Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/346

 DAWSON

DAWSON

that come, if ever, only once in a life- time. He had a case of obstruction of the bowel in a young man, and fully expected to lose him. One morning when he went in the house he found the patient upon the vessel straining, and was told that he suddenly had a desire to stool. In a few moments the patient said he was through, and w T as helped back to bed. Upon exami- nation, the doctor found some bowel that had passed per rectum, and was rewarded for his trouble by a section of the ileum twenty-six inches long. This priceless trophy was lost to him the next year, for, while on a visit to his old friend, Dr. Joshua Martin, at Xenia, there was an attack of house cleaning and all his collection of speci- mens was thrown out and lost.

In 1851 Dr. Dawson, feeling that he was wasting his time and talents in continuing country practice, removed to Columbus, Ohio. The following year the faculty of Starling Medical College was organized, and he was made professor of anatomy and physiology, in company with a remarkably strong set of men as his co-workers. Dr. Dawson held this professorship for twelve years, and later became one of the professors of surgery, which position he held till the time of his death. The following year and until his death he was editor of the "Ohio Medical and Surgical Journal." As a medical journalist he was eminently a success. His English was both strong and graceful, and the journal, during these years, contained many brilliant and learned articles.

In politics he was a Democrat, and his writings, outside of his professional articles, showed the bent of his opinions. Samuel Medary's "Columbus Crisis" contained a number of these writings. Among them were "Progress of the Races," " Commingling of the Races," and Ethnology and Politics."

Personally he was reserved and digni- fied, but never cold or severe; loved by his friends and respected by his enemies; always a hard worker and a friend to

the poor, white or black, and these admired and loved him.

In the midst of his work he was stricken down in his office by an attack of cerebral hemorrhage, and died Sep- tember 4, 1866.

A remarkable family fatality is shown in the male members of this family. Dr. John Dawson, Dr. James Dawson and George Dawson all died from cerebral apoplexy, and Dr. W. W. Dawson died of dementia paralytica, while the female members show no such tendency, nor can a previous family history of nervous trouble be established. C. A.

Transactions of the Ohio State Medical Soci- ety, 1867.

Dawson, John Lawrence (1S15-1S96).

John Lawrence Dawson, practitioner for more than fifty years in South Carolina, was born on his father's planta- tion at Metkin, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, in March, 1S15, the son of Lawrence Monck Dawson, great grand- son of Lord Monck. He had his education at the Medical College of Charleston and graduated M. D. from the Medical College of South Carolina, afterwards studying at Paris clinics and finally settling down in Charleston.

He was at one time president of the Medical Society of South Carolina and United States surgeon for the troops stationed there. As registrar of the city he compiled with Dr. de Saussure valu- able statistics, the first really good ones the city had had.

He married Jane, daughter of his partner Dr. Simons and had four daugh- ters. When this wife died he wedded Catherine Dawson and had one son and two daughters. Dr. Dawson died at his house in Tradd Street, Charleston on the seventeenth of September, 1S96.

R. W. Jr.

Dawson, William Wirt (1S28-1893).

William Wirt Dawson was born on December 19, 1828, at Dawson's Mills, Berkley County, Virginia, the youngest son of John and Nancy Hays Dawson.