Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/253

 BUXTOX

BUZZELL

founded a hospital for the benefit of a large floating population of sick and dis- abled seamen, and did excellent service for about a year. By that time the tropical climate began to tell upon him, and he decided to return to Maine. Unfortunately he was attacked at Panama with the chagres fever, yet after a long serious illness reached Maine in 1851, very much enfeebled.

With the beginning of the Civil War, he was appointed surgeon of the fifth Maine Regiment, despite political op- position, and at the Battle of Bull Run was captured and carried within the enemies' lines. It happened that Gen. Beauregard, the Confederate leader, and Dr. Buxton had been business friends of long standing. When the general learned at dinner that there was a Dr. Buxton among the prisoners, he sent for him. put him at his right hand, and said to his officers, " As there is a prisoner of war here, please do not discuss war or politics at this meal."

When the dinner was over, and for a week following, Dr. Buxton attended skillfully to all of the wounded federal prisoners and then conducted them safely to Richmond. After a few months he was paroled, took charge of the hospital in Augusta for the period of a few months, then rejoined his regiment, but was ultimately obliged to resign in 1863 owing to his health. From that time until his death he remained at home, practising as health permitted. He married Miss Julia Seavey of Wiscasset June 3, 1833 and had three children.

Buxton was an active member of the Maine Medical Association, and con- tributed as his first paper one on "Medi- cal Education," another on Hypodermatic Medication," and was president of the association in 1871. He was noteworthy for his work in behalf of the Maine General Hospital, whose value to the state he could easily foresee from his long experiences in hospital work during the Civil War.

He was tall, majestic, very energetic,

of high public spirit, and firm in his con- victions, while as a physician his re- sources were large, his experience great.

He died October 8, 1876, after a long and difficult illness, worn out by his uncontrollable energetic temperament which drove him much too early into unhealthy climates. J. A. S.

Trans. Me. Med. Assoc, History of Warren, Me.

Buzzell,, John (1826-1890).

When I came to Portland in 1873, I only heard of Dr. Buzzell as an old- fashioned doctor who relied on house- hold remedies like catnip tea and sar- saparilla.

Hearing nothing to the contrary I relegated him to the ordinary run of medical men, but on examining the records of his work and talking with some of his living patients, it was evident proper honor should be paid to him.

John Buzzell was the son of Dr. John Buzzell of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and born there November 18. 1826. He went to school until he was fourteen and then, by his own earnings, made his way through the Academies at Port- land and North Yarmouth, attending medical lectures at the Harvard Medical School, and graduating at the Medical School of Maine in 1850. He then settled in Cape Elizabeth, and soon had a large practice In 1858 he left his work and spent several months in New York to obtain the latest medical novelties. Returning thence, he moved to Portland, Maine, where he practised the rest of his life.

He suffered much from a chronic eczema for which he consulted derma- tologists far and wide in vain, and he suffered also from childhood with caries of the femur, crippling him and leav- ing him with a shortened leg for life.

lie was very skillful as an obstetrician, invented a new torceps and was one of the earliest physicians in Portland to bring forceps into general use.

He did some excellent ovariotomies before the days of asepsis, performed