging. In 1861 he was again called upon to give his services to the public, and was put in charge of the sick at the re- cruiting depot in Albany, serving as chief medical officer on the staff of Gen. John F. Rathbone. Until the spring of 1862 he remained at this post, 1,470 sick passing under his care, out of which large number only twelve died. April 7, 1862, Dr. Swinburne was appointed one of the auxiliary corps of volunteer surgeons who went from the State of New York to the war, serving without pay. He proceeded to Fortress Monroe, and shortly after his arrival received orders to report for duty to Dr. Tripler, Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac. In company with Drs. Willard, Coggswell and Lansing, of Albany, he set out for the White House, the head of navigation on the Pamunkey River, where Dr. Tripler had his head- quarters, reaching there May 18. The establish- ment of a hospital at this place, to which the wounded could be sent from the front, being de- cided upon, Dr. Swinburne and his companions were requested to found the same. After render- ing valuable services at this station, the Doctor, early in June, returned to Albany, and on the 12th of that month (1862) received a commission from Gov. Morgan, as Medical Superintendent of the New York State wounded soldiers, and was sent to Wash- ington with a letter from the Governor to the Secre- tary of War. Upon the Secretary's indorsement, Sur- geon-General Hammond entered into a contract with Dr. Swinburne for "medical and surgical services to be rendered with the Army of the Poto- mac," and the Doctor accordingly again reported to Medical Director Tripler. In section 9, Special Orders of the War Department, appears the following:

"Acting Assistant Surgeon John Swinburne will report to Surgeon J. J. Milhau, U. S. A., Medical Director, Third Army Corps, for special duty at Savage's Station.

" By command, MAJOR-GEN. MCCLELLAN."

With this order the Doctor immediately complied, receiving further orders to establish a general hos- pital at Savage's Station, Virginia, of which he was to take charge, with instructions to make requi- sitions for the necessary materials and stores. With his accustomed energy, the Doctor set about the work given him to do, but unforeseen difficul- ties arose, greatly delaying the construction of the hospital. On the 26th of June, when the hospital was not more than half prepared, owing to the non- fulfillment of his requisitions, wounded men began to be brought in in large numbers, and the Doc- tor's surgical labors began. On the 28th he was informed by Dr. Tripler that it would be necessary for him to remain at the hospital, the army being about to change its base of operations, which would put the enemy in possession of Savage's Sta- tion in a few hours, at the same time giving him a letter from Gen. McClellan to the Commander of the Confederate forces explaining his (the Doc- tor's) position. After the action of Sunday evening, the 29th, the hospital, with all it contained, was in the hands of the Confederates. From this time up to the 26th of July Dr. Swinburne remained with his charge, struggling with his assistants through increasing hardships and privations, day by day having less of the necessaries for the proper man- agement of the sick and wounded, buying food for the hospital with his own funds, until at last, after repeated communications with the authorities in Richmond, on the 26th of July orders came allow- ing the removal of the sick and wounded, with their attendants, to City Point. Reaching the latter place on the 27th, the Doctor turned over his command to the proper officers and returned to Albany on sick leave, suffering from a chronic dysentery brought on by exposure and improper food.

In the winter of 1862-63 he and Dr. Willard were appointed by the State Medical Society a com- mittee to confer with the Legislature upon the sub- ject of the further relief of the wounded, the result of such conference being the unanimous passage of a bill granting $200,000, to be applied to the care of the sick and wounded of the State of New York, and the Doctor was once more sent to the front. Returning again in 1864, he was appointed by Gov. Seymour (Democrat) Health Officer of the Port of New York, and had the satisfaction of having his nomination unanimously confirmed by a Republi- can Senate. At that time the provisions for a quar- antine station were very inadequate, and the Legis- lature, acting upon the suggestions of the Doctor, began the construction of the two artificial islands in the lower bay now used for that purpose. The idea of building an island in fifteen feet of water, exposed to the force of storms and tides from 3,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean beating against it, was deemed almost impossible, but the Doctor demon- strated it could be done, and to his energy and perseverance New York is indebted for one of the best planned quarantine stations in the world.

In recognition of this distinguished service, the Legislature, by an act, named the first of the two islands thus constructed " Swinburne Island

4flautir Publishing & Engraving Co New York

John Swinburne

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Hospital." Upto 1870 Dr. Swinburne remained at quarantine ; he then went abroad with his family, being desirous of rest and recreation. But he was not a man who could "take his ease at his inn." The Franco-Prussian war having broken out, Dr. Swinburne, being in London, on September 4, 1870, received an earnest request from Minister Wash- burne and the American Sanitary Commission to come to Paris and take charge of the American Am- bulance in that city. Laying aside his personal comfort, he acceded to the request, and lost no time in reaching Paris. There he remained as Surgeon-in-Chief of the American Ambulance un- til March, 1871, leaving as the Commune was coming into power. How highly his labors were appreciated by the American International San- itary Committee we will leave Dr. Thomas Evans, President of the Committee, to state. In his report of the doings of the American Ambulance, the distinguished physician says :

"In securing the services of Dr. John Swinburne as Sur- geon-in-Chief of the Ambulance, the committee was partic- ularly fortunate. Dr. Swinburne was a surgeon par excel- lence. He had had an extensive professional experience, and had obtained a justly acquired and widely-known home reputation. Thoroughly acquainted with military medicine and the constitution and management of army hospitals, an earnest advocate of conservative surgery, an enthusiast even as regards the conservative treatment of compound-fractures, a skillful operator whenever operations were required, he pos- sessed a rare and highly valuable quality-a knowledge of the way how to deal with men ; in a word, he knew how to man- age both his patients and his assistants; and not infrequently was he called upon to exercise this special knowledge. Associated, as he was constantly, with a body of forty or fifty persons, all volunteers, holding a certain social posi- tion, uncontrolled by the restraints of a military discipline, all naturally ambitious to excel, and perhaps occasionally even over-jealous of the success of their fellows, Doctor Swinburne knew how to direct these energetic elements, obtain from them the largest amount of labor, and maintain in every department of his service his own personal as- cendancy."-(See " Sanitary Associations During the Fran- co-German War," Vol. I, 1870-71.)

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 58

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452