Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/401

 ELWELL 2

and some of his articles in the " North American Review" attracted wide- spread attention. His magnum opus, however, and the work on which his fame as a writer rests, was his "Mal- practice, Medical Evidence, and In- sanity." This not very large work (only 594 pages, even in the last edition) contained in compact form the law so clearly and thoroughly stated that the volume at once became a leading authority not only in America but also in Canada and Great Britain, going through four editions. It did not profess to cover the whole of the field, but the portion with which it did con- cern itself had not been cultivated by any other writer with equal assiduity and success.

Gen. Elwell was tall, about six feet. In middle life he was of rather substantial build. His complexion was light, his cheeks ruddy till sickness made them sallow. His hair in early life was abundant, and of a lively rich brown, worn rather long; his eyes gray, very gentle and kindly; his manner quick, earnest, and impulsive. He was fond of children. He married Nancy Chittenden, by whom he had one son and three daughters, but neither the wife nor any children survived him. On the death of his wife he brought the three children of his younger brother (who had also lost his wife) to his house and adopted them. To these he later left his entire fortune. He shared his consulting-rooms with sev- eral companionable friends, all old men, but as full of good cheer and spirits as if they were boys: Alfred Elwell, the gen- eral's brother, was seventy-eight. Dr. H. H. Little was eighty. Judge Darius Cad- well — drollest of raconteurs — eighty also; and Dudley Baldwin — whose father had been an officer throughout the entire Revolutionary War — was ninety-one. Fond of stories, among his large fund he used sometimes to tell the following, an actual occurrence: A rather "close" old gentleman, being upon his death bed, and surrounded by kin and friends,

! ELY

addressed his family physician: "Doc- tor, I have settled all accounts but yours. Now, how much do I owe you?" The doctor disliked to make out a bill be- fore the sorrowing relatives, but men- tioned a small amount, which he stated would be satisfactory. "All right," said the old man, " will you take it in mutton." The doctor, in his embar- rassment, replied that he would. "Fore- quarters," the old man added. "Yes," said the doctor. "All right," said the old gentleman. Then, with a long sigh, he turned over and died.

The general, though he lived to be almost eighty, never wholly recovered from the effects of the yellow fever and two accidents which followed closely on that disease. The day before his death he wrote to his life-long friend, Capt. Levi T. Scofield, of Cleveland, this very simple message: "Captain, come and see me." The friend com- plied at once. The general, though sick, rose as his old friend entered and placed before the fireplace a rocker. Then he said, "Captain, I am going to die to-night, but please do not tell General Barnett or Major Kendall of my condition. It would pain them greatly to see me suffering so." That night he rose again to do some simple favor for two young men, strangers, who had not known of his condition. Three hours later (March 13, 1900) he was dead. T. H. S.

"Cuyahoga County Soldiera 1 and Sailors, Monument," 1894.

Am. .Med., n. s., vol. iv, 1909.

Ely, Edward Talbot (1850-1885).

Edward Talbot Ely, youngest son of W. \\. Ely, was born October 2, 1850, in Rochester, New York. lie gradu- ated at Rochester University in 1871 and at the College of Physicians and Surgeon--, New York, in 1S7-1, serving

later in the Presbyterian and Charity Hospitals, and in 1S75 became associ- ated with Dr. St. John Roosa. Ee was an assistant surgeon at the Manhat- tan Eye and Ear Hospital, and associate