Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 2.djvu/554

 WESTMORELAND

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WESTMORELAND

practise in Pike county, afterwards set- tling in Atlanta, where he continued in active practice for at least forty-five years.

To his brain is due the conception and putting into existence of the Atlanta Medical College, to-day known as The Atlanta College of Physicians and Sur- geons, and to this college Dr. Westmore- land gave much time and hard work, at the same time contributing very liberally out of his own funds to build it up. From the beginning he held the chair of materia medica and therapeutics for at least forty years, at the same time being dean of the faculty for that length of time. From an humble beginning at its first session in the summer of 1855, with only a very few students, to-day as the Atlanta College of Physicians and Surgeons, it has in actual attendance in its various departments several hundred students.

In connection with the Altanta Medical College, Dr. Westmoreland originated the Brotherhood of Physicians. Each mem- ber upon joining this society was given a beautifully engraved certificate of mem- bership, to which was attached an en- graving of his then five year old son, Robert W., who following the footsteps of his father became an active practi- tioner of medicine of Atlanta.

From this Brotherhood has sprung the Atlanta Society of Medicine, of which at least two hundred leading physicians of high civic and professional standing are among its members.

Together with his brother, Willis F., Dr. Westmoreland established the "At- lanta Medical Journal."

When the Civil War came on and the sessions of the college suspended there were several subjects on hand in the anatomical department. These Dr. Westmoreland embalmed and carefully stored them away. Several years after the war. Dr. Westmoreland turned them over to the college in such good condition that they were used as fresh subjects. Dr. Westmoreland established the first hospital in the city of Atlanta,

for many years maintaining it principally at his own expense. During the early part of the war he sold $100,000.00 worth of Atlanta city property, lending the entire amount to the Southern Con- federacy. Of course this was to him an entire loss.

Long before the pestiferous, stegomyia fasciata, and his cousin, culex, began to buzz in medical circles, Westmoreland took the position that yellow fever was non-contagious and to convince the public and medical profession of the correctness of his position, he often took his yellow fever patients into the inner room of his office and slept with them, and at no time ever contracted the disease.

The only public office Dr. Westmore- land ever held was in 1855 when elected member of the House of Representatives of Georgia, going there solely for the purpose of getting a donation from the state to help build the Atlanta Medical College. In this he succeeded to the extent that the state granted the college $15,000.00, in return for which the college has ever since that time gratui- tously educated some young man every session from each of the congressional districts of the State of Georgia.

Dr. Westmoreland married Annie Buchanan, a near relative of Pres. James Buchanan, and had two children, Louisa, and a son, Robert W.

Dr. Westmoreland on his paternal side was of English ancestry, a lineal descend- ant of Lord Westmoreland. In 1740 three Westmoreland brothers emigrated to America, first settHng in Virginia. Of these, one, William, came to North Carolina, and one of his descendants coming to Georgia, settled in Fayette County, long before the Indians had left that part of the State. This gentleman was Dr. Westmoreland's father.

R. J. M.

Westmoreland, Willis Furman (1828- 1900). Willis Westmoreland, surgeon, waa born in Pike County, Georgia, June 1,