Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 2.djvu/323

 POTTER

285

POTTER

this capacity took part in the expedition against Quebec. In subsequent years he used to describe those terrible times, and the torture he endured on account of his helplessness in the midst of so much misery. At the expiration of two years' service he became surgeon to Col. William Douglas' regiment, in July, 1776, and was present through the cam- paign around New York City. He was mustered out with the regiment, on December 29, 1776, and then returned home to resume practice. His health, however, was much impaired, during the next two years, liy what he had under- gone.

He was greatly interested in politics, and was a member of the Lower House of the General Assembly for eighteen sessions (1780-1809). On one occasion he was nominated for the upper house, but was defeated. In his political views he strongly allied himself with the Jeffersonian Democracy, while in his religious belief lie was a Universalist. This attitude in politics and religion placed him at variance with the prevail- ing sentiments of his alma mater, and caused him to speak derogatory words against her.

In tlie zenith of his fame he was prob- ably the most celebrated and popular physician in the state. And rightly, for he strove by buying the latest books on medicine to keep himself well abreast of the times. This helped, also, to make him a famous medical teacher. The celebrated Dr. Lemuel Hopkins of Hart- ford was his first student. His consulta- tion practice was very extensive and carried him over most of the state. For "he was an excellent judge of symptoms and specially skilled in diag- nosis." " In practice he was particularly fond of alkalies and alkaline earths. The famous ' Porter's powder, ' as used by him, was composed of chalk, carbo- nate of ammonia, camphor and charcoal. He used it largely in dyspeptic and other gastric complaints."

He married Sarah Forbes, on April 19, 1764, and had two daughters. These

daughters married two brothers, the younger girl was the mother of Jared P. Kirkland, a physician of Ohio.

His death, which occurred on July 30, 1810, was due to a peculiar accident. As he passed a field of rye on his farm he plucked a head of ripe grain and, on shelling it, threw the kernels into his mouth. Unfortunately, a beard lodged on the uvula, causing inflammatory gan- grene and shortly after, death.

W. R. S.

Bronson, H., N. H. Colony Hi.st. Society's Papers, ii. Dexter, F. B., Yale Biographies and Annals, ii. Thacher, J., American Med. Biography, i.

Potter, Nathaniel (1770-1843).

Author and teacher, Nathaniel Potter, founder of the University of Maryland and for thirty-six years professor of medicine there, was born at Easton, Talbot County, Maryland, in 1770; his ancestors came from Rhode Island, and his father. Dr. Zabdiel Potter, served as surgeon in the Revolutionary Army. He was educated at a college in New Jersey and studied medicine under Dr. Benja- min Rush, of Philadelphia. He gradu- ated M. D., at the University of Penn- sylvania in 1796, his thesis being "On the Medicinal and Deleterious Effects of Arsenic." In 1797 he settled in practice in Baltimore and continued in active professional work until his last illness. On the organization of the College of Medicine of Maryland (later the Univer- sity of Maryland), December 28, 1807, he became professor of principles and practice of medicine and continued in the occupancy of this chair until he died. The other positions which he held were: Dean of the College of Medicine, 1812, 1814; president, Baltimore Medical So- ciet3^ 1812; president Medical Society of Maryland, 1817; one of the editors of "Maryland Medical and Surgical Jour- nal," 1840-1843. Among his more impor- tant writings were: "An Account of the Rise and Progress of the University of Maryland," 1838; "Memoir on Conta- gion," 1818; "On the Locusta Septen-