Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/224

 BROWN 1

He died May 14, 1862, aged seventy- nine years, being succeeded in the prac- tice of orthopedics in Boston by his son, Buckminister Brown. W. L. B.

Obit. Com. Mass. Med. Society, 1861-1866,

vol. X.

Com. Mass. Med. Soc., vol. x, 1861-1866.

Brown, Samuel (1769-1830).

A pioneer inoculator for small-pox. and one of the first two professors of the Tran- sylvania University Medical Department. Samuel Brown was born on January 30, 1769, in Augusta, now Rockbridge County, Virginia.

He was the son of the Rev. John Brown, Presbyterian minister, and Mar- garet Preston, the second daughter of John and Elizabeth Patton. Samuel was the third of four distinguished brothers, Hon. John Brown, Hon. James Brown, and Dr. Preston Brown.

His early education he received from his father, who founded a grammar school for the education of his sons and other boys in the neighborhood. He went eventually to Dickinson College in Penn- sylvania, where he took his bachelor of arts degree.

He immediately began to study medi- cine under his brother-in-law, Dr. Hum- phreys, at Staunton, Virginia. After sev- eral months he went to Philadelphia and became a private pupil of Dr. Rush but did not remain there long but went to Edinburgh where he had as classmates Dr. Hosack Dr. Davidge, Ephraim McDowell and other Americans. Not having fulfilled certain requirements of the Edinburgh University, he did not graduate there but took his M. D. from Aberdeen University. On returning to America he began to practice at Bladens- burg near what is now the city of Wash- ington. Although he prospered, a strong desire to be with his family is the reason given for his leaving the shores of the Po- tomac in 1797 and joining his brother, James Brown, who began the practice of law in Lexington, Kentucky.

In 1804 the health of James Brown compelled him to seek a milder climate

3 BROWN

and he chose New Orleans. Dr. Brown, unable to separate himself from his brother, descended the Mississippi in 1806 and entered upon practice in New Orleans, where, after three years, he married Katherine Percy, abandoning New Orleans and settling upon a plan- tation at Fort Adams, a short distance from Natchez, practically giving up medicine.

His wife died a few years after this, leaving him three children, the last of whom followed its mother to the grave.

This made another change in the career of Dr. Brown. He left Natchez and with his negroes moved to a plan- tation near Huntsville, Alabama. His energies were now directed for a time to educating his children until they reached the age for school. He also co-operated with Dr. Daniel Drake with a view to establish a medical school in Cincinnati. Dr. Drake had obtained a charter from the state of Ohio in 1819. About this time the trustees of the Transylvania University offered Dr. Brown the chair of practice, which he accepted. This was the re- organization of the medical department of the Transylvania University as he and Dr. Frederick Ridgly had been ap- pointed in 1799, Brown as professor of chemistry, anatomy and surgery.

In the spring of 1S25 he tendered his resignation in favor of his friend, Dr. Daniel Drake, who was unanimously appointed his successor.

In 1799 he used his influence by uniting with his brothers John and James and Mr. Henry Clay in their endeavor to introduce a clause into the new state constitution respecting the gradual emancipation of slaves. These efforts were not crowned with success and ever afterwards he shunned politics.

According to Lunsford P. Yandell, Sr., the first medical paper from the pen of a Kentucky physician was one written by him for the "American Medical Repository" in June, 1799; its title, "A Curious Instance of Dis- ease in which the Feeling of the Patient