Page:A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.djvu/96

 England and the American Colonies were approaching a crisis, which he saw must end in an open rapture. The prospect of this event hastened his return to his native country, the cause of which he warmly espoused. He returned home by way of France, and was entrusted with important despatches from Dr. Franklin, the American Minister there, to the Congress of the United States. When near the American coast, the ship in which he was a passenger was chased by a British armed vessel, and being anxious to save the despatches, he left the vessel in an open boat under a heavy fire from the enemy and landed safely. A short time after he left the vessel, she was captured by the enemy in sight, and he lost everything he had, including a fine medical library collected in England and France.” Dr. Hutchinson served in the army during the Revolution, and was especially interested in public affairs. In a vindication of himself from the charge of receiving pay to which he was not entitled, published in the “Pennsylvania Journal,” Feb. 6, 1782, Dr. Hutchinson gave an account of the services rendered by him during the war. In this he states that he was in the employment of the United States for upwards of one year, and of the State of Pennsylvania from the latter part of 1778 till the beginning of February 1781. While in the Continental service, he had a commission as the Senior Surgeon to the Flying Hospital in the Middle Department, and with only six assistants inoculated 3496 men, while the army lay at Valley Forge. When the army moved across the North River, after the battle of Monmouth, having no duty to perform in his own department, and desirous of being useful to his country, he went to Rhode Island as a volunteer in the expedition against that place under General Sullivan. Soon afterwards he resigned his commission. On his return to Philadelphia he was appointed Surgeon to the State Navy. The emoluments derived for medical services may be learned from the following statement: “The pay annexed to this station (state navy) was three continental dollars and five rations per day. The duty consisted in taking care of the officers and men belonging to the gallies, and of the Militia who were occasionally at Fort Mifflin. This, though considerable, was performed without an assistant.” The first pay he received from the State was in March, 1779, when it was equal to three shillings specie per