Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/279

NAME CRAIG 257 CRAIK in charge of the chemical laboratory of the Army Medical Department, and in addition supervised and collected the meteorological observations reported by medical officers at various points. In 1873, at the request of the secretary of the treasury, he made two voy- ages to Europe to make a series of elaborate experiments on the air of the steerage in emi- grant steamers, with a view of establishing regulations for more sanitary conditions. For a year before his death on April 10, 1877, he was engaged in drawing up a report of the influence of climate on the health of troops, designed as an addition to the medical history of the war. He was a member of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science, and an associate or correspondent of other learned bodies. His published works are few, but his printed papers are models of conciseness and precision, and include : "Products from the Combustion of Gunpow- der under Different Pressures" (Journal Science and Arts, l866, vol. xxxi) ; "Reports on Nitrification," presented to the Smithsonian Institution in 1858 (in Smithsonian Annual Report, 1861). "Remarks on the Comparative Mechanical Energy Developed by the Combustion of Gun Cotton and Gunpowder in Fire Arms" (Smithsonian Annual Report, 1864) ; "Vari- ations in the Temperature in the Human Body," read before the Philosophical Society of Washington. American Journal of Sci- ences and Arts, 1871, vol. ii; "Determina- tion of the Zero Point" {American Chem- ist, 1873, vol. iii, p. 325). Daniel Smith Lamb. Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., 1877, vol. xcvi. Craig, James (1834-1888) This obstetrician was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but came to the United States when seventeen, first staying a while in Canada, then graduating at the University of the City of New York, afterwards settling in New Jer- sey for the rest of his life. He was eminently successful as an obstetrician in over 4,0(X) cases without the loss of a mother. He in- vented the elastic ligature for the unbilical cord in 1861 ; elastic electrodes in 1884, intro- duced hydrate of chloral as an hypnotic to the profession in New Jersey, and was the first to demonstrate hydriodic acid as a cura- tive in acute inflammatory rheumatism. He was attending physician to the St. Francis Hospital, a member of the New York Medico-legal Society, and a frequent contribu- tor to the medical journals. His death occurred on February 10, 1888, after an illness of nineteen hours from hemor- rhage, the result of gastric ulcer. He left five children, three daughters and two sons ; one son, Burdette P., followed his father's profession. Davina VVaterson. Med. Reg. State of New York. Albany, 1888. Craik, James (1731-1814) This physician-general of the United States Army was born at his father's country seat, Arbigland, near Dumfries, Scotland, and studied medicine at Edinburgh, emigrating to the North American colonies, and practising medicine first in the West Indies and later in Virginia, where he formed a connection with the young planter and surveyor, George Washington, and established a friendship dis- turbed only by the death of Washington. He was appointed surgeon of the Virginia Pro- vincial Regiment in 1754, of which Washing- ton held the command, and was present at the battle of Great Meadows and also at Monongahela, where he dressed the wounds of the ill-fated Braddock and many others. At the close of the Braddock campaign and upon the formation of the Virginia Provin- cial Army Craik continued in the service as the chief medical officer, and remained until the disbandment of the forces at Fort Pitt, 1758. During the time that he practised medicine in Charles County, Mary- land, Washington and he continued their in- timacy and made famous exploring trips into the west which were noteworthy even in those adventurous days. An active patriot in early Revolutionary times, he became assistant medical director of the hospitals in the Middle Department at the solicitation and special nomination of Wash- ington, and organized the medical department of the forces of Count Rochambeau. being the junior of the four chief army hospital physicians and surgeons, taking the senior- ship, second in rank to the director general. This position he held until mustered out at the end of the war in 1783, after personally participating in many of its most important events, including the capitulation at Yorktown. Through his agency the Conway Cabal against Gen. Washington was exposed. In 1782 the University of Pennsylvania con- ferred the M. D. degree on a James Craik and it is supposed that it was this distin- guished member of the profession. Shortly after being mustered out at the close of the Revolutionary War, he took up his home at Alexandria in order to be near his friend's Mount Vernon home, until 1798. when war with France seemed inevitable and